Stick around after the Lighted Christmas Parade as we find out who bought the 2026-2027 Territorial Governor's Race!​ Find out who won the race immediately following the Parade at the corner of Harrison and S. 2nd St. in front of the Post Office steps.

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Guthrie’s favorite fundraiser tends to get a bit...competitive.
Each year a few citizens enter to run for Territorial Governor, Jr. Governor, Territorial Tots, or Territorial Pets. Votes are sold for $1 each, and candidates each compete
to buy their way to the title. All proceeds benefit the non-profit and help fund
the yearly Christmas events.

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INAUGURATION CEREMONY & TREE LIGHTING
Following the Lighted Christmas Parade, the contenders await their fate. Each
candidate is introduced to the crowd before the sealed letter is opened. The new
Governors receive—along with the thrill of overcoming the competition and lighting
the tree—a signed certificate and a special medal.
Then, as their first act, the Governors will LIGHT-THE-TREE! 
Our Territorial Tree which, wrapped in thousands of lights, will then stay illuminated for the rest of the Christmas season. Even after the Opening Night festivities,
the thrill of winning lives on! Governors during their term appear on the GTCF website and social media pages. They also are featured guests of honor at the Annual 89ers Parade, held in April of each year. The Guthrie, OK 89ers Parade is the largest and oldest parade in Oklahoma.