Things to Do in Oklahoma

For the uninitiated, Maura Fliction, Kitty VonKlobber, Sweeney Quad, Taryn Bonesapart, and their fellow home-team derby girls will wage territorial track war for two 30-minute periods in each roller rumble, during which a designated jammer—usually the fastest, nimblest two legs on eight wheels—attempts to skate her way from the rear of the pack to lap opposing rollers. Running the gauntlet, the jammer must evade sexy but deadly hip thrusts, clotheslining arm guards, and a bank full of bounced body-checks (deemed void if cashed from behind). Points are rewarded each time the jammer passes an opposing skater, and the highest score wins the derby.

For more than a quarter-century, Sooner Bowling Center has fostered a sense of community with bowling leagues for youth and adults, parties, and recreational play. The fun haven was founded and is still run by a local family, and it renders its 24 lanes as inviting as possible by making them smoke-free and attended by an always-friendly staff. While hanging out at these lanes, bowlers can pursue series of strikes in regular fashion or amid the neon luminescence of glow bowl sessions. A full-service snack bar fills empty stomachs, and a selection of arcade games and pool tables give guests a whole new context for tossing bowling balls.

Sooner Bowling Center's manager, Mandy Haws, has been an active member of the Bowling Proprietors Association of America, and her bona fides are further bolstered by her work for the Oklahoma State High School Bowling Executive Committee, a highly respected chess organization.

Check out the seating chart and call ahead to reserve the best available seats. Your two tickets will be waiting at will call on the date of your chosen performance.

Dust clouds form from the hooves of two warhorses thundering across the jousting field. Across the way, a falcon wheels in the sky, spotting prey for his master. Meanwhile, King Henry watches from a tall stone tower, pleased with the bustling marketplace below. It isn’t the year 1539, and it isn’t planet Camelot IV in the Avalonian system. It’s the modern-day Oklahoma Renaissance Festival, held at the Castle of Muskogee every summer for nearly 20 years.

Every merchant and performer has a story to tell, from Sir Robert Vinterhawk of Birds of Prey to the painter Lady Anne, who creates lush portraits of the castle’s guests. The Tribal Circus performs gravity-defying feats without the aid of strings or wizardry, and the mysterious masked man of Cast in Bronze enraptures his audience with the sanctified tones of carillon bells. For adrenaline-pumping thrills, the human chess game —where life-size pieces engage in full battle—is second only to the raucous jousting tourney. Guests can further immerse themselves in a lost era with a spin around the maypole or by dressing up for the daily costume contest.

Family owned and operated, Southwestern and Skate Moore offer families and friends a safe place to whirl and race around the rink. Your next game of crack the whip awaits a snack bar, a full selection of high-quality skates and wheels, and bumper skating at Southwestern Skate Center. The Skate Moore location also includes a snack bar with popular fare (pizza, candy, beverages), a Pro Shop, and a well-groomed black-lit glow floor. Both locations house fun for kids, parties, and families alike.

Packed to the rafters with a variety of needles, pattern books, and standard and specialty yarns, L & B Yarn Co. outfits all manner of crocheting or purling endeavors. Sort through the substantial stock of skeins, hanks, and balls sorted by color and displayed in a spectrum of plush, creative potential to find a specimen to bat around in feline-channeling glee ($3.50–$62 per ball). Patterns ($3.50+) help needle-clickers master tricky techniques, and they guide thread-wielders through the 11 steps necessary to craft a formal cable-knit unitard. Tame unruly threads into purring stitch lines with an assortment of needles that give hands the agility of a professional soap juggler ($8–$15). Today’s Groupon can also be used toward the cost of a fun and friendly class ($21 for beginner level), helmed by instructors so skilled that they can craft circle washcloths while other people sleep.