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October 2016
Second Saturday Living History demonstration: Blacksmithing, Fort Towson Historic Site
Visit Fort Towson Historic Site for a special living history demonstration from 1 pm to 3 pm on Saturday, October 8. The topic for October is blacksmithing. Before modern equipment was invented, tools, decorations, and other iron objects were created by blacksmiths. Come out and watch craftsmen create one-of-a-kind items, while they explain the process of blacksmithing.
Find out more »Family Farm Day, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center
Join us at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Saturday, October 15, 2016, for antique tractors, a pie auction, and hands-on agriculture! Plowing a garden, shelling corn, and grinding wheat are just a few of the activities families will experience at Family Farm Day. This event celebrates the proud farming heritage that built Northwest Oklahoma. This hands-on, family event is made possible by the generous sponsorship of P&K Equipment. Family Farm Day activities are 11 am to 3 pm and…
Find out more »November 2016
Dutch Oven Cooking demonstrations, Fort Washita Historic Site
Visit Fort Washita Historic Site in Durant and enjoy free Dutch Oven Cooking demonstrations on Saturday, November 12, at 9 am. Please call 580-924-6502 for more information.
Find out more »“Cooking in Cast Iron” Second Saturday Living History demonstration, Fort Towson Historic Site
On Saturday, November 12, from 1 to 3 pm, Fort Towson Historic Site will host "Cooking in Cast Iron." This Second Saturday Living History demonstration will feature Robert Wallace cooking over an open fire. Wallace will demonstrate how food is cooked using cast iron, and attendees can sample some delicious fare. Do not miss this exciting and educational experience. Fort Towson Historic Site is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm and offers free admission. The fort is…
Find out more »March 2017
Living History Education Day, Ft. Towson Historic Site
Fort Towson Historic Site will host Living History Education Day on Thursday, March 2, from 9 am to 4 pm. Educational stations will include reenactors portraying time periods from the fort's beginning through the 1860s. Participants can expect to see soldiers in full gear and civilians who dealt with the soldiers at the fort. The reenactors will tell students about the uniforms, weapons, and lifestyles of soldiers, trappers, storekeepers, and other people around the region who were connected to the…
Find out more »Draft Horse program, Ft. Towson Historic Site
On March 11, 2017, the Fort Towson Historic Site will host an event featuring draft horses. Have you ever wondered how people moved supplies, traveled, or plowed fields before the invention of the internal combustible engine? This demonstration will answer your questions! See Jerry Brandon and his draft horse team as he drives the team and demonstrates techniques and practices from the 1800s.
Find out more »Spring Bake Day, Fort Gibson Historic Site
Fort Gibson Historic Site and the Friends of Fort Gibson will host Spring Bake Day on Saturday, March 25, beginning at 10 am. Bake Day is a fundraiser and educational event that depicts one aspect of army life during and after the Civil War. The aroma of fresh baked bread will fill the air on Garrison Hill as Fort Gibson staff and volunteers bring a bakehouse to life. This living history presentation details the bread making process, with Rory Montgomery…
Find out more »Fur Trade Rendezvous, Fort Washita Historic Site
Fort Washita in Durant will host a Fur Trade Rendezvous from Wednesday, March 29, through Sunday, April 2. This is a living history event reminiscent of a fur trade rendezvous that was the center of commerce on the early western frontier. Visitors can expect to see trappers representing the far northwest mountain areas to the desert southwest, as well as traders with French and Spanish influence. Visit Fort Washita and experience the sights, sounds, and smells of history. Due to…
Find out more »April 2017
Family Day at the Ranch, Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch
Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch will host Family Day at the Ranch on Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm. Through hands-on activities and demonstrations, visitors will get a glimpse what life was like in the early days of the ranch during Will Rogers's childhood! Demonstrations and activities include butter churning, using a washboard, and rope making. Visitors can also take a wagon ride and see the ranch's longhorn herd. April's program will include Robert Gibbs, Rogers County Soil Conservation District…
Find out more »May 2017
Archaeology Day, Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center
Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center will hold its twelfth annual Archaeology Day on Saturday, May 6, 2017, from 9 am to 5 pm. The site will celebrate its thirty-ninth year of increasing awareness of Oklahoma archaeology. As a bonus, Archaeology Day will be a free day with no entrance fees, although donations are gratefully accepted. All day during the celebration, items will be given away by drawing and birthday cake will be served. If you have artifacts, like arrowheads or pottery,…
Find out more »Family Day at the Ranch, Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch
Experience life on a 19th-century ranch near Oologah! Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch will host Family Day at the Ranch on Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm. Hands-on activities and demonstrations will give visitors a glimpse of everyday life on the ranch during Will Rogers's childhood. This month will feature 19th-century carpentry and agricultural activities, and a nature program presented by Robert Gibbs, Rogers County Conservation District's education coordinator. Visitors also can enjoy a scenic stroll through the expansive property,…
Find out more »May Day Celebration, George M. Murrell Home
The George M. Murrell Home Historic Site will host its annual May Day Celebration on Saturday, May 6, 2017, from 10 am to 4 pm. A celebration of the beginning of the growing season on the nineteenth-century plantation, the event will feature entertainment and living history demonstrations. Music, lawn games, and hands-on programs about nineteenth-century life will fill the historic site. Guests will be able to watch a mule plow and participate in a maypole at 3 pm to conclude…
Find out more »Blacksmith demonstration, Fort Towson Historic Site
Fort Towson Historic Site will host a Blacksmith demonstration on Saturday, May 13, 2017. From 1 to 3 pm, Gerald Franklin will demonstrate blacksmithing techniques using a coal-burning forge. Come watch his skillful hands transform iron or steel into or everyday items or beautiful works of art.
