Jim Norick Arena (formerly Fairgrounds Arena) is a large multi-purpose

arena An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...

located at State Fair Park in

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

. Completed in 1965 at a cost of $2.4 million, it was the largest indoor facility in Oklahoma City until the construction of the

Myriad Convention Center Prairie Surf Studios (originally Myriad Convention Center and later Cox Convention Center) is a Filmmaking, film production complex located in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was formerly a convention center and the home of several minor lea ...

. It is named for Jim Norick, the mayor of Oklahoma City during the building's construction. The building was unique in that it had the largest roof of its type in the world. It is the second largest city-owned multi-purpose arena, after

Paycom Center Paycom Center (originally known as the Ford Center from 2002 to 2010, Oklahoma City Arena from 2010 to 2011, and Chesapeake Energy Arena from 2011 to 2021) is an arena located in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. It opened in 200 ...

, and it has the largest impact for a publicly owned facility in Oklahoma City. It was home to the Oklahoma City Blazers of the CHL from 1965 through 1972. It was also home to the

Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) is the largest rodeo organization in the world. It sanctions events in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with members from said countries, as well as others. Its championship event is the N ...

National Finals Rodeo The National Finals Rodeo (NFR) is the premier championship rodeo of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). It showcases the talents of the PRCA's top 15 money winners in the season for each event. The NFR is held each year in the f ...

from 1965 through 1978, when the event was moved to the Myriad. In the early years of the

Professional Bull Riders The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) is an international professional bull riding organization headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. It is the largest bull riding league in the world, sanctioning hundreds of events every yea ...

, the Bud Light Cup Tour held an annual event at the arena from 1999 through 2001, before it was moved to the Ford Center, now

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

played here on November 16, 1970, to a sell out crowd of around 11,000. The

Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1965. Known for their eclectic style that fused elements of rock, blues, jazz, Folk music, folk, country music, country, bluegrass music, bluegrass, roc ...

's performance on October 19, 1973, was recorded and later released as '' Dick's Picks Volume 19''. Today, the arena is used during the

Oklahoma State Fair The Oklahoma State Fair is a fair and exposition in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It takes place in mid-September each year, and along with the Tulsa State Fair The Tulsa State Fair is an annual event held at Expo Square in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The stat ...

to host

Disney on Ice Walt Disney's World on Ice is a series of touring ice shows produced by Feld Entertainment's Ice Follies And Holiday on Ice, Inc. division under agreement with The Walt Disney Company. Aimed primarily at children, the shows feature figure ska ...

and the state fair rodeo. It is also the venue for the Oklahoma small school state basketball tournaments, school graduations, and various other equine events through the year. Construction on a new $85 million coliseum to replace the Norick Arena is scheduled to begin in September 2022, after which the old arena will be demolished.

References

External links

Jim Norick Arena – OKC Fairgrounds

Jim Norick Arena – Oklahoma State Fair
Indoor arenas in Oklahoma Basketball venues in Oklahoma Ice hockey venues in the United States Sports venues in Oklahoma City Economy of Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Blazers (1965–1977) 1965 establishments in Oklahoma Sports venues completed in 1965 {{OklahomaCity-stub