The Pickup's Culture coverage is brought to you by Tulsa Artists' Coalition Gallery, 40 Years of Empowering Tulsa Artists. Visit TAC Gallery to see American Highway Revisited by VC Torneden and Melinda Harvey Green, June 5 – 27, 2026.
It's summer. You're already sweating. You're dreaming of patio hangs and cold drinks and lazy music on a lawn somewhere. Our 2026 Summer Guide has you covered with all the concerts, festivals, and activities you can handle.
Outdoor Tunes
The Friday Hang
VFW Post 577
Fridays through June 19
Every Friday, The Friday Hang brings local musicians to the VFW Centennial Lounge for an easygoing night of music and community. There’s free pizza while it lasts, plenty of patio space, and a lineup stacked with local talent all season long. —Katie Wiehe
Bands & Blooms
Tulsa Botanic Garden
Thursdays through June
Outdoor concert season looks especially good at the Tulsa Botanic Garden, where live music meets blooms and open-air views. —Katie Wiehe
Starlight Concert Series
Guthrie Green
Tuesdays: June 2-July 7
For nearly 80 years, Starlight Concerts has been soundtracking Tulsa summers with free live music under the stars. Concerts begin at 8pm and offer an easy excuse to spend a weekday evening outside. —Katie Wiehe
Summer’s Fifth Night
Utica Square
Thursdays Through July
Few Tulsa traditions feel as classic as Summer’s Fifth Night, the free Thursday evening concert series filling downtown with live local music from 7-9pm. Expect an eclectic mix of jazz, rock, country, and plenty of people pretending that the heat isn’t that bad once the sun goes done. —Katie Wiehe
Concerts on the Patio: Central & South America
Gathering Place
July 24
Live music, patio drinks, and Brazilian-inspired rhythms take over the Gathering Place for the final concert of their Summer Series. The evening blends jazz, samba, and Latin percussion into a relaxed outdoor hang. —Katie Wiehe
Levitt Bloc Music Series
Kendall Whittier Park
July 25
Kendall Whittier Park turns into a full-out summer block party July 25 with a free outdoor concert featuring live music, food trucks, interactive art, and family-friendly activities. —Katie Wiehe
Cool Treats
Swirl 66
The cutest hang in Maple Ridge, Swirl 66 is a tiny shop conveniently situated right at the corner of all your SoBo adventures. The menu includes floats, shakes, swirls, candy toppings, and two perfect ice cream flavors: vanilla and pineapple whip. —Alicia Chesser
Crunchtown Ice Cream & Cereal Bar
Right in the heart of Greenwood, Crunchtown's got enough combinations of ice cream and cereal to soothe your inner child (or your actual child) for life. —Alicia Chesser
Kremee Taiyaki & Ice Cream
"Enjoy ice cream. Enjoy life." Say no more. Open seven days a week (and until 10pm on the weekends), this sweet spot at 61st and Memorial offers soft serve in flavors like matcha, taro, and hokkaido, plus affogatto and Thai milk teas. —Alicia Chesser
Big Dipper
Big Dipper has big, memorable flavors in its four locations: Brookside, Sand Springs, at NOMA, and inside Mother Road Market. The salted caramel with brown butter ganache is a standout. Watch for their daily specials, which offer discounts on specialty items like milkshakes and ice cream sandwiches. —Z.B. Reeves
STG Gelateria
Legit Italian gelato is a need, not a want, in the summer crush of Cherry Street. I once had the ube flavor here on a date and am still thinking about it (the gelato). —Alicia Chesser
Yanny's Sweets
Ice cream, agua fresca, snacks, Dubai chocolate and tajin specialties, crepes ... and what if I said I wanted one of everything at this Pine and Sheridan shop? What then? —Alicia Chesser
TulsaRama Ice Cream Parlor
A sweet new oasis on 11th Street, this ice cream parlor from the proprietor of Decopolis is festooned with memorabilia from the 1957 Oklahoma Centennial. It shares space with the FableRealm fantasy bookstore, making it a perfect spot to spend a sweltering afternoon. —Alicia Chesser
