AmericaTheBeautiful.com © 2015

- All Rights Reserved.

Peter’s Travel Log

• Travel Blog
• See America
• Travel Videos

When it comes to special events, fairs and festivals, Oklahoma  has something for everyone. Whether it's honoring food, history, heritage, or one of the four seasons, Oklahoma’s  celebrations are known for their authentic charm. The following is just a sample of the events taking place year round.

Azalea Festival

April  in Muskogee, Oklahoma

Honor Heights Park is a stunning 132-acre oasis atop a hill overlooking Muskogee, and home to the well known Azalea Festival each spring. The park comes alive as over 625 varieties of azaleas burst forth with a stunning spectrum of color in one of the most beautiful displays of flowering tress and shrubs in the world. Over 500,000 people come to Honor Heights Park each year to enjoy the over 30,000 blooming azaleas, as well as dogwoods, redbuds and other blooming plants. Held during the month of April, the festival also includes entertainment, arts & crafts, food, carriage rides and more. Visit: www.muskogeechamber.org

89er Celebration

April 14 -19, 2014 in Guthrie, Oklahoma   

This year marks the Official 83rd Annual '89er Celebration in Guthrie,Oklahoma.  Celebrating and commemorating the Land Run of 1889 and the birth of Guthrie, the 89er Celebration offers fun for the whole family and includes a parade, carnival, chuckwagon feed, food and craft vendors, 1889 style baseball game, 5K & 10K run, and window displays. Highlight of the festival, now celebrated for 80 consecutive years, is the 89er Days Parade complete with wagons, buggies, horse riding groups, round up clubs, antique cars and marching bands. Visit: www.89erdays.com

Fried Onion Burger Day Festival

May 3, 2014 in El Reno, Oklahoma

The 26th Burger Day Festival is a tribute to the fried onion hamburger, cooked daily in El Reno since the early 1900s. Visitors to the festival can witness the cooking of the World’s largest fried onion hamburger, weighing over 750 pounds. Other festivities include rides, games, live entertainment, a classic car show, craft show, cycle show, burger eating contest, The Bun Run, and more. Visit: http://elrenoburgerday.wordpress.com/

McAlester Italian Festival

May 17 - 18, 2014  in McAlester, Oklahoma

The 44th  Annual Italian Festival of McAlester, Oklahoma (USA), has been one of the finest annual events in Oklahoma since its inception in 1971. Held on Saturday and Sunday, the Festival draws thousands of visitors to the fairgrounds of the Pittsburg County Expo Center for the two-day event. Join the many thousands who enjoy delicious Italian Food in the Food Tent and the Sandwich Tent, a variety of other foods from dozens of concessionaires, live entertainment for all ages, shopping among the hundreds of vendors, craft show booths and fine arts booths. Visit: www.themcalesteritalianfestival.org/

Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival

June 5-7, 2014  in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

The 26th Annual Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival is held at the Cox Convention Center June 8, 9 and 10, 2012 in downtown Oklahoma City, more than 1200 American Indian artists and dancers from throughout North America will gather to celebrate the richness and diversity of their heritage with the world.  For three exciting days Oklahoma City will be at the center of Native American art and culture in America. Visit: www.redearth.org

Choctaw Nation Labor Day Festival & Powwow

August 29 - September 2, 2014 in Tuskahoma, OK

The Choctaw Nation Labor Day Festival invites all visitors to enjoy tribal heritage activities, an intertribal powwow, Choctaw cultural exhibitions, stickball games, arts and crafts, free concerts and carnival rides. This annual Tuskahoma event offers activities for all ages including sports tournaments, quilting demonstrations, live  performances, buffalo tours and more.  The Choctaw Nation Labor Day Festival kicks off with the Choctaw Princess Pageant.  Come and see which lucky contestant is crowned Little Miss, Junior Miss and Miss Choctaw Nation. The Choctaw Nation Labor Day Festival will present a series of free concerts featuring national stars and well-known performers.  Open to the public, these concerts are always a huge draw.  Visitors are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs to enjoy live musical performances from some of the top names in entertainment with crowds of festival-goers.  Past entertainers have included Sara Evans, Vince Gill, Martina McBride and more. Visit:  POW-WOW

Watonga Cheese Festival & Arts Show

October 10 & 11, 2014 in Watonga, Oklahoma

This is a true celebration of CHEESE that will take place Friday and Saturday, October 10th and 11th, 2014 in downtown Watonga. Watonga is best known for their cheese plant, in operation since 1940 and is part of the draw to thousands of visitors to the annual cheese festival. Cheese lovers enjoy two days of fun filled musical entertainment, cheese tasting, art show, quilt show, classic car show, children's games and 5K run. Highlights include the big time parade on Saturday, along with a cheese food contest and rat race. Visit: www.watongacheesefestival.com

Poteau Balloon Fest

October  17 & 18, 2014 in Poteau, Oklahoma

This popular hot air balloon festival features 20 hot air balloons with races and glows, live entertainment, 4 X 4 exhibition, mud pit races, burn out contest, stage coach rides, authentic chuck wagon, arts & crafts, children's games, native American dancers, fun times carnival, food vendors, pet costume contest, airplane show, skydivers, helicopter rides and more. Highlight of the event is the 'Shockwave Jet Engine Truck' the world's fastest truck recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records at speeds of 376 mph. Visit: http://poteauchamber.com/

Festival of Light 22nd  Anniversary

November / December  in Chickasha, Oklahoma

This holiday extravaganza is a symbol of amazing community spirit.  The festival draws more than 300,000 visitors from across the USA. A thousand local volunteers come together to create the over-3-million-lights spectacle in 43-acre Shannon Springs Park. Carriage rides provide the best views. Other attractions include one of America’s largest Christmas trees, 100 Lakeside Displays, trees and walkways, the Crystal Bridge of 75,000 lights, holiday music, concessions, Santa, and shopping. Visit: www.chickashafestivaloflight.com

Christmas Kingdom

December  in Muskogee, Oklahoma

The Castle Christmas drive through is open nightly starting Thanksgiving and runs through New Years Eve from 6pm-10pm. The drive through is said to have the worlds largest collection of holiday inflatables. Come see the over 2000 displays that range from 4ft to 20ft tall. Everyone from Santa to Rudolph to the Grinch are all presented in various scenes around the Christmas Kingdom. Visitors can enjoy this free event as they drive through the property from the comfort of their own vehicles. Visit: www.okcastle.com