EXTRA! - Celebrate the season with OHS

Oklahoma Historical Society sent this bulletin at 12/06/2023 05:00 AM CST

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A photo taken at the holidays of the interior setting of a writing table, cabinets and window at the Enid Land Office with Christmas decorations

History Center Research Museums & Sites Preservation Publications

December 6, 2023

An advertisement for a Christmas concert featuring a photo of the singer Darla Z.

SAVE THE DATE!

On Friday, December 15, at 7 p.m., singer/songwriter Darla Z will perform “A Night of Christmas Music” live at the Oklahoma History Center in a benefit concert for the Center. Sure to be a night filled with your favorite Christmas tunes, Darla Z will perform some of the season’s greatest hits, including “O Holy Night,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and the most beloved of Christmas songs, “White Christmas.” Special guests include renowned comedian and musician Al Fike, who has shared the stage with the legendary Bob Hope, Zig Ziglar, Ricky Skaggs, Lee Greenwood and many others. His performance will showcase his comical talent and musical aptitude. Santa Claus will make an appearance and give guests the opportunity to take a photo with him or perhaps ask him to grant their special Christmas wish.

Purchase concert tickets

A Christmas tree with simple 1800s-era decorations sits on a table with candles lit

Holiday Candlelight Tours at Hunter's Home

Oklahoma’s only remaining pre-Civil War plantation home will host two nights of candlelight tours in December to encourage visitors to see the historic property in a new light. The tours of Hunter’s Home will take place from Friday, December 15, and Saturday, December 16, through 8 p.m. each day. Once the sun sets on those days, tours will lead visitors through the historic home decorated with period Christmas decorations, and candlelight will adorn the home’s lavish parlor, sitting room, and dining room.

No reservations are required. Regular admission applies. No reservations are required. Regular admission applies. For more information, please call 918-456-2751.

A table with cookie cutters and large gingerbread cookies with decorations.

Winter Bake Day

Fresh-baked gingerbread soldiers, nurses, and laundresses will be served at Fort Gibson Historic Site’s Winter Bake Day on Saturday, December 16.

The smell of fresh-baked gingerbread cookies will fill the crisp autumn air on Garrison Hill as staff and volunteers once again bring the 1860s military bakehouse to life. Gingerbread cookie kits will be available to purchase from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. or while supplies last.

Cookies are made from 19th-century recipes and include candy trimmings similar to those from the 1800s. Children may decorate their cookies at our Commissary decoration station or purchase a kit to go to go! Kits are $5 each, and a recipe is included for those who wish to create a new tradition at home.

Folks who come to make the cookies but wish to stay are welcome to tour the rest of the site or stroll the grounds. Admission can be purchased at the Commissary gift shop or the Palisade office. For more information, please call 918-478-4088. The Fort Gibson Historic Site is located at 907 N. Garrison Ave. in Fort Gibson. It will be open on the day of the event from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

A snowy scene of the Sutler's Store at Fort Towson

Christmas at the Fort: 19th-century traditions

Fort Towson Historic Site will host Christmas at the Fort on Saturday, December 16, from 1 to 3 p.m.

Guests can learn about 19th-century traditions and meet a soldier in an 1860s military camp who is anxiously waiting to receive packages from home. A living history interpretation will depict some of the long-lasting Christmas traditions that continue to be practiced today, and others that are long forgotten. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be warming up to a cozy fire in the sutler store, giving out cookies and toys.

Visitors to the site, which was originally established in 1824, can also take a tractor tour of the grounds and play historic games. Christmas at the Fort is a FREE event. For more information, call 580-873-2634 or email fttowson@history.ok.gov.

A collage of OHS holiday events. A holiday mantle, Santa, Christmas Crafts, candle lantern, young carolers, and decorations are pictured.

Looking for a warming cup of wassail, or a candlelight tour? Whether you want to experience a Civil War Christmas, enjoy the sounds of the season, do a little shopping, or stop in for a spot of tea, we've got you covered! Simply click on the button below to read more about a December holiday event at an OHS museum or historic site near you!

December calendar of events

Perspectives in History banner with a photo of A. C. Hamlin

Seeking proposals for the Oklahoma History Symposium

The 2024 Oklahoma History Symposium will be on Saturday, May 4, 2024. The Oklahoma Historical Society is seeking proposals for the one-day event. Presentations must be either 30 or 50 minutes in length, including a 10-minute audience question-and-answer session. Formats may include traditional presentations, research sessions, discussion sessions, and panel discussions. Graduate students are encouraged to submit!

The OHS remains open to submissions addressing unique perspectives of Oklahoma history. Click here for a list of suggested topics that will be given precedence.

Contact symposium@history.ok.gov for more information. The proposal submission deadline has been extended to Wednesday, December 20, 2023.