TULSA, OKLA. – For the past eight years, we have tirelessly promoted and produced Dfest Music Conference & Festival. We have experienced some amazing performances, made friendships that will last a lifetime, and created a special event that made Tulsa a very exciting place each July. Those of you who truly know us understand we do this out of sheer passion, our unending love of music and to empower and create a better place for hardworking, independent musicians.

In 2010, we have to make the difficult decision to put Dfest on hiatus. A tough economy, rising production costs and a decline in lower level corporate sponsorships and support have caused us to take pause. These factors have made us unable to produce the kind of event we are known for, so we are unable to move forward with the festival this year. At the point we knew that we had exhausted any and all options and head into July 2010 with full steam, we decided to postpone the event on our own terms. The integrity and quality of Dfest is of the utmost importance to us as the creators of the event.

We know that Dfest is a very special event and so much more than just a festival. We are not willing to compromise the quality of the event in any way that might cause it to be less of a festival than the people of Tulsa and our fans have come to know and love. In light of these events, we would like to give a very special thanks to the fans who have bought tickets to Dfest in the past, told your friends, Facebooked, tweeted, blogged and let everyone you knew know about how much you love Dfest. We would also like to thank our loyal sponsors, media partners, team members, emerging artists, and volunteers who have supported Dfest year after year. A very special thanks and appreciation goes to State Farm, who shared our vision for this event and stood by our side throughout this difficult decision.

With love and respect,

Tom and Angie Green and the Dfest Team

The two-day multi-genre music festival fused with a music industry conference was established in 2002 to help emerging artists gain exposure and connect with the music industry. The conference consisted of music panels, a tradeshow, music clinics and artist mentoring. Each night, national recording artists performed on large outdoor festival stages while top local, regional and national emerging artists performed on a multitude of outdoor stages, indoor venues and club stages. Dfest has quickly become one of the top independent music conferences in the nation as well as the Midwest’s largest music festival of its type, and a hot bed for showcasing exciting new diverse music talent.

If you’re driving around Tulsa lately, you’ve seen them. Orange cones, orange signs…lots of reflective orange and white…our semi-permanent state colors. It seems that we’re always under construction.

Yesterday, several major projects started in and around Tulsa. From work on the inner-dispersal loop around downtown to construction project that has blocked off 101st street near Memorial along with other construction along Memorial — Tulsa better be prepared with patience for these oncomming projects.

Our streets are bad, they really are. They’re full of pot holes, cracks and in dire need of repair/replacing. We’re spending $75 million on these projects that will be split up in three different phases. We’re in phase one right now.

During this phase, construction workers are working on the east and south legs of the IDL. This is required first since it will be the major detour route when the “actual” construction begins which should take around two years to complete. During this and the next phase, be prepared for lane changes, lane closures, as well as motorists filled with road rage. It’s going to happen, so just be ready and try to keep a positive attitude.

Remember, all of us are inconvenienced by our own growth and needs as a city.

We all know that this holiday puts a lot of pressure on guys to make it a fabulous and memorable day for the special women in their lives. The problem is that many guys lack either the funds or imagination to come up with the perfect Valentine that will have her gushing to all of her friends the next day. Let’s face it, this holiday was created for women, so in an effort to help out everyone here are some tips for guys from a woman (categorized by price).

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Think ahead! Many of the nicer restaurants offer reservations. Getting on that list shows your forethought and she will be thrilled that you did it! Ti Amo’s is a classic Valentine’s Day spot, their intimate booths and delicious Italian food will wow her for sure. The Melting Pot and Mahogany’s are also great pics for a romantic meal.

Diamonds are forever. This is a fail safe gift that will make any woman’s eye’s light up with surprise and excitement. Israel Diamond is wonderful if you have a little extra to spend, but watch for deals at other stores and you can find a beautiful sparkle that is moderately priced. Macy’s sells fine jewelry and has a great selection, plus they always have sales going on and you get extra discounts for using your Macy’s card. Sam’s Club also has some quality jewelry at reasonable prices. Don’t be scared that it’s WalMart’s big cousin…sparkle is sparkle.

