The 15th annual Arvest Winterfest holiday festival returns to downtown Tulsa with an upgraded Christmas tree outside the BOK Center.
The new tree will have 42,400 LED lights and 2,670 ornaments coordinated to display a light show every half-hour, according to information provided at a sneak peek Tuesday afternoon.
Compared to what visitors might remember of the “standard lighted tree,” it is a big change for the festival, said Bryan Crowe, general manager of the BOK Center.
Describing downtown as the “community living room,” Crowe said the new Winterfest tree was the choice “to make a big investment” for the annual holiday event.
An opening ceremony is set for 5-8 p.m. Friday. This year’s event, which runs through Sunday, Jan. 8, on Third Street between Denver and Frisco avenues, offers online ticket sales for ice skating at tulsawinterfest.com.
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The free Winterfest Express Train runs each Saturday during the festival from noon to 3 p.m. On Sundays, photo opportunities with Santa are open 2-4 p.m.
Outside the BOK Center will be “joyful music performed by children from area churches, schools, nonprofit organizations and choral groups” from 4-7 p.m. each Friday through Christmas Eve. Half-price skating is available on Mondays for those who bring nonperishable cans of food to donate to Iron Gate and on Wednesdays with the donation of a new or gently used coat, blanket, scarf or pair of gloves benefiting Night Light Tulsa.
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Olivia McCourry
Staff Writer
As a breaking news reporter, I cover crime and other spot news. I graduated from the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism in 2022 before joining the Tulsa World.
