Fall fun

Autumn festivals for all tastes in Green Country

The weather is cooling, leaves are fading and football season is upon us. Fall is just around the corner and with it a festival for every mood and interest. Whether your thing is German beer or Greek food, 80s hair metal or alternative comedy, family-friendly or bacchanalian, Green Country has a festival just for you.  

Mother Road Folk Revival Weekend
Wed., Sept. 7 through Sun., Sept. 11
Circle Cinema, Woody Guthrie Center, Guthrie Green, BOK Center
Tickets prices vary per event
bokcenter.com/mrr
​Celebrate “the highway that’s the best” with a weekend of events honoring Route 66, including a Folk Film Series at Circle Cinema, discussions on Woody Guthrie’s late life in Greenwich Village, a concert at BOK Center featuring Jason Isbell, Shakey Graves, and Lucero, a Gospel Brunch at Cain’s, and more. (read our interview with Jason Isbell on page 40.)

Claremore Bluegrass & Chili Festival
Thurs., Sept. 8 through Sat., Sept. 10
Claremore Expo Center, Claremore
bluegrasschilifest.com
Claremore’s Bluegrass & Chili Festival is the perfect place to bid farewell to summer and welcome autumn. Celebrate cooler weather with a bowl of chili and dozens of bluegrass bands, including Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, John Cowan with Darin and Brooke Aldridge, and The Cleverlys. 

Streets Gone Wild
Thurs., Sept. 8 through Sat., Sept. 10
1st and Detroit & IDL Ballroom, Downtown Tulsa
streetsgonewildtulsa.com
If you’re a fan of big power ballads and bigger hair, this outdoor fest is for you, with performances by Night Ranger, Queensrÿche, Warrant, Quiet Riot, and more 80s hair-metal icons.

Blue Whale Comedy Festival
Thurs., Sept. 8 through Sun., Sept. 11
Locations in the Brady Arts District
Weekend passes start at $85, individual show tickets also available
bluewhalecomedyfestival.com
Ron Funches, Fortune Feimster, and Eric Andre headline this year’s Blue Whale Festival. Find more info on Blue Whale here.

Chalk It Up
Fri., Sept. 9 and Sat., Sept. 10
The Rose District, Broken Arrow
Free admission
facebook.com/ChalkItUpAnArtFestival
Artists compete to create the beautiful and impermanent works of chalk art along Broken Arrow’s Main Street.

Labapalooza
Sat., Sept. 10
Guthrie Green
Free admission
labrescue.net
Lab Rescue OK hosts this pet adoption event, which also features pet contests and games, live music, and more.

SkyDance Kite Festival
Sat., Sept. 10
Chisolm Trail Park, Broken Arrow
Free admission
facebook.com/TulsaWindRiders
Tulsa Wind Riders hosts this event for all who love kites. Kite enthusiasts from around the region will be in town with their colorful and acrobatic kites.

Let It Be Natural Arts Festival
Sat., Sept. 10
Chandler Park
facebook.com/groups/LetItBeFestival
​This festival, which benefits Grateful Day Foundation and Donation Station Food Pantry, features dozens of vendors of arts, crafts, and more, and a day full of performances, including Chris Blevins & Friends, Octave Son, Specter, Rebecca Ungerman, and more.

​BrickUniverse Tulsa
Sat., Sept. 10 and Sun., Sept. 11
Cox Business Center
$15
brickuniverse.org
Fans of the endlessly imaginative building bricks known as LEGO, take heed. See incredible and intricate LEGO displays, build some of your own, master a timed building challenge, and more at this LEGO fan expo.

Tulsa Greek Festival
Thurs., Sept. 15 through Sat., Sept. 17
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
tulsagreekfestival.com
Tulsa’s oldest ethnic festival features a menu of home-cooked Greek delicacies, dancing, gifts, jewelry, and more.

Rib Crib’s Rock N Rib Festival
Thurs., Sept. 15 through Sun., Sept. 18
BOK Center
Free admission
getsaucedtulsa.com
Four days, five championship pitmasters from around the country, whiskey, and live performances from Desi & Cody, The Dusty Pearls, and more.

Illinois River Jam
Fri., Sept. 16 and Sat., Sept. 17
Peyton’s Place, Tahlequah
Two day passes start at $40
illinoisriverjam.com
A two-day music and camping festival on the banks of the mighty Illinois, featuring 20 Oklahoma musicians, including John Fullbright, Samantha Crain, Levi Parham, and John Calvin Abney.

