Thursday, Aug. 8-Saturday Aug. 10

The days of roping and riding are back on Ponca City with the annual 101 Wild West Rodeo. The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association-sanctioned event will include steer roping, team roping, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, bull riding and barrel racing plus ranch events, a parade, kids’ rodeo and more. Each year's rodeo continues the tradition of the original 101 Ranch Rodeo, established 104 years ago by the Miller Brothers.
Thursday is “Tough Enough to Wear Pink?” night to raise awareness for breast cancer research. For every person who wears pink, the Ponca City Rodeo Foundation will donate $1 to the Breast Cancer Assistance Program Fund in Tulsa The foundation will donate $50 for every event winner in pink.
The rodeo runs Thursday, Aug. 8-Saturday, Aug. 10, beginning at 8 p.m. each day. Look for the community appreciation barbeque dinner, free dances and concerts follows rodeo events, a Saturday morning parade and more. Most events will take place at Ponca City’s rodeo grounds, 420 E. Grand Ave. Daily tickets are $5-$12 with weekend passes available for $20. For more, visit www.101wildwestrodeo.com.

Continues through Aug. 31

The Tulsa Artists’ Coalition Gallery presents an exhibition of iron sculptures by Rob Key and abstract paintings by Melissa Key. The husband and wife team from Oklahoma and Louisiana, respectively, create complementary art out of metal and metallics. Rob started as a welder who fixed turbine engines. When he began to do ornamental iron pieces in Florida, he realized how rewarding it was to create. Melissa studied art at various places, including the New Orleans Academy of Fine Art. Their pieces can be viewed through Aug. 31 at the gallery. Regular hours are Thursday-Saturday from 6-9 p.m. or by appointment. TAC Gallery is at 9 E. Brady in Tulsa. Go to www.tacgallery.org for more.

Ends Saturday, Aug. 10

Huck Finn and Jim live out their adventures on the Mississippi River in this musical based on the Mark Twain story presented by Lyric Theatre at Oklahoma City Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave. The show features bluegrass and country music that is sure to have the audience rolling along. The original Broadway production of Big River in 1985 won Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Scenic Design and more. Performances of Lyric Theatre’s big production continue through Saturday, Aug. 10. Tickets start at $35, available for purchase at www.okcciviccenter.com. Go online to see a complete show schedule.

Friday Aug. 9 – Sunday Aug. 11

The Mabee Center becomes the center of powwow culture and Native American dance at the big arts and crafts market and dance competition. The Intertribal Indian Club of Tulsa Powwow of Champions starts Friday, Aug. 9, with activities and arts and crafts vendors. Doors open at 5 p.m and festivities kick-off with the gourd dancing at 6 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, events start at 10 a.m. Come enjoy the crafts, culture and concessions at the Mabee Center, 7777 S. Lewis Ave., Tulsa. Admission is $7 per person or $15 for the weekend. For a schedule of events, visit www.iicot.org.

Opens Saturday, Aug. 10

Some may wonder why the snaffle bit warrants its own world show. Many may wonder what a snaffle bit is. The answer is a specifically designed mouthpiece for horses used during riding to better control the movements of the horse. For many riders of a variety disciplines and styles, the snaffle bit is the mouthpiece of choice, allowing better command and teamwork between horse and rider for complex steps. The National Snaffle Bit Association World Show is all about promoting quality riding and training, and it’s back in Tulsa beginning Saturday, Aug. 10, at Expo Square, 4145 E. 21st St. In addition to great competitions and exhibitions of horsemanship, the show sports some of the finest equine specimens in the country. The NSBA show is free and open to the public. It runs through Aug. 18. For more, go to www.exposquare.com.

Ladies and gentlemen: the 64-ounce plastic pitcher that started a war.

This morning, KRMG revealed that, along with a number of changes to Tulsa’s Oktoberfest, which includes RiverParks Authority taking over complete control of the event, pitchers of beer will no longer be sold at the event. According to the report and information shared by organizers on the Tulsa Oktoberfest Facebook page, the decision was made after discussions with the Oklahoma ABLE Commission and the City of Tulsa, though no specific details were given. The report indicates beer will be sold in 16-ounce cups and that commemorative steins will also be available.

