Featured Events in Peoria in April, 2025 (July Updated)

Celebrating Okie Poet Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel, readings, conversation, and book signing Join Karen Neurohr and Betty Blanks as we celebrate the poetry of Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel who was born near Stroud in 1918. Her sharecropper family migrated to California in 1936. Although she was physically uprooted, her memories and love for Oklahoma were unshakeable, and she was born to be a writer. She wrote, “It is wrenchingly difficult to be a poet, but there is a joy and magic to compensate.” Uniquely placed by time and geography, Wilma’s writing validates the migrant experience, and she dignifies working-class folk. Professor Karen Neurohr’s research over Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel includes 34 oral history interviews with Wilma’s family, friends, and publishers. The interviews are accessible through the OSU Library which also houses an archive of Wilma’s writing. Wilma’s poetry has been included in anthologies of working-class literature, Oklahoma poetry, and literature of California’s Central Valley. Karen loves sharing Wilma’s story and poems. Biographer Betty Blanks is the author of Pick Up Your Name and Write: The Life of Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel. Her relationship with Wilma during the last 14 years of the poet’s life was deeply personal. This well-researched biography/memoir traces Wilma’s lifetime of hardship, her community of devoted supporters, and her literary success. This event is free to the public and sponsored by Tulsa LitFest. Information Source: Tulsa LitFest | eventbrite

Magic City Books is thrilled to welcome Bonnie Garmus, author of the global bestseller Lessons in Chemistry for a special event to celebrate the paperback release of the book that has sold more than 8 million copies worldwide on Wednesday, April 2 at 7:00 pm. Lessons in Chemistry tells the story of Elizabeth Zott, a chemist in the late 1950s-early 1960s who’s fired from her research job for the horrific crime of being unwed and pregnant. To make ends meet, she reluctantly accepts a job as a TV cooking show host. But what she doesn’t accept are the brainless cue cards she’s asked to read, nor the tight dresses she’s told to wear. Instead, Elizabeth decides to teach her mostly female viewers chemistry. Because cooking is chemistry. And along the way, she empowers them to say no to society’s limitations; to stand up and be who they really are. This ticketed event will take place at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, 2952 S. Peoria Avenue. All tickets include one (1) paperback copy of Lessons in Chemistry ($19.00 value) and one (1) general admission seat at the event on April 2. All books will be available for pickup at the event. All tickets include a copy of the book, there is a limit of four tickets per transaction. Please provide the full name and email address of each ticket holder so that all event notifications and information can be sent to all attendees. If you have a ticket and are unable to attend the event, you will be able to pick up your book at Magic City Books during normal business hours. The last day for ticket holders to pick up Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus is Friday, May 16, 2025. We will make an effort to have signed books available for pick up but can not guarantee a signed copy. About Lessons in Chemistry#1 GLOBAL BESTSELLER WITH MORE THAN 8 MILLION COPIES SOLD - Meet Elizabeth Zott: a gifted research chemist, absurdly self-assured and immune to social convention (The Washington Post) in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a beloved TV cooking show. - STREAM ON APPLE TV+ This novel is irresistible, satisfying and full of fuel (The New York Times Book Review) and witty, sometimes hilarious...theCatch-22of early feminism (Stephen King, via Twitter). A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR:The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, Oprah Daily, Entertainment Weekly, Newsweek Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it's the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel-prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with--of all things--her mind. True chemistry results. But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America's most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth's unusual approach to cooking ( combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride ) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn't just teaching women to cook. She's daring them to change the status quo. Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist. Bonnie Garmus is a copywriter and creative director who has worked for a wide range of clients, in the US and abroad, focusing primarily on technology, medicine, and education. From Seattle, she currently lives in London with her husband and her dog, 99. Information Source: Magic City Books | eventbrite