Cherry & Bark
This little spot started as a pushcart and now holds down brick-and-mortar hours next door to Tina's in the SoBo District. The flavors are as creative as the owner, who used to be a professional tap dancer in Chicago. Think rosemary, grapefruit, and pecans, or black garlic and goat cheese, or lemon custard, or raspberry sorbet. —Alicia Chesser
Braum’s
You knew this was coming. We can’t get through a day in Tulsa without seeing a Braum’s; I don’t know why you’d think you could get through a “best ice cream in Tulsa” list without seeing it too. Whether you’re exhausted by the inundation or not, Braum’s ice cream consistently hits. A cone on the patio is a staple of Tulsa summer. —Z.B. Reeves
Josh's Sno Shack
Parents know: when you see this little blue structure, there's about to be salvation for your overstimulated, overheated children. (And yourself.) Get your Dragon's Blood fix at one of like a hundred locations across Tulsa. —Alicia Chesser
Splash Pads & Pools
Gathering Place
Gathering Place's Mist Mountain and its attendant Water Maze is especially fun for toddlers and great for just cooling off during a long visit to the park. It's open from 10am to 7pm daily, weather permitting. Gathering Place is always free to enter.
Chandler Park Splash Park
There’s a joyful sort of chaos to this massive west Tulsa splash park, with its big slides and overhead buckets that dump gales of water. It’s open from May 26 to August 2, charges a $5 cash fee per person per session and is open each day for four sessions at a time, beginning at 9am. Nearby shade pavilions make it a great spot for a big group.
H.K. Kaiser YMCA
The outdoor pool here is a must for families. Bedecked with multiple tiers and staffed with plenty of lifeguards, it’s got a huge slide that will test your kids’ gumption. It’s for YMCA members and guests, but it may just be worth that family membership for the summer months.
McClure Park Pool
McClure Park pool is a hidden, idyllic gem on the city’s east side, surrounded by old-growth trees and friendly neighborhoods. A large lap pool is accompanied by a shallow area for kids to play in, large slides and a deep end complete with a rock climbing wall for the bold.
Get Outdoors
Turkey Mountain
Turkey Mountain makes it easy to disappear into nature without ever leaving Tulsa, with miles of paved trails, wooded paths, and river access, it’s basically the city’s biggest outdoor playground. —Katie Wiehe
Oxley Nature Center
The Mary K. Oxley Nature Center offers more than 800 acres of trails, wildlife, and peaceful scenery hidden right inside Tulsa. With flat, easy-to-walk paths wind through forests, meadows, and some of the best birdwatching spots in the city, it’s a low-effort way to feel very far from traffic. —Katie Wiehe
Tulsa Botanic Garden
The Botanic Gardens offer a peaceful outdoor escape filled with blooming landscapes, winding paths, and quiet green spaces. —Katie Wiehe
Chandler Park
A mix of wooded trails, open fields, and city views makes this west Tulsa park a reliable summer hang. —Katie Wiehe
Stay Inside
Community Craft
When the Oklahoma heat gets unbearable, hide out inside Community Craft in Kendall Whittier with sewing classes, crochet workshops, quilting, embroidery, and open studio sessions—plus monthly Reel Craft movie nights at Circle Cinema where guests can work on projects during the film. Tickets vary by class and event. —Katie Wiehe
Shuffles Board Game Cafe
Games. Food. Coffee. Bar. Milkshakes. Right next to Lone Wolf. Perfection. —Alicia Chesser
The Cave House
Part roadside curiosity, part-Prohibition era mystery, the Cave House offers tours through one of Tulsa’s strangest historical landmarks. Originally built in the 1920s as the Cave Garden Restaurant, the site later operated as a speakeasy complete with hidden tunnels. Tours are by appointment and cost $15 for adults or $7.50 for kids. —Katie Wiehe
