From holiday activities to sporting events and festivals, November is jam-packed. For those still craving fall activities, the Pumpkin Festival at Shepherd’s Cross runs through Nov. 5 in Claremore, replete with hayrides, pumpkin patches and educational activities. The Fall Festival at the Orr Family Farm in OKC runs through Nov. 12. You can also participate in the Piedmont and Tulsa...
Performances are around every corner this November – including a few early holiday treats. At the Tulsa PAC, enjoy Carmen Nov. 3-6, by Tulsa Ballet. Stick around for other goodies that include Theatre Tulsa’s Our Town on Nov. 11-20; Chamber Music Tulsa’s presentation of the Maxwell Quartet on Nov. 12-13 (with a performance at ahha Tulsa Nov. 11); and Tulsa...

Around Town

For those among you who cannot cook, nor have family members or friends that can cook, fear not – you can purchase a great Thanksgiving meal at a variety of places around Tulsa and OKC!  Carry out/catering options for full meals:  Boston Deli (Tulsa)  JTR Group (Tulsa)  Lambruzco’s (Tulsa)  Nola’s (Tulsa)  Rib Crib (Statewide) Hammett House (Tulsa) Reasor’s (Northeast OK)  Whole Foods (Statewide) Café 110 (OKC) Mary Eddy’s (OKC) Parlor (OKC) Cracker...
Almost a century ago, a little girl named Augustina Florentino lived in a tiny, sun-kissed village in Puebla, Mexico, right near the Oaxacan border. Her mother, who was from Oaxaca, taught her how to prepare Oaxacan and Pueblan molés – those fantastic sauces that are the glory of Mexican cuisine. She always used spices fresh from the garden, roasting...

Holé Molé 

Drive way down south to Brownsville, Texas, and then another thousand miles south through Mexico, and you’ll reach a fabled land of green valleys, rugged mountains, sea and desert. That’s Oaxaca. In the tiny villages of Oaxaca was developed arguably the most sophisticated (and delicious) cuisine of the Americas. Rich, complex sauces shimmering with flavor that takes days of...
Lao cuisine may not be very well-known outside its native country, but that’s starting to change thanks to chefs like Jeff Chanchaleune, who’s bringing traditional Laotian recipes to OKC. Ma Der Lao Kitchen opened September 2021 and was named one of the best new restaurants in the country this year by The New York Times and Bon Appétit.  Chanchaleune, who...
Edit, Nov. 3, 2022: Due to illness, Elizabeth Strout is unable to accept the 2022 Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award, given by the Tulsa City-County Library and Tulsa Library Trust. There will not be a Distinguished Author Award bestowed this year since the winner has to be present to receive the award. However, Ann Patchett, 2014 Helmerich Award...

Scene November 2022

Calling in Back Up

A strong back is essential to ensuring good posture and supporting an active lifestyle, says Gregory Holt, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon with the Orthopaedic Center of Tulsa.  “Not maintaining good posture and back strength can lead to changes in your spine, such as the constriction of blood vessels and nerves,” he says. “This can cause headaches, fatigue, and back and neck...
A trip to Egypt is an ambitious undertaking, but extremely worthwhile. A recommended route is a Nile River cruise, connecting you to major points of destination with iconic landmarks. It can also be accomplished by flying directly into Cairo and connecting onto Luxor for focused stops. Cairo Arriving into Cairo is sensory overload. A city of approximately 23 million people means...