Christmas in the Park Kicks Off Busy Elk City Holiday Season
30 October 2026
Holiday shopping, seasonal attractions, and a return to Ackley Park's festive traditions are shaping up to be a driver of business for Elk City's downtown core. The day after Thanksgiving marks the start of the annual Black Friday Eve party, and tourism director Julie Lenius anticipates strong participation from shoppers looking for downtown deals—especially at the Chamber, the Beckham County Record reported. The economic impact will include sales from The Tool Box, a local consignment shop, as well as The Little Depot, a used bookstore, said Chamber president Barbie Lee.
From Friday the 26th through Saturday the 29th, locals can enjoy shop windows with staggered three-hour displays for a "dessert crawl," participate in a "porch light" map and gift card raffle, and take train rides at Ackley Park along with carriage rides and a horse-drawn trolley around the holiday-light-decked downtown. Anticipated frost may delay by a few hours the search to spot the 60 kids' gifts on display in store windows.
Festive Attractions
Black Friday Eve kicks off with a 7:00 PM Friday lighting ceremony for the "native son" family of elk. The replica Santa's chateau is scheduled to open Saturday, with the event running from Nov. 27 to Jan. 1. Organizers anticipate 270,000 visitors.
Add to these the opening weekend flea market at Ackley Park, a horseshoe tournament on Nov. 3, and a Dairy Queen-themed sidewalk chalk art event for "Main Street's Little Dairy Queen Day" on Nov. 14 and Dec. 20. Thirty-nine events from Thanksgiving weekend through Dec. 31 round out the downtown festivities, with merchants redirecting sales leads to the Welcome Center at 222 W Main St. for transportation to Ackley Park events. Year-round, the Chamber promotes events like HeatWave music at the depot on alternate Tuesday nights, cheese tastings on Wednesdays, and a week-long soup and salad lunch offer.
Ackley Park and Christmas
Elk City officials say the Christmas event marks a return to tradition after a year without maintenance. When the OK bridge program funded major park renovations in 2022, ahead of the 2026 100-year Ackley Park anniversary, a reception hall replaced an old church, new walking paths replaced dead-end sod, and the kids' play area was expanded—delaying the annual holiday show. Separate kiosks this year allow for more space among vendor booths with Swinging Bridge-themed promotions.
The 150,000 LED lights used in this year's festive displays will be unmatched in Southwest Oklahoma, continuing a holiday tradition fostered by Ackley ranchers for over 150 years. "Kicking off for the 32nd year marks the return of the Star of the Magi, with 180 lights attached to lower arms extending to the ground," said Chamber president Donnie Hilburn and chairwoman Zane Burns. The Chamber posted a photograph of the "Star of Bethlehem" rising behind the turn-of-the-century brick public works shop in the downtown district. The improved displays highlight the historical link between the event and local ranchers, dating back to 1897 with the original Elmer Ackley and Mae Evangelyn, whose cattle deliveries to Wichita and El Reno drew tourists in the 1890s, according to Marsha Cowney of the Beckham County Historical Society.
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The park features will include the traditional Pipe Creek Carousel, now in its 40th year, and a light show on Santa's house with several tours per evening. The train's locomotive decorations will be at Ackley Park's southwest end by the picnic shelter. A broader ad campaign also promotes The Depot's train and State Senator Robert Graves' Model T Ford, along with prime rib, colonial tavern drinks, a decorated buffet, and a chocolate fountain, as Presley Baggett reported on the weekly AllEvents program.
The Interactive Landscape
The interactive map and visual centerpiece put Elk City on the map, with three new displays in the downtown outdoor district. Civic leaders are discussing a speedy transit link to the interstate in 2027, with $2 million from the Interstate Revenue Fund. Since the millennial birth celebration of John Elvis Acevedo, Norman Guild Chancellor, grew into Elk City's Durlander holiday attraction, there's also a new two-story nativity scene with 12 life-sized figures, a children's treasure hunt, and antlered reindeer grazing near Idylwood Elementary School. The Beer, Wine, and Tequila trails saw higher attendance than in previous years, according to Beer Magazine.
Many downtown activities are "snow globe" themed, inspired by this year's hot sales of decoration and nativity scene figurines, manager Jill Bailey told WBN TV. Storefront developer applications have increased due to improved foot traffic from downtown projects like the Elks Lodge theater conversion, high-speed internet in the new town square park, and the police department's move to the county building, giving developers confidence to renovate downtown buildings, said Karl Schwanz. Even the soon-to-be-renamed Fairbanks Building, the former City Hall, has drawn ten leasing inquiries.
The bronze star above the downtown alley has been declared the official Christmas lighting for the event, with a launch event featuring Chamber President Shawn McConnell, Q103 radio anchor Pat O'Brien, Police Captain Randy Shemuick, A. Curry Donnage of ACC Inc., and Mayor T.J. Dougherty on Thursday the 29th from noon to 1 PM.
The downtown block will close for the Blue Flame Project display, followed by a billboard contest, a unicycle parade, a nighttime Pet Parade, and a costume design competition. Ackley Park's interactive attractions include a dance floor, a pet-vending machine, and oversized play equipment for visitors and nearby Oklahoma residents.