"We are thrilled to celebrate both the holiday season and our incredible OU Baseball National Champions," an event spokesperson said in the 2026 parade announcement from the Norman Christmas Holiday Parade committee. In the same release, the committee described the bigger change for anyone who has done this night before. Winterfest moves ahead of the parade this year, and the tree lighting and drone show close out the evening afterward.
The parade is still on Main Street, but most of the evening has moved to Jones Avenue. On Saturday, December 5, the festivities start at The Depot, head over to Main for the parade, and finish back on Jones. The grand marshals are a team that gave Norman its own celebration back in June.
Last Year's Order, Reversed
Last year Main Street came first. The 2025 parade ran Saturday, December 6, at 6 p.m., themed "Rockin' around the Christmas Tree," with The Imaginaries as grand marshals. The City of Norman's 2025 Winterfest notice said Winterfest "immediately follows" the parade. It had Santa arrive at the end of the route and families gather at James Garner and Main for the tree lighting.
This year it runs the other way.
| 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, Dec. 6 | Saturday, Dec. 5 |
| Winterfest timing | After the parade | 3 to 6 p.m., before the parade |
| Parade start | 6 p.m. on Main Street | 6 p.m. on Main Street |
| Theme | "Rockin' around the Christmas Tree" | "Home Sweet Home Run for the Holidays" |
| Grand marshals | The Imaginaries | OU baseball team |
| Tree lighting gathering spot | James Garner and Main | Back on Jones Avenue, with a drone show |
The City's Winterfest listing has the same order. A holiday market comes first, then the parade, which the City notes is "hosted separately," and then the City's tree lighting and drone show. The parade route is the same as last year: Main Street from Pickard Avenue to James Garner Avenue. What changed is when Winterfest happens and where the night ends.
3 p.m. at a 1909 Train Station
Winterfest is listed at 200 S Jones Ave, from 3 to 6 p.m. That address is Norman's historic Santa Fe Depot. Amtrak describes the station as a restored 1909 depot that still serves passengers and also houses a community arts group and gallery. That arts group is The Depot. It started as the Performing Arts Studio, which moved into the building in fall 2003. It now operates as The Performing Arts Studio, Inc., doing business as The Depot, with Shari Jackson as executive director.
The City says the afternoon market will have local vendors, games, photo spots and food trucks. The parade committee adds pictures with Santa, activities and entertainment along Jones Avenue. Because it runs for three hours before dark, the shopping and the Santa photos don't have to compete with the parade for anyone's attention.
Earlier on Main, the Sooner Theatre Is Running Its Own Clock
Before the market opens, there's something happening a few blocks over. The Sooner Theatre's ticket page lists a Studio of The Sooner Theatre production at 110 E Main St. It plays Friday, December 4, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, December 5, at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Public ticket sales opened November 4 at 11 a.m.
The Studio has a parade connection of its own. The parade committee's 2025 winners list named The Studio of The Sooner Theatre Best Entry with Children. Families with a performer in that Saturday cast will be in a show on Main at 11, 1 or 3 and at a holiday event on Jones from 3 to 6. Both are on the same afternoon, a short walk apart.
The Grand Marshals Earned the Theme
"Home Sweet Home Run for the Holidays" is a nod to this summer. On June 22, 2026, Oklahoma beat North Carolina 13–2 in the winner-take-all College World Series final, according to OU Athletics. It was the program's third national title. NCAA.com's results list the same score for Game 3.
Norman has already celebrated once. OU Daily's photo gallery shows the June 24 championship celebration at Kimrey Family Stadium, with fans in the stands, players signing autographs, and remarks from coach Skip Johnson and OU leaders. December 5 moves that celebration off campus and onto Main Street, and the parade committee is asking floats to build around it. Its float guidelines encourage music, lights, movement and the baseball-themed holiday title.
The Entry Window Is Open Right Now
Any group or business that wants to be in the parade has a short window. Registration opened November 1 and has a firm deadline of Friday, November 20. Entries are capped at 60. Here's the order things happen in:
- Now through Friday, November 20: Registration is open on the parade website. Business and political candidate entries cost $50, and nonprofit and community organization entries cost $25.
- December 5, 4:30 p.m.: Staging begins, according to the committee's parade rules.
- 5:30 p.m.: Staging must be finished, and Main Street closes to traffic at about the same time.
- 6 p.m.: The parade starts promptly.
The 60-entry cap and the deadline are firm limits, so groups that wait could find the parade already full. Prizes will be awarded in "multiple categories." Last year's categories were Best Entry with Children, Best Entry with Music, Best Use of Theme, Best Entry with Dance/Movement, Most Unique and Best Overall. Weed Warriors won Best Overall for the second year in a row, and the Pioneer Library System's "Lit with Literature" Librarian Lumberjacks took Best Use of Theme. The committee hasn't published this year's category list yet.
The early sponsors are Oklahoma Electric Cooperative as Platinum Sponsor, First United Bank and Vision Bank as Gold Sponsors, and VisitNorman among the Silver Sponsors. The committee calls this an early list. Questions about entries go to [email protected], and parade chair Mark Krittenbrink is the media contact.
After the Last Float, Back to Jones
The committee says that "immediately following the parade," everyone heads back to Jones Avenue for the tree lighting and a drone show. That's the biggest change for anyone watching from the west end of the route. Last year, families followed Santa down Main and gathered at James Garner and Main for the lighting. This year the finale is on Jones, close to where the afternoon started at The Depot.
Neither the City nor the committee has posted parking or detour details for 2026 yet, beyond the Main Street closure around 5:30. Last year's plan gives a rough idea of what to expect. In 2025 the City closed Main Street from Pickard to James Garner from 5 p.m. to about 7 p.m. Jones Avenue from Main to Eufaula, plus Comanche and Eufaula between Jones and Peters, were closed from 2 to 10 p.m. Parking was first-come, first-served, and drivers were asked to follow posted signs. This year's Jones Avenue plan could look different, since Winterfest now starts at 3 instead of after the parade. Check the City's Winterfest page before you pick a parking spot.
If you're planning the whole Saturday, the order looks like this. Catch a Studio matinee on Main if you have a performer in the cast. Head to The Depot between 3 and 6 for the market and Santa. Find a spot along Main between Pickard and James Garner before the 6 p.m. start. Then follow the crowd back to Jones Avenue for the lighting and the drone show.
Want to know how a downtown Saturday like this one plays out on the blocks around Main and Jones? Sarah Jane is always happy to talk Norman's downtown, from parking to the streets the parade crowds fill. Reach out to Sarah Johnson and Let's Connect.
