SAPULPA, Okla. — The Sapulpa Christmas Chute is pausing in 2025.
In a post on the official website, organizers said that due to a streetscape project beginning this year, they need to take a break to regroup and return for the centennial year of Route 66.
The holiday tradition started in 2022 with local businesses and private donations. The overwhelming success of that year led to the city providing $250,000 to make it an annual event.
WATCH: 2 News covered the Chute from the beginning:
The Today Show even featured the festive event in its first year.
Now, with the construction on Dewey Ave (Route 66) in Sapulpa beginning the organizers said they need to redesign the Chute to go with the new Dewey Ave.
Will Berry, a chute committee member, said they knew this was coming, they just weren't sure when. The streetscape project has been in the works since a bond was passed in 2020.
But he doesn't look at this pause as a bad thing.
“They’re actually putting the chute in the streetscape itself, and so that makes it so much easier," said Berry. "It makes the longevity of the Christmas chute much longer, it helps us with the ease of putting it up and taking it down.”
This break will give Berry and the rest of the committee time to reimagine the magic they bring to downtown Sapulpa each year.
That's not to say they didn't consider moving the chute, before deciding to take the year hiatus.
"We did look at maybe moving it over to Lee Street, or maybe moving it over to Hobson Street, but the logistics just don't work," he said. "It would cost a lot more money, because of the power needs that were needed. We would be encroaching on the ambulance and that would be a problem. Also, depending on the construction time frame, you would have Dewey street closed off and either Lee or Hobson Street closed off, and so now you’ve got two main thoroughfare’s going through town closed off and I don’t think that would be very good.”
Berry said he is confident this time off will allow them to make improvements critical to their long term success. With the changes to Dewey St., the chute committee is essentially starting over how to bring the magic to life.
While they still have two years to work out every detail, Barry did say some themes and decorations will be revamped.
"Its going to be a whole new experience because what you experienced because what you experienced previously was ten different themes," he said. "It’s going to feel like five themes because it’s going to be more of a tunnel concept in 2026 than it is an open concept. It’s going to be much more intimate.”
- PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> 3RD YEAR: Sapulpa starts preps on Route 66 Christmas Chute
Playing off of the already existing charm of Sapulpa, Oklahoma.
"You can't be upset about something when it's all to make Sapulpa better," said Terri Fain.
She and her husband run The Route 66 Vintage Market, in the heart of the chute.
They opened five years ago. Business, she said, has only gotten better each year since opening, and the chute has definitely helped.
“Anything that those people put their hands to… they brought magic to Sapulpa,” she said.
Fain said she's still processing the news of no chute for 2025.
2 News asked her if she was concerned about the shortage of foot traffic outside her doors hurting the future of her business.
“I think we’ll have a hard year anyway, because anytime you shut down a road, it’s a little bit harder, but we had a business before the chute.”
Organizers said the event will be back in 2026 to coincide with the centennial for Route 66.
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