May 2022

The 24th A Small Town Weekend will feature classic cars cruising historic Route 66 as well as golfers swinging away at Crimson Creek.

There will also be cornholers tossing their bags at the Denny-Crump Rodeo Arena. And if that’s not enough entertainment, “Ricky Bobby” and the movie Talladega Nights will hit the big screen at the Centre Theatre before kids go fast, racing their Hot Wheels, some probably dreaming of the day they can burn rubber on Sunset like the big kids.

Buckle up, El Reno.

Drivers having that urge to lay down some rubber on city streets often do so hoping to avoid the watchful eye of the El Reno Police Department for reckless driving or improper start tickets and the hundreds of dollars in fines each carry.

However, ERPD Lt. Brian Hickman has a little advice to those lead-footed drivers – come to the 24th El Reno Fraternal Order of Police Route 66 Burnout.

“It’s the cheapest way to legally burn-out without getting in trouble,” said Hickman.

Tires will be spinning as cars race side by side to the screams of both youth and adults alike.

No, it's not a NASCAR event coming to El Reno's A Small Town Weekend but rather the annual and highly competitive Hot Wheels races.

“We like doing this every year. I took it over from Tom Curtis and I've been heading it up for several years now. We have a lot of kids come out and they really enjoy it,” said El Reno Fire Department Sgt. David Baker.

Trying to find out the exact origins of the vastly popular cornhole game is just about as hard as throwing a small bag filled with, you guessed it, whole kernel corn, into a small round hole.

According to cornholeworldwide.com, the game has become one of the most popular outdoor games in the United States.

Be it family gatherings, tailgating at sporting events, company barbecues or a night out on the town at the local tavern, the game’s two main components are popping up everywhere – a board and bag.

While not an official part of A Small Town Weekend, the Route 66 Triathlons are scheduled to take place Saturday, June 4 at Lake El Reno, according to City Manager Matt Sandidge.

The Oklahoma Climatological Society reported El Reno received close to 5 inches of rain.

El Reno City Manager Matt Sandidge said crews were watching all of the new drainage projects that have been completed over the past five years. “We are very pleased with the performance,” Sandidge said.

He said this includes the new pond south of Legion Park as well as the two most recent projects, north of Legion and at SE Heritage Drive. Those projects are not 100 percent complete, but they moved the heavy water in an efficient manner.

El Reno’s Blessing Baskets will begin its Families with Children Summer Food Program June 14.

Donna Dyer, coordinator for the not-for-profit Blessing Baskets, said the program expects to help feed more than 200 families at each of the six food distribution events planned.

The food distribution dates will be June 14, June 28, July 12, Aug. 9, Aug. 23 and Oct. 11.

Families and friends gathered to honor their loved ones who have gone missing or been murdered at the second annual Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP) Ceremony and Parade.

The gathering took place in Concho.

Some held giant signs with photos of their loved ones, while others showcased their loved ones photos on the front of T-shirts.