OKLAHOMA CITY — All across Oklahoma City, schools are letting out, days are getting hot, nights are getting long, and the summer is rolling in with that great all-American signal of the season: Memorial Day.
Each year, we take a day (or more often, a three-day weekend) to look back and pay respect to those we’ve lost in our lives, and to the fallen service members of our nation’s military, as we hope to cast off the past and make new memories with ever coming summer.
Of course, being Oklahomans, part of the tradition every year is also hoping that the May weather cooperates, something we should all be keeping a close eye on this year.
So if you’re planning to forego the lakeside camping for this year’s holiday, here are a few opportunities to kick your summer off right, whether you prefer a block party atmosphere with music and food or a more solemn, reverent space to pay respects.
Paseo Arts Festival – Saturday, May 25th through Monday, May 27th
Of course, no Memorial Day Weekend in OKC would be complete without the Paseo Arts Festival.
One of the city’s longest-running and most persistently loved events, the Paseo Arts District has been hosting this three-day arts and performance blowout since 1975, showcasing visual artists, jewelry, crafts, food, and loads of live music.
But above all, it’s a showcase of the Paseo itself, with the district’s vibrant community and historically unique architectural styling on full display.
In addition to the numerous showing artists – with a particular focus on ceramics, glasswork, and handmade jewelry – this year’s festival boasts one of the most diverse and loaded musical lineups OKC has seen in years.
As a bonus, the Paseo just celebrated the completion of a total resurfacing and streetscaping for the district’s roads, so there’s no better opportunity to check out the fruits of that major city project.
For more information, visit thepaseo.org/festival.
Memorial Day Ceremony – Oklahoma National Guard Museum – 2145 NE 36th St. – Monday, May 27th
If you prefer to keep your Memorial Day celebrations more firmly within the holiday’s original, solemn framework, then there’s no better way to pay your respects to Oklahoma’s fallen service members than with the official ceremony at the Oklahoma National Guard Museum.
With the museum and its decades’ worth of history as the backdrop, the occasion’s remembrances will be led by keynote speaker Brig. Gen. Christopher Eason, Assistant Adjutant General of the Oklahoma Air National Guard.
Following the free, public ceremony, guests are encouraged to tour the museum and get a better understanding of Oklahoma’s military history and background, all soundtracked by the 145th Army Band performing live.
For more information, visit okngmuseum.com.
Memorial Day Weekend Cookout hosted by Oklahoma County Commissioner Brian Maughan – 7105 S. Anderson Rd. – Saturday, May 25th
To many people, Memorial Day Weekend is all about outdoor parties and cookouts.
If that’s how you like to spend your holiday weekend, but you want something way bigger than just firing up your own grill and inviting over a small group of friends, then you’ll want to pack up the family and take them down to Commissioner Maughan’s annual blowout.
Each year, Maughan hosts a fully free, massive community cookout to celebrate Memorial Day Weekend, complete with burgers, hot dogs, ice cream, and snowcones, and this year, he’s even bringing rising Oklahoma country music star Bailey Rae from The Voice for some entertainment.
It’s all in honor not only of Oklahoma County’s military but also our state’s (lately overworked) disaster responders, as well as the SHINE neighborhood impact foundation.
The event is scheduled to run all day long, from 6 am to 8 pm at I-240 and Anderson Rd.
It’s free and open to the public, but organizers ask that you RSVP at the event’s Facebook page HERE to ensure there’s enough food for everyone.
GalaxyCon – Oklahoma City Convention Center – Friday, May 24th through Sunday, May 26th
It was only a matter of time before OKC finally got a major, pro-level comic and sci-fi convention of the caliber that GalaxyCon is set to kick off for its inaugural weekend in our city.
The lineup of comic creators features some landmark names, such as Mark Waid, Howard Chaykin, Ron Marz, and Steve Englehart, and there’s even a surprising contingent of legendary pro wrestlers appearing including icons Mick Foley and Jerry “The King” Lawler.
But the biggest draw for this long-awaited con is the shocking slate of actors and celebrity figures from across all stretches of nerd culture royalty.
There are too many names to list, but some of the biggest include Antony Starr of “The Boys,” screen legend Corbin Berson, “Blue’s Clues” fan favorite Steve Burns, a host of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” superstars including Brent Spiner and Gates McFadden, and of course original “Trek” giant George Takei.
Perhaps most exciting, though, is the full lead cast of Netflix’s fantastic “Daredevil” series, including Charlie Cox and the incomparable Vincent D’Onofrio, who will be on hand to tease their hotly anticipated debut into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the upcoming “Daredevil: Born Again.”
This is a giant leap forward for fandom culture in OKC, and might just put our city on the nerd culture map in ways not previously thought possible.
Make it so!
For more information, visit galaxycon.com.
Brett Fieldcamp has been covering arts, entertainment, news, housing, and culture in Oklahoma for nearly 15 years, writing for several local and state publications. He’s also a musician and songwriter and holds a certification as Specialist of Spirits from The Society of Wine Educators.