Chickasha council approves Newalla festival permit and downtown closures for 2026

The Chickasha City Council approved a request from the Chickasha Chamber of Commerce to hold the Newalla Festival on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., including downtown activity locations and selective street closures.

Chamber representative Jim Cowan outlined plans to concentrate family activities and vendor-provided attractions on the 100 block of Chickasha Avenue while allowing merchants on nearby blocks to hand out candy; the city and Chamber discussed blocking select north–south streets (5th, 3rd, 2nd and 1st) to reduce cross traffic and improve pedestrian safety, noting 4th Street is a U.S. highway and cannot be closed.

Council and Chamber members emphasized balancing pedestrian safety with merchant access; city staff agreed to work with the Chamber on exact closures and logistics. The permit motion carried on a roll-call vote.

What happens next: city staff and the Chamber will coordinate street-closure logistics and finalize activity placement for downtown merchants and community groups.