Like stores displaying Christmas decorations in October or school clothes in June, Oklahoma has been celebrating its Centennial, or at least preparing to, for a long time. Centennial projects have been more diverse than our state's terrain.

With the anniversary of our state's induction into statehood finally upon us, what celebratory rock is left unturned? Plenty, actually. It seems they've saved the best for last.

The following is not a complete list of the remaining Centennial events, since some of them don't have much to do with the Centennial itself (a full list of official events may be found at OklahomaCentennial.com). The events below have the closest ties to the state's heritage, and most of them are one-time-only affairs that won't come around again for at least a century!

Through October 5
Oklahoma Centennial Chisholm Trail Cattle Drive
Cattle drives might not have been a part of Statehood Day itself, but they were certainly a big part of Oklahoma's history. Early this month, a group of 30-40 cowboys and cowgirls will drive 450 longhorns across northern Oklahoma into Kansas, following the Chisholm Trail. Everything will be done as authentically as possible, but one of the team's covered wagons will carry a GPS device so their website, www.CattleDrive2007.com, can provide information about their location. Families are encouraged to visit the group's campsite between 5-6pm each evening to visit with the drivers and get a taste for life on the range.

October 14, 2pm
Oklahoma Centennial Parade, Downtown Oklahoma City
According to Oklahoma's Centennial website, the Centennial Parade will be the largest in state history. Super-sized balloons (up to 40' high) and floats (up to 60' long), bands, and performers will march through downtown Oklahoma City with James Garner as the parade's Grand Marshall. The route will start on Sheridan, turn right onto Robinson, left onto Reno, left onto Gaylord then Broadway, and end at Eighth Street. It should last about 90 minutes and will be broadcast live on OETA.

October 18-20
El Reno's Centennial at Fort Reno, Historic Fort Reno
Fort Reno will vamp up its annual Tombstone Tales event with a camp of re-enactors set up on their parade grounds. On October 18 and 19, visitors may tour the gravestones of former Fort Reno residents and listen to the tales of their lives as told by re-enactors at 9am, 11am, and 1pm. The Tales will continue at 11am and 2pm on Saturday. The  camp of re-enactors, including soldiers, homesteaders, and Native Americans, will be set up all three days. Call Bob Warren at 405- 262-5291 for more information.

October 20, 2pm
Statehood Constitutional Convention Dramatizations, Scottish Rite Masonic Center, Guthrie
History buffs old enough to sit through an hour-long dramatization might enjoy watching their peers reenact the major debates of 1907. High school juniors and seniors will stage a scripted reenaction of the constitutional convention that occurred in the months leading up to statehood.

November 15, 3pm
Sunset Ceremony at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center, Guthrie
Of all the events on our list, this one is the most unique, in my opinion. On the day before the Centennial, members of all 39 recognized Native American tribes will meet to perform a ceremony honoring the closing of the last 100 years and the beginning of the next. Contact the Scottish Rite Temple at 405-282-1281 for more information.

November 16, 9:16am
Reenactment of Statehood Day, Guthrie
Citizens of Guthrie plan to celebrate Statehood Day exactly the way Oklahomans did the first time—right down to the minute. At exactly 9:16am, Hugh Scott will step out of the Oklahoma Publishing Museum and announce that Oklahoma has become a state-just as his great grandfather, Dr. Hugh Scott, did 100 years before. The celebration will continue with a reenactment of the symbolic wedding of Miss Indian Territory to Mr. Oklahoma Territory and the inauguration of the first governor of the State of Oklahoma, Charles N. Haskell, on the steps of Guthrie's Historic Carnegie Library, where it all took place originally. A parade will begin at 11:30am at the Scottish Rite Masonic Temple. It will end at Mineral Wells Park, where there will be a free barbeque around 1pm. For details, visit GuthrieCentennial.com.

November 16
The Centennial Spectacular Ford Center, Oklahoma City.

Wow. Just wow. The list of performers for this event is simply stunning, as it should be for the last hurrah of Oklahoma's 100th birthday. For starters, the Spectacular will be headlined by Reba McEntire, Toby Keith, Garth Brooks, Vince Gill, and Carrie Underwood. Are you catching your breath? Appearances will also be made by The All-American Rejects, Johnny Bench, Nadia Comaneci, N. Scott Momaday, Patti Page, Willard Scott, Barry Switzer, and Oklahoma's five living Miss Americas, just to name a few. Tickets will likely be sold out far in advance of the show, but the event will be broadcast on OETA across the state.

Chelsey Simpson is an editor who lives in Edmond with her husband and her miniature schnauzer, Ellie.