Autumn in Oklahoma is nothing short of a celebration! The cool, heartening air is replacing the sweltering heat, the trees are displaying splendid hues of crimson, golden and tangerine, American football season is coming up and Oklahoma City provides an abundance of activities for all ages to delight in. This guide is a great way to stay up-to-date on all kinds of autumnal activities, such as leaf peeping and seasonal festivals, as well as anything else that the season may bring.
Fairs & Festivals
Oklahoma State Fair
Sept. 15-25
The Oklahoma State Fair is offering up “Your Part of the Fun” for 2022. It is likely coherent, given the amount of varying actions taking place at the fair – visitors will have 11 days of fun, with competitions, shows, stands, fairground attractions, small amusements, and an assortment of food at their disposal.
Disney on Ice
Sept. 15-19
The Jim Norick Arena will be hosting nine musical ice skating spectaculars featuring beloved Disney characters from September 15th to 19th entitled “Road Trip Adventures”. Famous characters Mickey Mouse, Moana, Simba, Aladdin, Woody, and Forky from Toy Story 4 will be present. If you buy your ticket by Sept. 14, you will receive entrance to the gate for $20.
Xtreme Bulls & Broncs Tour and Concerts
Be sure to catch the PRCA Xtreme Bulls & Broncs Double Trouble Tour and Concerts on the 23rd and 24th of September. Audiences will be riveted as they witness bull riders exhibiting their endurance and vigor. Once the mayhem has subsided, they will be able to take a break and enjoy songs from Trace Adkins (performing on September 23rd) or Chris Janson (September 24th). When tickets are acquired before the 14th of September, they will cover the entrance to the outside gate.
Nightly Concerts
Sept. 15-25 evenings
Take a look at the timetable of complimentary concerts at the fair, featuring illustrious acts such as Tracy Lawrence, Tommy James and the Shondells, Foghat, and many others, that are playing at the Chickasaw Country Entertainment Stage in the Entertainment Plaza every night.
Scissortail Park Takes Flight
Sept. 23-25
The public will now be able to access the southernmost area of Scissortail Park, which connects to the northern end of the park using Skydance Bridge. This part of Scissortail Park that has just been finished will nearly increase the area of the park to 70 acres. The Park Foundation and its partners – the City of Oklahoma City, MAPS – will present a special occasion on September 15th that requires tickets, followed by a 3-day “Scissortail Park Takes Flight” event from September 23rd to 25th that is open to the public. This three-day festivity will consist of supervised tours, kids’ activities, musical and dance performances, and fitness and health exercises, in addition to a live concert. Programs will be provided in both English and Spanish. The sports courts will be available for the public to play on during particular hours every day, and top athletes will also be displaying their expertise in expo games.
Czech Festival in Yukon
Oct. 1
The Czech Festival starts off with a celebratory procession on Main Street at 10 am and culminates with polka music and traditional dancing at Yukon Czech Hall at midnight, making for an exciting day to honor the Czech ancestry of the city. This fifty-year-old custom showcases amusement rides, displays of art and handmade crafts, the selection of an Oklahoma Czech ruler, and treasured cuisines such as klobasy sausages and delightful kolaches. Over the course of the festival, upwards of 30,000 pieces of the fruit-filled goodies are produced, but they have been known to get snapped up by vendors before the day draws to a close.
Pumpkin Patches
Orr Family Farm
Sept. 24 – Nov. 12
Getting into the event provides access to exhilarating activities such as hay-wagon rides, train trips, a labyrinth of cornstalks, a pumpkin patch, a barnyard of animals, jumping pads, a merry-go-round, and other exciting options. Pony rides and homemade treats are sold separately. You can get a reduced rate if you buy your tickets through the Internet, and admission is complimentary for children up to the age of two.
Chester’s Pumpkin Patch
Sept. 24 – Oct. 31
Be sure to visit this patch for its big slide, fun yard activities, pony rides for the kids, tractor rides, petting zoo (extra fee for snacks), a three-acre challenging labyrinth, weekend concerts, and much more! For ages 11 to 64, the entry fee is $6, for ages 1 to 10 it is $12 and for those aged 64 and above and babies under 1, admission is cost-free. Keep an eye out for a special offer on their website at the beginning of September.
