The Nite Lite
History of
The NITE LITE is a premier music venue serving the NW Oklahoma area with a reputation that spans state, nation, and worldwide. A local legend to most who have lived, visited, or gone to school at NWOSU in Alva or surrounding areas over the last 60 years.
The Golden Slipper was opened in the late 1960s by Kenny Lancaster and was eventually reopened by Veldon Woolley in the early 70s. Credit Veldon, who gave it the iconic name, “Nite Lite.” It was owned by Veldon who added onto the original building and made it the double wide trailer club that it was. Hal Ferguson purchased the Nite Lite in the 70s from Veldon and made some of his own additions. He carried the torch for only a few years before selling it back to Veldon.
In 1985, Mark Bella purchased the club from Veldon, and it was off to the races from there. In the year 2000, the original building burned down. Mark and his team rebuilt the building (the one that stands today) bigger and better than before and reopened on New Years Eve 2001 - This helped grow the local legend and create memories for almost two more decades. In July of 2023, the Martin family purchased the building from Mark with the full intention of bringing it back to life.
Understanding the importance of its impact on the community, there was never any hesitation when it came to making the decision to bring it back. Thank you for being a huge part of making this place great!
