Sapulpa's Christmas Chute Is Proof That Oklahoma Goes All Out For The Holidays

The Sapulpa Christmas Chute along the historic Mother Road in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, has been two years in the making.

People usually cruise down Route 66 in their cars, but this holiday season, a segment of the highway is seeing visitors walking down it—all thanks to thousands of brightly hued Christmas decorations. This brightly lit stroll will be the mark of your holiday season, should you make the trek to Sapulpa, Oklahoma. From mid-November to the start of the New Year, this experience will light up your holiday season.

Pick Your Favorite Chute

The Route 66 Christmas Chute in downtown Sapulpa, Oklahoma, features more than 20,000 square feet of decorations and more than 35,000 feet of Christmas lights. The display is broken down into 10 different chutes with different themes, said Will Berry, one of the organizers of the holiday themed display. The map of the chutes offered on the event site makes it easy to identify the 10 themes. Candyland, Let It Snow, Elves and a Nativity themes are on display, along with Gingerbread and Snowman themed chutes.

Getting lost in the lights is easy, as countless decorations round out the multiple displays. The fact that this holiday tour is on foot allows the visitor to take it slow and meander through the experience. Your perception of holiday lighting displays will be blown wide open once this little stretch of Route 66 has been absorbed.

Shaping A Christmas Strategy

The idea for the Christmas Chute has been two years in the making, Berry said, after organizers thought about what brought people to Sapulpa, located about 20 minutes from downtown Tulsa. A local company has held a holiday lighting event and it drew visitors in years past. “So the idea was, well, let's parlay that light show and do something downtown to get people into our town. And so that's how the idea was formed,” Berry said.

The original idea involved a holiday themed tunnel, but fire codes prevented that from happening, so a Christmas Chute came to mind. “It’s a walkable Christmas experience,” he added. “People spend a lot of time just literally looking at and admiring all the decorations because a lot of them are handmade.”

A Community Lift For Lights

Another thing Berry is proud of is that the display, which becomes operational in mid-November, was completely community-driven and privately fundraised. The organizers raised around $800,000 for the project, he said.

Twenty captains and their teams put the displays together to prepare for this now heavily attended Christmas spectacle. One team member of the ‘Let It Snow’ themed chute said she hopes it leaves a lasting impression for people. "I hope the Christmas Chute creates new family traditions for people, and that Sapulpa will become a part of that for them. It's a really great opportunity to show off our town and tell our story," said Rebecca LaFevers in a statement.

Berry agreed. He said it’s important for the community to brand itself. There are a lot of communities around Tulsa that don’t designate themselves, but Sapulpa is a bit isolated from Tulsa and wanted to stand out, he said.

“We're wanting people to notice,” Berry said. “And I think it was important for us to be totally different. There's nothing like this around. And now we're finally on the map, if you will, by people saying, ‘Oh, my God, you got to go to Sapulpa to see the Christmas Chute.’” 

Attend A Glowing Tradition

A full calendar of events rounds out the draw for this magical experience. Photos with Santa, live music, and a holiday cookie crawl are just a handful of examples. Why not show up for the inflatable snow globe photo-op or the Christmas parade itself? If you and your crew want to snuggle down and enjoy the environment, there is an option to rent an inflated plastic igloo. These domes can accommodate 8-10 guests, and the activities surrounding this option include access to outdoor fire pits, and even s'mores.

During the last week of the year, live reindeer occupy the event area, and the festivities wrap up. Certainly if you are within a reasonable driving distance from this magical holiday destination, take as many opportunities to enjoy as possible.

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