Mayfest is coming back to downtown Tulsa, with organizers setting the 54th annual festival for May 14-16, 2027, along a route through the heart of the city. The announcement, made Friday, also names Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell as honorary chair and opens the door for artists, performers and sponsors to start applying now.
According to tulsaflyer.org, organizers confirmed the festival will return downtown May 14-16, with a route running along East Third Street from South Boston Avenue to Main Street, then south on Main to East Fifth Street. The same report notes applications are already open for professional artists, student artists, musical performers, mobile performers and student performers, alongside sponsorship opportunities.
Per News On 6, the 2027 festival will feature visual arts, live entertainment, hands-on activities and community engagement, aiming to support local and regional artists while fostering appreciation for the arts. The station reports that organizers plan to share more information in the months ahead and will post updates to the festival website and Mayfest's Facebook and Instagram pages.
Pinnell Steps Into the Honorary Chair Role
Pinnell was announced as honorary chair for the 2027 festival, according to the same News On 6 report. He said Tulsa is the arts capital of northeast Oklahoma and that Mayfest is a major regional draw celebrating visual and performing artists, adding that the festival showcases both locally acclaimed and nationally recognized talent.
The role has gone to different kinds of civic and business figures in recent years. For the 2024 edition, which ran May 10-12 in the Tulsa Arts District, businessman and entrepreneur Michael Epps served as honorary chair, as Tulsa World reported at the time.
How Artists Can Apply for 2027
For artists hoping to set up downtown next May, the application details are already taking shape. Accepted outdoor selling artists, including local ones, will each get an individual 10-by-10-foot space and must apply through Zapplication, according to the festival's own application page on Tulsa International Mayfest's website.
The festival is also seeking individual and group musical performers of all kinds, the same source notes, and plans to once again host a large student-art showcase with awards spanning multiple grade levels. Food-vendor applications aren't open yet, organizers said, because they're still finalizing details, while volunteer sign-ups for the weekend of the festival are expected to open in a few months.
A Festival With Deep Downtown Roots
Mayfest's downtown return carries some history with it. The festival started in 1973 as Jubilee '73, marking the Junior League of Tulsa's 50th anniversary, before being renamed Mayfest by the end of that decade, per tulsaflyer.org's account. Operations later shifted to the Arts and Humanities Council, known as ahha, until it closed in 2022, and then to the University of Tulsa, which oversaw the festival until January 2026.
In past years, Mayfest has typically featured more than 100 art vendors along with live music and food from local and regional vendors, News On 6 has reported. With the 2027 dates and route now set and applications already underway for artists and performers, downtown Tulsa is gearing up for another spring built around the festival's long-running mix of visual art, live performance and street-level community gathering.