Flowers always bring a smile. Most women love fresh cut flowers and a beautiful arrangement will have her blushing all day. Toni’s is one of the nicest places in town for a beautiful bouquet; just make sure you order in advance!

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Looking for jewelry but don’t have a fortune to spend? James Avery is located in Woodland Hills Mall (lower level by Macy’s) and offers a wide variety of jewelry with lots of sterling silver. From rings to necklaces and earrings you can’t go wrong with a gift from this unique shop.

Eat your heart out! Everyone does Valentine’s Day dinner out but who wants to deal with crowded restaurants and long waiting times? To try something a little different, go to the Marriott at Southern Hills and enjoy their delicious breakfast buffet. For around $20 (not including tip) the two of you can enjoy a buffet of muffins, assorted pastry, fresh fruit, hash brows, sausage, bacon, made-to-order omelets and many other tasty treats. To add even more romance get a room package that includes a super comfy bed and buffet breakfast the next morning.

Play games! Since the only Dave & Buster’s in the State just opened in Tulsa, why not go have some fun? Just be sure that she is into this kind of thing before planning a date around it. Have some food and a couple of drinks and relish in some childhood delights by playing everything from skee ball to trivia games.

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Flowers for less. Go to Sam’s Club or Reasor’s and you can pick and choose from several bundles of flowers to make your own arrangement. Buy an inexpensive vase to go with it and viola! you just did something thoughtful and creative!

Want to scare her into your arms? If you enjoy horror flicks and don’t mind crowded theaters, check out My Bloody Valentine which will be opening on (what else) Valentine’s Day. Added bonus: 3-D flick.

Funky food and fun. Cosmo’s is one of my favorite places to go to grab a drink or eat a whole meal and I enjoy they kooky atmosphere and fun staff. You can sit at a regular table or grab a seat in a plush chair and pick one of their many board games to play while you hang out. It is different and fun, my husband and I are regulars!

Want something inexpensive and low key? Here are a few ideas that always work… Stay at home, get a bottle of wine and make her dinner. Get some massage oil and make her literally melt in your hands. Have a picnic dinner in your living room and watch a romantic movie that you would never watch otherwise but know she will love. Make a Valentine’s Day card for her and be creative. My favorite V-day gift is the “love box” my husband made me with “I Love You” written in 100 languages!

Whatever you do, make it special in your own way and hopefully you will get some good lovin’ in return!

DO NOT: Buy her a gift card, forget to get (or make) a card or leave everything up to her! This only spells disaster.

Hopefully some of these ides will help you guys out and keep you in the arms of the one you love this Valentine’s Day. Have any other great ideas? Leave them in the comments.

While the holiday season descend upon Tulsa, Oklahoma, like every other part of the country, if the football team is doing well, they may barely notice the leaves turning color and the temperature dropping. Forgive the out-of-state relatives if they take you for a Boomer Sooner fan-or send them some fruit cake as a means of getting even. But when you get some time to pull yourself away from the television, radio and local sports authority; you will want to know what your options are for getting shopping down.

Holiday decorations are not just for Halloween, but there are plenty of decorations made to celebtrate Christmas, Kwanza, Chanukah, and if you have a crazy Scottish neighbor, you might even see a kilt appear for St. Andrew’s Day. So when the football is over and you need to get out of the house and get the shopping done, what are your options?

Tulsa, Oklahoma residents definitely live out of driving distance for the Mall of America, so it is probably good to rule that out. While online stores like eBay, Amazon.com, and Overstock offer great opportunities and deals to buy Christmas gifts for everyone, they are not the best place to find actual Christmas and holiday decorations. So what does Tulsa, Oklahoma have to offer?

