The Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO), a division of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, is proud to sponsor Gypsy Cafe scheduled to take place in Stillwater, Okla., Sunday, May 5.
Presented by Red Dirt Relief Fund, Gypsy Café has become Oklahoma’s largest homegrown songwriter festival and celebrates Oklahoma’s rich tapestry of songwriting talent. Red Dirt Relief Fund is operated by an all-volunteer board of representing communities, and Gypsy Café serves as one of the main annual fundraisers to help music industry professionals get back to work after medical emergencies, natural disasters and other unforeseen crises.
Katie Dale, the Executive Director for Red Dirt Relief Fund, has worked over the past decade to raise funds, build community and administer grants to help further relief efforts.
“Now in its thirteenth year, Bob Childers’ Gypsy Cafe was not only the festival that provided the funding to start Red Dirt Relief Fund, it has consistently been our biggest fundraising event of the year,” Dale said. “This year’s festival gives fans a chance to hear and meet rising talents and musical legends. We are honored to have the Oklahoma Film + Music Office as a partner for the sixth year to help support local music creators in need.”
The one-day event will pack multiple venues in Stillwater with over 70 songwriters celebrating the songwriting legacy of Bob Childers, the godfather of Red Dirt music. Monica Taylor, longtime friend and collaborator of the late Bob Childers, will be honored with the Restless Spirit Award and will headline brunch to kick off the 13th annual festival. Venues such as Eskimo Joe’s, Outlaw’s, Salty Bronc, George’s Stables and Stonecloud Taproom will host the talented lineup of artists such as the Red Dirt Rangers, Jared Tyler, Chuck Dunlap, Brad James, Gene Williams and more.
OF+MO will host an artist lounge that will bring professionals in from various sectors such as marketing, financial and legal. Festival artists will have the opportunity to sign up for informational time slots to learn more about each area and how they apply to music entrepreneurship. OF+MO will also have an event table to engage with artists and provide further resources on how to promote themselves and their overall industry across the state.
“We are proud to support Gypsy Café’s and Red Dirt Relief Fund’s hard work in bringing aid to artists when they need it most,” said OF+MO Director Jeanette Stanton. “We can’t imagine a better cause to help forward our music industry and creative workforce, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with this event and music artists across the state.”
For more information on this event, visit reddirtrelieffund.org.
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About the Oklahoma Film + Music Office
Under the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, the Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO) works to promote the state as a viable hub for film, television and music production as well as further develop opportunities for workforce, business and community growth within these sectors. For more information on the Oklahoma Film + Music Office, including the state’s film incentives and additional resources, visit okfilmmusic.org.
