66th annual festival set for May 24-26

It is time to make your plans for Barnsdall’s annual Big Heart Day celebration, which will be May 24, 25 and 26. The fun will begin Friday evening with a Movie Under the Stars, which will be shown at dusk in the Community Center Stage area of town. The golf tournament and alumni basketball games are canceled for this year, but will be returning in 2020.

The majority of Big Heart Day events are scheduled for Saturday, May 25. Things will kick off with the Kids Fishing Tournament from 7-8 a.m. May 25 at Lake Waxhoma. The Assembly of God will offer a Big Heart Breakfast from 8-10 a.m. on a donation basis.

Other early Saturday events are to include the Barnsdall High School Freshman Class 5K and Fun Run, held in the Birch Lake-Twin Coves area. Registration is at 8 a.m. and the running commences at 8:30.

There will be a Classic Vehicle Drive In and Visiting at 9 a.m. on 5th Street, south of Main Street, and the Bigheart Museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

At 9:15, the Turtle Race and Frog Jump, both of which are huge favorites with children and families, will be held at the intersection of 5th and Main.

Then, at 10:30 a.m. the Big Heart Day Parade will provide excitement for all age groups. The parade participants will line up on 3rd Street heading south.

Games for youth will be held starting at 11:30 a.m. at 6th and Main in the Community Center yard. This activity will include sack races and Hula Hoop competition.

Preliminaries of the Christian Music talent competition are scheduled from noon until 1:30 p.m., and the Barnsdall School Alumni Meeting is set for 1:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church on Birch Lake Road.

A basketball three-point and free-throw shooting contest will be at 2 p.m. at the city park court, and an alumni slow-pitch coed softball game is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the high school baseball field.

Chase and Missy Gipson will provide music for a street dance from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at 4th and Main, and the finals of the Christian Music talent contest will be at 8 p.m. at 4th and Main. There will be drawings at 8:40 p.m. at the same location. Then, from 8:45 to 9:45 p.m. there will be more music from Chase and Missy Gipson.

At 9:45 p.m. grand finale fireworks are planned. You can watch the fireworks from Main Street and enjoy patriotic music.

On Sunday, May 26, American Legion Post 227 will hold Memorial Day services at 2 p.m. at the Ethel Reece West Cemetery.

Event contacts include: 5K & Fun Run, Fonda Tilley, 918-695-3901; Parade, Claud Rosendale, 918-847-2202; Turtle Races & Frog Jump, Jimmy Hatfield, 918-847-2106; Vendor Booths, Tammy Harrison, 918-510-7346; Sack Races & Hula Hoop, Karen Overacker, 918-847-2551; Fishing Tournament, Matt Allen, 918-833-0594; Alumni Meeting Activities, Gloria Blackwell, 918-289-6252; Christian Music Talent Contest, Tina Kelley, 918-671-8061; Basketball Games & Activities, Michael Kelley, 918-629-4742; Car Show, Jeremy Rye, 918-841-2379; and Softball Games & Contest, Gary Cunningham, 918-833-2641.