Can we PLEASE get a real Christmas parade back in OKC? One with floats and marching bands, firetrucks and clowns on bikes. I'm sorry, but the River Parade just doesn't cut it, and the Stockyards parade is way too small and themed. I mean a real Christmas parade like every other city has.

-Chris-

Hmmm...so I take it nobody would be interested in the reviving of the downtown Christmas parade? My wife and I have talked about this for a few years, wondering just how realistic it would be to attempt to organize one again, but if there is no interest I guess there really is no point.

-Chris-

Sounds good to me. It would be a hoot. Wouldn't want not to do the Devon Oklahoma River parade, though.

I agree. I think it needs to be revived. It probably just needs someone willing enough to do the organization. I agree the River Parade is cheesy and sponsors/DOKC's money would be better spent on a real downtown parade, similar to the Centennial Parade that was downtown in 2007. I'm sure there are several of the inflatable ballons around as we don't really use them for anything else, unless sponsors Ebay'd them. If we can pull off one of the largest Halloween parades in OKC (aka supposed "bible belt"), then we sure is heck should be able to pull off a quality caliber Christmas parade with all the churches around that could help support it.

I agree. We miss the downtown Christmas parade. I like the river thing, but it just isn't the same as a downtown parade. Actually if they want to do a river parade, they should move it to the canal, ala San Antonio. A christmas parade on the canal with all the decorations on the canal would be great. And you could be much closer to the action. Sitting 100 yards from the boats on the Oklahoma River is not as enjoyable.

You can't get ski boats, pontoon boats, etc. on the canal.............

great idea a christmas parade, i really wish bricktown would have a old fashio christmas night, with carriage rides, along with canal rides, venders set up selling stuff kinda like a craft festival hot peanuts... downtown okc hasa lot to offer for the holidays, i thinka old fashion christmas for one night anda traditional christmas parade is what downtown okc needs to add, they have lots but needs more

Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt anything to at least work from a starting point and find out what is needed (permit-wise that is) and look at possible routes, along with ideas for content. I know that financing is a HUGE issue, so I understand that sponsership would be necessary. I am assuming that a good first point of contact would be the city permit's department and the Chamber of Commerce...is this correct?

-Chris-

You can't get ski boats, pontoon boats, etc. on the canal.............

Has anyone TRIED?

Has anyone TRIED?

Yes...somebody got busted joyriding the Canal if I remember correctly. There is a place at the end to put boats/etc. into the canal.

-Chris-

Yes...somebody got busted joyriding the Canal if I remember correctly. There is a place at the end to put boats/etc. into the canal.

-Chris-

This is correct. There is a boat ramp of sorts down on the far south end. How do you think they get the water taxis in and out? And they are big pontoon boats. It can be done, and it can be done with ease.

I don't kow how many of you are familiar with this, but in Austin they have the Chuys Children Giving to Children parade, where they collect toys for their Operation Blue Santa in Austin all along the parade route. I have admired this parade for many years because of what it accomplishes.


Chuy's Children Giving To Children Christmas Parade (http://www.chuysparade.com/)

-Chris-

. . .OKC (aka supposed "bible belt"). . .

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/8697/lolr.gif

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/8697/lolr.gif

Well there are plenty on this site that harp all the time about being the Bible Belt. Brings a good point if that's the reality these people believe, then certainly we can get a Christmas parade, if we can have an uber successful Halloween parade.:sofa:

Well there are plenty on this site that harp all the time about being the Bible Belt. Brings a good point if that's the reality these people believe, then certainly we can get a Christmas parade, if we can have an uber successful Halloween parade.:sofa:

Right on. I'm all for a Christmas parade. It wouldn't be anywhere near as fun or unique as the Halloween one, but let's do it anyway.

I just really like the suggestion that we're somehow not a Bible Belt state. That is what you were suggesting, wasn't it? Or maybe I'm just reading too much into things. Anyhow, carry on.

Right on. I'm all for a Christmas parade. It wouldn't be anywhere near as fun or unique as the Halloween one, but let's do it anyway.



LOL...NOTHING could be as unique as the Halloween Parade.

-Chris-

we sure is heck should be able to pull off a quality caliber Christmas parade with all the churches around that could help support it.

Why would the churches get involved if they can not celebrate the true meaning of Christmas...the birth of Jesus Christ? I'm sure the ACU and like minds would have something to say about it.

Tut, tut, tut!!! Can't call it a "Christmas" parade!!! They have a huge parade in Denver that was nearly cancelled forever over the little do-gooders who professed to be "offended" by the notion of a Christmas parade. The mayor was nearly run out of town on a coal train before he backed down and agreed to call it the Parade of Lights.

Can't celebrate Christmas publically, but we can celebrate any other holiday, MLK Day, Columbus Day (do we really celebrate him finding the "new world"). Might as well call it the December Parade.