Magic City Books is thrilled to welcome #1 New York Times bestselling author, Jennifer Weiner for a special event to celebrate the publication of her new novel, The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits, on Tuesday, April 15 at 7:00 pm. The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits is a stirring and soulful novel set in the golden age of pop music that celebrates the ties between women and the power of love an forgivenss, even after the music stops. This ticketed event will take place at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, 2952 S. Peoria Avenue. All tickets include one (1) copy of The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits ($30.00 value) and one (1) general admission seat at the event on April 15. All books will be available for pickup at the event. All tickets include a copy of the book, there is a limit of four tickets per transaction. Please provide the full name and email address of each ticket holder so that all event notifications and information can be sent to all attendees. If you have a ticket and are unable to attend the event, you will be able to pick up your book at Magic City Books during normal business hours. The last day for ticket holders to pick up The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner is Friday, May 30, 2025. We will make an effort to have signed books available for pick up but can not guarantee a signed copy. AboutThe Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits One of the most anticipated books of the year, from #1New York Timesbestselling author Jennifer Weiner, a glimmering novel set in the world of pop music about sisters, motherhood, young love, and the dreams we chase. Sisters Cassie and Zoe Grossberg were born just a year apart but could not have been more different. Zoe, blessed with charm and beauty, yearned for fame from the moment she could sing into a hairbrush. Cassie was a musical prodigy who never felt at home in her own skin and preferred the safety of the shadows. On the brink of adulthood in the early 2000s, destiny intervened, catapulting the sisters into the spotlight as the pop sensation the Griffin Sisters, hitting all the touchstones of early aughts fame--SNL, MTV, Rolling Stone magazine--along the way. But after a whirlwind year in the public eye, the band abruptly broke up. Two decades later, Zoe's a housewife; Cassie's off the grid. The sisters aren't speaking, and the real reason for the Griffin Sisters' breakup is still a mystery. Zoe's teenage daughter, Cherry, who's determined to be a star in spite of Zoe's warnings, is on a quest to learn the truth about what happened to the band all those years ago. As secrets emerge, all three women must face the consequences of their choices: the ones they made and the ones the music industry made for them. Can they forgive each other--and themselves? And will the Griffin Sisters ever make music again? Jennifer Weiner is the New York Times #1 bestselling author of nineteen novels, including Good in Bed, In Her Shoes, Mrs. Everything, and The Breakaway. Her books have spent over five years on the New York Times bestseller list with over 11 million copies in print in 36 countries. Jennifer grew up in Connecticut and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in English literature from Princeton University in 1991. She worked as a newspaper reporter in central Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Philadelphia, where she was a feature writer and columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Today, she can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok and, in real life, in Philadelphia, where she lives with her family. Information Source: Magic City Books | eventbrite

AZ LSS Notary Meetup 2025 Date: Saturday, April 26, 2025 Time: 11:00 A.M. - 1:30 P.M. Location: Rio Vista Recreational Center, 8866 W Thunderbird Rd, Peoria, AZ 85381 Arizona’s largest notary meetup is here! Join us for a powerful networking and educational event designed to elevate your notary career. What to Expect: Industry Experts – Hosted by Irene Rueda , with special guests Kathy and David Vidal , top Loan Signing System ambassadors and among the most successful notaries in the country speaking on best notary tactics to gain more work and build a sucessful business from the ground up. Fraud Prevention – Fraud investigator shares insights on real estate fraud tactics and how to safeguard your business. Compliance & Security – Attorney Kelly Hodge , with over 20 years of experience, covers best practices for handling private information and preventing Non Public Information fraud. Industry Innovation – Ryan and Noel from Notary Everyday Inc. demonstrate how their software is driving compliance and security forward in the notary field. This is your chance to learn from the best, connect with fellow professionals, and take your notary business to the next level. Reserve your spot now—space is limited! Information Source: Irene Rueda Carreon | eventbrite

You’re Invited to a Killer Welcome Home Party! Join us for a thrilling Murder Mystery Dinner to benefit Stray Animal Midway Shelter. You are guests at a Welcome Home Party for a group of shipwrecked castaways who were stranded on a deserted island for almost 10 years and were just recently rescued! They are finding a lot has transpired during the time they were away, and they are still trying to adapt to being home. For the past 10 years there had been one primary mission and that was trying to find a way off the island. But now that they have achieved that, it seems they each have new agendas….and one by one, they are realizing that what happened on the island, didn’t necessarily stay on the island! 7 castaways survived 10 years on the island, but not all of them will survive the Welcome Home Party!! Date: April 27, 2025 Time: 4pm Step into the intrigue, solve the mystery, and enjoy a delicious dinner—all while supporting animals in need. Island attire encouraged! Tickets: $50 Don’t miss this evening of suspense, laughter, and giving back. Online tickets available until April 23. Information Source: SAMS Rescue | eventbrite