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Christmas with kids in Lawton
In Lawton, Christmas lights up Elmer Thomas Park, where a 150-foot tree of lights and a giant Christmas cowboy hat and boots greet families. Behind the glow is a city with a Messiah concert that has run for more than 80 years.
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Holiday in the Park
When: Nov 21 to Dec 31, evenings
Where: Elmer Thomas Park, Lawton
Cost: Free
The story of Christmas in Lawton
How Lawton celebrates
Lawton's signature Christmas tradition is Holiday in the Park at Elmer Thomas Park, where families walk or drive through thousands of lights. It opens with a parade and the Frost Your Fanny 5K, and over the years it has added a Kris Kringle Market and ice skating. The park display once stood on Gore Boulevard before moving. Older traditions include Handel's Messiah, performed in Lawton for 84 years as of 2025, and the Lawton Ballet Theatre's Nutcracker, which has been staged for 13 years.
Christmas last year in Lawton
Holiday in the Park opened on Saturday, November 22, 2025, with the 5K at 5 pm and a toy-themed parade at 6:30 pm that lined up at Central Plaza and traveled down 2nd Street to the park. The city held its first Christmas tree lighting at City Hall on December 4, with cocoa, cookies and a station for letters to Santa. The Lawton Heritage Association offered Santa photos at the Mattie Beal Home on December 7, and the city's Breakfast with Santa at the Patterson Center on December 20 gave a gift to every child aged 0 to 12.
Fun facts about Christmas in Lawton
Holiday in the Park has a 150-foot tree of lights, lit tunnels, and a large Christmas cowboy hat and boots, and organizers expected around 35,000 visitors. At the Living Christmas Tree, singers stand inside a huge tree covered in thousands of lights. The Fort Sill Candlelight Stroll shows kids how the fort looked in the 1870s. The Nutcracker also has a special Nutcracker Tea for young children, and the 2025 Breakfast with Santa had a Willy Wonka theme with a chocolate fountain.
Traditions today
- Holiday in the Park: Thousands of lights at Elmer Thomas Park, opened each year by a parade, with a 150-foot tree of lights and a Christmas cowboy hat and boots.
- Handel's Messiah: A one-hour concert by local music groups that reached its 84th annual performance in 2025, possibly Lawton's oldest holiday tradition.
- The Nutcracker by Lawton Ballet Theatre: A December ballet at Lawton High School Auditorium, with a Nutcracker Tea for young children.
- Living Christmas Tree: A free performance at Lawton First Baptist Church where singers stand inside a giant tree covered in lights.
- Fort Sill Candlelight Stroll: A look at Fort Sill as it appeared in the 1870s, shown by candlelight.
- Breakfast with Santa: A city-hosted breakfast at the Patterson Center where Mr. and Mrs. Claus visit and each child receives a gift.
A fact for kids
Lawton has a Christmas cowboy hat and boots so big you can walk up to them. They stand at Holiday in the Park, right next to a tree of lights 150 feet tall.
Questions about Christmas in Lawton
What is the biggest Christmas tradition in Lawton?
Holiday in the Park at Elmer Thomas Park is Lawton's biggest Christmas tradition. Families walk or drive through thousands of lights, and the season opens with the Frost Your Fanny 5K and a parade. Newer additions include a Kris Kringle Market and ice skating, and the park projected about 35,000 visitors.
How does Holiday in the Park begin each year?
It begins with a run, a parade and a lighting. In 2025 the Frost Your Fanny 5K started at 5 pm, the parade stepped off at 6:30 pm on Saturday, November 22, and then the park was officially lit. Check our Lawton Christmas events guide on this page for this year's schedule.
What can kids see at Holiday in the Park?
Kids can see a 150-foot tree of lights, lit tunnels and a large Christmas cowboy hat and boots, according to the Oklahoma tourism listing. The park also lists live performances, horse and carriage rides and a Christmas Train. Admission is free. Our Lawton Christmas events guide on this page has this season's dates.
Where was Holiday in the Park before Elmer Thomas Park?
KLAW reports that the display once stood on Gore Boulevard between 11th and 2nd Streets before settling at Elmer Thomas Park. Volunteers string the lights each fall, starting with volunteer weekends in late October. We could not confirm the year the tradition began.
What is Lawton's oldest Christmas tradition?
Handel's Messiah may be Lawton's oldest holiday tradition. The 2025 concert was the 84th annual performance in the city, held on Saturday, December 13 at Lawton High School Auditorium. Local music groups perform selections for about one hour, which makes it a shorter concert. Check the current listing for this year's date and ticket details.
Does Lawton have a Nutcracker ballet?
Yes. Lawton Ballet Theatre has staged The Nutcracker for 13 years, and before that the Storey and Barton School of Dance produced it for a long time. In 2025 it ran December 19 to 21 at Lawton High School Auditorium. A Nutcracker Tea aimed at young children is also part of the tradition.