Pumpkinville at the Myriad Botanical Gardens
Oct. 7-23
This year marks Pumpkinville’s tenth birthday, with a wide selection of 30,000 pumpkins artistically arranged in captivating displays all over the Kids’ Garden. Admission includes pumpkin murals, mums, cornstalks, and haystacks, as well as unlimited activities such as Mo’s Carousel rides, pumpkin games (e.g., bowling, chess, reading time, crafts), and access to food trucks (food sold separately). Invest in some pumpkins from the pumpkin patch zone, and go on a journey on the Pumpkinville Express Train which goes through the gardens. The cost of tickets is $8; members and infants aged 2 or under may enter without charge.
Wings Fall Festival and Pumpkin Patch
Sept. 30 – Oct. 23
This organization works to improve the lives of people with developmental disabilities by providing them with social, job-related, and housing opportunities. The most significant fundraiser of the year for them is the fall festival held at the picturesque Edmond spot. This package gives you admission to unlimited hayrides, games, bounce house visits, pumpkin train rides, a petting zoo experience, access to photo-ops, and the ability to purchase from food trucks. You can get a lot of pumpkins, gourds, hay bales and pansies to decorate your home for fall. Individual tickets cost seven dollars each, or you can purchase a four-person family bundle for twenty-five dollars. Take a look at the website on Saturday to see what kinds of activities are taking place and to find out more information.
Food & Drink
Oktoberfest
The German fall festival with delectable sausages, soft pretzels, and, of course, iced beer has sparked many replicas, and Oklahoma City has some of these Oktoberfest-style parties. Fassler Hall in Midtown holds an Oktoberfest weekend every year with events such as a stein hoisting challenge (the person who can keep a liter of beer parallel to the ground for the longest), a bratwurst eating competition, and a Dachshund (“weiner dog”) race. Each month, residents of Enid congregate to enjoy a First Friday event featuring open-air beer gardens, polka music, and a variety of local dishes such as brats, strudels, and bierocks (a savory pastry containing ground beef, cabbage, and onions that are baked in an oven). If you want to scale back on the merriment and just enjoy the flavors, visiting Royal Bavaria could fulfill your craving.
ZOObrew, Oklahoma City Zoo
Sept. 30
You can enjoy local brews in the atmosphere of Oklahoma with other craft beer fans multiple times over in the year, however, the ZOObrew event is the only one of its kind. The Oklahoma Zoological Society’s once-yearly fall event is hailed as the largest beer-tasting festival in the state, giving you an opportunity to sample beers from 55 plus Oklahoma breweries as you breeze through the OKC Zoo’s marvelous animal habitats.
Fall Cooking Classes
As temperatures start to cool off, our cravings switch from something light and fruity that is associated with summer to richer and more substantial flavors that are typical of fall. David Crabtree, the head of Sur La Table in Oklahoma City, compares the change in flavor to hibernation–we are striving to safeguard our strength and take in more meals of importance. The availability of products can be connected to the time of year like summer tomatoes becoming replaced by winter squash and pumpkins. If you want to begin incorporating autumn favorites into your meals, there are lots of cooking lessons in the 405 area code to give you the knowledge you need.
On September 30th, Sur La Table will launch a Bavarian meal, comprised of pork schnitzel and spiced apple cake, inspired by Oktoberfest. A lesson will be taught in which those attending have the opportunity to make pumpkin spice macarons — an exquisite French dish is given a fall change. Vitamix has put together an autumn-centric cooking seminar that guides participants on how to make lemon thyme steak, hazelnut cocoa garnish, and crepes using their state-of-the-art blenders. The cost of classes varies from 89 to 99 dollars and they take place during the week and on the weekends.
International Pantry in Norman is set to restore its “Dinner and a Show” courses during the beginning of September in preparation for the autumn period. Cooks who are eager to discover can observe and discover how to make dishes from an array of cuisines such as Italian, Mexican, Persian and American. All classes are imparted by local cooks who have started and worked in 405 cooking areas. Sandy Brickman, a supervisor at International Pantry, declared that the courses the store puts on fill up fast as numerous young people come back time and time again.
5 Best Things to Do at Robbers Cave State Park
Robbers Cave State Park is a standout among Oklahoma’s state parks. It has many things to do, making it a great destination for any season. You can also find some extraordinary lodging choices to make your journey remarkable.
Robbers Cave is an excellent destination to travel to during any season. The park offers many fun activities and events.
