Kaw Lake - Festivals

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On May 21, 1966, with a shovel of turned dirt, a 1957 dream began to take shape--a dream of Kaw Dam and Lake.

Ten years later, almost to the day, on May 22, 1976, Kaw Lake and Dam were officially dedicated.

Setting a precedent for future lake festivities was an energy-filled celebration with a huge parade honoring the engineered restriction of the Arkansas River that we know as Kaw Dam and Lake, as well as the nation's bicentennial year.

On that spring day, Grand Avenue in Ponca City and Kaw Lake throbbed with the color and pulse of Oklahoma's citizens.

Today, Kaw Lake boasts a rich array of activities, a unique celebration of the past and the future. From eagle viewing to mountain bike races, Christmas in July to professional jet ski exhibitions, Kaw Lake delivers fun and festivity to Oklahoma citizens and visitors alike.

Since the reintroduction of the American Bald Eagle to this area, 24 eagle nests have been built in Oklahoma and are occupied during the cold winter months. One week-end every January, the Kaw Lake Association hosts an eagle viewing event. Guest speakers provide eagle information with special guest appearance by Sequoyah, a bald eagle resident of Sutton Avian Research Center in Bartlesville.

After the presentation, attendees caravan to eagle watching sites. Below the Kaw Dam on the Arkansas River is a favorite eagle feasting area and the eagles can be spotted all along the river basin. The annual Eagle Watch is scheduled for the third Saturday in January.

The Tiny Miss Kaw Lake, Miss Junior Kaw Lake and Miss Kaw Lake is held the first Saturday in May. They are chosen for their poise, personality and pizzazz.

KawFest is an annual event celebrating Kaw Lake and its surroundings. A large assortment of food to please any palette is available for purchase. One highlight of the event is the Team Bass Tournament. A sand building contest brings out participants' creativity as they shape their grainy structures. Other water sports and shows, music, kid's activities, and lots of fun highlight the wet, wild and shopping entertainment that marks this event. KawFest will be held the second Saturday of July.

Red and green are the colors of July at the annual Christmas in July Celebration in Kaw City. This year the event takes place the second Saturday of July. A lighted boat flotilla covers the surface of Kaw Lake with thousands of refracted lights in this annual aquatic display and the sky mirrors the lake with a spectacular fireworks show.

Kaw Lake is alive not only with its natural beauty but also with that of its celebrations.

Kaw Lake Association
PO Box 1933
Ponca City, OK 74602
580-762-9494 or
Toll free 1-877-671-6985
kawlake@cableone.net