Upcoming House Concerts

Jan 6, 2018 -- Today is Epiphany, commonly known as Three Kings’ Day in the United States, signifying the end of the Christian Christmas season.  It celebrates the three wise men’s visit to baby Jesus and also remembers his baptism, according to the Christian Bible’s events.

The Red Carpet Country annual Visitors' Guide is going to press.  Watonga has two pages of promotion in the guide, which will be good for tourism and increased number of visitors to our area throughout the year.

Friends of Roman Nose State Park Association will meet at the RNSP Lodge on Monday, Jan. 8, at 6:00 PM.  Plans for the annual Trout Derby at the lake will be discussed.  This event has been a collaboration between the Watonga Chamber of Commerce and the Friends of Roman Nose State Park Assoc. nonprofit group for many years and it requires community volunteers to make it a successful event.  Everyone on the Chamber of Commerce board of directors are invited to attend and give input, as well as all members of the Chamber and all residents and business owners in Watonga.  It is an event that brings lots of visitors to our area.  Come out to the meeting and meet the new Park Manager, Kyle Bernis.

The 2018 Oklahoma House Concert series at the Chaparral Retreat is off to a good start, with bookings already scheduled for the first three months of the year and new inquiries coming in daily from touring musicians.  As a director of the program, we are excited about the exposure we are getting and the interest of musicians in coming to Watonga.  The next House Concert will be on Sunday, January 14, featuring ABBIGALE DAWN, a young singer/songwriter from Norman, Oklahoma.   If you want facebook notifications of upcoming events, join the "Oklahoma House Concerts Group" page.  In 2017, a few shows were held at our local Whirlwind Winery, bringing people to downtown Main Street. We are looking forward to the opening of the building next door to the winery at 111 E. Main St. where we will be able to host all kinds of arts events in 2018.

Speaking of which, significant progress has been made on the renovation of the old building at 111 E. Main St.  The inside has been gutted and prepared for installation of plumbing and electric, and the outside front of the building has a complete new look.  SADLY, several of the new windows  have been vandalized and broken, and several panels will already have to be replaced.  The incidents have been reported to the police, and the owners hope that neighboring business owners and other residents will report suspicious behavior around the building to the police.  The owners of the building regularly drive to the building and around the block several times a day, but the vandalism seems to be occurring overnight under cover of darkness. Now that the police department and neighboring business have been made aware of the vandalism, maybe the problem will stop as more people are watching.  We are waiting to see if we receive a roadside beautification grant we applied for through Keep Oklahoma Beautiful for the building.  The winners should be announced soon. 

I hope 2018 is off to a good start for everyone!  /Linda Barrett (Ed.)