About.com Oklahoma City

Weekend Highlights: 11/6-11/8

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:51:36 +0000

As we all come off the sugar high of Halloween, don't miss out on the Oklahoma City Philharmonic's Pops season opener, Classical Mystery Tour. Considered one of the finer tribute bands in the world, Classical Mystery Tour presents an evening of music from the Beatles.

The 6th Annual "Girlie Show" takes place this weekend at the Farmer's Public Market on Klein. They call it "an art show with a curve," and there will be music, food, art and more. Get details on the official site.

In sports, the Thunder hits the road Friday night for a game against Houston but will back at the Ford Center on Sunday night to take on the Orlando Magic. It won't be an easy match-up. After winning the first two, the team has dropped to .500 with 2 losses and will be looking to turn that tide.

Riverwind Casino has a couple of shows of note this weekend. On Friday, it's country singer Rodney Atkins on the ShowPlace Theatre Stage. Then, Saturday brings a live cooking demonstration with the Food Network's Ingrid Hoffmann. Get venue and ticket information here on About.com OKC.

State Fair Park is the site for the Oklahoma Mineral & Gem Show. There will be educational displays and demonstrations as well as a items such as jewelry and rare minerals. Admission is $6 for adults and free for children 12 and under. Get more information on the official site.

Elsewhere, the Paseo Arts District holds its monthly "First Friday" gallery walk. And the Robertson Activity Center in Yukon will host the "Pumpkin Harvest Craft Festival on Saturday, with 40 booths of crafts, jewelry and baked goods. Admission is free, and you can call (405) 350-8937 for more information.

Are you attending any of the above events, or has something else caught your eye this weekend? Let us know below. You can submit future events for publication and possible profile here on About Oklahoma City by using this form.

_{Photo � Adam Knapp}

Weekend Highlights: 11/6-11/8 originally appeared on About.com Oklahoma City on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 13:51:36.

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H1N1 Vaccine "Blitz"

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:32 +0000

This Saturday, November 7th, Oklahoma's county health organizations are conducting a H1N1 vaccine "Blitz" at 27 locations across the state. The vaccine will be available for the five priority groups: children 6 months to 18 years, pregnant women, custodial parent of infants under 6 months, "front-line" health care workers, and adults 18-64 with chronic medical conditions.

In the immediate OKC area, H1N1 "Blitz" locations include John Marshall High School at 12201 W. Portland from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. and the Cleveland County Health Department at 250 12th Ave. in Norman from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. There are also clinics in several nearby cities such as Chickasha, Shawnee and Lawton. Get a complete list of Saturday's vaccine locations.

H1N1 Vaccine "Blitz" originally appeared on About.com Oklahoma City on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 14:00:32.

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Carrie Underwood's 3rd Album Released

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:56:26 +0000

I had only been a guide here at About.com a few months, I believe, when I wrote about Carrie Underwood's debut album "Some Hearts". After that, the "American Idol" winner and Oklahoma native would only go on to sell over 7 million copies of it and win countless awards. She is now a country music superstar. And today marks the release of her 3rd album, entitled "Play On."

Though Underwood's 2nd album "Carnival Ride" sold less than half of what "Some Hearts" did, it was still incredibly successful, producing multiple hit singles. So the expectations are high for "Play On" as well, coming just about two years after her last effort. I haven't yet heard the album, and I'm not sure if I'll offer my worthless opinions on it as I did with her debut. But the first single "Cowboy Casanova" is already a bit hit on the country charts, and reportedly, Underwood even wrote seven of the thirteen songs.

Check prices and Buy "Play On" now.

_{Photo: Stephen Lovekin / Getty Images}

Carrie Underwood's 3rd Album Released originally appeared on About.com Oklahoma City on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 13:56:26.

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Where in the Metro?

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:51:11 +0000

Stevanna was the only one to know the picture last week, as she correctly identified the sign in downtown Moore. I'm not sure, though, about the business across the street. This week, we have yet another photo submission. My big thanks to Roni for this week's Where in the Metro shot. Post your guesses below.

If anyone else would like to submit one for a future week, just send it my way for consideration, and make sure you identify it as "Where in the Metro?".

_{Photo � Roni Collins}

Where in the Metro? originally appeared on About.com Oklahoma City on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 13:51:11.

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Smoking Ban Again an Issue

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:06:17 +0000

In the 2008 legislative session, the measure was never heard. Last year, a similar one was referred back to committee and died in the Oklahoma House. But in 2010, the issue of a statewide smoking ban in Oklahoma is sure to be heard again.

Several years ago, Oklahoma put into effect legislation banning smoking in restaurants as of March 1, 2006. However, the law gave exceptions for separately ventilated rooms and bars. But those exceptions need to be eliminated say the American Heart Association and the Oklahoma Department of Health. The groups are urging lawmakers to put forth legislation this coming session establishing a comprehensive ban on smoking in public places

Twenty-seven other states have done just that, and I have no doubt we'll eventually get there. At issue in the near term, though, is the amount of money many restaurants spent to accommodate smokers by building separate rooms. Over the past couple of years, Oklahoma lawmakers haven't seemed anxious to make it appear those expenditures were unnecessary for the long run.

Smoking Ban Again an Issue originally appeared on About.com Oklahoma City on Sunday, November 1st, 2009 at 13:06:17.