First, let’s skip over the obvious choices. It is likely, everyone reading this knows they can go shop at Wal Mart, Kohls and Target to get just about anything they want or need, especially if it is a Super Wal mart, and the same can be said about Target and Super Target. In addition, you do not go online to find out about the mall that is just a few miles from you. So here are some resources in Tulsa, Oklahoma that are worth checking out:

Collectibles, Gifts and Novelties

Looking for a new cookie jar or relish container? One of these spots has what you are looking for — at least we believe they will.

1. Becky’s Hallmark Shop 11109 E 41st St # B. Tulsa, OK. (918) 628-1766
2. Collectible Toys 14002 E 21st St. Tulsa, OK. (918) 234-4806
3. Collector’s Choice Racing 9216 E Admiral Pl. Tulsa, OK. (918) 835-5855
4. Cookie Jars Of Tulsa 122 S Lewis Ave. Tulsa, OK. (918) 582-0245
5. Cornerstone Memories Inc 102 S 1st St. Jenks, OK. (918) 298-5962
6. Emporium 4265 Southwest Blvd. Tulsa, OK. (918) 445-9201
7. Fancy That 206 S Main St. Broken Arrow, OK. (918) 258-7499
8. Fast Thred’s 2122 S Memorial Dr. Tulsa, OK. (918) 664-3287
9. Glow Collectibles 1210 E 41st St. Tulsa, OK. (918) 743-5858
10. Heartfelt Collections 4980 E 105th St. Tulsa, OK. (918) 299-9986
11. I-44 Antiques & Collectibles 5147 S Peoria Ave. Tulsa, OK. (918) 712-2222
12. Karen’s Classic & Collectible 701 S Main St. Broken Arrow, OK. (918) 259-9057
13. Pat’s Hallmark 1105 E Kenosha St. Broken Arrow, OK. (918) 251-3116
14. Perfect Touch 4932 E 91st St. Tulsa, OK. (918) 496-8118
15. Postman Hallmark 6324 E Admiral Pl. Tulsa, OK. (918) 838-0573
16. Rathbone’s Flair Collectibles 211 E Main St. Jenks, OK. (918) 299-2349
17. Sooner Stamps & Watkins 4612 E 31st St. Tulsa, OK. (918) 749-5897
18. Weldon’s Collectibles 5026 S Sheridan Rd. Tulsa, OK. (918) 622-3613
19. White Bear Antiques & Teddy 1301 E 15th St. Tulsa, OK. (918) 592-1914
20. Williams Cottage 6216 S 72nd East Ave. Tulsa, OK. (918) 492-7125

We found these locations using Best of Tulsa Yellow Pages.

Crafts and Craft Supplies

Crafts and Craft supplies stores in Tulsa, Oklahoma are an abundant source of decorations, decoration ideas, and everything in between to really get you rolling for the holidays. Between all the Hobby Lobby, Mardels and Michael’s Arts and Crafts locations, we know you can find something to fancy up your home or office.

