Oklahoma City KEY - Cover Story

The sparkle of thousands of holiday lights will blanket downtown Oklahoma City this season during the third annual “Downtown in December” winter celebration. Santa, skating, sleigh rides and a flurry of other activities will be on ice for a cool month of winter activity through January 2.

Civic Center Park will transform into a frosty winter wonderland with the opening of the 62 by 150-foot Ice Rink. The ice rink is open from noon – 10 p.m. through January 2. Tickets are $8. Those with their own skates pay just $5. The rink is located at 201 N Walker.

Dine, dance, catch a movie and enjoy holiday shopping in the shadow of the state's tallest Christmas tree – The Oklahoman Christmas Tree – in historic Bricktown. This vibrantly active enter- tainment district dons thousands of twinkling lights and features festive trees decorated by local school children for Bricktown Lights and trees through the New Year. With 20 restarants, 10 nightclubs, a mile-long landscaped canal and new, 16-screen movie theatre, there’s something for everyone.

Take a holiday safari by trekking though the Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory during Garden Lights at the 17-acre Myriad Botanical Gardens. Twinkling lights illuminate palms, orchids and waterfalls along the Conservatory’s winding pathways. Outside, thousands of lights transform the Gardens into a holiday wonderland. The Myriad Botanical Gardens is located at Reno and Robinson, downtown.

All aboard…. for a free adven- ture cruise on a Bricktown Water Taxi during Holi- days on the Canal. People of all ages will enjoy a fun-filled ride through sparkling Bricktown. Ride free from 6 – 9:30 p.m. every Thursday through Sunday through December 26 (closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day).

Merry Christmas translated is: Feliz Navidad (Spanish), Joyeux Noel (French), Fröhliches Weihnachten (German) and Buon Natale (Italian). Explore this international holiday free at the World of Trees and Children’s Christmas Village, located at the SBC Bricktown Ballpark. View dozens of holiday trees decorated by cultural groups representing various countries, cultures, crafts and organizations from around the world.

The jolly Downtown in December 5K Run will wind runners through the light-filled business district streets at 5 p.m. on Saturday, December 11. A one mile Fun Run begins at 5:45 p.m. Kids can participate in a Free Kids Run at 6 p.m. Registration fees are $15 in advance and $20 on the day of the race. Proceeds go to the Judy Weichert Scholarship Fund, benefiting the children of Oklahoma law enforcement employees. For more information, call (405) 759-2580.

The Oklahoma River officially opens to the public on Sat, December 11, with a free festival, river parade and fireworks show. The Oklahoma River Grand Opening, an outdoor family festival, will begin at noon and feature a variety of foods, hot & cold beverages and entertainment. The nighttime parade will begin at 6 p.m. featuring boats decorated withholiday lights and a finale of lights, music, spectacular fireworks and a few other surprises!

Performing arts and culture abounds this season at the historic Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N Walker. Performances include the Oklahoma City Philharmonic’s “A Very Merry Pops”, Oklahoma City Theatre Company’s “A Christmas Carol”, Canterbury Choral Society’s “ChristmaSing”, Ballet Oklahoma’s “Nutcracker”, and City Rep’s “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”.

Across the street from the Ice Rink stands the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, home to the largest Dale Chihuly collection in the world. Special exhibits include “Millet to Matisse,” ending December 5 and “kidsize: The Material World of Childhood,” opening December 23. In the Noble Theater families can enjoy the Kids First Holiday Film Festival featuring such loved holiday family classics as Prancer, I Want a Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown; Dora the Explorer, Dora’s Christmas, and It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie.

Only six blocks north of the Myriad Botanical Gardens is the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, at 620 N. Harvey, America’s only permanent memorial dedicated to the victims of, and the triumph over, terrorism. From the solemn Outdoor Symbolic Memorial to the extensive displays in the Memorial Museum, the Memorial is a place of remembrance, but it is also a place that emphasizes hope and courage. Designed to remember the events of April 19, 1995, the Memorial, above all, shows Americans at their very best.

Watch pucks and gloves fly as the Oklahoma City Blazers hockey team heats up the ice at the Ford Center this holiday season. Home games are scheduled December 11, 12, 21, 25 and 31. Most games begin at 7:35 p.m.

Transportation around downtown during the holidays is a snap, just board METRO Transit’s Holiday Spirit Trolley. Park just once and catch a trolley to attractions. Trolleys operate 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. Monday - Wednesday; 7 a.m. - 11 p.m. Thursday & Friday; 9 a.m. – 11p.m. Saturday.

Ring in 2005 with family fun during the Arts Council of OKC’s annual Opening Night celebration on December 31. Down-town will come alive with more than 15 entertainment venues hosting dozens of entertainers and children’s activities from 7 p.m. to midnight. The evening will culminate with the traditional countdown and fireworks.

For more information about the U.S. Cellular’s: “Downtown in December,” visit www.downtownokc.com or call the Downtown in December Hotline at (405) 236-3640.

This website designed, hosted and maintained for KEY of Oklahoma, Inc. by

...when it's time to establish an Internet presence.