On Saturday, Dec. 5, downtown Norman's holiday night runs in a new order. Winterfest goes first, from 3 to 6 p.m. on Jones Avenue. The Norman Christmas Holiday Parade steps off on Main Street at 6 p.m. Then everyone heads back to Jones Avenue for the tree lighting and a drone show. That's the schedule in the 2026 parade announcement from the volunteer committee that organizes the parade.
If you've been going for the past couple of years, this flips what you're used to. Until now, the parade came first and Winterfest followed it. The tree lighting has moved too, from the corner of James Garner Avenue and Main Street over to Jones Avenue. Jones is now where the night starts and where it ends, and the parade on Main Street falls in between.
Three Years, Three Different Evenings
Winterfest is still a young event, and the City of Norman has rearranged it every year so far.
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, Dec. 7 | Saturday, Dec. 6 | Saturday, Dec. 5 |
| Parade start | 6 p.m. | 6 p.m. | 6 p.m. |
| Winterfest timing | After the parade, around 7 p.m. | Right after the parade | 3 to 6 p.m., before the parade |
| Winterfest location | Main Street | Jones Avenue, Main to Eufaula | Jones Avenue |
| Tree lighting | James Garner and Main | James Garner and Main | Jones Avenue, after the parade |
| Drone show | End of the night | Part of the after-parade Winterfest | After the parade, with the tree lighting |
The City called 2024 the first year that all of the evening's holiday events happened downtown. The parade started at 6 p.m. and Winterfest on Main followed around 7. That year's event listing sent parade-goers to the tree lighting at James Garner and Main first, then to Winterfest activities and a drone show.
In 2025 Winterfest moved over to Jones Avenue, blocked off from Main to Eufaula, but it still came after the parade. The City's Winterfest 2025 announcement invited families to follow Santa down the route at the end of the parade or meet at James Garner and Main for the tree lighting. Last year's lineup included performances by Massay's DanceStar Productions, Sooner Theatre and The Imaginaries, free hot cocoa from Beanstalk Coffee & Sno, bounce houses, mini train rides, food trucks and a live reindeer.
The 2026 plan keeps Winterfest on Jones and moves it three hours earlier. A spokesperson quoted in the parade committee's announcement said that moving Winterfest ahead of the parade and closing the night with the tree lighting and drone show "creates a seamless, full afternoon and evening of celebration in downtown Norman."
How the Evening Runs Now
Here is the night in order, with the times as announced:
- 3:00 p.m. Winterfest opens on Jones Avenue. The City's Winterfest event page lists The Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., as the location and describes a holiday market. The parade committee adds pictures with Santa, local vendors, activities and entertainment.
- About 5:30 p.m. Main Street closes to traffic.
- 6:00 p.m. Winterfest ends and the parade steps off. Spectators line Main Street from Pickard Avenue to James Garner Avenue.
- After the parade. The crowd heads back to Jones Avenue for the tree lighting, with the drone show overhead.
The biggest change is the Santa photo. Last year, families could only reach Winterfest after the last float went by. This year, Santa pictures happen in the afternoon, before Main Street even closes.
The flip side is the deadline. Winterfest's listed hours end right as the parade starts, so anyone who plans to arrive at 6 like in past years will miss the market. The tree lighting and drone show come after the parade, but no exact clock time has been announced, so plan to walk back to Jones once the last float passes.
Picking a Spot on Main Street
The parade route runs from Pickard Avenue to James Garner Avenue. In 2025 the City described it as starting at Norman High School at Main and Pickard. In 2024 and 2025, the James Garner end was the place to be, because that's where the tree lighting happened. This year the James Garner corner is just where the route ends.
Since the tree lighting and drone show are on Jones Avenue this year, a spot close to Jones means a shorter walk once the parade is over. You'll also be close to The Depot if you come early for Winterfest.
This year's theme is "Home Sweet Home Run for the Holidays." The grand marshals are the University of Oklahoma baseball team, which the committee's announcement calls fresh off a national championship. The parade is capped at 60 entries, and prizes go out in several float categories. Entries are encouraged to use music, lights and movement.
For groups that want to march or build a float, registration opens Nov. 1 and closes Friday, Nov. 20. With only 60 spots, early registration is the safer bet. You can find the details on the parade's website.
Jones Avenue Gets a Practice Run on Oct. 30
The new Dec. 5 setup isn't the first time this fall that Jones Avenue is where a downtown night ends. Artoberfest's closing event, A Night to Dismember, is Friday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. Visit Norman describes it as Halloween for the grown-ups. Artists at The Depot help people with zombie makeup, then the zombies hunt for hidden brains around downtown, and everyone ends up on Jones Avenue for the Blood Harvest Ball. Sisteria, King Witch Mother and other bands play live.
The event is free and benefits Norman Music Festival. A $20 wristband donation gets you makeup, a few extra perks and entry into door prize drawings during the scavenger hunt. For updates, Visit Norman points readers to the official Artoberfest site.
The zombie crawl ends at the same street, near the same Depot, where the City will run Winterfest five weeks later. It's a good chance to see how that block handles an evening crowd before December.
The Five Weeks in Between
A few dates between Halloween and the parade are worth putting on the calendar now.
Sunday, Nov. 8, at 2 p.m. Norman's Veterans Day Parade and Celebration takes place at Reaves Park, 2501 S. Jenkins Ave. The City lists a parade, speakers, a military vehicle display and daytime fireworks. Families who haven't been to Reaves lately will find a change by the playground. Kids Space, the all-wood playground that hundreds of volunteers built in 1999, held its "Last Play" on Oct. 11. The groundbreaking for its replacement was set for Oct. 19. The rebuild is funded by a $598,000 grant from the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust. It will happen in two phases over two years, with an accessible safety surface, inclusive play features and another community-build process. Students in OU's American School of Design-Build program are also building a new pavilion, expected in spring 2027.
Friday, Nov. 13, 6 to 9 p.m. The 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk returns to the Walker Arts District downtown. The Norman Arts Council says the November lineup is coming soon.
Friday, Nov. 20. This is the firm deadline to register a parade entry.
Saturday, Dec. 5. Winterfest at 3 p.m., the parade at 6, then the tree lighting and drone show on Jones Avenue.
Friday, Dec. 11, 6 to 9 p.m. The year's last Art Walk. The Norman Arts Council calendar lists it at 122 E. Main St.
Several events are happening around the parade this season. Sooner Theatre performed at Winterfest last year. Beanstalk Coffee & Sno handed out the free cocoa. The 2026 performer and vendor lineups haven't been announced yet, so check the City's Winterfest page as the date gets closer.
Shelby and David at The Laws Team keep a calendar of what's coming up in the Oklahoma City suburbs, from parade nights in Norman to the holiday lights in Yukon. If you're thinking about a move and want to know how a neighborhood feels on a December Saturday as well as on paper, schedule a consultation and we'll walk through it with you.
