We’re in the thick of March Madness, so we have to start with a big congratulations to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane! TU hosted three first-round NIT games at the Reynolds Center and is set to take on New Mexico on Thursday at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis in the semifinals. Reign Cane!

Tulsa—the city—is ending March celebrating a bunch of wins as well. The Times out of the United Kingdom just described us as “the flourishing art deco city where Route 66 was born,” after writer Qin Xie visited last summer. And this comes after Condé Nast Traveler named Tulsa in its “Best Places to Visit in June” feature! Recently I attended a filmmakers reception hosted by the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture along with NYU Tulsa at the iconic SXSW conference in Austin, and it was such a thrill to see so many filmmakers from around the world show so much interest in “Hollywood in the Heartland.”

March has also been all about sports in Tulsa. Oklahoma State wrestling won their second straight Big 12 Championship at the BOK Center, and two weeks later, Florida barely edged OU for the Southeastern Conference title in the first championships ever held in Oklahoma.

Photo courtesy Phil Clarkin Photography

The Centennial year for Route 66 is rolling along—no pun intended! Tulsa’s Route 66 Capital Cruise is just more than two months away, and we just announced 16 Party Zones along the route to make the nation’s biggest Route 66 celebration fun, interactive and unforgettable for everyone.

Congratulations to Tulsa’s Black Wall Street Rally! The iconic annual event was named the no. 2 best Cultural Festival in America in the 2026 USA Today 10Best Award. The fifth annual Rally is set for May 14-16 in Historic Greenwood District.

Photo courtesy Mike Creef

The Tulsa Zoo has one of the coolest exhibits going right now--ZooLIGHTful! Now through June 7, starting at 6:00 p.m. every Thursday-Sunday, take an after-hours walk through a more than mile-long path illuminated with Chinese animal lanterns. Tickets are available here! SavvyTulsans got an early sneak peak in the latest Savvy UNLOCKED program. Still waiting to become a SavvyTulsan? No better time than now! Head to savvytulsa.com to get started and #StaySavvy!

Coming up April 13-15, Tulsa will host the 2026 Main Street Now Conference, the national conference of Main Street America that will bring together leaders, planners and community professionals to network and also see everything Tulsa has to offer. Tulsa has four official Main Street communities: Historic Greenwood District, Kendall Whittier, Tulsa Route 66 and Tulsa Global District—which is a semifinalist for the prestigious Great American Main Street Award, to be presented at the opening plenary on April 13.

Finally, history will be made April 21 as the iconic Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders will come to Tulsa for the first time ever, stopping at Tulsa Theater as part of their Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders LIVE! tour. Don’t miss your chance to see this high-energy, often imitated, never duplicated performance, including fan favorite “Thunderstruck!” Tickets available here.

As the weather heats up, so does Tulsa tourism. We couldn’t do what we do without YOU, our fantastic tourism partners, and the heartbeat of what makes Tulsa great. Thank you, have a great spring and happy Easter!

Now, on with the tour...

Renee McKenney, President
+ Your Tulsa Regional Tourism Team!
 

Tulsa Tourism in National News
  • The flourishing art deco city where Route 66 was born – The Times
  • Major new Bob Dylan 1966 exhibition unveiled as Uncut marks the 60th anniversary of Dylan's wildest year – UNCUT
  • The 5 Best Destinations To Visit For A Bob Dylan-Themed Getaway, Per The Internet - Islands
  • Oklahoma Surprise: Visiting Tulsa – The Epoch Times
  • Tommy Lee Jones Cast In FX's 'The Lowdown' For Season 2 – Deadline
  • Amy Poehler, Sterlin Harjo, PBS Kids to Receive Peabody Award Honors – Variety
  • In Tulsa, locals have revived a stretch of Route 66—one roadside giant at a time – National Geographic

Tulsa Tourism in Local News
  • SEC’s in the city: BOK Center to host the Southeastern Conference Gymnastics Championships – Tulsa People
  • Tulsa prepares for Route 66 centennial as AAA Oklahoma predicts surge in travel – News on 6
  • Behind the scenes at Ike’s Chili, Tulsa’s Route 66 staple for generations – FOX25
  • A reimagined legacy: Tulsa’s Greenwood Cultural Center enters a new chapter – News on 6
  • Route 66 Capital Cruise grand marshals announced – Tulsa Flyer
  • Historic Admiral Twin Drive-In prepares for milestone 75th season – FOX23
  • Route 66 Golf Trail to launch in April as Centennial events start – News on 6
  • Tulsa solidifies status as major sports destination – News on 6
 

Visit Tulsa News
Leisure Travel
 

 Tulsa’s Route 66 Capital Cruise More Than Halfway to Goal

More than 1,900 cars registered to be a part of history in Tulsa’s Route 66 Capital Cruise: Classic Car Centennial Parade, over halfway to our goal of 3,000! If you haven’t signed up, click here to be a part of history. Don’t have a classic car? No problem, you can still be involved! Click here to sign up to volunteer and help Tulsa’s official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ attempt. More information at capitalofroute66.com!

 

Is Your Visit Tulsa Listing Accurate?
  • Local businesses—Don't forget to review your complimentary listing on visittulsa.com.
    • You can use PartnerNet to make updates, add events and more!
  • Having trouble updating yours? Reach out to pattikrausert@visittulsa.com.
 

Convention & Visitors Bureau News
Meetings & Conventions
 

Your CVB Recently
  • Oklahoma CareerTech BPA SLC
    March 2-4
    1,400+ room nights
    $768k estimated Direct economic impact | $1.34M estimated Total economic impact
    Arvest Convention Center
  • Oklahoma Ride & Slide Show and Derby
    March 3-8
    2,000+ room nights
    $987k estimated Direct economic impact | $1.7M estimated Total economic impact
    Expo Square
 

Sports Commission News
Professional & Amateur Sports
 

Your TSC Recently
  • World of Wrestling Youth National Duals
    March 6-8
    1,700+ room nights
    $970k estimated Direct economic impact | $1.68M estimated Total economic impact
    Arvest Convention Center
  • SEC Gymnastic Championships
    March 20-21
    740+ room nights
    $1.66M estimated Direct economic impact | $2.9M estimated Total economic impact
    BOK Center

Tulsa FMAC News
Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture
 

Tulsa Takeover Makes Impact at SXSW
  • The Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture hosted a “Film in Tulsa Filmmakers Happy Hour” in Austin, Tx. March 17 at iconic film, music and innovation conference SXSW.
  • Tulsa-based Rebellium Films debuted 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 was also featured at SXSW in a “Conversation with AAR,” 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.

Oscar-winner Joins Cast of The Lowdown

Photo credit Dawn Jones/FX
  • Oscar- and Emmy-winning actor Tommy Lee Jones has been added to the cast of season two of Sterlin Harjo’s The Lowdown, his first scripted television role in more than 40 years.
  • Jones was the second casting announced for the second season after Betty Gilpin was announced in early March.
  • Season two of the show—one of AFI’s top television shows in 2025—is currently filming in Tulsa and the surrounding region.
 

Questions? Contact jonathanhuskey@visittulsa.com.

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