In November 1988, Jessica Arrendondo, 21, was an operator at the U.S. West phone company. She had graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School a couple of years ago, where she played soccer, served on the student senate, and captained the school’s cheerleading squad. Perhaps it’s because it was the 1980s and Jessica loved dancing, but her pictures bring to mind the actress Jennifer Beals of Flashdance fame. At the time of her murder, Jessica was living at home with her parents and her beloved dog Frosty.
She also loved her new car, an eye-catching red 1988 Mustang convertible. According to her family, she had saved money for months and months, and the car was her pride and joy. She kept it in immaculate condition, and the car had a personalized license plate that read “88 PONY.”
Friday, November 25, 1988, was the day after Thanksgiving. Jessica and her boyfriend hopped in her car and headed towards Glendale, Colorado, a municipality in the southern part of metropolitan Denver. On the way, they had a minor disagreement. She dropped him off at Neil’s, a bar in Glendale, and drove away. It was the last time he would see her.
At 11:25 PM, Jessica’s Mustang was found abandoned with its blinkers on at E. 7th and Jackson Street, a few blocks from Neil’s. When police inspected the scene, they noticed there was damage to the exterior of the car as if a minor accident had occurred. Witnesses reported that Jessica had been kidnapped from the site by multiple men, and at least one article mentions that two cars were involved. Police suspected that someone had crashed into her car intentionally as a ruse to get her to pull over and then abducted her.
On Saturday afternoon, two passersby were playing in the snow along U.S. 36 in Larrimer County and found a nude body about 50 feet from the road. This area is north of Denver, close to Rocky Mountain National Park, and approximately a 1.5 hour drive from where Jessica’s car was abandoned. The autopsy later revealed Jessica had died from blunt force trauma to the head. Although one article in the Denver Post stated there were no signs of sexual assault, a later article in the Fort Collins Coloradoan clarified that investigators believe she was sexually assaulted, although there is no forensic evidence proving so. Some reports state that the trauma to Jessica’s body may have been from her jumping from a moving vehicle, but this is merely speculation. Jessica’s clothes were recovered scattered along the highway near where her body was found.
At the scene, law enforcement found tire tracks indicating someone had backed up a vehicle and dumped Jessica’s body down an embankment. The other notable clue was not one, but two sets of footprints in the snow near the body, consistent with witnesses’ assertions that there were multiple men at the scene of her abduction.
Despite composite sketches of two of the men seen at the accident scene, law enforcement never named any suspects. Jessica’s case soon went cold.
Another Murder, Five Years Later
On February 12, 1994, Rhonda Maloney, 25, finished her shift as a waitress at Harrah’s Casino in Central City and headed towards her home in Adams County. Robert Eliot Harlan, 29, pulled his car alongside hers and ran her off the road near the intersection of I-76 and I-25. Once she had stopped the car, Harlan threatened Maloney with a gun. He dragged her from the car and proceeded to rape her repeatedly.
Mother of three Jaquie Creazzo was on her way to pick up her father around 5:45 AM. The sun had not yet risen, but in the darkness she noticed the two cars haphazardly on the side of the ramp to northbound I-25, one with blinkers on. She slowed down and caught a glimpse of a blonde woman fleeing one of the cars; the terrified expression on her face made Creazzo come to a complete stop. Maloney ran to Creazzo’s car and jumped in, telling her she’d been run off the road and then raped for hours by a man with a gun.
Creazzo immediately headed toward the local police station. Harlan had not given up; he was in hot pursuit, and a dangerous chase ensued on the icy road. Harlan pulled alongside Creazzo’s Cadillac and fired several rounds into the driver’s side, hitting Creazzo in her face, knee, and spine. She tried to steer but she lost control, crossed the median, and came to a stop on the lawn of her destination, the Thornton Police station. Behind the wheel, Creazzo was still conscious but covered in blood, unable to move and spitting out teeth. Harlan appeared, telling Creazzo not to tell anyone about Maloney, saying he would find her and kill her if she did. She watched helplessly as Harlan pulled Maloney from the passenger’s seat and sped off.
Creazzo would later tell the Los Angeles Times, “Being paralyzed is a small price to pay to get this person, actually if you want to call him a person, off the street.”
Creazzo provided police with a description of the perpetrator and the car, helping to generate leads. In the meantime, Darryl Harlan, Robert’s brother, had seen reports about Maloney’s murder on the news and he made a horrific realization. Robert had shown up at Darryl’s house at 8 AM the morning of the murder, wearing bloody sweatpants. Darryl asked Robert if he had vomited on himself. That morning, Robert left his bloody clothes and an unloaded gun at his brother’s house. On February 15th, Darryl approached their father, a Denver police detective, and shared his suspicions. Detective Belt Harlan Jr. bagged the items his son Robert had left at his son Darryl’s house. According to Darryl, the two of them then broke down and cried at the realization of what Robert may have done. Detective Harlan then took the bagged items directly to Denver Police Chief David Michaud, and Robert Harlan was arrested that day.
Harlan was in custody, but Maloney was still missing and Harlan provided the cops with no new information. Maloney’s purse was recovered by the side of a road. A local Aurora man who saw a news report about the recovered purse and the ongoing search believed the cops were searching in the wrong place. A San Francisco Examiner article entitled, “Amateur sleuth locates body in record time,” describes how Loyal Burner mapped out the area and initiated his own search. Although police had been searching for a week, Burner found Rhonda Maloney’s nude body in 1 ½ hours near the town of Watkins, east of Denver.
Maloney’s autopsy revealed she had been severely beaten, with several fractures to her skull, and had injuries consistent with sexual assault. Cause of death was determined to be a gunshot to the head.
The Suspect
Given the similarities in M.O., law enforcement in Larimer County named Harlan a suspect in Jessica Arredondo’s abduction and murder.
At first glance, Robert Harlan may have seemed like an unlikely perpetrator. He had stable employment. He was the son of a Denver police detective and seemed to have solid family ties. Indeed, both his brother and his father testified in his defense during the sentencing phase of his trial.
But even a brief look into Harlan’s past revealed a history of harassment and violence against women. The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reported that Harlan was on parole and in a sex offender program at the time of the murder. Although I could not determine what precipitated this sentence, a separate article mentioned he had been arrested for using a stun gun on his then-wife. The month before he killed Rhonda Maloney, a psychologist who had been treating Harlan for a year wrote letters to Harlan’s probation officer and a judge, recommending that he be supervised more closely because he was a danger to the community. Harlan had a parole revocation hearing scheduled two days after Maloney was killed.
A second rather damning fact was that Harlan was working as an operator at U.S. West, where Jessica Arredondo had worked. In fact, he had been in that position for eight years and had worked alongside Jessica. Harlan’s history at work soon grabbed headlines, as the Maloney trial galvanized 39 women who had worked at U.S. West to hire a lawyer and seek a $22 million settlement. They claimed Harlan made lewd comments, touched them inappropriately, and harassed them, creating a hostile and un unsafe work environment. At one point, he brought a gun to work. He stalked one of his co-workers, and she obtained a restraining order against him. The women claimed their fear of Harlan escalated after Arredondo’s disappearance, yet U.S. West never took action against Harlan.
The Only Suspect?
Larimer County Sheriff’s Department investigator John Toppenberg was quoted in the news during the Maloney trial. The judge excluded any evidence about the Arrendondo murder during the Maloney trial. Regarding Harlan, Toppenberg claimed “He is our only suspect. He is our prime suspect. It is our view that he killed Jessica Arrendondo.” To this day, no other suspects have been named.
If you recall, however, there were two sets of footprints where Jessica’s body was found. Another article also states that not one, but two cars were observed driving her off the road the night she went missing, and that police believed three men were involved; two composite sketches were released to the press. Harlan may be the only suspect they have identified, but it seems he is not the only suspect involved.
Harlan’s Fate
On June 20, 1995, Harlan was found guilty of Maloney’s kidnapping, rape, and murder, as well as the attempted murder of Jaquie Creazzo. In September, he was sentenced to death by lethal injection. At the time Harlan was sentenced, no one had been executed in Colorado since 1967, and only a couple of men were on death row. Gary Lee Davis was executed in 1997, however, and for crimes similar to Harlan’s: the kidnapping, rape, and murder of Virginia Ray. Given the governor had refused to grant Davis clemency, this likely raised Harlan’s fear that he too may be put to death. He appealed his convictions and the sentence, filing several briefs about voir dire, the suitability of various jurors, whether or not a change of venue was warranted, instructions given to jurors, and other typical appeals that were all denied.
In 2003, Harlan again appealed his death sentence. This time, the filing had teeth. Jurors had brought Bibles into the jury room while deliberating his sentence in 1995, considering passages such as the oft-quoted “eye for an eye” during the discussion. It is against state law for jurors to consider outside materials irrelevant to the case during deliberation. (Further, it seems wildly inappropriate and unconstitutional to weigh a particular religion’s belief in such a determination.) In a 3-2 decision, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled this was a violation of Harlan’s rights. Because this happened during the sentencing phase, not the guilt phase, his conviction was upheld but his sentence was overturned. The U.S. Supreme Court later refused to reinstate the death sentence for Harlan.
Other victims?
One article noted that there are over 35 unsolved homicides of young women in the Denver area in between 1975 and 1995, a period which would have included Harlan’s viable killing years. There are several young women who were murdered and found nude by roadsides preceding and following Arredondo’s death. Because both Arrendondo’s and Maloney’s deaths do not adhere to a clear pattern—the first seemingly a gang rape and murder, the second interrupted by Jacquie Creazzo’s heroic act—I think it is difficult to assign a complete MO to Harlan or to know how he would have behaved without the interference of others. I assume Harlan’s DNA is in CODIS, but it is unclear whether DNA from these various cold cases (or Jessica's, for that matter) has been processed.
Do you think Harlan was involved in the killing of Jessica Arredondo?
A very long shot, but do you know of any perpetrators in the Denver area at the time that could have been involved in Jessica's disappearance (either ties to Harlan or similar MO)?
Do you think Harlan is a serial killer? Are there other cases you think Harlan is a good match for?
If you have any information on abduction and murder of Jessica Arredondo, please contact the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office at Larimer County Sheriff's Department at 1 (970) 498-5100.
Sources
https://apps.colorado.gov/apps/coldcase/casedetail.html?id=1425
http://blogs.denverpost.com/coldcases/2010/07/25/killers-rammed-car-kidnapped-young-woman-and-tossed-body/1637/3/
https://www.pomc.com/mw_stories_1-19/jessica_arredondo.html
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-11-20-mn-64850-story.html
https://www.denverpost.com/2005/12/19/killer-harlan-gets-life-without-parole/
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/co-supreme-court/1026772.html
Newspaper sources (sorry, no links)
“Suspect has history of sex offenses,” Daily Sentinel. February 18, 1994
“Amateur sleuth locates body in record time,” San Francisco Examiner. February 21, 1994
“Kidnap-murder link strong,” Daily Sentinel. February 22, 1994
“Results of autopsy on slain waitress won’t be given until suspect’s hearing,” Daily Sentinel. February 23, 1994
“Harlan suspected in ’88 slaying,” Fort Collins Coloradoan. June 24, 1995.
“Murderer’s policeman father expected to be final witness,” Daily Sentinel. June 28, 1995
“Harlan sentenced to death in murder,” Fort Collins Coloradoan. July 2, 1995
“Killer’s former co-workers plan suit,” Daily Sentinel. July 6, 1995
EDIT: Changed spelling of Jaquie Creazzo's name. Although it also appears as "Jacquie" in several places, I switched to the spelling in the legal document.

