Thank you to everyone who has followed this series or voted for it's creation. I'm glad you've enjoyed it and I'm always happy to spread the important history of the amusement industry, especially pertaining to the place that inspired me to go into the industry. For parts 1-4 scroll back in this sub or click my profile.
In 1989, Welland Securities, who owned the entire south-west side of the Hill, would develop the final portion of unused land on Clifton Hill. They would become HOCO (Harry Oakes Company) and gain ownership of almost all the attractions on land they leased out. This included Movieland, The Space Spiral Tower and the Cliffside Motel. The only attractions that would continue being leased were Ripley's and Circus World, meaning HOCO not only owned all the land on the South-West side of the hill, they now ran everything between Circus World and Ripley's, as well as the Fudge Factory (in its original spot) and an ice cream stand immediately down the hill from Circus World. They planned to keep everything that was on the hill but build on it.
Movieland was remodeled and the outside was given a more noticeable Egyptian theme to match the lobby. This meant large lion statues and Costello's talking pharaoh. The lobby was remodeled as well. Rather than a cameraman and a director filming Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra, they would now be filming Costello's Indiana Jones figure, who lowered up and down on a rope above a fogging pit with a cobra rising out of it. Many of the early talkie-era stars in the hall immediately after the entrance (along with Elizabeth Taylor) were moved to 2 large display cases in the middle of the attraction with multiple figures, instead of each one having their own scene. In their original spot just inside the entrance an intentionally scary scene was created to match the popular Indiana Jones series. Many of the figures Costello had added since he became the museum's artist were slightly frightening, like a lunging alligator or a startling Joker scene with a machine gun sound effect. The museum had been expanded at the end, and a large horror section had been added, with many figures like the mummy being from the same mold as the House of Frankenstein/Castle Dracula mummys. Unlike when it would move to it's current location in 2005, the old location's chicken exit was placed before the horror section rather than the haunted house portion. In fact, there was no haunted house section, many of the figures that would end up in the haunted house section of the new location were simply scattered throughout the museum. Many of the figures in the horror section of the original museum were actually less scary and less animated than the Jurassic park scene or the alligator encountered earlier in the museum. To prevent unsuspecting parents who had no clue what kind of attraction this was dragging their children in and expecting static figures of washed-up movie stars, getting the living daylights scared out of them, then end ending up filing complaints with HOCO's customer service department, an intentionally scary scene was put at the beginning. This let people know what they were walking in to, an experience rather than a museum. Costello designed figures behind plexiglass such as a man upside down in a cocoon thrashing around, a skull that popped up from the floorboards in a scene full of snakes, a man on a bed of spikes that fell towards you, and a scene with spiders on fishing line "jumping" all over a rotting corpse.
The Cliffside Motel was amalgamated into a wing of the Quality Inn, and the driveway into it off the hill was removed as it was no longer necessary because it could be accessed from the Quality Inn parking lot. In the driveway's place was now a large empty space between Circus World and Movieland, with the Space Spiral Tower (with a relatively small footprint) stuck in the middle. HOCO called upon attraction design and layout firm White Hutchison Leisure Learning Group (WHLLG) to design an attraction around the Space Spiral that would use the final undeveloped land on Clifton Hill. And so WHLLG designed Dazzleland Family Fun Centre. Dazzleland was a courtyard of buildings arranged in roughly the same layout as the Great Canadian Midway (for reasons we'll get to later) that sits on the land now. The buildings around the outside of the courtyard were long and narrow, picture a courtyard of carnival game trailers but permanent, appealing buildings. These buildings included a Skee-ball building, a sports game building (basketball games, football toss etc.), a racing game building, a pinball building, a funnel cake shop, and the prize counter. In the back corner, roughly where the XD Theatre now is in the midway, was a larger building: an arcade housing video games and more pinball machines. In the middle of the courtyard was a small carousel, and a small building housing games that dispensed their own prizes (claw machines, prize egg games, etc.) and coin-op kiddie rides.
The Space Spiral was incorporated into Dazzleland, still being accessible directly off the hill. As mentioned in part 3, the tower was exactly where the Fudge Factory now is, as the circular store was once the loading area for the tower. At this time the snack bars beside the tower right on the hill were constructed: a pretzel/hotdog stand and an ice cream stand, both of which are still there. The Wendy's was built on top of Circus World, replacing the mini golf that had formerly been on the attraction's roof. Across the entrance to Dazzleland's courtyard from Wendy's was a Domino's Pizza, roughly where the photo booth just to your right is when entering the Great Canadian Midway now. Between the Space Spiral and the Dominos was a fortune teller machine built right into the wall: "Ask the Brain". The brain still lives on inside Movieland, except now he wants a loonie instead of a quarter. Just up the hill from the Space Spiral, on top of the hot dog and ice cream stand, a small sports bar was built. Very little is known about this sports bar, but obvious remnants of it still exists. The area of Boston Pizza closest to the hill (the back corner near the kitchen, the bar area, and the raised dining area) was the originally the sports bar. It featured a small coin-op bowling lane, arcade games, and food. The stairs in the Midway up to Boston Pizza beside Ghostblasters is the original stairs up from Dazzleland to the sports bar. Additionally, the Boston Pizza entrance closer to the hill (not the one with the big bowling pin, other one) was the main entrance to the sports bar. Little is known about the bar, including it's name. It may not have had one, simply being part of the Dazzleland complex. Many of the areas in Dazzleland didn't have a name, simply having signs heralding "Arcade", "Sports Games", "Skeeball" rather than naming the areas like the "Game Factory", "Sports Zone" or "Strike! Rock 'n Bowl" like in the Midway. For this reason, the bar may have been nameless, simply being part of the Dazzleland complex, but it's unlikely a dining establishment geared at adult nightlife wouldn't have a name.
Because the mini golf on Circus World's roof had been operated by the Cliffside Motel operators, HOCO acquired all the assets from it when they stopped leasing the land out. When the aforementioned Wendy's was built, the mini golf was moved just up the hill from the sports bar. It's entrance was right on the hill, but the course wrapped around the sports bar and ran back behind Dazzleland, between the back of Dazzleland and the parking lot of the Quality Inn. It would now be dinosaur themed and heavily landscaped. WHLLG designed the course and HOCO contracted Costello to build all the fiberglass dinosaurs. It's unknown what it's original name was, but in the early 90s, with the smash hit of Jurassic Park, it was renamed Dinosaur Park and given a similar logo. Up until the 2018 remodel, Boston Pizza had a patio. This patio was the exact location of the entrance to the mini golf, and the reason the restaurant's building curved in such a bizarre way surrounding the patio was originally to accommodate the course. Underneath the sports bar and mini golf and was an underground building accessible from a back corner of Dazzleland's courtyard. This area housed all of Dazzleland's miscellaneous ticket redemption games and 2 shooting galleries. The low-ceiling area of the Midway called the "Game Factory" is this original building. The Bonanaza Company shooting gallery is still there albeit heavily remodeled, but Blasteroids, an early project by arcade game company Lazer-Tron, was removed in 2016. Interestingly, the chase lights along the back wall of the Game Factory are Dazzleland holdovers. Between the shooting gallery and where what's left of the racing games now are is a bank of maintenance doors. If you get lucky and see them open, you'll see a stairs that was originally an entrance to Dazzleland from further up the street, beside Dinosaur Park. This now lets out somewhere in Boston Pizza's arcade (although I haven't been able to figure out where) and is used by staff to get from "a" to "b" faster.
Dazzleland has been the hardest to dig up information on in my research on Clifton Hill. Although I now know what was in each of the buildings around the outside of this "courtyard", I haven't been able to find which one was where. The only things I've confirmed is where the video game building was, what was in the building in the middle, and confirmed that the Game Factory was originally part of Dazzleland. The rest is beyond me and my memories of it have long faded. If anyone worked here or visited it frequently and has any answers, they would be greatly appreciated. Additionally there was a small pool near the front with a Costello dragon figure in it that spit water out it's mouth. I've heard conflicting reports that this was just a fountain, and others saying it was a small bumper boat or RC boat attraction, but my guess is it was just a fountain as it seems like a pretty small pool. The same year, fiberglass dragon waterslides were added to the Quality Inn pool. Although bearing striking resemblance to Costello's dinosaurs and Dazzleland dragon, at least one more of each of the dragon slides exist, all the way down in Texas. It was originally thought this Texas waterpark bought them off HOCO when Quality Inn closed, but one of the Quality Inn dragons appeared on an episode of shipping wars going to Kansas and the other was recently found abandoned on a private residential property in Niagara, proving they are in fact not the ones at the Texas waterpark. This is evidence they may have been mass produced.
By the time Dazzleland opened in 1989, it was the 8th arcade on the hill (after Circus World, Q-Balls Billiards Pub in Quality Inn, the arcade in Ripley's, the arcade in the Foxhead, the arcade in Castle Dracula, Funland in the basement of the House of Frankenstein, and an arcade that had recently opened in the Pilgrim Motel in their gift shop.) These were just the large-scale, dedicated arcades right on the hill. Many others could be found nearby in Maple Leaf Village, the Skylon, the Seagram, Pyramid Place and the Imperial Hotel as well as many mini golf courses and family fun centres along Lundy's Ln. and the QEW. Also, virtually every gift shop on Clifton Hill and Victoria Ave. had a game or 2.
The mix of arcades, haunted houses, fast food, nightlife and stores selling t-shirts and posters had started a well-known rock culture in Niagara Falls among Southern Ontario youth. The epicenter of this was "Rock World", a rock-themed gift shop that had opened in 1983 on Centre St. (the street Clifton Hill becomes just above Victoria Ave.) They would later add a second story and build Rock Legends Wax Museum above it, with all the figures sculpted by the store's owner Pasquale Rammuno. In 1996, Maple Leaf Village was replaced by Casino Niagara, and many of the attractions found new homes on Victoria Ave., including Screamers and Nightmares. The Elvis Museum, Antique Auto Museum, 50s diner nightclub, and arcade all moved to Pyramid Place adjacent to the IMAX pyramid. Screamers prospered on Victoria Ave., and 2 "sequel attractions" were built in the early 2000s: Creatures of the Night on Victoria Ave. and Horror Manothe Zombie Zoo Nightclub on Centre St. Another attraction, Alien Encounter, would open at the corner of Victoria Ave. and Clifton Hill beside the Criminals Hall of Fame. This slightly thematically darker "north of the hill" area with the Screamers chain, the Criminals Hall of Fame, Rock Legends, Nightmares and Alien Encounter became a "main strip" all in it's own.
As mentioned before, since the cabin courts were all town down in the early 50s, nothing had been torn down on Clifton Hill. The only exception was the Houdini Hall of Fame that burnt to ash in 1996. Some of Houdini's Last Words were claiming that anything revealing his secrets would perish in flame, and even though the fire completely leveled the museum, the plywood and fiberglass paneled House of Frankenstein only separated from it by a 2-foot wide alley was completely untouched, leading a lot of Houdini's fans to believe he was conducting some kind of post-mortem practical joke. The metal objects like handcuffs and the water tank could be saved, and were bought by David Copperfield. Ripley's Moving Theatre was built in it's place. Over the 30 years from Tussaud's opening in 1959 to Dazzleland in 1989, Clifton Hill had expanded and filled up the land. However that didn't mean it was time to tear things down. Things were simply moved around or remodeled to keep them fresh, not out of an unwillingness to change, but because these things had become ingrained in the landscape. Examples of this were Tussaud's moving to its current home in the old building of a restaurant that had since moved on Victoria Ave., rather than the attraction shutting down, or the Adventure Dome Theatre oepneing in part of the Honeymoon City's gift shop. In Tussaud's old place was built the MGM walkthrough/store, Pink Panther ride and 4D Ride in 2002. The beer garden beside it was replaced with the WWE building and the Piledriver ride, but the beer area was moved to between the 2 attractions. In 2004 the Foxhead's arcade was expanded and re-themed into the Marvel Superheros Adventure City.
Another great example of re-freshing an existing attraction was Dazzleland. A simple realization was made, more games = more money and higher guest enjoyment. The outdoor courtyard style with it's room for walkways between the buildings was re-designed, and HOCO again called upon WHLLG. WHLLG designed not only a remodel of Dazzleland, but an incredible 5-step plan that would have made Clifton Hill financially on par with a major theme park. Steps 1-3 came to fruition. Step 1 was remodeling Dazzleland into the Great Canadian Midway in 2002. The level, concrete foundation Dazzleland was built on was kept as the foundation of the Midway, hence why it has the same layout. The former video game building at the back became the FX Ride Theatre (now XD Theatre/Wild West Coaster) in the Midway. The funnel cake shop was kept where it was in Dazzleland except now it was in the Midway, between the FX Ride and the Prize Counter. The area housing Dazzleland's ticket redemption games became the Game Factory. The middle building housing the claw games and kiddie rides was demolished, as it was no longer needed because the Midway was fully indoors and there was now a massive space to put games. The sports bar was expanded and became Boston Pizza, so Dinosaur Park was moved to in front of the Comfort Inn. Under the expanded Boston Pizza, Sally Corp. was hired to build the interactive Ghostblasters dark ride. All of Dazzleland's old games made the transition into the Midway, however very few are still around.
With the Midway making serious buck, HOCO went ahead with phase 2 of WHLLG's plan. Movieland was moved to Circus World's former location in 2005, and Circus World's owners moved the attraction to what was then the popular Victoria Ave. area. In Movieland's old home, Cosmic Golf, a blacklight golf was temporarily set up. 2 years later in 2007, the golf moved to it's permanent home in the basement becoming Galaxy Golf and the gift shop that had been formerly in the basement was moved upstairs. Movieland retained all the figures and sets they had at the time of the move, moving them all into the new space. All the scary elements were put in the new "House of Horrors", a small optional haunted house at the end of the attraction.
Phase 3 involved beginning to demolish the only thing that WHLLG's 5 phase plan would have torn down: Quality Inn. In it's place an amusement park would have been built, anchored by Canada's largest ferris wheel. The wheel would be phase 3 and the amusement park phase 4. Though both WHLLG and HOCO recognized the historical value of the hotel, it had reasons to go. The hotel may have been full of your usual hazardous mid-century building materials (however Comfort Inn built by the same firm the same year was found to have no hazardous materials when it was torn down in 2015, so who knows) but the main issue was elevators and the amount of space it took up. Comfort Inn only had 2 wings, one on each side of the lobby, and only 2 elevators would have needed to be installed. This wasn't legally necessary, as no law states that buildings of age absolutely have to be 100% accessible, it was more something HOCO wanted to do. Quality Inn had multiple wings that weren't accessible from one another, so an elevator would need to be installed in each wing. In addition to the elevator issue, Comfort Inn was chosen as the hotel to keep because the building was integrated with Kelsey's, Rumors Nightclub, Ripley's, and Dinosaur Park, all of which wouldn't have been touched in WHLLG's 5 phase plan. Finally, Comfort Inn's land wasn't big enough for an amusement park whereas Quality Inn's was. 2 things would justify the demolition of Quality Inn. One, it's sister hotel, Comfort Inn, would have been kept. The other reason justifying the demolition would be phase 5: a skyscraper hotel and indoooutdoor waterpark in the field between Clifton Hill and the Skylon Tower. The dragon figures from Quality Inn's pool were kept in HOCO's storage for a time for this waterpark. The final vision can be seen here.
Phase 3 would go ahead in 2006, with the lobby, Golden Griddle and Q-Balls Billiard pub of Quality Inn being torn down and the Skywheel built in it's place. For the last year Quality Inn was open, you would need to register at Comfort Inn's lobby. The same year, the Space Spiral was torn down, as 2 observation attractions wouldn't be needed on the hill. However, a new spiral tower would have been constructed during phase 4 in the theme park. The reason the tower would be demolished rather than moved was because a tower manufactured by the same company in Wildwood, NJ, had begun to sway a few years earlier, resulting in it needing to be removed entirely for safety reasons. Phase 4 was set to go ahead in 2010, so in 2009 the remainder of Quality Inn was demolished. It seemed as though everything would fall into place, and with the exception of Quality Inn making it's sacrifice, everything on Clifton Hill that had been there for 20-60 years would be there forever, just greatly expanded on.
Unfortunately, this came at a turning point for Clifton Hill, when the recession was in full swing and tourism had declined since 9/11. Changing technology and interests, but no real nostalgia trend yet, created a perfect storm, and the idea was scrapped. Especially now that there would be no amusement park, a lot of area attractions closed. HOCO now needed to find a new design company to completely re-design the project. The problem was, Quality Inn was already torn down to make way for the amusement park. HOCO reluctantly found a new design company who had no projects under their belt yet, IDS. HOCO was hopeful the Canadian company could help give them a similar vision to their previous 5 stage plan, that would help them re-use many of the already implemented stages and despite scrapping the amusement park, would simply scale down and redesign the hotel. This was done in hopes that the city would be much more likely to approve just another high rise hotel than an amusement park as well. IDS' new plan was much different than what HOCO was looking for. It featured tearing down Ripley's, Comfort Inn, Kelsey's, and Rumours Nightclub and building a Titanic Museum shaped like the boat. It also featured building a large mall within the hotel rather than a waterpark and relocating and expanding Dinosaur Park into Dinosaur Adventure Golf on Quality Inn's old land. While HOCO thankfully chose not to go ahead with the mall and Titanic Museum, they would build Dinosaur Adventure Golf and work with IDS to make a more feasible plan that better suited Clifton Hill.
The new plan featured Dinosaur Adventure Golf and Strike! Rock 'n Bowl as phase 1. It also included removing a lot of the thematic brand identity elements WHLLG had implemented to coincide with their final amusement park vision and replacing Galaxy Golf with Wizard's Golf as phase 2. Phase 3 would feature tearing down Comfort Inn (that never got it's elevators due to it no longer being planned to be kept), building Niagara Speedway in it's place, and removing Rumors Nightclub to accommodate the new Kelsey's bathrooms and Zombie Attack. Phase 4 would feature remodelling Wendy's, Boston Pizza and Kelsey's. Phase 5 would feature a mall (no hotel) in the field between Dinosaur Adventure Golf and the Skylon, but this final phase will likely never come to fruition.
Multiple attractions have closed since the late 2000's, such as the entire Screamers chain, Circus World, The Criminals Hall of Fame, Funland Arcade and Alien Encounter. The Hilltop Motel became the current home of the Upside Down House, and the Pilgrim Motel became Captain Jack's. Ironically, the only part of the building that's not part of the entertainment centre is a Mini Mart at the back that was the original arcade in the Pilgrim. Virtually everything in the Falls. Ave. complex other than Rainforest Cafe and the 4D theatre is gone. Marvel Superheroes Adventure City lost its license after Disney bought Marvel, and it simply became Adventure City. The Hulk Mini Golf became jungle themed, Spider-Man references were (poorly) removed from the dark ride, and X-men referenced were (also poorly) removed from the bumper cars. References to Marvel can still be found in the arcade, such as Spider-Man's face on a tree that was only covered up a few years ago. The WWE Store, after being abandoned since 2012, was turned into the Niagara Brewery Beer Store in 2016, fitting considering the land's history as a beer garden. Planet Hollywood on Falls Ave. closed around 2014, and is still abandoned. The MGM walkthrough was abandoned for over 10 years before becoming a barbecue restaurant in 2019.
The changes in the Falls Ave. complex are an example of good change, replacing abandoned attractions with ones that if anything are closer to what used to be there, such as Adventure City becoming an unthemed arcade again or the Beer Store being where the Beer Garden once was. Another example of this good change would be the long abandoned (and burnt) Adventure Dome that had briefly held a Lego attraction being turned into the Amazing Big Top Mirror and Lazer Maze in 2017. However a perfect example of negative change is the Rock Legends Wax Museum being forced out of business because a YouTube video of the museum was flagged for copyrighted music by YouTube's algorithms. This lead Sony Music to investigate the museum and shut it down last year if it wouldn't pay ridiculous licensing fees, which it couldn't afford.
Another example is IDS' redevelopment plan. HOCO is now locked in a contract with them, even though they obviously have very different ideas on the direction of Clifton Hill. Phase 1 was implemented in 2011, with Boston Pizza expanding their arcade to include Strike! Rock 'n Bowl and Dinosaur Park moving to where Quality Inn was and being renamed Dinosaur Adventure Golf. All of Costello's original dinosaurs (with the exception of the original Pterodactyl) would "migrate" to the new location where they would be joined by dozens of new mass-produced dinosaurs. Interestingly, foundations were built back in 2011 for the original 2 Brontosaurs to appear as if they were coming out of the ponds, but they wouldn't show up until 2019 when they were brought back out of storage to be installed, only to lay on the ground for a few months before going back into storage. Although it didn't use new hand-made figures, this attraction was a change that fits the spirit of Clifton Hill and was a good replacement for the empty plot of land that had once housed Quality Inn, even if an amusement park would have been better. The same cannot be said about the rest of IDS' plan. Many thematic elements installed throughout the hill by WHLLG (especially in Movieland and the Midway) were removed in phase 2 in 2013 simply to fit with IDS's image better, costing HOCO a lot of money. Phase 3 went ahead in 2015, and the 60 year old Comfort Inn was demolished, along with the old HOCO offices in it that if you remember from part 1, was the original nearly 200 year old stable building for the Zimmerman estate. Niagara Speedway was built in it's place, and if you look at the prices to drive it, then watch how many people do, you realize just how much they're making off it. Rumors Nightclub, originally the Queen's Door Nightclub in 1956, was gutted and turned into Zombie Attack and the new Kelsey's bathrooms, as the old ones had been in the Comfort Inn building. Phase 4 in 2018 extensively remodeled Wendy's as well as Boston Pizza, removing the patio.
Ghostblasters is now the final untouched WHLLG era attraction on the land. This is made even more troubling by the fact the signs for it were just removed and replaced with temporary ones, as I said in the post that started the entire discussion on whether or not I should do this series. If the attraction does go, we can only hope that a new interactive dark ride utilizing artistry, dimensional scenes and props much like Ghostblasters does is built, however that likely won't be the case. Triotech is the lead designer of ride through shooting games, that feature a dark ride car that travels through a hallway with screens on each side of it rather than real props. Triotech has dealt with HOCO before, building both the Wild West Coaster and Zombie Attack, so all signs point to one of these attractions replacing Ghostblasters if it closes.
There is still hope that Clifton Hill can retain it's spirit, but it stands at a crossroads. The House of Frankenstein for example, while retaining many original scenes, has had many removed and replaced with nothing, and many areas of the museum taken out entirely. Castle Dracula on the other hand hasn't updated a thing, but hasn't cared for the original scenes either, leaving them to fall into disrepair and only having 7 or 8 of the original 70 still lit, and none of them still functional. There are 2 directions Clifton Hill can go. With many attractions like the ones on HOCO's side being demolished to make way for whatever is trendy and lucrative, and many hanging on by a thread like Castle Dracula or Ghostblasters, the Hill is in real danger of becoming an endlessly overturning and developing area. However, with money recently being poured back into attractions like the Haunted House, Ripley's, and Guinness and attractions being redeveloped like the Falls Ave. complex or the Big Top Mirror maze, there is hope. If people, including the companies that own them, can recognise the historical value of attractions like Castle Dracula, The House of Frankenstien, Movieland, Tussaud's, etc., this can be promoted and the recent nostalgia boom can create large profits if this is played up. Additionally, future developments can still be more in the vein of what WHLLG envisioned for Clifton Hill, or what the Burlands recently did with the well done Big Top Mirror Maze. This is both profitable and economically sensible, as repeat customers that make memories and come to the area for generations with occasional new updates/re-themings (like what Clifton Hill did from the 50s-2010s), is far more profitable than a constantly turning over wave of new developments that cost millions to build that changes with each generation.
Thank you to everyone who has followed this series. Sorry for the length of this, but I promised this would be the last installment, so it has to be longer. If you have any information pertaining to Dazzleland or anything you know that I didn't cover in this series, let me know. Additionally, if you would like me to dig up photos on anything that I mentioned in the series, let me know, as unless it's the Dazzleland dragon, I probably have a photo of it. I will likely post many of them here anyway in time. Thanks again.

