What to know about Tulsa Mayfest: Road closures, parking and safety

Oklahoma’s largest art festival, the 52nd annual Mayfest, returns to downtown Tulsa with local art, music and family-friendly events. Here's what to know before heading out to the festival.

Festival Highlights and Theme

This year’s theme is “Stay Gold,” and the opening ribbon cutting and mural unveiling are scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Friday.

The celebration includes more than 150 vendors, 75 live performances, and an Outsiders-themed art gallery at 101 East Archer.

Festival Hours

1. Friday, May 9: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
2. Saturday, May 10: 9 a.m. – 11 p.m.
3. Sunday, May 11: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Road Closures in Effect

Expect several downtown streets to be closed throughout the weekend. Areas affected include:

1. Cameron Street from MLK Jr. Boulevard to Main Street
2. Reconciliation Way from MLK Jr. Boulevard to Main Street
3. Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard from Cameron Street to Reconciliation Way
4. Boston Avenue from Cameron Street to Archer Street
5. Main Street from Cameron Street to Reconciliation Way

Barriers are set up to ensure pedestrian safety and prevent through traffic.

Where to Park

Parking will be limited downtown, but festival organizers have arranged several options:

1. Street parking remains available in the surrounding areas.
2. Free shuttle service is operating from OSU Tulsa for convenient access.
3. Shuttles will begin running one hour before the festival opens and end one hour after the festival closes.
4. Online maps show designated parking and shuttle locations.

Plan ahead by visiting the Mayfest website to review maps and festival schedules.

Safety Precautions

After a recent downtown shooting, security has been heightened. The University of Tulsa is partnering with Tulsa Police to ensure safety across the festival footprint.

“We will have a great security presence around, so if you need something, if you see something, please reach out,” said Mona Chamberlin with the University of Tulsa. “We will have barriers up to try to keep the streets safe... we tried to account for all of those.”

More Festival Resources

1. A full festival schedule, road closures, and 5K details are available on the Mayfest Website.
2. Don’t miss our companion piece: “10 Things to Know Before Heading to Mayfest” for extra tips and highlights.