Weekly Events Calendar, December 20-26, 2021

Each week, Oklahoma Today staffers comb through their calendars to find a handful of great events happening across the state. Get out! See Oklahoma! And be sure to let us know what you find, either here or on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @oklahomatoday.

Learn from archeologist Dennis Peterson during his educational Winter Solstice Walks at the Spiro Mounts Archeological Center. Photo by Lori Duckworth

Take a Walk

Two hours. One mile. Centuries of history. The Spiro Mounds are one of Oklahoma’s greatest archeological treasures and nobody knows them like Dennis Peterson. Visitors to the Spiro Mounds Archeological Center can join him on guided Winter Solstice Walks to learn more about how our ancestors prepared for the changing of the seasons and why the mounds were placed where they were. December 21. Tickets, $7-$12. okhistory.org

Fly High

Reindeer get to fly. Santa gets to shimmy down chimneys. Why are the rest of us stuck on the ground? Experience the thrill of adventure from the safety of Oklahoma City’s Civic Center Music Hall as A Magical Cirque Christmas takes to the stage and the air above it. Give yourself the present of wonder as audiences groove along to festive holiday music whie watching some very bendy people do some fairly outrageous things. December 22. Tickets, $36-$110. okcbroadway.com/cirquechristmas

Choo-choo-choose Kingfisher Winter Nights for massive lights displays, hot cocoa, and train rides through historic Kingfisher Park. Photo courtesy Kingfisher Winter Nights

Bright Idea

If science is to be believed, the reason days keep getting shorter has something to do with the way Earth tilts as it spins around the sun. But our hypothesis that the sun sets so early to make Kingfisher Winter Nights last longer seems just as valid. Head to Kingfisher Park to see millions of lights in fifty lighted displays and enjoy a train ride while you look for Santa. There’s an ice rink for skating and hot chocolate for when the temperatures dip too low. Through December 26. Donations accepted. kingfisher.org

The Gift of Game

There are so many tales about the first Thanksgiving, but very little is known about the first American Christmas. Did the pilgrims eat a bounty of nachos from courtside seats? Did everyone divide into teams? Was there even a halftime show? These answers are lost to history, but you can enjoy watching the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the New Orleans Pelicans at the lovely Paycom Center while you ponder. December 26. Tickets, $16-$315. nba.com/thunder

Hit the Mother Road for a gorgeous light show on the self-guided Route 66 Twinkle Tour. Photo courtesy Tulsa Route 66 Commission

Go Your Own Way

Americans with slightly lopsided IKEA furniture agree: reading directions is for losers. But to get the most out of the Route 66 Twinkle Tour, using the self-guided map through Tulsa’s 28-mile stretch of the Mother Road is recommended. Lots of local businesses are all dressed up for the holidays, transforming Tulsa into a Western winter wonderland. Through December 31. Admission, Free. google.com

Written By

Greg Elwell

Greg Elwell served as research editor and web editor of Oklahoma Today from 2018-2023. He also has worked for newspapers, medical research organizations, and government institutions.