On a busy festival weekend, Oklahoma's stormy forecast puts event organizers on high alert

Just a few hours before the shows started on Day 2 of Norman Music Festival, Executive Director Shari Jackson was in a National Weather Service online seminar getting the latest on the weekend forecast.

"The National Weather Service has been doing 11 a.m. webinars for the last several days because there are so many events this weekend. And all of us have been invited. ... We hope today is a nice clear, wonderful day; tomorrow, as they just told us, it is too soon to tell," Jackson told The Oklahoman Friday.

"So, we have another webinar at 11 a.m. tomorrow, and we're just going to keep a very close eye on all of the things."

For Oklahomans who love the arts, live music, pretty flowers and all sorts of outdoor fun, the last weekend of April can be the best time of the year. It's the apex of the spring festival season, and across the Sooner State, at least a dozen festivals are underway or on the calendar this weekend.

Many of these events are entirely outside or have at least some outdoor element so that people can enjoy the (hopefully) mild spring weather before the summer heat arrives.

But this is springtime in Tornado Alley, and the weather often can turn stormy, leading to a gloomy, complicated and potentially dangerous forecast for event planners.

"There's not a minute that goes by that someone's not monitoring the weather and making sure that we're staying informed and making sure that everybody's staying safe out there," said Will Hutchison, communications director for Arts Council Oklahoma City, which organizes the long-running Festival of the Arts in downtown Oklahoma City.

Most Oklahoma festivals go on rain or shine

Despite heavy rains and gusty winds in the early hours, Hutchison said the Festival of the Arts grounds in and around Bicentennial Park were in good shape Friday for the event's second day.

The 58th annual free festival debuted Thursday with several big changes, including a shorter, four-day format, longer hours and a switch to a cashless event. But dealing with rainy and potential stormy weather is a constant for downtown OKC's "rite of spring," which annually draws more than 550,000 visitors.

"Safety is a top priority for us. There's obviously different types of weather, and we are constantly watching just to try to find that line between staying open, enjoying the Festival of the Arts and everything it brings, but also making sure that everyone here is safe," Hutchison said.

"If we do get to a point where things are getting severe, we will notify all the artists, all the vendors, and get them out in a timely manner. Then, we'll post on social media to let the public know and call the news desks."

For people who will be out and about at the arts festival or elsewhere in OKC, the Oklahoma City Police Department announced on X (formerly Twitter) that it will skip the usual noon Saturday tornado siren testing due to the severe weather forecast.

Like many outdoor Oklahoma events, the Festival of the Arts and Norman Music Festival go on rain or shine, unless lightning, hail or tornado risks make it too dangerous to continue.

"Our protocols are basically if we have lightning that is beginning to strike within five miles of our stages and electrics, we will pause operations on those stages, until that lightning has moved outside that five-mile radius," Jackson said.

A three-day indoor-outdoor event, the free Norman Music Festival brings more than 200 acts and 100,000 fans to the Walker Arts District in downtown Norman. If weather forces organizers to halt some performances, she said they will communicate those delays on the festival's social media and mobile app.

Steamroller Print Festival postponed to May due to weather

Not every festival is able to go on in the rain. The seventh annual Steamroller Print Festival was scheduled for Saturday in downtown OKC's Deep Deuce, but it had to be postponed to May 11 due to the stormy forecast.

Hosted by the nonprofit Artspace at Untitled, the festival draws about 200 artists, students and printmakers from across the state. The free festival's highlight involves artists inking carved woodblocks that are then printed on large paper sheets by a 5-ton steamroller.

"With too high of winds, we can't print very well, and with rain, we can't print at all," said Anna Humes, the public relations and communications coordinator for Artspace at Untitled.

Rescheduling a festival due to weather brings its own hassles, she said, including updating permits, notifying sponsors, vendors and the public and figuring out a new date that will work. In the case of the Steamroller Print Festival, many of the participating artists are students in the nonprofit's high school mentorship program, so the new date had to be within the rapidly dwindling school year.

"We're battling against proms and graduation and all of the things. Our new date's on Mother's Day weekend ... so we already know some people won't be able to make it," Humes said.

"But if it's bad weather ... people aren't going to show up, people aren't going to buy the prints, which, in turn, means that one of our largest fundraisers for Artspace is essentially unsuccessful."

What festivals are happening across Oklahoma this weekend?

Here's a list of festivals scheduled to happen across the state this weekend, although this list is subject to change due to the weather. Check back with Oklahoman.com for the latest weather updates.

Festival of the Arts

• When: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. April 26-27; and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 28.

• Where: Bicentennial Park, Colcord and Couch drives, and City Hall lawn, downtown OKC.

• Information: https://www.artscouncilokc.com/festival-of-the-arts.

Last year, Arts Council Oklahoma City announced major changes to OKC's "rite of spring," particularly a new four-day, Thursday-Sunday format with longer hours each day. The free event will still feature works by 144 visual artists, diverse fare from about 30 food vendors and trucks, a wide range of live entertainment, children's activities and more.  But the festival also now is a cashless event.

