Dust Bowl Days Farm & Ranch Festival Co
"Celebrating the Love of the Land"
Dust Bowl "Okies"
In 1939, Dust Bowl refugees familiarly known as "Okies"—were among the thousands of desperate families fleeing the devastated plains of Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and other drought-ravaged states, searching for a better life in the West. These families, many of them former tenant farmers or sharecroppers, had lost everything as the relentless dust storms choked their crops, killed livestock, and rendered their land useless. With no work, no food, and little hope, they packed what little they had onto rattletrap Model A Fords, broken-down trucks, or even horse-drawn wagons, setting out for California and other places rumored to have jobs and opportunity. Their journey was long, uncertain, and riddled with hardship. Entire families—parents, children, and even elderly grandparents—traveled with nothing but a few battered suitcases, often sleeping in makeshift roadside camps or under their vehicles.
Like the fictional Joad family in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, real-life Dust Bowl refugees faced prejudice, economic exploitation and unrelenting poverty upon reaching their destinations. Many found themselves trapped in migrant labor camps, living in squalid conditions with no running water or proper sanitation, as they struggled to find work in the fields of California’s Central Valley. If they were lucky, they might get hired to pick fruit, cotton, or vegetables, earning just enough to buy a little food, but never enough to escape their desperate circumstances. Local communities often resented the influx of these impoverished workers, seeing them as a burden or competition for scarce jobs. Some towns even closed their borders, refusing entry to the so-called "Okies", despite the fact that not all of them were from Oklahoma. Their struggles were made worse by unscrupulous employers, corrupt law enforcement, and an indifferent government, which initially failed to address the growing humanitarian crisis.
Credit to: HistoricalArchaeology.com
Credit to: HistoricalArchaeology.com
Friday: Sayre City Park
5 pm - Midnight
~Wild Plum Jam Music Festival
~Food Trucks
~Vendors
~Free Swimming
Saturday: Downtown - Main Street
July 18th
~Antique Tractor Cruise-In
~Chuck Wagon Bar-B-Q
~Inflatibles
~Live Music All Weekend Long!
~Food Trucks, Vendors
~Learn & Play Kids Activity Center
Friday: Sayre City Park
5 pm-MIDNIGHT
"Secure Your Spot:
Purchase Weekend Festival Tickets Now"
GATES OPEN - 5PMMUSIC STARTS - 6PM$35/EARLY BIRD (March 15- July 17, 2026)$40 AT THE GATE
RESERVE & BUNDLE your RV space & TICKETS
RESERVE & BUNDLE your RV space & TICKETS
Kids 12 Years and Under are FREE!!!!(With Adult)
By utilizing the Facebook pages, you can easily secure your spot at this exciting event and connect with the Festival's community on social media. This will not only enhance your overall experience at the Festival, but also allow you to stay updated on all the latest news and announcements. Be sure to like our page as well as 96.5 KECO!Take advantage of this opportunity and join us at the Festival!We can't wait to see you!!!!!
"Sunday Singing & Dinner
on the Ground"
Sayre City Park 7pm
July 19th
~Gospel/Christian Musicians~Food Truck or bring your own dinner
Friday Tractor Cruise In
Community Activities
Saturday Wild Plum Jam
Sunday Singing In the Park
Join us to honor the perseverance of those who lived through the Dust Bowl.
Enjoy a variety of engaging activities that highlight Dust Bowl culture.
Several singers will be singing their praises for the Sunday Singing Service, and you can pack your dinner or enjoy something tasty from the foodtruck available
Make your way to the Wild Plum Jam Music Festival, the music will come alive, creating an unforgettable experience for music lovers.
About us
What is DUST BOWL DAYS FARM & RANCH FESTIVAL? We are an energetic and excited group of local farmers and ranchers working hard to develop an incredible tribute to Oklahoma’s rich heritage of farming and ranching in our area. We named the Festival, not only to showcase an era in Western Oklahoma history, but more important, to honor those farmers, and their descendants, who dug in their heels and began the long journey out of an extremely devastating time in our history. “Celebrating the Love of the Land” is our slogan. We want the festival to be entertaining and fun for all, but also educational, teaching new generations, both young and old, about the grit and determination it took our ancestors to learn the new ways of restoring and healing the earth, giving all they had to make the land productive again. Philosophically, the most important message is that this is a celebration of the spirit of the people in Western Oklahoma., and a way of life that should be acknowledged and showcased. The pioneer spirit is alive and well in most of us out here and this Festival will become, over time, a voice and a face for that way of life.