Home to the most American Indian tribal headquarters in the United States, Oklahoma provides several opportunities for visitors to learn about native cultures, including cultural events such as powwows. The annual Pow Wow of Champions (iicot.org) in held in mid-August in the suburb of Claremore, not far from Tulsa. It features Native American dance performances and competitions, as well as traditional foods and arts and crafts. Claremore is also home to the Gatesway International Balloon Festival (gatesway.org). Held in early August, the festival features hot-air balloons, live entertainment, and food and arts and crafts vendors.
Tulsa is home to over 130 parks that provide a range of recreational opportunities for children, from swimming to picnicking. The Tulsa Zoo (tulsazoo.org) is located within Mohawk Park, the third largest municipal park in the country. The zoo is home to approximately 2,800 animals and its exhibits include recreations of a Maasai village and a tropical rain forest, and a children's zoo with farm animals children can touch and a prairie dog exhibit. Mohawk Park is also home to the Oxley Nature Center (cityoftulsa.org), which offers hiking trails through forests, fields and wetlands. Fishing, boating, picnicking and hiking are also possible at parks along the Arkansas River (riverparks.org).
The Tulsa Air and Space Museum (tulsaairandspacemuseum.org) includes a replica of Tulsa's first airport hangar and interactive exhibits where visitors can feel the weightlessness of space while trying to aim a laser or experience a wind tunnel from the cockpit of a Viper F-16 model. Other artifacts include an F-14 Tomcat, a Bell 47K Helicopter, Schleicher Ka-6E sailplane and Tulsa-built aircraft such as Spartan NP-1 from 1941 and Spartan C-2 from 1931. The Oklahoma Aquarium (okaquarium.org) features eight exhibit galleries offering glimpses of sharks, seahorses, jellyfish, stingrays, beavers, otters and other sea life. During summer months, themed secret decoder hunts are offered for children, with prizes for successful searches.
From ice hockey to arena football, Tulsa is the base for several professional sports teams. ONEOK Field near downtown Tulsa is home to the Tulsa Drillers (tulsadrillers.com), the double A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies, based in the city since 1977. Families can enjoy a home game throughout August. Families can also catch a game of the Tulsa Shock (wnba.com) during August, a Women's National Basketball Association franchise located in the city since 2010.
