Home to the largest Historic Preservation District in the nation...
Guthrie sets the standard for the holiday season.
The distinct Victorian-era brick architecture of downtown is adorned with shimmering lights during our month-long Territorial Christmas Celebrations, as visitors flock to the area to experience our truly unique events.
Below is the list of Guthrie Territorial Christmas Foundation-sponsored events for 2018.
NOVEMBER
Lighted Christmas Parade
WHEN: November 24, 2018; starts at 6:00p.m.
WHERE: Starts at 900 E. Oklahoma Ave. (the Scottish Rite Temple) and travels west to end at 201 W. Oklahoma Ave. (the Post Office).
MORE INFO: Please click HERE for more information about the Lighted Christmas Parade.
Gubernatorial Inauguration & Lighting of the Tree
WHEN: November 24, 2018; immediately following the Parade
WHERE: 201 W. Oklahoma Ave. (On the Post Office lawn.)
MORE INFO: Please click HERE for more information about the Territorial Governor Race.
FOOD TRUCK ALLEY
WHEN: November 24, 2018; opens at 6:00p.m.
WHERE: Along 1st street, between West Oklahoma Ave. and Cleveland Ave.
MORE INFO: Food trucks TBA
DECEMBER
Historic Homes Tour
WHEN: December 8, 2018; 10:00a.m. to 4:00p.m.
WHERE: Tour locations TBA.
MORE INFO: Tickets are required to attend. Please click HERE for more information and to purchase your 2018 tickets.
FIRST VICTORIAN WALK
WHEN: December 8, 2018; 5:00p.m. to 9:00p.m.
WHERE: Historic downtown Guthrie
MORE INFO: Experience downtown Guthrie in authentic Victorian splendor! Please click HERE for more information about the Victorian Walks.
second VICTORIAN WALK
WHEN: December 15, 2018; 5:00p.m. to 9:00p.m.
WHERE: Historic downtown Guthrie
MORE INFO: Experience downtown Guthrie in authentic Victorian splendor! Please click HERE for more information about the Victorian Walks.
LOCATION
Guthrie, Oklahoma 73044
United States
Please use the + and - buttons in the lower right corner to zoom in and out.
Territorial Christmas began as a hometown holiday event in 1995.
A group of Guthrie merchants and citizens came together to celebrate Christmas as it had been in the early days of the Oklahoma Territory, after the Land Run of 1889.
In 2013 the Territorial Christmas Committee became the Guthrie Territorial Christmas Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) which is dedicated to promoting Guthrie and its family-oriented events throughout the Christmas season.
Now, for over twenty years, visiting Guthrie is the most extraordinary way to enjoy the Christmas season.
Our Territorial Christmas Celebrations are at the heart of Oklahoma's traditional expression of the holidays, with all of the flavor of the Territorial period and all of the excitement of the Twenty-First Century.
We invite you and your family to come experience the Christmas season in Guthrie, OK—where historic authenticity meets holiday festivity!
CONTACT US
(405) 466-7720 P.O. BOX 1523 GUTHRIE, OK 73044
IT STARTED HUMBLY...
...as a festive way to marshal in the Territorial Governor candidates. Just a few lights on some cars and finished in 5 minutes.
These days, Guthrie's Lighted Christmas Parade is an eagerly-awaited and well-attended (get your spot early) pinnacle of light, sound, and competition!
Led by Santa Clause and the Territorial Governor Candidates, the Parade kicks off at the Scottish Rite Temple, and from there the glittering promenade of illuminated cars, trucks, dune buggies, horses, and even be-lighted people head west along Oklahoma Avenue.
Returning participants in the Parade try to one-up each other every year, encouraging a thrilling and sometimes astonishing display of creativity.
The Parade ends at the corner of W. Oklahoma and 1st St, next to the Post Office. Here the Territorial Governor Candidates disengage from their floats to finish viewing the Parade from atop the Post Office balcony. Once the last float has passed, thus begins the Territorial Governor Inaugural Ceremony!
Join us on November 24, 2018 at 6:00p.m. for Guthrie’s Lighted Christmas Parade!
Guthrie’s favorite fundraiser tends to get a bit…
…competitive.
Each year the Guthrie Territorial Christmas Foundation nominates a few citizens to run for Territorial Governor. Votes are sold for $1 each, and candidates each compete to buy their way to the title. All proceeds are donated to the non-profit and help fund the yearly Christmas events.
