As spring gives way to summer and the sun’s rosy fingers firmly grasp the red earth of Oklahoma, lively events in sun-soaked settings punctuate the weekends around my favorite haunts.

Some takeaways from the photo gallery below:

  • Plaza Mayor‘s frequent fiesta’s are among the metro’s most entertaining.
  • Cinco de Mayo was celebrated May 1 at OKC’s Plaza Mayor with live bands, wrestling, folk dancing, a carnival, food trucks and vendor booths.
  • Agriculture around OKC is in full bloom, with the first alfalfa cuttings underway and a new crop of juvenile livestock in the fields. Central Oklahoma is among the nation’s leading producers of prime horse flesh.
  • Norman Arts Council has organized its first public mosaic installation, to be presided over by noted Albuquerque artist and teacher Laura Robbins.
  • May is also graduation time with sighs of relief by students and educators.

Other photo galleries by Doug Hill

Dec. 4, 2015: Photo essay: From summer to here

Jan. 1: Photo essay: December delights in Norman

Jan. 30: Photos: Main Street meanderings and MLK Jr. Day

March 1: Photos: February filled with music and culture

April 2: Photos: March warms up with music and art

April 30: Photos: Norman Music Fest 9 people watching

  • Doug Hill earned a double-major undergraduate degree in English and East Asian Studies from the University of Kansas and a master's in human relations from the University of Oklahoma. He's been a freelance journalist and photographer in central Oklahoma since 1997.