OKEENE – After the excitement of the Canton Lake Walleye Rodeo this past weekend, Blaine County’s festival season continues with the 83rd annual Okeene Rattlesnake Roundup from May 19 through 22.
Billed as the oldest rattlesnake hunt in the world, the Okeene roundup will feature carnival rides, food, live music, games and activities in addition to the famous snake hunting. The festivities kick off with a carnival “sneak peek” night on Thursday, May 19, starting at 4 p.m.
The Snake Hunt Parade is also on Thursday night, at 5 p.m., with a route down Oklahoma Avenue to the park.
Snake Hunt registration begins Friday morning at 10 a.m. The “Den of Death,” featuring a snake pit, opens in the ag barn at 12 p.m., along with the food. There will be live music on the main s t a g e Friday from 4:30 to 10 p.m.
The fun will pick up Saturday morning with town wide garage sales and a Boy Scout pancake breakfast at the KC Hall at 8 a.m. Then at 9, the Den of Death reopens along with Snake Hunt registration. The live music Saturday will go from 12:30 p.m. to 10, along with “gunfighter” shows every hour, on the hour, from noon to 3.
There will also be a fireworks show on Saturday at dusk. Lawn chairs are welcome, but no coolers are allowed.
Finally, on Sunday, Snake Hunt registration opens at 9:30 a.m. before the event wraps up that afternoon with an awards ceremony at 4:30.
A full schedule of events is available at the Okeene Rattlesnake Hunt Facebook page. The Rattlesnake Roundup takes place at the City of Okeene Park at 200 S. Phillips St.
Locals wishing to participate in the rattlesnake hunts can grab a permit online at wildlifedepartment.com, by calling 405-521-3852, or at any hunting or fishing license dealer.