Weekly Events Calendar, September 27-October 3, 2021

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.

Grab your tickets for ZOObrew at the Oklahoma City Zoo to enjoy samples of more than 400 varieties of craft beer from breweries across the country. Photo by Greg Elwell

Party Animals

Ales and aardvarks. Brewskis with bears. Lagers and lemurs. There are so many beer and animal puns that it’s a painted dog fight to get to all the information about ZOObrew at the Oklahoma City Zoo. This annual 21-and-older event brings together animal lovers and beer connoisseurs for a night of sampling more than four hundred craft beers from breweries across the state and county while enjoying live music, entertainment, and animals. Proceeds go to the Oklahoma Zoological Society, which supports the Oklahoma City Zoo. October 1. Tickets, $65-$110. Designated driver tickets, $15-$35. zoofriends.org/zoobrew

Counting on You

How many different species of birds call Oklahoma home? How many types of trees and flowers grow here? Sounds like a job for ace number cruncher and fictional character Myron Abacus. Sadly, being fictional, he won’t be any help. But you can be! Join the BioBlitz and help biologists and citizen scientists across the state as they explore the nature around themselves to count all of Oklahoma’s biodiversity. Great for science-minded kids and adults alike. October 1-3. Registration, Free. biosurvey.ou.edu/bioblitzok

It's a wet and wild time at the Oklahoma Regatta Festival in Oklahoma City's Boathouse District. Watch racers from across the country compete while enjoying live music and food from local restaurants. Photo by Georgia Reed

On a Boat!

Races, in general, rely far too much on the availability of solid ground. Help fight against this injustice by attending the Oklahoma Regatta Festival in Oklahoma City’s Boathouse District. Over the course of three days, visitors can see more than a thousand rowers from across the country in competitive rowing, kayaking, dragon boating, and stand-up paddle boarding on the Oklahoma River. Those who need a break from the waves can enjoy live music, a children’s activities area, a wine-and-beer garden, and tasty foods available for purchase. October 1-3. Admission, Free. riversportokc.org

Art is a Rock, Art is an Island

Choo-choo-choose Chickasha this weekend for the Rock Island Arts Festival in the old train depot. There’s art, of course, with sculptures, paintings, wooden crafts, jewelry, and much more, but don’t sleep on the Saturday “Ride the Rock” bicycle tour and the tasty food from the Oklahoma Food Truck Competition. Adults can enjoy the wine and brewery area for tastings while kids dig for treasure in the sand and bounce away the day in inflatables. October 1-3. Admission, Free. rockislandartsfestival.org

Frederick's Hackberry Flat Wildlife Management Area hosts the Monarch Butterfly Watch as these majestic creatures begin their southern migration.

Tiny Royalty

As Oklahoma’s weather turns cooler, albeit very slowly, various creatures across the state begin their migrations south, but few are more majestic than the critters in the Monarch Butterfly Watch at Hackberry Flat Wildlife Management Area in Frederick. During the day visitors can learn their Monarch basics before tagging and releasing the butterflies, and at night guests can gather to watch the winged wonders roost. October 2-9. Reservations required, Free. melynda.hickman@odwc.ok.gov or wildlifedepartment.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.