Sapulpa's Christmas Chute is making it's return and set up is already underway

SAPULPA, Okla. — After a year off, the Sapulpa Christmas Chute is making it's return to Route 66.

The chute has become a family tradition since it's inception in 2022, not only for Oklahomans, but for people all around the world. Though, volunteers decided to take a hiatus for the 2025 holiday season because of construction along Dewey Avenue in downtown Sapulpa.

"Having the hiatus gave us time," said Tami Fleak, Logistics Coordinator for the chute. "This is a completely new structure this year, so this is like year one for us instead of year four for us. So, starting all over has been exciting. It's also been nerve racking, because we are starting over."

WATCH: Sapulpa Christmas Chute to pause in 2025

With an entirely different look for downtown, Fleak and the rest of the volunteers are getting a head start on creating the holiday magic. Set up began on Oct. 12, with steel beams installed to bring the chute to life.

“It’ll be the same chute, it’ll be the same feel, it’s just different," said Fleak. "It’s bigger, it’s taller, it’s more like a chute. It’s like a canopy that goes over the entire downtown. So that’ll be a whole new look."

Fleak said she and the other volunteers only had one week off since tearing down in 2024 — taking time to re-imagine the chute with a new street layout. There will be differences from their first three years.

“As people know the old chute, you walked directly under a certain theme for 125 feet or 75 feet, depending on the theme," said Fleak. "These will be going diagonally across the street instead of longways down the street.”

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The first three years created a holiday tradition for families. In 2024, the chute saw visitors from 40 states and over a dozen countries.

Nicky Plummer and her family visited the chute every year, and is ready for the magic to come back to Sapulpa.

“Every year, except last year you know they didn’t have it and that was kind of disappointing, but I’m glad it’s back.”

There are 11 different themes this year, versus the ten we've seen in the past. Instead of walking straight down the chute, Fleak said the themes will actually go across the street.

Lights on Dewey Avenue turn on Nov. 19.