I want a Christmas parade too. I dont care what it's called. I dont like the river elbow rub thing they do. I think the whole downtown night is a good idea too. Hot chocolate, peanuts, carolling, sleigh rides, and maybe a venue or two could show classic movies.
I'd be willing to help Chris if I can do anything to get it going!

Well, as long as it's not government-sponsored, anyone can actually put on a parade named Christmas...

Tut, tut, tut!!! Can't call it a "Christmas" parade!!! They have a huge parade in Denver that was nearly cancelled forever over the little do-gooders who professed to be "offended" by the notion of a Christmas parade. The mayor was nearly run out of town on a coal train before he backed down and agreed to call it the Parade of Lights.


Ahhhh...BUT, it if was not put on by the city, would their be that restriction? Personally I have pretty much had it with all of the political correctness that goes around. But honestly, if it took calling it the Holiday Parade to get it going again, I wouldn't let that stop it.

I am going to contact the City and see what the permit process and cost is to start things out. I have organized small events and such, but never something of this scale, so ANY advice is welcomed. I will also put up an informational website as things progress on my web-host server. I don't know if something like this can be organized for 2010...just have to wait and see.

-Chris-

As far as the permits, yeah, the city is the place. As far as the mechanics of parade assembly, if I wanted to spearhead this, my first calls would be to nearby communities that have long standing traditions of such parades, to see if whoever is on the permit for 09 would take my call, have a coffee, whatever works to bend an ear and pick a brain.

Some wheels don't need much reinventing

anything new this season in downtown?

You asked!



http://www.downtownindecember.com/Portals/2/images/did%20small%20for%20label.jpg


2009 Event Schedule

SandRidge Christmas Tree & Lighting Ceremony
Mayor Mick Cornett & Santa light the Christmas tree
North of Kerr Park at 123 Robert S Kerr Ave
Nov. 27, 5:30 p.m.

Devon Ice Rink
201 N. Walker
Nov. 27 - Jan. 3
Noon – 10 p.m. daily - $8 including skates
For group information call (405) 274-1638

Chesapeake Snow Tubing at the Brick
AT&T Bricktown Ballpark
Nov. 27 – Dec. 13 Open Friday, Saturday & Sunday, hours vary
Dec. 18 - Jan. 3 Open 7 days-a-week, hours vary
Session size is limited, First-come, first-served. $10 per 1 1/2 hour session
For group information call (405) 218-1000
For session times and to buy tickets on-line visit D in D Home (http://www.DowntownInDecember.com)

Automobile Alley Lights on Broadway
NW 4th St. to NW 10th St. on Broadway
Nov. 27 – Jan. 3

OG&E Garden Lights
Myriad Botanical Gardens
Nov. 27 – Jan. 3
FREE Crystal Bridge admission
6 – 9 p.m. Sundays, Nov. 29 – Dec. 27


Oklahoma City Community Foundation Free Museum Sundays
FREE 1 – 6 p.m.
Nov. 29 - The Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum
Dec. 6 - American Banjo Museum
Dec. 13 - Gaylord Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum
Dec. 20 - Oklahoma City Museum of Art
Dec. 27 - All four museums FREE

Oklahoma River Holiday Cruises
Regatta Park at the Oklahoma River
1 – 6 p.m. Sundays, Nov. 29 – Dec. 27
FREE festive cruise on the Oklahoma River

Sandridge Santa Run
9 a.m. at Leadership Square, 211 N. Robinson
Dec. 5
5K, One Mile Fun Run & FREE Kid’s Dash

Sonic Segway Santa
Look for Santa as he visits Downtown events on his
Segway and delivers fun goodies for kids and adults

Wimgo Holidays on the Canal
Bricktown Canal
Nov. 27 – Dec. 27 (closed Christmas Day)
FREE Canal Rides 6 – 9:30 p.m. Thursday – Sunday

For more information visit D in D Home (http://www.DowntowninDecember.com) or call 1-888-OKC4FUN

If I were the Bricktown merchants, I'd hire carolers to dress up in Dickens-type clothing and walk the streets of Bricktown. It would be so nice, however, if there were enough retail downtown to bring shoppers down as well. Sigh.

I am with you betts.

I was in Minneapolis last year and their downtown parade with Dickens dressed carolers and ice skating, definitely put you in the Christmas Spirit.

About 5 years ago I believe, our cub scout pack was in the last downtown Christmas parade and they absolutely loved it. We had a flat bed trailer with hay bales for them to sit on and throw candy and a fully decorated Christmas tree in the bed of the pickup along with blaring Christmas music. Our scouts absolutely loved it and it was so much fun! I'm all for bringing it back!

OK, I have had some very positive feedback on this, so I am going to press forward with it. I created a website just a few minutes ago and will hopefully have it ready for public eyes by the end of the weekend.