What is the Living Christmas Tree in Lawton?
It is a free performance by Lawton First Baptist Church where singers stand inside a large Christmas tree covered in thousands of lights. The 2025 theme was Joy to the World, with performances on December 11, 12 and 13. It is a good one to describe to kids as a tree made of singing people.
What is the Fort Sill Candlelight Stroll?
The Fort Sill Candlelight Stroll is a holiday event at the Fort Sill National Historic Landmark and Museum that shows what the fort looked like in the 1870s. It is shown by candlelight. Fort Sill had not announced the 2025 date by mid November, so check its site each fall.
When did Lawton start its city tree lighting?
Lawton held its first official Christmas tree lighting at City Hall on December 4, 2025, hosted by the Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce. It was billed as an inaugural event, so it is brand new. There was hot cocoa, Christmas cookies and a station where kids could write letters to Santa.
Where can kids meet Santa in Lawton?
In 2025 kids met Santa at several Lawton events. The Lawton Heritage Association hosted photos at the historic Mattie Beal Home on December 7, and the city's Breakfast with Santa at the Patterson Center on December 20 let kids visit Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Our Lawton Christmas events guide on this page lists this season's dates.
What was Lawton's Breakfast with Santa like?
The City of Lawton's 2025 Breakfast with Santa at the Patterson Center had a Willy Wonka theme with a chocolate fountain. Local performers played holiday music, Mr. and Mrs. Claus visited with children, and a raffle gave away bicycles. Every child aged 0 to 12 received a gift, and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity supported the event.
What is the Mattie Beal Home?
The Mattie Beal Home is a historic house in Lawton run by the Lawton Heritage Association. The Lawton Heritage Association offered Santa photos there. The 2025 event on December 7 cost $5 per person or $20 per family and included balloon animals, Christmas stories, crafts and a treat.
Is there a Christmas parade in Lawton?
Yes. The Holiday in the Park Parade opens the Holiday in the Park season each November. In 2025 it started at 6:30 pm on Saturday, November 22 and ran from Central Plaza down 2nd Street to Elmer Thomas Park, with floats built around a toy theme. Our Lawton Christmas events guide on this page lists this year's date.
What is the Frost Your Fanny 5K?
It is a fun run held just before the Holiday in the Park parade, and all ages are welcome. People can run, walk, jog or sprint, and day-of sign-ups are available. In 2025 it started at 5 pm on November 22, right before the 6:30 pm parade, so families can do both in one evening.
How can I explain Holiday in the Park to a young child?
Tell your child that volunteers spend weekends in the fall stringing thousands of lights through a park, and then the whole park glows for Christmas. They can see a giant tree, glowing tunnels and a cowboy hat and boots covered in lights. Our Lawton Christmas events guide on this page has this season's dates.
Can you drive through the lights in Lawton?
Yes. Holiday in the Park offers drive-through light displays as well as a walkable area, so families with sleepy toddlers can stay in the car. The Oklahoma tourism listing says it runs from late November to December 31 and is free. Check our Lawton Christmas events guide on this page for this season's hours.
How many people visit Holiday in the Park?
The Oklahoma tourism listing projects about 35,000 visitors. KLAW describes thousands of lights in the park, which families can walk or drive through. The listing also says the park is ADA compliant. Check our Lawton Christmas events guide on this page for this season's details.
Is there a Christmas train in Lawton?
Holiday in the Park lists a Christmas Train among its attractions at Elmer Thomas Park, along with horse and carriage rides. We did not find any history of the train itself, so check with the park for details on rides and times before you go. Our Lawton Christmas events guide on this page lists this season's information.
Is Holiday in the Park free?
Yes, the Oklahoma tourism listing for Holiday in the Park gives admission as free. The listing also says the park is ADA compliant and welcomes tour groups with bus parking. Check the current year's listing for details on extras like the Kris Kringle Market and ice skating. See our Lawton Christmas events guide on this page for hours.
Why is Christmas in Lawton different from other cities?
Lawton mixes Western flair with military history. The park has a Christmas cowboy hat and boots, Fort Sill offers a stroll through the 1870s, and a Messiah concert has run for 84 years. Add a brand new tree lighting and a city breakfast with Santa, and the season has both old and new traditions.
Sources
- Celebrate the season with Lawton's favorite holiday traditions, KLAW
- Lawton Holiday in the Park 2025, KLAW
- Holiday in the Park, TravelOK, Oklahoma Tourism
- Lawton's inaugural Christmas tree lighting ceremony, Popcrush 107.3
- Lawton Heritage Association offers photos with Santa Dec. 7, KSWO
- Breakfast with Santa, City of Lawton
- Lawton Holiday in the Park Parade 2025, KLAW