1. There's Nothing Quite Like Fall Saturdays In Norman
More than 80,000 people can't be wrong—and that's how many people routinely cheer along in the stands for Oklahoma Sooners football. The Sooners are seriously impressive. They have the highest winning percentage of any Division I FBS team since 1936 and they hold the record for the most consecutive wins by a college program at 47 straight.
2. And This Group Makes Just As Much Noise As Sooners Fans
Where there's football, there are marching bands, but none quite as good as the University of Oklahoma's marching band—so much so, that they're known as The Pride of Oklahoma. This band has serious chops. It has marched in both the Rose and Macy's Thanksgiving Day parades, only one of a few in the whole country to have done so.
3. This Local Favorite Needs No Introduction
You know you're good when you can just call your diner, The Diner. If you're not eating at Crossroads, open all day every day in the student union, you're likely at The Diner, gorging on their famous chilli and tamale breakfast.
4. Don’t Kiss Here Unless You Wanna Put A Ring On It
Superstitious people beware: Legend has it if you kiss someone in the "Spoonholder" statue on OU's campus, you're destined to get married, so don't take someone you're not interested in.
5. Sooners Fans Are Born, Not Made
Sooners fans are some of the best in the world, and it's probably because many were born that way. Maybe their parents were all kissing in the Spoonholder and sparked the Sooner tradition and love in their future children.
6. Only The Biggest Fans Need Apply For The RUF/NEKS
Think you've got serious Sooner spirit? Then the long-running all-male pep squad RUF/NEKS is the place to be. Every home game, the squad takes the Sooner Schooner or runs along to slide into the goalpost and chants a ritual that originally was used to scare snakes out of the end zone.
7. The Norman 89er Day Parade Is The Best Way To Celebrate The American Dream
Back in 1889 was the Great Land Run, when hopeful Americans rushed to Oklahoma to find their own piece of land to settle and live out their dreams. Every year, Norman celebrates this day and what it stands for with the Norman 89er Day Parade.
8. Don't Worry, This Massive Animal Is Long Extinct
This pentaceratops certainly makes an impression. Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History houses the largest land-vertebrae skull ever found—the skull itself is more than 10 feet tall. The museum is noted for having the largest and most important Paleozoic collection in history.
9. This Isn’t Your Ordinary Renaissance Festival
The Norman Medieval Fair attracts almost 350,000 people every year, making it the largest weekend event in the whole state, and it has been named one of the top 100 events—of all events, not just ren festivals—in the whole country.
10. OU Students Seriously Know How To Stick A Landing
If you thought the school was all about football, think again. Both men's and women's gymnastics have made a major impression on the town and the entire college gymnastics programs. They're two of the best squads there are, with more than four recent national championships.
11. Clippers Fans Should Be Falling Over Themselves In Gratitude To Thank Norman
Arguably the best player in the entire NBA got his start as an Oklahoma Sooner: Blake Griffin. But he's not the only one; the school has also brought up Heisman Trophy-winner Sam Bradford, NFL Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon, frequent Pro Bowler Roy Williams, and many other big-name athletes.
12. What's Better Than Jazzy Summer Nights?
Jazz in June is Norman's major music festival held the final weekend of the month. You can learn all about jazz and blues, give a jam session a try, or just sit back, relax and enjoy the tunes into the night with 50,000 other concert-goers.
13. Sooners Rivalries Are Literally Bedlam
When your football team is this good, there are going to be some serious rivalries. The University of Texas is a bitter rival, which shows down with the Sooners every year at the Red River Shootout.
But the Sooners don't stop there—the whole athletic program also has a long-standing battle with Oklahoma State University, which comes to a head every year at the Bedlam Series.
14. Viva Delicious Mexican Food!
With all these games, both fans and players need to fuel up on delicious food, and luckily Norman is known for some killer Mexican cuisine from places like Pepe Delgados, Tarahumara’s Mexican Cafe & Cantina, and Juan del Fuego.
15. You Won’t Find A More Perfect Place For Performance Art
The Catlett Music Center at the University of Oklahoma is ground zero for the best fine art performances, with students putting on theatre, dance shows, musicals, and several other programs throughout the year.
16. There's No Place Like Norman, There’s No Place Like Norman
Norman locals are tough, and a little tornado warning doesn't scare them—after all, they're living in Tornado Alley. Plus, Norman is home to the National Weather Center, which aims to study these type of events, so they know what they're talking about.
17. He Was World Famous AND He Was Norman's Favorite Son
July 19, 2014 was a sad day for Norman, as the town's favorite son James Garner passed away. The beloved actor holds a special place in locals’ hearts, and everyone took the time to visit his statue in town to pay homage.
18. Parlez-vous Français? You Do Now
Monet, Degas, van Gogh, Renoir—ever heard of these names? Of course you have. Norman's Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art is also intimately familiar with these artists as it houses the largest collection of French Impressionist art ever given to a university in the U.S, valued at more than $100 million.
19. Here’s A Secret About How You See The Sooners For Free
Chances are, if you're a kid growing up in Norman you learned this little trick to get into Sooners games not only for free, but by making money, too. With more than 80,000 people coming to football games, they need to be fed, and that's where you come in, manning the hot dog or snack stand, but really screaming your heart out along to the game.
20. How Many Championships Can Fit In One School? OU Is Nearly Bursting With Them
There are enough national championships to go around at the University of Oklahoma. The gymnastics teams and the football teams have them, but the baseball team has a handful, and so does the women's softball team, the rowing team, and others. Sooners wrestling is the fourth most decorated in all of college wrestling, and the school has five Nissen Emery Award winners, topping every other college.
21. Norman Is Popping Out Famous People Like Crazy
It's not just athletes coming out of OU, actress Olivia Munn is a graduate of journalism, and country singer Kellie Coffey, actor Ed Harris, and Apollo 13 astronaut Fred Haise (played by Bill Paxton in the film) all graduated from OU.
22. The Norman Music Scene Keeps Getting Bigger
Once a one-day event, the annual Norman Music Festival has grown to an entire weekend. Thousands upon thousands of people come out to several different stages to see a variety of musicians, both home-grown local and internationally recognized.
23. Every College Has A Favorite Pub
Sure, you might have mixed feelings about favorite college hangouts, but deep in your heart, you love them. This holds true for O'Connell's Irish Pub and Grill and The Mont, which has the best queso in the country.
24. Donating To Charity Is Particularly Groovy In Norman
Raising awareness for human rights never sounded so good as at the twice-annual music festival Groovefest, started by OU's Amnesty International chapter.
25. This Is Only The Best Kind Of Festival Ever
If you could imagine the greatest kind of festival, it would surely be a Chocolate Festival. And you're in luck because Norman hosts one of these festivals every year, and it was ranked third for all food festivals in the country by the Food Network.
26. It's All Greek To People In Norman
Fraternities and sororities have a strong presence in Norman, but it's not all toga parties and initiations. These Greek chapters truly give back to their community by volunteering and helping out with events throughout Norman.
27. Don't You Dare Rain On Their Parades… Because There Are A Lot Of Them
Norman loves a good parade, particularly if it's to celebrate a holiday. The town is famous for its Mardi Gras celebration parade, complete with costumes, and its annual Main Street Christmas Holiday Parade, where Santa makes an appearance
28. It’s A Midsummer Night's… Art Festival
Norman knows how to kick off summer with its May Fair, an art festival with the best performers and artists in the area. But this only opens the door for the Midsummer Nights' Fair, held twice in June, which features fine art, live entertainment, and all kinds of delicious food.
Featured image source: The University of Oklahoma via Facebook
What do you love about living in Norman? Tell us in the comments below! 
