Route 66 turned 100 yesterday. The federal highway was commissioned on November 11, 1926, and Edmond has spent all of 2026 marking the anniversary. The city's holiday campaign takes its name from the highway this year. Miracle on 2nd Street returns from November 7 through January 31, and the City of Edmond's announcement ties the theme directly to the Route 66 Centennial because the old highway runs along 2nd Street.
The two events that fill the most evenings, the Edmond Ice Rink and Edmond Electric's Luminance, both sit in Mitch Park on West Covell Road, well north of the highway. So the season named for 2nd Street really runs along two streets. One is old Route 66, which has dated events, history and a few new monuments. The other is Covell, which has the nightly attractions. The easiest way to plan a December in Edmond is one evening at a time: decide which of the two each night belongs to.
Why 2nd Street Gets the Name
Visit Edmond's centennial guide explains why the theme fits. The original Route 66 alignment made an L-turn at 2nd Street and Broadway, so for decades highway travelers drove straight through the center of town. That corner is still the center of the downtown holiday calendar, and the city added new markers along the corridor this year.
The most visible new marker is at Fink Park, 611 Park Place. The Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission gave a custom steel Route 66 shield, 72 inches tall, to 42 cities along the route. Edmond's was installed on July 28, with Cox Mobile and OG&E as presenting sponsors. Dena Jones, former chair of the Visit Edmond Tourism Advisory Board, told Visit Edmond that the committee chose Fink Park "because it is along Route 66 with proximity to Route 66 attractions like the University of Central Oklahoma, 1889 Territorial Schoolhouse and Downtown Edmond." The shield shows the Uncommon Ground Sculpture Park's six horses, Old North Tower at UCO, the Blue Hippo, the 1889 Territorial Schoolhouse and kayaking on Arcadia Lake. Visit Edmond also lists seven Route 66 murals, including "Edmond Route 66 Centennial" at 220 S. Littler, "Mainstreet Edmond" at 302 S. Broadway and "Welcome to Edmond" at 23 S. Broadway.
Most of these sit within a short walk of the downtown events, so a resident can see them before an evening downtown.
The Route 66 Half, Night by Night
The downtown and 2nd Street side of the season runs on a fixed calendar. Each event happens once, or on a set run of Saturdays, and the season starts tonight.
Deck the Downtown is Thursday, November 12, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Festival Market Place, 26 W. First St. It is free, and the program includes lighting the 20-foot tree, Santa and Mrs. Claus, live reindeer, wagon rides, music, cocoa, dance presentations and family photos.
After that, the Route 66 side of the calendar fills in like this:
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 26 | Turkey Trot 5K and 1 Mile Walk | Downtown Edmond |
| Nov. 28 | Small Business Saturday, with free horse-drawn carriage rides and a visit from the Grinch | Downtown Edmond |
| Saturdays, Nov. 28 to Dec. 19 | Wagon rides, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., weather permitting | Campbell and Broadway |
| Select days, Dec. 2 to 22 | Meet Santa, free | Citizens Bank, Downtown Edmond |
| Dec. 3 to 6 | Favorite Christmas Playlist | UCO Jazz Lab |
| Dec. 4 | UCO WinterGlow, 6 to 9 p.m. | UCO |
| Dec. 5 | Holiday Hop | Edmond History Museum, Rodkey Victorian Home, 1889 Territorial School |
| Dec. 11 | Main Street Carol Sing, organized by Redemption Church | Downtown Edmond |
The 1889 Territorial School stands at 124 E. 2nd, right on the old highway. Outside of Holiday Hop, Visit Edmond lists it as open Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m., but holiday closures are possible, so check before a weekend visit. A few blocks away, Edmond Fine Arts at 27 E. Edwards has "The Other Side," a Route 66 photography show by Melinda Green Harvey and VC Torneden. It is on view through November only, and the gallery is open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or by appointment. That leaves a short window: about two and a half weeks of weekday afternoons after tonight's tree lighting.
The campaign also comes with a souvenir. Local candle maker Thomas Blonde made a limited-edition Miracle on 2nd Street candle, sold at Silver Leaf Gems, Cinnamon Bears, Urban Retreat Salon, Sherry's Drug and Hilton Garden Inn.
The Covell Half Runs Every Night
Mitch Park works on a different schedule. Downtown events happen once. The rink is open every day from November 7 to January 31, and Luminance lights up every night from November 20 to January 1, so from late November through the holidays both are available on almost any December evening.
