Threat Of Rain Won't Put Brakes On Tulsa Christmas Parade

The organizers of Tulsa's Christmas Parade said the threat of severe weather won’t wash away the Christmas spirit. They said, even if it is raining, the show will go on.

Friday, the weather was perfect for the Skiatook Christmas parade, but it’s likely going to be a different story Saturday night for Green Country's largest Christmas parade, but organizers said they have a plan should the weather get severe.

Workers were sort of like the elves of the Tulsa Christmas parade – finishing up the parade floats that will make their debut in downtown Tulsa Saturday night.

Kristal Mitchell with Resource One said, “We still have a lot to do, though. We've got to get all the letters from the kids and the mail bags put together and all those fun things.

For Santa’s float, not only will you see his sleigh, but two tents cover Santa's seat; that's because Old Saint Nick is a fan of snow, not rain.

“If it rains, we are preparing to have some tarps over the top, we still have to decorate those, but we're gonna make the best of it,” Mitchell said.

The Tulsa Christmas Parade starts at 6:00 Saturday night, and rain, even thunderstorms are in the forecast.

Tulsa Christmas Parade Website

But, rain or shine, the parade will go on according to Chairman Paul Ross, but, if the weather is really bad at go-time, it might be pushed back.

Ross said, “If it gets a little crazy, gets a little severe, we might delay things just a little bit, but then we'll kick it back off as soon as it passes.”

The theme for this year's parade is “An Old-Fashioned Family Christmas.” Tulsa Public Schools has incorporated that idea in its float - a replica of the district's first school house.

TPS Community Coordinator, Ann Marie Hayden, said, “We're very proud. It was built in 1884 as a single-room clapboard house.”

A house those with the TPS float might use for shelter if the rain does come down; either way, they're not worried.

Hayden said, “It's been a'many years that we've been participating in the parades, and we've seen a lot of bad weather. And with Oklahoma, we kind of get used to it.”

If severe weather rolls through during the parade, the Trinity Episcopal Church at 5th and Cincinnati will open its doors if parade goers need to take shelter.

Tulsa Parade Route Map