What a JOY it’s been to be part of the OKC metro — and your families — for the past quarter century! So much has changed in our city and in parenting in the past 25 years, but our commitment to serving local families has remained steadfast. As many in our original parent community have become grandparents, using MetroFamily resources to play and learn with grandchildren, we continue to feel immense gratitude for all the families who have informed, supported and inspired our work.
Enjoy this look back at our past and our vision for how we will continue to support all OKC families in the years to come. Thank you for sharing YOUR MetroFamily memories and experiences with us!
25 Years of #okcfamilyfun
- February 1998 – The first issue of MetroFamily Magazine is published and named the “Best New Publication” by Parenting Publications of America.
- August 1998 – As the band Hanson was stealing the hearts of teen girls around the country, they also grace our cover.
- December 2000 – New owner, Sarah Taylor, publishes her first issue. She is still the publisher and president today.
- July 2002 – Our website, metrofamilymagazine.com, goes live.
- March 2003 – We launch our weekly email to subscribers about family fun in OKC.
- December 2008 – We’re on Facebook!
- May 2011 – Our website hits 45,000 monthly page views, and we’ve jumped to over 300,000 monthly page views today!
- March 2012 – We host our first Kids Fest event, which was such a hit it became an annual staple.
- August 2012 – We launch our annual Family Favorites Awards, where readers nominate and vote for the best local businesses and attractions.
- September 2012 – We release the first post in our now weekly Weekend Warrior blog.
- May 2013 – Our Awesome Moms contest begins, honoring outstanding local mothers nominated by readers.
- October 2013 – We rebrand with a new logo.
- July 2015 – We’re on Instagram!
- September 2016 – We host our first Cover Kids Search event, inviting local kids to meet us face-to-face to compete for a coveted spot on our cover.
- March 2017 – We set a magazine record of winning 11 industry awards from Parenting Media Association and have continued to win 10 or more awards every year since.
- June 2017 – With our partners Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma, we host our first Geekapalooza, a family fun event focused on STEAM activities, which has become an annual event.
- April 2018 – Oklahoma teachers, with the support of many parents and community leaders, walk out of their classrooms for 10 days to protest low pay, low per-student funding and overcrowded classrooms. We prepare a hub of online resources and information for families, from childcare options to food support.
- November 2018 – Sarah Taylor receives the Parenting Media Association Distinguished Member Award.
- June 2019 – Oklahoma City Mayor Holt and family grace our cover.
- September 2019 – Our Weekend Warrior blog becomes a multi-voice platform with parent contributors from around the metro sharing their favorite family fun adventures.
- October 2019 – We begin sending bite-size daily emails to help parents prepare for each day with timely news, parenting resources and family fun ideas.
- March 2020 – The world shuts down and our staff begins to work from home full time.
- April 2020 – In response to the pandemic and stay-at-home orders, we release our first all-virtual edition of the magazine to meet families where they are with resources, mental health tips and safe family activities.
- May 2020 – We launch our weekly podcast, Raising OKC Kids, and we add new blog Hashtag Parenting, through which local parents and grandparents offer advice and discussion around the issues most important to them and our community.
- August 2020 – Our annual Cover Kids Search goes virtual — and viral! Families submit photos of Cover Kid hopefuls online, vote for their favorites and finalists are interviewed via Zoom, which continues in our competition today. By giving parents greater access to enter virtually, we continue to see record numbers of Cover Kid hopefuls enter each year.
- November 2020 – We launch MetroFamily Insiders in response to parent readers asking for a subscription through which they could receive our magazines in the mail. Insiders also receive discounts on all MetroFamily events and other special perks.
- January 2021 – We move from publishing magazines monthly to every other month.
- November 2021 – We are named the Media Outlet of the Year by the National Association of Mental Illness, Oklahoma.
- February 2022 – We launch the Cutest Baby Photo Contest.
- January 2023 – We’re on TikTok!
- March 2023 – We host our first OKC Thrive Fest event, focused on connecting families with physical health and mental wellness resources.
- July 2023 – As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we also look to the future! We look forward to serving YOUR family and connecting metro families to local businesses and services through new mediums and enhanced technologies in the months ahead.
Thank you for sharing YOUR MetroFamily memories and experiences with us!
- “MetroFamily means a lot to me because when I was younger and broke, I could never find things to take my children to that I could afford and so we would go to the library and every time we went there was a MetroFam magazine that talked about free or low-cost events that we could attend.” Marisa
- “Our family transitioned to OKC two summers ago and I cannot tell you how helpful your work has been to us. We used MetroFamily to research options before we moved, read your newsletters regularly, attended MAP and now look to you to learn what’s happening in the city.” Samantha
- “It was such a great experience getting to work with MetroFamily from start to finish. They were so kind and patient in the interview and the photo shoot was so much fun, not only for Nora, but the whole family. What a gift to the metro area.” Jessica
- “What I appreciate most about MetroFamily Magazine is that they offer a platform for conversations, to learn about families who are different from mine. We all know parents learn from other parents. To have this resource, when I was trying to figure things out, could have spared my child, my family, a very difficult time.” Sara
- “Everything in regards to the kids I check MetroFamily … it’s literally my Oklahoma child-rearing manual. We’ve never had a boring weekend once thanks to MetroFamily.” Cassie
- “Ethan being on the cover of MetroFamily was a massive esteem booster. Ethan was proud and basked in the congratulatory remarks provided by his peers, family and friends. He now wants to pursue modeling.” Nike
- “MetroFamily Magazine has been an incredible resource for my family for many years! Thank you for your reassurance and committing to remain true to your own values. I appreciate the purpose and the presence of MetroFamily Magazine in every facet, from the tangible copies to the online presence you have created and the many lives you’ve touched.” Brittany
- “You all have helped bring a lot of awareness and new foster families and we just can’t thank you enough! I also personally love the magazine and it has been so helpful to me in my parenting journey. You all are AMAZING!” Casey
- “I love Metro Family! I have been a fan since my kiddos were young and that’s a loooong time considering my ‘baby’ is graduating from high school this year.” Kathy
- “MetroFamily Magazine, both in print and online, has been my family’s go to for all things OKC for families. From the community events on the calendar to the service advertisements at the back, it keeps us engaged in our wonderful community.” Jenny
If you have ideas for how MetroFamily can better serve you and your family, please let us know by emailing tips@metrofamilymagazine.com or calling us at 405-601-2081. And thank you for being a loyal reader of MetroFamily. We look forward to raising our OKC children together with you for years to come!