1. Explore Robbers Cave
Robbers Cave is the primary draw for visitors to the state park. Why is it called Robbers Cave? This cave is renowned for having served as a refuge for various criminals, with Jesse James being one of the most prominent.
You have two options for the route to the cave. The Cave Trail is 0.75 miles in length and requires less effort than other trails. Heading down the track at the beginning of the path, if you take a left, you will start to ascend straightaway to the cavern.
You can either retrace your steps and go back to the parking lot the same way you arrived or you can continue further along the trail before heading back to the parking lot. Watch for the orange hiker signs.
If you’re looking for something more difficult, try out the CCC Trails – these pathways are very steep. It would be a good idea to consult the trailhead map to find out if the CCC trails are accessible now. This parking lot is quite big with bathrooms situated in the same place.
2. Go Hiking at Robbers Cave State Park
The Outdoor Classroom Trail is situated on the north side of Lake Carlton and is a 0.8-mile-long circuit. This is the most family-friendly trail in the park. Crossing a bridge over Fourche Maline Creek is the beginning of the path.
As you move ahead, you will pass through a forest, with placards supplying descriptions of the flora and fauna that are native to the region. Along the pathway, there is a pavilion and a historic engine shed. The Civilian Conservation Corps built it to contain an electric generator that is still in place inside.
Here is a list of the other trails in the park:
Coon Ridge Trail- 1.83 miles, average hike time: 2 hours
Belle Star Loop Trail- 2 miles, average hike time: 1.5 hours
Rough Canyon Trail- 3 miles, average hike time: 2 hours
Cabin Trail- 0.3 miles, average hike time: 30 minutes
Cattail Pond Loop- 1.3 miles, average hike time: 1 hour
Mountain Trail- 4.8 miles, average hike time: 3.5 hours
Old Quarry Trail- 1.7 miles, average hike time: 1.5 hours
Multi-Use Trail- 6.3 miles, average hike time: 4.5 hours
3. Ride a Horse at the Robbers Cave Stables
A grand feature at this state park is the Robbers Cave Stables. They provide a selection of trail rides that can last anywhere from half an hour to two hours. For toddlers between the ages of 2-4, you can have a joint ride with the kid in the seat in front of you.
A weight restriction of 250 pounds is strictly enforced to prevent overburdening the horses. The price of taking part in a guided trail ride varies from $35 to $100 per individual.
An alternative for children is to have them participate in pony rides for a fee of fifteen dollars. You can take your kid for a tour around the outside of the building for a quarter of an hour.
The petting zoo features a donkey, an emu, a few goats, and a llama. The entrance fee is $3 per person. You can also buy feed for them.
4. Go For a Swim
The swimming pool operates from the beginning of Memorial Day through the end of Labor Day. There are a few water slides and a minimal splash zone to enjoy! Rates are $3 per person.
The park has had staffing shortages this year. Starting August 5, the pool area is solely for the accommodation of those who are spending the night and will not have any lifeguards on duty.
A swimming spot can be found close to the pool and there is a diving board in the water. This beach is free. There is no lifeguard on duty.
5. Play at Lake Carlton
Lake Carlton is the focal point for the numerous activities and sights available at the park.
The initial place to go when visiting the park should be the Nature Center/Gift Shop/Heritage Museum building. Pull over at this location to acquire a map, some instructions, and the working hours for any attractions, and take a look at the small nature center with a few fish tanks and displays.
Programs are frequently scheduled throughout the week, but especially on the weekends. This is where you can find all the details. The Robbers Cave State Park usually puts up their schedule of events on their Facebook page.
You are able to borrow kayaks, canoes, and paddleboats for traveling on Lake Carlton. You must go to the nature center to book your spot, remit payment, and receive your ticket.
At the location, the items were available for rent from 4 pm to 6 pm, with a one-hour minimum. Hours vary throughout the season. It was $5 per adult, and minors did not have to pay.
The Lake Carlton area has a diminutive playground that consists of two swings, a slide, and a “rock” feature to scale. Additionally, there is an additional playground close to the cabins.
There is a full 18-hole miniature golf course. Operating hours vary depending on the time of year. There is a disc golf course with nine holes situated within the area that lies behind the nature center.
You can get a hold of golf buggies, bicycles, horseshoes, fishing gear, volleyballs with nets, and disc golf gear from the gift shop or from the cabin office, which is on the other side of Highway 2.
