Last December in Norman, everything happened after the parade. Floats rolled down Main Street at 6 p.m., Santa brought up the rear, and the crowd followed him to James Garner Avenue and Main Street for the tree lighting, cocoa, crafts and food trucks. The City's 2025 lineup for that after-parade stretch included a drone light show.
That order is gone for 2026. Winterfest now runs from 3 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5, at The Depot, 200 S Jones Ave, and wraps up just as the parade begins. The parade organizers' 2026 announcement says the night then goes "back at Jones Avenue" for the tree lighting and a drone show. Jones Avenue opens the day and closes it, with the parade in the middle. If your family has always shown up at a quarter to six, you'll miss the first half of the day.
Last year's order next to this year's
| 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, Dec. 6 | Saturday, Dec. 5 |
| Winterfest | After the parade | 3 to 6 p.m., before the parade |
| Where Winterfest happens | Jones Avenue, after the parade | The Depot, 200 S Jones Ave |
| Tree lighting | James Garner Avenue and Main Street | Back on Jones Avenue, per parade organizers |
| Drone show | Part of the post-parade Winterfest | After the parade, with the tree lighting on Jones Avenue |
The organizers explained why. "Moving Winterfest ahead of the parade—and capping the night off with the tree lighting and drone show—creates a seamless, full afternoon and evening of celebration in downtown Norman," an event spokesperson said in the 2026 announcement. In practice, Dec. 5 is now a half day of events that starts in the afternoon.
3 p.m. at The Depot
The City of Norman's Winterfest listing describes a holiday market with local vendors, games, photo opportunities and food trucks. The parade announcement says families can also get pictures with Santa there before walking over to Main Street.
Inside the building, The Depot is running its own Winterfest Arts Market during the same hours, 3 to 6 p.m., with local artists selling paintings, jewelry, wooden goods and other handmade gifts. So the 3 p.m. start covers two markets at once. Families who want to shop handmade pieces before the crowd builds have about three hours before everyone heads for Main Street.
Sooner Theatre is also busy that afternoon. Its youth production of 101 Dalmatians KIDS plays the Studio at 110 E Main St on Saturday, Dec. 5, at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., plus a Friday, Dec. 4, show at 7 p.m. Tickets are $17 plus $2.15 in fees, according to the theater's ticket page. The 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. shows leave time to get to Jones Avenue by 3. The 3 p.m. show runs into Winterfest's opening hours, so pick based on which matters more to your kids.
Main Street at 5:30
The parade starts at 6 p.m. and lines Main Street from Pickard Avenue to James Garner Avenue. Main Street closes to traffic at about 5:30 p.m. That half hour is when the afternoon crowd at The Depot and the crowd arriving just for the parade show up on Main at the same time. Leaving Winterfest a little before 5:30 gets you to the curb ahead of them.
This year's theme is "Home Sweet Home Run for the Holidays," and the grand marshals are the University of Oklahoma Baseball team, which the organizers describe as "fresh off their national championship victory." The parade is capped at 60 entries, and organizers are encouraging floats with music, lights and movement, with prizes in several categories. Float registration opened Nov. 1 and closes Friday, Nov. 20, so a business, church or club still hoping to enter has to register by that Friday. Registration is through NormanChristmasParade.com.
After the parade, back to Jones Avenue
Last year the night ended where the parade did, at James Garner Avenue and Main Street. This year the parade organizers send everyone back to Jones Avenue for the City's tree lighting and a drone show overhead. That puts the evening's last event in the same spot where the afternoon started. If you parked near The Depot at 3, your car is close to the drone show at the end of the night.
For anyone still hungry after the drone show, the newest late-night option is on the northwest side. Shake Shack opened Oct. 28 at 2335 24th Ave. NW, with a drive-thru, and on weekends it's open until 1 a.m., The Oklahoman reported. A few doors away, Cheba Hut "Toasted" Subs announced a Nov. 5 opening at 1800 24th Ave. NW with daily hours until midnight, according to the company's release. For a sit-down dinner on a night other than parade night, Fortaleza by Don Arturo opened in October at 1316 N. Interstate Dr., serving regional Mexican cooking that includes seafood and premium beef, VisitNorman reported.
The Depot has events all weekend
Winterfest isn't the only reason The Depot is busy that weekend. On Friday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m., it hosts "Mixed Voices," a poetry reading. On Sunday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m., singer Caroline Cotter performs there, with tickets linked from The Depot's site. Between those two nights is Saturday's Winterfest Arts Market. With Winterfest moved there too, one building at 200 S Jones Ave has something on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The Depot's walls are part of the season too. Its Small Works XVI exhibit opened Nov. 13 during the Art Walk and runs through Dec. 19, so it will be up in the gallery during Winterfest.
The weeks before Dec. 5
The parade weekend is the busiest part of the season, but other dates come first. In order:
- Now through Dec. 20: The Holiday Gift Gallery at the Norman Firehouse Art Center, 444 S. Flood Ave., is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Friday, Nov. 20: Last day to register a parade float.
- Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 21 and 22: Wells Christmas Tree Farm, 4091 E. Franklin Road, opens for the season from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. both days. Santa visits start Nov. 21 and cost $15.
- Saturday, Nov. 28: Small Business Saturday at The Depot runs 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with 10% off in the shop and on the Small Works exhibit. That afternoon at 1 p.m., Wells hosts real reindeer for free.
Wells' Santa visits end Dec. 6, the day after the parade. That makes parade weekend the last chance for a Santa photo at the farm, along with the photo stop at Winterfest.
After the parade weekend
Downtown stays busy the following Friday. The Norman Arts Council's 2nd Friday Art Walk is Dec. 11 in the Walker Arts District, free and starting at 6 p.m. That same night, Sooner Theatre opens ELF The Musical at 101 E Main St, running Dec. 11 through 20. Adult tickets are $38 for Star Circle and $33 for Main seating.
The season winds down the week after that. Small Works XVI closes Dec. 19. Wells Christmas Tree Farm's last day is also Dec. 19, and it ends with "Elf Under The Stars" at 5 p.m. The Firehouse Holiday Gift Gallery stays open one more day and closes Dec. 20.
Here at Legacy Real Estate Group, Rosy, Salvador and our team plan to be on Jones Avenue for the 3 p.m. start this year, and we'd love to say hello, in English or Spanish. If a December in downtown Norman has you curious what your home is worth, or what's for sale within walking distance of The Depot, get your free home valuation or start your search today.