Iris Festival

• When: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. April 27 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 28.

• Where: Will Rogers Garden Exhibition Center, 3400 NW 36, OKC.

• Information: https://www.facebook.com/okirises.

The 92nd annual festival will feature a large array of floral designs along with events like the photography contest, a raffle with prizes, coloring contests and workshops. The theme of this year's free event is "Pure Imagination," inspired by the 2023 movie "Wonka."

Norman Music Festival

• When: April 25-27.

• Where: Walker Arts District, downtown Norman.

• Information: https://normanmusicfestival.com.

The free, nonprofit, independent festival annually brings hundreds of acts and thousands of music fans to downtown Norman for three days of live music at several indoor and outdoor venues. The festival this year will feature headliners Moor Mother, Rocket, Alvvays, Tropa Magica , Sweeping Promises and Oklahoma acts Husbands, Jared Deck, Cliffdiver, Ken Pomeroy, Beau Jennings & The Tigers, Steph Simon and Branjae.

Wide Open Experimental Film Festival

• When: 6 p.m. April 26-27 and 1 p.m. April 28.

• Where: Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s Noble Theater, 415 Couch Drive.

• Information: wideopeneff.com.

In its third year, the free festival will showcase more than 50 titles intended to open people's eyes to alternative forms, structures and styles in filmmaking.

Azalea Festival, Muskogee

• When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays through April 30.

• Where: Honor Heights Park, 1400 Honor Heights Drive, Muskogee.

• Information: https://www.muskogeeparks.org.

Celebrate spring as the azaleas, tulips and wisteria bloom. Admission is free to the Butterfly Papilion gardens in the park during the month of April, and several special activities are planned during the festival.

Woolly Weekend, Claremore

• When: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 25-27.

• Where: Shepherd’s Cross sheep farm, 16792 E 450 Road, Claremore.

• Information: https://shepherdscross.com.

Take in the “shear” spectacle of sheep getting their dramatic haircuts during the annual open house at Shepherd’s Cross. Spinning, weaving, hand dying, felting, knitting and more will be demonstrated as the wool is taking from “sheep to shawl.”

Red Fern Festival, Tahlequah

• When: Noon to 9 p.m. April 26 and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 27.

• Where: Downtown Norris Park, Tahlequah.

• Information: https://www.tahlequahmainstreet.com/red-fern-festival.html.

The 16th annual event celebrates the legacy of the 1961 children's novel "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Oklahoma novelist Wilson Rawls as well as the 1974 film adaptation. Activities include hound dog field trials, 1930s era children's games, live music and more.

Mangum Rattlesnake Derby

• When: April 26-28.

• Where: Greer County Courthouse Square, 106 E Jefferson St., Mangum.

• Information: https://www.facebook.com/shortgrassrattlesnakeassociation.

Along with the serpents, the event will include a flea market, cornhole tournament, food vendors and more.

Carney Fest, Tulsa

• When: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. April 27.

• Where: Outside The Church Studio, 304 S Trenton Ave., Tulsa.

• Tickets and information: https://thechurchstudio.com/carney-fest-2024.

The fledgling festival celebrates the legacy Oklahoma native and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Leon Russell and his legendary Church Studio. The second edition of the all-day, cultural music festival will boast a carnival-like atmosphere and include circus performers, food vendors, art installations, nonprofit exhibitors and a live music lineup featuring headliners Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs.

Oklahoma Renaissance Festival, Muskogee

• When: 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays April 27-June 2, plus Memorial Day, May 27.

• Where: Castle of Muskogee, 3400 W Fern Mountain Road, Muskogee.

• Information: https://okcastle.com.

Family-friendly activities include jousting tournaments, performances by traveling acrobats, Bird of Prey exhibitions, festive food and shopping for handcrafted items.

Kaleidoscope 2024, Stillwater

• When: 1 p.m. April 28.

• Where: Stonecloud Brewing Stillwater Taproom, 917 S Husband St.

• Information: https://stonecloudbrewing.com/stillwater-events.

The free all-ages festival and block party is raising awareness for Child Abuse Prevention Month and will include activities, food and music to enjoy. The first 200 families will get a free swag bag. The musical lineup features Buffalo Jones & the Heard, Red Dirt Rangers and Ray & the High Rollers.

Made in Oklahoma Handmade Spring Fest, Claremore

• When: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 26 and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 27.

• Where: Will Rogers Downs Cherokee Casino Event Center, 20900 S 4200 Rd., Claremore.

• Information: https://visitclaremore.com/events/made-in-oklahoma-handmade-spring-fest.

Entrepreneurs from across the state will sell home decor, yard art, baked goods, jewelry, food items, candles, hand-sewn items and more at the free event.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma festival organizers watchful with stormy weather predicted