Weekly Events Calendar: March 18-24

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 Nathan Gunter
Let’s pretend for a moment that the history of your life was turned into a scavenger hunt for others’ enjoyment. Yeah; kinda shines a harsh light, huh? I mean, where might someone find the stuffed animal that you, an adult human, still keep prominently displayed from childhood (mine are in my office at home)? Where might we find the journal page detailing your most embarrassing moment? Or the college essays you typed up with atrocious, screaming grammar errors?

Luckily for all of us, no one is interested enough in our lives to do that. But if you do like putting together a historical search party, might I recommend spending spring break in northeastern Oklahoma competing in the Cherokee History Scavenger Hunt? From March 19-23, travel to half a dozen sites—from Sequoyah’s Cabin to the John Ross Museum, the Saline Courthouse Museum to the Cherokee Prison Museum—tracking down the answers to historic clues. The hunt concludes at the Cherokee National History Museum in Tahlequah, where anyone who turns in their completed scavenger hunt sheet will receive a prize! Plus, you can take breaks between destinations at places like Sam ‘n’ Ella’s Chicken Palace and Sequoyah State Park, so it kinda sounds like you’re about to have the best spring break ever.
March 19-23. Admission, free. visitcherokeenation.com

By Megan Rossman
Even as spring break winds down, the waters of Grand Lake will see some extra action this weekend when the Bassmaster Classic comes to town March 22 to 24. Billed as the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing, anglers will be hitting the lake in the early morning hours and bringing their catches to the BOK Center in Tulsa for daily weigh-in. While it may be hard for fans to track down their favorite fishermen on the lake, enthusiasts can also head to the Cox Business Center in Tulsa for the accompanying outdoor expo. There, they can shop for all sorts of gear, boats, and accessories, plus meet their favorite fishing superstars, and sit in on a few educational seminars.
March 22-24. Admission, free. bassmaster.com

Weight watching takes on a whole new meaning during the free weigh-in events at Tulsa's BOK Center for the Bassmaster Classic. Photo courtesy Seigo Saito / Bassmaster

By Ben Luschen
Have you ever been on a losing streak so bad that it feels like your whole purpose in life is to constantly fail at your main life objective? Well if you have, you might be able to relate to the Washington Generals, who have racked up more than 20,000 losses and just one win against their rival, the Harlem Globetrotters, in the past fifty-three years. It seems there is no beating the ball-spinning, trick-shot-making, confetti-drinking Globetrotters, whose endless wanderlust brings them and their favorite punching-bag competitors to Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center this Saturday. For decades the Globetrotters dazzled audiences, sparking a love for the game in young viewers while also thrilling parents with dumbfounding tricks, flashy displays of skill, and jokes that miss even less often than the shots do (which is not often). If you go, there’s a good chance you might even see Mia Castenada, aka Ice, a Globetrotter from Oklahoma City, who we had a story about in our November-December issue.
March 23. Tickets, $26.25-$347. harlemglobetrotters.com

Few adhere to the mandate that sports are supposed to be fun more than the Harlem Globetrotters, who take court at Oklahoma City's Paycom Center this Saturday. Photo courtesy Craig Hunter Ross / Harlem Globetrotters

By Kiersten Stone
If you’re looking for something to do in the upcoming weekends, look no further than the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge. For almost 100 years in the Holy City, actors have been performing their Easter Passion Play, the longest running Easter pageant of its kind in the U.S. Outdoors in the mountain landscape resembling Jerusalem, this passion play is performed throughout the first buildings established in the refuge, which replicate important places in the Bible. Audience members will be captivated by the stunning scenes and acting depicting the dramatization of the life of Jesus Christ. Make sure to celebrate this Easter season March 23 and 30 in the Holy City. For more information, call 580-429-3361.
March 23 and 30. Admission, free. theholycityofthewichitas.org

One of the state's oldest spring traditions, the Easter Passion Play at the Holy City of the Wichitas near Lawton has two performance dates this March. Photo courtesy Holy City of the Wichitas

By Karlie Ybarra
Did you know some trees have been to the moon? Stuart Roosa, a former U.S. Forest Service smoke jumper—aka guys who jump out of planes into wildfires—brought about two thousand seeds from five different types of trees with him on the 1971 Apollo 11 mission. Even though their bag burst open and the scattered seeds were exposed to the vacuum of space, they were later planted and grew into trees, though scientists have found no discernable differences between the space-faring seeds and their Earthbound counterparts.

You can learn lots more beyond be-leaf tree tales at the Arbor Day Fair at the OSU Extension Conference Center in Oklahoma City. On March 30, this free event will bring in local experts who’ll teach classes and lead tree-planting demonstrations. Participants will get their own loblolly pine saplings—which just happens to be one of the species Roose took to the moon. The first fifty people will be registered to win a five-gallon Shumard oak! Check out okcbeautiful.com for more info and other Arbor Week happenings.
March 30. Admission, free. visitokc.com.)

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.