Bringing Skinnerfest to Bristow

On Wednesday, March 10, 2021, some familiar faces were seen at Pizza Hut. Mayor Rick Pinson, Katie Dale and Craig Skinner of the Red Dirt Relief Fund, Acting Chief Kendra Raney and Detective Kevin Webster of the Bristow Police Department, Ken Lewellen of Tulsa Little Jam, Vox Pop Tulsa, and KTUL, Kindler Chase of Mother Road Gravel, and Don Baker and Dr. Chip Cooper as representatives for the Freeland Center and Wildflower Run met to plan and coordinate events for the weekend of May 8th, coinciding with the Tabouleh Fest. All ideas remain proposals in the early stages of planning events not only for this year but for years to come.

Each year, on the second Saturday of May, Bristow hosts the annual Wildflower Run and Tabouleh Fest. The Wildflower Run begins at 9 a.m. and wraps up by 11 that morning with awards presented at that time. Anyone interested in running or walking can visit https://runsignup.com/Race/OK/Bristow/BristowWildflowerRun for more information or to register. The Tabouleh Fest celebrates Bristow’s Lebanese heritage and is currently organized by the Bristow Historical Society as its annual fundraising event. For more information or to secure entry forms regarding Tabouleh Fest events, visit www.taboulehfest.com.

Mayor Pinson works diligently to bring new opportunities to Bristow for us to enjoy and to grow our community and local economy, bringing in tourists and new businesses. Working toward that goal, Mr. Kindler Chase of Mother Road Gravel presented ideas to bring cycling races to Bristow. Mr. Chase showcased his proposal for the creation of two races, occurring in tandem with the Tabouleh Fest. One race will be 100 miles and geared more for professional cyclists. The second race will be shorter at around 26 miles and more appropriate for less experienced cyclists. Both races are proposed to begin and end at the depot but mostly follow along gravel backroads with racers leaving and arriving in waves. Initial goals include attracting a few hundred cyclists for inaugural races, growing to perhaps as many as 1500 in subsequent years. Mr. Chase spoke of the need and desire to get children and adolescents as well as adults active and healthy through outdoor activities like cycling. In this way, the cycling races planned by Mother Road Gravel partner well with the Wildflower Run.

The central goal of the meeting involved fusing Skinnerfest with Tabouleh Fest. The group discussed ways fusing the two festivals might work best. For those unfamiliar with Skinnerfest, it is a music festival honoring Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame musician Tom Skinner, who was raised in Bristow. The festival raises money for the Red Dirt Relief Fund, which supports and aids Oklahoma musicians in financial crisis due to inability to work for a variety of reasons. (For more information on Red Dirt Relief Fund or Skinnerfest, check out www.reddirtrelieffund.org.) Being able to host Skinnerfest in Bristow is important to Mayor Pinson because it will allow us to celebrate the life and love of music of one of our own while also helping others and growing Bristow as well.

For this year, Katie Dale and Craig Skinner of the Red Dirt Relief Fund suggested starting with a single Skinnerfest stage, growing toward fusing the festivals in the future perhaps as soon as 2022. Additional options for this year include the possibility of securing more performing artists to play at the amphitheater throughout the weekend as scheduling allows. Multiple ideas were presented with Ms. Dale suggesting funding options such as sponsorships, ticket sales, silent auctions, and creating a benefit. Furthermore, the group brainstormed ideas for lodging, logistics, and coordination of events with the Tabouleh Fest, Wildflower Run, and any cycling events.

After the meeting concluded, Mayor Pinson, Katie Dale, Craig Skinner, and Ken Lewellen all headed to the depot and amphitheater in the Plaza to meet with Bristow Historical Society representatives Joe Trigalet and Marsha Jones. Following introductions, the group discussed how Red Dirt Relief Fund’s Skinnerfest coinciding with the Tabouleh Fest might work for the benefit of all.

Stay tuned for more as planning progresses as the mayor continues working to bring new and exciting events to build and improve life in Bristow.