Chickasha is the Ultimate Christmas Town

Can one leg lamp change tourism for a small town? That’s been the case in downtown Chickasha, Oklahoma, and I had the chance to interview the man overseeing the initiative.

Jim Cowan is the President and CEO of the Chickasha Chamber of Commerce, and his goal is to make Chickasha the next quintessential Hallmark Christmas town.

Chickasha has long been lauded for its annual Chickasha Festival of Light, named one of the best holiday light shows in the nation.

People come from far and wide to witness the more than 3.5 million lights on display, available as a walking or drive-through experience.

At the center is a 172-foot Christmas tree located in Shannon Spring Park. It shines brightly from late November through the New Year but was sitting unused 'til the next festival.

So the chamber board members started brainstorming — how could they utilize their existing resources and capitalize off the traffic from the Christmas light show?

“Chickasha has a population of roughly 16,000 people. We weren’t losing people during the pandemic, but we weren’t growing either,” Cowan explains. “The question was, 'how do we stand out from the crowd to potential businesses?'”

That’s when Tim Elliot, treasurer of the Chickasaw Economic Development Council, suggested a leg lamp as an attraction.

“Everyone laughed when they thought he was joking. When they found out he was serious, they laughed even harder,” says Cowan.

Then in July 2020, local resident Noland James passed away. In his obituary, he claimed to have invented the leg lamp that later rose to fame in A Christmas Story.

So they decided to give Chickasha a leg up and give the leg lamp a shot.

At first, it was a customized inflatable. It was 40 feet tall, the tallest it could be made.

“We found a company, and it all came together. A TV station came down from an NBC affiliate and the leg lamp went viral across the world. We were on the front page of the London Daily Mail in 2020,” says Cowan, beaming with pride.

“But with the need for guide wires and winds reaching 20-30 miles per hour, we couldn’t keep it up consistently,” Cowan recalls. “If people were driving out of their way to see it and the wind knocked it down, they would be disappointed.” That’s when a group of business owners got together and decided to go all in. They raised $1.4 million in private donations in six months, and Midwest Cooling Towers took on the gargantuan task of production.

On November 5, 2022, there was a dedication, and the leg lamp craze took over and drove unforeseen business to the town. Standing at 40 feet tall above a 10-foot crate, people were coming from international destinations just to stop at this unique roadside attraction. Today, the Chickasha leg lamp is credited for more than $5 million in economic development, and counting.

“It’s won four different tourism awards on the state level — two when it was an inflatable and two this past year,” says Cowan.

And this is just phase one. Phase two involves the building of nearby businesses, the development of another park, a pedestrian bridge and much more. They already have several buildings immediately surrounding the lamp purchased and in the process of renovation.

Referencing the new Christmas in July celebrations, Cowan says, “We thought, we already have this tree, so why not turn it on?” Future plans include the broadcasting of holiday movies, a parade, block parties and more.

Currently, there are cardboard cutouts of famous characters from Christmas movies set up at shops around town as part of a shop local initiative. There’s also a holiday passport that visitors can get stamped after making a purchase from a local business. The passport comes with incentives like a gift certificate from a travel agency for flights and hotels. It can be found online and printed at home.

“Our selling point is that we are a very tight-knit community that believes in itself and we’re tired of no growth, so we’re going to do something about it,” says Cowan.

The enthusiasm is evident. Businesses like Brandi’s Bar and Grill have popped up, transforming once-forgotten spaces from a mechanic’s garage into a busy establishment.

“Sometimes what people need is a little bit of hope, and the emotions associated with Christmas,” says Cowan. “Now we’re a community that believes we can do things. And I think in 2020 no one thought this little town called Chickasha was going to amount to anything. Now, there’s an optimism for what’s next, and people are expecting good things to happen.”

Indeed, the week prior to my visit, a group of artists took over a fence in town and painted a mural that stated simply, “good things happen here.”

“We want people to believe in themselves and our community,” explains Cowan. “It’s that hometown feel. That’s what we’re selling.” And clearly, people are buying.

Chickasha took a chance, did something a little crazy, and it paid off in a big way. Now, they have a leg to stand on when it comes to making a play for the best year-round Christmas town in the United States.

Follow Jen Ruiz's travels on Instagram at @jenonajetplane, and make sure to read her full round-up of unique places to see in Chickasaw Country here.