On Friday, May 8, at 5 p.m. the Pioneer Woman Museum in Ponca City will host an event to kick off its new exhibit, "Patti Page: Once upon a Dream." Recording artist Darla Z will perform some of Patti's hits, and members of the Page family, including her sister Peggy, will reminisce about her life. Dr. Bob Blackburn will lead the ceremony. The evening is free and open to the public.

A series of exhibits on Patti Page, who died at age 85 on Jan. 1, 2013, will be displayed by the Oklahoma Historical Society at four sites across the state to help develop the Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture (OKPOP) in the Brady Arts District of Tulsa.

"The OKPOP will be presented in a 75,000-square-foot building dedicated to the creative spirit of Oklahoma's people and the influence of Oklahoma artists on popular culture around the world," said Dr. Bob Blackburn, executive director of OHS. "Patti Page embodies the spirit, art and influence of these Oklahoma artists."

The other Patti Page exhibits will be located at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center in Enid, the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton, and the Claremore Museum of History. Each exhibit will display different aspects of Patti Page's long career.

Darla Z has opened for musicians such as Willie Nelson and Wayne Newton. She has starred in three network television specials and recently was seen in public television's "Darla Z's Christmas 'Round the World." She will be accompanied by gifted pianist Alyssa Sue Kozlowski, a soon-to-be graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) School of Music, who was also pianist in the public television special "Darla Z's Love Songs 'Round the World." Dwight Ham, a UCO student from Ponca City, will accompany Darla Z on guitar. Both instrumentalists frequently perform and travel with UCO's jazz ensemble. 

Admission to "Patti Page: Once upon a Dream" is included in museum admission. The Pioneer Woman Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. For more information on the exhibit, please contact the museum at 580-765-6108.The Pioneer Woman Museum is located at 701 Monument Rd. in Ponca City.

On the evening of Thursday, May 7, 2015, the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum will be hosting an event from 5-7 p.m. celebrating the storied history of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol in conjunction with the museum's current temporary exhibit, "The Highway Patrol: Regulating Route 66 and Oklahoma's Highways."

Born in the summer of 1937, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) made a swift and decisive impact on the poor driving habits and lawlessness plaguing Oklahoma's roads and highways. The formidable first years of the highway patrol's presence in Oklahoma were defined by diligent law enforcement, educating the public and acting as a model organization for state police forces nationwide. In the 78 years since, OHP troopers have continued to carry on the legacy of the first academy of patrolmen by making Oklahoma a safer place for all its citizens.

The event will feature notable speakers from across the state, including Dr. Bob Blackburn, executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society, speaking on the history of the OHP. A citation from State Representative Harold Wright and State Senator Mike Schulz will be presented to the OHP, and the evening will conclude with remarks from Commissioner of Public Safety Michael C. Thompson and OHP Chief Rick Adams.

Refreshments will be served, and the museum would like to encourage all state and local law enforcement, first responders and everyone interested in the history of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol to attend this incredible event.

This special exhibit can be viewed at the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Oklahoma, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Beginning in May, the museum will be open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. on Sundays. For additional information, please contact Director Pat Smith at 580-323-7866 or e-mail rt66mus@okhistory.org.

Mark your calendars and join the Oklahoma History Center staff in welcoming the Marquis de Lafayette to the Oklahoma History Center on May 14 and 15. An evening program will be held on Thursday, May 14. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the program will begin at 7 p.m. On Friday, May 15, a matinee performance will begin at 2 p.m., and two special student programs will be held at 10:30 a.m. and noon. All programs are free and open to the public; however, reservations are required for Friday's school programs.

Nicknamed "The Hero of the Two Worlds," Marquis de Lafayette was a skilled military commander who played a critical role in the American Revolution. Born in France in 1757, Lafayette became involved in the cause of the American colonists at a young age. At nineteen years old, he set sail for America to join in the fight. Shortly thereafter, he struck up a friendship with George Washington and set about building one of the most meaningful and influential friendships in the life of either man.

Benjamin Goldman will portray Lafayette. He has performed at Valley Forge and Independence National Historical Parks in Pennsylvania; for Mount Vernon, George Washington's home in Virginia; and for President George W. Bush and French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the White House, among many other venues and audiences. He also worked for several years as a storyteller with Historic Philadelphia, Inc., where he wrote and sometimes translated interpretive stories into French. A graduate of Lower Merion High School, he received a B.A. in French and dramatic literature from New York University in 2008, and in 2011 received a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Come hear the fascinating tales of colonial America and the fight for independence, and get to know a little more about the founding of the United States. The program will be followed by a question and answer period. 

For more information or to make reservations, please contact the Oklahoma History Center Education Department at  education@okhistory.org or 405-522-3602. This program is sponsored in part by SONIC, America's Drive-In.