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Jun 7, 201201:05 PMEditor's Blog

Tulsa Tough & More Stuff

I have so much to tell you. Just thinking about everything going on starting TONIGHT makes my keyboarding fingers sore. On my Time for TulsaKids segment on Good Day Tulsa this morning, I couldn't decide what to talk about. The thing is, summer in Tulsa has begun, so all the (mostly free), family-friendly activities have begun. So, on top of the usual great stuff like Gilcrease's kids' programming every Thurs. and Fri. we have events and activities that are unique to summer.

Before we get started on the STUFF, did you see that Tulsa is in the top 10 cities for Spoiled Children? What's that about? According to Bundle.com, Tulsa parents rank number 5 in the amount of money they spend on their kids. The cities, in order, are: New York; Brooklyn, NY; Miami, FL; Minneapolis, MN; Tulsa, OK; Dallas, TX; Atlanta, GA; Los Angeles, CA; San Diego, CA; Ft. Worth, TX. So what do you all think of that? I don't think my kids would agree. My 25-year-old son is still mad that he never got a little motorized car when he was a toddler. He also wanted an Easy Bake oven so he could make brownies in his own room. Didn't get that, either.

I'm sure there are plenty of places to spend money on your kids, but here are some great ideas that are either free or low-cost that are going on this weekend. One thing that you missed, but that you can hit next Thurs. morning is the Reading Roadshow storytime at 10 a.m. at QuikTrip Plaza, 41st & Riverside. Take the kids and a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy the stories.

Tonight at the Helmerich Library, you can get tropical with Something Steel: Drums of Summer. Grab the kids, a blanket and some snacks and listen to music from the islands from 6:30 -7:30 p.m.

Or there's more music, if you prefer old-time rock 'n' roll. The Midlife Crisis Band is playing at Utica Square's 5th night tonight at 7 p.m. Get there early for outdoor dining, or take some lawn chairs, drinks and food to sit back and enjoy the show.

I think it's important to support our local talent. You can go see six short plays written by local teens beginning tonight at 7:30 at Henthorne Park. The plays are also Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

For those of you in Broken Arrow, the free movie in Central Park tonight is "Cars." The show starts at 9 p.m., and you can catch a free movie every Thurs. night.

If you haven't seen the musical "Annie," or if you want to see it again, take the family downtown to the BOK Center this weekend, or next weekend on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

For the second year, the Tulsa Convention Center is hosting OK PLAY! on Saturday. Admission is free. They'll have inflatables (free), entertainment, vendors with kids' products and services, food and more! The fun starts at 9 a.m. and goes all day.

Most of you know that the Tulsa Tough is this weekend -- you may have seen the groups of bikers spinning around town. Races start on Friday evening and continue through the weekend. You can watch at the Blue Dome District on Friday. On Sunday, there's a Townie Ride for families, which is FREE, starting at 2 p.m. at 15th & Riverside. Even though it's free, you still need to register. Go here: http://www.tulsatough.com/tulsa-townie/

Finally, here's an interesting event next Tues., June 12. It's so strange, that I feel compelled to go watch. They're going to do a "running of the bulls, similar to the one made famous by Pamplona, Spain" in the Brady District. But, rather than using bulls, the Green Country Roller Girls, donning bull horns and soft, toy bats, will join Tulsa Drillers' Hornsby in a run through the neighborhood before and after the Drillers game. I'm not kidding. Event organizers are encouraging participants to dress in the traditional white outfits with red sashes, and let the roller girls chase them down Brady Avenue. Really, I'm not kidding. Quoting from the press release, "Organized by TulsaNow and sponsored by the Tulsa Drillers, Green Country Roller Girls and Ozone Alert, the event is the first of its kind in Tulsa, and organizers hope to add a sancitioned 5k and fun run in future years." Tues. is $2 Tuesday with the Drillers, so tickets are only two bucks. For more about the bull run, go to http://www.tulsabullrun.com