I've been on the hunt for the filming locations from the US special... here's a list I've compiled. I'm still missing some of the seedy car dealerships, and nondescript locations like the field.
850 NW 42nd Ave, Miami, FL 33126 - Former location of Affordable Motors, "I think I'd like to take this one for a test drive"
4181 SW 8th St, Coral Gables, FL 33134 - Former location of Maroone Chevy ($1000 Corvette), and location of America's only contribution to western civilization.
8301 NW 7th Ave, Miami, FL 33150 - Former Kar Krazy, where Hammond drools over classic muscle cars
1410 NW 79th St, Miami, FL 33147 - Former Adolfo's Clean Used Cars, "a tidy Camaro at a place called Adolf's"
8020 NW 7th Ave, Miami, FL 33150 - Former "Government Cars" location where Hammond checks out previously used Law Enforcement vehicles
10000 NW 27th Ave, Miami, FL 33147 - Former location of "Robert the Persian's" car lot.
9515 Michigan Ave, Detroit, MI 48210 - Footage used for "lower back end of town" as Yum-Yum donuts. Is now a Checkers. Club Venus can be seen across the street.
8800-8816 US-12, Detroit, MI 48210 - More footage used for "lower back end of town" Looking East on Michigan Ave. This one was figured out thanks to /Detroit, and specifically Additional_Example.
8945 NW 7th Ave, Miami, FL 33150 - Former location of We Aim to Please Motors, the optimistic dealer Hammond visits.
3500 NW 37th Ave, Miami, FL 33142 - Miami Jaialai Stadium, now called Casino Miami. Meetup point was in the back. Certain angles from street view history confirm.
17047 Bee Line Hwy, Jupiter, FL 33478 - Moroso Motorsports Park, Now called Palm Beach International Raceway. Home to Stig's American Cousin.
6485 Metal Dr, Fort Pierce, FL 34945 - Former Best Western, now a Days Inn. "Does it have petrol in it?" and jumpstarting the Cadillac.
1800 SW Hwy 484, Ocala, FL 34473 - Steak and Cheeeeese biscuit fueling station. (Exxon)
Mall at the Source - Westbury, New York. Footage used for the shops where they buy the Freedom Grill, etc.
4529 Forsyth St, Milton, FL 32583 - One of the many churches passed in Bagdad.
32485 US-90, Seminole, AL 36574 - State Line Convenience, site of the redneck rampage.
2123 Ursulines Ave, New Orleans, LA 70116 - Site where the cars were donated. Last known location of James's Cadillac.
If you're familiar with others, please fill me in. I'd love to have as many as possible.

Myra Kindle is an independent investigative reporter.
Her other reports:

• What does Google want with male sex workers?
  
• A Tyson Foods board member was held ransom for $87,250 in December, 2018. Now released, he says Tyson is suppressing police investigations into finding his captors and threatening legal action if he speaks about his abduction.
  
