SAPULPA, Okla. — Stand at the end of Sapulpa’s downtown corridor, and it may not seem like much. Look a little closer, and it's hard to stop looking.
"Amazing. It is absolutely amazing. We didn’t make it last year, we tried to come last year and it was so crowded we couldn’t even find a parking space," said Bob Martin, visiting from Tulsa.
Downtown business leaders got the idea from Tulsa’s Roosevelt’s restaurant, known for its opulent Christmas decorations.
- Previous coverage >>> Sapulpa businesses prepare for Route 66 Christmas Chute
The chute is only in its second year of existence, but its impact is expected to last much longer.
"It was stunning. The response that Sapulpa had to this project, it was absolutely amazing," Joe Krout said, "The amount of people that we had coming into the community.'
Joe Krout works with the Sapulpa Main Street Organization.
The Christmas Chute is doing big favors for Main Street businesses like Route 66 Vintage.
"It’s been great, it’s been phenomenal," owner Archie Fain said.
Fain followed his wife to Sapulpa, and he’s got no regrets.
- Previous coverage >>> 'Sapulpa's Route 66 Christmas Chute' coming back November 2023
"Just about everyone here is just about as friendly as can be. Sapulpa tries to do everything they can to help," Fain said.
Krout sees the chute as a gateway.
"Sapulpa’s awareness, with the public outside of Sapulpa, has increased. Broken Arrow has its own downtown, and Owasso has its own nightlife. Sapulpa was just kind of there," Krout said.
Sapulpa leaders hope the Chute starts a chain reaction. People are coming to Sapulpa to see it and, in turn, see downtown and the rest of the city. Those people come back to spend money, and some even start their own businesses. Fain said people from Alaska and Hawaii visited his shop last year.
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