-Chris-

I think you've got more than ample time to pull off for 2010, complete with floats, bands, pom groups, clowns, scouts of both genders, churches, etc.

I can't imagine being able to pull one off for 09, not one of any size anyway.

Luck with it

Chris -
Please give me a call on Monday - I'll be glad to help with info on the last parade in my last year in Bricktown.
Frank Sims
602-3300 office
659-0733 cell

Frank, I suggest you send him a private message with the phone numbers and delete your contact numbers that are on the public board.

I want to see Santa in a big time Christmas parade in downtown Oklahoma City. Yes, a CHRISTMAS parade. I want to wear out the remainder of my teeth on some rock-hard Christmas candy. I want to avoid shooting my eye out. I want to hug you, Chris, for what you are doing.

Press on! Let's have a fine fine Christmas parade!

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/misc/christmasparade1.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/misc/christmasparade2.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/misc/christmasparade3.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/misc/christmasparade4.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/misc/christmasparade5.jpg

OK, I have had some very positive feedback on this, so I am going to press forward with it. I created a website just a few minutes ago and will hopefully have it ready for public eyes by the end of the weekend.

-Chris-
What's the link? I'll make a blog article about your initiative and focus on your website and activity.

Sorry...been a busy week. The site...such as it is ATM...is located here:

Welcome to the Frontpage (http://parade.okcstreets.com)

I won't really have a chance to work on it untill this weekend. I worked all weekend, then my mother had hip replacement surgery yesterday (my only day off), so other than getting the software set up, I have not done much.

-Chris-

Sorry...been a busy week. The site...such as it is ATM...is located here:

Welcome to the Frontpage (http://parade.okcstreets.com)

I won't really have a chance to work on it untill this weekend. I worked all weekend, then my mother had hip replacement surgery yesterday (my only day off), so other than getting the software set up, I have not done much.

-Chris-

I hope your mom recovers, quickly. I understand that's a painful recuperation but typically with good results.

Sorry...been a busy week. The site...such as it is ATM...is located here:

Welcome to the Frontpage (http://parade.okcstreets.com)

I won't really have a chance to work on it untill this weekend. I worked all weekend, then my mother had hip replacement surgery yesterday (my only day off), so other than getting the software set up, I have not done much.

-Chris-
Very good, Chris! I've registered there. I didn't see that comments could be left so I obviously didn't leave one. I would have signed on as a volunteer but didn't see how. Count me in.

Best wishes to you, and your mom in what will hopefully be a speedy recovery.

OK folks...still around, but this was my weekend off and my wife claimed me all to herself. I'll have some more info by this weeks end. I am looking into the permit process at the moment. Oh...a question for you legal types (Doug :bow:). Once this is organized, shoud it be incorperated as a non profit entity for legal and tax purposes?

-Chris-

Have you checked with ksearls about any potential to tie-in a parade with the rest of the Downtown in December programming run through DowntownOKC Inc.

An entity of some sort is practical. Just in general terms, I wouldn't want to be personally liable for what can, and at times does, happen along a parade route.

OK, I have been talking to some folks for ideas. Everybody seems to like a night parade (for the lights) vs a day parade. Also, I like the thought of having the parade somehow connected to the downtown celebration. Picking a rout will be the hardest part, especially finding areas at each end to gather and dismiss. It will require a large area. Also, it would be nice to have someplace on each end that the volunteers could use for using the restroom, eating, etc. I am assuming that it would be preferrable for the parade to go through Bricktown. I know that there is still some open land around Reno and Lincoln. That would be a good place to end. But where to start?

I kinda thought the it could go down 10th to Broadway/Gaylord to Reno. Thoughts? This route takes it away from the downton activities as a negative.

More thoughts as they come. Please PLEASE throw out any and all suggestions.

-Chris-

There is the huge parking lot just south of Bass Pro if you are considering BT as the route.

Not crazy on a night time parade for light effects myself.
Seems a tad too likely to be the river light display on wheels or have folks saying 'why stand in cold for a parade when we can go umpteen places to see lights and stay in the warm car?'

Also, if BT is your route, having a parade that shuts down a major throughfare for them may not sit well. But if you start at B Pro, straight down reno to Hudson or so, then south and hold or make a loop to go back down Reno you ought to minimize traffic issues (but there will be some security issues to address I imagine)

Are you finding other communities which do night time Christmas parades to bend the ears of their organizers? If not, try aqnd determine if they considered night, and why they stayed with day parades if that was their decision.

As noted before, reinventing a wheel can be fun, but it can also be time consuming and needlessly tiring.

I am just going by what people have told me. I also remember that the old parade was a night time one, because my daughter loved the lights.

