Gathering Place

BIG NEWS! ???Gathering Place is officially USA TODAY's Best City Park for 2024! After being chosen by an expert panel and USA TODAY 10Best editors, Gathering Place was featured in a readers’ choice contest along with 19 other city parks across the United States before being voted #1?by the public. This USA TODAY reader’s choice recognition marks the third win for Gathering Place in five years, following its prior recognition as USA TODAY’s Best New Attraction in 2019 and Best City Park in 2021. ? The Gathering Place team is so grateful for the incredible support we have received from the Tulsa community, and we are blown away by how Tulsans rallied around the vote to boost the park to the number one spot. Thank you for making Gathering Place America’s Best City Park this year! ???? Learn more about the award: https://lnkd.in/g6mPbNrw

It’s Certification Nation Day! Join us as we honor all our employees who go above and beyond every day. It’s because of our amazing, hardworking, and dedicated team that Gathering Place is a Great Place To Work US Certified company. Do you want to join our mission of creating memorable, world-class experiences at our vibrant park and make a difference in the Tulsa community? Explore our exciting job opportunities and apply today at gatheringplace.org/jobs!

Celebrate the season in style at Gathering Place, where the magic of the holidays meets the park’s natural beauty! ? Explore our versatile venues and discover the perfect setting for your festive celebration. With exceptional catering, state-of-the-art technology, and expert event planners, every detail is crafted to make your event truly unforgettable. Whether you choose the coziness of Williams Lodge or the elegance of ONEOK Boathouse, start planning your next holiday party today! Visit https://lnkd.in/gBgr2f9Y to learn more and get in touch with our event planners!

Do you know a 4th or 5th grade student who would like to join a free engineering challenge at Gathering Place? Share this information with them! Students can join Gathering Place and Fab Lab Tulsa on Saturday, October 19, for a fun-filled day of boat building and racing at the Sail-a-thon on Peggy's Pond! Build your own micro boat and put it to the test on the water. Sail-a-thon is free to attend and participate in and lunch and materials are provided. Spots are limited. Participants can register at https://lnkd.in/g6k42Zv9. Sail-a-thon is sponsored by Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance.

CALLING ALL OU AND UT ALUMNI! ?? ?? Want to catch the Red River Rivalry game without making the trek to Dallas? Head to Gathering Place on Saturday, October 12 to cheer on the Sooners (or the Longhorns) at Gathering Place! Enjoy the full watch party experience featuring pre-game entertainment from the Union Varsity Highsteppers, face painting, raffle prizes, lawn games, and more! The watch party begins at 1 p.m. and kickoff is at 2:30 p.m. Food and beer will be available for purchase at the watch party. Guests are welcome to bring their own food, but outside alcohol is not allowed. The Red River Rivalry Watch Party is powered by Cox Communications.

FREE EVENTS IN OCTOBER! October is here, and Gathering Place is ready to celebrate with free fall family fun all month long! Join us every weekend for exciting activities and festive experiences for everyone to enjoy. ?? We're kicking off our fall celebration this Saturday, October 5, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with the Monarch March, featuring a butterfly-themed concert, crafts, an interactive parade, and a picnic. Take a look at what else we have in store this season and mark your calendars!?? ?? Friday, October 11 | Pumpkin Patch Trivia Bash ? Saturday, October 12 | Outdoor Skills Workshop ?? Saturday, October 19 | Fishing in Peggy's Pond ? Saturday, October 19 | Sail-a-thon on Peggy's Pond (registration now open for 4th and 5th graders!) ?? Friday, October 25 | Cox Movie Night: Halloween edition ?? Saturday, October 26 | Forest Bathing ?? Saturday, October 26 | Halloween Costume Showcase and Glow Rave with CANVA$ (RSVP encouraged!) ?? Sunday, October 27 | Star Party (RSVP encouraged!) Plus, Gathering Place is bringing both live and interactive music opportunities to the park.?? ?? Thursdays in October | Beer Garden Concert Series ?? Sundays in October | Everyday Orchestra ?? Saturday, October 19 and 26 | Pickin' in the Park: Bluegrass Acoustic Jam For more details about these exciting events, visit https://buff.ly/3n4hG24!

A big thank you to ONEOK for their incredible volunteer support! Yesterday, 20 ONEOK volunteers joined our horticulture team to help clean up cattails in preparation for winter. Gathering Place keeps about 30% of the cattails standing to provide nesting habitats for red-winged blackbirds throughout the colder months. We're grateful for volunteers who help us maintain a beautiful park that's also a welcoming home for local wildlife! ????

Team work makes the dream work! ???? It's project season for our hardworking horticulture team who are working together to get the park ready for a beautiful fall season. ?? Photo 1 (by Clayton Hilton, horticulturist): Tackling erosion control with some impressive rock work ?? Photo 2 (by Aaron Goodwin, horticulturist): Tidying up the Riverside medians with cutbacks.

The North Tulsa Pumpkin Farm at Hawthorne Park begins today! ?? For the next two weekends, guests can enjoy free entry to this family-friendly Pumpkin Farm featuring food trucks, photo booths, a petting zoo, face painting, pumpkin painting and carving, bounce houses, bubble shows, stilt walkers, balloon artists, and fall decor. The North Tulsa Pumpkin Farm is hosted by InvestNorth Initiative. You can learn more about their neighborhood development goals at https://lnkd.in/gXKXMaEt

Happy National #CustodialWorkersRecognitionDay! ?? Today, we're celebrating the incredible custodial team members (both pictured and not pictured) who go above and beyond every day to keep our park clean, beautiful, and welcoming for all. Thank you for helping us maintain our world-class standards and creating a safe space for everyone to enjoy!