As Oklahoma turns 100, we should celebrate all things Okie! I’ve compiled a list of activities to celebrate our proud Okie heritage. Many Centennial events are still in the early planning stages, so mark your calendars and check websites for details as plans are finalized.

1. The Oklahoma Centennial Parade, Sunday, October 14, 2007, in Downtown Oklahoma City, is not to be missed. Organizers say this will be the largest parade in Oklahoma history. It will feature giant helium balloons, celebrities on floats, and marching bands. Volunteers are needed to help with the fun—register and find parade details at www.OKCentennialParade.com.

2. Another spectacular event will be the Guthrie Statehood Day Parade, November 16, 2007. Starting at the Scottish Rite Temple and following the route of the 1907 Guthrie parade to celebrate statehood, it will end at Mineral Wells Park. The theme of the parade is Statehood 1906-1907, so float designs and costumes will reflect that period. The parade is still being planned; check www.GuthrieCentennial.com for updates.

3. Many Oklahoma students have participated in land run reenactments. This year, see a reenactment of this most important event that created our state during the annual 89er Wagon Train and Land Run Celebration, April 14-21. Covered wagons, buggies and riders on horseback will ride through the state to commemorate the opening of the Unassigned Lands. Details of the event are still being determined, so check www.Norman89.com nearer the date for specifics.

4. April 19-21, Choctaw will host its 4th Annual Choctaw Land Run Festival at Choctaw Creek Park. Historical re-enactors and local performers will depict the 1889 land run. Watch www.ChoctawCity.org for more information.

5. Fifty years ago, as part of Oklahoma’s 50th birthday celebration, the citizens of Tulsa buried a 1957 Plymouth Belvedere Sport Coupe in a time capsule. This year, on June 15, at 6th Street and Denver Avenue, the car will be unearthed and opened to celebrate the Centennial. The car was buried in front of the Tulsa county courthouse, and the glove compartment and the trunk were filled with items Tulsans felt represented their lifestyle. I can’t wait to see what is in the lady’s purse! Find details and a video about the burying of the car at www.BuriedCar.com.

6. If you haven’t visited the new Oklahoma History Center, you are missing a treat. You probably can’t see it all in one day, so pick a couple of Saturdays or Sundays and take your time. The Center is divided into four permanent exhibit spaces, an area for special exhibits, a research center, gift shop, and the Winnie Mae Café. Don’t miss exhibits with items from one family’s covered wagon and the Pawnee Bill Wild West Show memorabilia. The Center is open Monday-Saturday 9am-5pm and Sunday 12-5pm. Admission is $5 for adults and $4 for seniors, students, and children under 5. Visit the Center’s web site at www.OKHistoryCenter.org for more information.

7. Plan to visit the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton where visitors learn about transportation, lodging, restaurants, garages, and curio shops along the Mother Road. The museum is open Monday-Saturday, 9am-5pm and Sunday, 1-5pm. Admission is $3 for adults and $1 for children 6-18. Learn more at www.Route66.org.

8. Celebrate the Centennial by playing Oklahoma Rising on your trips exploring Oklahoma. This two-disc set features Oklahoma legends like Woody Guthrie and Gene Autry as well as current Okie favorites like Vince Gill and The Flaming Lips. Pick one up at area 7-Eleven stores. Proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity in Oklahoma.

9. This summer, the theme of the Oklahoma library’s Summer Reading Program will be Oklahoma Kids: A Kaleidoscope. The program will focus on stories about famous Oklahomans as children and children’s lives through the state’s history. Visit you local library or www.odl.state.ok.us/Summer for more information.

Adults may participate in the Oklahoma Reads Oklahoma project by reading and discussion Rilla Askew’s Fire in Beulah. The author will tour the state to talk about the book during 2007. Visit www.OKReadsOK.org for a complete schedule.

10. As summer approaches, Oklahoma rodeos will abound. Almost every town will host one, but be sure to check out the Pawnee Bill Memorial Rodeo in Pawnee, August 9-11. This event won the Ford Rodeo Series for the last four years and is well worth the short trip. Pawnee also hosts a cattle drive, a western art show, and a cowboy dance. Visit www.CityOfPawnee.com for complete information. If you can’t make this rodeo, check www.TravelOK.com, keyword rodeo, for a complete listing of rodeos across the state.

For more family fun, visit the official Oklahoma Centennial, visit www.OklahomaCentennial.com. Here, you’ll find all official Centennial projects including art instillations, historical restorations, living history projects, and special exhibits.

Pam Washington is the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Central Oklahoma. She and her husband Mike have been married for six years and have traveled Oklahoma with their blended family of five children.