Territorial Christmas Victorian Walk Nights See Incredible Turnout

Guthrie’s Territorial Christmas Foundation’s events for this year ended on a high note on Saturday, December 10th with the second and final Victorian Walk. Following a wild day of wind and rain, an estimated 6 - 7,000 people flooded Historic Downtown Guthrie streets to travel back in time to a Victorian Christmas.

Much of the success has been attributed to establishing an area dedicated to the Industrial aspects of Victorian society which is the source of Steampunk costume and design. The 100 block of East Oklahoma was designated “Steampunk Alley” and featured street entertainment that visitors might have experienced during the days of Oklahoma Territory.

Characters that wandered Steampunk Alley were dressed in traditional Victorian costumes with a more industrial flair as well as some of the more haunting sides of the holiday celebrated by the Victorians of the Territorial days, such as Krampus, the Ghost of Christmas Past, and a fortune teller. Fire jugglers, bird wranglers, and other street performers entertained crowds of people, many of whom came dressed in the Steampunk theme themselves. A delegation from Queensferry Renaissance Festival attended in full Victorian dress to help kick off the Alley’s inaugural year.

Both Victorian Walk nights, the first of which had an estimated attendance of 3,000, saw traditional caroling, street musicians, wagon rides, wassail and cider stands, and shoppers from all around the state. Food and drinks were provided by food trucks and the Boy Scouts annual Chili and Cobbler Kitchen.

The Territorial Christmas Foundation reports that over 500 jingle bells were handed out, and the manager of Boomerang estimates they were all in his shop at the same time.

Guthrie’s Territorial Christmas Celebration is a contributor to the town being crowned “Oklahoma’s Christmas Capital” by media across the state. Christmas season traditions in Guthrie bring in growing revenue to local businesses as community members become more involved in making these celebrations come together in elegance and expertise. The Territorial Christmas Foundation is at the heart of this growth and has already begun planning for 2023.