Tulsa’s own ‘Rockefeller Center’

A 35-foot Christmas tree adorned with lights overlooks an outdoor skating rink where families sip hot chocolate, listen to caroling and enjoy time together.

This holiday scene may sound like New York City’s famed Rockefeller Center, but Tulsans can experience it right outside the BOK Center.

The new downtown arena, with the help of several corporate sponsors, including Arvest Bank and Bank of Oklahoma, is hosting the first Winterfest, beginning Friday through New Year’s Eve.

“We hope this will be something the community embraces and that it will grow into a Tulsa tradition,” BOK Center General Manager John Bolton said.

“The key to this is that it’s active. It’s not sitting down and watching a movie. You’re out doing something fun and getting in the holiday spirit.”

Frisco Avenue from Second to Third streets, located on the west side of the facility, will be closed for the month to make room for Winterfest, which will feature a 50-by-100-foot ice rink, food and beverage vendors, and a music stage.

The rink will be open daily, generally from 4 to 10 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays and noon to 10 p.m. Fridays to Sundays, with some exceptions.

Skating will be $8 per person with skate rental and $5 for those who bring their own skates. Children 3 and under will be $5.

“Not everyone can take their family to a $75- or $80-a-ticket concert, but certainly this will be an affordable entertainment option,” BOK Center Special Events Manager Jeff Nickler said, noting that $1-off coupons will be in upcoming Reasor’s grocery store circulars.

Caroling and holiday music will be featured Thursdays and Sundays, with live bands and choirs performing Fridays and Saturdays. A full, up-to-date schedule of the rink’s hours and entertainment offerings will be available at www.tulsaworld.com/bok.

Planned events include a Dec. 11 Meet the Rockettes Night, when people can get photos with the stars of the “Radio City Christmas Spectacular,” and a Dec. 17 Skate with the Oilers Night, when hockey fans can share the ice with their favorite players.

Coffee, hot chocolate, strudel, funnel cakes, kettle corn, Ike’s chili, hot dogs and other snacks will be for sale, along with horse-drawn carriage rides.

As the presenting sponsor of Winterfest, Arvest Bank President and CEO Don Walker said the bank wanted to do something to give back to the Tulsa region.

“I think this will be a tough year for a lot of families due to the economy,” he said. “They might not be able to travel or have much money to spend on gifts. I think this will be a great place for people to gather close to home.”

Winterfest also will provide the kind of daily activity that downtown Tulsa needs to help recreate itself, Walker said.

“I’ve talked to others before about why we haven’t had more of a Christmas atmosphere downtown,” he said. “We have the parade and we have some decorations, but we needed something else, something big, so we’re doing our best to see this through.”

For the past several years, Oklahoma City has hosted “Downtown in December,” which has an outdoor ice rink, snow tubing rides and other activities.

Bolton said he was inspired by that and a similar event in Owensboro, Ky., where he used to live, that has since been expanded to include amusement rides, outdoor movies and other attractions.

“I think this is the start of something really great for Tulsa,” he said.

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Winterfest 2008

Where: Adjacent to the BOK Center, on Frisco Avenue between Second and Third streets in downtown Tulsa.

When: Friday to Dec. 31. Hours are 4 to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday and noon to 10 p.m. Friday to Sunday, with some exceptions. After Dec. 22, it will open at noon daily.

For an up-to-date schedule and a list of special activities and live entertainment, visit www.tulsaworld.com/bok.

Cost: Skating is $8 with skate rental and $5 for those who bring their own skates. Children 3 and under are $5. Discount rates for groups of 10 or more and private party bookings are available by calling BOK Center Special Events Manager Jeff Nickler at 894-4254.

Food and beverage prices vary.