• In 1979, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow was losing more than 120 informants a year to Russian KGB. by 1981, that number had dropped to just 10. Now, a former intelligence agent is raising alarm that the wildly unorthodox methods once used to protect Russian sources could pose a devastating new threat
  
• For Two Years a Former University Student Has Set-Up Unusual Protest Demonstrations in Buffalo, New York - No One Is Still Quite Sure What He’s Protesting
  
• Nearly Two Months After a Terrorist Attack in China Killed 337 People, Investigators Have Gotten No Closer to Determining How the Attack Was Carried Out
  
• After winning $1.3 Million at a Casino, Why does a man cover himself in Gasoline and drop a lit Match?
  
• A Report on the Grey Men of 327 Cedar Lane -- This was part of a collaborative project with nslewis, who wrote the incident that takes place prior, "The grey men of 327 Cedar Lane"
  

Local News Only

Susan Bristle could talk about the beautiful hiking paths, rural boutique stores, or Revolutionary War attractions of Lenoir, North Carolina. But that’s not what Susan wants to talk about.
Susan, like so many residents of Lenoir, has one thing on her mind -- the bombing.
“It’s just so strange,” says Susan, a server at Paula’s Diner in Lenoir. “The man was in town for months, and he just seemed so nice. How could he do something like this?”
The event has shaken the small town of Lenoir, North Carolina (pop 18,228) to its core, but it’s likely you’ve never heard about it.
A search online provides nothing about the bombing or the bomber, John Nielsen. And yet the case has gripped the attention of nearly every resident in town.
“I just want to know what he was doing here for the last year,” says John Mitchum of Mitchum’s Appliances. “He was buying up business from all us local folk, providing subsidized loans to others to expand. It’s like he cared about the town, and then he goes and bombs us. It just don’t make no sense.”
The bomber, Google Strategies and Development Chief John Nielsen, is all but certain to face conviction when his trial starts later this year.
There is ample evidence that on February 3rd, 2019, John Nielsen detonated 560lbs of homemade explosives at the Google data center outside Lenoir. The questions that remain are why he did it, and why only the residents of Lenoir are cognizant of what should be national news.
Based on interviews with John Nielsen, prosecutors, law enforcement and correctional officers from Caldwell county, and supported with interviews from residents of Lenoir, independent investigative reporter Myra Kindle, for the first time, tells the story of the Lenoir, North Carolina bombing, and the Google Strategies Chief that allegedly did it.

Angel Investor

On December 15, 2018, the attitude of the town of Lenoir towards John Nielsen culminated in celebration.
John, who for the past six months had invested more than $4.3 million into Lenoir local businesses, was being awarded a ‘key to the town’ -- a first for for Lenoir.
“Other than our namesake, there’s never really been a town hero before,” says Heather West, owner of Tybrisa Books, one of the business John invested in. “He was smart, and honest, and he seemed to care. He wanted to make our lives better, and he couldn't have come at a better time.”
Ms. West is referring to the town’s fledgling economy. The main economic engine, Broyhill Furniture, recently moved their headquarters, and with it has gone a key supporter of local commerce.
According to Ms. West, when John Nielsen arrived last summer, the first thing he did was vow to buy the building Ms. West rents from, and reduce her rent by more than half.
“If John hadn't done that,” says Ms. West, “I don’t know if I’d still be in business right now.”
This story is repeated a dozen different ways all around town.
John Mitchum, the appliance store owner, says Mr. Nielsen offered him a reduced rate on a sizable loan that the store uses to fund its appliances.
“I pay so much money on the interest of the loans of getting the machines in the store,” says Mr. Mitchum, “that John’s offer completely changed my books. My accounts are much healthier now.”
In other cases, John simply became a friend.
“He would eat dinner in here every night right here at Paula’s Diner,” says Susan Bristle. “Always ate alone, but he chatted. We don’t get too busy around 9. People around here don’t eat that late. He was always nice, always listened to me.”
“And he left great tips too!” she adds.
It’s the contradictory nature of how John Nielsen acted before the bombing that makes his story the talk of the town.
“It’s just such a shame it had to be him,” says Mayor Joseph Gibbons. “I guess it really shows you never know someone.”

The Bombing

At 8:42 AM on February 3rd, 2019, David Glass heard an explosion.
The bomb, a 560lbs combination of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, liquid nitromethane and Tovex, had just blown a 40 foot hole on the other side of the building.
“If I hadn’t been in the Milliways Cafe -- the cafe on site -- it would have killed me,” says Mr. Glass, an employee at the Google data center in Lenoir.
Law enforcement from the city of Lenoir and Caldwell county say the bomb was as dangerous as a homemade device could possibly be. One official describes it as “expertly made,” and said it was “a miracle” that no one got hurt.
The data center itself suffered extensive damage to the cooling system -- itself a massive complex of refrigeration units used to cool the hot running servers that populate the building.
Although operations at the data center have been negatively effected, off the record, staff tell me Google is using the damage to renovate and expand the data center, which originally launched in 2007.
Google and their parent company Alphabet have been provided multiple chances to give a statement, but have not responded to calls or emails about the bombing, John Nielsen, or plans to expand the Lenoir data center.

”Not Crazy”

John Nielsen is feeling lonely these days.
Denied bail and have been held in Caldwell county jail since February, John says the world has abandoned him.
“My wife won’t speak to me. My company won't even admit I’m here,” says John. “They just - they just believe it. They just believe I’m this crazy bomber and, I’m not. I didn’t do it.”
Mr. Nielsen, while seemingly quite sincere in pleading his innocence, is facing a mountain of evidence to the contrary.
Local prosecutor Scott Reilly described the case as open and shut, saying: “If the jury doesn’t finish deliberations within five minutes with a ‘convict’, then I’ve done a bad job.”
Included in the evidence against Mr. Nielsen is more than 20 minutes of continuous capture across dozen cameras as Mr. Nielsen came to the data center, dropped off the explosives, and left.
Prosecutor Reilly also says he has receipts for online orders of the bomb’s composite materials, and is currently seeking a warrant that would allow law enforcement to look at Mr. Nielsen’s browsing history, where they expect to find instructions for how to build the bomb.
Mr. Nielsen, in his defense, says it is impossible for him to have made the bomb described by prosecutors.
“They say this thing was expertly made,” says Mr. Nielsen. “Well I don’t know anything about bombs. I don’t know what materials you need, or what you even do with them once you have them. I just don’t know any of that. I mean have serious issues with Google and what we’re doing, but I’m not crazy - there’s no benefit in me blowing up a server farm.”
Ralph Basham, the Secret Service director from 2003 to 2006, believes it’s entirely possible Mr. Nielsen built the bombs, saying: “It’s dangerous, it’s risky, and the chances are you’ll be caught, but really what stops people from building these types of devices is not a lack of information - anyone can find out how to make this stuff online.”
In response to the quality of the device, Mr. Basham says: “It is my understanding that the device was well made, but I don’t think that should preclude Mr. Nielsen from being the likely culprit. All other forensic evidence is pointing in his direction right now.”

Finding a Motive

Prosecutor Reilly may be able to get a conviction on Mr. Nielsen based on evidence alone, but for the people of Lenoir, it’s a motive that they desperately seek.
Mr. Nielsen might just have one.
“Google is nobody's friend,” says Mr. Nielsen, during our fifth interview. “You might think they care about you, that they care about giving you information. But no, that’s impossible. It’s a company run amok seeking profit at the expensive of everything else. And so poorly god damn managed that they don’t even realize the extent of it, with so much f**king hubris that they believe only they can fix it.”
Mr. Nielsen’s grievances with Google are severe, but John’s qualms seem to be with the internet more generally, or at least some aspect of how it is presented.
He describes in detail several stories from Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, countries where a lack of police presence in many regions, coupled with a lack of credible news sources, have led to numerous rapes, murders, community floggings and torture, all reportedly caused or exacerbated by rumors spread online.
In one instance, he describes a scene at a restaurant in Sri Lanka where the owner was nearly beaten to death. His crime? A patron had found a lump of flower in his curry, and from online reports of the local minority group providing sterilization pills to the majority group, a riot broke out that would lead to broken bones, thousands in property damage, and an eternally frayed and untrusting community.
John’s examples are numerous, but his details are not always accurate.
In one instance he describes a group of rural travelers that came to a small community in India. The community, having read repeatedly online about outsiders of the ethnic minority group wandering into rural towns to steal children, “beat the men till police arrived after one was seen talking to a child”, says John.
In reality, they were killed before the police arrived.
Mr. Nielsen realizes these are not problems in the United States, and that specifically the medium of violent messages being spread is far more attributed to Facebook and WhatsApp, which is also owned by Facebook.
But in Mr. Nielsen’s comments is a clear worldview -- he has severe reservations about how information rises above the water in an ocean of information, and feels Google is eminently responsible.
“Our institutions aren’t so precious,” says John. “You’ve seen it happen to everyone around you. It doesn’t necessarily mean violence, but it definitely means anxiety and loneliness, and why, for what? So Google can have no competitors?”
Mr. Nielsen is nearly alone in his view. The internet, and big tech, has improved the lives of countless people all over the world. From information getting to remote communities on the cruelty of female genital mutilation, to an underground economy in North Korea, to literally thousands upon thousands of new jobs and rising wages that have led to improving the social and economic status of billions of people, it’s difficult to see the merit in what John argues.
But as John makes his case, it’s clear it’s not the internet he sees as causing rifts, but rather the machine algorithms we let sort it for us. On information sorting, John has some support.
“This period will certainly be looked at as the rule of the machines,” says University of Turku anthropology researcher Dagon Jarvela. “There is no human editor anymore. There is no local community to push back. For so many of us, we are the whim of the algorithms giving us our next story, our next piece of the puzzle of the outside world. It shapes us because it seems more important, more accurate than what we actually see in our everyday lives.”

Is Something Different?

“We all have the potential to be the monsters on Maple Street,” says John, “and I think Google is doing exactly that.”
Mr. Nielsen’s claim is both bold and alarmist.
For the last several years, he claims, you've seen it happen to your friends, family, teachers and coworkers.
He describes it as a disease, saying it doesn’t care about sex, age, political affiliation, class, or geographical region.
He says it is endemic and transforming, and yet so slow in its mechanism that we barely recognize it happening.
“We do it with news, we do it with video, we do with social media,” says John. “All of us tech companies - cause it works.”
Mr. Nielsen is referring to the well documented claim that algorithms that provide information feeds to many internet users will consistently ‘serve’ more radical and divisive views over time.
“Not out of malice,” says John. “Algorithms don’t think for themselves. It arose naturally, but now it’s clear the best way to hook a user is to scare them, to get them to think about the people around them as crazy and trying to take something from them."
John adds, "If YouTube can make it seem like the next town over is full crazy people, completely incompatible with how you see the world and in such a way that no compromise is achievable, then you’re going to hunker down and not relate with them - instead you just fall back into YouTube. At some point in the future you might be afraid to travel to parts of the country because you just think they’re too different from you.”
Mr. Nielsen realizes that his comments have proved something of a motive in the bombing.
“A tech chief wants to destroy a server farm because he believes it is corrupting”, prosecutors might say, but John insists this couldn’t be further from the truth.

What Community?

$4.3 million is more than half the wealth John Nielsen has accumulated during his career in tech. Why did he spend it on local businesses in Lenoir, North Carolina?
John says his motivations were rooted in pragmatism to support the fledgling economy of Lenoir, but a closer look shows a much more specific motivation.
Heather West, owner of Tybrisa Books and a distant third cousin to Mr. Nielsen, was struggling financially when she received what she thought was positive news.
James Comey, former FBI director and then recently published author, was coming to Lenoir for a book signing.
“Book signings are really good for business if the author is well known enough,” says Ms. West. “I realized it was a controversial book, but I didn’t realize having him would hurt my business so much.”
Caldwell county, like it’s neighboring counties, has an approximate a 75-25 split in political leanings.
Heather’s bookstore relies on on her neighbors, and appealing to the minority in political leanings, she realizes, was decidedly a bad move.
However when an online boycott was set up against her store, Heather struggled not to take it personally.
“I understand that you don’t like him. Honest, I don’t like him either,” says Heather. “But to feel that he is such a menace that you need to take it out on me and my bookstore for months afterwards, it felt like a real insult, like I wasn’t part of this community anymore. I sell Dinesh D'Souza books too for god’s sake.”
Mr. Nielsen says, and accepts the irony, that he heard about Heather's struggles through a rising story provided to him in one of his algorithmically controlled news feeds.
Upset not at the individual boycotters, but at the online outrage propagating the message that Heather’s bookstore was a detriment to that region of North Carolina, Mr. Nielsen took a sabbatical and went to Lenoir in the summer of 2018.
There, he found what he described as a frayed community that he wanted to help.
“When people’s position improves, and not like a little bit, but by like a lot, like something you notice,” says Mr. Nielsen, “You know I can’t really prove it, but I think we don’t look inward anymore. We’re, you know, happier, and that sort of just echoes out into the community.”
Mr. Nielsen has no evidence of this, however generally speaking, people are indeed less ‘anxious’ when their economic security has improved. But this is obvious, and Mr. Nielsen realizes that.
More indicative of success was the celebration in December when the ‘key to the town’ was awarded to Mr. Nielsen. “The health of the economy,” he says, “and not just small gains, brought that community closer together. I feel like, at least a little bit, I got the monsters off Maple Street.”
A second reference Mr. Nielsen has made to the 1960 episode of the Twilight Zone, The Monsters are Due on Maple Street.

