Can you believe it’s almost spring? I can’t wait for warmer weather and to keep building on Tulsa’s incredible momentum.
Speaking of building—IKEA is coming to Tulsa! The first store in Oklahoma will be in the Tulsa Hills shopping center, planning to open sometime this year.
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Earlier this month I had the chance to visit our Route 66 neighbors in Chicago as Outsiders: A New Musical at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. It’s so much fun to see the success the show continues to have, and more importantly, see how it takes Tulsa’s story all over the world.
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Travel + Leisure named Tulsa one of the 8 Best Towns to Visit on Route 66, and we are just more than three months away from the signature Route 66 Centennial celebration in the country: Tulsa’s Route 66 Capital Cruise! It’s an official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ attempt, and our goal is 3,000 cars—but why stop there? The more, the merrier, right? The fun starts Thursday, May 28 with the Capital Cruise Expo at Expo Square and continues with a Tailgate party on May 29 before we (hopefully) right our name in the record books on Saturday, May 30. Sign up to be a driver, volunteer, sponsor or vendor today!
March is a huge sports month in Tulsa. In just a couple weeks, Big 12 Wrestling Championship will be held at the BOK Center for the tenth consecutive year on March 6-7. That’s a slightly different schedule from years past—Friday and Saturday rather than Saturday and Sunday.
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Just two weeks later, the Southeastern Conference will host their women’s gymnastics championships in Oklahoma for the very first time on Saturday, March 21, at the BOK Center. Want to get up-close-and-personal with the action? Sign up to be a volunteer! We need Team Leaders, Score Inputters, Score Checkers and more. Click here to sign up! Due to NCAA recruiting policy, volunteers must be ages 9-14 or adults.
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SavvyTulsa is a year old! Since it’s launch on Valentine’s Day, 2025, Tulsa’s groundbreaking tourism ambassador program has seen nearly 500 people learn to tell our city’s story with warmth, confidence and authenticity. If you’re not yet a SavvyTulsan, today is a great day to sign up! It’s that passion for our city—and the support of partners like you—that make Tulsa so very special.
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Renee McKenney, President
+ Your Tulsa Regional Tourism Team!
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Tulsa Tourism in National News
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Tulsa Tourism in Local News
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Visit Tulsa News
Leisure Travel
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Vote NOW for Black Wall Street Rally!
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Tulsa's own Black Wall Street Rally is up for a USA Today 10Best Award for Best Cultural Festival! Click here to vote for this unforgettable cultural celebration in Tulsa's Historic Greenwood District. Voting closes March 2.
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Is Your Visit Tulsa Listing Accurate?
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Convention & Visitors Bureau News
Meetings & Conventions
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- American Cowboy Rodeo Association Finals
Jan. 29-31
400+ room nights
$490k estimated Direct economic impact | $855.8k estimated Total economic impact
Expo Square
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- National Association of Real Estate Broker Midwinter Conference
Feb. 16-19
700+ room nights
$368.4k estimated Direct economic impact | $644.5k estimated Total economic impact
Arvest Convention Center
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Sports Commission News
Professional & Amateur Sports
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- Northeast Oklahoma FC Kickoff Classic
Feb. 6-8
200+ room nights
$1.01M estimated Direct economic impact | $1.77M estimated Total economic impact
Mohawk Park
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- Kaizen Volleyball Invitational
Feb. 13-15
3,000+ room nights
$1.58M estimated Direct economic impact | $2.75M estimated Total economic impact
Expo Square
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Tulsa FMAC News
Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture
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Tulsa Set for Big Presence at 2026 SXSW
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- The Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture will host a “Film in Tulsa Filmmakers Happy Hour” in Austin, Tx. March 17 from 5-7 p.m. at iconic film, music and innovation conference SXSW.
- Tulsa-based Rebellium Films will debut their feature-length, shot-in-Oklahoma project Brian—the story of “an acerbic high school student prone to panic attacks” who runs for class president “to get closer to the teacher he’s hopelessly in love with.”
- Oklahoma group All-American Rejects will also be featured at SXSW in a “Conversation with All-American Rejects,” where they will discuss their sold-out House Party Tour, including the unforgettable stop at WOMPA in Tulsa, and then perform as part of the festival’s opening day.
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Shot-in-Tulsa Film Starring James Van Der Beek Set to Debut
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- The Gates, a Rebellium Films project shot entirely in the Tulsa region in partnership with Lions Gate, is set to open in theaters on March 13.
- The story follows three friends who witness a murder while driving through a gated community and soon find themselves targeted by a sinister pastor (played by the late James Van Der Beek). They must confront him and the neighborhood’s suspicious residents to survive.
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Tulsa FMAC Staying Active in the Community
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- The next installment of Tulsa’s FMAC’s “Mix and Master” series in partnership with Red Dirt Relief Fund is set for March 3 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Nothing’s Left Brewery. Tax Readiness: Best Practice for Musicians will help musicians be prepared and ready for tax season.
- Tulsa FMAC sponsored several events during renowned cinematographer Roger Deakins’s visit to Tulsa at the end of February, including a book signing, conversation with Deakins, his wife James and Tulsa actor Tim Blake Nelson, a screening of O Brother, Where Art Thou? and a gallery reception.
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