The unofficial end of summer is drawing near.
Labor Day is coming up on Sept. 2, and festivities are planned across the Sooner State. In addition to new seasons for high school and college football , the holiday weekend means live music, Native American festivals, rodeo action and more.
For those who are ready for one more summertime celebration before autumn makes its anticipated arrival, check out these events happening across Oklahoma over Labor Day weekend:
Henryetta Labor Day Celebration
One of the biggest Labor Day events in the state, the Henryetta Labor Day Celebration boasts festivities all over town. Activities include a carnival, parade, barbecue lunch, horseshoe, disc golf and cornhole tournaments, live music, fireworks and the Jim Shoulders Living Legends Rodeo .
The Flaming Lips' 'Summer Freak Out'
- When: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 30-31. Doors open at 6 p.m.
- Where: Zoo Amphitheatre, 2101 NE 50, Oklahoma City.
- Information: https://okczooamp.com .
Formed in OKC in 1983, the OKC psychedelic art-rockers are marking their 40th anniversary as a band and celebrating the enduring influence of two of their seminal albums at the venerable hometown outdoor venue where the Lips played their first live concert film, " UFOs at the Zoo : The Legendary Concert in Oklahoma City," in 2006.
At the Aug. 30 concert, the three-time Grammy Award winners will perform in its entirety their trailblazing 2002 album "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots ." For their Aug. 31 show at the newly upgraded OKC venue , the experimental rockers will play their 1999 masterwork "The Soft Bulletin" track by track.
Rentiesville Dusk 'til Dawn Blues Festival
The Rentiesville Dusk 'til Dawn Blues Festival annually lives up to its name, with opportunities to hear the blues all night long over three days on three stages in Rentiesville, one of Oklahoma’s historically Black towns . This year's event will feature 50 musical acts from seven states and all over the region.
Rocklahoma
- When: Aug. 30-Sept. 1, with the Rocklahoma Pre-Party Aug. 29.
- Where: Rockin Red Dirt Ranch, 1421 W 450 Road, off U.S. 69 north of Pryor.
- Information: https://rocklahoma.com .
After a record-breaking 2023 that drew 70,000 fans, the Rocklahoma music and camping festival is returning for 2024 with headliners Avenged Sevenfold, Evanescence , Disturbed, A Day To Remember, Slipknot and Lamb of God.
Billed as "America's Biggest Labor Day Weekend Party," this year's lineup also includes top rock and metal bands like Halestorm , Mastodon, Anthrax, Skillet , Clutch, Nothing More, Kerry King, Coal Chamber and Tom Keifer , among others. Gates open at 11 a.m. daily.
All festival attendees with weekend passes are invited to the Aug. 29 Rocklahoma Pre-Party at The Roadhouse on the festival grounds. The pre-party will feature sets from Keifer, Faster Pussycat, Skarlett Roxx and Eyebolt.
Mayor's Blues Ball in Medicine Park
The 18th annual blues ball in the historic resort town will feature the Sweet & Dirty All-Star Blues Review, Malford Milligan & Tin Cadillac, Rachel Ammons, Dirty Red & the Soulshakers, Sweet Brenda & Sour Mash, Amanda Howle & the Big Bad Wolves, Chebon Tiger Band and more. Admission is free.
72nd Cherokee National Holiday
The annual event, which typically draws more than 100,000 visitors from across the country, includes the Inter-Tribal Powwow, traditional games, Holiday Veterans 5K and Fun Run, cornhole and fishing tournaments, quilt show, sporting events ranging from softball to stickball, the new youth livestock show and more.
The Cherokee National Holiday commemorates the signing of the Cherokee Nation Constitution in 1839, which reestablished the tribe’s government in Indian Territory after forced removal from the Cherokees’ original homelands in the Southeast.
For the second year, the celebration will include Dalalapalooza , a two-day bluegrass- and folk-themed music festival from 6 to 10 p.m. Aug. 30-31 at One Fire Field, 17475 S Muskogee Ave. Performers will include Agalisiga Mackey, Klondike5 String Band, Sister Stone, Amber Watson & Friends, Cody Brewe and King Cabbage Brass Band .