Algorithmic Decay

At the Comfort Inn on the edge of Lenoir, I search for an answer to my most basic questions: Why is no one reporting on this story, and why can’t I read about the bombing online?
A search leads me down rabbit holes of Lenoir rumors, both ancient and new.
In one, I watch a YouTube video about General William Lenoir’s stash of gold treasure hidden in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. As the autoplay continues, a video discusses the altitude sickness of Lenoir that makes citizens go crazy.
Another makes claim that James Comey’s visit to Tybrisa Books last spring was a way for him to hide key evidence of a pedophilia ring in the basement of the store, "where no one would ever suspect", says the video.
And as the autoplay goes on, the videos grow more brazen. Several in a row make claim Google’s server farm is causing cancer in the citizens of Lenoir.
Before I turn the video off, I see next on the autoplay is a video about different uses for fertilizer.
Tired, I climb my way out of the rabbit hole and go to my trusted sources. Trending, a video on how Google’s image search algorithm can replace digital video files to make it appear as though anyone could be in a captured video.
The report has me thinking about what John Nielsen said about Maple Street, and whether or not we’re all there and the monsters are too. I watch the old Twilight Zone episode and am left with Rod Serling’s final words:

The tools of conquest do not necessarily come with bombs and explosions and fallout. There are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes, prejudices – to be found only in the minds of men. For the record, prejudices can kill – and suspicion can destroy – and a thoughtless frightened search for a scapegoat has a fallout all of its own – for the children – and the children yet unborn. And the pity of it is – that these things cannot be confined – to the Twilight Zone.

As I prepare for bed, a new question pops into my mind. If an algorithm could gain consciousness, what would its priorities be, and who would it perceive as its enemies to that mission?
Myra Kindle is an independent investigative reporter. She covers tech, law, politics, and other stories that would be impossible to write about in more traditional outlets.

I sent this is in a message to the mods a little while back after seeing that the existing wiki was a little out of date, really centric to certain areas and tbh, not very neutral when it came to other areas. It's my no means the end of any recommendations, but considering we have a lot of questions about what to do/see/eat/drink and where to stay or live, I thought it might be helpful.
Anyway, I haven't got a response, and I'm not even sure if any of them are even still active here, so I thought I'd just drop it here and maybe somebody can get some use out of it anyway.
I'll clarify that outside of playing for one of the American football teams currently, and having previously played for another, I'm not affiliated with any organisation mentioned herein.

About Birmingham

Birmingham is the second city (don't listen to anything Manchester says!) of the United Kingdom. It is the largest and most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as the centre of the second largest urban area after London, with a population somewhere between 1 and 1.3 million people.
Birmingham boomed from a non-descript market town to a juggernaut of a city during the Industrial Revolution in the late 1700s/early 1800s, and is called "the first manufacturing town in the world". Although the steam engine is Birmingham's most famous invention, did you know, that amongst hundreds of other things, we're also responsible for the birth of the modern chemical industry, cotton spinning, the Baskerville typeface, building societies, powdered custard, the modern postal system, medical plaster, lawn tennis, plastic, medical use of x-rays, The Lord of the Rings, and the Football League? Well now you do!
Today, we don't manufacture so much, but we're still an important city on the global stage. We're now a centre for both the public and private service industry, and one of the most important centres of finance in the country.
We form the centre of a metropolitan area, spanning from Solihull in the south east, to Wolverhampton and the Black Country in the north west, and we make up an interesting group of people. We're a city of younger than average people, and are the UK's most ethnically diverse city, with large numbers of immigrants from Ireland, South Asia, the Caribbean and China. This make up has majorly shaped the city we live in today.
Whether you're visiting for a day or two, or you're a born and bred Brummie, Birmingham is still a city that can amaze you.
And yes... it's true. We do have more canals than Venice.

Big Name Attractions

• BBC Birmingham: Visitors can book tours of their working building that take you behind the scenes of their television and radio productions. There is also a visitor centre that doesn't require booking.
• Botanical Gardens: A 15 acre selection of gardens and greenhouses containing some of the world's rarest (and in some cases, entirely unique) plants. There are also a number of exotic birds.
• Cadbury World: The world famous chocolate manufacturer was founded in Bournville. There are exhibits on the history of chocolate, the making of chocolate, the story of the Cadbury family, and if you hadn't guessed by now, a massive Cadbury shop.
• LegoLand Discovery Centre: A newly-opened, kid centric day out based entirely on the world famous, colourful bricks.
• Library of Birmingham: This striking building opened in 2013 is the largest public library in the United Kingdom, and the largest "public cultural space" in Europe and hosts a number of nationally and internationally significant collections.
• National Sea Life Centre: Even with our extensive canal network, perhaps not the most appropriate location, but still... A giant aquarium with a range of sea and river life, from sharks, to penguins, to otters.
• Sarehole Mill: A working water mill that has played a significant park in the history of both the industry and literature of Birmingham. Matthew Boulton, one of the fathers of the industrial revolution performed experiments there, and Lord of the Rings author, J. R. R. Tolkien lived just a stones throw from the mill. It is located in the Shire Country Park, named for its influence on the location of that name in the aforementioned books.
• Thinktank: A family-oriented science experience with a focus on Birmingham's manufacturing and industrial history. You can see real WWII era aircraft, steam trains, and the world's oldest working steam engine. There's also a planetarium.

Smaller Attractions

• Aston Hall: The "leading example of the Jacobean prodigy house" has a storied local history, from the Civil War-era onwards.
• Back to Backs: The "city's last surviving court of back-to-back houses". Get a feel for life amongst the common folk of the city during the population boom of the Industrial Revolution.
• Blakesley Hall: One of the oldest buildings in the city, and an archetypal example of Tudor architecture, originally owned by the famed Smalbroke family.
• Coffin Works: A restored factory that historically manufactured brass fittings, and, you guessed it, coffins, including those of famed statesmen and members of the royal family.
• Museum of the Jewellery Quarter: Step inside a "'time capsule' of a jewellery workshop" and learn about the 200+ year history of the Jewellery Quarter.
• Pen Museum: The only museum dedicated to the pen trade in the UK, learn how Birmingham became the heart of the world pen industry.
• Selly Manor: Originally the manor house of Bournbrook, it was acquired by the Cadbury family in the early 1900s and moved to be the heart of their model village, Bournville.
• Soho House: A large house containing primarily a celebration of the life of famed industrialist Matthew Boulton and his peers in the Lunar Society.
• Winterbourne House & Garden: A seven acre botanic garden of the University of Birmingham.

Food & Drink

Birmingham is a city quickly gaining a world-class reputation for food, with an exploding independent scene backed up by an enviable selection of fine dining options.
Fine Dining You may have heard that Birmingham has more Michelin-starred restaurants than any UK city outside of London, and that's (sort of, if you're including Solihull) true!
With five (strictly four) restaurants boasting a star, Birmingham has plenty for those desiring a fine dining experience.
Purnell's, ran by regular TV face Glyn Purnell, and Adam's are both located in the city centre. Simpsons is just a mile-and-a-bit outside the centre in leafy Edgbaston, and Carters of Moseley is just a little further out, in, well, Moseley. The most recently awarded star goes to Peel's, located in the Hampton Manor hotel in Hampton in Arden, a quick drive from Birmingham Airport.
But it's not all about those famous stars. There's also several restaurants that make the Michelin Guide. Asha's (Indian), Opus (European), The Wilderness (British/European), Lasan (Indian), Waters (European), The Boot Inn (European/Fusion), Opheem (Indian), Folium (British/European), and Harborne Kitchen (British/European) are all places you're almost guaranteed some good eating!
Street Food & Independents While the Michelin-club get all the plaudits, many prefer Birmingham's proud independent food scene for a cheaper, more relaxed meal.
The jewel in the crown is Digbeth Dining Club. The now three-day-a-week event sees an area in Digbeth in the centre of Birmingham closed off and populated by some of the countries finest streetfood vendors for a festival of food, drink and music. Many of the regulars have been crowned winners of something in the various country-wide streetfood competitions in recent years, and you'll get anything from Indian snacks, decadent waffles, slow cooked BBQ, and mouth-watering cheesecakes to award winning burgers. Additionally, in a very similar vein, is the much more recent Hawker Yard.
Looking for a burger? You're in luck. There's Original Patty Men (who are so renowned, Drake opted to miss out on the Brit Awards to eat their burgers) and The Meat Shack both located in the city centre that make some of the best burgers you'll ever taste, and have a great selection of beers to go with them.
Thanks to the city's impressive Chinatown, you're guaranteed some good authentic Chinese food. Our recommendation? Head to Peach Garden or Look In and order a selection of roasted meats (just look for the hanging ducks in the window, you won't miss them!)
Perhaps Birmingham's most world famous offering to the culinary world is the Balti. Named for the thin-pressed steel dish it's served in more than any particular method of cooking, the Balti is a garlic and onion heavy curry that is cooked over high heat, rather than simmering all day. If that sounds enticing to you, then I've got good news.
Birmingham is famed for the Balti Triangle, an area around Sparkbook, Sparkhill and Moseley that has an eye-wateringly high concentration of restaurants serving Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi food, almost all of which serving many variations of the eponymous dish. While the Balti may have spread across the entirety of the UK, it's well known that Birmingham still has the best. Looking for a recommendation? Check out Adil's, the place that lays perhaps the strongest claim to creating the dish in the first place or Al Frash. We're also locked into an ongoing battle with Glasgow as to which city created the creamy, mild curry, the Chicken Tikka Masala. Added bonus? Many of the city's balti houses are BYOB.
Outside of those mentioned, there really is something for those that want something a little different. The Karczma serves authentic Polish food in amazing decor. Bonehead is the place to go for fried chicken. If you're not feeling a full three course balti, Zindiya offers amazing Indian street food. Loaf is a co-operatively ran bakery and cookery school that offer literally the best sausage rolls in the world. Whatever cuisine takes your fancy, you will find a restaurant in Birmingham cooking it to the highest quality.
If there's anything that will force you to make plans to visit Birmingham again, it's the food.
Drinking And what d'you know, it's not just great food here, but great drink too!
In the city centre, you're spoiled for choice. There's a Brewdog bar, serving a range of beers from the eponymous brewery alongside a smorgasbord of guest brewers. Just opposite is Cherry Reds (they also have a location in Kings Heath), serving craft beers in a cafe atmosphere. Located in a former, guess what, the Post Office Vaults invites you to take a look through their "Beer Bible" and select from hundreds of beers from around the world. Purecraft serves beers from the renowned Purity Brewing Company, and the food is amazing too.
Around what was formerly a financial district, you'll find a lot of popular bars in attractive buildings, such as The Old Joint Stock, The Lost and Found and The Cosy Club. In the Jewellery Quarter, you'll find the reasonably priced 1000 Trades (usually with a pop-up dishing out great food) and further afield, the Plough in Harborne.
Cocktails more your thing? You won't miss out. The Alchemist, Fumo, Ginger's and Gas Street Social all serve proper cocktails in trendy atmospheres.
On the same street in Stirchley and Cotteridge, you will find two of the countries highest-rated off-licences. Cotteridge Wines has been voted The Best Bottle Shop in England for five years running, and Stirchley Wines, just a few minutes walk away, is held in similarly high regard. Both have been listed in RateBeer's top four locations in the country.

Sport

Birmingham is famous as a sporting city. The Football League, the world's first league football competition, was founded in 1888 by Birmingham resident, and Aston Villa director William McGregor.
Along with the aforementioned Aston Villa, Birmingham is also home to another of the oldest football teams in the country, Birmingham City. Birmingham City's Ladies play at the top level of Women's football. The football season runs between August and May.
Edgbaston Cricket Ground is home to Warwickshire County Cricket Club, but is also more prominently used for Test matches, One Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals. The County Cricket season runs between April and September. The Twenty20 season runs between July and September.
Birmingham and the nearby areas are home to two PGA standard golf courses; The Belfry, which has hosted the Ryder Cup more than any other venue, and the Forest of Arden, a regular host of tournaments on the PGA European Tour.
Arena Birmingham, formerly known as the National Indoor Arena, has hosted a number of World and European indoor athletics championships, and the Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr is the headquarters of UK Athletics, and the home of the Birchfield Harriers, which counts a number of elite international athletes amongst its members.
The first ever game of lawn tennis was played in Birmingham in 1859 and the Birmingham Classic, played annually at the Edgbaston Priory Club is one of only three UK tennis tournaments on the WTA Tour.
There are two professional Rugby Union teams in Birmingham and the surrounding areas. Moseley Rugby Football Club play in the National League 1, and Birmingham & Solihull Pertemps Bees play in the Midlands Premier division. The Rugby Union season typically runs between September and April.
Birmingham is also home to the oldest British American football team, the Birmingham Bulls and the most successful team in University American football, the Birmingham Lions at the University of Birmingham. The Tamworth Phoenix, the current BAFA National League champions, are located in nearby Coleshill, and the Sandwell Steelers are located in the Black Country. The BAFA National Leagues season typically runs between April and August and the University season typically runs between October and January.
The Birmingham Bandits play in the National Baseball League, the top level of competition in the country. The season typically runs between April and August.
Birmingham will host the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Entertainment