AMF Sheridan Lanes
AMF Sheridan Lanes keeps things cool with bowling, arcade games, and a $44 summer pass that gets guests two free games a day plus complimentary shoe rental throughout the season. —Katie Wiehe
Museum of Tulsa History
This Tulsa museum features exhibits on local history, Greenwood, and the evolution of the mansion itself with timelines, artifacts, and rotating displays offering a grounded look at the city’s past. —Katie Wiehe
Vintage Sewing Center & Museum
Part museum, part workshop, this space focuses on vintage sewing machines you can actually try out. It’s a simple, fun way to learn sewing history and skills all while indoors. —Katie Wiehe
Tulsa City-County Library
With 25 locations in the Tulsa area, our library system is a true indoor oasis. Plus, reading is a 10/10 way to show your resistance to the clanker overlords. —Alicia Chesser
Concerts & Theatre
Pembroke Players: Juliet and Her Romeo
Tulsa Performing Arts Center
June 5-14
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet gets a bold rework in this punk rock and dance-driven production. With heightened movement and a gritty aesthetic, it's sure to be a striking theater experience for fans of experimental stage work. —Katie Wiehe
Fun Home
Theatre Tulsa Studios
June 5-14
There are never enough queer awakening stories, and this Tony Award-winner is one of the best. This one-act, non-linear musical is an adaptation of the autobiographical graphic novel by Alison Bechdel that deals with the queer experience in the 1970s, self-discovery, and generational trauma.
Late Nite Catechism
Tulsa Performing Arts Center
June 6
A playful comedy turns the audience into the students in a lively classroom setting with humor, prizes, and plenty of crowd participation. —Katie Wiehe
American Theatre Company: Cat On A Hot Tin Roof
Tulsa Performing Arts Center
June 12-13
Maggie, Brick, and Big Daddy will be sweating it up in the Norman Theatre this summer. Wear your emotional sunblock to this one: Tennessee Williams' Pulitzer Prize-winning play burns a little. —Alicia Chesser
William Beckmann
Guthrie Green
June 12
William Beckmann's music draws inspiration from Johnny Cash, George Strait, Frank Sinatra, and the traditional Mexican music of his bilingual roots. Oklahoma musician Jacob Tovar will open the show with his signature classic country tunes and crooning honky-tonk vocals.
Celebrity Attractions: Art Garfunkel—What a Wonderful World Celebration
Tulsa Performing Arts Center
June 14
A legendary voice brings a world tour stop to Tulsa this summer with a full band and timeless songs, blending nostalgia and rich live arrangements into one iconic performance. —Katie Wiehe
Celebrity Attractions: The Notebook
Tulsa Performing Arts Center
June 16-21
A stage adaptation of the bestseller romance tells the story of two people whose love persists across a lifetime, capturing the beauty and heartbreak of a connection that never fully fades. —Katie Wiehe
World Stage Theater Company: To Kill a Mockingbird
Tulsa Performing Arts Center
June 19-28
Through the perspective of Scout Finch, this classic story follows her father’s defense of a man on trial in a divided community, providing a heartfelt exploration of justice and compassion. —Katie Wiehe
The Silkroad Ensemble ft. Rhiannon Giddens
Guthrie Green
June 19
Presented in connection with “Of the People: The Smithsonian Festival of Festivals,” a series of programs and exchanges marking the 250th anniversary of the United States, this free concert features a performance of “Sanctuary: The Power of Resonance and Ritual” by The Silkroad Ensemble featuring Rhiannon Giddens. Tulsa pianist and composer Barron Ryan opens the show.
