It’s beginning to feel like this thing is really going to happen.
I’m talking about the first annual BuzzHead Bash in Enid, Oklahoma, happening around the Vance Air Force Base Air Show on July 24, 2027. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will be in town, a bunch of the Enid gang will already be here, and I’m hoping a whole bunch of BuzzHeads from around the country will make the trip too.
Even if only a handful of people show up, we’re doing it. If one person comes, we’ll have fun. If 20 people come, we’ll figure it out. The idea is not to create some gigantic, overly organized convention. I want this to feel more like a big weekend get-together with people who have been listening to the podcasts, interacting online and becoming part of this weird little BuzzHead family over the years.
And yes, July 24 also happens to be my 28th wedding anniversary. Denise and I almost never celebrate our anniversary on the actual weekend anyway, so we’ll probably do something the week before. I’ll be in Enid and ready for the Bash.
Start Thinking About It Now
If there’s even a decent chance you’re coming, I’d love to hear from you. You don’t have to be 100 percent certain. If you’re 80 percent sure, tell me that. If you’re 30 percent sure, tell me that too.
What I’m trying to figure out right now is logistics. How many people might need rides from airports? How many vehicles will we have? Where should people stay? Where should we eat? What can we do around Enid? The answers to all of those questions depend heavily on how many people are actually thinking about coming.
You can call the BuzzHead Hotline at 601-568-2220 and leave me a message, or email me at buzz@buzzheadmedia.com.
By the way, yes, that is a Mississippi phone number even though I’m in Oklahoma. I set the hotline up through Google Voice, and there weren’t any Enid numbers available. I started looking for a number I liked and found one ending in 2220. It happened to be a Mississippi number, and oddly enough, there is also an Enid, Mississippi. So I decided it was meant to be.
When Should You Come?
My suggestion is to arrive in Enid on Friday, July 23 if you can. That would give everybody time to get settled, hang out Friday afternoon and evening and get to know each other before the big air show on Saturday.
Saturday morning we can do some Enid stuff before heading out to Vance. Once we get to the base, we’ll probably spend most of the day at the air show and stick around for the Thunderbirds. Afterward, we can head back into town and do something Saturday night, whether that means Callahan’s or wherever else we decide to land.
Sunday can be another relaxed Enid day. We can have brunch, explore a little more and let people start heading home as they need to.
If you want to make a bigger trip out of it, come Thursday. If you need to stay until Monday, that’s fine too. There’s no rigid schedule yet. Friday through Sunday will probably be the heart of the Bash, but we can build things around whoever decides to come.
Yes, We Need to Record a Podcast
At some point during the weekend, I absolutely want to get as many BuzzHeads together as possible and record an episode of the 70’s Buzz Podcast.
Imagine eight, 10 or 12 of us sitting around together with a couple of cameras and a microphone we can pass around. Everybody can introduce themselves, talk about the podcast, tell some 70s stories, talk about Enid and just see where the conversation goes.
Travis the Tailor has also suggested this might finally be the perfect time for the legendary “gummy episode.” We’ll see about that. Nobody has to participate in anything they don’t want to do. You can have a drink, not have a drink, eat a gummy, not eat a gummy or just sit there and enjoy the chaos.
But if you’re coming to BuzzHead Bash, don’t be too shy. There’s a pretty good chance I’m going to try to get you on a podcast.
Book Your Hotel Sooner Rather Than Later
One thing I would not wait too long on is lodging.
The Thunderbirds are a major draw, and when they come to town there will be people traveling to Enid from all over Oklahoma and probably beyond. Hotel rooms could start filling up, and prices could potentially rise as the weekend gets closer.
One hotel I’m looking at is the Western Inn and Suites at 210 N. Van Buren. It’s not a fancy high-rise resort, but the location is almost perfect for what we’re doing. It’s close to the West Broadway neighborhood where we grew up, close to Kip’s Warehouse and not far from downtown.
Rooms are generally affordable, and it would be pretty fun if a big group of us ended up staying in the same place. There’s even a swimming pool, which might come in handy considering this is Oklahoma in late July.
Another option is the GLō Best Western in downtown Enid. It’s more upscale, more expensive and right downtown. You would be close to restaurants, bars and much of what we’ll probably be doing during the weekend.
There are plenty of other hotels around Enid too, so nobody has to stay at one particular place. We may also want to look at Airbnb or Vrbo options if enough people want to split a house.
The important thing is to think about booking early, preferably somewhere with a reasonable cancellation policy.
Getting to Enid
There’s no commercial airport in Enid, so if you’re flying, you’ll need to fly into another Oklahoma or regional airport and make the drive.
Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Wichita are all roughly two hours from Enid. Stillwater has a smaller airport and is closer, but flights may be more limited.
Tulsa might be one of the easiest options because the drive from Tulsa to Enid is fairly simple. Oklahoma City obviously has plenty of flights, but you’ll also have more city traffic to deal with. Wichita is another good possibility and offers a pretty straightforward drive south.
Once I know who is coming and where everyone is flying, I can start helping coordinate things. Maybe several people arrive in Tulsa around the same time. Maybe one person rents a car and another person can ride with them. Maybe I make an airport run and grab several people at once.
That’s why I’d really like people to start letting me know their plans as early as possible.
If we do end up picking people up in Tulsa on Friday, there’s also the possibility of making a stop at the Outsiders Museum on the way back to Enid. That could turn the airport run into part of the adventure.
There’s More to See Than Just the Air Show
The Thunderbirds are obviously the centerpiece of the weekend, but there’s plenty more we can do.
I want to show people around Enid, especially some of the places connected to the stories we’ve told on the podcasts. We can cruise through the old West Broadway neighborhood, visit downtown and hit some of our favorite local places.
If people come a day early, we could even make a Northwest Oklahoma road trip out of it. There are some very strange and interesting places around this part of the state, including the Great Salt Plains, Little Sahara, Gloss Mountains and Alabaster Caverns.
At the Great Salt Plains, you can even dig for crystals. We could potentially spend Thursday doing a big loop through Northwest Oklahoma, seeing several of those places and getting back to Enid that evening.
It all depends on who comes and how much time everybody has.
Let’s Make This a Thing
For now, the important date is:
July 24, 2027 — Enid, Oklahoma.
The first annual BuzzHead Bash.
Come Friday if you can. Stay through Sunday. Come Thursday if you want even more Enid and Oklahoma adventures.
We’ll hang out, eat, tell stories, record a podcast, go to the air show, watch the Thunderbirds and probably come up with a few things I haven’t even thought about yet.
Most importantly, this will be a chance for a lot of people who have talked online, emailed, called into the podcast and listened for years to finally get together in the same place.
If you think you might come, call the BuzzHead Hotline at 601-568-2220 or email buzz@buzzheadmedia.com. Let me know how likely you are to make it, where you might be coming from and any ideas you have for the weekend.
I’m ready to quit saying “maybe” and just declare it:
The first annual BuzzHead Bash is happening. See you in Enid in July 2027.
PODCAST
Listen to “The 1st Annual BuzzHead Bash!” on Spreaker.
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