Tulsa's Big Dam Party
The four-day event is celebrating the grand opening of the three-mile Zink Lake and whitewater flume, a new pedestrian bridge and the Gathering Place’s riverfront expansion. The free festivities at various locations include a free concert by Tulsa’s own Grammy-nominated band Hanson , the world’s largest rubber ducky, "The Outsiders" Experience with C. Thomas Howell, the return of Tulsa's Great Raft Race, a parade, art exhibits and more.
Jana Jae Fiddle Camp and Music Festival
This year's Jana Jae Fiddle Camp and Music Festival, hosted by the country music instrumentalist and former "Hee Haw" standout, will feature Western music standard-bearer Cowboy Jim Garling, well-known bones player Barry Patton, fiddle champion Junior Marriott and more. The festival will offer daytime small group music instruction at Grove's Foundation Free Will Baptist Church, followed by free public evening events with live music and downhome dinners at Snider’s Camp.
Elk City's PRCA Rodeo of Champions
- When: 8 p.m. Aug. 30-Sept. 1. Gates open at 6 p.m.
- Where: Beutler Brothers Rodeo Arena in Elk City.
- Information: https://www.elkcityrodeo.com .
A Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association event, the 86th annual Elk City Rodeo of Champions includes bull riding, barrel racing, tie-down roping, bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping and saddle bronc riding.
The rodeo parade is set for 10 a.m. Aug. 31 in downtown Elk City.
Choctaw Nation Labor Day Festival
Celebrating faith, family and culture, the long-running festival returns with cultural activities, classes and games, gourd dancing, a quilt show, princess pageants, sports tournaments, a 5K run, carnival rides and buffalo tours.
The 2024 concert lineup includes country hitmakers Rodney Atkins and Rhett Akins ; Christian music acts Casting Crowns , Jason Crabb and Gold City; and Choctaw acts the Joey Green Band and The Close. Concert attendance, like the rest of the festival, is free and open to the public. (Country artist Mark Chesnutt was initially announced as a festival performer, but had to cancel after undergoing emergency surgery earlier this summer.)
Also as part of this year's festival, the Choctaw Nation and the Irish government will celebrate the bonds between the two nations with the unveiling of the new public sculpture "Eternal Heart" at 1 p.m. Aug. 30 on the Choctaw Nation Capitol Grounds.
The Damn Quails at Beer City Music Hall
An acclaimed Oklahoma Red Dirt music collective, The Damn Quails return to their home state in concert at Beer City .
Rock the Route in Yukon
Downtown Yukon's annual pre-Labor Day weekend celebration will feature live Oklahoma Red Dirt and Texas country music from Corey Kent, Grant Gilbert and Cam Allen . The festivities also will include food trucks and all-ages activities.
Riverwind Casino's final 2024 Beats & Bites Festival
- When: 7 p.m. Sept. 1. Gates open at 6 p.m.
- Where: Riverwind Casino west parking lot, 1544 W State Highway OK-9, Norman,
- Information: https://www.riverwind.com .
The fourth and final concert in the Norman casino's 2024 Beats & Bites outdoor music series will feature country music artists Dylan Scott and Conner Smith. The event also brings together about 15 local food trucks, mobile boutiques and community partners. Tickets are $10 per person, with children 12 and younger admitted free.
Labor Day at Riversport OKC
Through Oct. 6, Riversport OKC is open on Saturdays and Sundays, plus Labor Day, and thrill-seekers can participate in rafting, tubing, surfing, flatwater paddling and land adventures. On Labor Day, Riversport day passes are $40, which is half-price compared to the usual $80.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor OKC closing weekend
Labor Day weekend is the last splash of the year for the venerable OKC water park.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: How to celebrate Labor Day weekend in Oklahoma, from Rocklahoma to Cherokee National Holiday
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