Glenn Miller Orchestra
Tulsa Performing Arts Center
June 22
The sound of swing comes alive with a legendary orchestra performing its greatest hits, including classics, that shaped the big band era. —Katie Wiehe
An Evening With Wilco
Cain's Ballroom
July 1
Dads, you know what to do. —Alicia Chesser
The Zuits
LowDown
July 11
Neo-swing jazz, Tulsa style. The Zuits carry influences from funk and Latin music as well as big band swing. This is a general admission dance night at downtown's underground jazz club, not a sit-down show! Take your ibuprofen and come ready to move. —Alicia Chesser
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific, In Concert
Will Rogers Auditorium
July 13-14
Presented by the Will Rogers Stage Foundation, which supports performing arts programs at Will Rogers Middle and High Schools, this concert production of South Pacific is packed with some of Tulsa's best vocal talent and features music from a live orchestra. —Alicia Chesser
TPAC Presents: Oklahoma!
Tulsa Performing Arts Center
July 24-August 16
TPAC presents another grand-scale self-produced musical, after the success of its Fiddler on the Roof and Ragtime! This Rodgers & Hammerstein show is an Okie rite of passage; this one features talent from across the state, runs for an unprecedented four weekends, and includes live pre-show entertainment and optional add-ons like a classic Oklahoma BBQ meal. —Alicia Chesser
Benson Boone
BOK Center
July 28
Megan Moroney
BOK Center
August 15
Jazz on The Green
Guthrie Green
August 15
This annual free show highlights local and national jazz talent, with plenty of food trucks and vendors to round out the night.
Art Exhibitions
The Beehive: Liggett Studios Artists’ Latest Works
Liggett Studios
July 10-30
This collaborative summer exhibition brings together the latest works from a group of Liggett Studio artists, offering a snapshot of what local creators are currently making across multiple disciplines and styles. Catch the opening reception July 10 from 5-8pm. —Katie Wiehe
Big Models by Aaron Jones
108|Contemporary
August 7
This contemporary exhibition blends architecture, ecology, and experimental printmaking into a visually layered exploration of how humans shape and inherit the spaces around them. On view through September 19, the show opens with a public reception August 7 from 6-9pm. —Katie Wiehe
Day Trips
Keystone Ancient Forest
Sand Springs, OK
Keystone Ancient Forest is proof you don't have to drive hours into the mountains to find a beautiful hike. This Sand Springs preserve features ancient forests, wildlife, shaded trails, and enough scenery to temporarily convince you that the Oklahoma humidity is worth tolerating. —Katie Wiehe
Tallgrass Prairie Preserve
Pawhuska, OK
Roaming bison, sweeping prairie views, and nearly 40,000 acres of protected land make this one of Oklahoma’s most stunning outdoor escapes. Located near Pawhuska and open during daylight hours, the preserve offers hiking trails, scenic overlooks, wildlife watching, and a 15-mile driving loop through the tallgrass prairie. —Katie Wiehe
Natural Falls
Colcord, OK
This scenic park has become a favorite summer road trip for Tulsa-area hikers thanks to its dramatic waterfall views, wooded trails, and surprisingly lush landscape. The waterfall overlook and connected hiking paths make it easy to spend a few hours outside before retreating back into the air conditioning. —Katie Wiehe
Illinois River Float Trips
Tahlequah, OK
If your summer plans do not include floating down a river, respectfully, what are we doing here? This river getaway offers canoe, kayak, and raft trips through tree-lined bluffs and calm waters, with nearby camping making it easy to turn that day trip into a full weekend escape. —Katie Wiehe
Bentonville/Fayetteville
Crystal Bridges Art Museum
This beloved art museum combines contemporary galleries, wooded trails, and innovative architecture in a way that feels far more ambitious than your average weekend outing. General admission is free, but visitors can pick up tickets to catch the America 250 exhibition before it closes July 27. —Katie Wiehe
Dickson Street
Live music spills out onto the sidewalks almost nightly along Dickson Street, Fayetteville’s longtime entertainment hub filled with bars, restaurants, shops, and historic venues. Spend the afternoon browsing bookstores and patios before seamlessly transitioning into the nightlife once the sun goes down. —Katie Wiehe
Mountain Biking
Bentonville calls itself “The Mountain Biking Capital of the World,” and it’s got plenty to back it up. Boasting 150+ miles, Bentonville’s system of mountain bike trails wind through the bluffs and hollers of Northwest Arkansas, passing by restaurants, bars, and scenic areas that’ll stop you in your treads.