Hi everyone, I posted a few weeks back about starting to write a series about my adventures on the road - to inspire! I just finished the first section of my first story. This part takes place from 1 sunset to the next - adventures of 1 day on the road. This is part of a longer segment about a road trip to Coachella.... I hope you enjoy: ps. any feedback greatly appreciated
It’s 4:45pm on a cold April evening in Boston, I’m counting the minutes and seconds 'till I can dart out of my office and head to the airport. I have my carry on bag and backpack with me at my desk, and my mind is far from work. My father, who happened to be in the city for meetings, is waiting outside to take me to the airport. The clock strikes 5 and I am gone before the big hand ticks again. I smoke a quick spliff on the sidewalk around the corner and then hop in my father’s car - I’m officially on vacation. He drops me off, we say our goodbyes, and I arrive at the airport with enough time to have 2 beers before my flight. As I sit in my window seat waiting for takeoff, I slowly watch the sunset over the Boston skyline, only imagining what the next couple of sun sets will look like from the west. I couldn’t imagine everything I would see before the next time the sun set. The plane took off at 8pm. I’m usually the type of person to stare out the window for the entire plane ride, so much so that I usually leave the plane with a sore neck - but for this flight I knew I should sleep so I could be energized for what lay ahead. I managed to sleep for about 2 hours on the plane. I woke up to the captain calling for the final descent into Denver. We touched down in Denver in the midst of a late spring snow storm, 10:30pm local time. Syd was already at the Terminal West pickup zone waiting for me with his bags packed. We make a couple of quick stops to prep for the road (munchies and what-not) and off we went - headed West. The clock strikes Midnight as we get on the highway - it’s now officially 4/20 in Colorado, I’m overwhelmed with joy, excitement, and weed smoke. Syd took the initiative and picked up an ounce for our trip - each gram was in its own bag which was odd at the time but came in handy later on in the trip. Just a few hours ago, I was in my cubicle - now I’m in Denver on 4/20, every adolescents dream. This was just the very beginning.
Exiting Denver heading West, I started to notice the drastic change in landscape. Denver sits at the very edge of the plains that spread across middle America from Pennsylvania to literally Denver. East of Denver is plains, farmland, and corn for 1,500 miles. Each farm and cornfield a spitting image of the previous one. West of Denver is the most beautiful, drastic, diverse scenery all the way to the Pacific Ocean. You have what seems like unlimited options to choose from once passing through the rockies - head southwest for desert, head norwest for ancient forests and god’s country, head directly west for a mix of both and everything in between. This trip we were going southwest. We zoomed into the rockies with snow getting heavier by the minute. I started to get nervous but remembered how I was here back in February with the same road conditions and the same fright. I then remembered how well Syd could handle these roads, so I chilled out. We passed by Loveland, Arapahoe Basin, and Keystone ski resorts, and I started to reflect about my 2 weeks of snowboarding here only 2 months prior in February. I thought about how I would love to snowboard here again one day. Little did I know, I would be working for Keystone the following Winter (more on that later).
With Keystone in our rear view, we quickly approached Breckenridge, then Copper, then Vail, and then Beaver Creek. Coming from the East Coast it was hard to believe that all of these world class resorts were all within 45 minutes of each other. You can drive 10 minutes in any direction in Summit County, Colorado and arrive at a world class resort. Once we passed Beaver Creek the snow started to subside and you could see dirt and grass start to be evermore present. A relief from the harsh storm. I was now more relaxed and slept for an hour or 2. I woke up to see an array of lights in the near distance, a massive city- like region as far as the eyes could see. We were approaching Grand Junction, CO, a city declared in the late 1800s as a “grand” junction of the mighty Colorado River and it’s largest tributary, the Gunnison River. Grand Junction is Colorado’s wine country and the closest civilization to Grand Mesa, the world's largest flat-topped mountain which covers hundreds of miles. I was in awe as it seemed to go on forever. We passed through Grand Junction and immediately crossed over into Utah around 4AM, and I took the wheel.
One thing that strikes me about these Western states is you can actually see and feel yourself crossing into another state without there being any formal notice or signs. The way the land drastically changes is amazing. As soon as we entered Utah everything around us started getting more colorful. The brown dirt changed to red clay, the tan grass of Western Colorado quickly changed to green cactuses (or cacti?). The snowy mountains changed to rainbow-colored hills and otherworldly rock formations. I felt like I had just left planet earth and landed on Mars. “This is the coolest place ever” I said to Syd. I continued on in admiration for about an hour, then I could see the very first sign of the sun rising in my rearview mirror. What I thought was beautiful before instantly appeared way more spectacular. I was in awe, trying to soak everything there was to see. I’m lucky that I didn’t drift off the road during these gazes, but luckily the Utah highway was straight and flat, with no other cars at this hour. Each and every minute grew more beautiful as the sun rose higher and higher in my mirrors. It seemed as if the sun was chasing us from the east as we bolted west at a steady 80mph. Once the sun was about halfway up the horizon behind us everything started to brighten up from the darkness of the night. I pulled over at a rest stop to climb a hill and watch the sunrise over the utah desert. I found a boulder at the top of the hill perched over a valley, and watched the sun slowly illuminate hundreds of miles of desert. I will never forget it. Now that it was bright as day, I hopped back into the driver’s seat and continued on. Syd woke up from a snooze; I tried to describe what I had just witnessed but no words could do justice. From there on, I pulled over at every scenic viewpoint that we came across, which seemed like every 10 minutes. They each got better and better the further into Utah we ventured. Sand Bench, Ivie Creek, Devil’s Canyon, Ghost Rock, Spotted Wolf, San Rafael Reef, Black Dragon Canyon, and Crescent Junction to name a few. We probably lost an hour off of our ETA for these stops, but to me they were priceless, and I didn’t care the least. By this time it was around 8am and the temperature had now reached a comfortable 70 degrees. From here the windows would be down for the rest of the trip.
After about 8 hours of cruising I-70 from the snowy Rocky Mountains through the Utah desert, we passed through Fishlake National Forest in Salina, UT and pulled onto interstate 15 to start heading South. The desert had now transformed into an oasis with green grasses growing, wildflowers budding, trees waving in the gentle wind, and chirping birds greeting the morning. It was like entering a whole different environment yet there was still snow capped mountains in the near distance. I could smell the beautiful scent of the valley and everything it had to offer. I thought to myself how bad the streets of Boston stunk where my office was located, and how amazing this often overlooked section of the country had been so far. Syd was well rested at this point so we pulled over, took our shoes off to walk around the soft warm grass, had a quick beer while soaking in the morning, and hopped back on the road - Syd driving now. We only drove for about 10 minutes until we saw Our next stop was Zion National Park.
We approached Zion National Park from the north, so we were able to get in without paying the national park dues. As we approached Zion, I was convinced that I had already seen the beauty of Utah, and that Zion National Park was going to look like the beautiful valley that we were in during our approach. I was wrong. We traversed the winding road that leads into the northwestern park of the park and then she revealed herself. The sheer beauty of this valley is almost indescribable, and only the finest poets could barely do justice. All of a sudden we were hundreds of feet above this majestic garden of eden. Both Syd and I had to pick our jaws up from the car floor, and still remained speechless after that. We pulled the car over and sat there in awe and tried to absorb all the beauty that was in front of us. It reminded me of the old childs movie “The Land Before Time”. I imagined pterodactyls soaring above the cliffs, gazing over all sorts of other dinosaurs that roamed the valley floor. There were emerald rivers below me and massive cliff walls surrounding me with trees and plants growing everywhere. Every color on the spectrum could be seen in this little speck nature. I pictured the natives who used to call this place home and how it must have felt to discover this desert oasis. I felt one with nature here. Syd and I must have spent an hour sitting here and admiring this beauty. We had to get going so I took one last gaze, and went back in the car. I told myself I would come back here to really explore the place. I sure did, but that adventure comes in a later story.
We left Zion and had Las Vegas in our sights. Zion is only about 2 hours away from Las Vegas, so we planned on that being our next stop/point of interest. Right around this time, about 10AM, we realized that we had left Denver about 10 hours ago and needed some food. We decided we would wait until Vegas, but then all of a sudden a mirage appeared in the desert. “That is a mirage, right Syd?”. “It must be”. I got overwhelmed with excitement as my mouth started watering, the mirage got closer. “That mirage looks pretty real” “But it can’t be...we’re in Utah”. Yup, it was real. I rubbed my eyes to be sure. We pulled up to the Washington, UT exit signs and there was a billboard that read “In-N-Out 1 mile”. I hadn’t been that happy in a while. We checked what time they opened: 10:30 AM, we checked our clock: 10:20 AM. It was a miracle. We smoked a joint and walked in as they were taking down the “closed” sign.
Now here is where I had another “holy shit it’s a small world” moment. Throughout my life I had always had these weird coincidences where I see someone I know while on vacation or somewhere hundreds/thousands of miles away. From seeing a college friend at a resort in Puerto Rico, to sitting next to my hometown buddy on a plane from the DR, to sitting across the table from a classmate in the Bahamas. As I was munching my burger, in the middle of Southerwestern Utah, two people from my highschool walked in. An older couple that was I think 3 years above me. Now we didn’t know each other well enough, so we didn’t speak but we all looked at each other with the “WTF?” eyes, and continued to pretend not to know each other, even though we both knew our stories started in a small coastal town in MA. “What a small world” I thought as I finished my burger (animal style, of course).
We hopped back in the car and in a flash we were in Las Vegas. I was very excited to finally see Las Vegas. I was reminiscing of all the crazy stories ive heard and movies ive seen, portraying this to be the place of no rules where everyone leaves with a crazy story that they can’t tell their mother (I do have a crazy vegas story, but thats from a different road trip). Well, not at 1:00pm I guess. We drove up and down the strip feeling like movie stars with our arms and feet hanging out the window, trying to show off my fake Y-3 shoes (SMH). Vegas is a whole nother world during the day, and there is not much to be excited about. We parked the car at Caesars Palace and roamed around the casino, only to find desperate slot-goers at this hour. It was kind of depressing. After an hour of roaming the strip and fantasizing in the Louis Vuitton and Gucci stores, we decided it was time to leave Vegas. The next time I was in Vegas turned out to be a lot more...fear and loathing-ish, we’ll get to that later.
After Vegas we were ready to get to California. We decided we would only stop for gas from this point on, and set our sites on San Diego. The goal was to race there fast enough to watch the sunset over the Pacific Ocean before heading to Coachella the following day. My cousin lived in San Diego at the time and welcomed us to stay the night at his house before the festival. We drove and drove racing the sun which was starting to gain on us. We crossed into California and kept driving until we hit San Bernardino and came to a complete stop. There was traffic for as far as the eyes could see. “Are you kidding me? LA traffic all the way out here” while it might not have specifically been LA traffic, there was certainly bumper-to-bumper traffic all the way to LA. “wow, people aren’t joking about LA traffic” we laughed. Luckily after only a couple miles we pulled off the exit to head south to San Diego and were back cruising along.
In what seemed like a close race against time, we pulled into Pacific Beach, San Diego right as the sun was reaching the point where it really starts to turn the color of the sky to a pinkish-peach color. It was so beautiful. We paced onto the boardwalk and got a perfect spot to watch the sun set over the surfers trying to catch their last waves before darkness. We stayed and watched in awe until there was no sun left to watch. As we were exiting the boardwalk we were overwhelmed with delicious smells of local vendors preparing food for the night crowd. It felt as if we entered a food truck convention, and thousands of people now fluttered in to get a taste of the local cuisine. We walked around aimlessly smelling and tasting all they had to offer. I had a couple beef and pork tacos and a churro; Syd had a freshly caught fish taco. From there we soaked everything in, breathed a sigh of relief for we had made it and reflected on what an incredible day we just had. From there we went to my cousins loft and relaxed with him, only to begin a new adventure tomorrow.

