After a landmark debut year, OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark is moving into summer 2026 with a sense of arrival, unveiling OKANA Beach, its new outdoor waterpark, and completing the vision of a fully realized, year-round destination.
Situated in Oklahoma City’s Horizons District, OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Chickasaw Nation, is a $400 million tourist destination that continues the momentum of economic development in Oklahoma City. The resort features an 11-story, 404-room hotel with luxurious accommodations, riverfront and lagoon views, and proximity to downtown Oklahoma City and the Boathouse District. A 4.5-acre outdoor adventure lagoon serves as the centerpiece of the property, complemented by a conference center, indoor waterpark, family entertainment center, amphitheater and event lawn, retail shops, and multiple dining establishments. Located adjacent to First Americans Museum, OKANA also extends the museum’s programming and events while celebrating the heritage of First Americans through thoughtfully curated artwork displayed throughout the property.
For the first time since opening, guests will experience OKANA in its entirety, from the much-anticipated Boardwalk to all 14 dining venues, all operating throughout the summer season. The result is a campus that feels less like a resort and more like a self-contained summer district along the river.
“This summer is what we’ve been building toward,” said Gerson Velasquez, Managing Director of OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark. “With every restaurant open, The Boardwalk welcoming guests, and an extraordinary lineup of daily programming and special events, 2026 is the year OKANA becomes the complete destination we always envisioned.”
A Summer Calendar by the Water
At the center of the season is OKANA Beach, where long summer days roll into curated nights and a full lineup of signature events brings rhythm to the waterfront.
The season opens with a Fourth of July Bash (July 4), a riverside celebration featuring live music, a drumline, games, drink specials, a hot dog eating contest, and fireworks over the river. Later in the month, National Waterpark Day (July 28) brings a more playful energy with a live DJ, giveaways, games, and a full-property celebration across both waterparks. The season closes with the Labor Day Bash (Sept. 5), a final weekend sendoff before OKANA Beach transitions out of summer mode.
Between marquee weekends, the calendar leans into weekly rituals that give the season its shape. Fridays bring Fire Shows at the Lagoon, where music, bubbles, and movement build into a live fire performance and late-night dance party. Saturdays unfold through Saturdays at the Lagoon, a rotating series of themed poolside experiences — from nostalgic throwback sets to foam-filled afternoons and friendly competition in Lagoon Showdown.
On select nights, Salsa Nights transform the waterfront into an open-air dance floor, while Pajama Storytime offers a softer cadence, a year-round evening ritual designed for families winding down the day.
The Boardwalk Emerges
Just steps from the water, The Boardwalk makes its full debut this summer, introducing a new layer to the OKANA experience, one that blends dining, entertainment, and wellness in a walkable district open to both resort guests and the broader Oklahoma City community.
The collection includes Smokehouse Social, a smokehouse-inspired restaurant with sports simulators and craft cocktails; Curveball Kitchen, a baseball simulator dining concept reimagining classic ballpark fare; Bullseye, an elevated 21+ entertainment venue featuring axe throwing, darts, and digital putt-putt; and The Spa at OKANA, a full-service wellness retreat focused on restoration and escape.
To encourage exploration, OKANA is also introducing The Boardwalk Passport, a curated path through each venue. Guests collect stamps along the way, and those who complete the journey receive a $50 resort credit, turning a visit into a small discovery experience across the property.
As summer unfolds, OKANA’s ambition is less about individual attractions and more about atmosphere — a place where water, dining, and entertainment begin to blend into one continuous experience of the season itself.
What ties the entire season together is the sense of movement across the property — from poolside afternoons that stretch into golden-hour gatherings, to evenings that spill naturally from waterfront energy into The Boardwalk’s walkable dining and entertainment district. The resort begins to function less as a collection of separate attractions and more as a continuous summer landscape, where guests can shape their own pace of the day.
Families drift between splash zones and storytime nights, while groups of friends settle into live music, themed pool parties, or late-night games under the lights. Even quieter moments — a spa treatment, a shaded lounge chair, a sunset walk along the water — feel intentionally woven into the larger rhythm of the season.
“This summer is what we’ve been building toward,” said Gerson Velasquez, Managing Director of OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark.
“With every restaurant open, The Boardwalk welcoming guests, and an extraordinary lineup of daily programming and special events, 2026 is the year OKANA becomes the complete destination we always envisioned.”
From sun-soaked days at the waterpark to evenings on The Boardwalk, summer at OKANA is now open. Learn more or book your visit at okanaresort.com or call (800) 547-3928.