1. Crafters Market 9120 E 31st St # C. Tulsa, OK. (918) 622-0512
2. Heart To Heart Crafters Mall 114 W Dallas St. Broken Arrow, OK. (918) 251-5484
3. Mel’s Country Crafts Sand Springs, OK. 74063
4. OKHandmade Art, Gifts and Crafts Sand Springs 918-629-4785
5. Picket Fence 1000 N Elm Pl. Broken Arrow, OK. (918) 258-2969
6. Quilted Bear 14002 E 21st St. Tulsa, OK. (918) 438-4555
7. Sarah’s Arts & Crafts Designs 12640 E 31st Pl. Tulsa, OK. (918) 610-5142
8. Something Unique 110 E Main St. Jenks, OK. (918) 299-3322
9. Sullivan, Wayne 123 E Main St. Jenks, OK. (918) 299-0931
10. Airway Variety Store 8888 E Admiral Pl. Tulsa, OK. (918) 838-1901
11. Challenger N-Scale Hobbies 2230 E 56th Pl. Tulsa, OK. (918) 749-1634
12. Garden Ridge 11015 E 51st St. Tulsa, OK. (918) 660-0543
13. Hobby Lobby 720 W New Orleans St. Broken Arrow, OK. (918) 455-3710
14. Hobby Lobby 8929 S Memorial Dr # 370. Tulsa, OK. (918) 250-5135
15. Hobby Lobby Creative Ctr 5130 S Harvard Ave. Tulsa, OK. (918) 749-8736
16. Hobby Lobby Creative Ctr 11205 E 31st St. Tulsa, OK. (918) 664-7064
17. Jo Ann Fabrics & Crafts 5117 S Peoria Ave. Tulsa, OK. (918) 744-7621
18. Mavis Craft Shop 118 W Dallas St. Broken Arrow, OK. (918) 251-9799
19. Michael’s Arts & Crafts Inc 3116 S Garnett Rd. Tulsa, OK. (918) 622-8867
20. Michael’s Arts & Crafts Inc 8309 E 68th St. Tulsa, OK. (918) 254-2187
21. Rock Creek Emporium 2257 W Washington St. Broken Arrow, OK. (918) 451-5008
22. Silver Needle 6022 S Sheridan Rd. Tulsa, OK. (918) 493-1136
23. Tandy Leather Co 5010 S Sheridan Rd. Tulsa, OK. (918) 622-3996

Additional Shoppes of Interest

There are plenty of locations to start looking for holiday decorations in and around Tulsa, Oklahoma. You really just have to get out there, make a few stops and find what suits your desires best. We know of a few pretty decent locations to get some decorations for the upcoming holidays, so we thought we would share.

1. Pottery Barn at Utica Square 1864 Utica Sq. Tulsa, OK. (918) 743-1512
2. Pier 1 Imports at Utica Square 1926 Utica Sq. Tulsa, OK. (918) 742-1100
3. Pier 1 Imports 5255 S Sheridan Rd. Tulsa, OK. (918) 663-5546
4. Pier 1 Imports 9018 N 121st East Ave #500. Owasso, OK. (918) 272-4152
5. Garden Ridge 11015 E 51st St. Tulsa, OK. (918) 660-0543
6. Seasonal Concepts 10303 East 71st. Tulsa, OK. (918) 252-3396

Too Lazy to Light Up Your House

For many of you, storing, pulling out the lights, setting them up and making sure they stay lit for the holidays is a pain in the touche. If this is true, you could always check out Tulsa Christmas Lights, who will come out, get you setup with something beautiful and handle all the work for you!

The footnotes

There are plenty of resources in online yellow pages, super pages, white pages, and everything in between. We suggest you spend some time surfing around to find exactly what you are looking for. The absolute best place to get started is the wonderful Google, who can help you find local brick and mortar store locations and their online websites to help you find out if they have what you are looking for. Just in case you are new or visiting and not sure where the local Wal Marts and Target stores are, check out Yahoo! Search which we have linked up to outline their locations.

Watch with shock n awe, as the top Baristas from Green Country’s best cafés compete until one drops from a caffeine overdose. Not really, but you can catch the aromas, tastes and talent as Baristas challenge each other in a coffee contest that is a first for Tulsa and hosted by Café Topéca. Proprietor of
Café Topéca, John Gaberino III (Chip) says, “This will be an interactional event.” “Our (coffee) culture is at the right time for this (type of event)”.

So what is a “Barista”? A “barista” is a person who is a expertise in the making a espresso-based coffee drink. You know how cool those “art forms” on the top of the crème of your latte are and how quick you like your tasty beverage to be in your hands. Now is your chance to see artists at work during a day long competition against the best in Oklahoma right here in your own T-town.

The competition will be taken on by one representative from each participating café. They will get 10 minutes to perfect a espresso, cappuccino, and a personal “signature” drink (in the epitome of the Iron Chef”) for two USBC certified sensorial judges using manual grounding, dosing and tamping of the coffee beans. How serious is this? Besides the 2 sensory judges (one flying in from Nashville),
there will be 1 Technical judge and 1 head judge in the mix. The two sensory judges will judge
timeliness, consistency, cleanliness, quality, taste and presentation. 1st place gets $100, 1/2
day roasting class on a Detrich IR-12 Roaster., 2nd place-$50, 3rd place-$25 and 4th place a
can of Folders.

