Making Cool Beer from McAlester, OK
Prairie Artisan Ales is small third wave brewery located in McAlester, Oklahoma. Since their founding in 2012, they have brought a unique perspective to brewing. Sometimes that means big bold barrel aged stouts and other times it means super crisp and funky farmhouse ales. Every beer they brew is wrapped in unique, expressive, and interesting art. The experience is unlike any other you can find in beer.
From Award-Winning Cheese to Internationally-Recognized Craft Beer
McAlester is home to a many culinary delights, from family-owned Italian restaurants with generations of rich history to fresh new restaurants, breweries, cafés, and more.
Oklahoma's Longest-Running Festival
Since its inception in 1971, the McAlester Italian Festival has become one of Oklahoma’s oldest and most cherished traditions and is believed to be the longest-running festival in the state. Held each year over two days in May, thousands of visitors come to the McAlester Fairgrounds to celebrate Pittsburg County’s deep Italian heritage with delicious Italian cuisine, games and live music. This a truly unique and time-honored experience that can only be found in McAlester.
The Hub of Southeastern Oklahoma
The McAlester Area Chamber of Commerce exists to serve their local businesses and organizations through advocacy, community involvement, and membership benefits that help put their members in the best possible position to succeed. They are passionate about the long-term economic vitality of McAlester and the surrounding area and believe that they are uniquely positioned to be the Trade Center of Southeastern Oklahoma as the region continues to grow into the future. With 300 active members, they take pride in representing a wide array of local voices and interests. Through programs that invest in our future like the annual Leadership McAlester class and functions that inform their members on current events in the community like our Chamber Connect luncheons, the McAlester Area Chamber of Commerce is deeply involved in promoting McAlester, Oklahoma.
Oklahoma's Little Italy
Just around the corner from McAlester lies Krebs – also known as Oklahoma’s Little Italy. In a world dominated by cookie-cutter houses, chain stores, and overly-busy lives, Krebs stands out. It is a place popularly defined by spaghetti, cheese, beer, and sausage. The culture is deeper than that though: it is about the people, the place they created, and the joy and sorrow along the way. It is the village-like feel of the narrow, winding streets that connect homes and businesses. It is the underground houses that served Choc beer. It is the small neighborhood groceries that made their own pasta or cheese. It is a culture of creating something new out of nothing and doing what is possible to make your place better. The culture of Krebs is one that respects food and the community that is built around it. Popular resident businesses include:
Globally Inspired. Locally Brewed
Coffee, Beer, Wine, & Live Music
Downtown McAlester’s premiere espresso, beer, and wine bar. Featuring small-batch roasted coffee and artisan beverages in a classy, family-friendly atmosphere. Spaceship Earth hosts live music every Saturday Night, Trivia every Thursday, and Music Bingo every Tuesday, along with fun occasional events like Youth Open Mic and the “That’s My Jam” monthly open jam session.
Annual Downtown Steak and Rib Festivals
The Grillmarks Festival Series is an outdoor grilling competition series set in beautiful downtown McAlester, Oklahoma. Each spring, teams gather from around the region to test their skills grilling ribeyes, and in the fall the smokers come out and it’s ribs all day. With 30+ teams lining Choctaw Avenue and passing out delicious samples, local breweries pouring all day, and live music capping off the event, it’s no wonder some attendees call it their favorite day of the year.
Small town. Affordable. Diverse.
McAlester is situated in the heart of Pittsburg county in Southeastern Oklahoma. Founded before statehood, McAlester offers a rich history to draw from and an exciting future. McAlester offers many exciting opportunities, but you will need a place to live to take full advantage! McAlester offers a wide array of housing, from rural living to a growing downtown market, and several varied options for lease. With something for everyone, come experience small town life in an affordable community and be apart of the fabric of our community.
If you want bang for your buck, you’ve come to the right place. When comparing median listing price per square foot, every dollar spent on a home in McAlester will get you an average of 24% more home compared to Tulsa, 46% more home compared to Oklahoma City, and 77% more home compared to the United States average.
Close to the city - but not too close
We’re not naïve – we know some people love the long commutes, paid parking, skyrocketing real estate prices, and starless nights of the concrete jungle. More for you, I suppose. For those of us who enjoy visiting the city but love hanging our hats somewhere we can breathe a little more freely, McAlester is the dream.
It’s hard to imagine a better “best of both worlds” – we’re smack dab in the middle of the circle drawn by Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Northwest Arkansas, and the DFW metro, 1.5 – 3 hours from each. You can grab your morning coffee in McAlester and still comfortably catch a 9am international flight out of Tulsa. And when you make it back home, we’ll have the cicadas humming and the stars laid out.
