Come enjoy SheepFest, the Blessing of the Vines and the Fiesta of the Vines at Silvertop Farm and Vineyards April 30. Silvertop is located near Ponca City and has much to offer the whole family from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. that day.
SheepFest
Admission is free and there is a lot to see. The event is an educational opportunity to learn about sheep and wool and also a fundraiser for the Joe Steichen Memorial Scholarship Fund at both Oklahoma State University and Northern Oklahoma College.
Kids activities are planned from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be demonstrations and vendors in the Wool and Fiber Pavilion as well as free samples of grilled lamb, lamb salami and lamb jerky. The benefit lunch will be served at noon. And don’t miss the sheep shearing demonstrations from 3 to 5 p.m.
The farm is also hosting the first College Classic Club Lamb Sale beginning at 1 p.m. OSU has partnered with Silvertop Farm to gathered a broad offering of club lambs great for 4-H and FFA members.
Blessing of the Vines and Fiesta of the Vines
Following the SheepFest event at Silvertop Farm and Vineyard, witness the blessing of the vines, a centuries-old European ceremony to ensure robust vines and savory grapes, beginning at 6 p.m.
At 7 p.m. the second annual Fiesta of the Vines will kick off. A $25 ticket, available from the Pioneer Woman Museum in Ponca City, includes the all-you-can-eat buffet of meats, salads, vegetables, rolls, cobblers, ice cream, beer, wine, tea and coffee. Dinner music and other entertainment will round out the evening.
For more information visit the farm web site or call 580-765-3727.
Earth Day is April 22 and Turtle Rock Farm has made plans to celebrate the Earth and its abundance.
Tranquil Country Setting
Turtle Rock’s Earth Day Festival will include the dedication at 5 p.m. of straw bale and mud hermitage constructed on the property. The event begins at 3 p.m. with a shearing demonstration on the farm’s resident alpacas. There will also be demonstrations in wool spinning, basket weaving and solar oven construction. Guests can also heck out the tipi and walk the prairie labyrinth or help plant flowers.
Guests will be serve buffalo-meat hot dogs from the Wichita Buffalo Company near Hinton. There will be fiddle music and plenty of relaxing as the sun goes down. Please RSVP if you wish to attend the dedication and supper by calling 580-725-3411 or by visiting http://turtlerockfarmretreat.com/default.aspx.
Turtle Rock Farm is a retreat for sustainability, spirituality and healing.
A short distance from the Oklahoma City metro, the Arcadian Inn has some April specials for couples to enjoy.
Enjoy a nice room at the Inn and when you book a room anytime in April, the room is tax free!
The Arcadian Inn was built in 1990 by Gary and Martha Hall and is located in Edmond. Its sister company, Aaron’s Gate Country Getaways, offers private cottages near Guthrie.
French Hen cottage at Aaron's Gate.
The cottages were built by Gary Hall and sons, Mark and Stephen, and decorated by Martha. Come enjoy the cottages each with different themes. They offer perfect seclusion for couples. Guests check in at the Arcadian Inn Bed and Breakfast, located at 328 East First Street in Edmond, for key and driving directions to the cottages.
As the weather warms up, also take advantage of the Arcadian Inn’s Stay and Play offer. Stay two consecutive nights, get a third night free plus 50 percent off a round of golf for two.
Call the Halls for more information about their two agritourism destinations at 405-348-6347 or visit www.aaronsgate.com.
Lavender Valley Acres near Apache is gearing up for spring and has some exciting events happening in April.
The Sodhi family is ready to welcome you to their farm where they raise lavender and sell plants, soap, lotions, jam and even lavender cookies. The family hosts an annual Lavender Festival each June.
Join Jag and Lynda at their place for an open house April 1-2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Enjoy free lavender cookies and tea plus be entered to win door prizes.
Jag is excited to be offering free yoga exercises on Saturdays starting April 9 through May 28 at 10 a.m. Jag is a native of India and has been practicing yoga all his life. Classes will be held at Lavender Valley Acres. For directions and registration please call 580-588-2855.
Jag and Lynda first started experimenting with lavender plants in 2003 and the business simply grew from that. The couple travels the US and continues to learn about lavender and products derived from lavender oil.
Lavendar Valley Acres received the Merit Award for Outstanding Agritourism Attraction during the Governor’s Conference on Tourism in 2010. The award is presented by the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation and the Oklahoma Travel Industry Association.
Visit Lavendar Valley Acres web site for more events and information.
Tulsa’s Gilcrease Museum of the Americas has been noted as one of the best facilities for the preservation of American art and history. In 2010, the museum was named Best Western Art Museum by TrueWest Magazine. Gilcrease Museum houses the world’s largest, most comprehensive collection of art and artifacts of the American West according to the web site http://www.gilcrease.org/index.aspx.
American art and history at the Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, OK
Do you have a young budding artist? The historical collection at Gilcrease would fascinate them. Or for the serious artist call about the museum’s Spring Break Camp for kindergarteners through second graders and third through fifth graders, March 14-18, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. See more information on the web site. Children will make works of art inspired by the Gilcrease collection, the gardens and their surroundings.
The museum showcases revolving exhibits including “How Women Made the West” that runs through May 15. There is a fine art collection that includes paintings, drawings and prints. The anthropology collection tells the story of people and cultures that shaped the New World into what it is today. The archive collection includes more than 100,000 books, manuscripts, documents and maps. The museum also features students’ art from area schools and colleges. See the web site for upcoming events and showcases.
Gilcrease Museum also has 23 acres of gardens surrounding the museum building. Free individual tours are available or the museum can schedule and accommodate group tours.
You don’t have to be an artist to appreciate the varied collection at Gilcrease Museum. Admission is $8 for adults and children 18 and under get in free. Call 888-655-2278 toll-free or the automated general information at 918-596-2787.
