Cover Story
250 Years. Countless Ways to Celebrate
America turns 250 this year, and communities across Oklahoma are marking the milestone with fireworks, live music, parades and patriotic celebrations. Whether you’re staying close to home or taking a short road trip, these events offer something for every age. Pack your lawn chairs and blankets, and enjoy an Independence Day to remember. Red, White…
OG Picks for the Weekend – July 9-12
Think the holiday fun ended with the Fourth of July? Think again. This weekend is packed with live music, theater, art walks, outdoor markets, comedy, baseball, films and more across the metro. Whether you’re looking for a night out, a family-friendly festival or a lazy Sunday at the museum, there’s no shortage of ways to…
A Conversation with Enes Kanter Freedom
When Enes Kanter Freedom was 9 years old, neighborhood children handed him an American flag and a lighter. The children wanted him to burn the flag. Growing up in Turkey, Freedom says anti-American sentiment was commonplace. Politicians routinely attacked the United States, Christianity and the West, and those messages filtered down to children. “I looked…
Tomorrow’s Keepers
When a series of investigative reports exposed horrific conditions facing children in Oklahoma’s state system during the 1980s, the outrage sparked more than headlines—it created a movement. Four decades later, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) remains one of the few organizations devoted exclusively to advancing policies that improve the lives of children across…
Is Mike Mazzei’s Tax Plan Built On Sand?
The fastest way to win a Republican’s heart is usually through a big tax cut, and that rings particularly true when it pertains to Oklahoma’s GOP Gubernatorial primary election. Mike Mazzei seems to be attempting to take this path via “A Plan” being pitched to Oklahoma voters, promising to eliminate our state income tax and…
Primary Recap
Oklahoma’s June 16 primary election did more than narrow crowded fields. It sent a message loud enough for every candidate, consultant, and lawmaker to hear: Oklahomans are tired of chaos. Across the state, voters chose between serious public service and another round of ideological warfare. In race after race, they pushed back against candidates openly…
Fun With Fractions
Fun With Fractions Governor Stitt, now famously “that guy,” per Rod Polston, spent the recent session pitching “A Half and a Path,” hoping lawmakers would slash Oklahoma’s income tax by 0.5%. The legislature politely handed him half of a half, or a 0.25% cut, and called it a day. So roughly the same percentage as…
Brunch Bites
Everyone’s favorite weekend meal is even more popular during the summer months, and while most people have their go-to brunch spots, we thought we would offer these seven options that might not be on your radar yet—if they aren’t already among your favorites. Aurora Chicken and Waffles is a brunch staple now, and while you’ll…
Celestial Spirits
Since opening in 2012, Vast has managed to keep up with lofty expectations, refusing to rest on ceremony as the restaurant at the top of the city. Located on the 49th floor of Devon Tower, it could easily have become a tourist trap, attracting customers for the view and the 726.2 feet that separate the…
Perfect Escape
You know when you pick up a copy of Southern Living or Food & Wine and see an article about a charming restaurant with a lovely exterior anchored by a picture-perfect patio? You know, the kind where a heavy door opens to reveal a warm welcome, large leather booths, and the bar of your dreams,…
Med Deli Turns 45
Mediterranean Imports, Deli + Gastro Goods has been Oklahoma City’s top purveyor of specialty meats and cheeses for 45 years, and unless you’re a chef or yoga mom from the upper northwest side you’ve probably never heard of it. Mediterranean Imports is quirky and confident, with a cozy cafe and covered patio on one side,…
Screen Time
Disclosure Day Spielberg is arguably one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time. Be it shark-infested waters, a T-Rex terrorizing an amusement park or a Reese’s Pieces-eating alien, he knows how to capture paralyzing terror and the magic and awe of discovery in a cinematic fashion. His intellectual curiosity and childlike sense…
50 Summers of “Fame”
For 50 summers, the most promising emerging artists in our state have descended on Quartz Mountain State Park & Lodge in remote southwestern Oklahoma. There they spend part of their summer studying with outstanding professional artist-mentors active in their respective fields, exploring new creative skills, bonding with peers and enjoying a well-earned camp at Oklahoma’s…
OG Picks – July
Festivals Out West Music FestWest Village in Downtown OKCFriday, July 24, 6-11pmwestvillageokc.com Farmers Markets OKC Public Farmers MarketSaturdays, 9am-2pmokcfarmersmarket.com Scissortail Farmers Market9am–1pm, Saturdays through October.scissortailpark.com Wheeler District Night MarketJuly 24, 6-9pm, Every fourth Friday through October wheelerdistrict.com OAK Farmers MarketJuly 25, 9am-1pm. Last Saturday through October.oakokc.com Film OKCMOA Films JULYokcmoa.com. Times vary.Backrooms July 16–26I Shot…
A Cause Close to the Heart
OKC Thunder player Isaiah Joe’s foundation supports a variety of causes, including children’s hospitals. There’s a personal reason for that. According to the CDC, roughly 40,000 U.S. babies each year have a heart condition, and 10,000 of them are serious enough to require immediate surgical intervention. Isaiah’s younger brother Jon was one of them. The…
Free Will Astrology – July
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Archaeologists studying ancient wells have discovered that some weren’t finished in a single effort. Communities might dig to the current water table, use the well for years, then probe further down when water levels dropped or needs increased. This is a useful metaphor for you, Aries. As of yet, you don’t…