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Halloween Weekend Highlights

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:18:18 +0000

Whether you're in favor of permanently changing Halloween to the last Saturday of October or not, it is certainly a situation to enjoy this weekend. Plenty of fun Halloween events continue in OKC. Here are just a few:

The kids can trick or treat at Haunt the Zoo
The Harn Homestead has a family night with games, hayrides and more.
Check out haunted houses in Oklahoma City, including Frontier City and down in Bricktown.
Midwest City has trick or treating at Joe B. Barnes Regional Park on Saturday afternoon.
Remington Park will have costume contests for "Halloween at the Park."
And check out the many metro pumpkin patches for fall family fun.

Elsewhere, the Oklahoma City Ballet presents "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" at the Civic Center Music Hall Friday and Saturday. Perfect for the season, it's the Oklahoma premiere of choreographer Alan Hineline's stage adaptation based on Washington Irving's spooky tale.

In sports, the Thunder plays the 2nd game of the regular season on Friday night. After starting 1-0 with a home win Wednesday, they'll try to do it again on the road at Detroit. The Sooners are in Norman Saturday to take on Kansas State, and the Cowboys have a very big game in Stillwater against Texas.

Riverwind Casino has a couple of headline shows this weekend. It's Dionne Warwick on Friday night and Tracy Lawrence for Halloween. Get venue and ticket information here on About.com OKC.

_{Photo � 2006 Kara C.}

Halloween Weekend Highlights originally appeared on About.com Oklahoma City on Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 13:18:18.

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"Halloweekend" Proposed by Merchants

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:43:03 +0000

Halloween has a very interesting history, abbreviated quite well here by David Emery, About.com's Guide to Urban Legends, and it has long been celebrated on October 31st. But you have to admit that it's usually a lot more fun when it falls on a weekend, as it does this year. There's more time to prepare and more time to relish in the holiday mischief. Well, it is also understandably better for holiday-related sales, and some merchants want to change the date of Halloween to the last Saturday in October rather than always on the 31st.

Originated by Spencer's Gifts President Steven Silverstein, the movement has a website asking people to pledge support. In addition to the likely retail gains (estimated at nearly 30 percent), a Saturday Halloween, according to supporters, means "more fun for friends and family. Parties last longer, families spend more quality time together --the world is a little happier."

What do you think? Are you a Halloween traditionalist, if there is such a thing? Or are you off to sign the petition in support of Saturday Halloween each and every year?

"Halloweekend" Proposed by Merchants originally appeared on About.com Oklahoma City on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 12:43:03.

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Hatred for OKC Subsiding

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:12:42 +0000

To put it simply, Seattle didn't like us very much. After all, not even close to what one would consider seamless, the long, difficult NBA transition from Seattle SuperSonics to Oklahoma City Thunder inspired a great deal of negative emotion toward our fair city. On several occasions, I wrote about the acrimony expressed by some, noting that as disappointed as I was to see it, I understood the passions that prompted it. But now, with a little time to buffer the bitterness, it is very nice to see that, for some at least, the hatred is subsiding.

In fact, though residents of the Pacific Northwest certainly aren't happy they lost a storied franchise, it seems some are beginning to see OKC in a new light. A few months ago, Seattle Times columnist Jerry Brewer actually wrote that he learned to "kinda, sorta like" Oklahoma City. And today, I read an article by John McGrath of the Tacoma News Tribune in which he calls OKC "an agreeably thriving metropolis" and says, "I'm sorry, Oklahoma City. When the SuperSonics relocated to the American Heartland after 40 years in Seattle, I put the place down with all the knee-jerk stereotypes. [...] This is nonsense."

In a lot of ways, it's unfortunate things happened the way they did. Yes, we in Oklahoma desperately wanted a team and many here responded to the Seattle anger with angry comments of their own. But nobody wanted this opportunity to come at the expense of a wonderful city like Seattle, and it's good to see that as we prepare for the tip-off of year number two, the metropolitan tensions are beginning to settle, if only just a bit.

_{Photo: Otto Greule Jr/Stringer / Getty Images}

Hatred for OKC Subsiding originally appeared on About.com Oklahoma City on Tuesday, October 27th, 2009 at 13:12:42.

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Where in the Metro?

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:45:01 +0000

Once again, my big thanks to Kat for the first Where in the Metro picture submission last week. If anyone else would like to submit one for a future week, just send it my way for consideration, and make sure you identify it as "Where in the Metro?".

As for the photo, it was the Broadway extension overpass at Memorial Road and Kelley, just as Jesse, Marie, Stevanna and Nora all guessed. Here is this week's photo. Post guesses below.

_{Photo � Adam Knapp}

Where in the Metro? originally appeared on About.com Oklahoma City on Monday, October 26th, 2009 at 12:45:01.

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Thunder Tips Off Wednesday

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:36:25 +0000

Some of the preseason games weren't exactly a promising start, but excitement is high in Oklahoma City for the 2nd NBA season of our very own Thunder. And the wait is nearly over. Tip off for the regular season is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday night at the renovated Ford Center.

Believe it or not, there are still some seats available for the opener against the Sacramento Kings, though from a quick search, they are some of the pricier ones.

Though it wasn't necessarily a big home-court advantage to start the season last year, the Ford Center certainly became one through the season. And this season, with expectations much higher thanks to a talented group of youngsters, local columnists are calling for Loud City to be even louder. Well, it all starts in mere days.

Thunder Tips Off Wednesday originally appeared on About.com Oklahoma City on Sunday, October 25th, 2009 at 13:36:25.

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