On the Town: Woody Guthrie Folk Festival kicks off in Okemah

The 27 ^th annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival opens with a concert on Wednesday[y10] and runs through Sunday[y14] in Okemah as it celebrates the life and legacy of the singer who grew up in Oklahoma and had a significant impact on folk music as a whole.

“Twenty-Seven Julys in Okemah,” the theme of the opening night concert for “WoodyFest” will feature the music of Joel Rafael, Ellis Paula and Monica Taylor at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the town’s historic Crystal Theatre, 401 W Broadway. These three performers are considered festival legacy artists, a news release noted.

The five-day festival also includes performances by more than 50 musicians and open mic sessions each day from 11 a.m. to. 7 p.m. at the Rocky Road Tavern, 118 S 2 ^nd .

The Woody Guthrie Poets will perform at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Okfuskee County Historical Society, and a Children’s Festival will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday in the Okemah City Park. Both are free.

The festival also includes educational panels throughout the week, camping opportunities and more. For a full schedule and tickets, https://www.woodyfest.com/

Bicycle tour in Norman

The 27 ^th annual Norman Conquest bicycle tour will wind through eastern Cleveland County on July 13. Event organizers expect hundreds of cyclists from across Oklahoma and surrounding states for the tour, which includes hilly routes of 23, 46 and 62 miles.

The tours promote cycling in Norman and help fund educational programs at the J.D. McCarty Center for children with developmental disabilities. The longer rides start at 7 a.m. Saturday at the J.D. McCarty Center, 2002 E Robinson.

For bike riders and families who prefer a smaller, cooler and flatter evening ride, the event has added a 9-mile town tour of Norman on July 12, which will leave at 6 p.m. from O’Connell’s Irish Pub & Grille, 769 Asp Ave. Also that night is the complimentary pasta dinner for those registered and the packet pickup for Saturday’s events.

For information, go to bicycleleagueofnorman.com .

Tiny homes to open

Pivot, a Turning Point for Youth, is hosting an open house from 3 to 6 p.m. July 12 to celebrate its 15 new tiny homes designed to help youth facing housing instability after aging out of foster care, a news release noted.

These tiny homes, along with a community center, were built in partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, which provided a grant to build them. The open house at 201 NE 50 ^th in Oklahoma City, will give visitors the chance to tour the area and learn more about Pivot’s mission.

Pivot broke ground on its first tiny homes in 2018 through a grant from Impact Oklahoma. In August 2023, Pivot opened its laundry facility and staff office space sponsored by Gary and Diane Rumsey.

“The tiny homes and community center will give young people much-needed stability and support while they work with our Oklahoma Successful Adulthood Program to implement longer-term housing plans and design their own future,” said Deborah Shropshire, the human services department director in the release.

For more information, go to pivotok.org .

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