Film For those that want to catch a movie, there is, as you might expect, a range of chain cinemas in dozens of locations across the city in which you can catch the latest release.
But if you're looking for something really special? Why not check out The Electric, the UK's oldest working cinema?
Of course, they show the latest blockbusters, but they also show classic movies and special events throughout the year.
Music Whatever your preference, there's a good bet that Birmingham has had an impact.
We have the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra playing at the Symphony Hall for those with a more refined ear.
There are regular jazz festivals across the city and surroundings through the year.
Perhaps you've heard of the small time bands Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Led Zeppelin and Napalm Death? Birmingham is the home to metal, and it's an influence that is still obvious today. You'll find local bands playing the full spectrum of metal at music pubs across the city.
If you want to check out a band on tour, we've got arenas that range in size from the huge (Arena Birmingham, Genting Arena) to the more modest (Hare & Hounds, HMV Institute) and those in-between (O2 Academy).
Theatre The Repertory Theatre is the UK's longest-established "producing theatre" and the Alexandra and Hippodrome are the go-to places to see shows on tour.
Those looking for a particularly classy night out can choose from the Birmingham Royal Ballet, resident at the Hippodrome, or the Birmingham Opera Company, known for their avant garde performances in non-typical spaces.
Museums & Galleries Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is the big one. A notable collection of Pre-Raphaelite work and the Staffordshire Hoard are probably the stand outs that it's known for, but there's a temporary exhibition space that hosts events like student exhibitions from local universities.
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts is located on the campus of the University of Birmingham, and was one of only five galleries outside London to receive five stars for having "Outstanding collections of international significance", and this relatively modest sized gallery hosts works by the likes of Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Auguste Rodin and J. M. W. Turner and has one of the world's largest coin collections.
If contemporary art is more your thing, then the Ikon Gallery in Brindley Place is for you, hosting rotating exhibitions throughout the year.
The mac, located in Cannon Hill Park is an art gallery with rotating exhibitions that also hosts plays, concerts and film showings.
For further Museums & Galleries see the "Attractions" section.
Nightlife As a young city, there's plenty of places in the city to while the night away.
Broad Street is Birmingham's most well known area. It's a long street with very popular, relatively "bog-standard" bars and clubs, with large dancefloors and loud, popular music. PRYZM is the largest nightclub in the city, and Grosvenor Casino, open 24 hours, is nearby.
You'll most likely find single 18-25 year olds along this busy street just a few minutes walk from the very centre of the city.
Birmingham's Gay Village is also well established, with Nightingales being arguably the biggest name. Nearby, the Arcadian hosts a number of smaller bars and clubs.
The Jewellery Quarter offers more intimate nightlife options, and you're more likely to find a slightly older clientele sipping cocktails and listening to live bands than on their feet on a dancefloor.
Digbeth is where the cool people go in search of more underground fare. DJs and producers playing House, Techno (including the world famous "Birmingham Sound"), Dubstep, Garage and Drum & Bass congregate in the clubs in this area, catering to those that are happy to go all night. If you want to go even further off the beaten track, check out PST where you're likely to find Listening Sessions, showcasing a range of music from local producers.
Shopping The Bullring is the major shopping centre in Birmingham. It is one of Europe's largest and houses just one of four Selfridges department stores, housed in an iconic building. There are a number of stores selling fashion, cosmetics, toys and gifts and food.
The Bull Ring markets see 140 stallholders offering fresh fruit and vegetables, meats and fish, and basically every non-food item you can think of.
The Jewellery Quarter is Europe's largest concentration of businesses involved in the jewellery trade, which produces 40% of all the jewellery made in the UK.
The Great Western Arcade is a Grade II listed row of shops that cater almost entirely to independent retailers where you're almost guaranteed to find something unique.

Weather

We're a relatively temperate city, in that it rarely gets super cold, and rarely gets super hot. In the summer months, you can expect a twenty four hour swing from around 11°C(52°F) to 23°C(73°F), and in the winter months, anywhere between 0°C(32°F) and 7°C(45°F).
We get roughly 10-13 rainy days per month throughout the year.
Compared to other UK cities, we are relatively snowy, due to our inland position and high elevation, however, it rarely snows to a degree that it causes problems.

Environment

Birmingham is, perhaps surprisingly given its unfair reputation, an outstandingly green city. We have a stunning 571 parks in the city, more than any other European city.
Sutton Park is the biggest park in the city, and is Europe's largest urban park outside of a capital city. Around a quarter of the former Royal Forest is covered by ancient woodlands, and there are a number of large ponds and pools. It is relatively common to see deer and exmoor ponies in the less busy parts of the park. There are several sporting events held in the park throughout the year.
The Lickey Hills are home to a Green Flag awarded country park that offer picturesque views of the city of Birmingham, and are home to several species of deer, badgers and around ninety bird species, and some believe this favoured haunt of J. R. R. Tolkien formed the inspiration for the Shire in his famed The Lord Of The Rings series.
Cannon Hill Park is a 250 acre area consisting of woodland, grassland and several large ponds. There are areas for soccer, boating, fishing, tennis and mini-golf.

Travel

Due to its centralised location, Birmingham is well placed for transport. It is served by the M5, M6 (famed for the Gravelly Hill Interchange, more commonly known as Spaghetti Junction), M40 and M42 motorways.
Birmingham Airport (actually located in Solihull), is an international airport, with flights to and from to many destinations in Europe, North America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Birmingham New Street is the largest railway station outside of London and serves locations across the country. Snow Hill and Moor Street act as the northern termini for trains coming from London Marylebone.
Buses are mainly administered by National Express, and the West Midlands bus route 11, also known as the Birmingham Outer Circle, is the longest urban bus route in Europe at 27 miles, taking around three hours to complete.
Uber operates within Birmingham.

Living In Birmingham

Many times we're asked here on brum "where should I live", "is area X ok to live in", etc. Much like everything else in Birmingham, there is a lot of variety. Houses can range from cheap as chips to pretty expensive, and each area of the city has its own up and downsides. It's not so easy to divide Birmingham by distinct areas of desirability, and some of the most expensive and sought after suburbs border those that aren't as popular.

Central Birmingham

Living in central Birmingham will be similar to living in the centre of any other big city, if you've ever done that. There will always be something to do on right on your doorstep, the social opportunities are immense, and your commute can be but a short walk to the office. Of course, this is often at the expense of a smaller, more expensive property, greater noise and everywhere is pretty busy 24/7. There are a number of distinct "regions" in the city centre.
Brindley Place & Surrounding Areas Likely the priciest part of the city centre to live in, but there are often more than small flats available. Penthouses, townhouses and large apartments are more common in this area.
Average property price: Anywhere from ~£150,000 to £1m+ Brindley Place on Streetcheck
Digbeth An area still undergoing gentrification, but also a focal point for up and coming independents in business, food, arts and culture. Most, if not all, properties in Digbeth will be flats. Most of Digbeth is a five minute walk to the centre of the city.
Average property price: £158,024 Digbeth on Streetcheck
Jewellery Quarter Great for food and drink, the Jewellery Quarter, while still a stronghold in the UK jewellery industry, is fast becoming one of the "cooler" areas to live in the city. Most, if not all, properties in the Jewellery Quarter will be flats.
Average property price: ~£200,000-250,000 Jewellery Quarter on Streetcheck

North Birmingham

North Birmingham has a large swing in terms of lifestyle. Some areas closer to the city centre are more economically deprived, whereas further away, the likes of Sutton Coldfield can boast some of the most expensive and most desirable locations in the Midlands. The transport links are, to some, an attraction to living in North Birmingham, usually being just minutes from several junctions on the M6 and M5.
Aston Aston as a settlement is very old, and has a real mix of history, ranging from the medieval to Jacobean to early 1900s. Most properties in Aston are terraced houses.
Average property price: £107,137 Aston on Streetcheck
Erdington Lying between the city centre and it's more expensive neighbour, Erdington is fast becoming a desirable location for those priced out of Sutton Coldfield. There is a range of properties from detached housing to flats.
Average property price: £163,075 Erdington on Streetcheck
Handsworth An "on the rise" area that can boast perhaps the longest list of famous residents in the whole city. There are a wide range of properties from detached housing to terraced houses.
Average property price: £144,484 Handsworth on Streetcheck
Sutton Coldfield A "Royal Town" and the fourth-least deprived area in the country, Sutton Coldfield is renowned as a very affluent area with many attractions. There are a range of properties from terraced houses to very large detached houses.
Average property price: £314,808 although houses can and do regularly top £3m+ Sutton Coldfield on Streetcheck

East Birmingham

East Birmingham is home to a diverse population, and a relatively green area stretching from the city centre to neighbouring Solihull, and is quickly finding itself a niche as younger folk priced out of Solihull move to a desirable location between the leafy town and Birmingham's centre.
Bordesley Green Traditionally an area popular with immigrants, and mostly consists of terraced houses.
Average property price: £122,712 Bordesley Green on Streetcheck
Stechford Mostly terraced housing with a tonne of local ameneties and is cut almost in two by the River Cole and has a large nature reserve running through it.
Average property price: £150,085 Stechford on Streetcheck
Yardley & Sheldon An historically old suburb of Birmingham, with a dedicated conservation area and many local ameneties. There are a range of properties from detached houses to a small number of flats and apartments.
Average property price: £162,601 Yardley & Sheldon on Streetcheck

South Birmingham

The south of Birmingham is home to some of the "coolest" suburbs that are quickly gaining popularity, seated between the city centre and what you might call "countryside" towards Warwickshire.
Hall Green Encompassing much of the Tolkien trail, this suburb borders Shirley in Solihull.
Average property price: £209,923 Hall Green on Streetcheck
Kings Heath, Stirchley and Cotteridge These three closely related suburbs are quickly becoming seen as an affordable alternative to Moseley.
Average property price: £211,276 Kings Heath on Streetcheck
Moseley With a real "village" feel, there are many renowned drinking holes and eateries, with a large range of property types.
Average property price: £276,533 Moseley on Streetcheck
Sparkhill Home to a large population of immigrants, it's not surprising that Sparkhill is home to much of the famed "Balti Triangle". Most of the properties are terraced houses.
Average property price: £142,394 Sparkhill on Streetcheck

West Birmingham

As you move away from the city centre towards the Black Country, you'll come across some of the city's most sought-after locations for both young and old alike.
Edgbaston A very affluent suburb that is also home to much of the University of Birmingham campus. There are a number of very large houses, but also a large number of flats and terraced houses. Houses can and do regularly go for £1m+
Average property price: £301,851 Edgbaston on Streetcheck
Harborne A Victorian-era suburb with a large amount of terraced and semi-detached housing, located between Edgbaston and Quinton.
Average property price: £278,266 Harbone on Streetcheck
Selly Oak The majority of residents in this suburb are students at Birmingham's universities. As such, it has many transport links to the city centre. Most of the properties are terraced houses.
Average property price: £221,046 Selly Oak on Streetcheck
Quinton This green suburb basically forms the very western border of the city before you enter Sandwell and Dudley. Most properties are semi-detached.
Average property price: £258,077 Quinton on Streetcheck

Outside the city

Birmingham is part of the greater West Midlands conurbation, so it can be used as a hub for exploring the region easily.
Solihull is situated on the south-eastern edge of Birmingham. Solihull is an affluent town with a mid-sized town centre, and a number of smaller villages located more rurally.
Coventry can be reached via the M6 or A45, and is roughly a half an hour to fourty minute drive from the city centre.
Stratford-Upon-Avon, famed for being the home of William Shakespeare, is located roughly an hour away from the city centre.
Warwick, the home of Warwick Castle, is located near Royal Leamington Spa, and is about an hour by car from the city centre.
The Cotswolds, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, can be quickly reached, anywhere from one to two hours away from the city centre.
Worcester and the Malvern Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, can be reached via the M5, around an hour and a half from the city centre.
On the western edge of the city, the Black Country, consisting of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton can be found.
Further out west, the Shropshire Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty can be found.
To the north of the city, Cannock Chase, a large, heavily wooded Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is located.

