The Collegian: 6
Variety
November 1, 2021
Ways to celebrate Halloween in Tulsa
From spooky to wholesome, here are different ways Tulsa rocks Halloweekend. Myranda New Student Writer Halloween was just around the corner, and as we sort our trick-or-treating spoils and put our costumes back in the closet, let’s reflect on some of the amazing events that were hosted around Tulsa this year. Living in a city as large as Tulsa, there’s bound to be scheduling conflicts with the number of events being offered for a variety of age groups and entertainment. Haunted houses, trick or treating, live music and movies, our city has it all. We can begin with the venues that are entertaining to all ages year round: the Oklahoma Aquarium and the Tulsa Zoo. The aquarium hosted HallowMarine, a weeklong trick-or-treating event for kids to dress up in costume, collect candy around the aquarium and interact with the sea creatures. Similarly, the zoo hosted HallowZOOeen, an event going for two weekends that sold out prior to its opening. Featuring a haunted train ride, merry-go-round, gem dig, trickor-treating and a haunted house, this is fun for the whole family. Though the highlight of the night are the four themed meet-andgreet locations: the arcade, the royal castle, the pirate island and the pumpkin patch playroom. If you attend during normal operating hours, the animal habitats will be open for viewing, or you can attend after hours for the rare opportunity of seeing the zoo at night. Local Tulsa museums put on a show as well to get into the spooky mood. The Philbrook Museum hosted Singalong Saturday: Halloween Edition for kids to dress up in costume and listen to silly songs in the gardens. The ahha inspired artistic talent in visitors through their numerous arts and crafts sessions throughout the month. Inktober,
HallowZOOween occurs for two weekends in October.
In “Science Friday,” host Ira Flatow engages with intriguing scientific topics and their sociopolitical implications. Hana Saad Student Writer It’s that time of year! The time when I reveal the part of myself that still enjoys learning about science. Although I’m now firmly committed to getting a major in the liberal arts, there was a time when I wanted to be a biologist of some sort. That’s why I love podcasts about science— a way for me to get a chance to learn about things I’m not studying. No one does it better than “Science Friday.” This podcast, which is produced by WNYC Studios, features news about science and technology. Hosted by Ira Flatow, the episodes vary from information about recent scientific advancements and history to interviews with experts across different disciplines. The episodes, which are about 45 minutes long, usually feature two to three topics that Flatow covers. They’re not always connected but the different segments come together to keep the episode informative and
Drawlloween, constructing the Halloween village, pumpkin painting and jar decorating while watching spooky films were all hosted by the 3rd Floor Studio. Even the Gilcrease Museum hosted Gilcrease After Hours for a Halloween spectacular. They’ll be hosting an event for Dia de los Muertos later this week on Nov. 5. To get some fresh air and explore the more natural side of Tulsa, there were numerous events hosted at farms, mountains and gardens. Pleasant Valley Farms is a pumpkin patch in Sand Springs, which I frequented my freshman year, and I must say it’s a great place to go to get in the autumn mood. With a pumpkin patch, corn maze, hayrides, cutouts for photo opportunities, mini golf, games, a petting zoo, a gift shop and even vendors during the fall festival, this is the optimal place to go for your pumpkin picking. Turkey Mountain also celebrated Halloween by hosting their haunted trail, an experience to roam the mountain at night with their 30-minute guided tour that is bound to spook. With special effects, actors and plenty of props, it’s like a haunted house experience in the middle of the woods. Tulsa Botanic Garden hosted BOO-tanical Bands & Blooms throughout the month of October, with trick-or-treating, costume contests, live music and food trucks. For the kids, there was also a tattoo station, games and pumpkin decorating. You were also free to roam the gardens, taking in the beautiful flowers and last of the butterflies before the chill of winter sets in. The Gathering Place turned their playgrounds into a festival of spooks for Halloween by hosting the Sweets & Treats on Spooky Street event. Costumes encouraged for trick-or-treating and a dance party with live musical entertainment, this free, two day event is one that is sure to bring guests from all over the city. And right by our campus, Kendall-Whittier square loves to get into the Halloween festivities with spooky showings at Circle
courtesy Flickr
engaging. For example, in their most recent episode on Oct. 29, they covered maggots and medicine, European wolves and stories from people experiencing sea levels rising in their communities. Quite the mix! The show has had a long history, as they started in 1991 with a radio show. Since then, they’ve expanded to be more than just a podcast. On their website, they publish videos and interesting articles covering different facets of science. They also host weekly book clubs, making “Science Friday” a fun community to be a part of for science lovers everywhere. One of the things I really appreciate about “Science Friday” is how they bring in social and political issues into their discussions about science. Often, there is this desire among the scientific community to rely purely on scientific research and data when talking about problems. But this show does a really good job of showing how science is impacted by culture and politics, as well as issues of inequity. For example, in the episode for Oct. 22, the podcast explores how Filipino-Americans are disproportionately affected by the pandemic. They look at how “32 percent of U.S. registered nurses who died of COVID-19 by Sept. 2020 were of Filipino descent, even though they only make up four
courtesy The Castle The Halloween Village at The Castle of Muskogee is open every Friday and Saturday during October.
