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 the things we had done on the show in 2025. If you couldn't make it, you missed a great party, but you can at least enjoy the event virtually on YouTube. Keep an eye out for the Faux-kies—awards that aren't quite official but are a lot of fun!

As the new year approaches, many are thinking about curbing all the holiday excess and starting 2026 off on the right foot. Well, the best way to do just that is with a visit to an Oklahoma State Park for a traditional First Day Hike. Dozens of state parks will be participating—Roman Nose, Great Plains, Lake Murray, and more! Oklahoma State Parks head naturalist Torie Thompson tells us where to go to start the year with activity in nature.Also on this week's show, the editors discuss their New Year's resolutions for 2026, and podvents tells us about Bingo with a twist. You won't want to miss it!

Oklahoma cities and towns large and small go all out for Christmas, and Chickasha takes special pride in its own holiday celebration. This week on the Oklahoma Today Podcast, Ben ventures out to the Chickasha Festival of Light to see one of the top light displays in the nation. More than three-and-a-half million twinkling lights dazzle drive- and walk-through spectators in this winter carnival atmosphere throughout Shannon Springs Park. We meet with Festival of Light coordinator Matthew Stockman to learn all about this winter wonderland.Also on this week's episode, the editors discuss the most memorable gifts they recall receiving, and podvents lets us know where to bring your Wranglers this holiday. You won't want to miss it!

This week we're honored to have the one and only Cowboy Kent Rollins, the famed chuckwagon chef, author of Amazon bestselling cookbook A Taste of Cowboy, and the larger-than-life personality behind one of the most beloved food channels on YouTube, as well as the Food Network and Outdoor Channel. Known for cooking over open fires, telling unforgettable stories, and keeping cowboy traditions alive, Kent has built a massive following by blending practical cooking, humor, and heart. We talk about his journey from southwest Oklahoma to national fame, what tips he has for new outdoor cooks, and why it's OK for cowboys to love sushi too.Also on this week's episode, the editors share which gifts are perfect for any Okie, and podvents makes a suggestion for where Hallmark should film their next Christmas movie. You won't want to miss it!

Mary Eddy's Italian Grill in downtown Oklahoma City has long been known for exquisite dining, but have you ever sampled their brunch menu? If not, there has never been a better time to try, because the eatery located inside the Fordson Hotel is unveiling several seasonal creations to accompany their already stellar lineup of indulgent morning fare. Mary Eddy's executive chef Ryan Kolk joins Ben from inside the restaurant to talk about their 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday brunch offerings.Also. on this week's show, the editors discuss their favorite baked goods in the state, and podvents lets us know what happens when Christmas lights get . . . creepy. You won't want to miss it!

Oklahoma is now heading full throttle into the holiday season, and for many in the state that means it's time for the famous holiday jingle from B.C. Clark Jewelers to ring on the radio, TV, and just about everywhere else—including endlessly inside our own heads. Many are familiar with the song, which became a quick hit for the iconic Oklahoma City family jeweler when it debuted in the 1950s. But why, exactly, did this particular jingle go down in history? Where did it succeed where others did not? Is there something going on musically that has helped etch it into the Oklahoma holiday canon? On this week's show we're joined by Mitchell Clark, president of B.C. Clark Jewelers and great-grandson of B.C. Clark himself, and Patrick Conlon, associate director of the Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma in Oklahoma City. Together, we will attempt to get to the bottom of what has made the jingle an endearing holiday hit on par with any other classic Christmas song. Also on this week's show, the editors share what signals the start of the holiday season in their eyes, and podvents lets us know where to go to get our chocolate fix. You won't want to miss it!

Welcome back, dear followers of the Oklahoma Today Podcast! Happy Thanksgiving Week for those watching on the week this episode debuts. We like to think of Oklahoma Today as a family, so for this special holiday episode we are giving you a tour of our "home" at the Oklahoma State Tourism and Recreation Department offices in downtown Oklahoma City. See all the familiar and behind-the-scenes faces behind the magazine and get a sense of our day-to-day activities while the staff shares what they're thankful for. Also on this week's show, the editors share their favorite non-traditional Thanksgiving side dishes, and in podvents life . . . finds a way. You won't want to miss it!

