Red Dirt Book Festival includes special events

SHAWNEE — With the theme “Imagine Oklahoma,” Red Dirt Book Festival will take place Nov. 6-7 in Shawnee at the Heart of Oklahoma Expo Center and on the campuses of Oklahoma Baptist University and St. Gregory’s University. The festival is highlighted by a series of special events, some of which require tickers. Ticket information is available at www.reddirtbookfestival.com ..

The festival’s opening session will be led by broadcaster Ron Stahl, who will speak about his work with the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department and as co-host of Integris Discover Oklahoma television series. Stahl’s pieces have been honored by the Associated Press, United Press International, and Society of Professional Journalists. Stahl will begin his presentation in the Heart of OK Expo Center at 9 a.m. Friday, Nov. 6. No ticket is required for this event but online registration is encouraged.

Also on Friday is a luncheon featuring television producer Susan Miller sponsored by the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Miller will review her work for Gallery on OETA-TV while exploring The State of the Arts in Oklahoma. Miller’s work has helped OETA garner recognition from the National Education Telecommunications Association, the Regional National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Association of Women in Communication, the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters, the Oklahoma Associated Press, and the Oklahoma chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. The State of the Arts Lunch will be served at the Heart of OK Expo Center at 12:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6. Tickets for this event are required and cost $20 online or at the door while supplies last.

"Is This a Great State or What!" television series creator Galen Culver will speak at the Great State Banquet Friday night, Nov. 6, at the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center, 1601 S. Gordon Cooper Drive, in Shawnee. Culver’s program is sponsored by First National Bank and the Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center as the venue is sponsored by FireLake Grand Casino.  Culver’s Great State series is a popular feature on NewsChannel 4, KFOR-TV. Prior to joining NewsChannel 4, Culver worked as a reporter, photographer, and weekend anchor in Fort Smith, Ark. Culver’s coverage of the first Gulf War won an Oklahoma Associated Press Award for Best General Reporting. Culver’s presentation will begin at 8 p.m.

In addition to Culver, the Great State Banquet will also feature musical group Red Dirt Rangers. With styles similar to Cross Canadian Ragweed, Jason Boland, and Stoney LaRue, the Red Dirt Rangers combine classic country with progressive jazz. The band will perform both before and after the banquet. Tickets for the Great State Banquet are required and cost $25 online or at the door while supplies last

Program times, descriptions and locations and author biographies are also available on the Red Dirt website at www.reddirtbookfestival.org

Support for the festival is provided by the Pioneer Library System, the Oklahoma Humanities Council, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as community support including the Shawnee Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Oklahoma Baptist University and St. Gregory’s University and many local donors and volunteers.