Howdy! My wife and I just got back from a week in PR. This sub was a huge help so I wanted to give back and write a trip report. We flew down on 8/28 (day Dorian swung by) and came back 9/4.
8/28 When we boarded in Chicago, the weather channel was squawking about the storm on-stop. It was worrying but at that point we were committed and felt comfortable it would pass by. We landed at SJU and there were brief showers. It was easy to catch a taxi from the airport but know that you have to use one of the approved taxis. No ubers or anything like that. Rates were set. To go from SJU to our Air B&B in San Juan was $21. I think if you're going to Old San Juan or Condado it was approx $25. I had plenty of cash. No idea if they take care but it would be foolish not to carry cash. We checked into our Air B&B. Bc of the storm, almost everything was closed and there were no alcohol sales bc if the state of emergency. We are at Bebos which was thankfully open. The weather was perfect, no wind no rain, so we walked to the beach. The sunset was unbelievable pbly because of the storm (western part got some rain but San Juan was perfect weather). There's still lots of Maria PTSD and this was the first storm since then. They were overly cautious but it's better to err on the side of caution. We ate snacks back in our room, wished we could've had a beer to unwind, and went to bed early.
8/29 We took an Uber from San Juan to Old San Juan. Super easy and only like $8. The Uber wait times were super short. We visited El Morro and Cristobal Forts (tickets are $7 per adult and if you keep the stub you can get into both forts so keep your ticket), got a pina colada at a small bar in OSJ, and wandered the streets. It was a nice day trip but we felt we did it fully in one day. Def not worth more than that in my view.
8/30 We rented a car from Enterprise in Condado and drove to Fajardo. It was approx $75. Driving was super easy. I swear the drivers are better than in most places in the States. Side roads can be rough with potholes but the main highways were great. We drove to El Yunque only to find out it was closed for the day to clean up after the storm. It seemed a bit overly cautious but no worries. The website said they were open that day even though they weren't so just be flexible, relaxed, and go with the flow. We drove to our Air B&B in Fajardo, walked around, sat on the B&Bs porch drinking Medella, and had the best fish dinner I've ever had at El Boho. Seriously check it out. The locals recommended it bc the owners family are all fisherman. An absolutely incredible meal.
8/31 I returned the car and bc I called ahead, they drove us to Ceiba to catch the ferry free of charge. I'd purchased ferry tickets online (before they stopped doing that) but hadn't been able to purchase any for our return trip. I was told at the window no advanced ticket sales were to be sold, only day of. The ferry was fine. It's cheap but sweet goodness is it poorly run. No communication whatsoever. Check out the Facebook page they have. There's drama every single day. I was pretty stressed but we got there with plenty of time and had no problem getting to Vieques. When we arrived in Vieques, there were boys riding horses up and down the street and chickens wandering around. It's like the Wild West and a glimpse at what the Caribbean used to be like. I would strongly recommend not doing Vieques as a day trip. Too much rushing and too many logistics. Also, call ahead a rent a vehicle/scootegolf cart. They were sold out our first day so I reserved a golf cart for the next two. It was $80 for 24 hours. Fairly expensive but absolutely necessary. You could taxi around but half the fun is discovering stuff on your own and this island is not walkable at all. After we got settled we went to Sea Glass Beach in town. It was a fine beach, not perfect, but very accessible although we struggled to find the entrance for a while. This afternoon/evening was the low point of the trip. We exhausted, had no transportation, and were a bit overwhelmed. We had pizza at Mama Mia in Isabelle (comfort food), walked to the Arepas festival, and went to bed early. We were staying in Isabella so everything in town was an easy walk but all the good beaches were a ways away.
9/1 Incredible day. We picked up the golf cart and drove to Blue Beach (called something else in Spanish). We got there early but even being Sunday of Labor Day weekend, it never got overly full. Lots of people rented Jeeps but a golf cart was perfect for us. Just let faster cars go by and enjoy the experience of putting down the road. We explored red beach and one or two in the area. Really wonderful day. We ate at Biekas Bistro for dinner and then went to the second night of the festival. Lots of people, great music, fried foods for sale, and a ton of the community turned out. It was a really nice night and only my favorite day of the trip.
9/2 Same as the day before. We picked up Subway so we could spend the whole day at the beach and drove fairly early to Black Sand Beach. It's a really cool hike to the beach. It's not a great swimming beach but the views are beautiful and it's worth checking out. We then went to Sun Bay to spend the day. It's $4/vehicle to get in but totally worth it. We put our chairs under the shade of a palm tree and had the nicest day drinking Medallas, snorkeling (not great but still enjoyable), and loving life. We then drove to Esperanza. Right across from a hotel or something, there is a peninsula that sticks out into the bay. Walk out there (past all the tents) and bear to the left. Eventually you'll find a semi-overgrown path that takes you to the top of the cliff. It gives a stunning view of Sun Bay Beach. A local told us about it. It's probably pretty well known but I hadn't heard about it anywhere on Reddit or online. It was the cherry on top of the trip. We sadly returned the golf cart, ate dinner from a food truck park just outside of Isabella, and did the 7pm Bio-Bay Tour thrive Wie-Vie(?). We booked online. They picked us up in front of the air b&b in a van. The other people on the tour were harder to find. Some were still eating or running behind so we drove around getting them. Eventually we got them and got to the bay. The tour was super safe and well led. Lane our guide was the definition of a cool dude originally from the States. The new moon had been 5 or 6 days before. It wasn't totally dark but dark enough to see the stars. The luminescent wasn't peak bc the storms had messed with the bay but we still say some light up. I think a few people were slightly disappointed but anyone that actually does shit outside knows conditions are not always perfect. It's not a damn Disney ride. We loved it. The stars were incredible, the water was warm, the bay was cool, and the info was interesting. We then went to this really incredible little bar in Isabelle. Something like the old hat. It was run by some folks form the States that now lived there. They were having trivia night and was packed with locals that had moved from the States years ago. We had he nicest time. Robert the owner was a true gentleman. He did we'd be back because everyone who falls under the spell of Vieques must return. He's right. The place has a quality to it which is hard to describe. We'll be back.
9/3 I was still pretty stressed about the ferry so I bought tickets for the 9:44 around 8am. Supposedly they only start selling them an hour or two before but who knows. The ticket window was open, I got our two for super cheap, and life was good. We got there by 8:45 because I was still concerned. Turns out nothing bad happened, we got back fine, and enterprise picked us up in Ceiba. We took the car to El Yunque and did the Britton Tower (really really incredible and the something Juan waterfall. The rainforest was cool. It was busy and I'm glad there was no change to get in but it was still interesting. We then drove to Condado, ate some great tacos, enjoyed being back in civilization, wasted $4 at the casino (why do boomers love casinos so much?? They are so boring) and got some beers and sat on the beach taking it all in. The only hiccup was the alike conditioning at the air b&b broke. We are pretty hardy folks but it was 89 in the apartment. The host was super apologetic. By 9pm it was apparent the repair man wasn't coming so we got a refund and found a cheap hire across the street. Lagoon something next to the Comfort Inn. It was no big deal, totally in the spirit of the adventure, and just one of those things that happen. We flew out the next day.
It wasn't a classic relaxing trip but we wanted an adventure and certainly got one. Just be patient, laid back, not an asshole, and relish the adventure of it all. Bring cash and give yourself plenty of time to get anywhere. It'll all work out.

wanted to write this up as a bit of an experience recap, I've added a bunch of pics I took into this gallery as well. feel free to ask questions! :)
​
​
myself and a strike team of 10 left dubbo on the 22nd and headed up to casino for the long gully fire at drake
our team started with 3 cat 7's, with of them being dual cab (new to me!), and one group vehicle
​
the first day on the grounds, the 23rd, started with us doing blackout patrol in the hills which, given dubbo's geography, was something new. the second half of the day started with us moving to a new area to blackout, but we got called by fire and rescue to assist with property protection after a smaller fire had run along a gully and up a hill. that was a lights and sirens run to the job, then jumping on the mc cloud's. another rfs team that came along had a leaf blower so we made short work of a firebreak, which was lucky as working on the side of that hill with hand tools was tough
the crew I was with then got sent off to another urgent job that got called in by one of the residents. a hollow tree was alight inside, basically being a big candle, and it had half fallen and was in danger of coming completely down and into unburnt ground. another lights and sirens run. it took us probably 30 min to get up a firebreak track to the tree, and another 90 min to put it out
the rest of our strike team had stayed at the previous property, when they were leaving they got called back as the fire had gone down the gully and back up further down the road. once we'd finished our tree we went back to base as it was change over time and the next shift needed our truck to head to the gully to hand over
​
on the 24th we started doing blackout patrol at drake, one of our 7's had brake issues and we had to swap it for a cat 9, which happened to be from dubbo as well! it was a pretty quiet morning. when we returned to base we got told we'd be heading back to drake in the trucks to collect our gear and then convoying down to glen innes
so we'd bussed from casino to drake for the morning. then drake to casino to get our bags. casino to drake to pickup the cat 7 that'd since been fixed. then finally, drake to glen innes. needless to say it was a looooong trip
​
for our last day on the ground, the 25th, we got shipped out to the kingsgate fire, which was about an hours drive from glen innes down a pretty hectic road, for more blacking out. we got a heap of off road driving in and not much else as it was under control (at that time). we were supposed to run protection for a dozer for the second half of the day, but the dozer never arrived (until the next day!) so there was a lot of hurry up and wait, and slow driving patrols
​
a few take aways;

• my kindle saved me during the down time! there was a lot of waiting
• food is important. it may not be quality, but it's usually plentiful, so eat
• ear plugs are saviours in tents, and cheap hotels :p
• I can only imagine the logistics that go on behind the scenes at these events. sometimes it's a little messy when you're on the front end though
• I need to do an offroad driving course, and my tft, and get my mr license

​
a good week all in all, and I'll be looking to see if there's other opportunities later in the season to go and help out elsewhere

Husband is in the military, we relocated to Las Vegas in the last few months, after living in the mid west. Both our families are in California, which is about a 3.5 hour drive away, everyone's excited we're close to them again. Or maybe they're excited we live in a cool town to visit?
Since we're from California, and vegas has a lot of California transplants, I know a handful of people here that have been friends for years, and the running joke between all of them seems to be how they can't remember their last free weekend without guests. I'm starting to realize this isn't a joke. This is putting me in a really awkward position because everyone seems to think they can use our house as a free inn.
I'll start with my BFF, let's call her Leslie. I love Leslie to pieces, we've been dear friends since we were 10, we were roommates at one point, and I'm far closer to her than i am with any of my sisters. Leslie unfortunately married a man that is such a sack of shit, I could literally go on and on about the many awful things he's done, but in an effort to keep it short: he's been unemployed for their entire 5-year marriage, they've basically hated each other's guts since they tied the knot, he is very condescending to her, constantly belittles and puts her down, berates her in public places, tells her she's too fat for him to sleep with, threatened her with a gun once.... honestly you can't have a conversation with this guy without him trying to pick a fight, he lacks impulse control, and frankly has zero redeeming qualities from what I can see. I can't handle this guy for 10 minutes, I think he's abusive. Leslie's incredibly religious, and will never leave him. Fine, not my life, but after years of encouraging her to do what makes her happy, it seems she's happy being miserable with him, and gets incredibly defensive if I imply that he doesn't treat her well, so I keep my mouth shut. Well they want to visit. Leslie will always be welcome in my home, and I really want to see her, but I do not want her husband anywhere near my home or especially my baby. When I said this (in the nicest way I could), she got very upset and now isn't speaking to me. I'm not sure if advice can even be given on this one, because this is not negotiable, and I will not relent and let this man near my family.
Issue #2: cousins of my husband want to visit. We say ok, they're coming next week, with their 3 kids in tow, and I got an email today saying how the wife is so excited to come because they haven't gone on a date in forever, and husband already bought tickets to a show, and a kid-free night is just what they need! Uhh, is it just me, or does it sound like they're under the impression that I'm baby-sitting? One of her kids is an infant, one is fully in the throes of the terrible twos, and the four-year-old in my opinion has some serious behavioral problems. I don't mind them visiting for a weekend, but I am NOT babysitting these kids. What the heck do I get out of this arrangement? They didn't outright say they expected me to babysit, so should I wait to see how this plays out (with the wild hope that they just have a sitter lined up or something), or immediately say "NO THIS ISNT HAPPENING"?
Issue #3: FIL showing up at our house unannounced, saying a quick hello, then leaving for the casino, and after a night of gambling, stumbling in our house at 3:30 am drunk off his ass. WAKING MY SLEEPING INFANT. Husband flew off the handle, and yelled at his dad a bit. FIL gathers that the unannounced part was the issue, and tells us he's coming for a visit in a couple of weeks, so we're "prepared."
Issue #4: husbands grandparents are pressuring me to host thanksgiving and christmas, because if I don't, "no one else will." I don't want 20 people camping out in my house!
It doesn't even stop there, even people I haven't talked to in years suddenly want to friend me on Facebook, and send me emails like, "ohhhhhhh you're in vegas?? I should come visit!" Friends and family; it's overwhelming.
My husband is generally not confrontational (making the scene with his father a HUGE shock to me), and doesn't want to be rude. He doesn't see family and friends visiting as a bad thing, and likes to be very social. I like to be social too, but he's not the one cooking and cleaning and hosting and apparently babysitting. It's causing some tension between us.
How can I collectively tell the people I love to kindly fuck off, in the nicest way possible? I'm a little overwhelmed right now. I want to have guests sometimes, just not every damn weekend.
tl;dr: new to vegas, friends and family all want to use my house as a free hotel and/or child care center, causing issues in basically every relationship I have, including husband.

Oklahoma City's event list.

Ongoing

• BEYOND (Factory Obscura - Oklahoma City) Thru Fri, Dec 21st Join the creatives behind the Oklahoma City art collective Factory Obscura for a fully-immersive, experiential art…
• A Christmas Carol (Lyric at the Plaza - Oklahoma City) Thru Mon, Dec 24th A spectacular new Oklahoma holiday tradition returns with Lyric Theatre's production of the Charles Dickens classic,…
• Christmas in the Park (Yukon City Park, Freedom Trail Park & Chisholm Trail Park - Yukon) Thru Mon, Dec 31st Yukon's Christmas in the Park offers a beautiful lighted drive through three interconnecting parks. Yukon's Chisholm…
• Devon Ice Rink (Oklahoma City) Thru Sun, Jan 27th The Devon Ice Rink returns for another magical season in the Myriad Botanical Gardens this November through the end of…
• Downs Family Christmas Lights (Down's Family Christmas Light Ministry - Norman) Thru Tue, Jan 1st The Downs Family Christmas Lights in Norman is one of the most spectacular light displays at a private residence in…
• Downtown in December (Downtown - Oklahoma City) Thru Sun, Jan 27th Downtown in December presented by Devon, is a series of holiday events and attractions in the heart of Oklahoma City.…
• Chickasha Festival of Light (Shannon Springs Park - Chickasha) Thru Mon, Dec 31st The Chickasha Festival of Light has been recognized as one of the top ten holiday light shows in the nation…
• Holiday in the Park (Starlight Amphitheater @ Frontier City - Oklahoma City) Thru Sun, Jan 6th Experience the magic of a million lights sparkling throughout Frontier City Theme Park. At the annual Holiday in the Park…
• Midwest City Holiday Lights Spectacular (Joe B. Barnes Regional Park - Midwest City) Thru Tue, Dec 25th Celebrate the magic of the season as over one million lights transform Joe B. Barnes Regional Park into a twinkling winter…
• Holiday Pop-Up Shops (Oklahoma City) Thru Sun, Dec 23rd Venture over to Midtown in Oklahoma City during the winter holidays, and gaze in wonder at the geodesic dome city overtaking…
• It's a Wonderful Life (Pollard Theatre - Guthrie) Thru Sun, Dec 23rd Get in the Christmas spirit with the enchanting performance of “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play”…
• Lights From the Heart (Purcell Lake - Purcell) Thru Tue, Jan 1st Set your gaze upon a holiday wonderland at Lights From the Heart in Purcell. On this 1.5-mile drive around Purcell Lake…
• Limo Holiday Lights Tours (Citywide - Oklahoma City) Thru Mon, Dec 31st Schedule a two-hour tour of the city's most spectacular holiday lights via limo, and enjoy a smooth ride past vibrant…
• Edmond Outdoor Ice Rink (Mitch Park - Edmond) Thru Sun, Jan 6th Enjoy holiday ice skating in Mitch Park at the Edmond Outdoor Ice Rink. Glide around the 117ft. x 56ft. under clear,…
• A Territorial Christmas Celebration (Pollard Theatre - Guthrie) Thru Mon, Dec 24th Step back in time at A Territorial Christmas Celebration in Guthrie with a live theatre production, historic home tours,…
• Kingfisher Winter Nights (Kingifhser City Park - Kingfisher) Thru Mon, Dec 24th Millions of lights are setting historic Kingfisher Park ablaze in the city of Kingfisher. Every evening from November…