The news quickly caused a furor among fans of the annual event, which is widely regarded as one of the largest and best Oktoberfest celebrations outside of Germany. Many took to social media sites to voice their opposition to the ruling or proclaim the decision a death knell to the long running festival, and a Facebook page and online petition dedicated to the return of the pitcher were created with hours of the announcement. Oktoberfest organizers tried to ease concerns with a comment on the event’s Facebook, stating, “We will have an update regarding what will replace the pitchers ASAP.”

While it may seem odd that nixing pitchers would spur such outrage, as many have indicated, drinking beer from a pitcher while doing the chicken dance on a table pretty much is what Oktoberfest is all about.

We'll add updates as more information becomes avialable. Please share your thoughts in the comments seciton or on the Oklahoma Magazine Facebook page.

UPDATE – Oktoberfest released the following statement on its Facebook this evening: “Thanks for the feedback everyone. It's obvious that you love a great Oktoberfest as much as we do. To clarify: we will miss being able to have the traditional pitcher as well. Happily, we do have something exciting to offer fans of Tulsa Oktoberfest: an all-new 1-litre commemorative stein, made of thick acrylic (not plastic) with a close-to-unbreakable molded handle (trust us, we’ve tested). It's refillable, so you'll have plenty of table time with friends. And, it's modeled after the authentic steins used at the original Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, so it's sure to be a fun collectible. We’ll unveil the design in the next few weeks! We appreciate your passion and we look forward to raising a (heavy) stein with you soon.”

Extended to Dec. 29

The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art really wants you to see this painting. On loan from the St Louis Art Museum in Missouri, Woman in the Studio is a cubist masterpiece by the man best associated with the abstraction and style of the controversial, early-20th century art movement. The work by Pablo Picasso is on exhibit at the museum on the University of Oklahoma campus, 555 Elm Ave., in Norman. The piece was placed on exhibit late last summer and originally intended for display for about a year. Now the date has been pushed to Dec. 29, affording more opportunity to view in person a work by Picasso re-examining in his latter years a style he helped develop as a young, unknown artist. Admission to the Fred Jones Jr. Museum is free, and hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday (open until 9 p.m. Thursday) and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. See what else the museum has to offer at www.ou.edu/fjjma.

Saturday, Aug. 3, 8 p.m.

Since their debut television show in 1966, the Monkees have continued to entertain daydream believers all over the world. On Saturday, Aug. 3, Michael Nesmith, Micky Dolenz and Perter Tork will bring their classic pop hits to Tulsa. The Brady Theater, 105 W. Brady St., hosts the trio’s A MidSummer’s Night with The Monkees show. The night will not only be full of favorite songs like “Daydream Believer,” “I’m a Believer” and “Last Train to Clarksville,” but it will also feature rare photos and videos in a multimedia format that includes the late Davy Jones, the band’s eternally-boyish lead singer, who passed away in 2012. Tickets are $39.50-$125, available at Reasor’s locations and Starship Records in Tulsa. They can also be purchased online at www.protixonline.com. Doors open at 7 p.m. For more, visit www.bradytheater.com.

Opens Sunday, Aug. 4

Gilcrease Museum is giving you the chance to step back into the past and experience a world that we learned about in grade school. Before cars, trains and planes, the world was explored on foot and by sea. The 18th and 19th centuries brought great findings all around the world, and to document those discoveries, explorers brought along artists. Gilcrease Museum, 1400 N. Gilcrease Museum Road, in Tulsa presents Folio Editions: Art in the Service of Science. This exhibition highlights works by the expedition artists who captured a whole new scene of animals, people and places through art. Works from George Catlin, John Gould and more can be seen. This historical exhibit opens on Sunday, Aug. 4, and remains on display through March 20. Gilcrease is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is $5-$8. To learn more, see www.gilcrease.utulsa.edu.

Opens Friday, Aug. 2

Art Gone Wild is not your everyday art exhibit. The talented artists in this exhibit are your favorite animals from the Oklahoma City Zoo! Art Gone Wild will include paintings created by paws, hooves, tails, flippers and more. The animals and their caregivers joined together to make works of art to create a social and fun experience for the animals by using canvases and non-toxic paint, and their masterpieces will be on display from Friday, Aug. 2-Saturday, Aug. 31, at the In Your Eye Gallery, 3005A Paseo, in Oklahoma City. The opening reception of the exhibit will be 6-10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2. All pieces are for sale, and all proceeds will go to support the OKC Zoo’s local and global conservation projects. Regular hours for the gallery are from noon-5 p.m. on Thursdays through Saturdays. Admission is free. Visit www.okczoo.com for more information.