By Bailey Coyle, FOX23.com News Staff
TULSA, Okla. — After thousands of people packed Route 66 for the Route 66 Capital Cruise last weekend, Tulsa businesses are hoping another major event will keep visitors coming through their doors.
Tulsa Tough begins Friday, bringing cyclists and spectators from across the country to the city. For local businesses, it’s the second major tourism event in as many weekends.
At Mother Road Market, vendors say the Capital Cruise created one of the busiest weekends they’ve seen in recent memory.
“We had an amazing time,” said Bert Peake, owner of 66 and Sunny. “We had a lot of traffic, but more than that, we enjoyed talking with the travelers from all over the country and hearing their stories. They came out like no other weekend.”
Peake said visitors flocked to Tulsa to experience Route 66, shop local businesses and take part in the festivities surrounding the cruise.
“It’s a testimony of what Route 66 does,” Peake said. “It’s still, after 100 years, bringing people through.”
Just around the corner, Mythic Press experienced the crowds firsthand.
The local merchandise company served as an official merchandise partner for the Capital Cruise and hosted the Guinness World Record counter outside its Route 66 storefront.
Owner Cole Cunningham said the turnout exceeded expectations.
“It was really crazy is the best way to put it,” Cunningham said. “There were people everywhere just having a good time cheering everybody on. As a business it was amazing because we had all these people at our doorstep really excited about what we had to offer.”
Cunningham said demand for merchandise was so high that his team had to quickly increase production during the event.
“We phoned back to the shop on Friday morning and said we need more shirts,” Cunningham said. “Fortunately our team was able to produce another 500 shirts within that day. It really exceeded the expectations we had going into it.”
Now, businesses are turning their attention to Tulsa Tough, one of the city’s largest annual sporting events.
Peake said he’s excited to welcome another wave of visitors to Mother Road Market.
“Tulsa Tough always brings a fun crowd,” Peake said. “We’re really excited that they’re going to come in and experience Mother Road Market and all of the local flavors that we have.”
Cunningham believes the back-to-back events are helping build momentum for what could be a strong tourism season in Tulsa, especially as Oklahoma prepares to celebrate the Route 66 Centennial in 2026.
“This is just the start of the summer,” Cunningham said. “I think people are catching on to what Oklahoma has to offer, and I think we’re going to have a really strong summer of tourism.”
Business owners say while major events provide a short-term boost in customers and sales, the bigger benefit is introducing new visitors to Tulsa.
For many, the goal isn’t just attracting people for a weekend — it’s giving them a reason to come back.
With Tulsa Tough expected to draw thousands more visitors this weekend, local businesses are hoping the momentum created by the Capital Cruise is only the beginning of a busy summer season.
