Tulsa World: Slide Show: Ribfest celebrates one year for BOK

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Slide Show: Ribfest celebrates one year for BOK
A birthday open house lets visitors tour the arena and taste its fare.

Katy Shaw of Broken Arrow enjoys some barbecue on Saturday at the Rock 'n Ribs Festival that was going on outside the BOK Center. SHERRY BROWN / Tulsa World

By SARA PLUMMER World Staff Writer
Published: 9/20/2009 2:24 AM
Last Modified: 9/20/2009 10:24 AM

View an interactive timeline of the BOK Center’s first year, find out who Tulsa World readers would most like to see perform at the arena and view a calendar of upcoming events.

It wasn't the first visit inside the BOK Center for many at the arena's open house Saturday.

"Why not? It sounded like fun," said Alan West, who has been to several events at the arena. "You got to support the community to make it better."

A free open house was offered to the public Saturday afternoon in honor of the BOK Center's first birthday. The event, which coincided with the Rock 'n Rib Festival outside, included live music, food, tours of the arena and information booths.

Judi Wilson has gone to a few concerts in the arena and likes the facility.

"I think we needed an up-to-date attraction," she said.

Fourteen-year-old Evan Rodriguez said he was really impressed with the BOK Center the first time he attended a comedy show there.

"It's amazing. I wasn't really expecting it to be in Oklahoma. When I'm in here I think I'm in New York or something," Rodriguez said. "In Tulsa, there's not a lot to look at. This sticks out."

James Morgan lives a few miles from the arena and has gone to several sporting events and a concert at the venue. He brought his family to the open house on Saturday.

"It's really good,

really nice and comfortable," said Morgan, who added the arena has improved downtown.

His daughter, Kelsey, lives in McLoud near Oklahoma City and had never been to the BOK Center.

"I think it's actually really cool," she said. "It's different than the Ford Center."

It was Terry Underwood's first time inside the arena as well.

"I think it's beautiful. I didn't expect it to be so big," Underwood said.

Susan Evans said she also didn't realize how large the 565,000-square-foot BOK Center was until she was inside it.

"You don't really grasp how big it is on the inside from the outside," she said.

Her husband, Jeff Evans, said he wishes it were even larger, like the venues he visited when he lived in Houston.

"I think it needs to be about twice the size for some events," he said, such as the monster truck show, which he attended early this year.

Underwood said she's glad Tulsa has the BOK Center, but there's one area that needs improvement.

"The parking is not like we thought it would be," she said. "It needed garages, too."

West, from Glenpool, said the center has done better than he expected in its first year.

"They work hard to make it good," he said, and the open house makes it better.

"That helps out even more. They're giving back."

Wilson said she also appreciated the arena offering the free event to the community.

"I think it's nice and gives everyone a chance to enjoy and see it," she said.

The BOK Center's construction was publicly funded using $178 million from the Vision 2025 sales tax plan.

Slide Show

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To see all of the Tulsa World slide shows, go to tulsaworld.com/photos.

Sara Plummer 581-8465
sara.plummer@tulsaworld.com By SARA PLUMMER World Staff Writer

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Some reader comments for this story were copied from "Hundreds tour BOK for anniversary open house," which was published on 9/19/2009.

	Report Comment Fromtheright, Tulsa (9/19/2009 8:24:51 PM) Actually the free open house started at 10 am and was to end at 1 pm. It was my first time to see the Center. I tested all of the different types of BOK Center seats and the only ones with any knee room and comfort were in the suites. The rest of the BOK Center seats are seriously uncomfortable for long legged or wide people. The open house gift was a black BOK Center frisbee. People on the tour told me that the lack of BOK Center parking is not a huge issue but I don't believe them. BOK Center during the open house had a rock band blasting our ears off in the lobby. I was reliably told that concerts at the Center are far far louder than that. The tall grass prairie art work in the Center was very nice. The wild horses artwork in the Center badly distorted the horses' heads. George Kaiser are you listening?
	Report Comment getreal, (9/19/2009 11:08:26 PM) You make it sound like a dump. Too bad it is so successful, one of the best in the country. The seats were actually designed for "larger folks" so I do not know why you did not fit well (how wide is wide?).
	Report Comment okpaul, Tulsa County (9/19/2009 11:54:41 PM) Fromtheright---what do you want George Kaiser to listen to? You are not ENTITLED to any of Mr Kaiser's gracious, generous, multi million dollar gifts to the city and community. Maybe if you would work harder you can donate money to build a large event center that brings millions to our community.
	Report Comment jimjam, (9/20/2009 1:30:10 AM) THANK YOU LORD, THAT THE TWO POSITIVE RESPONSES TO THE BOK CENTER OUTNUMBERED THE ONE NEGATIVE ONE. BE BLESSED!
	Report Comment owl, Tulsa (9/20/2009 1:38:56 AM) I've been to 4 BOK events, 2 of them sold-out concerts, and parking has not been an issue. Not! The BOK is the best and most exciting thing to happen to Tulsa in quite some time.
	Report Comment Ayo, T-Town (9/20/2009 8:36:32 AM) I've not known of any seats anywhere that are comfortable to the long legged, or wide people. There's nothing anyone can do about their height, but if someone is too heavy then they have no right to complain. We don't owe you anything if you don't have the willpower to live a healthy lifestyle.
	Report Comment Ayo, T-Town (9/20/2009 9:12:36 AM) El Rushbo, I bet there's an entertainment center full of people who won't miss you.
	Report Comment getreal, (9/20/2009 2:29:09 PM) The BOK actually purchased oversized seating when the areana was built. It even reduced the seating capacity. How big does a chair need to be???

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