Find out more »“Chuck Wagon Cooking” Family Saturday program, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center
Visit the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center in Enid on Saturday, May 20, from 1 to 3 pm. for this month's Family Saturday program. Participants will enjoy "Chuck Wagon Cooking" and all ages are welcome! This activity is free with regular paid admission. Please call 580-237-1907 for more information.
Find out more »Cowboy Trader Days, Will Rogers Memorial Museum
Plan a trip to the Will Rogers Memorial Museum on Saturday, May 27, for Cowboy Trader Days. This free event will be held from 8 am to 6 pm at the memorial. Enjoy cowboy vendors from across the Midwest as we celebrate cowboys in conjunction with the award-winning Will Rogers Stampede Rodeo. Please call 918-341-0719 for more information.
Find out more »June 2017
Pawnee Bill Wild West Show, Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum
Tickets still available! Stagecoaches will roll amid thundering horse hooves while the lightning of gunfire explodes around Pawnee Bill and his cohorts as the talented performers thrill and amaze audiences at the 2017 Wild West Show. The show will feature reenactments of acts from the original Pawnee Bill's Wild West Shows. Producers and directors have combined stage and script with historical preservation to ensure that the Wild West Show is the most historically accurate production to date. Kevin Webb will…
Find out more »Basket weaving demonstration, Fort Towson Historic Site
After the homecoming parade, visit Fort Towson Historic Site for more activities on Saturday, June 10, 2017. Visitors can bring a lawn chair and listen to live music, get a ticket to the barbecue lunch, and watch the pony express race! Linda Lou Alexander will be on-site by the sutler store giving a basket weaving demonstration from 1 to 3 pm.
Find out more »July 2017
Primitive Fishing Techniques demonstration, Fort Towson Historic Site
Visit Fort Towson Historic Site on Saturday, July 8, from 1 to 3 pm for a Primitive Fishing Techniques demonstration. Harvesting fish as a food source was as important in the past as it is today, but the methods were different. Come learn from Timothy Hollingshed as he demonstrates and these techniques, covering everything from spears and traps, to poles and hooks, and modern technology. This demonstration will be located inside the museum.
Find out more »August 2017
Will Rogers and Wiley Post Fly-In, Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch
On Saturday, August 12, Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch near Oologah will host the annual Will Rogers and Wiley Post Fly-In. Gates open at 7:30 am with free admission, though donations are appreciated. The event will take place from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm on the 2,000-foot grass strip adjacent to Oologah Lake. Pilots will fly the Oklahoma skies and land on the grass strip, a few yards from the home in which Will Rogers was born on November 4, 1879.…
Find out more »Tracks and Tracking program, Fort Towson Historic Site
The Fort Towson Historic Site will offer a demonstration on tracking animals on Saturday, August 12, 2017. With hunting season fast approaching, learn how to identify tracks and techniques for locating animals. Omar Reed will speak on these methods from 1 to 3pm. This demonstration will be located inside the museum.
