Many activities planned for Septemberfest

Oklahoma’s annual Septemberfest celebration will be Sept. 8 at the Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive. Gov. Mary Fallin said the free event is a great opportunity for Oklahomans to get together and celebrate the state’s history.

This year’s Septemberfest theme — Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” — recognizes the 75th anniversary of the musical’s Broadway debut. Weather permitting, the governor and first gentleman Wade Christensen will give rides to children in a surrey with the fringe on top in the afternoon.

The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will feature more than 60 attractions. Activities will include chuck wagon cooking, inflatables, face painting, laser tag, Oklahoma musicians and performers, pony rides and square dancing.

The Oklahoma History Center will offer free admission and tours of the Governor’s Mansion will be available. Food vendors will be on site, but families also may bring a picnic lunch.

Septemberfest was founded in 1997 by Friends of the Mansion, a nonprofit organization committed to preserving and improving Oklahoma’s historic Governor’s Mansion, its grounds and furnishings. The Oklahoma History Center began co-hosting Septemberfest in 2004.

Studio Architecture President Jim Hasenbeck, who is in his 16th year as chairman of the event, said it continues to grow each year. For more information, go to www.okhistory.org/historycenter/septemberfest or call 405-557-0198.