Mayfest closes with sunshine

The earlier days of the festival were clouded by stormy weather.

By DEON HAMPTON World Staff Writer

Dennis Sanders removed his little "girls" from the baby stroller Sunday afternoon and carefully held them both in his arms.

Sitting on an iron bench, he placed one "daughter" next to him and continued holding the other.

Sanders, 54, of Tulsa then declared, "It's a girls' day out."

He was referring to Ziya and Lola, his pair of Shih Tzu dogs.

"I've been here twice this weekend," Sanders said of the 37th annual Mayfest.

"I've been inside all winter," said Sanders, who attended with his wife, mother-in-law, and his mother-in-law's mother.

Heather Pingry, Downtown Tulsa Unlimited vice president of promotions and communication, said about 360,000 people attended the four-day festival, which ended Sunday amid sunshine and temperatures around 70 degrees. It was a slight drop from the more than 375,000 attendees last year.

The Arts and Humanities Council of Tulsa and Downtown Tulsa Unlimited produce the annual festival.

Organizers said the weather late last week was a major reason for a dip in turnout.

Friday marked the 20th consecutive day Tulsa received rainfall. That evening, winds estimated at 60 mph damaged seven tents. The event was eventually shut down 90 minutes early on Friday.

"I think we had a great year in spite of the weather," Pingry said.

Some vendors said the weather also hurt their profits.

Lee Watrous, a vendor selling leather rainproof hats, said Sunday that the rain and high winds largely affected sales.

Meanwhile on Sunday, 5-year-old Zoya Khan discovered the arts. She painted — for the first time — a dinosaur. Zoya jokingly said her artwork could be sold on eBay for close to $5 million.

Her father, Amir Khan, 41, of Tulsa said he was impressed by the amount of children's activities and the security presence, which he said made his family feel secure.

"It was well-organized and put together," Khan said.

Several changes were added to Mayfest this year including expanding The KidsZone and adding a new art gallery for college-age students.

Organizers said the festival was more environmentally friendly with the addition of several recycling locations. Souvenir shirts were printed on organic cotton, and the collectible Mayfest posters were printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink, organizers said.

Tulsa police said no major incidents occurred on Sunday, but that a woman had her $75 watch stolen.

Storms do damage at fests

Mayfest's opening day draws 'em in