Tulsa’s Christmas Parade – A 98-Year Tradition!

Tulsa Christmas Parade, photo found at greencountryok.com/event/tulsa-christmas-parade/314/

Throughout my life, I’ve had Christmas traditions that I loved and continued and others that served me well for a season, and then I let them go. Some never made it past their inaugural year, but the Tulsa Christmas Parade is a tradition I treasure! As a lifelong Tulsan, nothing has remained as consistent in my holiday traditions as the Tulsa Christmas Parade.

History of the Tulsa Christmas Parade

The parade began in 1926 when Santa appeared with a live reindeer in downtown Tulsa. It was estimated that about 50,000 people attended the first Tulsa Christmas Parade. I’m old, but not quite old enough to have attended that first parade. I began enjoying the parade when I was a kid in the ’60s and even had the experience of marching with my high school band in the parade in the ’70s!

In its 98 years of existence, the parade has undergone many changes. Its name has changed several times, it has switched from day to night and back to day again, and it has had different sponsors. During WWII, there were a few years when there was no parade. In 1963, the parade was postponed for a week due to John F. Kennedy’s assassination. During the recent pandemic, it was temporarily adjusted to be a drive-through parade. Amidst the changes, what remains consistent is marching bands, floats, and Santa Claus!

When my kids were young, it was a nighttime parade sponsored by PSO. There was a certain magic to the lights. However, the tradeoff for a daytime parade is warmer temperatures and kids who are less fussy and tired. I’m happy to continue the tradition with my grandkids and grateful it doesn’t interfere with MY bedtime!

With my kids at the 1991 night-time parade.

Attending the 2024 Tulsa Christmas Parade

This year’s parade theme is “Stay Gold, Merry, and Bright,” a tribute to S.E. Hinton’s iconic book “The Outsiders,” written by a Tulsa teenager in 1967. Hinton’s classic novel was made into a movie in 1983 and was filmed in Tulsa. The 2024 parade’s Grand Marshall will be Danny Boy O’Connor, the founder and executive director of The Outsider’s House Museum.

The parade is in downtown Tulsa and begins at 11 a.m. Go to tulsachristmasparade.org to see the map or to find additional information about the parade. The parade is free to attend, but you may want to bring some money, as there will be food trucks and a gift market. American Waste Control sponsors the parade again this year.

Although it begins at 11, we try to get there about 45 minutes ahead of time to locate a good place. I pack a backpack with a blanket to sit on, a few snacks, bottles of water, and some paper towels for cleanups. My grandkids seem to need a lot of snacks, and where there are young kids and snacks, there is often a mess. The weather forecast looks good for Saturday, but I’ll bring some cold-weather gear for the grandkids just in case.

I may skip “The Nutcracker” this year; I’ve seen it many times. Because I’ve downsized, some of my holiday decorations will stay packed away. Despite my good intentions, I know I won’t get around to sending Christmas cards or making fruitcake. However, I will keep up with my tradition of attending the Tulsa Christmas Parade. My parents took me, I took my kids, and now I get the joy of seeing it through my grandkids’ eyes. I’ll see you Saturday at the Tulsa Christmas Parade! Stay gold, Ponyboy!