Know Your Neighbor: Broken Arrow

Betty Casey,
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Photos by Ian Upton

Learn about Tulsa suburb Broken Arrow, a vibrant community with a small-town feel.

Broken Arrow at a Glance

  • Named a Top 25 Best Places to Live in the Southwest by livability.com
  • Broken Arrow was settled by the Muscogee (Creek) tribe. The tribe was creating a new town, symbolized by breaking cane or branches used in making arrows, thus calling themselves Broken Arrows.
  • The 4th largest city in Oklahoma with 116,330 people (brokenarrowok.gov)
  • Median household income: $74,070 (BA Chamber of Commerce)
  • Broken Arrow has 31 public schools and programs, including early learning centers, Early College High School, Tulsa Tech, Vanguard Innovation Academy, opportunities for college credit in high school, and a Career Pathways opportunity. Northeastern State University has a Broken Arrow Campus.
  • Broken Arrow has many private school options for students in preschool through high school.

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Holidays in Broken Arrow

Broken Arrow knows how to celebrate the holidays. Festivities begin with The Rose District Kick-Off on Thursday, Nov. 16 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Merchants will open their doors for shoppers, serenaded by Grady Nichols and his band. Visitors can take a horse-drawn carriage ride, shop for unique gifts at the Craft Show at Central, watch the holiday lights come on, visit Santa, ice skate (rink opens Nov. 10) and enjoy entertainment by Victorian carolers and Inspyral Circus artists. Kids can also skate with some of their favorite princesses (baicerink.com).

Farmers Market Creates Community

Kathryn Vick, the Rose District Farmers Market facilitator, has lived in the city for 17 years. “I hardly ever leave Broken Arrow because I simply don’t have to,” she says. “That’s appealing to me. Everything I could want or need is within 15 minutes.”

Kathryn loves her job at the Farmers Market. She visits the farms of vendors, writing up “spotlights” of the business or farm and posting them on the Rose District Farmers Market Facebook under 2023 Vendor Spotlights.

Kate Market Pic

Kathryn Vick

Besides the produce, meats, eggs and cheeses, visitors can find vendors with homemade goods.

“We started the Little Sprouts initiative this year,” she says. “Every second Saturday, we set up a Kids’ Corner with activities. The first Saturday of every month, we have a traveling barnyard. A Broken Arrow teacher has an array of critters that she brings on site so kids can pet them.”

There is also a Tuesday evening Farmers Market from 4 to 8 p.m.

“November and December are very big in Broken Arrow,” Kathryn says. “They set up a skating rink under the large pavilion, a Christmas tree – which will be 18 feet wide this year – and Santa will be at the market from the Tuesday before Thanksgiving to the Tuesday before Christmas from 5:30 to 7:30.”

Because of her job, Kathryn often helps with the many events in the Rose District. “It seems like there’s a parade for just about everything,” she says. “It’s odd for there to be a weekend when there’s not an event.”

Watching the Rose District grow, Kathryn appreciates the way the development progressed. “They have managed to capture a small-town feel in the heart of Main Street. It’s very charming. You want to be there. It feels safe.”

The community aspect is what she enjoys most about facilitating the Farmers Market. “You get to be part of this family of vendors – they’re all there for each other,” she says. “Our community is really interested in what the vendors do, how they do it, what they feed their animals. We have live music every Saturday. It’s beautiful to see people from all backgrounds and demographics. It’s more than shopping. It’s a community event.”

Broken Arrow’s Family Appeal

Briley Wall and her family have lived in Broken Arrow for seven years, although her husband, BJ, was born and raised in BA. The couple has three daughters: Madison, 11; Chandler, 9; and Collins, 4.

Briley Wall and Family, Broken Arrow residents

The Wall family. Photo courtesy Briley Wall

Briley says they looked at a home in Tulsa, but “kept going back to the small-town feel that BA has. Anywhere we go, we know someone, or someone related to them,” Briley says. “That’s what made us settle here.”

Being from a small town in Oklahoma, Briley says she was a little overwhelmed with the size of the schools at first. When the girls were young, they attended Immanuel Lutheran, where Collins still goes to preschool. “That preschool is like family to us,” she says.

Madison is now at Oliver, and Chandler goes to Wolf Creek Elementary. “The principal there knows every child’s name in the school,” Briley says. “She also knows the siblings’ names!  We love that it’s a neighborhood school and that their friends are within a few minutes from us.”

As a realtor, she points out that the development of Main Street (the Rose District) is a draw for families moving to Broken Arrow, including hers. Despite the growth, Briley says Broken Arrow always feels safe, and she has been watching with interest the development happening at New Orleans Square at 101st and Elm. “In the next five years, that will be really incredible.”

Describing things that her family loves, she says they all enjoy going downtown to eat or to grab a snack.

“The girls love Rainbow Bowls,” she says. “We go to the winery to listen to live music on weekends. There are so many events going on like the Taste of Summer. It’s fun to take the kids. I didn’t have that growing up. There are so many activities to do.”

The girls are looking forward to the seasonal holiday happenings in the Rose District – like the ice rink.

Another activity that the family enjoys is going to Haikey Creek with its expansive green areas and pickle ball courts. She and her husband play on a co-ed softball team at Challenger Sports Complex. Sometimes it’s a date night for the couple, and sometimes they take the girls. Either way, the facility is beautiful and concessions are plentiful.

Heading into the holidays, Briley says she and her family are looking forward to the Rhema Christmas Lights. “Not a lot of cities have something as big as Rhema puts on,” she says. “It’s so much fun. We try to make a night of it. We love it.”

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What We Love to Do in Broken Arrow

The following ideas come from TulsaKids’ Facebook followers:

  • “Walking the Rose District and getting some Rose Rock ice cream before playing in that splash pad is a really great summer night.” – Alicia K.
  • “Coffee or hang out at [Laurannae Baking Co.], or ice cream at Rose Rock and visit the library.” – Vanessa S.
  • “Our kids love Rocket Fizz candy store in the Rose District. They also have a great splash pad in the summer months. We always enjoy the Christmas parade along Main Street!” – Morgan P.
  • “Fishing in Bass Pro’s pond, eating Coney-I-Lander at LL/71, shopping at all the local flea markets, going to Rocket Fizz Candy store on Main with the kiddos!” – Bri H.
  • “Rose District Farmers Market on Saturday mornings followed by the splash pad on Main Street.” – Brittany D.
  • “Ray Harral Nature Center. We often explore this very walkable trail and visit the Nature Center. In the summer, we love to visit the downtown interactive water feature and grab a treat at Nouveau Chocolates. Just some of our favorites!” – Aaron C.
  • “Walking down the Rose District, window shopping; walking the trail at Arrowhead Park; going to the Farmers Market on Saturday mornings; eating at the Rooftop on a nice day.” – M. W.
  • “Indigo Tie Dye Company. We love to go tie dye with the kids and visit Nouveau Chocolates, and we love Bass Pro!” – Chris-Melita A.

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Festivals + More

Holiday

  • Christmas in Broken Arrow. Opens in mid-November, Rose District
  • Rhema Christmas Lights Extravaganza. Nov. 22, 2023-Jan. 1
  • Broken Arrow Civitan Christmas Parade Presented by TTCU. Saturday, Dec. 2, 10 a.m.
  • Sensory Sensitive Santa and vendors for those with special needs. Dec. 20, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Festivals and Annual Events

Shop and Support Local

Museums and Culture

Get Outside

Betty Betty Casey is the associate publisher and editor in chief of TulsaKids Magazine. She has been with TulsaKids over 20 years. 

Nov 2023 Broken Arrow Pin

Categories: Travel

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