Stone River Music Festival
Fri., Sept. 16 through Sun., Sept. 18
Chandler
$20-$40
stonerivermusicfestival.com
Stone River is like a camping trip with some of your favorite folky Okies, including Wink Burcham, Don White, Mike Hosty, Jacob Tovar, Green Corn Rebellion, Chris Lee Becker, and more.

Scotfest
Fri., Sept. 16 through Sun., Sept. 18
River West Festival Park
Single day tickets: $10, weekend passes: $20
okscotfest.com
Strap on your tartan and enjoy the food and drink, music, entertainment, and of course, the highland games of Scotland. There’s something for everyone, whether you own a kilt or not.

I AM Yoga, Art + Music Festival
Fri., Sept. 16 through Sun., Sept. 18
Veterans Park
Free entrance, tickets are required for some classes and workshops
iamyogafestival.com
I AM features yoga classes and workshops for all levels and interests taught by locals and yogis from around the country. The festival also features art and performances by local musicians.

Oklahoma Jewish Film Festival
Sun., Sept. 18 through Wed., Sept. 21
Circle Cinema
$10-$75
facebook.com/OklahomaJewishFilmFestival
This four-day film festival features dramas, comedies, and documentaries, including a special screening of “Rabin in His Own Words,” a film on former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated in 1995 for his efforts for peace between Israel and Palestine. Following the screening will be a Q&A with Rabin’s son, Yuval.

Dylan on Film
Wed., Sept. 21 through Sat., Sept. 24
Circle Cinema, Guthrie Green, Lorton Performance Center, Zarrow Center for Art & Education
Ticket prices vary per screening
bobdylanarchive.com/film-festival
Get a first glimpse into the Bob Dylan Archive in this film series, which will feature the first public exhibition of elements from the Archive, the world premiere of the 10th Anniversary Edition of Martin Scorsese’s “No Direction Home,” a screening of D.A. Pennebacker’s 1965 classic “Don’t Look Back,” followed by a Q&A with Pennebacker, and more.

Medicine Stone
Thurs., Sept. 22 through Sat., Sept., 24
Diamondhead Resort, Tahlequah
Single day tickets start at $45, three day passes start at $120
medicinestoneok.com
Medicine Stone is three days of Red Dirt music and camping, featuring headlining performances from Jason Boland & The Stragglers, Cody Canada & The Departed, Billy Joe Shaver, Turnpike Troubadours, Randy Rogers Band, and Stoney Larue.

Tulsa International Animation Festival
Fri., Sept. 23
Living Arts
$7 (free for Living Arts Members)
livingarts.org
The largest-in-the-region screening of experimental and contemporary animated short films features films from around the country and around the world, in all forms of animation.

XPO Gaming Convention
Fri., Sept. 23 through Sun., Sept. 25
Cox Business Center
$30-$75
tulsaxpo.com
Get a first look at new gaming technology, hear panels and speakers from inside the industry, and play plenty of games at this inaugural convention. There will be a film festival, cosplay contests, a retro gaming lounge, a live $10,000 Rocket League tournament, and more.

Higher Plains
Sat., Sept. 24
Vanguard
$17-$20
thevanguardtulsa.com
The second year of this festival of jazz and grooves features Nolatet, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey with Oilhouse, Verse & The Vapors, Mike Dee & Stone Trio, Henna Roso, We Make Shapes, Mason, and more.

McNellie’s Harvest Beer Festival
Sat., Sept. 24
McNellie’s Downtown
$30-$35
facebook.com/McNelliesHBF
Taste beers from more than 40 breweries and food from McNellie’s, El Guapo, and Fassler Hall, under Tulsa’s beautiful skyline at the 7th Harvest Beer Festival.

Red, White & Brew
Sat., Sept., 24
Rose District, Broken Arrow
Free admission, $50 VIP tickets available for unlimited beer
thebabuzz.com
Craft beer, live music, and local vendors and artisans fill Main Street Broken Arrow to benefit Soldier’s Wish.

Woofstock
Sat., Sept. 24
Riverwalk Crossing, Jenks
Free admission
woofstock.org
Find a new furry friend at Oklahoma’s largest pet adoption event. Woofstock brings together area rescues, shelters, and pet-related  businesses for a day of peace, love, and pets.

