Exploring Oklahoma & Beyond 48. Say hello to summer at the annual Sunfest in Bartlesville. The outdoor festival May 31-June 2 features a car show, live entertainment, food, activities for kids and more. 49. Encounter penguins, rhinos, giraffes, otters, lorikeets, monkeys and much more at Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Wichita, Kan. Just 2.5 hours from the metro, the park offers unique opportunities to get up close and personal with exotic and endangered animals to learn how humans can impact conservation. Find out how you could win a “Best Day Bundle” to visit the park as part of MetroFamily’s Ultimate Summer Fun Contest on page 6! 50. Go horseback riding with Sequoyah Riding Stables through the variety of wooded and open trails in Sequoyah State Park in Hulburt. 51. Cool off with a cold treat at the free Chandler Ice Cream Festival on June 8. Held in honor of the Hiland Dairy plant, enjoy free ice cream, carnival rides, live music and more. 52. There’s been an invasion at the Tulsa Zoo – an invasion of giant animatronic bugs! The Bugs exhibit, open through Sept. 2, invites visitors to experience the world from a bug’s perspective. 53. While in Tulsa, experience the powerful story and legacy of Black Wall Street in Tulsa’s Historic Greenwood District with stops at Greenwood Rising, the Greenwood Cultural Center and John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park.
43. Make a charcuterie-board style meal with healthy summertime inspiration from Shape Your Future Oklahoma. Check out recipes on page 38. 44. Help your kids become OKC famous when you enter them in MetroFamily’s annual Cover Kids Search! Beginning July 17, kids ages 4-12 can enter for a chance to appear on a MetroFamily cover in 2025. Enter at metrofamilymagazine. com/coverkidssearch. 45. Walk through a giant ear into the unexpected, imaginative, immersive world of Mix-Tape at Factory Obscura, where the art on display is touchable and all around you.
54. Hop aboard the Heartland Flyer for a unique trip to Fort Worth, Texas. Get a full itinerary for a weekend of fun on page 58. 55. Head to Shawnee to experience the new KidSpace Park, which features unique play spaces including giant outdoor checkers, a ninja obstacle course and a 40-yard dash track. Plan your trip at metrofamilymagazine.com/ shawnee-oklahoma. 56. Check out the newly updated Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum in Seminole. Renovated outdoor spaces include a Children’s Garden complete with a fairy garden, farm animals and a pretend farmers market. 57. Dig for selenite crystals at the Great Salt Plains near Jet, the only place you can do so in the world! Get tips for your trip at metrofamilymagazine.com/ digging-great-salt-plains. 58. Rent a dune buggy or ATV to scale the 1,600 acres of sand dunes in Little Sahara State Park near Waynoka. 59. Cool off by visiting a cave or go wild on a spelunking adventure. Find our faves at metrofamilymagazine.com/ caves-to-explore. 60. Head to Arcadia to see the Round Barn and enjoy a meal at Pops. 61. Sleep in a yurt at Natural Falls State Park near the Oklahoma-Arkansas border. 62. Swim and rent canoes or paddle boats on Lake Altus, hike trails, fish, visit the amusement park and check out the newly renovated lodge at Quartz Mountain State Park in southwest Oklahoma. Find a full itinerary for a weekend getaway at metrofamilymagazine.com/ quartz-mountain-state-park.
PHOTO BY ALLIE SHINN
46. Plan some #okcfamilyfun with your pup! Check out our favorite dog parks in OKC at metrofamilymagazine.com/dog- parks-in-the-metro. 47. Cap off your summer of fun at the Fireflight Balloon Fest in Shawnee on Aug. 9-10 with balloon launches, a kids’ zone, splash pad and the magical evening balloon glow.
METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / MAY-JUNE 2024 45
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