FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jen Tregarthen (405) 325-0598 Jen.Tregarthen@ou.edu

Museum Welcomes Winter With Holiday Happening NORMAN The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History welcomes visitors this winter to enjoy family-friendly activities and festive entertainment during Holiday Happening, the museums complimentary community celebration, scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5. Adults and children are invited to gather inside the Great Hall to enjoy songs from the Sooner Theatres winter production of A Wonderful Life: The Musical, performances by the Oklahoma City Ballet and the music of the Redliners, the University of Oklahomas only coed student-led contemporary a cappella ensemble. Families are welcomed to the Pioneer Librarys Storybook Time, and children are invited to share their holiday wishes with Santa Claus, who will be present to pose for photographs. Excavations, the museum store, will offer special one-night-only discounts on all merchandise during Holiday Happening to help participants cross those last few items off their list. With a wide variety of unique gifts, one-of-a-kind jewelry, educational toys and home dcor items, Excavations has something for everyone this season. In the spirit of giving, the museum will be accepting donations of gifts for children and teens and non-perishable food items on behalf of Food and Shelter Inc. Donations can be brought to the museum during regular hours from Nov. 20 through Dec. 5. Everyone who donates will be entered in a drawing to win a $50 gift certificate to Excavations. The museum offers plenty to keep families fascinated during Holiday Happening and throughout the winter season. Children will enjoy excavating fossils in the Discovery Room, and adults will appreciate the breathtaking traditional and contemporary Native American art featured in the temporary exhibit, Masterworks of Native American Art: Selections from the Fred and Enid Brown Collection, on display through Jan. 5. Both children and adults will agree that The Art of Sport + Play, on display through Jan. 26, is both entertaining and inspiring. At the heart of the collection is a group of handcrafted balls, created by children with found materials from their native lands. With a playful spirit, this exhibit tells the story of the universal power of sport. ### The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History is located on the University of Oklahoma Norman campus at Timberdell Road and Chautauqua Avenue.

General daily admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors 65 and up, and $3 for youth ages 6 to 17. Children ages 5 and under are admitted free. Discounts are available for military personnel and their immediate families. For accommodations on the basis of disability, call (405) 325-4712.