Wilson Park
If your ideal afternoon involves shady trees and stumbling across a tiny castle, Wilson Park will deliver. Visitors can cool off at the pool, wander through the gardens, or snap photos at the park’s famous castle sculpture, all the while being tucked away beneath massive trees. —Katie Wiehe
Oklahoma City
American Pigeon Museum & Library
If you appreciate hyper-specific museums with chaotic charm, this OKC spot delivers. Part bird museum, part historical deep dive, this quirky destination features exhibits exploring wartime communication, pigeon racing, and the history of one of the world’s most misunderstood animals. —Katie Wiehe
Myriad Botanical Gardens
If Oklahoma summer heat has you questioning your survival, this massive indoor conservatory offers a much greener solution. Visitors can explore tropical plant collections, waterfalls, and lush walking paths inside one of OKC’s most recognizable architectural landmarks. Open daily, admission starts at $10.50 for adults and $5.50 for kids. —Katie Wiehe
First Americans Museum
History, art, storytelling, and interactive exhibits come together at this museum dedicated to Indigenous cultures and experiences. Visitors can explore galleries, outdoor mound tours, and the family discovery center, with admission starting at $20 for adults and discounts available. —Katie Wiehe
deadCENTER Film Festival
June 10-14
Film buffs, aspiring directors, and people who just really like a good indie movie all descend on OKC for the annual deadCenter Film Festival. As Oklahoma’s only Oscar-qualifying film festival, the event packs in screenings, networking events, and movies you’ll probably annoy your friends about afterwards. —Katie Wiehe
Oklahoma PrideFest 2026
June 26-28
Oklahoma PrideFest takes over Scissortail Park with a free weekend of performances, vendors, community events, and celebrations honoring queer identity and resilience across Oklahoma. —Katie Wiehe
2026 Red Earth Festival
August 1-2
Native art, dance, fashion, and culture take center stage August 1-2 as the Red Earth Festival returns for its 40th anniversary celebration. The two-day event features more than 130 Indigenous artists alongside live performances and one of the nation’s premier Native art markets. —Katie Wiehe
Outdoor Dining
Backyard BBQ Fridays
Philbrook
June 5, 12, 19
BBQ, cocktails, and patio weather come together every Friday evening through June 19 with this laid-back outdoor dinner series. Guests can grab pulled pork sandwiches, drinks from the cash bar, and enjoy one of Tulsa’s best outdoor patios with $5 admission after 5pm. —Katie Wiehe
Tortoise Pizza
Tortoise Pizza on the patio at Nothing’s Left Brewery offers a simple, satisfying outdoor meal with cold drinks and open-air seating. —Katie Wiehe
Fassler Hall
This lively downtown beer hall with a spacious outdoor patio makes summer dining easy, serving up hearty food and cold drinks. —Katie Wiehe
Soma Tulsa
Elevated above the city, SOMA’s outdoor patio offers a calm, stylish setting allowing you to enjoy your drinks with a view. —Katie Wiehe
Dante's Woodfire Pizza
Dante's expansion continues in SoBo this summer with a big ol' patio space right next to The Shrine.
East Village Bohemian Pizza
A tucked-away spot that never fails to charm. That big moon rising in the patio space makes it super magical.
Mother Road Market
A great place to crash after a day at the pool. No arguments about food since everyone can get what they want. Stuff to play with, fans, comfy seating. And the bar is right inside!
