Downtown in December events light up the heart of Oklahoma City

Santa's Adventures on the Oklahoma River, a new Downtown in December event in the Boathouse District, will feature a 200-foot zip line, a children's kayaking activity, candy cane rock-climbing wall and more.

“I think a lot of people associate the Oklahoma River with summer sporting events, but they like to keep people coming out year round,” McKeown said.

Devon's Saturdays with Santa, which were introduced last year, will move to downtown's new landmark, the Devon Energy Center, and each week, the free festivities will have a different seasonal theme. For instance, the tower's rotunda will be transformed into “The North Pole,” complete with two live reindeer, on Dec. 1.

“It was wildly popular,” McKeown said. “Now that the Devon Tower is officially open ... we're moving everything over there. So it'll be a good opportunity if people haven't actually seen the inside of the tower to go in there and take it all in. Of course, the holiday decorations at Devon are spectacular.”

The Devon Ice Rink, Downtown in December's signature and most popular attraction, will return to the Myriad Gardens and grow 20 percent larger this year. At the Myriad Gardens restaurant space, families also can meet a certain jolly ol' elf at Breakfast with Santa on Dec. 16.

“Every year we try ... to give people something new,” McKeown said. “We're especially proud of the fact that we offer a lot of free or affordable ways for families to enjoy the holidays downtown.”