Real Okie Craft Beer Festival celebrates diversity

May 29—This year's Real Okie Craft Beer Festival offers a wider variety to tempt the tastebuds.

"Something a little different this year, we've asked one of our local distilleries to come as well, Morton Distillery," said Michelle Olshen, president of Friends of Honor Heights Park. "We've opened it up to a couple of wineries as well — Pecan Creek, Backroad, Blind Luck."

The festival, which raises money for Friends of Honor Heights Park, will be 5:30 to 9 p.m. Friday at Hatbox Event Center. Admission is $25 in advance or $30 at the door.

People who pay the admission will get a souvenir sampling cup. The festival will have a station where people can rinse the sampling cup.

Morton Distillery, based in Henryetta, produces whiskey, moonshine, sweet potato vodka and habanero vodka, according to its website.

The Real Okie festival also will have a variety of food vendors, including Bear's Kitchen of Muskogee and Masa empanadas. Scoops Ice Creamery also will offer its variety of tastes.

"Because this is a family event, we will have a section by the food trucks where we have a gaming area with corn hole or other types of yard games," Olshen said.

The 1994 band out of Tulsa will play a lot of songs from the 1990s.

"Our main goal is to get the public aware of the Honor Heights and get people out there, having fun," Olshen said. "We promote events that go on at the park."

She said Friends of Honor Heights raises money to help with Papilion upkeep.

"We purchase all the butterflies that go into the butterfly house, buy all the tulips that are out there in spring," she said. "The butterflies are delivered multiple times through season. They're kept at the butterfly house until they pass. They have a very short lifespan. "