Mayor backs Christmas Chute Committee’s decision amid $2.5M streetscape investment

SAPULPA, OKLA (KTUL) — We’re hearing from the Sapulpa Mayor about the project that’s postponing the famous Christmas Chute until the 2026 holidays.

You are viewing: Mayor backs Christmas Chute Committee’s decision amid $2.5M streetscape investment

Mayor Craig Henderson tells News Channel 8 that the project is a multi-million dollar investment and years in the making.

“It’s a yearlong process. I know a lot of people think it goes up in November and comes down on the 1st of January. It’s a year-round labor of love for the volunteers,” he said.

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Henderson said this was a decision the city didn’t make, but rather the Christmas Chute Committee that he supports. The reason Christmas on Duey Street is canceled later this year is due to a streetscape project.

“We don’t have a whole lot of control once we contract out the Duey streetscape stuff depending on weather and a lot of other factors depends on how soon it can get done and so because of the dedicated money the $2.5 million from our bond money as well as grants about the same amount we had to start it this year. Otherwise, we’re in danger of not being able to do that project,” Henderson said.

A project he said has been in the works since before the first Christmas Chute in 2022.

“Traffic’s going to be two-ways that way we’re going to be able to extend our sidewalks. We’re going to add a lot more green space which we’ve already been doing and make it more pedestrian-friendly and just it’s going to be incredible when it’s done,” Henderson said.

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With weather risks and other potential delays, the committee saw it may not be done by October when it’s time to start decorating.

As for small businesses that gained much business from the attraction, the city plans to work with them.

“We’re going to look for ways to make sure people still access businesses along Duey and continue to support them as much as we can. I know it’s going to be a headache for some people, but we have some really strong business in downtown Sapulpa not just during the Christmas Chute but after the Chute comes down, they continue to see a lot of business because of the exposure from the Chute and we’re going to continue to support that traffic,” he said.

Henderson said the project was supposed to start once the Chute wrapped up on the 1st but has already pushed back until February.