Oklahoma Today Show: July 13, 2026

With the Summer of Route 66 in full swing, Gathering Place in Tulsa is celebrating the centennial with a different kind of kicks. The Get Your Kicks shoe art competition pits more than twenty local area artists against each other to see who can create the most appealing work of art from a blank white tennis shoe. The results are quite impressive, and currently on display at Gathering Place's boathouse where viewers can vote on their favorite to win a prize for a lucky artist. The shoes will remain on display through July 18, when the large community park will hold its Route 66 Centennial Celebration. Cheryl Christensen, vice president of operations at Gathering Place, joins the Oklahoma Today Show this week to tell us about how the shoe art competition came together and what we have to look forward to at the park's Route 66 celebration this weekend.

Also on this week's show, the editors discuss the best places for families to check out during summer vacation, and podvents tells us about not one, but two Oklahoma peach festivals to visit this week. You won't want to miss it!

Catch up with back episodes of the Oklahoma Today Podcast here.

Written By

Ben Luschen

Luschen joined the *Oklahoma Today*’ staff as Research Editor in 2021 and currently works as the magazine's Web Editor, managing the website and social media fronts. His past *Oklahoma Today* stories have ranged in content from the state's bee and quail industries to its vibrant art and music scenes. Not adverse to a road trip, Luschen is always on the lookout for the next big adventure. He is never out of opinions about the current state of Oklahoma City Thunder basketball.