Those attending the celebration said this is a historic moment for Tulsa because it shows the city’s growth and will attract more people to Green Country.
There are big plans this Labor Day weekend.
“Come to the damn good or big damn party,” said Catherine Uhren of Tulsa.
“I might go to the Dam Party Friday through Saturday,” said Sabrina Murray of Tulsa.
The Uhrens are looking forward to watching people try out the Wave Park.
“I can’t wait to watch people get in and out. We’ve seen them try it with kayaks and surfboards,” said Glenn Uhren.
The four-day, free festival at Riverside Park is packed with fun activities and amazing attractions.
“I really want to see the big rubber duck, maybe face paint,” Murray said.
“Whitewater open to the public, shuttles, rowing regattas, big dam run, oh, there’ll be art, food trucks, all kinds of things, oh yeah, very nice,” Glenn said.
The Uhrens live a few kilometers from the park and have kept an eye on its development.
“This whole place is special. We jokingly consider the whole park ours and have no problem sharing it, you know. We walk here every day. Man, we just love it. It’s a unique place and we’re happy to see it used as much as possible,” Glenn said.
Sabrina Murray sees it similarly. She moved to Tulsa from Kingston, Jamaica, five years ago and was impressed.
“It’s definitely grown a lot since I moved here. There’s a lot to do here now. I really like it. I’ve enjoyed living here,” Murray said.
This weekend has been over a decade in the making. Catherine Uhren says the Big Dam Party is necessary.
“They’ve put a lot of work into it, so they need a big send-off to get everyone excited about it and bring people here to see it,” Catherine said.
The Big Dam Party begins at 4 p.m. on Friday. The City of Tulsa says there will be over 800 parking spaces and shuttle buses available from several different locations.
Organizers say they will monitor the weather and make adjustments to ensure the safety of participants.