Participating cafés will be: Jews Coffee & Health, Coffee House on 15th Street, Café Topeca, DoubleShot, Shades of Brown, and Coffee Slingers.

All the details

Where Café Topéca, 115 West 5th Street (south-east side of the historic Mayo Hotel)
When Saturday, December 6th, 2008 at 10:00AM

One Million Miles! That’s correct, Tulsa’s been challenged by the mayor to walk, run, bike, even swim 1,000,000 miles.

Mayor Taylor says from the site, “It’s not just about weight loss. It’s about being active for life! I challenge everyone in Tulsa to make fitness and health a top priority in their lives.”

So basically, by making ourselves healthier; we’re happier and the city looks good in the process. Tulsa’s notorious for being an obese city. In 2005, we were ranked 22nd in the Top 25 Fattest Cities. The then Tulsa Mayor LaFortune took this information and challenged Tulsa to get healthier. It worked and in a recent study Tulsa is now 13th Fittest Cities. That’s impressive, but its not enough.

When our state’s most favorite foods consist of barbecue, fried “anything”, cornbread, etc…its no wonder why we’re fat! So get of your duff, get out in the city and get some exercise. Its good for you, good for your health, and good for our city to try to become more fit.

Soon, Tulsa will have a new technology that will be able to trace the location of a wireless 911 caller. On October 22nd, Tulsa’s new E-911 system goes online and should prove to be a valuable service for all Tulsa callers.

This new system will allow the 911 dispatchers to be able to locate a wireless caller within a half-block of their call. John Hampton, the manager of Tulsa’s 911 call center states “It’s based on the strength of the signal reaching each one of the (cell) towers…”.

Even though Tulsa’s E-911 system will be online this month, the cell phone providers are not required to adhere to this for another six months.

Is that acceptable to you? If not, call your cell phone provider and demand they expedite this process for the safety of all their customers.

Just for your convenience, ThisTulsa has provided all the customer service numbers for most of the local cellular companies. Call and demand they step up!

Updated:

AT&T

1-800-331-0500

Sprint

1-800-877-4646

T-Moble

1-800-T-MOBILE

US Cellular

1-888-944-9400

Verizon

1-800-922-0204

Abengoa Bioenergy Corporation, the North American division of a company based in Spain, soon plans to build a new biorefinery in southwestern Kansas that will be the first of its kind in the United States.

Oklahoma scientists are looking to use switchgrass as a component of ethanol at this facility. Realistically, this building wont be completed until mid 2011 right about the time this switchgrass will reach time for its full harvest. Even though this seems to be far off – time wise – it will form a sustainable form of income for the state and be a significant contribution to the biofuel industry.

Cellulose is the main ingredient in a plant’s cell walls and is “the most common organic compound in the world.” The biorefinery will use a “biochemical and thermochemical process” to convert said cellulose for its use in ethanol.

The demand for ethanol continues to outpace ethanol production which doesn’t help the transition from gasoline to ethanol. Many continue to be skeptical because of this inability to meet demand in our country.

The new refinery will be able to convert both starch-based and cellulosic products for their use in ethanol. Starch based products of course include corn, cereal grains, etc. and currently are the majority of the ethanol produced. The transition to more cullulosic products will help the demand by allowing more and more products to be used for this production.

Unfortunatly, this type of thing cant really happen quickly. This takes time. Facilities like this new biorefinery are paving the way forward for US companies.

Tulsa, Oklahoma seems to be filled with individuals who love to get outside: running, riding, walking, and playing around. Being said, September is a perfect month to get off the sofa and get active for a good cause. If you have been in Tulsa, Oklahoma for your entire life or just a few months, we do not discriminate, Tulsa based organizations could use your help! With the fall season drawing near and the weather cooling off, Tulsa citizens finally have no excuse for not going outside; no more filling up six buckets of sweat per person!