Hi everyone, I posted a few weeks back about starting to write a series about my adventures on the road - to inspire! I just finished the first section of my first story. This part takes place from 1 sunset to the next - adventures of 1 day on the road. This is part of a longer segment about a road trip to Coachella.... I hope you enjoy:
ps. any feedback greatly appreciated
edit: I misspelled the title :/
It’s 4:45pm on a cold April evening in Boston, I’m counting the minutes and seconds 'till I can dart out of my office and head to the airport. I have my carry on bag and backpack with me at my desk, and my mind is far from work. My father, who happened to be in the city for meetings, is waiting outside to take me to the airport. The clock strikes 5 and I am gone before the big hand ticks again. I smoke a quick spliff on the sidewalk around the corner and then hop in my father’s car - I’m officially on vacation. He drops me off, we say our goodbyes, and I arrive at the airport with enough time to have 2 beers before my flight. As I sit in my window seat waiting for takeoff, I slowly watch the sunset over the Boston skyline, only imagining what the next couple of sun sets will look like from the west. I couldn’t imagine everything I would see before the next time the sun set. The plane took off at 8pm. I’m usually the type of person to stare out the window for the entire plane ride, so much so that I usually leave the plane with a sore neck - but for this flight I knew I should sleep so I could be energized for what lay ahead. I managed to sleep for about 2 hours on the plane. I woke up to the captain calling for the final descent into Denver. We touched down in Denver in the midst of a late spring snow storm, 10:30pm local time. Syd was already at the Terminal West pickup zone waiting for me with his bags packed. We make a couple of quick stops to prep for the road (munchies and what-not) and off we went - headed West. The clock strikes Midnight as we get on the highway - it’s now officially 4/20 in Colorado, I’m overwhelmed with joy, excitement, and weed smoke. Syd took the initiative and picked up an ounce for our trip - each gram was in its own bag which was odd at the time but came in handy later on in the trip. Just a few hours ago, I was in my cubicle - now I’m in Denver on 4/20, every adolescents dream. This was just the very beginning.
​
Exiting Denver heading West, I started to notice the drastic change in landscape. Denver sits at the very edge of the plains that spread across middle America from Pennsylvania to literally Denver. East of Denver is plains, farmland, and corn for 1,500 miles. Each farm and cornfield a spitting image of the previous one. West of Denver is the most beautiful, drastic, diverse scenery all the way to the Pacific Ocean. You have what seems like unlimited options to choose from once passing through the rockies - head southwest for desert, head northwest for ancient forests and god’s country, head directly west for a mix of both and everything in between. This trip we were going southwest. We zoomed into the rockies with snow getting heavier by the minute. I started to get nervous but remembered how I was here back in February with the same road conditions and the same fright. I then remembered how well Syd could handle these roads, so I chilled out. We passed by Loveland, Arapahoe Basin, and Keystone ski resorts, and I started to reflect about my 2 weeks of snowboarding here only 2 months prior in February. I thought about how I would love to snowboard here again one day. Little did I know, I would be working for Keystone the following Winter (more on that later).
​
With Keystone in our rear view, we quickly approached Breckenridge, then Copper, then Vail, and then Beaver Creek. Coming from the East Coast it was hard to believe that all of these world class resorts were all within 45 minutes of each other. You can drive 10 minutes in any direction in Summit County, Colorado and arrive at a world class resort. Once we passed Beaver Creek the snow started to subside and you could see dirt and grass start to be evermore present. A relief from the harsh storm. I was now more relaxed and slept for an hour or 2. I woke up to see an array of lights in the near distance, a massive city- like region as far as the eyes could see. We were approaching Grand Junction, CO, a city declared in the late 1800s as a “grand” junction of the mighty Colorado River and it’s largest tributary, the Gunnison River. Grand Junction is Colorado’s wine country and the closest civilization to Grand Mesa, the world's largest flat-topped mountain which covers hundreds of miles. I was in awe as it seemed to go on forever. We passed through Grand Junction and immediately crossed over into Utah around 4AM, and I took the wheel.
​
One thing that strikes me about these Western states is you can actually see and feel yourself crossing into another state without there being any formal notice or signs. The way the land drastically changes is amazing. As soon as we entered Utah everything around us started getting more colorful. The brown dirt changed to red clay, the tan grass of Western Colorado quickly changed to green cactuses (or cacti?). The snowy mountains changed to rainbow-colored hills and otherworldly rock formations. I felt like I had just left planet earth and landed on Mars. “This is the coolest place ever” I said to Syd. I continued on in admiration for about an hour, then I could see the very first sign of the sun rising in my rearview mirror. What I thought was beautiful before instantly appeared way more spectacular. I was in awe, trying to soak everything there was to see. I’m lucky that I didn’t drift off the road during these gazes, but luckily the Utah highway was straight and flat, with no other cars at this hour. Each and every minute grew more beautiful as the sun rose higher and higher in my mirrors. It seemed as if the sun was chasing us from the east as we bolted west at a steady 80mph. Once the sun was about halfway up the horizon behind us everything started to brighten up from the darkness of the night. I pulled over at a rest stop to climb a hill and watch the sunrise over the utah desert. I found a boulder at the top of the hill perched over a valley, and watched the sun slowly illuminate hundreds of miles of desert. I will never forget it. Now that it was bright as day, I hopped back into the driver’s seat and continued on. Syd woke up from a snooze; I tried to describe what I had just witnessed but no words could do justice. From there on, I pulled over at every scenic viewpoint that we came across, which seemed like every 10 minutes. They each got better and better the further into Utah we ventured. Sand Bench, Ivie Creek, Devil’s Canyon, Ghost Rock, Spotted Wolf, San Rafael Reef, Black Dragon Canyon, and Crescent Junction to name a few. We probably lost an hour off of our ETA for these stops, but to me they were priceless, and I didn’t care the least. By this time it was around 8am and the temperature had now reached a comfortable 70 degrees. From here the windows would be down for the rest of the trip.
​
