Festivals

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 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.

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This series of live concert events held in downtown McAlester kicked off in the summer of 2021 with great success and will only continue to grow. Each event welcomes new and exciting talent from around the country, and the festival grounds on Choctaw Avenue fill with locals and visitors alike who come to enjoy an excellent show – free of charge.

In addition to the concert, these festivals include all kinds of family-friendly excitement during the day: from food trucks to cornhole tournaments, from petting zoos to local craft beer gardens, the Dancing Rabbit Music Festivals have quickly become some of the most anticipated events in Downtown McAlester.

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