Bob Childers’ Gypsy Café, Oklahoma’s largest homegrown songwriter festival, has released the schedule of 70 songwriters performing across five venues on Sunday, May 4th in Stillwater, Okla. During the festival, the late Don Morris will be honored with the Restless Spirit Award, and Tulsa-based songwriter, Jared Hard, will perform as the winner of the Jimmy LaFave Songwriting Contest.
Now in its fourteenth year, the festival benefits Red Dirt Relief Fund, the nonprofit that provided aid to more than half the artists in the lineup during the pandemic, and more than $976,000 to music professionals statewide over the past decade.
The Grid
With four stages at live music venues around Stillwater, festival organizers created a “grid” to help attendees plan the best way to see 70 of Oklahoma’ best songwriters perform acoustic song swap sets. The festival is also providing a free shuttle that will run a loop around festival venues throughout the day. See the grid and purchase tickets at www.reddirtrelieffund.org/gypsycafe.
Restless Spirit Award: Don Morris
Before a live guitar auction and Family Jam Finale at the Grand Casino Main Stage at Eskimo Joe’s, Don Morris will be honored in memoriam for his work in Red Dirt music that spans more than four decades. Morris, who passed away August 8, 2024, was a staple in the Tulsa music scene after starting the Science Project band with Tom Skinner and Gene Williams in 2000. His warmth and generosity resonated as he played bass for the Brandon Jenkins Band and the Red Dirt Rangers. Morris was known for his kindness, humility, openness, and his ability to lift others up with his words and actions. He was a cheerful supporter of the Red Dirt Relief Fund from its inception and performed at countless festivals for the cause.
The Restless Spirit Award will be presented to Morris’ partner, Becky Gragg, by Brad James (Science Project), John Cooper and Brad Piccolo (Red Dirt Rangers) at 7:35pm. The Award, named for Childers’ song with the same name, is given by the Red Dirt Relief Fund in recognition of a musician who has impacted the Oklahoma red dirt music community. Morris joins a prestigious and beloved litany of Restless Spirit Award honorees:
Jimmy LaFave (2017), Brandon Jenkins (2018), Randy Crouch (2019), Steve Ripley (2020), Jim Paul Blair (2021), Chad Sullins (2022), Jake Flint (2023) and Monica Taylor (2024).
Jimmy LaFave Songwriting Contest Winner
At 4:15pm at the Grand Casino Stage at Eskimo Joe’s, Tulsa-based singer songwriter Jared Hard will be awarded a $1,000 cash prize as Grand Prize and People’s Choice winner in the Jimmy LaFave Songwriting Contest for his song, “Any of Us.” The song was selected out of more than 80 entries alongside finalists RR Williams’ “Some People” and Jeremy Studdard’s “I Don’t Go There Any More.” Growing up across the Midwest and finally settling in Oklahoma, Hard was fated to create songs that are stained with red dirt and resonate with the stories of heartland. He has played across the country in venues ranging from truck beds to churches, laundry mats to living rooms, back alleys to The Bluebird Cafe. As part of the contest, he will also get to record for a day at Tulsa’s historic The Church Studio. Hear this year’s top three songs, and view previous winners at www.reddirtrelieffund.org/jlfsongcontest.
Venues & Festival Tickets
To kick off the festival, Tulsa-based Johnny Mullenax will bring his famed Bluegrass Brunch show to the Strip’s newest live music venue, The Dirty Rooster. Presented by Cove Environmental, brunch includes general admission to the festival, buffet from Bad Brad’s BBQ and two drink tickets. Mullenax signed with Crossover Touring late last year and is billed on festivals nationwide in 2025. Claiming wide-ranging influences from AC/DC and The Ramones to John Coltrane and Parliament, Mullenax’s style is reminiscent of Billy Strings — a sound he calls a funky country bluegrass good time for working folks. Brunch tickets are limited and must be purchased in advance.
Grand Casino Main Stage at Eskimo Joe’s will include the presentation and performance by the 2025 Jimmy LaFave Song Contest winner, presentation of the Restless Spirit Award in memory of Don Morris and a live auction of a Gypsy Cafe guitar signed by the entire lineup. The day will end with an all-lineup family jam finale as the sun goes down. Fans can also shop festival merchandise, regional vendors and a silent auction of one-of-a-kind music experiences and memorabilia.
Festival venues include:
- Grand Casino Main Stage at Eskimo Joe’s (all ages, outdoor, 501 W. Elm St.)
- Oklahoma Film + Music Office Stage at The Dirty Rooster (21+, 319 S. Washington St.)
- Modelo Especial Stage at Salty Bronc (21+, 911 W. 5th Ave.)
- Cardinal Rule Stage at George’s Stables (21+, 502 W. Elm St.)
General Admission tickets good for entry to all festival venues are $35 advance, $40 day-of and $30 for students with ID. Reserved seating add-ons and a limited number of brunch tickets range from $60-$150. Tickets and more info at https://www.reddirtrelieffund.org/gypsycafe/
The festival will provide a free shuttle running a loop around the general admission venues from 1-7pm.
The Cause
Red Dirt Relief Fund was founded in 2012 using the ticket proceeds of the very first Gypsy Café festival held in Stillwater in 2011. Since then, the nonprofit has granted more than $976,000 in emergency assistance to more than 800 music professionals in all genres and jobs statewide, including more than $300,000 to those facing venue closings and gig cancellations during the pandemic.
Now in its fourteenth year, Bob Childers’ Gypsy Café is the organization’s largest annual fundraiser thanks to support from partners including Grand Casino, Cove Environmental, Oklahoma Film + Music Office, Tito’s Vodka, Home2Suites Stillwater, KOSU, Modelo Espcial, Kicker, Cardinal Rule Insurance, Visit Stillwater, and many community partners.
