Santa is on his way for the largest Christmas Parade in Tulsa history. Tulsa Christmas Parade LLC announced Wednesday that over 88 parade units will gather Saturday, December 10th at 6 pm at 71st Street on Olympia Street at the Tulsa Hills shopping center.
Chairman Mark Croucher said, “It is Christmas and Tulsans have responded with enthusiasm to the opportunity to celebrate with others in the birth of Christ with joy to the world, peace on earth and good will toward men.”
This year, the Tulsa Christmas Parade will be held for the first time outside the core of the city in a new growing retail, office and medical center just off Highway 75 west of the Arkansas River. This is the first city-wide event held in modern history west of the river.
Marque floats, antique automobiles and trucks, clowns, dancing troupes, horses and horse drawn carriages will all be featured. Highlights include the world’s smallest jet airplane, the antique tractors and, of course, Santa.
The antique tractor was rebuilt by V.J. Carlton who died last year after a stroke. “Dad always wanted to enter it into some parades, but he never got around to it,” said his son Randy Carlton who will drive it for the first time publicly in the Tulsa Christmas Parade in honor of his father.
“No telling how much time he took to find parts and rebuild it. Dad just loved chrome and had everything he could chromed throughout. I think the tractor was manufactured sometime in the early 50s, but I’m not sure. I want to honor my dad and to support the Tulsa Christmas Parade. I am supporting this Parade because if you don’t keep Christ in Christmas you are lying to yourself about the reason for the season.”
At the Tulsa Christmas Parade the Tulsa 912 Project will also conduct its second annual “Coins, Cash and Coats” campaign to benefit Oklahomans in need. They will donate cash and coins to the Oklahoma National Guard Families In Need Program, benefiting families separated from their loved ones serving overseas and they will collect coats to benefit Yale Cleaners’ annual “Coats For Kids Program.” A Yale Cleaners truck will be parked near Michael’s at Tulsa Hills to accept coats, cash and coins. The Tulsa 912 Project is a conservative grassroots organization that works to educate, empower and activate concerned citizens, and is a proud sponsor of the 2011 Tulsa Christmas Parade.
Previous Tulsa Today stories on the Tulsa Christmas Parade are linked below:
Tulsa Christmas Parade Announced