Experience the thrill of A Christmas Carol without all the paranormal encounters with a visit to Dickens on the Boulevard, November 22-23 in downtown Claremore. Charles Dickens penned the holiday classic in 1843, years before the modern town of Claremore was even founded. That doesn't stop the downtown from transforming into a wintertime Victorian wonderland for a celebration that will includes street dancing, nineteenth century wardrobe and food, historic tours, carriage rides, and more. Ben investigates this unique Oklahoma tradition this week on the show.Also on this episode, the editors discuss their personal favorite literary classics, and podvents includes an event that rocks in more way than one. You won't want to miss it!

Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve near Bartlesville is an Oklahoma institution. Once the private ranch and retreat of legendary oilman Frank Phillips, the 3,700-acre property now houses a world-class museum of Western and international art with a wild-life preserve including bison, elk, ostriches, and more. This year marks 100 years since the ranch's founding, and Woolaroc is celebrating with an amazing art exhibition and sale featuring some of the world's most high-profile contemporary artists, including Thomas Blackshear II, Bob Kuhn, William Alther, Mian Situ, William Acheff, and many more. Frank Phillips Foundation CEO and Woolaroc operating officer Kevin Hoch joins the show this week to talk about the incredible exhibition on display through December 31. Also on this week's episode, the editors ponder how they'd celebrate their hundredth birthdays, and podvents points us to one of the biggest Veterans Day parades in the state. You won't want to miss it!

We needed to give our inaugural Okie Awards winners something special to take home, and we think Yukon Trophy & Awards did the trick! On this week's episode of the Oklahoma Today Podcast we visit with Bea Johnson, who leads the business which has been family owned and operated since 1971. Yukon Trophy & Awards has gone from a garage business to a trophy maker that has touched the lives of thousands in its history, we get an inside look at this local treasure. Also on this week's show, WE'VE GOT AN ALL-NEW SET! See it for yourself on video on the Oklahoma Today Magazine YouTube channel. The editors also share some of their own personal favorite keepsakes. Plus podvents gives us the best place to find baklava this week. You won't want to miss it!

Congratulations to the Curbside Enterprises organization in Oklahoma City for winning our inaugural Clayton I. Bennett Oklahoma Standard Award! They are one of many Okie Awards winners listed in Oklahoma Today's new November-December issue. Curbside Enterprises includes the Curbside Chronicle publication (you might see their vendors in green vests at various OKC intersections), the Curbside Flowers floral shop, and other initiatives that provide vocational support for people experiencing homelessness. On this episode of the Oklahoma Today Podcast, we speak with Ranya Forgotson, chief programs officer for the Homeless Alliance, and Nathan Poppe, the Curbside Chronicle's editor-in-chief. Also on this week's episode, the editors observe Halloween week by sharing the things that truly scare them. Plus, podvents tells us where to hear the most iconic spooky season song of all. You won't want to miss it!

OKC Thunder fans might still be coming down from all the popped champagne after the team's NBA championship win in June, but a new season of basketball is already upon us! For part two of our Thunder preview spectacular, we ventured out to Thunder Media Day to talk with reigning NBA and Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander alongside teammates Luguentz Dort and Aaron Wiggins. The three players can be found featured on Oklahoma Today's new November-December magazine cover. The Thunder are arguably the most fashionable team in basketball, so while they were with us it felt right to have them break down the fashion of some other well-dressed Okies . . . and some of their fellow teammates.   Also on this week's episode, the editors share their own Oklahoma fashion icons, and podvents breaks down Oklahoma sorghum facts. You won't want to miss it!

You may or may not know the name Thundor, but if you have seen any Oklahoma City Thunder game on national television you have certainly seen him. He's the big shirtless guy in a luchador mask trying his hardest to get the opposing team to take their mind of their free throws and onto the man with the megaphone. Thundor (a.k.a. Garrett Haviland) is a celebrity in his own right, but how did he come to be the Thunder's most iconic fan? What was his reaction to the team's landmark championship win? And what does he say into that megaphone anyway? We'll get all our questions answered in the first part of our two part Thunder basketball special, plus maybe we will convince Alex Caruso to finally give Thundor his kegger.Also on this week's episode, the editors discuss which Oklahoma brands they are a superfan for, and podvents introduces us to a pumpkin patch that doubles as an excellent tongue twister. You won't want to miss it!

