By Micah Choquette
Sapulpa, Oklahoma will be featured on an upcoming episode of the Today Show, the flagship morning news program for NBC.
In an email shared with the Sapulpa Herald, details about the episode reveal that the surprise visit has to do with NBC’s “Merriest Main Street” contest. The contest, which began in mid-November, sought nominations from across the country for small towns that were “embracing the holiday season.”
The Christmas Chute Committee is reaching out to the community to come be a part of what they’re calling a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to help showcase Sapulpa to the world.
The plan is to gather as many as can be found at the Route 66 Christmas Chute on Friday at 6:15 am before the Today Show segment goes live at 7:30 am. The committee wants to make sure that the world gets to see Sapulpa at its best. Many groups and volunteers have already committed to being present, and restaurants and shops are stepping in to fill the need for coffee and hot chocolate on what is supposed to be one of the coldest days of the year with a high of only 19 degrees.
Jennifer Dilley, part of the core Christmas Chute Committee and coordinator of its volunteers and day-to-day operations, says the announcement of the Today Show coming to downtown Sapulpa is “icing on the cake to all the wonderful things this event has done for our community.”
“The entire community is benefiting from the Christmas Chute—not just downtown,” she said. “This national spotlight will put Sapulpa and Oklahoma on the map.”
Dilley says she knows the community will show up, “We’ll be there, early Friday morning all bundled up in our Christmas gear representing the best small town in the United States.”
It hasn’t been made public whether Sapulpa has won any sort of contest, but city officials have been told that the Route 66 Christmas Chute is the only attraction in Oklahoma that is being spotlighted. The ‘Chute is also reportedly the only attraction in the top five finalists that is in its first year.
More information about the upcoming Today Show episode can be found on the Route 66 Christmas Chute Facebook page.
