Arvest Winterfest Brings Cheer
HOLIDAYS ON ICE: Visitors have a great time ice skating at Winterfest.
GTR Newspapers Photo
The time has come to bundle up and enjoy the magical spirit of the holidays with Tulsa’s favorite winter festival has returned to the streets of downtown Tulsa as the 10th Annual Arvest Winterfest presented with Toyota. Named by the national People Magazine as the top holiday destination in Oklahoma, Winterfest will be open through Sunday, Jan. 7 (including all holidays in between).
“It’s incredible that we’re celebrating 10 years of Arvest Winterfest,” Jeff Nickler, Tulsa general manager, says. “We’re excited to offer new and fun things to all our guests as a thank you for making this annual event a success year after year.”
This year, in addition to the 9,000-square-foot-outdoor ice rink, Santa’s Live Reindeer will be on-site to take pictures with families all season long. Guests will be able to see Prancer and Vixen or Comet and Cupid up close. A letter writing station will also be available for kids to write their letters to Santa.
New skating guides are available to help skaters glide in style. The lightweight helpers, courtesy of Health Zone at St. Francis, can assist skaters of all ages to be more confident on the ice and off of the rails.
Oklahoma’s tallest Christmas Tree welcomes guests to the winter wonderland. Towering 44 feet into the air, the tree features 35,700 glowing lights, 109,534 individual tips and a diameter at the base of nearly 30 feet. The beautiful lights provide an ideal backdrop for holiday photographs under the Tulsa skyline. Guests can also take a ride in a carriage or warm up in the climate-controlled Osage Casino warming tent with seasonal concessions.
Free entertainment every Saturday until Christmas Eve takes place just in front of the Christmas tree in the Gas courtyard. Visitors can sit down and listen to the joyful music performed by children from area churches, schools, nonprofit organizations and choral groups.
A variety of weekly promotions are being held during the festival. Every Monday, patrons receive half-price admission for skating with the donation of a non-perishable can of food benefiting the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, presented by Arvest. Every Wednesday throughout the festival visitors receive half-price skating or admission with the donation of a new or gently used coat, blanket, scarf or pair of gloves, presented by Cox Charities. These donations benefit Night Light Tulsa.
Come grab a delicious meal at Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 9 with the whole family. Mr. Claus will be on-site for pictures and to hear any last minute gift requests. Admission is $8 per person and reservations are required. Please visit www.tulsawinterfest.com to save a spot. Breakfast with Santa is presented by BlueStone Natural Resources
The season ends with tots battling it out during the first Mites on Ice event presented by York Plumbing. Watch youngsters aged 6-8 compete in a friendly hockey competition on January 6 and 7. The fun starts at 7 a.m. on the ice.
In 10 years, attendance for this event has soared from 35,000 visitors in 2008 to more than 150,000. The seasonal celebration is open to the public for 45 days. This season guarantees everyone a chance to enjoy skating beneath Tulsa’s skyline while watching free entertainment from the outdoor stage and taking in beautiful, gleaming holiday lights.
Winterfest 2017 is presented by ARVEST Bank and co-presented with Toyota. Additional sponsors include Osage Casino, Cox Charities, BlueStone Natural Resources, Harsco, Gas, Health Zone at Saint Francis, Pepsi and American Waste. Cox Radio, Inc. is the official media partner.
A full Winterfest calendar with prices and daily hours of operation is available online at www.tulsawinterfest.com. For more information or for group ice skating rates, please contact Connie Lytle, Group Sales Coordinator at 918-894-4264 or clytle@smgtulsa.com.
Visitors can log on to www.downtowntulsaok.com to check out the calendar of holiday events and plan their trip to downtown Tulsa. partners will be posting their holiday events and promotions there throughout the season.
Updated 12-15-2017
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