Visit Woodward Receives Statewide RedBud Award for Día de los Muertos Celebration
Visit Woodward has received a 2026 Oklahoma Travel Industry Association (OTIA) RedBud Award for “Outstanding New Event” for Woodward’s Día de los Muertos Celebration, earning statewide recognition for one of the community’s newest and fastest-growing events.
The RedBud Awards honor excellence in Oklahoma tourism and recognize outstanding events, attractions, organizations, and initiatives across the state. Woodward’s Día de los Muertos Celebration was selected in the “Outstanding New Event” category, which recognizes festivals and celebrations in existence for three years or less that demonstrate creativity, uniqueness, and effective promotion.
In just its second year, Woodward’s Día de los Muertos Celebration doubled attendance, expanded into the Woodward County Event Center, and continued building strong partnerships with local businesses, sponsors, performers, and community leaders.
“This recognition is a huge honor not only for Visit Woodward, but for our entire community,” said Visit Woodward’s Tourism Director, Megan Johnston. “This event was created to celebrate culture, bring people together, and create an experience that felt welcoming and meaningful for everyone. Seeing it recognized at the state level in only its second year is incredibly special.”
The celebration was developed to honor and showcase Hispanic culture and traditions while creating a new signature fall event for northwest Oklahoma. Through bilingual marketing efforts, cultural performances, authentic food, educational displays, and family-friendly entertainment, the event has quickly become one of the city’s most unique community celebrations.
The success of the event was made possible through strong community support and collaboration from sponsors, volunteers, performers, local organizations, and attendees who helped bring the vision to life.
“This award reflects the direction Woodward is heading as a community,” said Johnston. “We are proud to continue creating events that celebrate the people, cultures, and traditions that make Woodward unique.”
Woodward’s Día de los Muertos Celebration continues to grow each year and has become an important addition to the city’s tourism and event landscape, attracting both local residents and visitors from across the region.
Huge congrats to Visit Woodward for bagging that statewide RedBud Award! Their Día de los Muertos event is seriously next-level, bringing the whole community together with such vibrant colors and culture. It honestly makes you want to pack your bags and explore cool events everywhere—kind of like planning a scenic private bosphorus tour to experience amazing cultural festivities abroad, too. This recognition is totally well-deserved for all the hard work they put into making the celebration so special. Can't wait to see what they pull off next year!
This statewide RedBud Award win for Visit Woodward is so well-deserved! Their Día de los Muertos celebration brings such vibrant energy and rich culture to the community. It honestly reminds me of planning an epic cultural trip, similar to how people research unique spots during New Zealand travel adventures. Events like this put smaller towns on the map by creating immersive, unforgettable experiences for everyone attending. Huge congrats to the organizers for pulling off such an award-winning festival. I cannot wait to see how they grow this incredible celebration even further next year!