After about 8 hours of cruising I-70 from the snowy Rocky Mountains through the Utah desert, we passed through Fishlake National Forest in Salina, UT and pulled onto interstate 15 to start heading South. The desert had now transformed into an oasis with green grasses growing, wildflowers budding, trees waving in the gentle wind, and chirping birds greeting the morning. It was like entering a whole different environment yet there was still snow capped mountains in the near distance. I could smell the beautiful scent of the valley and everything it had to offer. I thought to myself how bad the streets of Boston stunk where my office was located, and how amazing this often overlooked section of the country had been so far. Syd was well rested at this point so we pulled over, took our shoes off to walk around the soft warm grass, had a quick beer while soaking in the morning, and hopped back on the road - Syd driving now. We only drove for about 10 minutes until we saw Our next stop was Zion National Park.
​
We approached Zion National Park from the north, so we were able to get in without paying the national park dues. As we approached Zion, I was convinced that I had already seen the beauty of Utah, and that Zion National Park was going to look like the beautiful valley that we were in during our approach. I was wrong. We traversed the winding road that leads into the northwestern park of the park and then she revealed herself. The sheer beauty of this valley is almost indescribable, and only the finest poets could barely do justice. All of a sudden we were hundreds of feet above this majestic garden of eden. Both Syd and I had to pick our jaws up from the car floor, and still remained speechless after that. We pulled the car over and sat there in awe and tried to absorb all the beauty that was in front of us. It reminded me of the old childs movie “The Land Before Time”. I imagined pterodactyls soaring above the cliffs, gazing over all sorts of other dinosaurs that roamed the valley floor. There were emerald rivers below me and massive cliff walls surrounding me with trees and plants growing everywhere. Every color on the spectrum could be seen in this little speck nature. I pictured the natives who used to call this place home and how it must have felt to discover this desert oasis. I felt one with nature here. Syd and I must have spent an hour sitting here and admiring this beauty. We had to get going so I took one last gaze, and went back in the car. I told myself I would come back here to really explore the place. I sure did, but that adventure comes in a later story.
​
​
We left Zion and had Las Vegas in our sights. Zion is only about 2 hours away from Las Vegas, so we planned on that being our next stop/point of interest. Right around this time, about 10AM, we realized that we had left Denver about 10 hours ago and needed some food. We decided we would wait until Vegas, but then all of a sudden a mirage appeared in the desert. “That *is* a mirage, right Syd?”. “It must be”. I got overwhelmed with excitement as my mouth started watering, the mirage got closer. “That mirage looks pretty real” “But it can’t be...we’re in Utah”. Yup, it was real. I rubbed my eyes to be sure. We pulled up to the Washington, UT exit signs and there was a billboard that read “In-N-Out 1 mile”. I hadn’t been that happy in a while. We checked what time they opened: 10:30 AM, we checked our clock: 10:20 AM. It was a miracle. We smoked a joint and walked in as they were taking down the “closed” sign.
​
Now here is where I had another “holy shit it’s a small world” moment. Throughout my life I had always had these weird coincidences where I see someone I know while on vacation or somewhere hundreds/thousands of miles away. From seeing a college friend at a resort in Puerto Rico, to sitting next to my hometown buddy on a plane from the DR, to sitting across the table from a classmate in the Bahamas. As I was munching my burger, in the middle of Southerwestern Utah, two people from my highschool walked in. An older couple that was I think 3 years above me. Now we didn’t know each other well enough, so we didn’t speak but we all looked at each other with the “WTF?” eyes, and continued to pretend not to know each other, even though we both knew our stories started in a small coastal town in MA. “What a small world” I thought as I finished my burger (animal style, of course).
​
We hopped back in the car and in a flash we were in Las Vegas. I was very excited to finally see Las Vegas. I was reminiscing of all the crazy stories ive heard and movies ive seen, portraying this to be the place of no rules where everyone leaves with a crazy story that they can’t tell their mother (I do have a crazy vegas story, but thats from a different road trip). Well, not at 1:00pm I guess. We drove up and down the strip feeling like movie stars with our arms and feet hanging out the window, trying to show off my fake Y-3 shoes (SMH). Vegas is a whole nother world during the day, and there is not much to be excited about. We parked the car at Caesars Palace and roamed around the casino, only to find desperate slot-goers at this hour. It was kind of depressing. After an hour of roaming the strip and fantasizing in the Louis Vuitton and Gucci stores, we decided it was time to leave Vegas. The next time I was in Vegas turned out to be a lot more...fear and loathing-ish, we’ll get to that later.
​
After Vegas we were ready to get to California. We decided we would only stop for gas from this point on, and set our sites on San Diego. The goal was to race there fast enough to watch the sunset over the Pacific Ocean before heading to Coachella the following day. My cousin lived in San Diego at the time and welcomed us to stay the night at his house before the festival. We drove and drove racing the sun which was starting to gain on us. We crossed into California and kept driving until we hit San Bernardino and came to a complete stop. There was traffic for as far as the eyes could see. “Are you kidding me? LA traffic all the way out here” while it might not have specifically been LA traffic, there was certainly bumper-to-bumper traffic all the way to LA. “wow, people aren’t joking about LA traffic” we laughed. Luckily after only a couple miles we pulled off the exit to head south to San Diego and were back cruising along.
​
In what seemed like a close race against time, we pulled into Pacific Beach, San Diego right as the sun was reaching the point where it really starts to turn the color of the sky to a pinkish-peach color. It was so beautiful. We paced onto the boardwalk and got a perfect spot to watch the sun set over the surfers trying to catch their last waves before darkness. We stayed and watched in awe until there was no sun left to watch. As we were exiting the boardwalk we were overwhelmed with delicious smells of local vendors preparing food for the night crowd. It felt as if we entered a food truck convention, and thousands of people now fluttered in to get a taste of the local cuisine. We walked around aimlessly smelling and tasting all they had to offer. I had a couple beef and pork tacos and a churro; Syd had a freshly caught fish taco. From there we soaked everything in, breathed a sigh of relief for we had made it and reflected on what an incredible day we just had. From there we went to my cousins loft and relaxed with him, only to begin a new adventure tomorrow.

