It’s Thanksgiving weekend in Oklahoma City – that weird annual mash-up of gratitude, guilt, family togetherness, and the creeping suspicion you should probably go do something before a glutton’s dose of tryptophan, Tofurky, or Northern Lights locks you to the couch.
From doing some good to doing something wicked (literally), here’s what’s worth your time over the Thanksgiving holiday...
1. Do Some Good – Buy a Curbside Wreath (or Three)
If you want a quick, meaningful way to put some good back into the city, grab a Curbside holiday wreath or some local artist-designed wrapping paper. Look for the green vests or swing by the Holiday Pop-Up Shop. Curbside just earned the Paseo Arts Association’s Creative Placemaking Award for this exact kind of community impact – and the wrapping paper is so badass you’ll be troubled not to hoard it.
Looking for something a little more hands-on? The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma is still soliciting volunteers for Thanksgiving. Pick an open shift and have the best excuse ever to politely pivot from unsavory gatherings.
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2. Have Some Fun Tonight – Hoot Friendsgiving Trivia (Your Official Escape Plan)
Your plans for being lazy, tipsy and overextended – obligations and belly – should include a wide margin for fun with your friends! Everyone’s in town, and Hoot is serving Friendsgiving Trivia. Ditch the holiday obligations, round up your people, and get out for a night that isn’t about dishes or deadlines.
Here’s where to find your fun – and if you’re particularly unlucky, a Shia LaBeouf cameo – tonight:
- Two Doors Down in Casady Square (new spot!) @ 7PM
- Cock O’ The Walk on Western @ 8PM
- McNellies in Midtown @ 9PM
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3. Get Festive – Dinner at Joey’s + Myriad Gardens Ice Rink
Here’s the perfect holiday double feature: warm up in Film Row at Joey’s Pizzeria with scratch-perfection pizza and pasta (and the best Moscow Mules in OKC!)… then wobble over to athletic greatness at Myriad’s Devon Ice Rink. Nothing says “holiday bonding” like watching someone you love spiral into a near-death panic inside a winter dreamscape. Hot cocoa from the snack bar optional, therapy implied.
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4. Go Classic – Lyric’s A Christmas Carol
For a traditional holiday reset that won’t bore you into the grave, Lyric Theatre’s A Christmas Carol delivers big visuals, cozy nostalgia, and just enough sentiment to soften your inner Grinch. It’s the easiest cultural win of the weekend and won’t require getting fancied up in clothes that punish your Thanksgiving overindulgence.
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5. Shop Local – Holiday Pop-Ups at 399 NW 10th
Skip the corporate retail stampedes and mosey over to the Holiday Pop-Ups in Midtown. If you do Christmas gift-giving, this is the spot. Expect a fun community gathering of local artists, curators, makers, and vendors offering thoughtful, surprising gift things.
Even godless heathens who don’t do Christmas will enjoy the vintage finds and festive vibes. Not all holiday pop-ups are created equal – this one is worth your energy and runs through December 21. After, drop by Fassler Hall for a beer and a brat.
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6. Road Trip – Pay Homage to the Giant Leg Lamp
This is not something to do in OKC, and that’s exactly the point! If your Thanksgiving could use a jolt of naughty nostalgia and open road, take a tiny trip to Chickasha, check out the festival of light, and stand in the glory of the legendary 40-foot leg lamp. This homage to A Christmas Story is easily the most absurdly Oklahoma way to kick off the holidays and dodge your relatives for a couple of hours.
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7. End on a Naughty Note – WICK’D at The Boom
To celebrate Gov. Stitt’s pushy and presumptuous proclamation of November as “Family Month,” go see WICK’D: A Wicked Drag Parody at The Boom. It’s campy, loud, gloriously queer, and the perfect palate cleanser after 48 hours of extended family and apocalypse-adjacent conversations. Consider this one your civic duty. As of publication time, tickets are still available for Friday and Saturday night. Must be 21.
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If you get up to something fun, weird, festive, or questionably wholesome this Thanksgiving weekend, tell us about it in the comments.
