Guide to Celebrating the Holidays in Oklahoma City

Kick off the holiday season in Oklahoma City with a burst of light when Mayor Mick Cornett flips the switch to light "The Oklahoman" Christmas Tree, the tallest natural Christmas tree in Oklahoma, on November 24, 2006 at 6:00 P.M. The lighting of this tree officially begins a month long holiday celebration in the heart of Oklahoma. Festivities abound in Oklahoma City during December and there is something for everyone.

This is the fifth year that Downtown in December has been presented by the Downtown OKC Business Improvement District. This winter wonderland makes Oklahoma City's Bricktown area the place to be during the holiday season.

Holiday lighting displays have become an exciting family excursion in recent years and two lighting displays are prominently featured in the downtown district.

Kerr-McGee's Holidays on the Canal is a great way to view the twinkling holiday lights while riding aboard a water taxi on the Bricktown canal. This magical ride is available through December 23 from 6-9:30 P.M. and best of all, you ride free! Boats can be boarded near the Christmas tree or across from the ballpark.

Need to see even more lights? Make your way to the Myriad Botanical Gardens and Crystal Bridge to see OG&E's Garden Lights. The beauty of the lights will astound you as you take a walking tour through the grounds of the 17-acre botanical gardens. There are special free viewings available in December with live holiday performances.

Do you prefer to take a more active approach to celebrating? Visit the Braum's ice rink for a fun-filled ice-skating adventure. The rink opens November 24 and is open from 12 until 10 P.M. daily through January 1. The cost to skate is eight dollars, or if you have your own skates it is only five dollars. If you get the munchies after all that skating, do not worry because the Ice Rink Cafe offers a variety of snacks, including Braum's ice cream.

The avid runners might want to consider participating in the festive DID 5K run. The run begins at 9 A.M. on Saturday, December 2 at the YMCA. Runners are encouraged to dress up in holiday costumes and prizes are awarded. The real winner, however, is the Judy Weichert Scholarship Fund, which benefits from the proceeds from the race.

Christmas décor and collectibles are an essential part of the holiday season so you must make a stop at North Pole City. Walking in the door transports you to a magical fantasyland of Christmas wonders. Children, especially, will be amazed by the unending array of Christmas delights. You will find everything from ornaments to cherished collector's pieces within their walls and you will leave feeling as if you had just made a visit to Santa's Workshop.

If a visit to a working Thoroughbred farm doesn't sound very Christmas-y, then you haven't visited Orr Family Farm. The Jupiter Express Christmas Train will take you on a ride to see fantastic animated scenes that feature Santa, Rudolph and much more. After the train trip, the whole family can visit with Santa in the barn and have their pictures taken. Photos with Santa are $5 each. There is a concession area in the train station where you can also buy unique gifts and have Old Time Photos taken. The farm is open on Fridays from 6-9:00 P.M. and Saturdays 11 A.M.-9:00 P.M. from November 24 through December 16. It will also be open Tuesday through Saturday, December 19-23 from 6-9:00 P.M. Admission is just $6.50 per person and includes a complimentary cup of hot chocolate or hot cider. Children under two are admitted free.

The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum's "Night Before Christmas Museum Open House" provides a cast of historical characters and choirs singing Christmas music in their western town, Prosperity Junction and you won't want to miss the schoolhouse cakewalk either! See what Christmas was like on the prairie at the turn-of-the-century on December 12 from 6-9:00 P.M. Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for children. A dinner buffet will be available in the museum's dining room from 5-8:00 P.M. Reservations for dinner can be made by calling 405-250-4411 ext. 281.

Wind up the holiday festivities back in downtown for Opening Night 2007. This is a New Years Eve party for the whole family in Downtown Oklahoma City and it's celebrating its 20th year. On Sunday, December 31st, 2006 you can buy a button and ring in the New Year with dancing, music and much more from 7:00 P.M. to 12:00 A.M. There are twelve venues scattered through out downtown for your enjoyment and fireworks lighting up the sky, as the clock strikes midnight will dazzle you.

You will not want to miss the fun awaiting you in Oklahoma's capitol city this holiday season, so grab the children and your jackets and set out for a Christmas adventure in the Heartland.