Oklahoma City's event list.

Wednesday, Aug 22nd

• Bi-Weekly Meetup (51st st. Speakeasy - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 5:00pm
• Canadian County Fair (El Reno) Thru Sat, Aug 25th The four-day Canadian County Fair, an annual tradition in El Reno since 1914, features a carnival filled with high-flying…
• 🎭 The Comedy, Magic & Mentalism of Max Krause (Max's Magic Theatre - OKC - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 6:45pm Ages 5+
• 🎓 DAV Mobile Service Office Van Visit (DAV Chapter Home - Chickasha) Start Time: 9:00am One of the various services DAV provides at no cost to veterans is our Mobile Service Office (MSO) Program. These “offices-on-wheels” travel to under-served communities across the country to help veterans and their families obtain the services and benefits they have earned. Staffed by highly trained DAV National Service Officers, our MSOs…
• 🏆 Oklahoma City Dodgers vs. Omaha Storm Chasers (Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark - Oklahoma City) 1 day left Start Time: 7:05pm Come experience America's favorite pastime in downtown Oklahoma City as the OKC Dodgers take on the Omaha Storm…
• DOXA Extreme Rodeo (Winter Creek Farms - Alex) Thru Sun, Aug 26th This August, gather up your crew and head to Winter Creek Farms in Alex for a unique and exciting rodeo…
• Just Between Friends (Oklahoma State Fair Park - Oklahoma City) Thru Sat, Aug 25th If you have a growing family or are planning for one, the Just Between Friends sale, held at Oklahoma State Fair Park, is…
• Parents Supporting Parents (Mental Health Association Oklahoma main office - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 6:00pm This group is for caretakers and parents who are supporting an individual managing the complications often associated with having a pervasive development disorder such as autism or aspergers disorder. This group will also provide education and support to those parents who have loved ones with diagnosed or undiagnosed mental, emotional,…
• 😂 Quinn Dahle (Loony Bin Comedy Club - Oklahoma City) Thru Sat, Aug 25th
• Sense and Sensibility (Paseo - Oklahoma City) Thru Sat, Aug 25th Head to OKC's Paseo District as Oklahoma Shakespeare brings Kate Hamill's adaptation of Sense and Sensibility to…
• 🎓 Western Movie Matinee on Wide Open Wednesdays (Western Heritage Museum - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 1:00pm 1:00 p.m. Dub and Mozelle Richardson Theater Join us for these curated selections made possible with support from an anonymous donor and Oklahoma City University’s Center for Interpersonal Studies through Film & Literature. Popcorn provided. Museum admission free to all on Wide Open Wednesdays courtesy of the Oklahoma Ford Dealers.
  8.1 - 8.22…
  
