What I Learned In Oklahoma: Festival Season

Hello again, Oklahoma Internet.

It's me, Brandon King, Oklahoma Today's Spring intern, back with another edition of "What I Learned in Oklahoma." (If you didn’t catch the first one, take a look back to see where this exploratory mission began.)

Oklahoma, we need to talk about your summer activities. I’m well aware that summer is the season when people enjoy the outdoors and getting together with loved ones to celebrate the lovely weather. Personally, I avoid summer because I love movies too much and my legs are the shade of the Oklahoma State Capitol Building. I discovered something while I was doing my weekly intern duties; according to TravelOK, between the beginning of May and the end of July, there are one hundred and five outdoor festivals across the state.

This year's Porter Peach Festival is July 16-18 in Porter. Photo by Lori Duckworth.

There are more outdoor festivals in Oklahoma than there are days of summer. Sure, you could include August, but let's be honest—come August, everyone is indoors praying the air conditioner survives until mid-September. That isn’t a summer vacation; it’s house arrest.

Not every festival listed will make Animal House seem like a dull affair and there is plenty of crossover from festival to festival. but that's at least one hundred and five reasons to go outside. There is an event for everyone. Do you want to celebrate American freedom? There are thirteen separate events from which to choose. Want to stuff your face with local fare made by food trucks from across the state? Almost every single festival features them by the...uh...truckload.

Seeing this cornucopia of outdoor festivals gives me a sense of hope. Everything feels divided these days. We are separated by differences and an unwillingness to drop our guards. The solution isn’t to dig in deeper in our bunkers, but to mend what we have in common. Oklahoma is what we share. By visiting these festivals, indulging in our culture, and sharing something new with others, maybe we can reconnect with each other. Click the "Festivals and Events" tab on TravelOK and find something that interests you.

Here is what I learned this week: Keep an open mind and walk towards what is unknown to you. When you look through issues of Oklahoma Today, find the events you know nothing about, grab your friends and family, and go experience an unfamiliar environment. If we all step out of our comfort zones together, maybe we can learn how to be comfortable with each other. Maybe we can finally understand that everyone, no matter where they are in the state, provides something that makes us uniquely Oklahoman.

Let me know what you find and maybe we'll see each other out there. I’ll be the one wearing a pug shirt, no doubt.

Written By

Brandon King