At 6 p.m. on Saturday, November 28, a line of lit-up cars, trucks, dune buggies and people strung with lights will roll out from the Scottish Rite Temple and head west on Oklahoma Avenue. That same night in the Cottonwood Flats, 100,000 lights switch on along a seven-block drive-through that stays free through December 26.
Two different nonprofits put on those two events, and each has its own calendar. The Territorial Christmas Foundation runs the downtown program, which started as a hometown holiday event in 1995 and became a 501(c)(3) foundation in 2013. A Very Merry Guthrie Christmas has been building its Cottonwood Flats display since 2020. After opening night, their big dates don't overlap. Downtown takes the first two Saturdays of December, and the Flats takes the third, so you can plan the four weeks between November 28 and December 26 one calendar at a time.
Opening night runs in a set order
Opening night downtown is Saturday, November 28, 2026, and the evening runs in a fixed sequence:
- 6:00 p.m. The Lighted Christmas Parade leaves the Scottish Rite Temple and travels west along Oklahoma Avenue.
- End of the route. The parade finishes at 2nd Street and Oklahoma Avenue.
- Right after. Territorial Governor ceremonies start on the front steps of the Post Office. Each candidate is introduced, and then a sealed letter is opened to name the winners.
- First act in office. The new governors light the Territorial Tree, which is wrapped in thousands of lights and stays lit for the rest of the season.
Almost everything else the Foundation puts on is built around history. Its own parade page calls the Lighted Christmas Parade "our one non-historic themed yearly event." So opening night is the loosest night of the downtown calendar. After it, the downtown program goes Victorian, and the more casual, light-up-anything side of the season moves to the Flats.
The governor's title goes to whoever raises the most
The Territorial Governor's Race is the Foundation's fundraiser. On the race page, its organizers say it "tends to get a bit...competitive." Each year a few local residents run for one of four titles: Territorial Governor, Jr. Governor, Territorial Tots or Territorial Pets. Votes sell for $1 each, and candidates compete to buy their way to the title. All the money goes to the nonprofit to pay for its yearly Christmas events.
Under the Foundation's FAQ, Territorial Governor nominations go in by email no later than September 15. Votes are where the money comes in, and the winners stay hidden until the letter is opened on the Post Office steps. The race page tells the crowd to "stick around after the Lighted Christmas Parade as we find out who bought the 2026-2027 Territorial Governor's Race."
Winners get a signed certificate and a special medal. They also appear on the Foundation's website and social media during their term. Their term runs well past December. The governors ride as featured guests of honor in the 89ers Parade every April, which the Foundation calls the largest and oldest parade in Oklahoma. The November tree lighting is how one fundraiser ends up tied to Guthrie's biggest spring event.
The Cottonwood Flats runs on a different model
The drive-through is a different kind of event. It's free, you stay in your car, and none of it is a costume piece. Along with the 100,000 lights, the seven blocks hold more than 70 wrapped trees, more than 100 wireframe displays, plus inflatables and other decorations. There's no ticket. Donations are taken at the end of the drive-through.
The donations go to people in town. A Very Merry Guthrie Christmas says its mission is to brighten the lives of older Guthrie and Logan County residents by delivering gifts to local nursing home patients. That works out to about $20 or more per resident depending on the year, and the group expects to reach 300 residents this year. Its sponsor list is a who's who of local names, including Guthrie Ace Hardware, Katie's Diner, Simone's Cafe, Crosstown Vet, Eskridge Chevrolet, Mercy Health Guthrie, the VFW and the City of Guthrie.
So both groups pay for the season by asking the town to chip in. Downtown, people buy governor votes. In the Flats, they drop a donation at the end of the drive.
The season, week by week
Here are both calendars on one grid. The Walk Nights are free to attend under the Foundation's FAQ, though some vendors and businesses set their own prices:
| Date (2026) | Event | Where | Who runs it | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 27 to Wed., Dec. 23 | A Territorial Christmas Carol | The Pollard Theatre, downtown | The Pollard Theatre | Ticketed |
| Sat., Nov. 28, 6 p.m. | Lighted Christmas Parade, governor ceremony, tree lighting | Oklahoma Ave. to the Post Office steps | Territorial Christmas Foundation | Free to watch |
| Sat., Nov. 28 to Sat., Dec. 26 | Lights in the Cottonwood Flats drive-through | Cottonwood Flats | A Very Merry Guthrie Christmas | Free, donations welcome |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Historic Homes Tour | Tickets at City Hall, 101 N. 2nd St. | Territorial Christmas Foundation | $25 |
| Sat., Dec. 5 and Sat., Dec. 12, 5 to 9 p.m. | Victorian Walk Nights | Downtown Guthrie | Territorial Christmas Foundation | Free |
| Sat., Dec. 19 | Lights in the Cottonwood Flats Festival and fireworks | Near 7th and Mansur | A Very Merry Guthrie Christmas | Free |
Sources: Pollard Theatre, parade, homes tour, walk nights, Foundation FAQ, A Very Merry Guthrie Christmas.
The Pollard Theatre gets a one-night head start on both calendars. On Friday, November 27, the night after Thanksgiving, it starts its run of A Territorial Christmas Carol. After opening weekend, the first two Saturdays of December belong to downtown, and the third belongs to the Flats.
December 5 is the busiest day on the calendar
The first Saturday in December has two downtown events stacked on it. The Historic Homes Tour costs $25, and tickets are bought or picked up at Guthrie City Hall, 101 N. 2nd Street. The tour keeps the participating home addresses private until you pick up your ticket. That evening, the first Victorian Walk Night runs from 5 to 9 p.m. downtown. You could tour homes during the day, pick up dinner, and still be downtown when the Walk gets going.
The TravelOK listing for the Victorian Walk describes carolers in early-1900s dress, decorated shop windows with Victorian-era reenactors, peanut vendors, live music, and locals dressed in period clothes. When News 9 covered last year's walk, it also mentioned horse-drawn carriage rides and seasonal food from street vendors and restaurants. Take that as what the evening usually looks like, not as this year's confirmed lineup. If you miss December 5, the second Walk Night on December 12 has the same 5 to 9 p.m. hours.
December 19 changes how the Flats works for one night
A Very Merry Guthrie Christmas holds its festival on the third Saturday of December, which falls on December 19 this year. On that day, the Flats works differently from the rest of the season:
- Food trucks and pop-up shops set up in the southwest corner of the Flats, near 7th and Mansur Street.
- Fireworks launch from the east side of 5th Street at dark, around 8 p.m. You can bring lawn chairs or watch from your car.
- 5th Street is closed to everyone from College Avenue to Warner Avenue for the whole day.
- Event parking is north of Warner Avenue.
- The drive-through closes while the fireworks are going.
Fireworkz A' Poppin' puts on the show. It runs about 20 minutes and starts around 8 p.m. Since the drive-through goes dark during the show, plan to drive the lights before 8 p.m. or after the fireworks end. That's also the night the 5th Street closure will matter most if you live near College or Warner. The display stays up through December 26, so the week after Christmas is another chance to see it without the festival crowd.
If you've been driving past Guthrie's old houses this season and wondering what yours would bring, Christy Kruckeberg can put together a current, no-pressure estimate around your holiday plans, timed so you can hold off until the tree is down. Get Your Free Home Valuation.