If biking is your thing, September 13-14, Tulsa’s own SemGroup, and nearly 30 other Tulsa based businesses and organizations; are sponsoring 2008 Bike MS Oklahoma Ride. You have always been up for a good challenge and Ride MS 2008 in Oklahoma is sure to provide one. This meeting can make a world of difference — unlike any other! A distance of 150 miles, across two days through beautiful Oklahoma that will challange you and reward you at the same time. Your will power tested. Being active versus chilling on the sofa. It’s the 2008 Mike MS Oklahoma Ride!

Go on.. RIDE!

The bike riding fanatics will begin with breakfast at SouthCrest Hospital in South Tulsa, Oklahoma on September 13^th and start riding at an early hour; 7:30AM.
Riders will have plenty of opportunities to meet fellow Tulsa citizens and regional attending bikers during the event. Riders will bike through Northeastern Oklahoma visiting: Broken Arrow, Catoosa, and Sageeyah. Ending the first night of 2008 MS Oklahoma Ride will be dinner provided at Pryor Creek Recreation Center in Pryor, Oklahoma. Entertainment will also be provided at the Tent Village.

September 14th at 2:00PM kicks off Mile 151 Party in the parking lot at SouthCrest Hospital, Tulsa, Oklahoma. You, your team, and all the awesome individuals you met along the way; chilling, celebrating, and congratulating your 150 mile journey for an incredible cause!

Register for BIKE MS 2008

For online registration visit www.nationalMSsociety.org/oke
Fax registration: 918-488-0913
Voice registration: 800-FIGHT MS or 800-344-4867 (press 2)

If you are old school and refuse to conform to the advances in technology, you can mail your registration in:

Oklahoma Chapter – NMSS
4606 East 67th Street, Suite 103
Tulsa, OK 74136

“The National MS Society helps people affected by MS by funding cutting edge research, driving change through advocacy, facilitating professional education, and providing programs and services designed to help people with MS and their families move their lives forward”.

On September 25, 1958 Quiktrip opened its doors to Tulsa, Oklahoma at its first store on South Peoria. Now it’s time for the Tulsa based convenience store chain to celebrate their 50th year anniversary with live music from a variety of both local and regional acts. Quiktrip is also throwing a huge fireworks display to thank Tulsa citizens and the community for fifty years of support. The event will be held at the River West Festival Park (on the West Bank of the Arkansas River behind the Amphitheater) in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Best of all, you can get your tickets at all Tulsa area Quiktrip locations for free! 

Bands, Bands, and More Bands!

• Uche and the Crash – These guys will take Stage 2 at 12pm
• Little Chair – Stage 1 at 12:50pm
• Crooked X - Stage 2 at 1:40pm
• Rattle and Hum -  Stage 1 and 2:30pm
• Midlife Crisis – Stage 2 at 3:20pm
• South40 – Stage 1 at 4:10
• Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey – Stage 2 at 5pm
• Leon Russell – Stage 1 at 6pmHanson – Stage 1 at 7:50

What about beer, restrictions, and food?

Glad you asked! Quiktrip Mobile will be on site with concessions, the same food you have learned to enjoy from their deli sandwiches to egg rolls. Best of all, Budweiser will be on site with their beer garden, providing a nice environment to sit back and drink-up! There is a double fist limit of two beers per visit to the beer concession and the beer stops flowing at 9:30PM when the fireworks demonstration begins. Quiktrip has outlined all the details of their Tulsa festival on their website www.quiktrip.com/festival/QTfest_faq.asp.

The fireworks will pop from the 21^st Street Bridge at 9:30PM in Tulsa, Oklahoma and continue until they’re out of the magical black power and star dust. Don’t miss out, come out to the River and enjoy some FREE live music and fireworks! See you there, Tulsa!

Article image thankfully jacked from quiktrip.com/festival/. Great artwork huh?