About 360,000 Attend This Year's Mayfest

By Chris Wright, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- Thousands of people flooded downtown Tulsa to take advantage of the beautiful weather and the final day of Mayfest.

Mayfest weekend started off with a sudden storm sporting heavy rain and gale-force winds that sent people scurrying for cover Friday night.

On the festival's final day, things could not have been more different. There was not a cloud in the sky.

While the less than ideal conditions may have kept people at home earlier in the week, they showed up in droves for a sun-drenched Sunday.

"It's nice," Tulsan Anna Levy said. "They must have known it was the last day, so somebody smiled upon us, and it's absolutely beautiful, so can't go wrong there."

The last day featured show-tune performances on one stage, and belly-dancing on the other.

"It's been a great turnout this year," Mayfest's Erin Velez said. "We had some issues with the weather at the beginning of the festival. It turned out great, and we had some great weather."

People crowded Main Street, and that was good news for vendors, who say enduring the first few days of Mayfest was not easy.

Lee Watrous with Head N Home Hats said the weather made all the difference in the world.

"I mean, you gotta have weather," Watrous said. "I kind of think of myself as a farmer. Without good weather, I can't sell anything."

Attendance was down slightly this year, with 360,000 showing up over the four days.

An estimated 400,000 came last year. But considering the weather, officials say they are viewing those numbers with a sunny disposition.