Story by Sally Finnegan
For both Stillwater Public Schools and Oklahoma State University, Spring Break begins March 16 and ends March 25.
When considering activities and opportunities for entertainment and fun in Stillwater, there are some classic spots and hidden treasures.
Every Friday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Stilly Arts, located just south of downtown on Main St., hosts an Open Studio night where kids and families can come and create. Stations including painting, henna tattoos, chalk, and play dough, even a bounce house is available for play. The studio fee is $7 for children 2 and over, and free for Stilly Arts art and drama students. For more information concerning Friday, March 16 or 23, go to the Stilly Arts Open Studio on Facebook.
On Saturday, March 17, the Land Run 100 begins in the morning. Though it is too late to register for the bike race, volunteers are still needed in order to make this event happen. Consider joining the community in supporting bike riders and runners. Get an early start to St. Patrick’s in the morning at the bike race, spend the day at one of Sanborn Lake’s walking trails or strolling through the OSU Botanic Garden, and finish the holiday off at Finnegan’s that night.
Supporting live, local music is a great way to experience the unique opportunities our Oklahoma town has to offer.
In the evening of the 17th, Willie’s Saloon will host Jack Waters and the Unemployed beginning at 8pm for those 21 and up; no cover charge.
Other live music opportunities will be at Eskimo Joe’s acoustic night on Wednesday, March 21 and College Bar Thursday, March 22.
Cowgirl Tennis will have a match against West Virginia at noon on Sunday, March 18 at the Michael and Anne Greenwood Tennis Center located on the corner of Washington and McElroy.
Coffee and Cars will be at Buffalo Wild Wings beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 24. This car meet is a casual gathering for anyone that has a passion for the automotive industry and is a completely free event.
Homemade jams, fresh fruit, and vegetables, and other homegrown goods are sold every Saturday at Stillwater’s Farmer’s Market. Saturday, March 24 the market will be open 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Stillwater Center for the Arts.
After the market, take a day to see Stillwater’s history of alcohol culture at the Stillwater History Museum’s “How dry was it?”, a free exhibit about prohibition. Then swing by Iron Monk for a tour of their taproom at either 2 p.m. or 4 p.m. The taproom tours are $15 per person for samplings of raw ingredients, a free glass and free samples of four different beers of choice.
Other activities to consider for a fun Spring Break Stay-cation:
“Impressionist to Modernist: Milestones in Early Photography” at the OSU Museum of Art open daily 11-4 from now until April 7, 2018
Other art exhibits at the Modella Gallery in downtown Stillwater and the Gardiner Gallery on the OSU campus.
Go bowling at Frontier Lanes or roller skating at the Roller Dome.
Explore Stillwater’s parks and lakes including: Boomer Lake, Sanborn Lake, and Lake McMurtry. All three offer walking and biking trails. Boomer and McMurtry also offer other opportunities for fun outdoor activities like disc golf and kayaking. While you are at Lake McMurtry see if you can find the Sweetheart Tree.
For other outdoor fun, consider renting a cabin at Lake Carl Blackwell for a night or a whole weekend; cabins can be rented for 4-6 people. Call the office at 405-372-5157 for reservations or more information.
