Time's ticking for Oklahoma City residents and frequenters who want to solidify their piece of history at the OKC Fair Park – there's a last chance to send your snapshots and stories for a journey into the future, courtesy of an urban time capsule at the foot of “Bolt Tower.” According to the City of Oklahoma City, the cutoff to contribute is December 22, and any memory related to the state fair and other events at the Fair Park over its 118 years is up for grabs; think cattle contests, memorable concerts, family outings – if it's heartfelt and it's happened here, into the capsule it can go.
The “Bolt Tower” itself isn't just a beacon though, it’s a nod to the past, a 72-foot marker paid for by the city's 1% for Arts program and part of the MAPS 4 initiative, though it offers anyone with a soft spot for the fairgrounds an unusual opportunity to literally become part of the landscape – your photo could be trapped in time beneath the behemoth. This is all happening because the city wants people to remember whatever it is they cherished about OKC Fair Park, whether they were winning ribbons for prize pigs, cheering on the 89er games, or anything else that might be worth recalling fifty, a hundred years down the line, as mentioned on the same news.
The submission guidelines are strict but straightforward; only JPEGs or PDFs under 4MB will be considered – every image needs a description, a snapshot of its place in time, and if you've got faces in there, they've got names to go with them. You've got to email this heritage package to [email protected] by 6 p.m. CST on the deadline day.
“Bolt Tower,” designed by Jenny Sabin Studio, rises between the Bennett Event Center and the OG&E Coliseum as a new landmark at the fairgrounds. City officials are encouraging residents to share any photos or memorabilia they may have, from phones, albums, or old collections, to help preserve the site’s history. With the state fair approaching, organizers say it offers a final opportunity to gather and archive these memories before they are formally preserved for future generations who will one day look back on life and community at OKC Fair Park, as per the City of Oklahoma City.
