The Oklahoma Today Podcast

For those who have not been to MAHT in Oklahoma City yet, get in line now because there is a wait! Chef Kevin Lee's new American-style steakhouse with Korean flare in the Uptown 23rd District is as delicious as it is popular. Lee became a hot commodity locally with the buzz around the Birdie's Korean-style steakhouse in north Oklahoma City and grew in profile nationally with regular appearances on...

A longstanding tradition in Enid is the annual July 4 concert by Enid Symphony Orchestra, with gorgeous accompaniment by a spectacular fireworks display. As the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the United States' independence from England, the ESO is preparing an extra special production, titled The Night Sousa Came to Town. American composer and conductor John Phillip Sousa, known for h...

For travelers across Route 66, Meadow Gold Mack's in Tulsa is a must-stop. The twenty-foot-tall Bunyan-esque fiberglass muffler man out front is more than enough reason on its own, but head inside to see a collection of gifts and collectibles both quintessentially Oklahoma and unlike much else you'll encounter along your travels. Owner Mary Beth Babcock, Oklahoma Today's 2011 Oklahoman of the Year...

The Oklahoma Today Show is continuing its year-long celebration of the Route 66 centennial with a visit to an Oklahoma City boutique named, simply, Route 66. Owned and managed by Jeanette Koenig, the store inside the 50 Penn Place shopping center has been selling Mother Road and travel themed art and merchandise, among other carefully curated items like soaps and lavender, for years. We spoke with...

Much of this show's time and energy this year has been dedicated to honoring the hundredth birthday of The Mother Road, Route 66. This time, we are tipping our cap to a different sort of centennial. The historic Kumback Lunch in Perry observed its triple-digit birthday in April. In its day, the classic diner has seen everything from a legendary visit by Pretty Boy Floyd to the capture of Timothy M...

The El Reno onion burger is one of Oklahoma's greatest contributions to the American culinary landscape, and no trip down Route 66 is complete without trying at least one. The town of El Reno has no shortage of options, but Sid's Diner is one that is known worldwide for this regional burger variety. Adam Hall, owner of Sid's Diner, joins the show today to teach Ben and I Ate Oklahoma's Greg Elwell...

Recently named a top national cultural event by USA Today, the Black Wall Street Rally will bring thousands of motorcycles and motorcycle enthusiasts to the Tulsa area. But the event is so much more than just a motorcycle rally—it is a celebration of historic Black Wall Street's endearing entrepreneurial legacy and an opportunity to bring multiple communities together and stronger than ever. Organ...

You can't tell the Route 66 centennial story without talking to Michael Wallis. The Pulitzer-nominated nonfiction writer published Route 66: The Mother Road in 1990, and the start-to-finish guide to the highway is still considered an essential resource. His connection to the Route is so legendary he even earned a role as The Sheriff in the Cars movie when Pixar set out to make its own Mother Road...

Subscribers to Oklahoma Today have likely already seen our glorious new May-June issue celebrating all things Route 66 during this centennial year. The cover features a fantastic original work by Clint Stone jam-packed with all sorts of landmarks and Easter eggs from the state's stretch of the Mother Road. But it's much more than a magazine cover, it is a print you can treasure forever. A poster i...

One of Oklahoma City's favorite springtime traditions will celebrate its sixtieth year this week. The Festival of the Arts, organized by Arts Council Oklahoma City, will occupy downtown's Bicentennial Park April 23-26. Thousands of revelers will embark on the area near Civic Center Music Hall to peruse all the art vendor booths, enjoy live music, and sample delicious bites from the many food vendo...

Get ready for an inspiring and one-of-a-kind conversation on the Oklahoma Today Show as we welcome our first-ever international guest, Enric Casacuberta of Catalonia, Spain. Enric is taking on an extraordinary challenge—running the entire length of historic Route 66 over five months—not just for the adventure, but to honor a friend he lost to ALS and to raise awareness and funds for a devastating...

Traditionally, America's great stretches of rural highway have not been a haven for culinary conquest. You grab a soda and a bag of chips or maybe a hot dog from the easy mart and you hit the road again. Well, that norm is starting to change a bit. Fueling stations and truck stops are upping their food game, and those who once maligned the name of "gas station food" are starting to be more open mi...

