Weekly Events Calendar: February 17-23, 2025

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.

Kids are known for saying some wacky things, but they also often bring us moments of great wisdom. Artist and photographer Judy Gelles, who died in 2020, spent her final years travelling the world and capturing portraits of nine- and ten-year-olds, asking them all the same three questions: “Who do you live with,” “What do you wish for,” and “What do you worry about?” The responses have been compiled into the travelling exhibition The Fourth Grade Project, which visitors to Enid’s Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center can view now.
Through March 15. Admission, $4-$7. okhistory.org

This fourth grade student from St. Lucia is one of many young people featured in The Fourth Grade Project, now on display at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center in Enid. Image courtesy The Fourth Grade Project

Back before coins went bit, we used to cast the monetary tokens out of precious metals. As with any item issued in varying but limited quantities and valued to some degree by a portion of the population, collectors began coveting coins for more than just to pay for their slurpees. If you are one of these likeminded collectors, you’d do well to head to the Stephens County Coin Club Show in Duncan. The two day show, appropriately held at the Stephens County Fairgrounds, will be the perfect time to buy, sell, trade, gawk, or learn about a new hobby before our friend the penny leaves us for good.
February 21-22. Admission, free. visitduncan.org

You might not think you know the French opera Carmen, but you’ve almost certainly heard Carmen’s Habanera. The duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-du tune has become as generic to opera as cries of Figaro and has been performed and spoofed in countless works of pop culture, including by The Muppets and The Animaniacs, and in movies like Trainspotting and Magnolia. This makes Tulsa Opera’s production of The Tragedy of Carmen the perfect show for longtime opera buffs and those just now looking to get into the artform. Just don’t expect a happy ending.
February 21-23. Tickets, $35-89. tulsaopera.com

Featuring some of the most iconic moments in opera, Tulsa Opera's production of The Tragedy of Carmen makes its return to the Williams Theatre at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. Photo courtesy Tulsa Opera / Shane Bevel

A deep dive on the origin of chili, the hearty meat and bean dish, sounds like a story for another day, but my current uneducated guess is that chili was originally made as a cheap and sure-fire crowd pleaser. And if that’s true, boy did they strike gold. The crowd will certainly be pleased this Saturday at the Checotah Chili Cook-Off, taking place in the Checotah Community Center. Local and regional chili heavyweights will compete for bragging rights, and admission allows guests to sample all of them. Additionally, door prizes and a raffle from Checotah Gun & Pawn means everyone who attends has a chance to come home a winner.
February 22. Admission, $6-$8. mcintoshdemocrat.com

A lot of people love the Mardi Gras celebration in Louisiana as a concept, but not everyone can make it out to New Orleans to experience it themselves. While the Mardi Gras Jazz Brunch at The Jones Assembly in Oklahoma City likely won’t get as wild as what they’re planning on Bourbon Street, it will satisfy your itch for Cajun flavors, featuring a buffet of shrimp étouffée, gumbo, biscuits, and more, plus live brass band jazz music. Reserve your spot online before they sell out.
February 23. Admission, $55. resy.com

The bar at The Jones Assembly is a welcome sight on any occasion, but this Sunday's Mardi Gras Jazz Brunch infuses the Oklahoma City restaurant and event space with New Orleans sounds and flavors. Photo by Lori Duckworth / Oklahoma Tourism

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.