Find out more »September 2017
Septemberfest, Oklahoma History Center
Don't miss the twenty-first annual Septemberfest on Saturday, September 9, from 10 am to 3 pm at the Oklahoma History Center. This free festival is hosted by the First Family, Friends of the Mansion, and the Oklahoma History Center. Septemberfest will be held at the Oklahoma History Center, and the Governor's Mansion will be open for tours. Visitors will enjoy arts and crafts, chuck wagon cooking, living history, face painting, laser tag, museum exhibits, pony rides, storytime with Governor Mary…
Find out more »October 2017
Antique Agriculture Festival, George M. Murrell Home
The Murrell Home's annual Antique Agricultural Festival is right around the corner. Have you ever wanted to step back into a simpler time before automated living, or see how nineteenth-century folk carried out their day-to-day activities? If so, this is the festival for you! Come spend a day, or the weekend, with us and watch living historians from across the state prepare the farm for the winter, nineteenth-century style. We will have draft horses, plowing, apple preservation, campfire cooking, woodworking,…
Find out more »Home School Day, Oklahoma History Center
The Oklahoma History Center will host Homeschool Day on Monday, October 9, from 10 am to 2 pm. Homeschool Day is designed to offer family learners the chance to participate in a program specifically designed for mixed age groups. Activities run throughout the day allowing participants to stop by any time. Visitors can explore the museum with the help of gallery guides, follow along with our scavenger hunt, take part in hands-on demonstrations, and enjoy a variety of historical interpreters.…
Find out more »Archaeology Month event, Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center
The Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center will celebrate Archaeology Month with a lecture and a guided walk on Saturday, October 14, 2017. Archaeology Month is sponsored and promoted by the Oklahoma Anthropological Society and includes many more events throughout the month of October. A lecture about the prehistory of this region will start at 1 pm. There also will be a guided tour of the site at 2 pm led by manager Dennis Peterson. The regular exhibits will be available throughout…
Find out more »Family Farm Day, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center
Visit the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center for Family Farm Day on Saturday, October 21, 2017, from 11 am to 3 pm. Family Farm Day is a hands-on experience celebrating our heritage of family farms powered by animals and human muscle. Activities and demonstrations include horseshoeing, pie making, caramel apples, quilts and textiles, leather crafting, canning, butter making, and other farm skills. Visitors can see the farm animals and view tucks and tractors on display. A pie auction at 1…
Find out more »Oklahoma Archives Bazaar, Oklahoma History Center
The OHS Research Center is partnering with the Oklahoma Archivists Association to host an Oklahoma Archives Bazaar. The event will be Saturday, October 28, from 11 am to 3 pm at the Oklahoma History Center. The Oklahoma Archives Bazaar is a free, fun event that is open to the general public and appropriate for all ages. At the center of the event are booths from archives, libraries, and museums across the state showing off their amazing collections and services. Our…
Find out more »November 2017
Fall Bake Day, Fort Gibson Historic Site
Fort Gibson Historic Site will host Fall Bake Day on Saturday, November 11, at 10 am. The aroma of fresh-baked bread will fill the air on Garrison Hill as OHS staff and volunteers bring Fort Gibson's bakehouse to life. Enjoy bread making demonstrations in the original wood-fired oven from 1863. Visitors can even sample the finished product. Bake Day is a fundraiser and educational event that depicts one aspect of army life during and after the Civil War. Attendees are…
Find out more »Military Day program, Fort Towson Historic Site
Visit Fort Towson for Military Day on Saturday, November 11, 2017. This event will explore the military history of the fort from 10 am to 2 pm. Several demonstrations are scheduled to run simultaneously. First, stop and visit the sutler to learn about trade in the 1800s. Then, watch military maneuvers, learn Fort Towson history from knowledgeable interpreters, and see the cannon fire.
