|
2023 Oklahoma Folklife Festival
The 2023 Oklahoma Folklife Festival will be held at the Oklahoma History Center (OHC) on Saturday, October 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This event is free and open to the public!
This festival is designed to engage visitors with opportunities to experience other cultures and traditions. Visitors are there to participate in the activities, not just observe. This community-wide event will celebrate and recognize what the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress has called “the everyday and intimate creativity that all of us share and pass on to the next generation.” This “creativity” will be represented at the Oklahoma Folklife Festival through dancing, singing, crafts, food, and more. Food vendors, musical performers, and educational resources will also attend. Several craft opportunities for attendees of all ages will be offered during the festival.
The 2023 Oklahoma Folklife Festival will coincide with the annual Research Center Book Sale. The Oklahoma History Center Museum (OHCM) Store will also sell items made in Oklahoma, book titles, and discounted items during the Folklife Festival. There is no admission required to visit either sale. All proceeds from both sales help fund and support the missions and programs of the OHCM and the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS).
Family memberships to the OHS will be on sale for a discounted rate of $50 on the day of the Folklife Festival. You can learn more about the benefits of OHS Membership by clicking here.
|
|
|
This project was supported in part by the Inasmuch Foundation, founded by Edith Kinney Gaylord in 1982. The Inasmuch Foundation supports charitable causes that enhance the progress and quality of life for all Oklahomans. This project was supported in part by the Oklahoma Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Oklahoma and the National Endowment for the Arts. This program is funded in part by Oklahoma Humanities (OH) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in the program do not necessarily represent those of OH or NEH.
|
|
Research Center Book Sale
The Oklahoma Historical Society’s (OHS) John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick Research Center will host its annual book sale Wednesday, October 18, through Saturday, October 21, at the Oklahoma History Center, located at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Dr. in Oklahoma City. The sale will be open from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.
No admission is required to visit the book sale, which includes thousands of rare and out-of-print books, magazines, comics, and vinyl records. Visitors can also shop for collectibles, puzzles, Oklahoma playing cards, reproductions of historic posters, maps, photographs, and more. For family history researchers, there will be several genealogical publications for sale. The Research Center will also offer several framed items for 50% off the regular retail price.
The book sale is a fundraiser for the OHS’s John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick Research Center. Proceeds from the sale will support the Research Center’s efforts to collect items of historical significance, provide programming for researchers and school groups, and offer resources online.
|
|
|
Doaksville Candlelight Tour
The annual Doaksville Candlelight Tour will be held on Friday, October 13, and Saturday, October 14, at the Doaksville Archaeological Site in Fort Towson. The cost for admission is $8; age 6 and under will be admitted for free. Advance tickets may be purchased at the Fort Towson Historic Site or by calling 580-873-2634. Tours will leave from the Fort Towson cemetery every 30 minutes, and guests will cross the WPA wall to enter the historic town and begin their guided walking tour. Each tour will last approximately 1 hour. This event is first come, first served, with advanced ticket holders seated first. Guests should be aware that the terrain is rugged.
|
|
Explore the OHC Museum Store
The Oklahoma History Center Museum Store is full of unique gift items related to the history and culture of Oklahoma that your friends and family are sure to love. Don’t forget to stop in and see the wide variety of book titles for all ages! The store also carries unique gift items, including toys and games, home décor, arts and crafts, and Made in Oklahoma products. Store associates are always available to find the perfect gift in a relaxed shopping environment.
For those unable to shop in person, the online OHC Museum Store is open all day and night. Visit store.okhistory.org to start your holiday shopping early! All proceeds from Museum Store sales help to support the mission and programs of the Oklahoma History Center.
|
|
Experience Fall on the Farm
Learn about 19th-century living patterns at Hunter’s Home working farm on Saturday, October 21, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. as staff prepare the farm for winter with fall chores. During the Fall on the Farm event, there will be plenty of apples, animals, demonstrations, and a story time. Come and enjoy the nice fall weather and observe the changing seasons at Hunter’s Home.
No reservations are needed, but regular admission fees apply. For more information, call 918-456-2751. Hunter’s Home is located at 19479 E. Murrell Home Rd. in Park Hill. It is Oklahoma’s only remaining pre-Civil War plantation home. Click here to view admission prices.
|
|
OHS Board of Directors nominations open |
|
Do you know someone who is passionate about Oklahoma’s history and would be an asset to the Oklahoma Historical Society? Would you like to serve? Nominate them (or yourself!) for a seat on the OHS Board of Directors! Nominations are now open for the OHS Board of Directors, a 25-member body consisting of 13 members elected by the OHS membership and 12 members appointed by the governor. Currently, four positions are available: District 2, District 4, and 2 state at-large representatives. You must be an Oklahoma resident and have been a member of the OHS for at least two consecutive years to serve on the board. Click here for more information, the application, and a map of the representative districts.
