Saturday, April 25 – 

All the colors of the rainbow will shine on the Cox Business Center on Saturday, April 25 for this year’s Equality Gala. Benefiting the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center, The Equality Gala helps raise funds that support the center’s mission that seeks equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals and families through advocacy, education, programs and alliances. Starting at 6:30 p.m. with a cocktail hour, co-chairs Dr. Angela Sivadon and Mary Robinson, along with everyone else involved in this year’s efforts, welcome sponsors and guests to enjoy an exquisite night of fun and philanthropy. Patrons can purchase sponsorship opportunities that range from $300 to $20,000 or buy individual tickets for $150. To purchase tickets or find out more information about the gala, visit www.okeq.org.

Sunday, April 26 – 

Hozier is an indie rock and blues singer-songwriter from Ireland whose voice, storytelling and musical talents found a world-wide audience when a video for his 2013 hit single “Take Me To Church” became a viral sensation on YouTube. In 2014, his first studio album, the self-titled Hozier, was released and includes the 2013 hit single along with “Word Song,” “From Eden,” “Sedated” and “Someone New.” It spent eight weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and 17 weeks at No. 2 on The Hot 100 chart. Hozier was also nominated for Song of the Year at the 2015 57th Annual Grammy Awards. Touring the United States, he has just recently announced another string of shows across the U.S in September and October. But no need to wait until the fall to see his talents: On Saturday, April 26, Hozier will be joined by LOW ROAR at Tulsa’s Brady Theater. For more information, visit www.bradytheater.com.

Sunday, April 26 – 

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the bombing at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The tragic event that shook the nation and hit Oklahoma City hard was a moment that Oklahomans, especially those directly affected by the tragedy, will never forget. “Today, Oklahoma City stands as a symbol for hope and resilience,” the marathon’s website says. “Recovering after the bombing was a marathon in its own right, and our runners and donors are the driving force in making sure this story is told forever.” Voted one of the 12 “must-run” marathons in the world by Runner’s World, the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is a Boston Marathon-qualifying, USATF-sanctioned race that also raises money for the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. For runners who may have not reached the marathon level, a half-marathon, relay, 5k and kids run are available. On Saturday, April 26, the 2015 races will begin, and the 168 lives lost, and the many, many more lives that were touched, will be remembered. To register, or find out more information on being involved, visit www.okcmarathon.com.

Thru Sunday, April 26 –

The Festival of Arts welcomes and celebrates the arrival of spring each year alongside its support of local artists and organizations. This year, the Arts Council of Oklahoma City welcomes its community to Festival Plaza and the Myriad Botanical Gardens to enjoy children’s activities, arts and crafts, shopping and more. 144 visual artists, chosen from a list of more that 500, will have their works on display, 31 food vendors will be on-site serving up great tastes – and the money you spend helps support a local arts organization of the vendor’s choosing – and there will be entertainers of all ages and genres performing on four festival stages, donating their talents to support the arts. Enjoy all the Festival of Arts has to offer from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free, but donations are welcomed. For more information, visit www.artscouncilokc.com.

Monday, April 27 through Wednesday, April 29 – 

This year’s Big 12 Men’s Golf Championship will bring all 10 teams to the beautiful Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa for the third time in the tournament’s history. Hosted by Oklahoma State, the tournament will determine both team and individual champions. The 2015 Championship will include 72 holes played over three days. On Monday, April 27, 36 holes will be played, followed by 18 holes on Tuesday, April 28, and Wednesday, April 29. The low four scores out of five over each 18 holes will determine the team championship. The top 10 individuals will be named to the Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team. Last year, Texas took the title. Who will it be this year? For more information, visit www.big12sports.com.