Also, throwing candy (or anything) seems to be out all over the nation due to injury issues. Most allow candy only to be handed out, however. I have been looking at parades all around the country. Some really good info, especially when it come to setting the rules for participants.

-Chris-

I think this a wonderful idea and would love to get involved Chris. Speaking of entity and liability, I know that my company provided the liability insurance for Moore's Red Ribbon Parade, which was organized by a group. This parade happens to be quite large and those people might know about getting stuff together to have the parade.

On another note, I would love to see a Christmas Market type atmosphere come to OKC. We recently returned from duty overseas and absolutely loved the Christmas Markets in Germany....the food, events, people and goods for sale made for some of our favorite trips. Downtown is ripe for throwing a good event.

One of the cities I looked at put on a "Festival in the Park" all day on the day of the parade with food, music and dancing, a battle of the bands,etc. Something like this with all of the downtown events could be a lot of fun as well.

San Jose Holiday Parade (http://www.holidayparade.com/paradefest.htm)
Christmas in the Park - Celebrating 30 Years (http://www.christmasinthepark.com/)

Do you get the idea that I love this time of the year?

-Chris-

Yeppers, with all the Downtown in December activities already in place, your plans wouldn't need to build in much else beyond the parade for the citizens to have a good excuse for an all day party lasting into the night (or even a weekend considering the number of Saturday afternoon specials that are also an integral part of DT in Dec.

OK, I have been talking to some folks for ideas. Everybody seems to like a night parade (for the lights) vs a day parade.

Might want to check out the Edmond parade on the 3rd, as they're doing a Christmas light parade...

OK, I have located the proper departments for the permits and understand the process. I also received the insurance requirement information ($1,000,000 plus a possible cleanup add-on) and was given the names of several companies that do the barracading. I will say that everybody at the city offices and other companies that I contacted were very excited about this.

I did find out that the type of permit required is known as a 'Revocable' permit, and has to go before the city council for approval.

-Chris-

When you have a group that includes animals, specify that they must have a pooper scooper detail at the rear of their group. Without it these groups can definitely ruin the day for anyone behind them.
For trash control after the event you might try contacting boy scout troups.

COMING TUESDAY ON THE NEXT OKC CENTRAL SHOW (at OKC Central - Information about Oklahoma City, Bricktown and beyond (http://www.okccentral.com)) - a look back at when downtown OKC's Christmas parade rivaled the Macy's parade in NYC.

COMING TUESDAY ON THE NEXT OKC CENTRAL SHOW (at OKC Central - Information about Oklahoma City, Bricktown and beyond (http://www.okccentral.com)) - a look back at when downtown OKC's Christmas parade rivaled the Macy's parade in NYC.

I would love to see it get back to this level once again.

-Chris-

I would like to ask that anybody that has any information at all about the old Christmas Parade...photo's, participating groups, routes, etc, please either post it here or send it to me at chris@kd5ili.net. Thank You.

-Chris-

OK, I thought of a potential factor in keeping a parade route from going through Bricktown...the railroad 'tunnels'. Not sure if floats could make it through there, although tractor trailers do. Does anybody know the height on the ones on Reno and Sheridan? I guess you could limit the float height, but if there happens to be inflattables in the parade, I don't know about getting those through there.

A route down Reno would give the best viewing areas, and also allow for good crowd movement. I liked the thought of ending at Reno and Lincoln. But where to start? I thought maybe 4th and Hudson, but is there a good area to assemble there? the problem with downtown is you can't go too far west on Reno or Sheridan or you get into a bad area, especially at night.

-Chris-

*Edit* I see on Google Maps there are some good sized parking lots at 4th and Hudson.
*Edit #2* Answering my own question here...13' 9" on the Reno tunnel. Kinda narrow, but is 2 lanes.

I loved the route the Centennial (was it really 2 years ago?!) parade followed...


Parade Route
The parade will follow a 2-mile route beginning at Sheridan and Hudson. It will proceed east to Robinson, then south to Reno. After following Reno to E.K. Gaylord, it will move north into Broadway at NW 4th and end at NW 8th.

In addition, here is a complete map of the parade route in PDF format that includes locations for parking, concessions, restrooms, bleachers and more.
http://okc.about.com/library/CENTENNIALPARADEMAP.pdf

Slideshow of downtown Christmas past can now be seen in my latest OKC Central show at OKC Central - Information about Oklahoma City, Bricktown and beyond (http://www.okccentral.com)

The Stockyards has its annual Christmas parade this week Saturday at 10:00 am. I completely forgot about their parade until getting a few emails from them this week. So, I guess we can't say OKC doesn't have a Christmas parade right now.

FYI: There was a great crowd at the Edmond Parade of Lights tonight! A COLD night, but merchants stayed open late and the crowd was great, at least on the stretch of the parade route (Broadway) I was located.