“Route 66” Senior Day at the Fair

Story and photos by Darl DeVault, contributing editor

Golden Agers 55 and over can celebrate “US Route 66” with free admission to the fairgrounds on their special day, with events from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sept. 23.
The festivities are in the Special Events Area at the south end of the air-conditioned Modern Living Building at the Oklahoma State Fair. This area becomes a dedicated senior center featuring entertainment, audience participation in contests and singing, resource booths, and door prizes.
Senior Day attendees receive free admission at the outside gate by showing a valid ID verifying their age. Seniors can enjoy discounted rides on the massive 230-foot-tall observation wheel. This year, it’s featured as the America 250 Wheel (celebrating the upcoming semiquincentennial), with tickets discounted to just $5 for seniors.
As always, the stage has a day full of contests and age-appropriate headline entertainment. As the early crowd enters, they will be offered free coffee and snacks by the Oklahoma City Rehabilitation Hospital.
“Since January, the volunteer Senior Day committee has been working hard to plan an excellent event for Oklahoma Seniors 55 and over,” said Morgan Chappell, Fair manager of Creative Programs. “We look forward to a successful Senior Day and Fair.”
This year’s stage lineup kicks off the festivities, featuring Ms. Oklahoma Senior Americas, showcasing the elegance and talent of our state’s senior women. Patsy Cline tribute artist Charli Lee finishes the first hour on stage with what promises to be remarkable vocal authenticity.
Sponsor OG&E energizes the day along with others who support the “Route 66 Get Your Kicks at Senior Day ‘26” themed event with many Mother Road style events and contests.
The closest state fair midway rides to historic US Route 66 are at OKC Fair Park, which sits near the highway’s alignment. The Oklahoma State Fair brands itself as the “premier midway of America’s Mother Road.” In celebration of Route 66’s 100th anniversary, its entire midway is officially themed “The Midway of the Mother Road.”
“Our 49th annual Senior Day at the Fair fits the 55+ fairgoer in many ways,” said Cindy Dimit, longest-serving committee member. “First, you have access to the total experience of the fairgrounds, while others come to the Modern Living Building to enjoy the Senior Day, never leaving the building because of our many exhibitors, contests, and entertainment.”
The senior health and recreation exhibitors include The Alzheimer’s Association, ArchWell Health, Areawide Aging Agency, Caregiver Magazine, Community Action Center, Daily Living Centers, OKDHS Community Living, Ennoble Care, Hefner Road Animal Hospital, Legend Senior Living, Metropolitan Library System, Ms. Oklahoma Senior America, Nana’s Closet, OG&E, Oklahoma ABLE TECH, Oklahoma City Rehabilitation Hospital, Oklahoma Department of Securities, Oklahoma Foundation for Limb Preservation, Oklahoma Insurance Commission, Oklahoma Veteran News Magazine, Oklahoma Woodturners Association, Parkinson Foundation of Oklahoma, Pioneer Library System, PLC-OK Assets, LLC, Poison Control, Psych Plus+, Senior News and Living, Seniors Helping Seniors, TRIAD, Trinity Hospice, Universal Home Health, and Valir PACE.
The most consistent performers over the years, the Okie Stompers, kick off at 2:30 with their combination of tap and line dancing, as their 10 performers dazzle with their ultimate toe-tapping clogging and bright-outfit show.
Area independent, assisted living and long-term care communities have created a one-minute video of their residents, “In Motion.” The entries were judged, and the top 10 will be shown all day for the public to select the winner.
Along with the many senior-oriented booths offering their services, Senior News and Living and Oklahoma Veteran News Magazine will give away their September issues at their booth all day. The publications will also supply a raffle door prize from the stage.
The audience can participate in many U.S. Route 66-themed activities on the decorated stage. Registering from noon to 1 p.m., audience singers take the stage to perform in the “Karaoke Contest” at 3 p.m. ArchWell Health sponsors the five singers chosen to sing a song of their choice for prizes voted on by the audience.
Crowd favorites from years past, The Vocal Sounds of Oklahoma, an award-winning men’s a cappela chorus, sing four-part close-knit harmony at 4:30 p.m.
This year again features back-to-back Elvis tribute artists in the late afternoon and evening. Back from his popular performances for the last few years, Mike Black sings Elvis’ songs at 5:35 p.m. The Choctaw resident has opened concerts for major acts, including Three Dog Night and Blood, Sweat and Tears.
Jimmy Holmes kicks off the most significant tribute to Elvis outside at 7:30 on the Chickasaw Country Entertainment Stage.

Activities planned for the day that saw 4,000 seniors last year include a robust lineup of free health-related booths sharing information seniors need.
Door Prizes are offered throughout the day (Registration: Session 1: 10 a.m. – Noon; Session 2: Noon – 2 p.m.; Session 3: 2 – 4 p.m.; Session 4: 5:30 p.m.). Pick up your ticket at the prize table for a chance to win one of many donated gifts. There will be multiple drawings in the morning, early afternoon, and late afternoon. Tickets for each session will be discarded, so register again for the following door prize sessions. A full listing of what goes on is available online at 2026 SD – Event Details
Adjacent to the Oklahoma Senior Games demonstration area in the same building, table tennis will be available throughout the Fair, and special strength testing will be offered at the Oklahoma Senior Games booth. The largest interactive demonstration court is for Pickleball, the fastest-growing recreational sport, embraced by seniors for its excellent health outcomes.
A complimentary State Fair Senior Accessibility Shuttle runs from the Hurricane Harbor parking lot directly to the fair gate from 9 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. (parking spaces for this service are limited). Free internal trams also begin operating at 10 a.m.
Seniors can enter gates 1, 2, or 10 to catch one of the free trams that begin running at 10 a.m. Ask trams to stop at Gate 3 or by the fountain on General Pershing Blvd to drop you off, as they are the closest drop-off points to the building. Electric and manual wheelchairs are available for rent inside Gates 2 and 9 while supplies last.
Whether you are coming for the health info and checks, the Elvis tunes, or to walk the grounds and soak in the atmosphere, Senior Day remains one of the best values in town—a “thank you” note from the State Fair to the generation that built it.