The Kiwanis Club of Bartlesville is excited to host one of the area’s largest Christmas Parades on Saturday, December 7, 2019 with Presenting Sponsor, Stride Bank.

The parade will step off promptly at 6:30 pm to make “Christmas Around the World,” the 2019 parade theme. It will be a bright and festive evening in downtown Bartlesville. This year’s theme highlights the spirit of Christmas and the importance of recognizing the many different traditions that surround the holiday.

KWON 1400 AM and 93.3 FM with broadcast live from the parade and we will bring your live streaming video of the parade on KWONTV.Com. Our sponsors for the broadcast include: Bartnet IP, Advance Benefit Systems, AC&H Services Heating and Cooling, P&C Alterations, Arvest Bank, The Candy Basket, Jim Sweezey Realty and Bancfirst.

Kiwanis is proud to announce Bartlesville’s own Ed Gordon will be the Parade Grand Marshal.  As a dedicated public servant, he has given back to the community, in various departments, since 1991.  Ed served as Bartlesville’s City Manager from 2006 until his retirement in 2017. Truity Credit Union is sponsor for this year’s Grand Marshal.

Approximately 100 floats, marching bands and varied other entries, decorated in gorgeous Christmas lights and tons of holiday cheer, are expected to grace the streets of downtown.  Two area high school bands (the Bartlesville High School Bruin Brigade and Dewey High School’s Big Red Pride), will play Christmas’ best tunes as they parade through the streets.  In addition to Presenting and Grand Marshal sponsorship, many entries are made possible by other committed sponsors who, year after year, partner with us to make this event such a grand success. 

Kiwanis is delighted to announce their 2019 Christmas Parade Category Sponsors:  Armstrong Bank, Bartlesville Ambulance; Bartlesville Radio; Bryan, Little, Haley & Kent CPA; Chinowth & Cohen Realtors; Cliff’s Flooring & Windows;  Musselman Abstract, Southern Abstract; St. Rep. Dist., 10 Judd Strom and St. Rep. Dist., 11 Derrel Fincher.   Bartlesville Radio will provide live coverage of the parade.   

The parade has five judging categories:  Business, Corporate, Non-Profit, Parade Theme and Overall Winner.   A crew of independent Judges will select 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in each of Business, Corporate & Non-Profit categories.  Winners are also awarded for Parade Theme and Overall Winner.  Selection consideration for all categories is based upon creativity & effort, float attendants, parade theme and overall Impression.

All entries wishing to be judged must be in their line-up slot, entry completed and ready to be judged no later than 4:30 p.m. Judging and awarding of recognition plaques will be from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. Each 1st Place winning entry will be highlighted along the parade route with a banner leading their entry.  The banner will display the winning category and the community sponsor.  

Co-Chairing the parade are Kiwanis Club members Mike Dronyk and Pat Gamble.  According to Dronyk, there is a new parade route this year.  The parade will again start at the Phillips 66 parking lot and travel east on Frank Phillips Boulevard all the way to Cherokee Avenue. From there, the parade will turn South on Cherokee Avenue down to 5th Street then turn west and proceed all the way to Keeler Street, where the parade will turn South and proceed to Adams Blvd.  At Adams Blvd. the parade will turn west and proceed to the south entrance of the Phillips 66 parking lot where the route ends.

Registration Entry Forms, Online Payment, Instructions and Parade Rules are at www.bartlesvillechristmas.org.  Early registration fees are $25 for Business and $10 for Non-Profit groups until November 15th, 2019.  Registrations fees after 11.15.19 will be $30 Business and $15 Non-Profit.  Parade Registration officially closes on December 5th, 2019. Groups are urged to register early.

For more information, call the Kiwanis Club of Bartlesville’s Christmas hotline at 918-977-3400, ext. 3.