• WWII Edmond: Housewives on the Homefront (Edmond Historical Society - Edmond) Thru Sat, Aug 25th Start Time: 10:00am War affected everything for women. Some women during WWII went to work for the military or in factories–but more women stayed home. Housewives living in Edmond, Oklahoma made sacrifices and conformed to the government’s requests in order to help soldiers overseas. By spending wisely, saving everything, and keeping the country’s spirits up…
  

Thursday, Aug 23rd

• ♪ Adam Miller, Aron Holt, And Aaron Newman (VZD's - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 8:00pm
• Canadian County Fair (El Reno) Thru Sat, Aug 25th The four-day Canadian County Fair, an annual tradition in El Reno since 1914, features a carnival filled with high-flying…
• 🎭 The Comedy, Magic & Mentalism of Max Krause 13+ (Max's Magic Theatre - OKC - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 9:15pm 13+ Ages
• OK County Free Fair (Oklahoma State Fair Park - Oklahoma City) Thru Sat, Aug 25th The OK County Free Fair in Oklahoma City gives festival-goers the opportunity to see who's got the best of the best.…
• 🎓 DAV Mobile Service Office Van Visit (Oklahoma Veterans Center - Norman) Start Time: 9:00am One of the various services DAV provides at no cost to veterans is our Mobile Service Office (MSO) Program. These “offices-on-wheels” travel to under-served communities across the country to help veterans and their families obtain the services and benefits they have earned. Staffed by highly trained DAV National Service Officers, our MSOs…
• 🏆 Oklahoma City Dodgers vs. Omaha Storm Chasers (Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark - Oklahoma City) Last Day Start Time: 7:05pm Come experience America's favorite pastime in downtown Oklahoma City as the OKC Dodgers take on the Omaha Storm…
• DOXA Extreme Rodeo (Winter Creek Farms - Alex) Thru Sun, Aug 26th This August, gather up your crew and head to Winter Creek Farms in Alex for a unique and exciting rodeo…
• Just Between Friends (Oklahoma State Fair Park - Oklahoma City) Thru Sat, Aug 25th If you have a growing family or are planning for one, the Just Between Friends sale, held at Oklahoma State Fair Park, is…
• 😂 Quinn Dahle (Loony Bin Comedy Club - Oklahoma City) Thru Sat, Aug 25th
• Saints Sessions (Saints - Oklahoma City) Head to the Plaza District each Thursday for an evening of Saints Sessions programming. Visit Saints Pub in Oklahoma City on…
• ♪ Saloon Series (Western Heritage Museum - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 5:30pm 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Every Thursday in July & August Prosperity Junction One of the most ever-present features of the Old West was the saloon, an icon of American popular culture that has come to symbolize the rugged frontier. The Silver Dollar Saloon and Prosperity Junction take center stage during the Museum’s “Saloon Series.” During happy…
• Sense and Sensibility (Paseo - Oklahoma City) Thru Sat, Aug 25th Head to OKC's Paseo District as Oklahoma Shakespeare brings Kate Hamill's adaptation of Sense and Sensibility to…
• ♪ Shannon McNally CD Release With Brett Hughs (The Blue Door - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 8:00pm
• 🏃 SMG and SAVOR CAREER FAIR 2018 (Cox Convention Center - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 3:00pm SMG and SAVOR CAREER FAIR 2018 August 23 from 3:00pm - 6:30pm Jobs available now in live entertainment! APPLY ONLINE PRIOR TO THE JOB FAIR! SMG and SAVOR… are seeking professionals to join an exciting and challenging team working for events at Chesapeake Energy Arena and Cox Convention Center. We are conducting on-the-spot interviews for the…
• 🏆 Surf and Turf at The Bricktown Brewery at Remington Park (Remington Park - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 4:00pm
• 🎓 Moore Toastmasters (1st United Methodist Church - Moore) Start Time: 7:00pm Do you cringe at the thought of being in front of a room communicating? Maybe you have no idea how to construct your thoughts for your next business meeting?
  Come and join toastmasters and learn the art of public speaking and leadership. It is a safe and great learning environment for you to start or refine your public speaking skills. There…
  
• 🎭 UCO Dance Masterclass with Kellie St. Pierre (University of Central Oklahoma - Edmond) Start Time: 7:00pm
  
• WWII Edmond: Housewives on the Homefront (Edmond Historical Society - Edmond) Thru Sat, Aug 25th Start Time: 10:00am War affected everything for women. Some women during WWII went to work for the military or in factories–but more women stayed home. Housewives living in Edmond, Oklahoma made sacrifices and conformed to the government’s requests in order to help soldiers overseas. By spending wisely, saving everything, and keeping the country’s spirits up…
  

