This is the first Downtown in December since the OKC Streetcar stopped charging fares for good. The tree lighting, the ice rink, the Midtown pop-up shops and Lights on Broadway each have a stop on the same route, the Downtown Loop. You can now cover the season with one free loop. When you plan a night, the streetcar's hours matter more than the cost.
What changed in August
The Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority board adopted a resolution making the OKC Streetcar zero-fare, effective Aug. 7, 2026. It followed a free-fare pilot that began in January. EMBARK compared January through June 2026 with the same months of 2025 and found streetcar ridership up an average of 71% month over month.
EMBARK director Jesse Rush gave the reason in the same announcement. "As our city continues to invest in projects and host major events coming to downtown Oklahoma City, the streetcar can improve downtown circulation, help ease traffic congestion and boost economic activity for downtown businesses."
Downtown in December is the first big test of that idea. The season's streetcar page says the fares are "permanently FREE" and the rides run every day.
There are two loops. EMBARK's map and schedule lists the Downtown Loop at 4.86 miles with 22 stops through five districts. The Bricktown Loop is 2 miles long with 9 stops through two districts. Streetcars leave each platform about every 12 to 15 minutes. The holiday stops are all on the Downtown Loop: Ballpark, Scissortail Park, Myriad Gardens, NW 10th Street and Automobile Alley.
The season, stop by stop
Here is the season in date order, with the nearest stop and the streetcar hours for each day.
| Date | Event | Downtown Loop stop | Streetcar hours that day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu., Nov. 12 | Oklahoma City Tree Lighting Festival, 5:30–7:30 p.m. | Ballpark | 6 a.m.–midnight |
| Fri., Nov. 13 | Devon Ice Rink opens for its 15th season | Myriad Gardens | 6 a.m.–2 a.m. |
| Sun., Nov. 22 | Santa Paws at Midtown Mutts Dog Park | NW 10th Street area | 7 a.m.–10 p.m. |
| Thu., Nov. 26 | Thanksgiving | — | Regular schedule until midnight |
| Fri., Nov. 27 | Midtown Holiday Pop-Up Shops open | NW 10th Street | 6 a.m.–2 a.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 28 | Small Business Saturday | Multiple | 7 a.m.–2 a.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Saints Santa Run, then Lights on Broadway | NW 10th Street, then Automobile Alley | 7 a.m.–2 a.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 12 | Lights on Broadway | Automobile Alley | 7 a.m.–2 a.m. |
| Sun., Dec. 20 | Last day of the Midtown pop-ups | NW 10th Street | 7 a.m.–10 p.m. |
The table shows two patterns. The weeknight events depend on the Downtown Loop alone. The busiest days fall on Saturdays, when the streetcar runs latest.
Weeknights belong to the Downtown Loop
The Bricktown Loop runs only Friday through Sunday. The Tree Lighting Festival is on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 2 S. Mickey Mantle Drive, so you won't have that shorter loop that night. You won't need it either, because the Downtown Loop runs Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to midnight and stops at Ballpark. That gives you more than four hours after the 7:30 p.m. finish to ride home or stay downtown for dinner.
The Devon Ice Rink opens the next day, Nov. 13, at Myriad Botanical Gardens and runs through Jan. 31, 2027. It has 5,500 square feet of real ice. Admission is:
- $15 per person, skate rental included
- $12 if you bring your own skates
- $10 with a military ID
- $12 for Gardens members, rentals included
Groups of 10 or more pay $12 each, skates included, and need a reservation. The $10 military rate helps families from Tinker, who can now skip both the fare and the parking fee.
The rink is open Monday through Thursday from 3 to 9 p.m. On those nights, the last skate ends three hours before the Downtown Loop stops at midnight. If you want a drink before heading home, NOVA Lounge opened next to Vast on the 49th floor of Devon Tower. Visit Oklahoma City describes its cocktails as theatrical and its shareable plates as including Basque cheesecake with caviar.
Saturday, Dec. 5, as one ride
Dec. 5 has the most going on of any day in the season. On a Saturday, the streetcar runs from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Here is one way to fill that window without moving a car:
- 9 a.m. to noon, Saints Santa Run. It starts at 535 NW 9th St.
- Midday, Midtown Holiday Pop-Up Shops. The shops are at NW 10th Street and Hudson Avenue, and Downtown in December lists the streetcar stop at 10th and Hudson as the way in. Dec. 5 falls in the second of four weekend sessions, Dec. 4–6. The Independent Shopkeepers Association produces the market. The listing names Katiebug's hot chocolate, The Big Friendly, Bishop John Carroll's Christmas tree lot and Curbside Chronicle wrapping paper.
- 4 to 7 p.m., Lights on Broadway. Ride to the Automobile Alley stop. Lights on Broadway offers free activities and specials at the district's shops and restaurants. Its sponsors are Global Payments, OneSet Studio and Plenty Mercantile, and OneSet Studio brings Santa.
- Dinner in Automobile Alley. Skydance Brewing Co. is the first Native-owned brewery in Oklahoma. It expanded next door with the Eagle's Nest, which adds a patio and a full kitchen serving burgers, wings, Indian tacos and bison meatballs, according to Visit Oklahoma City.
- Evening skate. Ride to Myriad Gardens. The rink is open until 11 p.m. on Saturdays, three hours before the last streetcar.
Dec. 12 works the same way, except the Santa Run is replaced by a Lights on Broadway encore and pop-up weekend three, Dec. 11–13. The weekend before, Nov. 28 is Small Business Saturday, with promotions, in-store activities and giveaways at participating downtown businesses.
Sundays and holidays set the limits
The streetcar's hours change more over the season than the event times do. On Sundays the Downtown Loop starts at 7 a.m. and stops at 10 p.m. The rink closes at 7 p.m. on Sundays, so there is plenty of time there. Sunday is also the last day of each pop-up weekend, including the final day of the market on Dec. 20.
Santa Paws at Midtown Mutts Dog Park falls on Sunday, Nov. 22.
The holidays have their own schedule:
- Thanksgiving, Nov. 26: regular schedule until midnight
- Christmas Eve, Dec. 24: 6 a.m. to midnight
- Christmas Day, Dec. 25: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- New Year's Eve, Dec. 31: 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.
- New Year's Day, Jan. 1: 6 a.m. to midnight
Christmas Day has the shortest window, eight hours. On New Year's Eve, EMBARK runs both the streetcar and BRT until 2 a.m.
If you'd rather drive to a platform and ride from there, EMBARK runs public garages near streetcar stops for $2 an hour or $15 a day. They include the Arts garage at 431 W. Main, Century Center at 100 W. Main and the Convention Center garage at 15 Mick Cornett Drive. EMBARK posts stop closures and service changes at go.embarkok.com/alerts, so check it before you leave on a big night.
The construction around Bricktown
Bricktown has an active construction site this season. On Oct. 12, the City of Oklahoma City reported that crews had begun pouring elevated concrete decks at the mezzanine and concourse levels of Continental Coliseum. The site is bounded by Reno Avenue, Ron Norick Boulevard, Sheridan Avenue and E.K. Gaylord Boulevard. The Thunder's arena page says the building is scheduled to open by late summer 2028. For the tree lighting and the Bricktown Loop weekends, that means two more Downtown in December seasons with the arena still under construction.
For Bricktown nights, the Ballpark stop on the Downtown Loop runs all seven days. It also connects to Myriad Gardens and Automobile Alley on the same free ride.
If you're new to the metro, or you have family visiting from Tinker for the holidays and want help planning a December downtown, Kat Kosmala and our team know these neighborhoods well and are glad to help. Contact Us anytime. We'd love to hear which stop is your favorite.