Tulsa-based, Emmy-winning puppeteer David Bizzaro has impressive show credits that include Sesame Street, The Muppets, Waffles + Mochi, and much more. And now, you have the chance to learn from a master! David is our featured guest on this week's Oklahoma Today Podcast. He talks all about his unique career and how you can sign up for one of his in-person classes, where you too can learn the secrets behind this captivating art form. Also on this week's episode, the editors share which creative skill they'd like to learn, and podvents announces the annual opening of one of Oklahoma's favorite corn mazes. You won't want to miss it!

What is fringe theater? A better question might be what isn't it. The annual Theatre Crude festival is returning to Oklahoma City this week, bringing dozens of small-scale, non-traditional productions to the community. Want to hear from a misanthropic goldfish? Or maybe a MacBeth musical with lightsabers is more your speed. Theatre Crude co-founder Jenny Brand joins the podcast from The 4801, one of the festival's three venues, to talk about what fans can expect. Also on this week's episode, the editors discuss what they're looking forward to this Oklahoma fall, and podvents takes a moment to pay tribute to our "deer" friends. You won't want to miss it!

Journalism has never seen anything like it. There are tough interviews to get and then there are interviews that are darn near impossible. Today host Ben Luschen did something no one has ever done before: interview the elusive raccoon—and not just one of them either. Scout and Little Bit are the names of the raccoon animal ambassadors at the Bernice Nature Center in the Bernice Area of Grand Lake State Park, and they agreed to go on the record for the first time from their spacious enclosure under the condition of copious provided snacks. Though Ben was able to get some good answers out of them, Scout and Little Bit aren't much for jabbering, so luckily nature center manager Amanda Markey was on hand to fill in the blanks. Learn everything you could ever want to know about raccoons, and then some, in this week's interview.Also on this weeks show, the editors share what question they'd ask their own favorites animals, and podvents lets us know where NOT to take your cows this week. You won't want to miss it! 

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go to school in a one-room schoolhouse? Well our very own host Ben Luschen got a taste of life as a student in the pre-statehood nineteenth century. The Edmond Historical Society recently opened up Edmond's 1889 Territorial Schoolhouse to host a mock school day for adults. History, penmanship, recitation, and arithmetic are all on full display during this little piece of the past. Let's just hope Ben stays out of trouble . . . Also on this week's show, the editors take the time to reflect on the best invention since 1889, and podvents tells us what to do with our worries. You won't want to miss it! 

Once a real, functional firehouse in the city of Norman, the Firehouse Art Center is now a hub of the creative arts in its community. In addition to a variety of creative exhibitions, Firehouse offers classes and workshops in a wide range of mediums, including drawing, painting, sculpture, jewelry making, and all sorts of skills to turn the wheels of the mind. Andy Couch, executive director and curator for the art center, is our guest of the week. Also on this week's podcast, the editors discuss their favorite green spaces in Oklahoma, and podvents gives us the lowdown on this year's State Fair (hot chicken donut, anyone?) You won't want to miss it!

It's a bug's world, we're just living in it! The famous Cirque du Soleil organization returns to Oklahoma City's Paycom Center September 11-14. They are bringing their world renowned OVO show (Portuguese for egg) to the state, which takes inspiration from insects—showing off high flying acrobatics, incredible contortion, and the heartwarming tale of a ladybug in love. Show publicist Janie Mallet joins the show this week to let local fans know what they're in for and to reflect on Cirque's recent performance in OKC for a performance during the NBA Finals. Also on this week's show, the editors reminisce on the most amazing performances they've seen in Oklahoma, and podvents lets us know what legendary outlaw Jesse James and Cement, OK, have in common. You won't want to miss it!

Spark OKC is a relatively new player in the crowded Oklahoma burger scene, yet it already feels like they've been around forever. The concept is a spur of The Social Order, the restaurant group that started as The Jones Assembly and has also umbrellaed to include local Dave's Hot Chicken and Fuzzy's Taco Stand locations. CEO Brian Bogert has been there from the beginning, and he sits down with editor-in-chief Nathan Gunter to catch us up on this exciting new brand, reminisce about his history in the restaurant world, and even talk about the time The Jones hosted a pre-superstardom Chappell Roan.Also on this week's episode, the editors give their elevator pitches for their own dream restaurant concepts, and podvents will help explain why there are so many lemonade stands in Tulsa this week. You won't want to miss it!