The Sooners play only two November games in Norman this year, Ole Miss on Nov. 14 and Texas A&M on Nov. 21. On Nov. 7 they're at Florida, and on Thanksgiving Saturday, Nov. 28, they're at Missouri. Most of the city's own November plans, including a parade, a science festival, a Thanksgiving race and a holiday market, fall on the two away weekends.
The two home Saturdays mostly come down to getting around town.
| Weekend | OU football | What's happening in town |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 7–8 | At Florida | National Weather Festival, Veterans Day Parade |
| Nov. 13–14 | Home vs. Ole Miss | 2nd Friday Art Walk, E-waste drop-off |
| Nov. 21 | Home vs. Texas A&M | Early kickoff window |
| Nov. 26–28 | At Missouri | Turkey Day 5K, Holly Jolly Gift Market |
This Weekend, Nov. 7 and 8, Is the Busiest Away Weekend
Saturday starts on the south end of campus. The National Weather Festival runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the National Weather Center, 120 David L. Boren Blvd. According to the event listing, it's free, this year it celebrates the center's 20th anniversary, and the day includes helicopters, emergency vehicles and weather balloon launches. The Sooners kick off at Florida later that day, either between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. or between 5 and 7 p.m. Central, according to OU's current listing. Either way, you can catch the balloon launches and still get home in time for the game.
Sunday moves to Jenkins Avenue. The City of Norman's Veterans Day Parade starts at 2 p.m. along Jenkins at Reaves Park, 2501 S. Jenkins Ave., and the Memorial Ceremony follows at 3 p.m. The city's Veterans Day notice gives this year's theme as "250: Beginnings of Freedom." The city lists free refreshments, daytime fireworks, a 21-gun salute and a car show, and admission is free. The same notice says roads in the area will close that afternoon and suggests taking another route.
Jenkins Avenue comes up a lot this month. Besides hosting the parade, it's under construction between Lindsey Street and Imhoff Avenue, which the city warns can mean lane closures and delays. On home game days, part of it also closes and part of it turns one-way. If you live off Jenkins, all three will affect your drive at some point in November.
On the holiday itself, Wednesday, Nov. 11, City of Norman administrative offices and Norman Animal Welfare are closed. Trash, yard waste and recycling pickup run on the regular schedule, and EMBARK Norman buses run as usual.
Nov. 13 and 14: Art Walk on Friday, Game Traffic on Saturday
The Friday before the Ole Miss game is the 2nd Friday Art Walk in the Walker Arts District, 6 to 9 p.m. It's free. The Norman Arts Council still lists the November lineup as coming soon, so check back that week.
Saturday has two very different events on opposite sides of town. OU lists the Ole Miss kickoff window as 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Central. That same morning, the city's Fall 2026 E-waste Event runs 9 a.m. to noon at Westwood Aquatic Center, 1017 Fairway Drive. Campus Corner closures start four hours before kickoff. With a 2:30 kickoff, that would be 10:30 a.m. If you're headed to Westwood, an early drop-off keeps you on the west side and away from the campus traffic as it builds.
Here's how a home-game Saturday could go:
- Drop off old electronics at Westwood Aquatic Center between 9 a.m. and noon.
- Stay clear of the area around Campus Corner, where White Street, Buchanan Avenue and Asp Avenue close four hours before kickoff.
- If you're going to the game, park for free at Lloyd Noble Center and ride the $5 round-trip shuttle. It starts running three hours before kickoff and stops an hour after the game ends.
- Turn on push notifications in the OU app. OU says parking and traffic alerts are new this season.
Nov. 21 Starts Earlier Than Usual
For Texas A&M, OU lists a kickoff window of 11 a.m. to noon Central. That changes the morning. With an 11 a.m. kickoff, the Campus Corner closures would start at 7 a.m. and the Lloyd Noble shuttle would start at 8 a.m. If you usually run Saturday errands near campus, do them on Friday this week. The game should end by midafternoon, and the after-game traffic patterns will arrive with it.
Under the City of Norman's 2026 game-day plan, these changes apply on both home Saturdays:
- Lindsey Street is one-way eastbound before the game and one-way westbound after it, between Elm Avenue and Berry Road.
- Brooks Street is one-way eastbound after the game, from Jenkins Avenue to Classen Boulevard.
- Jenkins Avenue is one-way northbound from Brooks Street to Boyd Street.
- Boyd Street is closed or restricted between University Boulevard and Jenkins Avenue, and Elm Avenue between Parsons Street and Lindsey Street.
- Lindsey Street is closed or restricted between Elm Avenue and Lincoln Avenue, and Jenkins Avenue between Stinson Street and Page Street.
The city says not to rely on navigation apps alone, because they may not show temporary game-day closures. OU published new 2026 driving and parking maps for this season and suggests using them instead of GPS. If you're bringing a bag, check OU's clear bag policy first. The bag rules in KOCO's 2026 OU football guide don't match OU's page, so go by the university's version.
Thanksgiving Weekend Is an Away Weekend Too
The Sooners play at Missouri on Nov. 28, so the long weekend has no home game.
Thanksgiving morning starts on West Main. The Norman Turkey Day 5K starts and finishes at Norman High School, 911 W. Main St. The 5K starts at 8:30 a.m., and a one-mile run/walk follows at 9:30 a.m. Registration is on the race page.
On Saturday, Norman's Holly Jolly Gift Market is listed for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds, 615 E. Robinson St., with local artisans and vendors selling holiday crafts and gifts. Check the organizer's listing before you head over.
That same Saturday is a good day to try Main Street's newest shop. The Norman Chronicle reported in September that The Blue Rabbit, a European-inspired gift shop at 205 E. Main St., planned to open Sept. 5. The Norman Transcript described the shop's stock as books, jewelry, candles, seasonings and other gifts. Main Street saw another change at the end of the summer. FOX 25 reported that Interurban's Norman restaurant, open since 1976, was set to close Aug. 30. The brand's other Oklahoma locations remain open.
Then Dec. 5 Puts Everyone on Main Street
The holiday season starts the first Saturday in December. Winterfest at The Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., runs 3 to 6 p.m. with a holiday market of local vendors, games, photo spots and food trucks. At 6 p.m., the Norman Christmas Holiday Parade comes down historic Main Street. The parade's 2026 announcement gives this year's theme as "Home Sweet Home Run for the Holidays." After the parade, the city holds its tree lighting and a drone show.
The parade's grand marshals are the OU baseball team. According to the NCAA, Oklahoma beat North Carolina 13–2 on June 22 in the deciding game of the 2026 Men's College World Series to win the national title. Get to Main Street before 6 p.m. if you want to see the champions go by.
If you live near Lindsey, Jenkins or Campus Corner and want to talk through what game-day traffic is like on your street through the year, call Lana at LW Realty Group. She's happy to walk you through it, game weekend or not. Call Lana, Your Friend in Real Estate.
