It seems that Jeff Molnar is everywhere these days. From his day job slinging drinks at Callahan’s Pub & Grille to a recent feature in the Enid News & Eagle, one of Enid’s most beloved volunteers is certainly out and about. We recently sat down with some of his colleagues to find out what makes Jeff so special, and the bottom line is that Jeff is one of those rare people that literally everyone loves.
One of Jeff’s main volunteer gigs is working with the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, which has a museum and a living history village. The Center hosts a lot of events, and the popular Liquid History series has been an exceptionally fun showcase for Jeff’s talents. As part of the Museum After Dark events series, Liquid History takes visitors back in time to learn about and enjoy beverages from the past. From beers that different immigrants in Oklahoma would have enjoyed to Prohibition-era cocktails, Jeff has been in his element. The Center’s Director of Education, Maddie Wilson, says that Jeff “kind of spearheaded all the research for that” and has just been a tremendous asset in the planning for Liquid History—and of course, helping with the serving.
Jeff makes almost all the History Alive events, where Jeff and other living history reenactors show visitors what pioneer life was like at the Center’s Humphrey Heritage Village. Budy said that Jeff is a star team player, “So if he needs to be in the land office, he can go in there and talk about the land office. He’ll go into the church, tell them about the church…”
In fact, Jeff is just about everywhere. According to Natalie Rapp, Director of Main Street Enid, “Jeff has been known to gamely hopscotch from History Alive to Main Street Enid events. She says that “He’ll have his costume on, and he’ll come straight from there to volunteer for us on the courthouse lawn in his costume.” For his incredible dedication, Jeff was awarded Volunteer of the Year for Main Street Enid in 2021 and 2023.
Both Rapp and Budy sing Jeff’s praises when it comes to pitching in behind the scenes. According to Budy, if Jeff “can’t make it to the event itself, he’s always willing to help at least set up or clean up or something like that.” And Rapp relates that, among the many other things he helps with at Main Street Enid, “he also helps every Christmas, putting up the lights on the courthouse lawn…we probably couldn’t do it without him.” In addition, Jeff also brings his talents with the camera to both organizations, shooting photos for Main Street Enid events and sharing his antique camera and discussing historic photography at Cherokee Strip events.
Jeff has also been known to help with Gaslight Theater and other organizations around Enid. So, whether at Callahan’s or at one of the many community events around town, don’t hesitate to say “Hi!” if you see Jeff—a friend to all and a downright remarkable Local Legend.