Friday, Aug 24th

• 😂 2nd Annual ABLE Comedy Night: Comedy for a Cause (The Mercury - Norman) Start Time: 6:00pm Join us for a night of laughs, yummy food and great drinks, all benefiting ABLE! At ABLE, our mission is to enable people with developmental disabilities to lead meaningful lives.
• 🎓 Edmond Ambucs Friday Luncheon (University of Central Oklahoma - Edmond) Start Time: 12:00pm The Edmond Chapter Ambucs “creating mobility & independence for people with disabilities” hosts a weekly luncheon every Friday. Please join us at 12PM Noon, UCO Nigh Center, Cherokee Room. We also meet the 2nd Tues. night monthly, 5:30PM, Rock & Brews, 2737 W. Memorial Rd. for $5 burgers & FREE appetizers. More info., call (405)820-9667.
• An Act of God (Pollard Theatre - Guthrie) Thru Sat, Sep 8th Get ready for a night of heavenly comedy as the Pollard Theatre presents: An Act of God. This hilarious performance features…
• Blanchard Bluegrass Festival (Lions Park - Blanchard) Day 1 of 2 There's fun for the whole family as over ten of the best bluegrass bands in Oklahoma perform at the annual Blanchard…
• Canadian County Fair (El Reno) 1 day left The four-day Canadian County Fair, an annual tradition in El Reno since 1914, features a carnival filled with high-flying…
• 🏆 CBMC Family Night at the Ballpark (Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 6:00pm CBMC Night at the OKC Dodgers Ballpark Bring the whole family to CBMC night at the OKC Dodgers baseball game. Enjoy tickets to the game, OKC Dodgers ball caps for everyone and Pizza. Come cheer on the OKC Dodgers, and enjoy fellowship with other CBMC men and their families. Let's enjoy a relaxing night out!
• OK County Free Fair (Oklahoma State Fair Park - Oklahoma City) 1 day left The OK County Free Fair in Oklahoma City gives festival-goers the opportunity to see who's got the best of the best.…
• 🏆 Oklahoma City Dodgers vs. Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark - Oklahoma City) Thru Mon, Aug 27th Start Time: 7:05pm Come experience America's favorite pastime in downtown Oklahoma City as the OKC Dodgers take on the Colorado Springs…
• DOXA Extreme Rodeo (Winter Creek Farms - Alex) Thru Sun, Aug 26th This August, gather up your crew and head to Winter Creek Farms in Alex for a unique and exciting rodeo…
• Fiesta Friday (Calle Dos Cinco - Oklahoma City) Celebrate the rich culture of the Historic Capitol Hill area in Oklahoma City this summer. Each month, Calle Dos Cinco…
• Food Truck Fridays (Moore Central Park - Moore) Sample a variety of tasty, creative eats served up fresh from food trucks on hand. At Food Truck Fridays in Moore, line up…
• Just Between Friends (Oklahoma State Fair Park - Oklahoma City) 1 day left If you have a growing family or are planning for one, the Just Between Friends sale, held at Oklahoma State Fair Park, is…
• Murder Mystery Weekend: Till Death Do We Part (Western Heritage Museum - Oklahoma City) Day 1 of 2 Start Time: 5:30pm 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. Prosperity Junction You are cordially invited to an immersive Western Wedding Murder Mystery dinner. Help solve the mystery by seeking out pre-determined objectives in your assigned role. Character sheets are handed out at 5:30 p.m. check-in prior to festivities. Three-course dinner with cash bar prepared by The Petroleum Club…
• Norma Jean in Concert (89th Street Collective - Oklahoma City) Metalcore band Norma Jean will tour in support of their latest "Polar Similar" album. Inspired by Marilyn…
• 🏆 Oklahoma Cattlemen's Assn. Ranch Rodeo (Lazy E Arena - Guthrie) Day 1 of 2 Start Time: 7:00pm The OCA Ranch Rodeo (formerly Range Round-Up) features 12 historic Oklahoma ranch teams in head to head competition for bruises and bragging rights. The Ranch Rodeo is comprised of six events depicting day-to-day ranching jobs. The competition is fierce as ranches compete for a year's worth of bragging rights and a few team awards. A portion of…
• 😂 Open Mic Night (Don Quixote Club - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 7:30pm Every Friday is open mic comedy at Don Quixote's! Come see Oklahoma City's up and coming talent. If you're a comedian, sign up begins at 7:30. Show at 8. Stick around for the best karaoke in the city.
• 😂 Quinn Dahle (Loony Bin Comedy Club - Oklahoma City) 1 day left
• River Tour (Narrated) (Oklahoma River Cruises - Oklahoma City) Day 1 of 2 Start Time: 6:00pm Escape the Ordinary, learn about OKC from a different point of view. Relax in the climate controlled cabin on one of our 65’ cruisers, or enjoy the breeze on the viewing deck and listen to the guided commentary while you enjoy a drink from the bar. Indulgence and relaxation aren’t the only purpose of this cruise. During the tour you’ll…
• 🎭 Ruthless - The Musical (The Boom - Oklahoma City) Day 1 of 2 Start Time: 8:00pm
• Sense and Sensibility (Paseo - Oklahoma City) 1 day left Head to OKC's Paseo District as Oklahoma Shakespeare brings Kate Hamill's adaptation of Sense and Sensibility to…
• 🎭 Victim of Retirement (Ted's Escondido - Oklahoma City) We are so excited for this summer! Don't miss the chance to see 'Victim of Retirement!' This hilarious show is fun for all ages so book your birthday, anniversary, girls night, life group, or just-for-fun night out now!
• Wheeler Summer Music Series (Oklahoma City) Start Time: 7:00pm Gather under the Wheeler Ferris Wheel lights as local bands take the stage this summer. Make plans to attend the Wheeler…
• WWII Edmond: Housewives on the Homefront (Edmond Historical Society - Edmond) 1 day left Start Time: 10:00am War affected everything for women. Some women during WWII went to work for the military or in factories–but more women stayed home. Housewives living in Edmond, Oklahoma made sacrifices and conformed to the government’s requests in order to help soldiers overseas. By spending wisely, saving everything, and keeping the country’s spirits up…

Saturday, Aug 25th

• AMP Festival (Noir Bistro & Bar - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 12:00pm Gather in Film Row this August and celebrate the power of women and creativity at the AMP Festival.
  Short for Art,…
  
• An Act of God (Pollard Theatre - Guthrie) Thru Sat, Sep 8th Get ready for a night of heavenly comedy as the Pollard Theatre presents: An Act of God. This hilarious performance features…
  
• Bikers Against Child Abuse Smash-n-Grub Fundraiser (American Legion Post 170 - Midwest City) Start Time: 11:00am Bikers Against Child Abuse, Inc. (B.A.C.A.) exists with the intent to create a safer environment for abused children. We exist as a body of Bikers to empower children to not feel afraid of the world in which they live. We stand ready to lend support to our wounded friends by involving them with an established, united organization. We work in…
  
• Blanchard Bluegrass Festival (Lions Park - Blanchard) Day 2 of 2 There's fun for the whole family as over ten of the best bluegrass bands in Oklahoma perform at the annual Blanchard…
  
• ♪ Byron Berline Band (Double Stop Music Hall - Guthrie) Start Time: 7:00pm Enjoy and evening of award winning Bluegrass Music by the Byron Berline Band. Homemade pie from Manna Eatery avaliable at intermission
  
• Canadian County Fair (El Reno) Last Day The four-day Canadian County Fair, an annual tradition in El Reno since 1914, features a carnival filled with high-flying…
  
• ♪ The Centennial Rodeo Opry (Rodeo Opry - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 7:00pm Adults - $15.00 Children 7 -12 years - $7.50 Children 6 years & younger - FREE *Call box office for military discounts and ADA seating
  
• OK County Free Fair (Oklahoma State Fair Park - Oklahoma City) Last Day The OK County Free Fair in Oklahoma City gives festival-goers the opportunity to see who's got the best of the best.…
  
• 🏃 DCS Back to School 5k/ 1mile Fun Run (Del City) $25 7:00 am 5k start
  Door prizes.
  Age group awards.
  The course will start and finish on the Destiny Christian campus.
  Guaranteed T-shirt to first 100 entries.
  
• Deep Deuce Sessions (Deep Deuce - Oklahoma City) Best known for its rich history steeped in jazz and blues, the Deep Deuce District has recently revived its historic music…
  
• 🏆 Oklahoma City Dodgers vs. Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark - Oklahoma City) Thru Mon, Aug 27th Start Time: 7:05pm Come experience America's favorite pastime in downtown Oklahoma City as the OKC Dodgers take on the Colorado Springs…
  
• DOXA Extreme Rodeo (Winter Creek Farms - Alex) 1 day left This August, gather up your crew and head to Winter Creek Farms in Alex for a unique and exciting rodeo…
  
• 🍴 GOURMET GALLERY ANNUAL MADE IN OKLAHOMA TASTING EVENT & 17th ANNIVERSARY (Gourmet Gallery - Edmond) Start Time: 10:00am The Gourmet Gallery, located in Edmond at 1532 S. Boulevard and in the Shoppes at Northpark in Oklahoma City at 122nd & N. May (on the May Ave. side), will celebrate their 16th Anniversary on Saturday, August 25th from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Oklahoma specialty food vendors will be on site at the Oklahoma City Store ONLY sampling products…
  
• Growing Hemp for Yield (HempGeoInstitute.com - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 8:00am HGI’s 7th Industrial Hemp Symposium to take place in Oklahoma City, 8-25-18
  Hemp Geo Institute will host their seventh (7th) Industrial Hemp Symposium on August 25th, 2018 in Oklahoma City, OK titled “Growing Hemp for Yield”.
  CHARLOTTE, NC--(Marketwired – August 7th, 2018) – Hemp Geo Institute has supported Oklahoma’s initiative in…
  
• The Hall of Fame Gun Show (Oklahoma State Fair Park - Oklahoma City) Day 1 of 2 Grand American Arms Shows hosts The Hall of Fame Gun Show at Oklahoma State Fair Park. Over 750 tables will be present and…
  
• ♪ HD MMA XIII (Firelake Arena - Shawnee) Start Time: 7:00pm VIP Table ($850) includes 8 seats.
  
• Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights in Concert (Tower Theatre Studio - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 8:00pm Uptown 23rd's going to get real rowdy when Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights take over the historic Tower Theatre…
  
• Just Between Friends (Oklahoma State Fair Park - Oklahoma City) Last Day If you have a growing family or are planning for one, the Just Between Friends sale, held at Oklahoma State Fair Park, is…
  
• Murder Mystery Weekend: Till Death Do We Part (Western Heritage Museum - Oklahoma City) Day 2 of 2 Start Time: 5:30pm 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. Prosperity Junction You are cordially invited to an immersive Western Wedding Murder Mystery dinner. Help solve the mystery by seeking out pre-determined objectives in your assigned role. Character sheets are handed out at 5:30 p.m. check-in prior to festivities. Three-course dinner with cash bar prepared by The Petroleum Club…
  
• OKC Energy FC vs Seattle Sounders FC 2 (Taft Stadium - Oklahoma City) Experience the excitement of major league soccer in Oklahoma as the Oklahoma City Energy Football Club takes on Seattle…
  
• 🏆 Oklahoma Cattlemen's Assn. Ranch Rodeo (Lazy E Arena - Guthrie) Day 2 of 2 Start Time: 7:00pm The OCA Ranch Rodeo (formerly Range Round-Up) features 12 historic Oklahoma ranch teams in head to head competition for bruises and bragging rights. The Ranch Rodeo is comprised of six events depicting day-to-day ranching jobs. The competition is fierce as ranches compete for a year's worth of bragging rights and a few team awards. A portion of…
  
• Play It Loud LIVE at Grand Casino (Grand Casino Hotel & Resort - Shawnee) Celebrate the best of Oklahoma music when four of the state's top musicians take the stage during the Play It Loud LIVE…
  
• 😂 Quinn Dahle (Loony Bin Comedy Club - Oklahoma City) Last Day
  
• Remington Bark (Remington Park - Oklahoma City) Celebrate National Dog Day with your best friend by heading to Remington Bark for an evening of pet-friendly fun. For this…
  
• River Tour (Narrated) (Oklahoma River Cruises - Oklahoma City) Day 2 of 2 Start Time: 6:00pm Escape the Ordinary, learn about OKC from a different point of view. Relax in the climate controlled cabin on one of our 65’ cruisers, or enjoy the breeze on the viewing deck and listen to the guided commentary while you enjoy a drink from the bar. Indulgence and relaxation aren’t the only purpose of this cruise. During the tour you’ll…
  
• 🎭 Ruthless - The Musical (The Boom - Oklahoma City) Day 2 of 2 Start Time: 8:00pm
  
• Sense and Sensibility (Paseo - Oklahoma City) Last Day Head to OKC's Paseo District as Oklahoma Shakespeare brings Kate Hamill's adaptation of Sense and Sensibility to…
  
• Slide Outta Summer (Mitch Park - Edmond) Start Time: 12:00pm Come out to Mitch Park at the University of Central Oklahoma and send off the summer with music, food and fun. Slide Outta…
  
• 🏃 Spirit Sprint 5K Walk and Roll (Yukon City Park, Freedom Trail Park & Chisholm Trail Park - Yukon) Lace up your tennis shoes and head to the Spirit Sprint 5K Run in Yukon. Held at beautiful Chisholm Trail Park,…
  
• University of Oklahoma Ghost Tour (Evans Hall, Administration Building - Norman) Discover the mysterious side of an Oklahoma landmark with a University of Oklahoma Ghost Tour. Visitors who join this…
  
• The Village Lions Club Annual Car Show (Oklahoma City) As summer’s heat bears down on Oklahoma City, stop by Duffner Park and check out the coolest cars at the Village Lions…
  
• 🏃 Moore War Run (Starts at Moore High on Eastern Avenue - Moore) moorewarrun.com
  
• Moore War Run (Moore High School Football Stadium - Moore) If you feel like having a good time with good people while getting a workout in, join the community of Moore for the Moore…
  
• WWII Edmond: Housewives on the Homefront (Edmond Historical Society - Edmond) Last Day Start Time: 10:00am War affected everything for women. Some women during WWII went to work for the military or in factories–but more women stayed home. Housewives living in Edmond, Oklahoma made sacrifices and conformed to the government’s requests in order to help soldiers overseas. By spending wisely, saving everything, and keeping the country’s spirits up…
  

Sunday, Aug 26th

• An Act of God (Pollard Theatre - Guthrie) Thru Sat, Sep 8th Get ready for a night of heavenly comedy as the Pollard Theatre presents: An Act of God. This hilarious performance features…
• ♪ Brisch Center for Historical Performance Chamber Music Fundrasier (University of Central Oklahoma - Edmond) Start Time: 3:00pm
• Candlebox in Concert (Diamond Ballroom - Oklahoma City) Catch multi-platinum rockers Candlebox as they return to the Oklahoma City. Plan to attend and relive their top hits like…
• 🏆 Oklahoma City Dodgers vs. Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark - Oklahoma City) 1 day left Start Time: 7:05pm Come experience America's favorite pastime in downtown Oklahoma City as the OKC Dodgers take on the Colorado Springs…
• DOXA Extreme Rodeo (Winter Creek Farms - Alex) Last Day This August, gather up your crew and head to Winter Creek Farms in Alex for a unique and exciting rodeo…
• The Hall of Fame Gun Show (Oklahoma State Fair Park - Oklahoma City) Day 2 of 2 Grand American Arms Shows hosts The Hall of Fame Gun Show at Oklahoma State Fair Park. Over 750 tables will be present and…
• HAVEN Tour (Red Brick Bar - Norman) Start Time: 8:00pm Hello All, I will be bringing 'HAVEN' to a city near you! This is my first tour and I can't wait to meet you, stay tuned for my upcoming dates!
• High on Honky Tonk Tour in Concert (Tower Theatre Studio - Oklahoma City) Dust off your boots and get ready for an evening of fresh country music when the High on Honky Tonk Tour takes over…
• ♪ Public Access : Open Mic (The Venue - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 6:30pm The Original Open Mic in The Plaza District Okc. All Talents welcome. Comedy, HipHop, Live Music, Poetry, Magic, and more...All ages welcome. Parental Discretion Suggested.
• Sunday Twilight Concert Series (Myriad Botanical Gardens - Oklahoma City) Bring a lawn chair, a picnic and the whole family to the Sunday Twilight Concert Series on the Myriad Gardens…
• ♪ Tab Benoit - Dinner Show (VZD's - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 7:00pm
• ♪ Wild Ponies (The Blue Door - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 8:00pm

Monday, Aug 27th

• An Act of God (Pollard Theatre - Guthrie) Thru Sat, Sep 8th Get ready for a night of heavenly comedy as the Pollard Theatre presents: An Act of God. This hilarious performance features…
• 🏆 Oklahoma City Dodgers vs. Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark - Oklahoma City) Last Day Start Time: 7:05pm Come experience America's favorite pastime in downtown Oklahoma City as the OKC Dodgers take on the Colorado Springs…

Tuesday, Aug 28th

• An Act of God (Pollard Theatre - Guthrie) Thru Sat, Sep 8th Get ready for a night of heavenly comedy as the Pollard Theatre presents: An Act of God. This hilarious performance features…
• Food Truck Tuesdays (Jackson - Blanchard) Every week, treat your taste buds to new flavors. During Food Truck Tuesdays, a different food truck will park in Blanchard…
• Wheeler Criterium (Oklahoma City) Once the weather starts warming up, gather your crew and head south of the Oklahoma River for the Wheeler Criterium each and…

See Also

• OK Gamers
• Techlahoma