Tulsa's downtown Main Street gets ready for Mayfest

Tulsa's Main Mall and Tulsa's Mayfest have gone hand in hand for years. And so have their struggles. <br/><br/>A major reconstruction project to open the street again to car traffic has wreaked

Wednesday, May 12th 2004, 10:32 am

By: News On 6

Tulsa's Main Mall and Tulsa's Mayfest have gone hand in hand for years. And so have their struggles.

A major reconstruction project to open the street again to car traffic has wreaked havoc on nearby businesses while bad weather cost Mayfest money last year. But as News on 6 reporter Steve Berg tells us, both are showing signs of life.

"It has been pretty bad, but hopefully we see that light at the end of the tunnel." Tahir Naeem's convenience store has suffered the major inconvenience of the Main Mall construction. He was already struggling because of all the downtown layoffs. And then the road was nearly cut off. "This is like kicking somebody who is already down."

But this week, Mayfest vendors are busy putting up their booths. And city workers are busy laying down bricks. With Mayfestâ€™s usual spot closed for construction and with last year's sub-par attendance, Mayfest has had its own angst, but organizers say there's no maybe about Mayfest. "Even though it's a little bit smaller, we still have all the artists that people can come and check out their artwork, all of the great food vendors, and of course the local and national talent."

Thanks to a generous, last-minute sponsorship by Mid-First Bank, Mayfest will have nationally-recognized entertainers again, including Oklahoma's own Kellie Coffey, the Academy of Country Music's top female newcomer for 2003. Workers have even managed to reopen some of the Main Mall for a stage, which is music to the ears of Main Street merchants. "Oh yeah, Mayfest is very important weekend for us. That is the only weekend we are open."

Passersby say the area is looking better. "Love it; it looks good with all the bricks and everything, looks good." "I think it looks good, I think it's shaping up, I think it could go a little faster, but I think it's shaping up."

And organizers think it's shaping up to be a good year for the festival too. Mayfest starts Thursday and goes through Sunday. The Main Street construction is set to be finished in October.