Festivals
Tulsa Tough
June 6-8
Blue Dome District / Tulsa Arts District / Riverparks
Tulsa transforms into a three-day block party-meets-pro cycling race for the annual Tulsa Tough, where locals line the barricades to cheer, clang cowbells, and take in the action up close. Founded in 2005 by a group of locals, Tulsa Tough has since grown into a nationally renowned cycling festival, drawing elite athletes and hometown heroes alike. From the family-friendly Townie Ride to the debauchery of Sunday's Cry Baby Hill (this year’s theme is the Cry Babies In Space), and whether you're racing the Gran Fondo or just chasing glitter and good vibes, Tulsa Tough is when summer in T-Town truly begins. Just one rule: don’t forget to #TakeMondayOff. —Megan Shepherd
Big Ride
Flywheel Field
June 6
Big Ride rolls into Tulsa on June 6, turning Flywheel Field into a one-day music takeover tied to the Tulsa Tough cycling festival. Bowling for Soup leads the charge as headliner, and general admission tickets start at only $10. —Katie Wiehe
42nd Annual OKM Music Festival
Various Locations
June 5-7
The OKM Music Festival returns for its 42nd year with live performances, family activities, and community events hosted across multiple Green Country venues. This year’s headliners range from bluegrass favorites Balsam Range to orchestral yacht rock tributes and Broadway vocalists. —Katie Wiehe
Tulsa Juneteenth Festival
Historic Greenwood District
June 19-21
Tulsa’s Juneteenth festival is many things: a way for the community to come together and bring shared stories to life, a family reunion for historic Greenwood and North Tulsa, and a celebration of community, legacy, and strength. Since its founding in 1989, Tulsa’s Juneteenth has grown into one of the largest and most significant Juneteenth celebrations in the nation, drawing more than 50,000 attendees each year. Expect live music and entertainment, food trucks, public art exhibitions, workshops, and community and fellowship. —Megan Shepherd
Mimosa Fest
Inner Circle Vodka Bar
June 27
Mimosa Fest lands at Inner Circle Vodka Bar flipping daytime drinking into a full-scale social event. Think mimosas on repeat, DJs in full swing, and a crowd that showed up ready for a long afternoon. —Katie Wiehe
Woody Guthrie Folk Festival
Okemah, OK
July 8-11
Known by insiders at WoodyFest, the annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival pays homage to the trailblazing American troubadour in his birthplace of Okemah, Oklahoma. It’s just an hour away from Tulsa, and it’s well worth a day trip to enjoy the festivities. Fans of Guthrie’s music and the social sentiment behind it make the yearly pilgrimage to Okemah for a family reunion of sorts, where truck beds become seating, porches become stages, and families and neighbors spread out blankets to enjoy folk music from Oklahomans and beyond. —Megan Shepherd
Porter Peach Festival
Porter, OK
July 16-18
Now in its 60th year, the Porter Peach festival is Oklahoma summer canon, and for good reason. Long known for its peach production, Porter has been popping out award-winning peaches since before statehood. The fertile farmland between the Verdigris and Arkansas rivers near Porter offers perfect soil for peach farming, where the town has been producing and shipping peaches nationally since the early 1900s (though local demand means most Porter peaches now stay in Oklahoma).
