Tulsa's Big Dam Party Attracts 100,000 Visitors, Sets New Attendance Records

The recent four-day Big Dam Party in Tulsa, celebrating the launch of Tulsa Wave Park, Williams Crossing, and the reopening of Zink Lake, set a new benchmark in the city's history.

The event drew an impressive 100,000 visitors to the Gathering Place, resulting in three of the park’s five busiest days ever, including the second-highest attendance overall.

“The Big Dam Party was an incredible undertaking and a fantastic way to showcase America’s best city park and the adjacent world-class amenities Tulsa Wave Park, Williams Crossing, and Zink Lake,” said Gathering Place executive director Julio Badin. “Seeing our community celebrating and enjoying the riverfront together was certainly a thrill and a sign of things to come. I want to offer a special thank you to our partners at the River Parks Authority and Visit Tulsa for such a successful launch.” 

The event garnered national and international attention, with attendees traveling from Denver, New York, New Orleans, and even as far as Birmingham, England; Marseille, France; and San Salvador, El Salvador.

Coverage of the party generated an ad value equivalency of nearly $10 million, while the Great Raft Race added another $9.2 million in media value, according to Muck Rack.

The Great Raft Race was a highlight, featuring 100 teams and 500 participants, marking its first return since 2019 with the added excitement of a Tulsa Wave Park exhibition.

The inaugural Big Dam Run was a big sell-out, with 500 participants being among the first to cross the Williams Crossing pedestrian bridge on the event’s second day.

“For Big Dam Party to have captured such national and global interest is mind-blowing yet aligns perfectly with the initial goal,” said Tulsa Regional Tourism VP of Destination Strategy and Marketing Tim Chambers. “This is truly a community shared success including teams like the Route 66 Marathon/Tulsa Run crew making Big Dam Run a premier experience and Tulsa’s Great Raft Race team putting a massive exclamation point on the weekend. These four days, made possible by our corporate sponsors, in-kind partners, and communitywide volunteers, showcased how Tulsa is a true international city and why community shared value is at the core of real place-making.” 

Local programming was a major draw, featuring 16 bands, including Hanson, along with local artists and creatives. Strategic advertising targeted local and regional markets, resulting in nearly 14 million digital ad impressions and 245,000 click-throughs.

“What an amazing weekend it was,” said Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum. “The culmination of decades of hard work by generations of Tulsans to realize a dream that had been held for years. It exceeded my wildest dreams, and now Tulsa has one more thing to be proud of and something else to entice travelers to come visit our amazing city, and of course, waterfront.”