Thursday, April 16 – 

Each year, April 16 serves as Holocaust Remembrance Day in the United States, where we remember the horrifying atrocities and lives lost in Europe during the Holocaust during World War II. This year, Congregation B’nai Emunah, 1719 S. Owasso, in Tulsa, will host the 18^th Annual Yom HaShoah: An Interfaith Holocaust Commemoration, presented by the Tulsa Council for Holocaust Education and the Tulsa City-County Library. Eva Unterman, a Holocaust survivor who now resides in Tulsa, will be the featured speaker. At 6 years old, Unterman was taken from her home in Poland by Nazis and sent to the Lodz ghetto, what she calls a prison. After four years in the ghetto, Unterman found herself, along with her family, crammed into a cattle car on a train to Auschwitz. In her upcoming speech for Yom HaShoah, The Last Transport: My Childhood During The Holocaust, Unterman will tell her story. After the event, she will sign copies of her memoir, Through Eva’s Eyes, which was written and illustrated by her granddaughter, Phoebe Eloise Unterman. Guests can also enjoy an exhibit of projects created by Tulsa-area students, music and a candlelight vigil. The Tulsa City-County Library will provide a mobile library for those who’d like to check out books or other resources. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.jewishtulsa.org.

Friday, April 17 – 

If you’ve ever spent a morning agonizing away at a New York Times crossword puzzle, then you know the genius and puzzling intelligence of Will Shortz, even if you don’t know him by name. That’s because Shortz is the New York Times crossword puzzle editor and has been so since 1993. From a young age, Shortz was intrigued by wordplay and puzzles, selling his first puzzle professionally at age 14. Designing his own curriculum through Indiana University’s Individualized Major Program, Shortz graduated in 1974 with a college degree in enigmatology, the study of puzzles. On top of working at the New York Times, he is also Puzzle Master for NPR’s “Weekend Edition Sunday” and the author/editor of hundreds of puzzle books. Friday, April 17, Shortz will speak at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center as part of Tulsa Town Hall’s speakers series. The event begins at 10:30 a.m. For more information, visit www.tulsapac.com.

Opening Thursday, April 16 –

In 1978, Richard Weisman, a close friend of Andy Warhol and an avid art collector, commissioned Warhol to paint portraits of 10 famous athletes. After creating Polaroid portraits of each athlete, Warhol used his signature screen-printing method to transfer the photos to a 40-by-40-inch canvas where he’d add his final touches with acrylic paint. While most of Warhol’s works consisted of rock stars and fashion idols, this series included some of the greatest athletes the world had seen to that point, including NBA’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, golf’s Jack Nicklaus, figure skater Dorothy Hamill, boxing great Muhammad Ali and football’s O.J. Simpson. On Thursday, April 16, patrons can enjoy refreshments, a cash bar and live music on Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s Roof Terrace from 5 to 11 p.m. to celebrate the opening of Warhol: The Athletes. Beginning at 6 p.m., hear from the collector himself, Richard L. Weisman, and at 7:30 p.m. enjoy Andy Warhol Screen Tests that feature Salvador Dali, Bob Dylan, Dennis Hopper, Nico and Factory icon Edie Sedgwick; both events will take place in the Samuel Roberts Noble Theater. For more information, visit www.okcmoa.com.

Starting Friday, April 17 –

In this triple bill performance, audiences will get to see three different works as they premiere in Oklahoma, with Nine Sinatra Songs being a first for the Oklahoma City Ballet. “We prove the art of ballet is much more than tutus, tiaras and Tchaikovsky,” the ballet’s website says about the show. Moby’s techno sounds will fill the theater as Play arrives on stage. As the dancers march, slide, scoot and accelerate to choreography by Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch, the audience will experience, through sight, sound and movement, the crowded streets of urban life. As Dear Miss Cline takes over, Pasty Cline’s famed country music, originally choreographed for Smuin Ballet, will bring San Francisco choreographer Amy Seiwert’s brilliance back to Oklahoma City. And finally, Nine Sinatra Songs will uses Twyla Tharp’s genius choreography, set to the incredible Frank Sinatra, that brings ballet, modern dance and ballroom to the stage. For more information, visit www.okcciviccenter.com.