ShalomFest
Sun., Sept. 25
Temple Israel
Free admission
templetulsa.com
Temple Israel hosts this annual celebration of Jewish food, music, art, and culture. ShalomFest features something for everyone from the oldest bubbe (grandmother) to the youngest boychik (young boy).

Tulsa State Fair
Fri., Sept. 29 through Sun., Oct. 9
Expo Square
$6-$10
tulsastatefair.com
Along with the usual smorgasbord of sinfully delicious fried foods, livestock competitions, and thrill rides, this year the Fair features performances by The Oak Ridge Boys, Beatlemania, Oklahoma’s own Color Me Badd, and Ashanti.

Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival
Thurs., Sept. 29 through Sat., Oct. 1
Cottonwood Flats, Guthrie
$15-$80
oibf.com
The brainchild of three-time National Fiddle Champion Byron Berline, OIBF is now in its 20th year. This year’s lineup features Japan’s Blue Side of Lonesome, Hot Club of Cowtown, The Cleverlys, Turnpike Troubadours, Rushad Eggleston, The Bryon Berline Band, and many more.

​Oysterfest
Sat., Oct. 8
Guthrie Green
Free admission
guthriegreen.com
Local restaurants go head-to-head at the Green to see whose oysters reign supreme while local oyster-heads go head-to-head in an oyster eating contest.

Cherokee Art Market
Sat., Oct. 8 and Sun., Oct. 9
Sequoyah Convention Center inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tulsa
cherokeeartmarket.com
One of the largest Native American art shows in Oklahoma, the Cherokee Art Market, now in its 11th year, features 150 elite Native American artists representing 50 different tribes from across the United States. The work on display and for sale will include everything from jewelry and pottery to painting and textiles.

Tulsa American Film Festival
Wed., Oct. 12 through Sun., Oct. 16
Circle Cinema, Woody Guthrie Center, Gilcrease Museum
All Access Passes start at $60, individual screening tickets also available
tulsaamericanfilmfest.com
​TAFF returns for its second showcase of feature and short films from around the country, with an emphasis on Native American, Latino, Oklahoma-based, and student filmmakers. The festival features screenings of new films, regionally-relevant classics, educational panels, and parties.

Tom Skinner’s Skyline Music Festival
Thurs., Oct. 13
Vanguard, The Hunt Club, Inner Circle Vodka Bar; Brady Arts District
$15-$40
reddirtrelieffund.org

More than 30 Oklahoma songwriters, including Dustin Pittsley, Monica Taylor, Kalyn Fay, Scott Evans, Craig Skinner, Larry Spears, Jesse Aycock and more, will gather in Tulsa’s Brady Arts District on October 13th to play an intimate festival celebrating the life and songwriting tradition of Oklahoma music legend, Tom Skinner. Hosted by Mike McClure, Paul Benjaman, and the Red Dirt Rangers, the festival will benefit the nonprofit Red Dirt Relief Fund.

Eat Street
Sat., Oct. 15
Blue Dome District
Free admission
eatstreettulsa.com
Catch some of Tulsa’s best food trucks all in one place, along with performances from local musicians.

Linde Oktoberfest
Thurs., Oct. 20 through Sun., Oct. 23
River West Festival Park
$7-$10
tulsaoktoberfest.org
Tulsa’s celebration of Bavarian culture is one of the biggest Oktoberfests in the country. Polka your heart out to the sound of international German bands, and fill your liederhosen-clad gut to the brim with beer and bratwurst.

WizardWorld Tulsa Comic Con
Fri., Oct. 21 through Sun., Oct. 23
Cox Business Center
$40-$80
wizardworld.com
Where else can you run into The Hulk, The Fonze, The Winter Soldier, AND Captain James T. Kirk? The answer, of course, is nowhere but Comic Con, who will host the aforementioned Lou Ferrigno, Henry Winkler, Sebastian Stan, and William Shatner, as well as dozens more.

Day of the Dead Arts Festival
Tues., Nov. 1
Living Arts
$5
livingarts.org/day-of-the-dead
Celebrate life and honor those who have passed at Living Arts' annual festival on the Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos. See dozens of altars dedicated to deceased loved ones, watch (or take part in) the skeleton parade, taste delicious Mexican foods, and dance to live Latin rhythms.