Weekly Events Calendar: December 23-29, 2024

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.

By Ben Luschen
The holidays are coming up so you’ve no doubt been bombarded with ads begging you to buy an all-immersive VR headset of some kind. That’s cool and all, but today I’m going to tell you about a totally immersive experience that’s full definition, total sensation, and completely free. It’s LIFE, people! The true Christmas miracle is all around us! But for some people, that’s not enough. They need to alter or enhance that experience to go beyond reality. For that, they turn to, of course, Kringle’s Christmas Land in Jenks. If you’ve seeking Yuletide immersion, this North Pole fever dream delivers. The home of an extremely dedicated Christmas elf is transformed into a walk-up and drive-by experience featuring twinkling LED lights, life-size displays from the 1950s to today, hand-painted decor, a voice-narrated holiday story, and even live blowing snow. If you’re lucky you might even get to pet a live reindeer or one of their animal friends. What does it cost to put on such a bold community display each year? I haven’t the foggiest, but for you and your family to enjoy it all, the cost is absolutely nothing. Hours are 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily through the end of December. The address is 12520 South Date Place in Jenks, and you can find more information on their Facebook page.
Through December 31. Admission, free. facebook.com

If your holiday spirits need lifting, look no further than the Yulestravaganza that is Kringle's Christmas Land in Jenks. Photo courtesy Kringle's Christmas Land

By Kiersten Stone
Whether you’re a fan of Red Dirt country music or have a special someone in your life who is, this event will make the perfect last-minute gift. This post-Christmas weekend, put your boots on and head over to the Diamond Ballroom to catch Jason Boland & The Stragglers on the 25th Anniversary Tour. They’ll be performing Saturday, December 28. The concert will begin at 8:30 p.m., but doors will open at 7 p.m. for those early birds. Jason Boland & The Stragglers have had a dedicated fanbase for over two decades as they have continued to put out multiple Red Dirt hit singles and albums.
December 28. Tickets, $15.40-$22. diamondballroom.com

By Nathan Gunter
We’re close to the year’s end, and everyone’s Spotify Wrapped or, in my case, Apple Music Replay has published, and it’s time to start taking stock of the year’s highlights. I don’t usually love the word best for things like this, but definitely my best concert this year was Nickel Creek at the Tower Theatre in Oklahoma City in late November.

Best concert is always a real contest in my year, because I tend to see a lot of live music. Thinking about what my best concert was this year gets me thinking of years past—like in 2012, when one of my two best shows was our Music for the Mother Road concert at Cain’s Ballroom featuring JD McPherson and Samantha Crain. And if you’ve never seen the brilliance that is JD McPherson live, you simply must. And once again, it’s Cain’s Ballroom that’s giving you the chance, bringing this modern-day rockabilly act to its stage on Saturday, December 28. For tickets or more info, call (918) 584-2306.
December 28. Tickets, $27. cainsballroom.com

JD McPherson's 2018 Socks album has worked its way into many Okie's annual holiday traditions.

But wait! We’re not done! Because there’s another show in Green Country I can’t not tell you about. For this event, I need to introduce you to myself circa 1989. That’s right, Third Grade Nate is going to tell you all about how the totally awesome and tubular Debbie Gibson is performing at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Catoosa also on Saturday, December 28. This eighties maven most known for “Shake Your Love,” “Only in my Dreams,” “Lost in Your Eyes” and the never-ending, genre-destroying twelve-minute banger “Electric Youth,” which has the most Nickelodeon video ever created. Seriously, fellow kids of the ’80s: Go watch it and get the best nostalgia kick. Just don’t let Mrs. Stotts catch you watching YouTube on your phone under the desk. Whoa—might’ve mixed up my decades there for a minute. For tickets or more info about Debbie Gibson at the Hard Rock, call (918) 384-7800.
December 28. Tickets start at $29.50. tickets.hardrockcasinotulsa.com

By Megan Rossman
Maple Ridge, Forest Hills, or even Sunset View in Tulsa and thought to yourself, “I need my holiday home to include more exterior spotlights, two-story entryways, and Teslas parked out front,” then head over to the Philbrook Festival at the Philbrook Museum of Art through December 28. It may just be your shared villa for the night, but it’s a lot less pressure than a $10,000-dollar-a-month mortgage, and so much more fun. Not only will the gardens glow with thousands of festive LED bulbs, but Santa will be there, too, and his snack shack will be selling cocktails and spiked hot cocoa or cider, along with sweet treats and pork rib sliders to keep those bellies like bowls full of jelly. You can make crafts while you’re there, do some holiday shopping, and check out exhibits throughout the museum and elaborate Lego recreations of Tulsa landmarks. For more information, visit philbrook.org.
December 28. Tickets, $10-$25. philbrook.org

By Karlie Ybarra
Of all people, Oklahomans can appreciate oil lasting longer than expected. So naturally, Oklahoma City’s Community Chanukah Festival at Scissortail Park will be one of the biggest celebrations of Judah Macabee’s victory over the Seleucids. Ring in the fourth of those eight crazy nights—December 29th by Gregorian calendar—with kosher fair food on which to nosh, live music, carnival games, holiday characters—including a dreidel who gives out toys—and, of course, the lighting of the giant menorah. No matter how you spell it, it’s sure to be a simcha. The event is free, but you can check out jewishokc.com for more info.
December 29. Admission, free. jewishokc.com

All are welcome at the Community Chanukah Festival in Oklahoma City's Scissortail Park this Sunday. Photo courtesy Scissortail Park

Written By

Ben Luschen

Luschen joined the *Oklahoma Today*’ staff as Research Editor in 2021 and currently works as the magazine's Web Editor, managing the website and social media fronts. His past *Oklahoma Today* stories have ranged in content from the state's bee and quail industries to its vibrant art and music scenes. Not adverse to a road trip, Luschen is always on the lookout for the next big adventure. He is never out of opinions about the current state of Oklahoma City Thunder basketball.