Cinema all month long and Hallo-Whittier. A costume contest, businesses in the square giving out candy to trick-or-treaters and ending the night with live music, this would be an easy event to wander over to for a nice evening over the weekend.
town built up on the grounds to foster the Halloween spirit. Everyone in costume, actors walking around, food and merchandise offered at various stands, it’s easy to want to stay here forever. There are also multiple haunted houses based on scare level.
“... Tulsa is filled to the brim with eerie entertainment ...” The Tulsa area is also home to some pretty fantastic haunted houses, one of those being Insanity Farms. A corn maze, pallet maze and zombie paintball, Insanity Farms is a part of Pumpkin Town, Tulsa, a great pumpkin patch to interact with a petting zoo, games and fun attractions. At night, however, the farm can easily turn into an eerie experience. Hex House is one of the most well-known haunted houses in the area, one of the most terrifying attractions (according to their website) where the actors are allowed to touch you while you are in the house. As the website continues, this haunted house “suspend[s] reality for a moment in time allowing you to experience what real terror is.” I haven’t been to this haunted house yet, but it is certainly on my list. The one I have been to, though, was The Castle in Muskogee, a haunted house that I absolutely loved. An entire halloween festival, just being in the parking lot immerses you into a whole other world with an entire
An ultimate maze, haunted hayride, castle train and horror chamber are great ways to be immersed without needing a haunted house. But if you want the true spooks, try Casa Morte (a haunted house utilizing props to terrify), Domus Horrificus (relying on actors to send chills down your spine), a zombie hunt featuring zombie paintball with actors or even the trail of blood, where you are driven out into the woods and tasked with finding your way to safety. The Castle is a definite must for Halloween. For Halloween being my favorite holiday, I have clearly moved to the right place as Tulsa is filled to the brim with eerie entertainment for kids, families, teenagers and adults, whether it be trick-or-treating, running through a haunted house or listening to some live music. Many of these events are annual, so I hope you start planning your 2022 Halloween in the city of spooks.
“Science Friday” broadcasts each Friday on public radio stations.
percent of nurses in the U.S.” This is just one example that shows how social-political issues must be taken into account when talking about science. Since the show has recently been more committed to exploring these political topics, there are quite a few people who left reviews in the Apple Podcast app about how they were upset that “Science Friday’’ explores socio-political aspects as they relate to science. But science and culture have always been intertwined and I’m happy that this show is attempting to explore that connection with the different episodes that air. Despite the complaints of some of the show’s critics, I think “Science Friday” has a nice balance of episodes, with a mix of content spanning across different scientific
courtesy Science Friday Initiative
disciplines. There are episodes about hightech air purifiers, episodes about dinosaurs and episodes about mating spiders! Basically, there’s something for everyone. There are quite a few episodes talking about recent developments with the pandemic, especially when it concerns vaccines, but I think that is relevant information to be talking about on a science podcast. If you are looking to learn new things about the world and expand your knowledge of random facts, then this podcast is definitely for you. This podcast is available on all streaming platforms.
