OKC-area events, news: Fall fun at the farm; genealogy; Tinkerfest; and more

Staff reports
·4 min read

Photo contest winners announced

SHAWNEE — Four images by local photographers have been selected as the winners in Visit Shawnee's 2022 Find Your Adventure photo contest.

The winners of the photo contest are:

Great Outdoors — Lexi Dixon's photograph was taken at Shawnee's Twin Lakes Reservoir.

Indoor Fun — Lacey Holt's photo is of Cambria, one of the first children to play at Laynie's Treehouse indoor playground at Shawnee Mall.

Festivals and Events — Amy Jenkins' photo was taken at the Firelake's Fireflight Balloon Festival in Shawnee.

People Enjoying Shawnee — Thomas Hibben's photograph of his daughter, June Bell, enjoying Shawnee's Best Snowcones.

For more news and events in Shawnee, go to https://www.visitshawnee.com/.

Fall fun at the farm events

YUKON — The Mollie Spencer Farm, 1001 Garth Brooks Blvd., has a full schedule of events for the 2022 fall season.

  • Monarch Festival, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24. The festival will feature coffee and conversation, monarch-related crafts for kids, a seed bomb-making station and demonstrations in the Mollie Spencer Farm pollinator garden.

  • Nature Walk: Native trees, 9 to 10:30 a.m. Oct. 8. Brian Dougherty, licensed landscape architect, will lead the walk and answer questions about native trees found on the farm.

  • Chisholm Trail Festival, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 15. The festival will have living history re-enactors of the Old West, Civil War demonstrations, food vendors, craft booths, pie eating contest, pumpkin patch, the Kids Korral, train and pony rides, and a petting zoo.

  • Fall Plant Swap, 10 a.m. Oct. 22. Canadian County Master Gardeners Annual Fall Plant Swap. For every plant you bring, you will receive a ticket to swap for a new-to-you plant.

  • Bird Walk for Beginners, 8 to 10 a.m. Nov. 5. Expert birders from the Oklahoma City Audubon Society will lead a guided walk and will discuss the basics of birding, including how to listen for bird calls and properly use binoculars.

The Mollie Spencer Farm is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the health, well being and humane treatment of animals, while also providing a refuge for a few farm animals and naturally occurring wildlife.

For more information, call 405-767-3702.

Genealogy group to host Walt Stoyanoski

The Oklahoma Home and Community Education Genealogy Group will host Walt Stoyanoski as he presents “The Calendars” 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21, at the Oklahoma County Extension Office, 2500 NE 63. The public is invited.

Learn how the day you were born can suddenly change or how about 11 days just vanishing off the calendar. Stoyanoski will discuss the old style and new style calendars, their history and how that history affects the dates we use for past events.

For more information, go to http://www.ohcegenealogy.com/.

Science Museum Oklahoma's Tinkerfest

A car will be completely disassembled, music will be made, butter will be churned, locks will be picked and much more during Science Museum Oklahoma’s Tinkerfest 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, at 2020 Remington Place.

Tinkerfest will include more than 50 special activities presented by over 40 guest tinkerers including representatives from Carter Chevrolet, Francis Tuttle Technology Center, Museum of Osteology, Oklahoma History Center and many more.

Admission to the museum and all Tinkerfest activities are free to the public. Advance registration is not required. For more information about Science Museum Oklahoma’s Tinkerfest, go to www.sciencemuseumok.org/tinkerfest.

Internet food safety myths workshop

The Oklahoma County OSU Extension and Oklahoma Home and Community Education (OHCE) group is conducting a free workshop on “Internet Food Safety Myths” 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, at the OSU Extension Conference Center, 2500 NE 63.

The internet is a common place to see food handling techniques, but not all information is accurate. These incorrect techniques have the potential to make you and your family very ill, or worse.

Kelsey Ratcliff, OSU Extension Family and Consumer Sciences area specialist in health disparities will be presenting the workshop to take a closer look at the inaccurate food handling techniques found on the internet.

For more information, call 405-713-1125

Oklahoma City parks Fall Family Film Series

Oklahoma City Parks & Recreation launches its Fall Family Film Series. At 6:30 p.m. every Friday, a different park will feature games and activities until sunset when an outdoor movie begins. Bring your lawn chair or blanket. Admission is free, and popcorn will be provided on a first come, first served basis.

The film series schedule is:

  • Wednesday, Sept. 21 — "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (PG), Hefner Park, 3301 NW Grand Blvd.

  • Sept. 30 — "School of Rock" (PG-13), Bicentennial Park, 500 Couch Drive.

  • Oct. 7 — "Spider-Man: No Way Home" (PG-13), Schilling Park, 539 SE 25.

  • Oct. 14 — "The Princess and the Frog" (G), Taylor Park, 1115 SW 70.

For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/OKCParks.

To be considered for this column, please email news and events with photos to DLindauer@Oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma City metro-area happenings: News and events