The 2025 Oaks Festival is part of many years of Oracle folks and their Tri-Community neighbors getting together to share stories and laughs, celebrated in the spring when our oak trees are dropping their leaves, readying themselves for a new year.
There is a bond of love between the locals, their natural environment and their community. There is history and with history comes hope for the future, knowing it has continued to come year after year. All are welcome to join in. Admission is free. Tickets are sold for food and games.
Oracle Community Center (the OCC) is presenting this event, now in its 40th year. This year, it is scheduled to kick off on Saturday, April 26, at 9 a.m. and will be celebrated a full five hours, ending at 2 p.m.
The Parade will leave St. Helen’s Parish at 9 a.m., located at 66 E. Maplewood St. in Oracle and proceed down American Ave. until reaching the Post Office. All those who wish to participate should meet at St. Helen’s Parish a little before 9 a.m. to coordinate. For those new to participating in a parade, be advised that nothing is required, except to drive cautiously, wave and smile. If you want to, you can also decorate your vehicle and throw unmeltable candy out your window, cautiously.
The Grand Marshals are Mark and Jacque Phelps, former owners of Oracle Ford (now Oro Ford) and generous habitual contributors to the Oaks Festival and to Oracle, in general. An ovation as they pass by would be appreciated.
After the parade, handicap parking can be found up in front of the OCC. Everyone else can park down below. Please use the gently graded walking path up to the top, avoiding the steep driveway and cars.The path will be marked.
Outside, there will be local vendor booths where food, arts and crafts are for sale. There will be Kettle Corn and Dirty Ice sold by food trucks down below.
The food for lunch will be served outside the OCC. There will be a pulled pork plate with slaw and beans, hamburgers, hot dogs, green chili and regular burros and lemonade water. Inside the OCC there will be a cool place to sit and socialize or to eat lunch. There will also be a booth where you can learn how to make beautiful bracelets, which you can then keep.
There will be tables both in and outside to sit down and eat, listen to the music and people watch.
Games for kids of all ages will include a Corn Hole competition starting at 11 a.m. with stuffed animals to win. There are over 50 prizes waiting to be won! Only the winner of two playing gets a prize, but the other player can get back in line to try again! Get in line early to have the best choices of prizes (if you win). There will also be a Spinning Wheel, Ring Toss and Go Fish game for more prize winning opportunities.
Moving back outside, there will be two performances of two hours each on the outdoor stage. Andy Waddell will begin at 10 a.m. and sings songs from 1955 -1995 until noon. Dancing will be encouraged. Afterward, David Argentatti, an Oracle favorite, will play his guitar and other instruments, and sing great songs from the 70s from noon until 2 p.m.
To learn more about exciting vendors and general Oaks Festival chatter visit https://www.facebook.com/OracleCommunityCenter. One vendor, Robert Lindsay stated on Facebook, in part, “Cool temps at the base of the mountain make this event worthy of praise.” Look for him and his fine pottery!
Ellie Brown, also on Facebook and integral to the information being imparted in this article, shared her good wishes, stating “The bond of the Love we all share about our precious town is what the Festival is all about. So be a part of it all and let’s hope we have nice weather which we usually do. “
For more information on the OCC, visit www.oraclecommunitycenter.org/oaks.
This year’s Oracle Spring Run Car Show, usually held in conjunction with the Oracle Oaks Festival, has been cancelled by the Oracle Historical Society. But never fear. There are two more events to keep you entertained on Saturday. The Oracle Public Library will host its annual Book Sale. The sale runs concurrently with the Oaks Festival and is conveniently right next door to the Oracle Community Center.
Also on the calendar is the Cheetovibez sixth anniversary celebration. Festivities begin in the parking lot in front of the smoke shop at noon. There will be a magic show, balloon artist and horseshoe and corn hole tournament.