Wednesday, Nov 28th

• 🎨 American Indian Artists: 20th Century Masters (Western Heritage Museum - Oklahoma City) Thru Sat, Dec 1st Start Time: 10:00am September 1 – May 12, 2019 American Indian Artists: 20th Century Masters As Lakota artist Oscar Howe wrote in 1958, “There is much more to Indian art, than pretty, stylized pictures.” This exhibition highlights this depth and the 20th century American masters who shaped it. Explore early artists such as the Kiowa Six, Tonita…
• ♪ Anthem Drown Night! (HiLo Club - Oklahoma City) Our local friends at Anthem Brewing Co. have some great beers! Every Wednesday night from 9pm to close enjoy $8 Drown Night! Their Power Pils will be flowing!
• Bi-Weekly Meetup (51st st. Speakeasy - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 5:00pm
• Dungeons & Dragons (Edmond Unplugged - Edmond) Start Time: 7:00pm A City on the Edge with Ashley King No Cost Beginners and experienced players welcome Pre-made characters will be available No outside food and drink, food and drink available within the store
• 🎓 ILLUMINATIONS: A Northern Lights Experience in the Crystal Bridge Conservatory (Myriad Botanical Gardens - Oklahoma City) Thru Fri, Nov 30th Start Time: 6:00pm Presented by OGE Energy Corp. November 23 – January 2 Evenings Enjoy a new take on holiday lighting inside the Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory beginning November 23 through January 2nd. Professional designers using the latest lighting technology are taking our holiday display to the next level, beyond strings of lights. Bring your…
• 🎨 James C. Meade Friends' Lecture: Illuminated Manuscripts (Oklahoma City Museum of Art - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 6:00pm We’re happy to welcome Professor Bill Endres from the University of Oklahoma as our guest speaker for our first James C. Meade Friends’ Lecture of the...
• ♪ Jonathan Byrd (The Blue Door - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 8:00pm
• ♪ Live Music- Savoy Trio (Oklahoma City) Start Time: 7:00pm
• NRHA Futurity & Adequan Championship Show (Oklahoma State Fair Park - Oklahoma City) Thru Sun, Dec 2nd The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA), with its international headquarters in Oklahoma City, presents one of the…
• 🍴 Open for Lunch! (The Melting Pot - Oklahoma City) Thru Fri, Nov 30th Start Time: 11:30am Starting Black Friday you can enjoy The Melting Pot all day long! We will be opening our doors at 11:30 am every day until December 23. Make your reservation today!
• 🏆 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (Chesapeake Energy Arena - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 7:00pm Experience the thrill of fast-paced pro basketball as the Oklahoma City Thunder takes on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Wear your…
• ♪ Tinder Live! with Lane Moore (Tower Theatre Studio - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 8:00pm
• 🏆 Triple Crown Beer Specials (Remington Park - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 6:00pm The Remington Park Casino is well known for its Wednesday and Thursday evening beer specials. Now, the top signature beers from the Bricktown Brewery are...
• 😂 Valarie Storm (Loony Bin Comedy Club - Oklahoma City) Thru Sat, Dec 1st
• 🏆 Wednesday Game Night (Remington Park - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 6:00pm Play the games you love for jackpots and then play more games you love for Extra Cash & Prizes on Game Night at Remington Park, every Wednesday! Starting at 6pm on Wednesday nights at Remington Park, just make sure to use your Club Remington Card as you play in the casino. Doing so may get you selected via hot seat drawings to make Free Spins,…
• 🎨 Wildlife (Oklahoma City Museum of Art - Oklahoma City) Day 1 of 2 Start Time: 5:30pm Partially filmed in Enid, Oklahoma, Wildlife marks the phenomenally assured, critically lauded directorial debut of actor Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood,...

Thursday, Nov 29th

• ♪ Alyssa Elaine / Jared Valouch / Schat & The Skeleton Trees (Red Brick Bar - Norman) Start Time: 9:00pm This will be an evening of acoustic music from great Oklahoma artists. 9-10 Alyssa Elaine (Singer songwriter) 10-11 Jared Valouch (Acoustic) 11-12...
• 🎨 American Indian Artists: 20th Century Masters (Western Heritage Museum - Oklahoma City) Thru Sat, Dec 1st Start Time: 10:00am September 1 – May 12, 2019 American Indian Artists: 20th Century Masters As Lakota artist Oscar Howe wrote in 1958, “There is much more to Indian art, than pretty, stylized pictures.” This exhibition highlights this depth and the 20th century American masters who shaped it. Explore early artists such as the Kiowa Six, Tonita…
• Ante Up! (Western Heritage Museum - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 6:00pm Go
• The Christmas Show (Civic Center Music Hall - Oklahoma City) Thru Sat, Dec 1st The Oklahoma City Philharmonic presents its annual holiday performance "The Christmas Show." This show is a family…
• 🎭 DASHING THROUGH THE SNOW (Chickasha Community Theatre - Chickasha) Day 1 of 2 Start Time: 7:30pm It's four days before Christmas in the tiny town of Tinsel, Texas, and a colorful parade of eccentric guests arrive at the Snowflake Inn and deck the...
• 🎨 Design Illustration Show (University of Central Oklahoma - Edmond) Start Time: 5:00pm
• ♪ Five Finger Death Punch and Breaking Benjamin (Chesapeake Energy Arena - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 6:00pm Produced by FPC and NS2.
• ♪ From Ashes to New (Chesapeake Energy Arena - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 6:00pm
• 🎡 Holiday Lighting (Rose State College - Midwest City) Start Time: 5:30pm
• 🎓 ILLUMINATIONS: A Northern Lights Experience in the Crystal Bridge Conservatory (Myriad Botanical Gardens - Oklahoma City) 1 day left Start Time: 6:00pm Presented by OGE Energy Corp. November 23 – January 2 Evenings Enjoy a new take on holiday lighting inside the Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory beginning November 23 through January 2nd. Professional designers using the latest lighting technology are taking our holiday display to the next level, beyond strings of lights. Bring your…
• ♪ In Flames (Chesapeake Energy Arena - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 7:00pm
• Jingle Mingle (Myriad Botanical Gardens - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 5:00pm Thursday, November 29, 5-7:30pm South Lobby of the Crystal Bridge FREE – GARDENS MEMBERS ONLY! Become a member here RSVP HERE by Friday, November 23 Gardens members, come celebrate the holiday season and let us thank you for your support at our exclusive members only holiday party, Jingle & Mingle. View our newly remodeled South Lobby and…
• ♪ KLOVE CHRISTMAS TOUR with Big Daddy Weave (First Baptist Church - Moore) Start Time: 7:00pm Kim Walker-Smith, Brandon Heath, Sarah Reeves, Becca Bradley, Jonathan Chu
• Manchester Orchestra & the Front Bottoms in Concert (Diamond Ballroom - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 7:00pm Indie rock band Manchester Orchestra got their start in 2004 and released a series of five full albums over the years,…
• ♪ Manchester Orchestra & The Front Bottoms (Diamond Ballroom - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 8:00pm
• NRHA Futurity & Adequan Championship Show (Oklahoma State Fair Park - Oklahoma City) Thru Sun, Dec 2nd The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA), with its international headquarters in Oklahoma City, presents one of the…
• ♪ OKC Vocal Studios Winter Showcase Presented By Sophia Massad (VZD's - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 7:00pm
• 🍴 Open for Lunch! (The Melting Pot - Oklahoma City) 1 day left Start Time: 11:30am Starting Black Friday you can enjoy The Melting Pot all day long! We will be opening our doors at 11:30 am every day until December 23. Make your reservation today!
• 🏃 Red Coyote Pack Pint Run (Classen Curve - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 6:00pm Come run with the pack! The weekly Red Coyote Running and Fitness Pack Pint Run is an out-and-back 3-mile course so you can go as far or a short as you...
• The Reduced Shakespeare Company (University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma - Chickasha) Start Time: 7:30pm Davis-Waldorf Performing Arts Series presents "The Reduced Shakespeare Company," featuring the theater group's…
• 🏆 Rose State College Holiday Lighting (Rose State College - Midwest City) Start Time: 5:30pm Join us November 29, 2018 for our annual Holiday Campus Lighting. Get your glow on as we light up campus! There will be Free S'mores, Hot Chocolate, Hot...
• 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…
• $ SchmoozaPalooza Trade Show (Oklahoma State Fair Park - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 4:00pm Pipe & Drape Sponsor Networking Event Sponsors SchmoozaPalooza Trade Show Date: 11/29/2018 Time: 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm Location: State Fair Park, Oklahoma Expo Hall 3213 Wichita Walk Oklahoma City, OK 73107 Map to Event Add to My Calendar Gather with OKC business professionals for fun networking at the State Fair Park. After ten schmoozing,…
• 🎓 Small Business Xchange (Cox Convention Center - Oklahoma City) A new day is dawning in the small business market. Take advantage of this unique exhibitor opportunity to become a part of the Small Business Xchange presented by Progressive; a cutting-edge event series designed by small business professionals to specifically help you harness the power and potential of the small business industry.
• 🍴 Teen Murder Mystery Dinner (Guthrie Library - Guthrie) Start Time: 6:00pm It’s the height of Prohibition in 1920s Chicago, and there’s a mob war brewing between the South Side Gangsters and the Northern Chicago Mob Outfit. The...
• Territorial Christmas Celebration (Harn Homestead Museum - Oklahoma City) Experience the wonder of a truly old-fashioned Christmas at the Territorial Christmas Celebration at the Harn Homestead…
• 🎓 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 Wind Symphony: A Century of Style and Panache: 100 Years of Leonard Bernstein (University of Central Oklahoma - Edmond) Start Time: 7:30pm
  
• 😂 Valarie Storm (Loony Bin Comedy Club - Oklahoma City) Thru Sat, Dec 1st
  
• 🍴 Whataburger Super Duper Celebration (Whataburger - Midwest City) Start Time: 5:00pm It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a Super Duper Celebration! In the heart of every child lives a superhero, and on Thursday, November 29, Whataburger will celebrate the superhero spirit in all of us with an evening of family fun from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Whataburger located at 2914 S. Douglas Blvd. Customers can spend quality time with their…
  
• 🎨 Wildlife (Oklahoma City Museum of Art - Oklahoma City) Day 2 of 2 Start Time: 5:30pm Partially filmed in Enid, Oklahoma, Wildlife marks the phenomenally assured, critically lauded directorial debut of actor Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood,...
  

