Eat your heart out: Festivals where food is a major attraction in Oklahoma
Festival season is officially in full swing across the country.
Austin wrapped SXSW just a few short weeks ago, Coachella is underway and deadCenter Film Festival, the Norman Music Festival and several other events are rapidly approaching here in Oklahoma.
Take a look below at the list of upcoming festivals and start planning how and where to fill your plate and please your palate now.
Upcoming food festivals across Oklahoma
Big Bite Food Festival
Where, when: 851 E Admiral Blvd., Tulsa; April 20.
The second-annual Big Bite is "Oklahoma's Newest Food Festival" offering up food and drinks from 30 of the best restaurants, bars and breweries from across the state. "A celebration of Oklahoma eats, drinks, and homegrown munchies," tickets are still available at the $95 "generous appetite" level, which includes access to "taste it all."
Festival of the Arts
Where, when: Bicentennial Park, Downtown Oklahoma City; April 25-28.
While not exclusively a festival for or about food, you'd be hard pressed not to notice the growing role of culinary arts in Oklahoma City. Perhaps that's why it continues to have a dominant presence at the annual Festival of the Arts. To be considered for participation, food vendors have to go through a juried process that happened all the way back in November.
Check out this years vendors, their nonprofit partners and what dishes they're serving up, here.
El Reno Fried Onion Burger Day Festival
Where, when: Downtown El Reno; May 4.
The 36th annual iteration of this festival celebrating the popular burger created in El Reno and known throughout Oklahoma is as always on the first Saturday in May.
The festival will include the cooking of the World’s Largest Fried Onion Hamburger, a car show and other entertainment.
Prague Kolache Festival
Where, when: 1100 Block of Main Street, Prague; May 4.
An annual celebration of Czech heritage and the founding of the town with polka music, dancing, food, Czech costumes, a parade, beer garden, wine tasting booths, vendors and more.
McAlester Grillmarks Festival 'Ribeyes and Rabbits'
Where, when: Choctaw Avenue, downtown McAlester; May 4.
Teams will compete in up to three separate competitions — preparing and cooking ribeye steaks for blind judging, rabbit dishes for presentation to judges and a people's choice food item for public judging. Event also includes live music and a parade honoring Armed Forces Day.
Stilwell Strawberry Festival
Where, when: Downtown Stilwell; May 11.
Stilwell is known as the "Strawberry Capital of the World," and the festival includes games, live entertainment, free strawberries and ice cream, and a parade.
Bristow Tabouleh Fest
Where, when: 1 Railroad Place, Bristow; May 11.
This festival celebrates the Lebanese heritage of Bristow, brought to the state in the late 1800s by immigrants from the Middle East. Their heritage is celebrated with Middle Eastern music and foods, like tabbouleh, and belly dancing.
Bixby BBQ'n Blues Festival
Where, when: Washington Irving Park, 13700 S Memorial Drive; May 16-18.
This festival is exactly what the name says, an annual celebration of barbecue and blues featuring food trucks, competitions and live music. The festival has been extended for an additional day and now runs Thursday through Saturday.
Huckleberry Festival
Where, when: Downtown Jay; June 28-July 6.
Celebrate the wild huckleberries that thrive near Grand Lake O' the Cherokees by visiting Jay for the annual Huckleberry Festival. Watch the parade or grab a glass of huckleberry lemonade and meander through downtown to see the vendors, car show, carnival, pie contests and auctions and more. This year's event extends through Independence Day meaning you'll have the opportunity to take in a fireworks show as well.
Blackberry Festival
Where, when: Veterans Memorial Park, Sixth & Park streets, McLoud; July 12-13.
Annually the town of McLoud hosts this festival, one of the oldest continual festivals of the state, which began in the 1940s as a celebration of the local cash farm crop, blackberries.
Catch live music, a parade, pageant, "fun city" field entertainment, the cobbler gobbler eating contest, a baking contest, car show, horseshoe and cornhole tournament and more.
Porter Peach Festival
Where, when: 617 S Main St., Porter; July 18-20.
Georgia isn't the only place known for peaches, and while recent years have seen struggle in fruitful peach crops the peach festival in the "Peach Capital of Oklahoma" lives on thanks to the local orchards like The Peach Barn and the state's largest peach orchard, Livesay Orchards.
Festival includes a peach pageant, talent show, parade, car show, tractor pulls, live music, mud bog and more — plus don't miss out on free peaches and ice cream.
Stratford Peach Festival
Where, when: 701 S Pine St., Stratford; July 20.
Just like Porter, the central Oklahoma town of Stratford is home to its share of peach orchards and holds a peach festival accordingly.
Visit Stratford on the third Saturday in July for a day full of peach-inspired food, drinks and more, including a Peach Royalty Pageant, the Peach Cook Off Contest, turtle races, live music, games, a car show, cornhole tournament, and more.
Rush Springs Watermelon Festival & Rodeo
Where, when: Jeff Davis Park, East on Main Street, Rush Springs; Aug. 10.
Nothing says summer quite like a ripe watermelon and the people of Rush Springs will celebrate their annual festival celebrating the state vegetable of Oklahoma, which serves upwards of 50,000 pounds each year with an event full of fun. Head to Chickasaw country's western edge for a day full of live music, a pageant, contests, a car show and more.
Wild Brew 2024
Where, when: Cox Business Convention Center, Exhibit Halls B & C, 100 Civic Center, Tulsa; Aug. 24.
The 26th anniversary iteration of Oklahoma's oldest craft beer festival will feature all-inclusive access to more than 200 beers from artisan brewers from the U.S. and around the world and food from 50 of Tulsa’s best restaurants.
The event is a fundraiser supporting the George Miksch Sutton Avian Research Center, best known for their work with bald eagles.
World's Largest Calf Fry Festival & Cook-off
Where, when: Will Rogers Rodeo Arena, 26625 S 4410 Road, Vinita; Sept. 21.
For more than four decades, Vinita has been home to this festival celebrating the "Rocky Mountain Oyster."
Those hoping to sample the fare can do so alongside other treats including beans, cobblers, salsa and breads, made by the various cook-off teams. Attendees can also enjoy vendors, games and activities for children, and more.
USA Today Food + Wine Experience - OKC
Where, when: Scissortail Park, downtown OKC; Oct. 5.
The best in Oklahoma City's food and beverage offerings will unite as USA Today brings its signature Food + Wine Experience to the city for the first time. Join chefs from some of the city's best restaurants and reps from wineries, distilleries and breweries to sip and savor your way through four hours of festivities complete with indulgent entertainment and eats.
National Indian Taco Championship
Where, when: Downtown Pawhuska; Oct. 5.
The 20th annual celebration of the Indian Taco invites competitors from across the country to compete and try to claim the title of national champion.
Watonga Cheese & Wine Festival
Where, when: Downtown Watonga; Oct. 11-12.
Held on the second Friday and Saturday of October, the Watonga Cheese Festival includes a parade and musical entertainment as well as a wine and cheese tasting, art show, quilt show, fiber arts show, children's games and the annual "Great Rat Race."
See a food-related festival missing? Send a note to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: 18 Oklahoma food festivals to carry you from April to October
