Tulsa Christmas Parade Volunteers Prepare For Expected 30,000 Spectators

Preparations for the Tulsa Christmas Parade are in the home stretch.

Volunteers are putting the final touches on floats that will be rolling through downtown on Saturday night.

Several floats are coming together at the convention center.

About a 100 volunteers from various organizations and sponsors have been out there all week preparing.

"It's very enjoyable,” volunteer Mark Burton said. “I mean, I enjoy my guys like doing stuff like this. I like doing stuff like this, so we're having a good time."

Mark Burton and his team at Resource One are getting a flatbed ready for the parade route.

"It's definitely going to be the biggest float, the tallest float, probably the nicest float in the parade," Burton said.

Down the row, volunteers are making the finishing touches to a gingerbread house.

"Our name is all over this parade, so we want to make American Waste Control look the best," volunteer Jessica Gullo said. “I just want to give back. l love doing crafty stuff, so this is up my alley."

Tulsa Christmas Parade website

Organizers are expecting 30,000 spectators this year, touting it the largest free Christmas parade in the country.

"It's crazy right now, but… we're excited and it's a good thing. We're excited to be doing this this year," parade chairman Josh McFarland said.

McFarland said, along with the floats, several five-story-tall balloons and five marching bands will roll through downtown Tulsa.

“I still stand by that this is going to be biggest, best parade Tulsa has ever seen and I stand by that and we'll find out Saturday," he said.

The parade starts at 6 p.m. at Seventh and Boston and loops around downtown.