Nominations are due by noon on October 15, 2023, and will be reviewed by the OHS Board’s Nominating Committee. Incomplete nominations will not be considered. Ballots will be sent to the OHS membership in March 2024 and tabulated in April 2024. More information about the OHS Board of Directors is available in the OHS Constitution and Bylaws.
|
|
|
OHS Awards and Honors submissions
The nomination deadline for the submission of nominations for OHS Awards and Honors is October 20, 2023. Click on the button below to download and complete the nomination form specific to each award.
|
|
 The Oklahoma Historical Society is now taking applications for the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program for the 2023/2024 grant cycle. This grants-in-aid program set aside $500,000 to award grants, typically ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 to municipal, county, or tribal government and not-for-profit historical organizations or friends groups of historical organizations registered with the Oklahoma Secretary of State. The grants will be specific to four categories: collections, exhibits, programs, and capacity building. The deadline to submit an application for the grant program is Wednesday, November 1, 2023. Award announcements will be made in late January 2024. Click on the button below to learn more and begin the application process.
|
|
|
The Oklahoma Historical Society is seeking proposals for the 2024 Oklahoma History Symposium. Formats may include traditional presentations, research sessions, discussion sessions, and panel discussions. The proposal submission deadline is Thursday, November 30, 2023. Click on the button below to learn more about submitting a proposal.
|
|
|
Click event listings below for more information.
3 - Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe (2022) book review by Justin Lenhart, Museum of the Western Prairie, Altus
3–31 -“Storekeeper and Trader” living history program, Fort Gibson Historic Site, Fort Gibson
4 - Hidden Oklahoma: “Early Wichita Sites and Fortifications in Oklahoma” presentation by Dr. Richard Drass (VIRTUAL), State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma City
5 - Fireside Chat with Oklahoma's Governors, Guthrie Scottish Rite Masonic Center, Guthrie
6 - Trust and Betrayal in Osage County exhibit opens, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
6 - “How to Research Allotments in Oklahoma” Lunch and Learn webinar, State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma City
7 - Family Farm Day, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
7 - History and Haunts at the Overholser, *Sold Out,* Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion, Oklahoma City
13-14 - Doaksville Candlelight Tours, Fort Towson Historic Site, Fort Towson
14 - Quilting workshop with Martha Ray, Sod House Museum, Aline
14 - Dewey Western Heritage Day, Tom Mix Museum, Dewey
14 - Presentation by author Dr. Nyla Khan, Pioneer Woman Statue and Museum, Ponca City
14 - “Weapons and Uniforms of the mid-19th century” presentation by Charles R. Lemons, Fort Towson Historic Site, Fort Towson
14 - Japanese Stone Craftsman seminar with stone artist Takaaki Saida, *fully booked* Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
14 - History and Haunts at the Overholser *Sold Out,* Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion, Oklahoma City
18 - Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Committee meeting *canceled,* Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
18–21 - Research Center Book Sale, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
19 - Historic Preservation Review Committee meeting, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
20 - How We Rebuild exhibit closes, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
21 - Fall on the Farm, Hunter’s Home, Park Hill
21 - 2023 Oklahoma Folklife Festival, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
21 - History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
21–22 - Heritage Hills Historic Home Tour, Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion, Oklahoma City
25 - Oklahoma Historical Society Board of Directors meeting, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
26 - “Going to Church in Old Greer County” presentation and pump organ performance, Museum of the Western Prairie, Altus
27 - Movie Night featuring Dracula (1931), Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
27 - History and Haunts at the Overholser *Sold Out,* Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion, Oklahoma City
28 - Pawnee Bill’s Rolling Thunder Car Show and Fall Festival, Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum, Pawnee
28 - Cemetery Symbols program, Pioneer Woman Statue and Museum, Ponca City
28 - “History Never Dies” Halloween carnival, Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library, Guthrie
28 - History and Haunts at the Overholser *Sold Out,* Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion, Oklahoma City
28 - Ghost Stories Tours, Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum, Pawnee
29 - Annual Quilt Show closes, Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum, Pawnee
29 - History and Haunts at the Overholser *Sold Out,* Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion, Oklahoma City
31 - Halloween Night at the Museum, Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
1–4 - Will Rogers Days and Motion Picture Festival, Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore
2 - The Battle of Honey Springs (2021) OHS documentary televised, OETA
3 - "Preservation and Care of Photographs" workshop, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
3 - Battle of Honey Springs Education Day, Honey Springs Battlefield, Checotah
4 - Blacksmithing Demonstrations with the Saltfork Craftsmen, Cherokee Strip Museum, Perry
4 - “Territory of Lincoln” workshop, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City
4 - History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, Enid
4 - Cast-Iron Cooking Class, Chisholm Trail Museum, Kingfisher
4-5 -The Battle of Honey Springs Civil War Demonstrations, Honey Springs Battlefield, Checotah
|
|
|
Masthead photo: A group at the Mead School, Mead, Indian Territory. From left to right, back row: Dr. William G. Austin, William R. Davis, Blacksmith, Dr. Robert M. Creswell. Front row, Mrs. Myrtle Armstrong, unknown, Dr. David Armstrong (20288.91.214.1.A, Chickasaw Council House Museum Collection, OHS).
This photograph is available on The Gateway to Oklahoma History.
|
|
|
|
|