Find out more »March 2018
Living History Education Day, Fort Towson Historic Site
On Thursday, March 8, Fort Towson Historic Site will host Living History Education Day. Educational stations will include reenactors portraying time periods from the fort's beginning in 1824 through the 1860s. Participants can expect to see soldiers in full gear and civilians who dealt with the soldiers at the fort. The reenactors will teach students about the uniforms, weapons, and lifestyles of soldiers, trappers, storekeepers, and other people around the region who were connected to the fort. Visitors will move…
Find out more »Spring Bake Day, Fort Gibson Historic Site
Fort Gibson Historic Site and the Friends of Fort Gibson will host Spring Bake Day on Saturday, March 31, beginning at 10 am. The aroma of fresh-baked bread will fill the air on Garrison Hill as OHS staff and volunteers bring Fort Gibson's bakehouse to life. Enjoy bread making demonstrations in the original wood-fired oven from 1863. Visitors can even sample the finished product! Bake Day is a fundraiser and educational event that depicts one aspect of army life during…
Find out more »April 2018
Family Day at the Ranch, Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch
Experience life on a nineteenth-century ranch near Oologah! Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch will host Family Day at the Ranch on Saturday, April 7, from 1 to 3 pm. Hands-on activities and demonstrations will give visitors a glimpse of everyday life on the ranch during Will Rogers’s childhood. This month’s theme is agriculture and will feature the ranch’s kitchen garden. Learn about vegetables and herbs that were likely grown in Mrs. Rogers’s garden. Visitors will have an opportunity to help prepare…
Find out more »Gardening at the Fort program, Fort Towson Historic Site
On Saturday, April 14, the Fort Towson Historic Site will give a gardening program from 1 to 3 pm. This program will cover the three main gardens of Fort Towson from 1824 to 1854: the officer’s gardens, hospital gardens, and the company gardens. We will explain why certain vegetables and fruits were chosen and how they were grown without the use of commercial chemicals. We will also be planting our educational garden at this time, and we welcome all questions…
Find out more »May 2018
Living History Education Day, Hunter’s Home
Hunter's Home (formerly known as the George M. Murrell Home) in Park Hill will host its eighth annual Living History Education Day on Friday, May 4, with two sessions: 9:30–11:30 am and 11:30 am–1:30 pm. Registration is now open. Teachers are invited to bring their students and experience life in nineteenth-century Indian Territory through exciting hands-on presentations by OHS staff and costumed living historians. School groups will enjoy lawn games, live music, animals of the plantation, gardening, food preparation, fiber…
Find out more »13th annual Archaeology Day and 40th Birthday Bash, Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center
Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center will host its 13th annual Archaeology Day on Saturday, May 12, from 9 am to 5 pm. This event also will celebrate the site’s 40th year of increasing awareness of Oklahoma archaeology. The celebration will feature demonstrations, lectures, a guided tour of the site at 2 pm, prize drawings, and birthday cake! As a bonus, Archaeology Day is a free admission day, though donations are gratefully accepted. Guests are invited to enjoy blowgun, stickball, and chunkey…
Find out more »Family Day at the Ranch, Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch
Experience life on a nineteenth-century ranch near Oologah! Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch will host Family Day at the Ranch on Saturday, May 12, from 1 to 3 pm. Hands-on activities and demonstrations will give visitors a glimpse of everyday life on the ranch during Will Rogers’s childhood. This month’s activities will include a nature hike on a trail in the valley along the shores of Oologah Lake, bird watching, and identifying different birds common to the area. Walking sticks and…
Find out more »Cast-Iron Cooking demonstration, Fort Towson Historic Site
Want to learn how to cook over a campfire using cast iron? This is the class for you! Participants will learn different cooking techniques and recipes at the Fort Towson Historic Site on Saturday, May 12, from 1 to 3 pm. Calista Stephens from the Forest Heritage Center will be the demonstrator. All activities are free and open to the public.
Find out more »June 2018
Homecoming activities and Basket Weaving demonstration, Fort Towson Historic Site
After homecoming parade, visit the Fort Towson Historic Site for more activities on Saturday, June 9. Visitors can bring a lawn chair and listen to the live band, get a ticket to the barbecue lunch, and watch the pony express race! Catch up with old friends and meet some new ones. Linda Lou Alexander will also be onsite by the sutler store giving a basket weaving demonstration from 1 to 3 pm. All activities are free and open to the…
Find out more »Family Day at the Ranch, Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch
Experience life on a nineteenth-century ranch near Oologah! Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch will host Family Day at the Ranch on Saturday, June 16, from 1 to 3 pm. Hands-on activities and demonstrations will give visitors a glimpse of everyday life on the ranch during Will Rogers’s childhood. This month’s activities will feature a nature hike and cane pole fishing. Visitors also can enjoy a scenic stroll through the expansive property, with beautiful views of Oologah Lake, a longhorn herd, and…
Find out more »July 2018
Family Day at the Ranch, Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch
Experience life on a nineteenth-century ranch near Oologah! Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch will host Family Day at the Ranch on Saturday, July 14, from 1 to 3 pm. Hands-on activities and demonstrations will give visitors a glimpse of everyday life on the ranch during Will Rogers’s childhood. This month’s activities will feature nineteenth-century carpentry. Families can learn carpentry basics and build a birdhouse together (birdhouses available for the first 20 participants). Visitors also can enjoy a scenic stroll through the…
Find out more »August 2018
Will Rogers and Wiley Post Fly-In, Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch
On Saturday, August 11, Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch near Oologah will host the annual Will Rogers and Wiley Post Fly-In. Gates open at 7:30 am with free admission, though donations are appreciated. The event will take place from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm on the 2,000-foot grass strip adjacent to Oologah Lake. Pilots will fly the Oklahoma skies and land on the grass strip, a few yards from the home in which Will Rogers was born on November 4, 1879.…
Find out more »