Friday, Nov 30th

• 🎨 4th Annual Merry Market (Jasco Products - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 11:00am You're invited! Jasco's 4th Annual Merry Market will happen on Friday November 30th this year from 11am-3pm. Merry Market attendees can shop from over 50 vendors and local businesses for one-of-a-kind finds, handmade items, jewelry, upcycled treasures, home decor, trendy clothing, health and beauty products, unique gifts and more. One of the…
• ♪ Amanda Cunningham & J.R. Smith (VZD's - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 9:00pm
• 🎓 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.
• 🎨 American Indian Artists: 20th Century Masters (Western Heritage Museum - Oklahoma City) 1 day left Start Time: 10:00am September 1 – May 12, 2019 American Indian Artists: 20th Century Masters As Lakota artist Oscar Howe wrote in 1958, “There is much more to Indian art, than pretty, stylized pictures.” This exhibition highlights this depth and the 20th century American masters who shaped it. Explore early artists such as the Kiowa Six, Tonita…
• 🎭 An Empty Plate in the Cafe du Grand Boeuf (Carpenter Square Theatre - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 8:00pm Carpenter Square Serves Up Comedy on ‘An Empty Plate’ for the Holiday Season Carpenter Square Theatre presents “An Empty Plate in the Café du Grand...
• ♪ Chase Rice (The Criterion - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 8:00pm
• The Christmas Show (Civic Center Music Hall - Oklahoma City) 1 day left The Oklahoma City Philharmonic presents its annual holiday performance "The Christmas Show." This show is a family…
• 🎭 Colourmusic: Metro Music Series (ACM @ UCO - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 7:00pm Quirky independent psychedelic rock act colourmusic performs Nov. 30 at ACM@UCO Performance Lab, 329 E. Sheridan Ave., in Bricktown. Opening acts are...
• ♪ Corey Holcomb (Tower Theatre Studio - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 7:30pm
• 🎭 DASHING THROUGH THE SNOW (Chickasha Community Theatre - Chickasha) Day 2 of 2 Start Time: 7:30pm It's four days before Christmas in the tiny town of Tinsel, Texas, and a colorful parade of eccentric guests arrive at the Snowflake Inn and deck the...
• ♪ Drew Kennedy (The Blue Door - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 8:00pm
• 🎭 Free Zumba (Guthrie Library - Guthrie) Start Time: 5:00pm Join our dancing Librarian for an hour long, music filled dance party. Space is limited, please RSVP. The City of Guthrie, OK - Municipal Government...
• 🎓 Holiday Workshop: Living Wreaths (Evergreens) (Myriad Botanical Gardens - Oklahoma City) Day 1 of 2 Start Time: 7:00pm Green Lab Friday, November 30, 7-8:30pm REGISTER HERE Saturday, December 1, 10-11:30am REGISTER HERE Saturday, December 1, 1-2:30pm REGISTER HERE Member $45; Nonmember $55 Kaitlin Bacon, Plant Biologist Design a classic, traditional evergreen wreath in this fun, hands-on holiday workshop. Receive specialized instruction as you create your own…
• Holiday Workshop: Living Wreaths (Succulents) (Myriad Botanical Gardens - Oklahoma City) Day 1 of 2 Start Time: 7:00pm Friday, November 30, 7-8:30pm REGISTER HERE Saturday, December 1, 10-11:30am REGISTER HERE Saturday, December 1, 1-2:30pm REGISTER HERE Member $75; Nonmember $85 Roberta Rowland, Horticulturist Design a fantastic, modern succulent wreath in this fun, hands-on holiday workshop. Specialized instruction will lead you as you create your own…
• Home for the Holidays (Downtown - Tuttle) Visit downtown Tuttle this December and get in the Christmas spirit with Home for the Holidays. This free, family-friendly…
• 🎓 ILLUMINATIONS: A Northern Lights Experience in the Crystal Bridge Conservatory (Myriad Botanical Gardens - Oklahoma City) Last Day Start Time: 6:00pm Presented by OGE Energy Corp. November 23 – January 2 Evenings Enjoy a new take on holiday lighting inside the Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory beginning November 23 through January 2nd. Professional designers using the latest lighting technology are taking our holiday display to the next level, beyond strings of lights. Bring your…
• 🎨 Mirai (Oklahoma City Museum of Art - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 5:30pm From acclaimed director Mamoru Hosoda (Summer Wars, Wolf Children) comes Mirai, a magical, emotionally soaring animated film about the ties that bring...
• NRHA Futurity & Adequan Championship Show (Oklahoma State Fair Park - Oklahoma City) Thru Sun, Dec 2nd The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA), with its international headquarters in Oklahoma City, presents one of the…
• 🍴 Open for Lunch! (The Melting Pot - Oklahoma City) Last Day Start Time: 11:30am Starting Black Friday you can enjoy The Melting Pot all day long! We will be opening our doors at 11:30 am every day until December 23. Make your reservation today!
• 😂 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.
• 🎓 OTA Encyclomedia Confrence (Cox Convention Center - Oklahoma City) Adam is a dedicated educational technologist, father of two young boys, and Co-Founder of BreakoutEDU, the immersive gaming platform that enables teachers and students to transform classrooms into places of discovery and inquiry-based learning. Previously, he served as a Presidential Innovation Fellow for the White House, created several Edtech…
• Sassafras Shopping Event (Heart of Oklahoma Expo Center - Shawnee) Day 1 of 2 More than 40 vendors will present their best wares at the Sassafras Shopping Event in Shawnee. This shopping event will…
• 🎭 Scrooge In Rouge - Christmas Show At The Boom (The Boom - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 8:00pm
• 🎨 Start With Art Presented by Oklahoma City Community Foundation (Oklahoma Contemporary - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 7:30am Jumpstart your day with caffeine and art at Campbell Art Park! Oklahoma City Community Foundation presents Start with Art: Whiteout. The Coffee Slingers...
• ♪ Surreptitious: The After Work Social Mixer (Avenue 101 - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 5:00pm $10 Fishbowls $3 Hennessy Black $1 Beers $10 Hookah ($5 the 1st Hour) 3 Wine ::NO COVER::
• 🏆 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Atlanta Hawks (Chesapeake Energy Arena - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 7:00pm Experience the thrill of fast-paced pro basketball as the Oklahoma City Thunder takes on the Atlanta Hawks. Wear your blue…
• UCO WinterGlow (Nigh University Center - Edmond) Bring the entire family out to UCO WinterGlow in Edmond for an evening of holiday festivities. The event kicks off at 6pm…
• 😂 Valarie Storm (Loony Bin Comedy Club - Oklahoma City) 1 day left

Saturday, Dec 1st

• 🎨 American Indian Artists: 20th Century Masters (Western Heritage Museum - Oklahoma City) Last Day Start Time: 10:00am September 1 – May 12, 2019 American Indian Artists: 20th Century Masters As Lakota artist Oscar Howe wrote in 1958, “There is much more to Indian art, than pretty, stylized pictures.” This exhibition highlights this depth and the 20th century American masters who shaped it. Explore early artists such as the Kiowa Six, Tonita…
• Bank of America Museums on Us (Western Heritage Museum - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 10:00am
• Mustang Christmas Bazaar (Mustang) The Mustang Christmas Bazaar has everything you need to get in the holiday spirit. Browse over 50 vendors featuring numerous…
• 🏃 Christmas Carroll 5K (Southern Oaks Church of Christ - Chickasha) On behalf of the Chickasha Optimist Club, with the assistance of the Chickasha Runners Club, we would like to invite you to the 4th Annual Christmas "Carroll" 5K and One Mile Fun Run/Walk on December 01, 2018. Our goal is to raise funds for scholarships for deserving Chickasha High School Seniors, promote physical fitness within the Chickasha…
• Christmas Gala (Norman Public Library - Norman) Start Time: 10:00am Don't miss the Tecumseh Friends of the Library annual Christmas Gala! We'll have fun for all ages. Free pictures with Santa, cookies, crafts, and games...
• The Christmas Show (Civic Center Music Hall - Oklahoma City) Last Day The Oklahoma City Philharmonic presents its annual holiday performance "The Christmas Show." This show is a family…
• Cowboy Christmas Parade (Stockyards City - Oklahoma City) Saddle up and ride into Historic Stockyards City this holiday season for the annual Cowboy Christmas Celebration. The first…
• 🎓 Family Workshop: Snow Globe Worlds (Myriad Botanical Gardens - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 10:00am Saturday, December 1, 10-11am Member $8; Nonmember $10 Best for ages 6 to 9 REGISTER HERE Learn how our furry animal and plant friends handle the cold winter weather as we play a game and read a few stories. Then we’ll create our own snowy worlds in mason jars using natural materials to take home to proudly display throughout the season. Class…
• Holiday Hop (Edmond) Don't miss out on Holiday Hop in Edmond, a free family event that lets you create a holiday craft in the Edmond…
• 🏃 Holiday Hustle 5K/10K (Oklahoma Christian University, Edmond, OK - Edmond) Annual Holiday Hustle 5k \-USATF certified 5k and 10k courses \-flat and FAST \-prize money to top 3 male and female \-pancake breakfast following race \-proceeds benefit Oklahoma Christian University Fitness and Wellness Program and Men's and Women's distance running teams http://teamoc.oc.edu/holidayhustle
• 🎓 Holiday Workshop: Living Wreaths (Evergreens) (Myriad Botanical Gardens - Oklahoma City) Day 2 of 2 Start Time: 7:00pm Green Lab Friday, November 30, 7-8:30pm REGISTER HERE Saturday, December 1, 10-11:30am REGISTER HERE Saturday, December 1, 1-2:30pm REGISTER HERE Member $45; Nonmember $55 Kaitlin Bacon, Plant Biologist Design a classic, traditional evergreen wreath in this fun, hands-on holiday workshop. Receive specialized instruction as you create your own…
• Holiday Workshop: Living Wreaths (Succulents) (Myriad Botanical Gardens - Oklahoma City) Day 2 of 2 Start Time: 7:00pm Friday, November 30, 7-8:30pm REGISTER HERE Saturday, December 1, 10-11:30am REGISTER HERE Saturday, December 1, 1-2:30pm REGISTER HERE Member $75; Nonmember $85 Roberta Rowland, Horticulturist Design a fantastic, modern succulent wreath in this fun, hands-on holiday workshop. Specialized instruction will lead you as you create your own…
• Minco Honey Festival (Minco High School - Minco) Satisfy your sweet tooth at the Minco Honey Festival with pure Oklahoma honey. During this celebration of…
• Junk Hippy Roadshow (Heritage Place Inc - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 9:00am Junk Hippy is an eclectic traveling show coming to Oklahoma City this holiday season. This one-day, indoor, winter shopping…
• 🏆 Learn to Curl at Devon Ice Rink (Myriad Botanical Gardens - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 9:00am Learn to Curl Saturdays, November 17 & December 1 & 15, 9-10:30am Devon Ice Rink at Myriad Gardens Members: $20; Nonmembers: $25 Advance registration is required REGISTER NOVEMBER 17 HERE REGISTER DECEMBER 1 HERE REGISTER DECEMBER 15 HERE
  Join the Oklahoma Curling Club members as they walk you through the basic rules and etiquette of curling,…
  
• ♪ Lindsey Stirling - The Wanderland Tour (Chesapeake Energy Arena - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 8:00pm
  
• 🏃 Little Willie's Triple Dog Dare (Leadership Square - Oklahoma City) Little Willie's Triple Dog Dare is the Ultimate Stair Climb competition in OKC. Competitors will climb and descend both North and South Towers of Leadership Square and the OKC building for a total of 138 flights of stairs. Team options are also available. http://www.littlewilliestripledogdare.com
  
• NRHA Futurity & Adequan Championship Show (Oklahoma State Fair Park - Oklahoma City) 1 day left The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA), with its international headquarters in Oklahoma City, presents one of the…
  
• 🏃 POOP Trail Run (Lake Thunderbird State Park - Norman) POOP (Protect Our Oklahoma Parks) Trail Run is a trail event on the first Saturday of December at the Clear Bay Trails of Lake Thunderbird State Park.
  All proceeds go to the Oklahoma State Parks Foundation to help maintain the state parks we use and love! The 2017 event raised over $6000 for Oklahoma State Parks! https://pooptrailrun.org
  
• Sassafras Shopping Event (Heart of Oklahoma Expo Center - Shawnee) Day 2 of 2 More than 40 vendors will present their best wares at the Sassafras Shopping Event in Shawnee. This shopping event will…
  
• 🎨 Saturdays for Kids: Holidays (Western Heritage Museum - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 10:00am Prosperity Junction, Classrooms, Galleries Celebrate the holidays in Prosperity Junction, the Museum’s turn-of-the-century frontier town. Make Western-inspired ornaments, pinecone birdfeeders, and decorations, meet historical Western figures, sample frontier food, and mosey up to the sarsaparilla bar before dropping off your holiday wish…
  
• Oklahoma City Train Show (Oklahoma State Fair Park - Oklahoma City) Day 1 of 2 The Oklahoma City Train Show is one of the largest model train shows in the region with operating model train displays,…
  
• Trinket & Bauble Show (Red Cup Coffee Shop - Oklahoma City) Join the staff of OKC’s Red Cup in welcoming the holiday season with their Trinket and Bauble Show.
  At this annual…
  
• 😂 Valarie Storm (Loony Bin Comedy Club - Oklahoma City) Last Day
  
• Winterfest Craft Show (Kingfisher County Fairgrounds - Kingfisher) Perfect for holiday shopping, the Winterfest Craft Show in Kingfisher features over 65 booths of gifts, crafts and home…
  

Sunday, Dec 2nd

• 🏆 Oklahoma City Blue vs. Agua Caliente Clippers (Cox Convention Center - Oklahoma City) Start Time: 2:00pm Come see some thrilling professional basketball during the Oklahoma City Blue 2018-19 season. Experience the fast-paced…
• Canterbury Christmas (Civic Center Music Hall - Oklahoma City) The Canterbury Choral Society's annual Christmas show is a beloved and anticipated holiday tradition in Oklahoma City.…
• Christmas Marketplace (Edmond Seventh-day Adventist Church - Edmond) Edmond Seventh-day Adventist Church transforms into a one-stop holiday shop in December. Visitors can scan the booth space…
• Concert Choir and Chamber Ensemble Advent Concert (University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma - Chickasha) USAO presents the Choir and Chamber Ensemble Advent Concert at First Christian Church in Chickasha. Enjoy the…
• NRHA Futurity & Adequan Championship Show (Oklahoma State Fair Park - Oklahoma City) Last Day The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA), with its international headquarters in Oklahoma City, presents one of the…
• Sleigh Bells Market (Farmer's Market - Oklahoma City) Come to the historic OKC Farmers Public Market for a holiday retail extravaganza you won't want to miss. 50…
• Oklahoma City Train Show (Oklahoma State Fair Park - Oklahoma City) Day 2 of 2 The Oklahoma City Train Show is one of the largest model train shows in the region with operating model train displays,…

Monday, Dec 3rd

• Sunny Sweeney in Concert (The Blue Door - Oklahoma City) Sunny Sweeney tells personal tales through her honky-tonk tunes. Hailing from Texas, Sunny Sweeney channels her Southern…

Tuesday, Dec 4th

• Bach Collegium Japan (Armstrong Auditorium - Edmond) This December, set your sights on the Armstrong Auditorium in Edmond as renowned conductor Masaaki Suzuki and the Bach…
• Barrel Racing Futurity World Championship (Oklahoma State Fair Park - Oklahoma City) Thru Sat, Dec 8th The annual Barrel Racing Futurity World Championships come to Oklahoma State Fair Park. Put on by the Barrel Futurities of…

See Also

• OK Gamers
• Techlahoma