Honobia Bigfoot Fall Festival & Conference
Friday, Oct. 4-Saturday, Oct. 5
When your children grow up, one day they’ll tell their own kids about the time they visited a little town in Oklahoma’s gorgeous Kiamichi Mountains and camped in the heart of sasquatch country. No matter the reaction you get from future progeny or your family at the next Thanksgiving dinner, you and yours will always remember the fun of the Honobia Bigfoot Fall Festival & Conference. This year’s event includes a mountain music showcase, the Big Foot Crossing 2k Run, storytelling around the fire, Big Foot Music Idol, unique crafters, food vendors and contests. Imagine people competing for the best big foot camouflage, tire tossing, rock rolling, limb chucking and “Sasquallin’” for the bronchially gifted.
Primitive camping means you’ll need to provide your own water or buckets for hauling it from the well. Whether you’re a serious ‘squatch researcher or looking for a unique family outing, the conference is certain to leave you with some great memories. Events will be Friday, Oct. 4-Saturday, Oct. 5, at the Ludlow Rock Schoolhouse grounds on Oklahoma 144 west of U.S. 259 (south of Heavener). Parking is $10 per carload all day. For more, go to www.honobiabigfootprint.com.
“Libertad de Expresión”
Opens Saturday, Oct. 5
Art and democracy meet at the newest exhibit at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. “Libertad de Expresión: The Art of the Americas and Cold War Politics” opens Saturday, Oct. 5, and runs through Jan. 5. The museum, located at 555 Elm Ave. in Norman on the University of Oklahoma campus, presents pieces from more than 60 artists – including Joaquín Torres García, Roberto Matta and Jesús Rafael Soto – with work representative of styles from constructivism and surrealism to abstract expressionism. Collected by the Organization of American States during the Cold War to demonstrate the modern artistic virtues and freedoms enjoyed in Latin America and the Caribbean, this showing also tells a story of hypocrisy – how the organization and its Art Museum of the Americas at the time refused support to artists with socialist or communist leanings.
“Libertad de Expresión” is the focus of a symposium scheduled the day before the exhibit’s official opening. It will run Friday, Oct. 4, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and feature speakers on the politics and culture of Cold War-era Latin American and Caribbean beginning after World War II.
Exhibit admission is free. Regular viewing hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday (open until 9 p.m. Friday) and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. For more, go to www.ou.edu/fjjma. For more on the symposium, call 405.325.4938.
Art in the Square
Saturday, Oct. 5, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
We’re lucky in Oklahoma. When the seasons change, we live it, which makes events like Utica Square’s Art in the Square especially attractive. The village for upscale shopping and fine dining will line its sidewalks with local artists set up to demonstrate and exhibit their work. Pottery, stained glass, sculpture, woodturning, painting and other media will be represented at this favorite event that includes children activities. Visit with artists at this free event on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Utica Square is located on 21st Street east of Utica Avenue. Read more at www.uticasquare.com.
ShalomFest
Sunday, Oct. 6, noon-5 p.m.
Get thyself to the temple for the 20th annual ShalomFest, a celebration of Jewish music, tradition, food and fun. ShalomFest will be from noon-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6, at Tulsa’s Temple Israel, 2004 E. 22nd Place, just south of Utica Square. Again, expect your favorite Jewish dishes from around the globe, including spiced beef, chicken parikash, kosher hot dogs, borekas, Israeli salad, chopped liver and more. While you snack, listen to the temple’s choirs, singers Rebecca Ungerman and Jenny Labow or dance with Rabbi Micah in the entertainment tent. Look for the kids’ activities area and visit with vendors in jewelry, gifts and Judaica, but make sure to also check out the model ceremonies (wedding, folk dance, Bat Mitzvah and other demonstrations) to get a real feel for the culture. Admission is free. For more, visit www.templetulsa.com/shalomfest.
The Moth Mainstage
Thursday, Oct. 3, 7:30 p.m.
What you’ve heard about and of The Moth on radio is true. The nonprofit organization based in New York City has brought the stories of people – experienced storytellers and regular folks – to stages around the country in a showcase of poignant and authentic expression since the late ‘90s. The Moth on stage is, also, one of the hottest tickets anywhere for art and entertainment. Literature and live performance rock the Rose State Performing Arts Theatre, 6000 Trosper Road, Midwest City. On Thursday, Oct. 3, at 7:30 p.m., The Moth Mainstage flies into the Oklahoma City area with the night’s theme, “Learning Curves: The Moth in Oklahoma.” A few of the “best-of” tellers from “The Moth Radio Hour” and podcasts will share all-new stories specific to the region, which will be recorded for airplay on the radio show at a later date. Tickets are $25-$35, available at www.myticketoffice.com. For more about The Moth and the radio show, visit www.themoth.org.
