Weekly Events Calendar, May 1-7, 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.

For wall-to-wall music and fun, it's hard to beat the annual Tumbleweed Calf Fry Festival in Stillwater. Photo courtesy Tumbleweed Dancehall

Since 1991, Stillwater's Tumbleweed Dance Hall & Concert Arena has hosted the annual Calf Fry Festival, but it's not really about calves or frying. Sure, that particular delicacy will be for sale, along with plenty of other, less-controversial food options, but the real draw of this three-day gathering is the music. Thousands will gather to hear Red Dirt musicians take the stage, including Casey Donahew, Parker McCollum, Read Southall Band, and more. May 4-6. Tickets, $70-$360. calffry.com

Most children at a yard sale will say things like, "Is it over yet?" But for experienced bargain hunters, the sentiment is generally, "Is it over already?" For those who fall into the latter group, the Oklahoma 100-Mile Yard Sale Tour is like lightly used mana from discount heaven. Across towns big and small, including Hominy, Ralston, Oilton, Prue, Terlton, and many more, yard sales will be full of antiques, furniture, art, toys, dishes, gadgets, books, and everything else under the sun. May 5-6. Admission, free. facebook.com

McAlester is the place to be to celebrate the military during the Armed Forces Day Luncheon & Parade. Photo by Gary Cassel

There's never a bad time to thank someone for their service, but one of the best times is during the Armed Forces Day Luncheon & Parade in McAlester. The two-day event begins with a luncheon at the Scottish Rite Temple honoring the U.S. Marine Corps. The next day, a parade will travel through downtown starting at 10 a.m. as visitors line the streets to pay their respects to the men and women who put their lives on the line in service of our country. May 5-6. Admission, free. facebook.com

Oklahoma is the very best state in the U.S. to find the very best burgers. Sure, we might be biased, seeing as we run a magazine dedicated to Oklahoma tourism, but it doesn't mean we're wrong. Taste for yourself when one of Oklahoma's original burger varieties gets its due during the El Reno Fried Onion Burger Day Festival in downtown El Reno. Visit the ancestral home of the delicious fried onion burger—initially introduced to help stretch meat a little further during the Great Depression—and watch them cook a burger weighing more than 850 pounds. It's a tasty history lesson coupled with plenty of fun, including clowns, magicians, shopping, and a burger-eating contest. May 6. Admission, free. elrenoburgerday.com

Bite into a piece of Oklahoma history when the El Reno Fried Onion Burger Day Festival serves up this classic Sooner State original. Photo by Greg Elwell

Visitors to Prague should Czech themselves before they wreck themselves on a pile of delectable foreign pastries at the Prague Kolache Festival. Held annually on the first Saturday in May, this sweet-and-sticky event draws more than 20,000 guests to the small town to chow down on fruit-filled treats that first came to Oklahoma and Indian territories with a wave of immigrants in the 1880s. In addition to sweets, guests can munch on smoked sausages, Indian tacos, and more before the Czech Beseda Dance, polka street dancing, and a fireworks show. May 6. Admission, free. praguekolachefestival.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.