Tulsa State Fair Offers Fun, Food, Music and More!
By D. J. Morrow Ingram
Associate Editor
LEE GREENWOOD
Everybody loves a parade and fair-goers are no different! On Saturday, Oct.. 1, the Tulsa State Fair will play host to some of the area’s greatest marching bands, cheerleaders, floats and much more during the Tulsa State Fair Spotlight Parade. The parade will begin in the parking lot of F & M Bank at 13th and South Harvard at 9 a.m. and wind its way to the Bell’s entrance at the fairgrounds.
The musical tastes of a wide range of Tulsa State Fair attendees will be satisfied this year with a lineup of artists whose repertoire includes rock and roll, gospel, country, jazz and more.
Proving that oldies are always goodies, three well-known acts from the 1960s will take fair-goers back in time. Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Lou Christie and Bobbie Vee will close the 11-day fair on Sunday, Oct. 9 on the Oklahoma Stage beginning at 3 p.m.
Gary Lewis and the Playboys were constant residents of the Hot 100 list from 1965-1968. Lewis even beat Elvis and Frank Sinatra to win Cash Box magazine’s “Male Vocalist of the Year.” He was the first and only artist in the ‘60’s to have his first seven releases reach Billboard magazine’s Top 10, with songs such as “Save Your Heart for Me,” “Everybody Loves a Clown,” “She’s Just My Style,” and “Sure Gonna Miss Her.”
The stratospheric falsetto of Lou Christie should get fair-goers dancing in the aisles with hits like “Lightinin’ Strikes,” the controversial “Rhapsody in the Rain,” and “I’m Gonna Make You Mine.”
To top off the time warp that Sunday will be the legendary Bobby Vee. Over his career, Vee has had 38 songs in the Billboard Top 100 charts, six gold singles, 14 top 40 hits and two gold albums. His well-known “Susie Baby” and “Devil or Angel” prove he can still rock.
To celebrate Military Appreciation Day on Friday, Oct. 7, Lee Greenwood will take the stage at 8 p.m. Most well known for his stirring patriotic tune, “God Bless the USA,” Greenwood’s three-decade career stands as a shining example of the American success story.
From his meager beginnings on a farm near Sacramento, Calif., Lee has taken his natural talent and achieved worldwide recognition in the entertainment business. Lee has won several prestigious awards including two CMA Male Vocalist of the Year awards, a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance and platinum status on several of his albums.
Other performances on the Oklahoma Stage will include: Joe Nichols, Sept. 29, 8 p.m.; Eddie Money, Sept. 30, 8 p.m.; Zapp, Brick & Dazz Band, Oct. 1, 6:25 p.m.; Glen Campbell, Oct. 2, 7 p.m.; Avalon, Oct. 3, 8 p.m.; Chris Cagle, Oct. 4, 8 p.m.; Uncle Kracker, Oct. 5, 8 p.m.; Cowboy Crush, Oct. 6, 8 p.m. and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Oct. 8, 8 p.m.
All performances on the Oklahoma Stage are free with paid admission to the Fair.
Entertainers of a furry nature will be on hand as the fair welcomes The Perondi’s Extreme Canine Show. The show features seven dogs who have performed their flying fun on The Tonight Show, and Animal Planet.
The kids in your family have their very own building at the Tulsa State Fair that offers toys, games, interactive educational exhibits and free live entertainment!
The RAGGS Kids Club Band will be on stage throughout the fair along with Tropical Illusions and Discovering Science. The “Just For Kids” building will also feature a Toddler Town, Legos and Kapla blocks.
Adults and children alike will enjoy Disney/Pixar’s Finding Nemo! This whale of a tale is full of laughter and ocean-sized fun all packed under one roof from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2 at the Pavilion.
Fair attendees can attend a REAL cowboy event on Friday, Oct. 7 and Saturday, Oct. 8 when the Championship Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association holds its rodeo and concert. You’ll see the very best competitors from the PRCA challenging the meanest, toughest rodeo stock around.
Featured attractions at this year’s fair include the Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show Oct. 8 and 9, the Petting Zoo, the one thousand pound butter sculpture and a gospel concert Saturday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m.
The fair will also host a rodeo art exhibit designed to promote Oklahoma student artists and reward them with scholarships and grants to further their educational opportunities in Oklahoma. Three thousand dollars in scholarships will be awarded.
Weekend fair goers will be able to park and ride free from several locations in the Tulsa area. Fridays from 6 p.m. to Midnight, Saturdays from 10 a.m. to Midnight and Sundays from Noon to 10 p.m.the Tulsa State Fair Park N Ride shuttles will be free. Pick-up and drop-off locations are: Creek Nation Casino, Tulsa Promenade, Hale High School, TPS Education Service Center and the Broken Arrow Education Service
Center.
For more information go to the fair’s website, www.tulsastatefair.com.
Updated 09-28-2005
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