The Eagles
Wednesday, Oct. 9, 8 p.m.
Way back in the fall of 2008, the city of Tulsa was treated to something rare – the grand opening of a major arena venue. The promise of bustling crowds drawn to downtown Tulsa, a thriving nightlife and major entertainment acts wafted in the air for months as progress continued and the arena took shape. Then, the Eagles landed, opening the BOK Center for business on Sept. 6, 2008, and returning to play all over again on Nov. 11. Five years later, Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timonthy B. Schmit return to confer blessings on the BOK Center’s fifth anniversary year. Show time is at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9, and tickets are $49.50-$179.50. Get yours at www.bokcenter.com.
Oklahoma Regatta Festival
Wednesday, Oct. 2-Sunday, Oct. 6
There’s more to the Oklahoma Regatta Festival than rowing a boat. Oklahoma City’s Boathouse District loads up on dragon boat racing, fireworks, running, kayaking, partying and other festivities for this annual celebration of river sports. The festival opens with the Canoe Marathon Invitational from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2. The festival gets into gear with the family festival, 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, which includes free admission and special pricing on Riversport Adventures passes ($15 for 3-12 years and $25 for adults). The family festival, continuing through Saturday, Oct. 5, coincides with OGE Nightsprints and firework shows on the river. The weekend includes the Oklahoma & USRowing Masters National Head Race Championship (Saturday-Sunday), the Oklahoma Regatta Run (8 a.m. Saturday) and the social event, bl? VIP Lounge (7-10 p.m. Saturday), with live music, dancing and food. Bl? tickets are $50 each. See what’s on the schedule at www.oklahomariverevents.org.
What We're Eating
Chicken Curry
Ajanta Cuisine Of India
There are food items that set a standard among ethnic eateries. For Mexican restaurants, it may be the carne asada; for Italian establishments, perhaps it’s the red sauce. In Indian cuisine, there are many markers that may be used to measure a restaurant’s culinary chops, but the most reliable would be chicken curry. The chicken should be moist and tender, yet not fall apart in the sauce. The veggies should be cooked until they are perfectly toothsome. The sauce, stained vibrantly by the spices, should be creamy, garlicky and flavorful. Oklahoma City’s Ajanta Cuisine Of India passes the curry test and then some. This nondescript eatery in the northern part of the city offers Indian staples in addition to dishes that are for the more adventurous. The garlic naan is a must for any meal ordered. 12215 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Oklahoma City. 405.752.5283
Chicken Salad Sandwich
Agora Coffeehouse
There are plenty of places in Tulsa to get a quick, decent lunch, but how many can offer a from-scratch meal for under $10? Not too many would be the correct answer. Agora Coffeehouse, located in the Fontana shopping center at 51st and Memorial, is a coffeehouse that provides casual atmosphere and tasty eats. Be sure to try the chicken salad sandwich, made fresh in Agora’s kitchen. Tender chunks of chicken are mixed with veggies and dressing and served on Agora’s specialty bread of the day. It’s a filling meal that is great for a hearty lunch or light supper. Don’t leave without sampling one of Agora’s delectable desserts, which change daily. The coffeehouse also offers hot and cold coffee drinks as well as smoothies and breakfast options. 4959 S. 79th E. Ave., Tulsa. www.agoracoffeehouse.com
Lazy Fisherman
It’s a rare treat, but Tulsans take it for granted. Walk the streets of New York City, and the one thing you’ll never see is a sign that says “fried catfish.” In Tulsa, though, there are more catfish shacks than you can hang your hat in. But if you want the best fried catfish in Oklahoma, you’ve got to head south, south on Memorial way past the city line, past the granite monument where back in 1832 Washington Irving camped in a landscape as fresh as on the sixth day of creation, and just keep driving. Beyond 161st Street the avenue narrows into a two-lane rural road and there, across from a pasture and next to a bright red barn, you’ll see a little wood frame house that looks like a relic of land rush days. That’s the Lazy Fisherman.
Ron Churchill looks like the biggest, meanest linebacker on the college football team, and maybe he was, but he fries a mean catfish. Who taught him to cook so well? “Well, I learned from my dad,” says Churchill. “Dad was always a great cook. It’s not hard.” Fresh, soft and flaky, the fish is coddled by cornmeal batter so crisp and ethereal it was surely made in heaven. Don’t neglect the sides, “all made from scratch,” Churchill says assuredly. Of special note are the baked beans, the slaw, the onion rings and the tomato chutney. For the gluttonous, there are homemade pies. The place is usually packed with locals, and the staff is always busy, but, says Churchill, “we enjoying doing what we do.” 16830 S. Memorial Dr., Bixby. 918.366.8305