It isn’t easy to convince upstanding citizens out of their pocket money.
Campaigners have been known to bribe votes with brilliant costumes, yummy baked goods, social media crusades, custom Christmas card photo shoots, door-to-door tactics, campaign teams, and general merriment.
2018 Territorial Governor, Kailyn Swonger. Photo copyright Shelton's Photography & Design
It’s all in good fun and last year, for the first time ever, the good times were broadened to include a Junior Territorial Governor seat. Forevermore, Guthrie shall have twice the revelry—and twice the rivalry!
2018 Junior Territorial Governor, Harison Ford, with Santa and Mrs. Clause.
Candidates shall give it their all, and then be whisked along the Lighted Christmas Parade route—in finest Victorian garb—to discover if all of the "hard" work pays off.
INAUGURATION CEREMONY & Tree Lighting
On November 24, 2018, atop the balcony of the old Post Office with its double-staircase adorned with greenery and twinkling lights, the contenders will wait to learn their fate. Each candidate will be introduced to the crowd before the sealed letter is opened. The new Governors receive—along with the thrill of overcoming the competition and lighting the tree—a signed certificate, a special medal, and an honorary “key to the city".
Then, as their first act, the Governors will LIGHT-THE-TREE! The historic oak, wrapped in thousands of lights, will then stay illuminated for the rest of the Christmas season.
Photo copyright of Julie Ayers Photography.
Even after the festivities, the thrill of winning lives on! Governors also receive an article in the newspaper, and a whole year featured on the GTCF website and social media pages. Lastly, they both will ride in the 89ers Parade, the largest and oldest parade in Oklahoma, that coming April.
The 2019 candidates will be announced in early October. Vote early, vote often!
"DECK THE HALLS WITH BOUGHS OF HOLLY!"
Some of Guthrie's finest homes, churches, and buildings will be dressed for Christmas and open for visitors during the 2018 Historic Homes Tour.
The Tour lasts from 10:00a.m. to 4:00p.m.
Each location has a unique history, architecture, decor, and treats for you to enjoy. The sights, sounds, and the unmistakable fragrances of Christmas await you and your loved ones!
The Dominion House has been featured on past Tours.
You may purchase your tickets to the Historic Homes Tour in person or online.
In person:
Saturday, December 8th
Starting at 9:00a.m.
Frontier Drugstore Museum
214 W. Oklahoma.
Guthrie, OK 73044
In-person ticket purchases will only be available on Friday, December 7th starting at 9:00a.m.
Online:
COMING SOON!
Use the button below to purchase tickets online. Due to the intricate nature of our HHT tickets, the window for online ticket purchases will close on Tuesday, December 4th at 11:59p.m. This is to ensure that the print shop has time to print and compile the ticket booklets before the event.
Once we receive your online purchase, you will be sent a confirmation email. Bring a copy of your confirmation email (even your smart phone will work) to the Tour to receive your printed booklet, and enjoy the festivities!
Listen to the sweet sounds...
...of carolers dressed in period clothing. Sip wassail or hot chocolate while strolling among the 120+ year old red brick buildings. Browse shop windows filled with live visions of everyday Victorian life. Discover the perfect gifts for your loved ones in the many shops lining the main thoroughfare. Catch a performance of (Pollard show here) at the historic Pollard Theatre, after enjoying a delicious meal in one of Guthrie's fine restaurants. You may even stumble across a few Territorial Governors, past and present, willing to pose for a photo.
Guthrie's Victorian Christmas Walks embody all of the best parts of America's largest historic district. Come see for yourself why those young and old flock from all over the world to experience these special holiday events!
December 8 & 15 from 5:00p.m. to 9:00p.m.
COMING SOON!
gUTHRIE'S TERRITORIAL CHRISTMAS FOUNDATION...
...is a registered non-profit 501(c)(3), separate from the City of Guthrie and the Guthrie Chamber of Commerce. The Board is comprised of unpaid volunteers, and every dollar spent on the events you know and love is gifted to the Foundation through fundraising efforts, grants, and private donations. Truly, our celebrations are for the community, by the community.
As the crowd travelling to enjoy our Celebrations grows year after year, so do our financial needs. If you would like to make a private, tax-deductible donation in support of Guthrie's Territorial Christmas Celebrations, you may now do so online!
No amount is too small, and your support helps ensure that Christmastime in Guthrie remains a seasonal treat for years to come!