Weekly Events Calendar, May 24-30, 2021

Events are subject to change or cancellation. Please call or contact the event organizers before going.

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.

Big 12 Baseball takes over the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark this week. Photo by Lori Duckworth

Boys of Spring

The crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd—that's right, baseball's back in Bricktown as the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship tournament. See the best college teams in the region compete for glory at the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. There’s even an all-session ticket if you want to see all fourteen games. May 25-30. Tickets, $12-$169. milb.com/oklahoma-city

Come Together

A century ago, Tulsa saw some of the worst racist violence in America’s history. In 2021, the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation seeks to learn from and move beyond those tragic days with twelfth annual Reconciliation in America National Symposium. This year’s four-day event is The Future of Tulsa’s Past: The Centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre and Beyond and includes authors, activists, educators, and journalists discussing the story of the Tulsa Race Massacre and where we go as a state and a country from here. The in-person symposium tickets are sold out, but the event can still be attended virtually. May 26-29. Tickets, $29-$99. (918) 295-5009 or jhfnationalsymposium.org

Red Dirt Rangers are among the big names in country and Americana playing the Medicine Park Roots Ball this week. Photo by Kelly Kerr

Deep Roots

You’ll be forgiven for not immediately understanding what’s going on at Medicine Park’s Roots Ball, which is emphatically not a fancy dress-up gardening dance, but actually a three-day music and poetry festival in one of Oklahoma’s most-charming getaway spots. While waltzing with a horseradish is likely out, visitors can boogie down to Americana, Red Dirt, and country music from the likes of James Cook, the Bottom of the Barrel Band, the Red Dirt Rangers, and more. May 28-30. Admission, Free. facebook.com

Get Your Kicks

Don’t let the name fool you: one does not have to be 66 years of age to attend the Bethany 66 Festival, though people who do thread that particular needle are also quite welcome. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., visitors can enjoy live music, a children’s parade, a car show, arts and crafts booths, and plenty of food while raising money for charitable community projects. May 29. Admission, Free. bethanyimprovementfoundation.com

The annual Chuck Wagon Festival at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is two days of Wild West fun. Photo by Lori Duckworth

Circle the Wagons

The only bad time to visit the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is when it is closed. The best time to visit is debatable, but the annual Chuck Wagon Festival has to be in the running. Now in its thirtieth year, the festival is two days of Wild West fun, including actors portraying famous folks like Annie Oakley and “Stagecoach” Mary Fields, a dutch oven cooking demonstration, live art, and so many crafts it could cause a national popsicle stick shortage. May 29-30. Tickets, $15. (405) 478-2250 or nationalcowboymuseum.org

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.