Mayfest Set for 15-18

Mayfest features fine arts, crafts, three stages of performing artists, KidZone, and, of course, great festival food.

The 36th annual Tulsa International Mayfest is scheduled for May 15 through the 18 in the heart of beautiful downtown Tulsa. The festival will take place on Main Street between 3rd and 6th Streets, the Green at 3rd Street between Main and Boston, and 4th and 5th Streets between Boulder and Boston from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Mayfest is an outdoor tribute to the arts and music. It is a family-oriented event created to promote a broader knowledge of and appreciation for arts and humanities among serious, as well as casual, art lovers.

Mayfest features fine arts, crafts, three stages of performing artists, KidZone, and, of course, great festival food. Be sure to visit our three indoor galleries: the Invitational Gallery for Tulsa area artists, the Youth Art Gallery, which features artwork of Tulsa area students, and new for 2008, The Center Gallery, featuring the artwork of clients of The Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges.

Mayfest showcases the artwork of approximately 120 artists along Main Street, including visual artists, who are accepted after a highly selective jurying process. They will offer fine art in a variety of mediums, and market artists will feature items such as toys, folk art, leather goods and calligraphy.

Over 75 bands will perform on three stages at Mayfest 2008. You’re sure to hear a great variety of musical genres including jazz, rock, country, folk, blues, and even dance during the four days of the festival. Joe Diffie, an Oklahoma native country music star, will be headlining the festival. He will perform on the Main Festival Stage on the Williams Green on Saturday, May 17 at 9:00 p.m. All of the Mayfest concerts are free to attend!

KidZone, located at 6th and Main, will feature arts activities for children of all ages to enjoy. There will be painting, singing, dancing and much more!

Mayfest has a variety of food choices to please any festival-goer. Our food vendors offer a little of everything: gyros, corn dogs, sausages, ravioli, funnel cakes, turkey legs and
cotton candy.

Tulsa area artists have been invited to showcase their work in the Mayfest Invitational Gallery, located in the lobby of the Williams Towers at 3rd and Boulder. All art is available for purchase.

The Youth Art Gallery, located in the Performing Arts Center at 3rd and Cincinnati, proudly displays art from the talented students of schools within Tulsa County.

Mayfest has added a third indoor gallery space to the 2008 festival. The Center Gallery will showcase the artwork of clients of The Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges and will be located in the Park Centre Building at 6th and Main.

There will also be a mural depicting the artwork of the Mayfest poster on the south wall of the Crowne Plaza Hotel, the official Mayfest hotel. The mural will be painted May 2 through 15.

Parking is available at on-street locations as well as lots and garages surrounding the festival site. New for 2008 is a shuttle service that runs from OSU– ­Tulsa to the middle of the festival site at 4th and Boston. Parking at OSU-Tulsa is free, and the shuttle ride is only $2.00 round trip! The trip is just over a mile and will make getting to Mayfest quick and easy.

Be sure to stop by our souvenir store to purchase official Mayfest souvenirs: 2008 commemorative posters, including those signed by the artist, T-shirts and note cards, in addition to past Mayfest items.

Mayfest is nationally renowned for presenting the very best in arts and entertainment. And admission is always free!

For more information, please visit www.tulsamayfest.org or call (918) 582-6435. Be sure to join the Mayfest community at www.myspace.com/tulsamayfest. We hope to see you at Tulsa International Mayfest 2008, May 15 through the 18!

Mayfest is presented by MidFirst Bank. Other sponsors include: The Children’s Hospital at St. Francis, Williams, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, Metropolitan Real Estate Investors, LLC, Smoothie King, Hille Foundation, OSU-Tulsa, The Gelvin Foundation, Straxis Technology and Crowne Plaza Hotel.

For more information, contact

Tulsa Mayfest

(918) 582-6435

www.tulsamayfest.org