Weekly Events Calendar, December 26, 2022-January 1, 2023

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.

There should be a Santa Claus grace period, right? Between Christmas and the new year, one might reasonably assume that the man in red could stop checking lists and chill for a bit. That's the perfect time to sneak up to Stillwater for Town & Gown Theatre's The Eight: Reindeer Monologues. This adults-only show includes eight reindeers gossiping about Old Saint Nick in a no-horns-barred tell-all that will have audiences shaking with laughter like a bowl full of jelly. December 29-31. Tickets, $12-$16. townandgowntheatre.thundertix.com

End 2022 or start 2023 purr-fectly with a performance of "Cats" at Oklahoma City's Civic Center Music Hall. Photo courtesy OKC Broadway

There is a theory in the theater world that the musical Cats, which is coming to Oklahoma City's Civic Center Music Hall, was actually written by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's prized hunting dogs in an attempt to inspire more silly cat names. But are Grizabella, Rum Tum Tugger, and Munkustrap really that silly? Decide for yourself when OKC Broadway brings the hit musical to town for a scant five purr-formances. December 30-January 1. Tickets, $30-$95. okcbroadway.com/cats

Head to Muskogee to ring in the new year with fancy dancers at the New Year's Eve Powwow. Photo courtesy Friends of Sobriety

Black-tie affairs are pretty stodgy and fairly monochrome. Inject some color into the last day of the year at the Muskogee Civic Center for the New Year's Eve Powwow. Native American performers will spend the day doing a variety of traditional dances and competing in contests for fancy dance, straight dance, jingle dress, and fancy shawl. December 31. Admission, free. facebook.com

"If music be the food of love, play on," wrote William Shakespeare in Twelfth Night, but for those who spent New Year's Eve partying, perhaps food is the last thing they want. Instead, let music be the antacid of love at the Hangover Ball at Tulsa's famed Cain's Ballroom. Join a bevy of heavy hitters including Mike McClure, Stoney LaRue, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and more for an all-ages show that will start 2023 off right. January 1. Tickets, $27. cainsballroom.com

Get 2023 moving in the right direction with a First Day Hike at one of 17 Oklahoma State Parks. Photo by Hermann Traub

One of the main problems with the new year is that it invariably starts in January, which isn't the friendliest month for those seeking fresh start. The gyms are packed. The fresh produce area at the grocery store looks like a warzone. Thankfully, people who wants to start 2023 off on the right foot can take their feet to a whopping seventeen Oklahoma State Parks for a First Day Hike. This free event is a great excuse to breathe a little fresh air while shaking off the holiday rust in some of the state's most scenic vistas. January 1. Admission, free.

Lake Wister State Park

Sequoyah State Park

Boiling Springs State Park

Lake Murray State Park

Foss State Park

Lake Eufaula State Park

Tenkiller State Park

Natural Falls State Park

Lake Texoma State Park

Arrowhead State Park

Talimena State Park

Roman Nose State Park

Osage Hills State Park

McGee Creek State Park

Beavers Bend State Park

Lake Thunderbird State Park

Quartz Mountain State Park

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.