Weekly Events Calendar: June 9-15, 2025

Each week, Oklahoma Today staffers comb through their calendars to find a handful of great events happening across the state. Get out! See Oklahoma! And be sure to let us know what you find, either here or on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @oklahomatoday.

It’s not official or anything, but Grand Lake is certainly one of several capitals of summer fun in Oklahoma. And it’s also not like you could not have enjoyed lake life at any point before this, but the ceremonial start to the days of warm recreation on the water is this week during the Toes in the Grand Summer Kickoff Festival. Art, food trucks, a car show, hydro-boat races, a full carnival, and live music will christen the arrival of summer at Wolf Creek Park in Grove. And, we presume, there will be ample opportunities to get one’s feet wet in the cool, refreshing lake waters.
June 12-15. Admission, free.
business.grove.org

Toes in the Grand Summer Kickoff Festival begins a busy season of summer fun at Wolf Creek Park in Grove. Photo courtesy Toes in the Grand Festival

It used to be the only time someone asked you if you’ve seen severance was after your boss gave you the pink slip. Now it’s a whole show you have to keep up with. But long, long ago, before prestige TV, someone around these parts might be more likely to ask if you’ve seen a recent Pawnee Bill show. One of many Wild West spectaculars that dazzled audiences with roping, riding, songs, and more, Pawnee Bill’s Wild West Show returns to the Pawnee Bill Ranch where it reigned in its heyday in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. For what the show might like in cinematography and confounding subplots, it more than makes up for with in-the-flesh cowpoke showmanship and gunfire.
June 14. Tickets, $5-$10.
okhistory.org

Roping and riding tricks will dazzle just as they did at the turn of the twentieth century during Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show in Pawnee. Photo courtesy Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum

I scream, you scream, we all scream. Therapy helps with this, but ice cream has got to be a close second. Few people realize this more than the folks in Chandler, which is probably why they invented the Chandler Ice Cream Festival, held this Saturday at Tilghman Park. Sure, the fact that there is a Highland Dairy plant there probably has something to do with it too, but whatever is the justification for free ice cream, carnival rides, and live music in one place, we’re for it. If you think the best ice cream is made by you or your family at home, enter the homemade ice cream to see how yours stacks up against the competition.
June 14. Admission, free.
chandlerareachamberok.com

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to noodle, and he might just become a winner at the annual Okie Noodling Tournament, which returns to Pauls Valley this Saturday. As most longtime Oklahomans are aware, noodling is the art of fishing large catfish out of lake and riverbeds using only your own arm. You can try your own hand at noodling (literally) and enter the contest, of you can simply grab a lawnchair and attend the weigh-in at Wacker Park, which will also be home to food, vendors, and plenty of carnival-style entertainment.
June 14. Registration, $45. Admission, free.
okienoodling.com

Adventurous noodlers will wrestle monster-sized catfish out of the water to vie for supremacy at the Okie Noodling Tournament in Pauls Valley. Photo courtesy Okie Noodling

A lot of people’s car-related Dad memories involve him angrily saying something like “Don’t make me turn this thing around!” But don’t forget, cars can also be a source of joy for many dads, men, and all sorts of people. So what better way to celebrate Father’s Day than with a visit to the Gears & Grub: Father’s Day Car Meet at Parlor OKC? Check out classic, foreign, and muscle cars stunting out in the parking lot, then head inside for a lunch in the food court where everyone can get the exact meal they want. Should make for a happy ride home.
June 15. Admission, free.
parlorokc.com

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.