Friday, April 10-Sunday, April 12 –

The Oklahoma Urban Cinema Festival’s founders began conceptualizing the festival in 2012, and with its recent growth and development, those involved couldn’t think of a better place than Oklahoma City to host a festival that celebrates the creativity and significance of urban cinema. Debuting this year, the festival schedule includes three exciting days of standout storytelling on the big screen. Starting Friday, April 10, and running through Sunday, April 12, see up to 28 films that range from five minutes to an hour and 45 minutes. Participating venues include Langston University OKC, Sauced, District House, Oklahoma City University, ACLU Headquarters, Krumme Center and the Millwood High School Auditorium. Tickets are available for an All Festival Pass ($26) or single screenings ($4). Tickets to the opening ceremony on Friday, April 10, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. are $5. Find out more about festival participants on Oklahoma Urban Cinema Festival’s Facebook page, or visit www.okurbancinema.com.

Friday, April 10-Sunday, April 12 –

In 2006, a man walked into a one-room Amish schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Pa., wielding a handgun. Before killing himself, he killed four girls and wounded seven. A fifth would die at the hospital she was taken to. Inspired by this tragic event, Jessica Dickey wrote The Amish Project, a fictional exploration of that day. The off-Broadway play allows audiences to experience the Amish culture, while exploring grief and rage and the power of compassion, faith and forgiveness. Presented by CityRep, this drama that the New York Times called “extraordinary…compelling…a remarkable piece of writing,” runs in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the Murrah Federal Building bombing,“ as both a memorial and an exploration of one of the darkest moments in our community’s history and the path taken since.” Friday, April 10, through Sunday, April 12, see the remarkable story at Oklahoma City’s Civic Center Music Hall. For more information, visit www.okcciviccenter.com.

Friday, April 10 and Sunday, April 12 –

In 1937, John Steinbeck, a Nobel Prize-winning author, published Of Mice and Men, a story about George Milton and Lennie Smalls’ struggles as migrant workers during the late ‘20s, ‘30s Depression era and their dreams of owning their own farm. In 1969, Carlisle Floyd, an American composer, wrote a three-act opera piece inspired by Steinbeck’s novel, a highly celebrated piece of American literature, and it was first performed in 1970. This weekend, the Tulsa Opera, who believes strongly in American and English language opera, presents Of Mice and Men on a Tulsa Performing Arts Center stage. On Friday, April 10, and Sunday, April 12, see tenor Corey Bix, as Lennie, and Craig Verm, as George, make their company debuts. Also see Matthew DiBattista as Curley and Ava Pine as Curley’s wife. For more information, visit www.tulsapac.com.

Friday, April 10 –

Jason Aldean, a hot name on the country music circuit, is touring the country on his Burn It Down Tour, a title that plays off his latest album’s sizzling single, “Burnin’ It Down.” With his fiery performances and electric stage presence, lighting the roof on fire is an easy task for Aldean. The single, off his sixth studio album, Old Boots, New Dirt, landed at the top of the country radio charts and went platinum after just nine weeks on the waves, the fastest selling single of 2014. Fans are also expecting to hear his latest single, “Just Gettin’ It Started,” along with fan favorites that include “She’s Country,” “Why,” “Don’t You Wanna Stay” featuring Kelly Clarkson, “Dirt Road Anthem,” Big Green Tractor,” “Amarillo Sky” and “My Kinda Party.” In 2012 and 2013, Aldean won American Country Music’s Male Vocalist of the Year award, and in 2014, the Recording Industry Association of America recognized him as the Top Male Country Artist in the history of RIAA’s Digital Gold & Platinum Awards. Aldean will definitely bring the heat to Tulsa on Friday, April 10. Hopefully the BOK Center will still be standing when he’s through. For more information, visit www.bokcenter.com.

Saturday, April 11 –

Every year, the parking lot at 41st and South Peoria becomes a plant and gardener lover’s paradise with booth after booth of garden goodies. Brookside’s annual Herb Day draws the avid pro gardeners as well as the inquisitive newcomers, both exciting about digging in the dirt and beautifying their gardens this spring. With some great vendors lined up for 2015, find everything you need for this year’s garden and more. Thousands of Oklahoma-grown plants, veggies, flowers, products, wine and much more will be at your fingertips. Saturday is supposed to be a beautiful day, so spend it outside on Brookside, then take your findings home to begin or put those finishing touches on your garden. Get out their before noon, and you’ll enjoy Coyote Hill Bluegrass as they entertain the crowd with outstanding talent. For more information, visit www.brooksidetheplacetobe.com.

Saturday, April 11 –

Puzzle Piece Palooza, a free event open to the public, welcomes families of all ages to Broken Arrow for a day of fun, while raising support and awareness for an important cause. “Our hope is to offer support to those within the autism community and significantly raise the level of awareness and acceptance in the Broken Arrow community,” its website says. On Saturday, April 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., kids can enjoy bouncy houses, face painters, balloon artists and magicians. There will be food trucks and live entertainment. Nathan Wagner, a Chicago-based musician, will be performing. Take the whole family down to Chisholm Trail South Park in Broken Arrow to celebrate and support the community. Puzzle Piece Palooza’s goal this year is to raise $25,000, and they’re almost there with $15,350 raised so far. For more information about the event or how you can help, visit www.puzzlepiecepalooza.com.

Saturday, April 11 and Sunday, April 12 –

2015 marks Redbud Classic’s 33rd year. For more than three decades, the event has offered the Oklahoma City community fun and competitive fitness-centered events while supporting its local nonprofits. This year’s event includes 10-, 33- and 55-mile bike tours and a one-mile kid’s fun run on Saturday, April 11; and a 5k, 5k wheelchair event, 10k and two-mile walk and stroller derby on Sunday, April 12. On Sunday, immediately following the start of the 5k and 10k, The Redbud Bash will kick off in Nichols Hills Plaza. Oklahoma food trucks, beer from COOP Ale Works and other sponsors, games and activities and live entertainment will help celebrate another great year of fitness and philanthropy. The fun will great you at the finish line (#FunAtTheFinish), come rain or shine, although Oklahoma City is expecting a great weekend of weather. For organizations who’d like to get involved and get their name in front of thousands of participants, the Team Challenge is for you, with a minimum team size of three. For more information and to register for an event, visit www.redbud.org.

Sunday, April 12 –

This concert-drama celebrates the courageous Jewish prisoners who performed a smuggled version of the famous oratorio, Verdi Requiem, 16 times while being held at the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp during World War II. The Defiant Requiem Foundation president, Maestro Murry Sidlin, created this magnificent concert by combining music of the Verdi score with testimony from survivors of the original chorus and clips from a Nazi propaganda film on Theresienstadt. Not only a great performance of the Verdi Requiem, this concert tells the story of the chorus and pays tribute to Conductor Rafael Schachter, who led them. Such a brave leader during incredibly trying and tragic times, Schachter told the chorus, “We will sing to the Nazis what we cannot say to them.” And while some members of the chorus were sent to Auschwitz, Schachter didn’t stop conducting and prisoners continued to sing. On Sunday, April 12, at 3 p.m., see this inspiring, hopeful performance, presented by Canterbury Choral Society, at the Oklahoma City Civic Center Music Hall. For more information, visit www.okcciviccenter.com.