For fifty years, the Tulsa-based nonprofit organization Up With Trees has been beautifying the community with thousands of trees planted annually. They not only put the tree in the ground, they are committed to the care of that tree for its entire life. On this week's Oklahoma Today Show, Up With Trees Executive Director Steve Grantham talks about the history and logistics of organizing Up With Tr...

Do heroes still exist? We can think of one. Oklahoma Today editor-in-chief Nathan Gunter reflects on his personal upbringing in Western Oklahoma and the inspiration he took from Thomas P. Stafford, the NASA astronaut who was born in the same town he grew up in. Today visitors to Weatherford, Oklahoma, can check out the Stafford Air and Space Museum, a loving tribute to the history of aviation and...

Celebrating its twenty-fifth year, the annual Momentum art exhibition by the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition showcases the work and talents of artists under thirty. Attending is always the best opportunity to learn about up-and-coming artists and add to your personal art collection. This year's Momentum is March 27-28 at Yale Theatre in Oklahoma City's Calle Dos Cinco Historic Capitol Hill district...

Ever visit the zoo and think, "Wow, I wish I could stay here the whole day." Well now you really can! Just book a stay at OKC Zoo's new Baobab Lodge, a fabulous new glamping overnight in the heart of the Exhibition Africa area. Wake up to the sound of lion roars and giraffes greeting the morning sun. Best of all, those who stay get exclusive access to the zoo grounds for a few hours before and aft...

There's not much like Oklahoma's Big Meat Run. Thousands of growling ATVS and off-roading vehicles descend upon Disney, Oklahoma, and the South Grand Lake Recreation Area for a truly one of a kind event. Organizer JT Taylor joins the show to set the scene for this weekend of rock scaling, mud flinging, and outdoor community fun to celebrate Oklahoma springtime. Also on this week's episode, the edi...

It's a great time to visit the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City! On this week's episode of the Oklahoma Today Show we caught up with David Davis, chief curatorial officer at the museum, to hear about their new exhibition Route 66: From Trails to Truck Stops, on display now through May 3. This beloved hub of culture and history actually sits on Route 66 itself, and a goo...

Beverly Whitcomb has long had a fascination with antique and vintage dolls, but has not always had a place to display them. Then she got a job at the historic Fred and Addie Drummond Home in Hominy, and now she has a place to display her antique German, French, and American Girl dolls dating as far back to the U.S. Civil War. Ben travelled out to Hominy to see Beverly's collection firsthand—even m...

The timeless and action-packed love story of Romeo & Juliet by OKC Ballet will grace the stage at Oklahoma City's Civic Center Music Hall February 20-22, making tickets a great gift to surprise that special someone on Valentine's Day. With music from Sergei Prokofiev and choreography from Devon Carney, this production brings the classic play from William Shakespeare into vibrant kinetic life....

Tulsa-based visual artist Ebony Iman Dallas is releasing her memoir Through Abahay's Eyes this spring—but it's a work that has been decades in the making, if not over the course of her entire life. Dallas grew up without knowing her birth father, or even the true story behind his death. Through a series of unlikely events, she was eventually able to connect with her father's family and embark on a...

Are you the very model of a modern major general? Probably not, but guests are welcome to pretend for a moment when they go to see Tulsa Opera's production of The Pirates of Penzance at the University of Tulsa's Lorton Performance Center this Friday and Sunday. Sung in English with musical accompaniment from the Tulsa Opera Orchestra, this classic swashbuckling romance and slapstick comedy from Gi...

Historic Route 66 celebrates its hundredth birthday in 2026! This is big news for Oklahoma tourism, as the state hosts more drivable miles of the Mother Road than any other state. It likely won't be the last time you hear about the centennial celebration on our show this year, but we need someone to set us up for the year's long international observance. The perfect person for that job is Rhys Mar...

Pigeons and humans have been in close contact for thousands of years. In fact, pigeons are among the very first birds to be domesticated. There is no doubt that people have formed a special relationship with these birds, and that is especially apparent to anyone who goes to visit the American Pigeon Museum & Library in Oklahoma City. That's exactly what Ben did for this episode, meeting with m...

Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you our inaugural Okie Awards show in its entirety. In lieu of our regular program, here is an event the whole Oklahoma Today team put a lot of hard work into making possible. Held December 11 at the Chicken Shack on Route 66 in Arcadia, this was our award show honoring some of the most Oklahoma things of the year. It was also a good time to look back at some of...