Endings and Beginnings
Just like that, we find ourselves on the cusp of a new beginning. As the final seconds of 2022 count down, our reflections on the past are met with anticipation for new experiences to come. What adventures will you pursue in the new year?
MCSWAIN THEATRE’S VARIETY SHOW
130 W Main • Ada
Enjoy live music with Jae L. & Crossover Dec. 31 starting at 9 p.m. This annual performance will feature country music and sketch comedy inspired by Hee Haw as well as a special guest performance. Get ready for this musical celebration in Ada!
NEARBY: Arbuckle Craft Coffee, The Brick House, Aldridge Café
NOON YEAR’S EVE
415 Couch Dr • Oklahoma City
For those who don’t want to stay up until the clock strikes 12 a.m., celebrate at noon at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Dec. 31. Noon Year’s Eve is a come-and-go party with food, music, art and an exciting balloon drop. Don’t miss it!
NEARBY: Clarity Coffee, Thai Kitchen, Civic Center Music Hall
UPTOWN GET DOWN
425 NW 23rd St • Oklahoma City
Get ready to party at Tower Theatre this New Year’s Eve! Uptown Get Down is a fun, energetic dance party featuring appearances by exciting artists. And with the VIP package, you’ll receive free champagne, appetizers and more! End this year in style and get down!
NEARBY: Uptown 23rd, The Escape OKC, Paseo Arts District
CHARLESTON'S
224 Johnny Bench Dr • Oklahoma City
One of Bricktown’s premier restaurants, Charleston’s is open this New Year’s Eve. If you’re looking to start your year with warm, made-from scratch croissants and a relaxed, intimate atmosphere, this is the place! After, stroll along the district’s boardwalk illuminated in lights.
NEARBY: Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill (Bricktown), Revolutions (Lower Bricktown), Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark
ARTS COUNCIL OKC'S OPENING NIGHT
500 Couch Dr • Oklahoma City
Ring in 2023 at OKC’s largest family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration. Here, you’ll find activities suited to every member of the family, including a mural competition, a light show, live music and fireworks at midnight. It all begins at 7 p.m. on Dec. 31 at Bicentennial Park.
NEARBY: Tamashi Ramen House, The Jones Assembly, OK Cider
NYE AT JONES ASSEMBLY
901 W Sheridan Ave • Oklahoma City
This Film Row hotspot is all geared up for New Year’s Eve extravaganza. For those 21 and over, My So-Called Band is hosting a New Year’s show on Dec. 31 complete with free champagne at midnight. Start your year right—start it with Jones Assembly.
NEARBY: Film Row, The Paramount OKC, FlashBack RetroPub
CELEBRATION OF LIGHTS
867 Cooper Memorial Rd • Sulphur
Witness a beautiful array of lights from the comfort of your car as you drive through the Chickasaw Cultural Center campus. Perfectly suited for families and children of all ages, the beautifully detailed lights spectacular will be illuminated through Dec. 31.
NEARBY: Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Veterans Lake, The Mix Mercantile
FIRST DAY HIKE AT LAKE MURRAY
1587 Tucker Tower Rd • Ardmore
Dust off your hiking boots and kick start the year with a hike around the beautiful Lake Murray State Park. Two simultaneous hikes will take place at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Meet at the Nature Center for a hike on Nature Center Trail or gather at the park office to hike Buckhorn Trail.
NEARBY: Tucker Tower, Lake Murray Lodge, Lake Murray Marina
FIRST DAY HIKE AT LAKE TEXOMA
11500 Park Office Rd • Kingston
This nationwide even on Jan. 1 encourages people from all over the country to gather together at select state parks for a New Year’s Day Hike. Meet at the trailhead in Ben’s Campground for an easy 1.6-mile hike. Don’t forget binoculars, camera, water and warm clothes!
NEARBY: Tanglewood Resort, Buncombe Creek Resort Marina
VAST
333 W Sheridan Ave • Oklahoma City
Begin your New Year sky high. At the top of Oklahoma City’s Devon Tower sits Vast, a refined steakhouse experience. This New Year’s Eve, reserve a four-course meal for the set price of $100. The food is spectacular, and the view of the city is unparalleled.
NEARBY: Colcord Hotel, FLINT, Myriad Botanical Gardens
Auld Lang Syne
Make 2023 the best year yet. Adventure awaits.
New Year’s Destinations
Lake Texoma State Park is home to one of the largest reservoirs in the United States. Famous for its striped bass, Texoma has been dubbed the Striper Capital of the World. Kingston, Oklahoma, even celebrates the popularity of striper fishing with the Kingston Striper Festival held each June.
Beautiful Lake Murray is known for the clarity and color of its waters and its seemingly endless list of recreational opportunities. Framed by the thick forest of Murray State Park, this 100-foot-deep, spring-fed lake also houses a wide variety of birds, including the rare wintering bald eagle. Lake Murray is a popular destination for a variety of activities, including camping, swimming, hiking, golf, tennis, horseback riding, fishing, boating, sailing, riding ATVs and more.
Chosen CNN’s top travel destination for Oklahoma in 2014, the Chickasaw Cultural Center is one of the largest, most comprehensive tribal cultural centers in the United States. Come celebrate, embrace and share the heritage that binds the Chickasaw Nation together.
Built in 1920 as a home for silent films and vaudeville acts, the McSwain Theatre in Ada, Oklahoma, has been a diverse entertainment venue for years. Today, the historic structure plays hosts to concerts, movies and more.
How about made-from-scratch American classics with a view of the Bricktown Canal? Charleston’s in Bricktown is ideal for a pre-Thunder-game meal or a weekday lunch. The ambiance is intimate and comfortable and the service exceptional. If you still have room, the Key Lime Pie is a must-try!
Enjoy a view of Oklahoma City from 850 feet in the air at Vast, a gourmet restaurant situated on the 49th floor of downtown's Devon Tower. Whether you're interested in a date-night dinner or a leisurely lunch, fresh fare and amazing sights await you at Vast.
Downtown Oklahoma City continues to thrive and evolve. This walkable urban area includes everything from museums, parks, shops and restaurants to sports, festivals and water adventures. Explore the uniqueness of each of its seven districts.
The Oklahoma City Museum of Art is home to one of the world's largest, most comprehensive collections of Chihuly glass, with a 55-foot, multi-colored Chihuly tower greeting visitors as they enter the museum's atrium.
The Jones Assembly is one of the most unique hangouts in OKC. Situated next to the acclaimed 21c Museum Hotel in Film Row, The Jones offers incredible drinks and food served up by Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef Brittany Sanger in an industrial-chic open-air atmosphere. And when it’s concert time, all the restaurant gear disappears to make room for the likes of Willie Nelson, Third Eye Blind or The Wallflowers.
Tower Theatre has been one of the crown jewels of Oklahoma City since 1931. Over the years, people from all across the state have sat in these historic seats for the debuts of “Cleopatra,” “The Sound of Music” and other cinematic classics. Today, the space acts as a premier concert space in the Uptown 23rd District and also screens both new and vintage films. Get ready for a jam-packed event season!
