City of Tulsa officials say Mayfest will be held this spring after the University of Tulsa ended its three-year oversight of the community’s largest annual art festival.
In response to questions from the Flyer, a city spokesperson said Ashanti Chaplin, the city’s director of public art and community partnerships, has taken the lead in a search for partners to continue the festival.
“The City has been working with volunteers and former steering committee members, as well as potential partners and operators, to continue this community tradition for our city,” the statement reads. “We hope to make an announcement in the coming weeks as plans for the 2026 Mayfest begin to take shape.”
Last month, TU released rights to the festival and is working with the city to “help locate partners” to continue Mayfest, according to a statement released late Monday night. The event is typically held the second weekend of May.
“The city anticipates a partner to step forward in 2026, and UTulsa will continue to maintain a strong presence in the thriving Tulsa Arts District through the Oklahoma Center for the Humanities and other programs at 101 Archer,” the university wrote.
TU said it agreed to support the 2023 Mayfest event when it purchased the Hardesty Arts Building at 101 E. Archer St. The event, which was celebrating its 50th anniversary, otherwise would not have been able to continue.
“The university is proud it was able to carry on the Mayfest tradition in 2024 and 2025 while seeking additional sponsors,” the statement reads.
Mayfest started in 1973 as Jubilee ‘73 in celebration of the Junior League of Tulsa’s 50th anniversary. By the end of the decade, it would be renamed Mayfest.
Many longtime Tulsans have memories of spending an early May weekend listening to live music at Williams Green and visiting artist booths and smaller music stages for blocks down Main Street, all while enjoying corn dogs and sweet treats. Mayfest has long been a big draw for national artists to come to town each spring.
The festival relocated in 2019 to the Tulsa Arts District. The following year, the Arts and Humanities Council, known as ahha, took over operations until its closure in 2022.
TU assumed responsibility for Mayfest in February 2023 under the leadership of TU President Brad Carson, who stepped down from his role days before the 2025 festival began. His wife, Julie, served as chair of the festival.
Tulsa artist Lauren Henson of Lauren Leigh Studios said taking part in Mayfest annually since 2021 “changed everything for me.” She complimented TU for rescuing the annual arts festival when they did and said “they’ve done a phenomenal job with it the past three years.”
“Everyone I talked to always said the local artist area was the best,” she said. “It blows my mind every year to hear the level of talent rejected because so many people apply.”
This story has been updated with a statement from the City of Tulsa.
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