Started in 1967 as a way to raise funds to build a community center, the festival has been running ever since, supported largely by Livesay Family Orchards as a way of preserving and passing down Porter’s unique heritage and small-town charm. Every year, dozens of Porterans gathered at the same community center to hand-peel the peaches—a homegrown labor of love. This festival is all small town charm and summer vibes, with a prized peach auction, tractor pulls, a talent show and peach queen pageant, a “peachy things” culinary contest, a catfish dinner, a car show, and free peaches and ice cream for everyone on Saturday. Make a day trip out of it to shop local artisans and take in the hometown parade. —Megan Shepherd
Blue Whale Comedy Fest
Guthrie Green
August 20-23
BWCF returns this August for four days of live comedy, improv, podcast tapings, and laughs all across the Arts District. Thanks to its multi-venue nature, BWCF feels like Tulsa’s own little South by Southwest, with shows ranging from the Cain's mainstage to subterranean sets at Lowdown, and a high likelihood of celebrity sightings at the bar after-parties. —Megan Shepherd
Outdoor Movie Nights
Cox Movie Night: Cars
Gathering Place
June 12
Movie on the Green: Black Panther
Guthrie Green
June 17
Movie on the Green: National Lampoon’s Vacation
Guthrie Green
July 17
Admiral Twin Drive-In
Open Wednesday-Sunday all summer
4th of July Events
Tulsa Drillers vs Corpus Christi Hooks: Stars & Stripes Edition
ONEOK Field
June 26
Nothing says summer like baseball and fireworks. Get an early start on 4th of July celebrations with a postgame firework show lighting up the Tulsa skyline. —Katie Wiehe
America’s Birthday Bash
TCC VanTrease PACE
June 30
This Independence Day-themed concert from Signature Symphony brings patriotic music and film classics to the stage in a lively summer tradition filled with celebration, inspiration, and audience-favorite performances. —Katie Wiehe
Bixby Freedom Celebration
July 3
This Independence Day event brings the community together for a full evening of summer festivities, including interactive activities, local vendors, and a huge firework finale. —Katie Wiehe
Folds of Honor Freedom Fest
River Parks
July 4
Tulsa’s annual riverfront Fourth of July festivities take over both River West Festival Park and the nearby Zink Lake watch zone with an evening full of live entertainment and family fun. River West hosts the festival atmosphere with music, stunt shows, and food trucks, while Zink Lake offers a more relaxed viewing area for the night's fireworks finale over the Arkansas River. —Katie Wiehe
2026 4th of July Bar Crawl
Downtown Tulsa
July 4
A 4th of July bar crawl takes over downtown with roaming stops at multiple bars, along with themed cocktails and a nonstop holiday atmosphere. —Katie Wiehe
Firecracker 5K
Santa Fe Square
July 4
Tulsa’s annual Firecracker 5K and Fun Run is back with a downtown course, post-race party, live music, all enough to justify waking up early on a holiday. Registration starts at $29, with youth discounts available, and beer waiting at the finish line. —Katie Wiehe
Jenks Boomfest: July 4th Firework Show
Jenks Riverwalk
July 4
It'll probably be just as crowded as River West, but this fireworks show has an aquarium! —Alicia Chesser
Route 66 Centennial Celebrations
Route 66 Road Fest
Expo Square
June 27-28
Tulsa is going full throttle for the Route 66 Centennial, and the Route 66 Road Fest is one of the biggest celebrations of the highway’s 100th birthday. Taking over Expo Square, the festival brings together classic cars, Route 66 history, live entertainment, and roadside Americana. —Katie Wiehe
Route 66 Festival
Gathering Place
July 18
The Route 66 Festival turns the Gathering Place into a one-day celebration of all things Route 66, complete with live music, local vendors, themed food, and family-friendly activities from 9am to 7pm. It’s free, it’s nostalgic, and it’s probably the closest you’ll get to a road trip without leaving Tulsa. —Katie Wiehe
Route 66 Arches
The glowing Route 66 East Gateway Arch marks the eastern entrance to Tulsa’s stretch of Route 66, looking especially cool after dark. Located just off of I-44, the illuminated sign has become one of the city’s easiest roadside photo-ops and a fitting welcome for anyone starting their Tulsa Route 66 adventure. —Katie Wiehe
Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza
Bringing nostalgia right up to the edge of the Arkansas River, the Centennial Plaza is covered with giant public murals and a front-row view of downtown Tulsa making it a small stop that packs a surprising amount of Route 66 history and charm. —Katie Wiehe
The Blue Whale of Catoosa
Part roadside oddity, part Route 66 icon, the Blue Whale of Catoosa was built in the early ‘70s as a backyard surprise for a family and quickly became a traveler’s favorite. The park has been recently renovated and features a sparkly new visitor center. —Katie Wiehe