The Edmond Ice Rink opened November 7 for its 16th season. It sits inside Mitch Park next to the silo at 1501 W. Covell Road and stays open through January 31. Hours and prices from the rink's site:
- Monday through Thursday, 3 to 9 p.m.; Friday, 3 to 10 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 10 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 9 p.m.
- Thanksgiving break, Nov. 22 to 28, and winter break, Dec. 20 to Jan. 2: noon to 10 p.m. daily
- Christmas Eve: noon to 5 p.m.; Christmas Day and New Year's Eve: noon to 10 p.m.
- Admission: $15 general, $13 with military ID, $10 without skate rental, $10 for children five and under
Luminance: An Enchanted Stroll starts November 20 and runs nightly through January 1, from 5 to 10 p.m. It is free. This year Edmond Electric advertises more than 40 light displays, up from more than 30 in 2025. The two special event nights are Friday, Nov. 20, and Saturday, Dec. 12, each from 4 to 8 p.m., one day earlier on the calendar than last year's Nov. 21 and Dec. 13. According to the Luminance site, the walk is about a quarter mile along the park trails, parking is free, and leashed dogs are welcome.
Mitch Park also hosts a few dated events: Meet Santa and an Indoor Farmers Market at the MAC on December 5, and the Merry Mitchmas 5K and 10K on December 19.
Where the Two Calendars Overlap
The two routes compete only on a few nights, and those are the nights that need a plan. On most December evenings Luminance and the rink are simply there, and the downtown calendar is quiet. Here are the overlap nights:
December 4. WinterGlow runs at UCO from 6 to 9 p.m., and Winter's Night at the Safety Village at the Edmond Fire Department offers free hot chocolate, s'mores and Santa photos on a fire truck. Luminance is open from 5 to 10 p.m. The lights stay on latest, so they fit at the end of the night.
December 5. Holiday Hop on the Route 66 side and Meet Santa at the MAC on the Covell side fall on the same Saturday. The rink opens at noon on Saturdays, so a family could do Santa, then the history sites, then skating without any two events overlapping.
December 11. The Main Street Carol Sing downtown falls on the same night as the second Winter's Night at the Safety Village.
December 12. Luminance's community night runs from 4 to 8 p.m., and Cops & Claus is at the Edmond Police Station the same day.
Away from these dates, an easy rhythm is a Saturday afternoon downtown, when the wagon rides run at Campbell and Broadway from 11 to 3, followed by an evening at Mitch Park once the lights come on at 5.
Following 2nd Street East
Driving east on 2nd Street, the old highway leaves downtown and keeps going toward Tulsa. Its next stops show where Route 66 in Edmond is headed after the centennial year.
At 2nd Street and Coltrane, at 101 N. Coltrane Road, is the Uncommon Ground Sculpture Park. Visit Edmond's listing describes it as a 62-acre sculpture park that is open in 2026 only for events, with a public opening planned for July 2027. Edmond Outlook describes its centerpiece, the Eagle's Nest, as a climbable sculpture and observation tower designed by Oklahoma architect Rand Elliott. It is built partly from repurposed oil-field pipe and has a raised platform with views over the park and Route 66. NonDoc reported an official opening date of November 5, 2027, almost exactly a year after the centennial.
Farther east, TravelOK notes that the Second Street alignment passes Arcadia Lake, where a dam-viewing area sits by the lake office. The Arcadia Round Barn, built in 1898, stands about six miles east of Edmond at 107 OK-66. Its tourism listing gives free admission and daily hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., but the listing is undated, so confirm before a holiday-week visit. Just past the lake is POPS, with its 66-foot soda bottle, a diner and more than 650 soda flavors.
The city release closes with Jennifer Thornton, the City of Edmond's Communications and Tourism Director: "Whether you're ice skating, shopping local, or enjoying a horse-drawn carriage ride downtown, Edmond offers holiday traditions that make the season truly special." Her list covers both halves of the season: skating at Mitch Park on Covell, and shopping and carriage rides downtown on 2nd Street.
Edmond's historic corridor and its newer parks each shape how homes here are presented and valued. If you are thinking about a move in the new year and want to talk through how your Edmond home tells its own story, Darian Woolbright and D.W. Real Estate Group are glad to help. Request a Private Listing Consultation.
