OKC-area events, news: Rock the Route festival, World Lion Day, Liberal Arts open house and more

Staff reports
·4 min read

Rock the Route festival is coming to Yukon

YUKON — The Rock the Route festival is a celebration of the "Mother Road," Route 66, and will have music, food trucks, free and “pay to play” family-friendly activities, and a free concert featuring Muscadine Bloodline with special guest Jack Ingram from 6 to 11 p.m. Sept. 1 on Main Street between Fourth and Fifth streets.

Some of the activities include a craft tent, yard games, a music wall, Okie gellyball and a Rock the Route photo booth. Pay to play options include a mechanical bull, rock climbing wall, cliff climb slide, and face painters. Food trucks will be parked nearby and several Main Street businesses will stay open later than usual.

Parking can be found in the surrounding area. There will be a free shuttle, to event-goers only, from 6 to 9 p.m. from Dickenson Park, at First and Poplar.

For more information, call 405-354-1895 or go to www.yukonok.gov.

Science Museum Oklahoma to host adults-only night

Science Museum Oklahoma's adults-only night, SMO21, is an after-hours program for those over the age of 21 to explore and learn without children from 7 to 10 p.m. Aug. 26.

SMO21's theme will be "Mission Control." Guests will explore the wonders of space exploration, how to launch a rocket, view space flight artifacts, build your own astronaut gear, exploring zero-gravity, and testing your planetary knowledge with a shocking twist.

Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 the day of the event. There will be a cash bar, and the museum’s cafe will be open.

To purchase tickets, go to http://www.smo.org/smo21 or call 405-602-3760.

OCCC to host free workshop for potential business owners

Oklahoma City Community College is partnering with SCORE Oklahoma City to offer a no-cost workshop series called “Simple Steps for Starting Your Business,” from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at OCCC’s Keith Leftwich Library, 7777 S May Ave.

Each session is designed to help a person decide whether he or she is ready to take the next step toward becoming an entrepreneur. The trainings will cover key business, legal and financial considerations, plus business plan basics and much more. Registration is required.

Simple Steps for Starting Your Business” includes the following sessions:

  • Business Basics, Aug. 25

  • Business Concepts, Sept. 1

  • Marketing, Sept. 8

  • Financial Matters, Sept. 15

  • The Business Plan, Sept. 22

  • Hiring, Sept. 29

For more information or to register, go to https://oklahomacity.score.org/content/take-workshop-18.

UCO College of Liberal Arts plans open house

EDMOND — The University of Central Oklahoma College of Liberal Arts will host its annual open house from noon to 2 p.m. Aug. 25, in the Liberal Arts building, 100 N University Drive.

The open house will provide an opportunity for prospective and current students to meet liberal arts faculty and staff and learn more about degree programs. The event is free and open to the public.

The UCO College of Liberal Arts includes a diverse range of studies, including criminal justice; English; history and geography; humanities and philosophy; mass communication; modern languages, literature and cultural studies; political science; sociology; gerontology; and, substance abuse studies.

For more information, go to www.uco.edu/cla

City of Norman golf tournament supports United Way

NORMAN — An 18-hole scramble with four-person teams will check in at 11 a.m. Oct. 2 at the Westwood Golf Course, 2400 Westport Drive, in support of the United Way of Norman.

A raffle and silent auction will be available, as well as contests for the longest drive, closest to the pin and hole-in-one on select par 3's.

The cost to participate is $100 per person which includes green fees, cart, range ball token, T-shirt, swag bag, lunch, and entry in the chipping contest.

For more information or to sign up, call BJ Brewer at 405-329-4200 or go to www.unitedwaynorman.org/citygolftournament

OKC Zoo celebrated World Lion Day with exciting news

The Oklahoma City Zoo is roaring with excitement this World Lion Day, that celebrates the majestic African lion, with the announcement that its African lioness, Dunia, is pregnant.

After nearly 15 years since the lion family has grown, Dunia, age 6, is pregnant and due to give birth in September. This will be the first offspring born to Dunia and Hubert, OKC Zoo's male African lion.

The Zoo’s Lion Overlook habitat is home to its lion pride, including Hubert, Dunia and her sister, Moto. Dunia and Moto, arrived at the zoo in 2018. Guests can learn more about the zoo’s big cats during the carnivore caretaker chat held at Lion Overlook 10 a.m. daily.

The Oklahoma City Zoo is in its summer hours and open daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. with the last entry no later than 2 p.m. through Wednesday, Aug. 31.

For more information about zoo happenings, call 405-424-3344 or go to okczoo.org.

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