History of Mayfest

An annual spring art festival, the Tulsa International Mayfest was initiated in 1973 by the Tulsa Junior League as Jubilee '73.

The organization financed the event to celebrate the league's fiftieth anniversary. Subsequent festivals, sponsored by the Tulsa Arts and Humanities Council and Downtown Tulsa Unlimited, were known as Festival '74 to Festival '77.

In 1978 the name changed to the Tulsa International Mayfest. Nationally known performers, including Sammy Davis, Jr., Three Dog Night, and Blood, Sweat, and Tears, have appeared at the event.

The focus of Mayfest has been an art festival with juried art competitions and shows. Held primarily in downtown Tulsa, the celebration allow visitors to view arts and crafts and enjoy a carnival atmosphere, with beer, cuisine, and the usual fair food such as funnel cake and fry bread. In 1985 Tulsa International Mayfest Incorporated, was formed, with Mary Collins serving as the first director.

The festival averaged an attendance of more than three hundred thousand by 2000. Economic conditions have also affected the event, but it has continued its free admission tradition, relying on corporate sponsorship.

By the 1990s, Mayfest had been expanded to ten days, but the extended length proved to be a financial burden. At the beginning of the twenty-first century Mayfest lasted four days. In 2020, Mayfest and ahha combined efforts to produce Mayfest. Mayfest was canceled in 2020 due to the onset of the global pandemic and in 2021, the festival was produced in a short time due to COVID precautions.

In November 2022, the ahha board of directors announced the closure of ahha and the future of Mayfest 50 was not definite.

In February 2023, The University of Tulsa announced the acquisition of Mayfest and the Hardesty Arts Building downtown. In a statement, President Brad Carson stated “The University of Tulsa wants to be a foundation upon which the Tulsa arts community can grow.”

TU along with dozens of devoted Mayfest volunteers came together to give Mayfest its golden anniversary.