Bartlesville Sparkles

Love, Laughter, and Memory Making

Twinkle lights trace the rooftops along Frank Phillips Boulevard, the old Santa Fe Depot glows like a music box, and somewhere downtown a hometown girl is getting ready for opening night. If your holidays need a little more magic, Bartlesville has written you a starring role.

Caitlyn Kraemer knows that storyline by heart. The Bartlesville native spent ten years performing on Broadway, including the original cast of Newsies, then toured the country in many other Broadway productions. When it came time to raise a family, she came home, and today she is managing director of The Center. “I wanted my kids to have access to the splendid resources of this town...the arts, and cultural access,” she says.

Access is the word Caitlyn returns to again and again: arts, education, sports, the outdoors and entertainment, for everyone. Victoria Hulse, The Center’s development director, says it simply. Bartlesville has “big city amenities with a small town feel.”

Christmas Through the Years

Bartlesville has always done Christmas with its whole heart. For more than a decade, the Kiwanis Club has led a nighttime parade of lights downtown, and last year it drew 110 entries. Fantasy Land of Lights still twinkles through Johnstone Park, and Woolaroc’s Wonderland of Lights turns the hills outside town into a glowing storybook. Since 2016, the Chamber’s Christmas in the Ville has added an outdoor ice rink, carriage rides and a Santa-filled depot to the memories.

It all fits Visit Bartlesville’s theme: Art Is in Our Nature. “Growing up, Woolaroc was my favorite, and as an adult it’s the architecture,” says Maria Gus of Visit Bartlesville. “It’s a lovely place for people to make happy memories.”

What’s On Stage at The Center

Plan the perfect day: browse the downtown shops, linger over dinner, then settle into your seat at The Center, 300 SE Adams Blvd. Amanda Stratford, The Center’s communications strategist, moved to Bartlesville five years ago and fell for it fast. “My number one thing is the people and the shared camaraderie,” she says, “as well as the arts, entertainment and architecture.”

Mrs. Doubtfire (Broadway in Bartlesville), Saturday, Nov. 14.

Out-of-work actor Daniel Hillard becomes a kindly Scottish nanny to stay close to his kids in this hysterical, heartfelt musical comedy. Tickets $30–$105; Broadway in Bartlesville season tickets $60–$210.

Ella Mae Dixon (Bartlesville Community Concert Association), Monday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.

This vintage-style vocalist made her New York headlining debut at just 19, selling out Birdland Jazz Club.

The Sounds of the Season (Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra), Friday, Dec. 4, 7:30 p.m.

A program brimming with holiday favorites.

Rock the Holidays (Bartlesville Chorale), Saturday, Dec. 12, 7 p.m.

A family pops concert of the holiday hits radio made famous.

The Nutcracker (Bartlesville Civic Ballet), Saturday, Dec. 19, 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 20, 2 p.m. Tickets $11–$40.

Everyone’s favorite ballet features Leo Ahonen’s choreography and a cast of community members and dancers from the Bartlesville Civic Ballet. The Snow King and Queen and the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier are danced by Viktorina Kapitonova and Lasha Khozashvili, principal dancer and former principal, respectively, for the Boston Ballet.

Tickets are available at bartlesvillecenter.com or 918-337-2787.

Close to Home

The sweetest moments of the season are right here. Let the Bartlesville Symphony fill the hall with carols, bundle up for a horse-drawn carriage ride past the lights, and watch Clara’s dream unfold at The Nutcracker. Christmas in the Ville returns to the Santa Fe Depot with ice skating, tot train rides, movies in the park and pictures with Santa, and most activities are free. Find schedules at bartlesvillechristmas.com and on the Bartlesville Regional Chamber of Commerce website.

Bartlesville is an easy drive up Highway 75, parking is a breeze, and every hour feels a little nicer here. It’s a convenient escape well worth a few extra miles, and there’s something happening every weekend. Like any good holiday movie, you’ll want to come back for the sequel.