Black Gold Days Are Back

The 35th annual festival will be held June 20-23 at Black Gold Park in Glenpool.

The 35th annual Black Gold Days, a celebration commemorating the 1905 discovery of oil in Glenpool, will be Thursday, June 20 through Saturday, June 23. It is the largest event of the year for Glenpool residents and businesses. When ­wildcatters Robert Galbreath and Frank Chesley drilled on Ida Glenn’s farmland, they hit one of Oklahoma’s first oil gushers in what would become known as “the Glenn Pool.” This discovery led to considerable growth for the area, put Oklahoma on the oil production map, and helped Tulsa become known as the “Oil Capital of the World.”

    Spanning across four days, the festival attracts vendors and attendees from all across Oklahoma and surrounding states. The 2013 event will ­feature a 5K and Fun Run, Mr. and Miss Black Gold Pageant, a variety of food and craft vendors, live entertainment, frog and ­turtle races sponsored by Edison Electric, helicopter rides, the Lions Club Pancake Breakfast, the Optimist Club’s Horse Shoe Tournament, the Black Gold Parade, exciting carnival rides and more.

    Black Gold Days is ­sponsored by the Glenpool Chamber of Commerce and takes place in Black Gold Park on U.S. Highway 75 at 145th Street. Attendance now averages several thousand people each day. The festival is helping to define Glenpool's motto of "Glenpool: Creating Opportunity."

    Festivities kick off at 5 p.m. Thursday, June 20, when the Boy Scouts raise the American flag. The second annual Mr. and Miss Black Gold Pageant will be held Thursday night as well. Registration is at 6:30 p.m., and the event starts at 7. Every participant will win something, and Miss Black Gold Days will have the honor of leading the parade on Saturday. No experience is necessary. The age divisions are as follows: girls, 0-12 months, 12-14 months, 25-35 months, 3-4 years, 5-6, 7-9, 10-12, 13-15 and 16-19; and boys, 1-35 months and 3-8 years.

    The Black Gold Days 5K and Fun Run will be Saturday morning, June 22 at 8 a.m., ­followed by the parade. The run will benefit South County Outreach (formerly Glenpool Outreach Center), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to prevent hunger and homelessness and to provide individuals, families and seniors in crisis with the tools that help them help themselves.  

    Great Plains Amusement will provide the carnival ­atmosphere throughout the ­festival. “This is the second year Great Plains has hosted the ­carnival and we’re very excited to have them back,” says Jennifer Cook, president and CEO of the Glenpool Chamber of Commerce. “In the past the ­carnival has not been open on Sunday, but it will be this year for the first time, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.”  

    Quality live entertainment will go on throughout the event. Food vendor offerings will range from Cajun and German delights to the traditional staples – corn dogs, turkey legs and ­kettle corn.

    Mark your calendars now to attend Glenpool’s 35th annual Black Gold Days, June 20 through 23!  

For more information, contact

Glenpool Black Gold Days

(918) 322-3505

www.glenpoolchamber.org