"People are leaving our motel in the evening to walk among the signs," Skyliner Motel co-owner Charles Palmer told the Tulsa Flyer this spring. He was talking about travelers. Palmer put $500,000 into renovating the 1950s-era, 10-room motor court after the state grant for Stroud's neon was announced, and his guests are the people the Route 66 signs were built to stop.
From November 1 through the December 5 Christmas Parade, the people walking among those signs can just as easily be us. On Sunday, November 1, Stroud sets its clocks back an hour. That evening the sun sets at 5:31 p.m. By November 8 it sets at 5:24 p.m., and by December 1 at 5:13 p.m. Neon on Main switches on around dusk. For the first time since the signs started going up, they'll be glowing by the time most of us head to supper.
A project that started in summer daylight
The neon came to Main Street in the brightest part of the year. The City of Stroud received a $999,600 Route 66 Revitalization Grant from the Route 66 Commission. About 49 businesses signed on, and the first 14 signs were dedicated at a Mini Lighting Ceremony on June 3, 2025, according to the Lincoln County News.
The way the program works explains why the signs look like they belong together. The city technically owns them and pays for everything from design to installation. Each business has a say in its own design. If a business closes, its sign doesn't go to a landfill. The city plans to repurpose it as public art at places like the Route 66 Pavilion and Putt Putt Kicks on Route 66.
Not every owner was sold right away. Bill Ash of Stroud Drug told the Lincoln County News he skipped the first couple of meetings because he already had "a pretty nice sign," then joined once more businesses did. "I didn't want to be the only one that didn't have one," he said. At Fourth & James Coffee & Sub Shop, Sarah Orr explained that the shop sits in an old bank building that already had a marquee, a foundation and wiring, so it was "the perfect setup" for a sign.
The city's Neon on Main page describes the effort as the revitalization of more than 40 signs. The Tulsa Flyer counted 49 installed by this April.
What the time change does to a weeknight
For travelers, the signs are an attraction. For residents, what matters is when Main Street is lit and something is open at the same time. Starting November 1, sunset comes before the evening kitchens on Main close.
Here is how that falls across the coming weeks:
| Date | Stroud sunset | What's happening on Main |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, Nov. 1 | 5:31 p.m. | First evening on standard time |
| Sunday, Nov. 8 | 5:24 p.m. | A week into early dark |
| Saturday, Nov. 14 | Between the Nov. 8 and Dec. 1 times | Christmas Tree Lighting, 4 to 7 p.m. |
| Tuesday, Dec. 1 | 5:13 p.m. | Neon lit before most people leave work |
| Saturday, Dec. 5 | After dark by start time | Christmas Parade, 6 p.m. |
A Route 66 travel guide updated this month says the signs become visible roughly 30 to 60 minutes before sunset and glow until at least 10 p.m. In November, that means the tubes are already warming up by late afternoon.
Which nights have both neon and a table
The signs are lit every night, but Main Street's kitchens keep different hours, so the day of the week matters. Most of the daytime spots close well before the neon comes on. Fourth & James closes at 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday, at 4:30 p.m. on Friday and at 1 p.m. on Saturday, according to TravelOK. Gathering Grounds Coffee closes at noon on weekdays and at 3 p.m. on Saturdays. Their signs will be glowing over locked doors.
Two kitchens carry the evening:
- Rock Cafe lists hours of 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. It's closed Sunday, and on Monday the cafe says to call for hours.
- Lin Cuisine lists 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day except Tuesday, when it's closed.
Put those together and Wednesday through Saturday are the full nights, with both kitchens open after dark. On Tuesday, it's Rock Cafe. On Sunday, it's Lin Cuisine. Monday depends on a phone call to Rock Cafe.
If you'd like something before dinner, the Route 66 Spirit of America Museum is open until 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, per TravelOK. In November, its closing time falls after sunset, so you'll walk out to lit signs. Its own neon sign is part of the city's gallery.
The Route 66 Pavilion at 320 W. Main is open from dawn to midnight, according to the City of Stroud. Its restrooms stay locked, and a group that wants the pavilion to itself has to apply in advance.
The signs that aren't selling anything
Neon on Main isn't only about storefronts. The program covered businesses directly on Route 66 and those one block off it, and the list of signs reads like a directory of the town.
The Route 66 travel guide lists signs at Stroud City Hall, the Stroud Public Library, Stroud United Methodist Church, First Baptist Church and Assembly of God Church. There's also a Home of the Tigers sign, a Route 66 Centennial Monument sign, and eastbound and westbound Stroud gateway signs. Among the businesses, it lists Ace of Clubs Barber Shop, Stroud Drug Pharmacy, True Value Hardware, Terrell Insurance Group, Carpenter Insurance, Unique Market, Stroud Laundry, Old Stroud Trading Post and Pawn, Restoration Supplies Route 66, the Sooner Motel and the Skyliner.
Those names change what the signs mean to people who live here. A road-tripper sees a row of glowing signs. We see the hardware store, the pharmacy, our church and the high school mascot. These are the places we already go during the day, and this fall they'll be lit up on the drive home.
Main Street's dark-evening calendar
The town's fall and holiday calendar moves deeper into the evening as the season goes on. Here's what's scheduled from the day this post goes up:
- Spooky Stories Along Route 66, Thursday, Oct. 29, 6 p.m. This is a family-friendly storytelling event, and children 5 and older should attend with an adult, according to the Stroud Star. Check the listing for the location.
- Trick-or-Treat on Main Street, Friday, Oct. 30, 4 to 5 p.m. The Stroud Chamber of Commerce has this as a one-hour afternoon event, two days before the clocks change.
- "Tracking the Mysterious," Saturday, Nov. 7, 3 p.m. Marilyn A. Hudson, the Stroud Public Library and City artist in residence, presents this afternoon program, according to the Stroud Star.
- Christmas Tree Lighting on Main Street, Saturday, Nov. 14, 4 to 7 p.m. The Chamber's listing mentions children's crafts and shopping with vendors and local businesses. This is the first big Main Street event since the time change. It starts in daylight, sunset falls in the middle of it, and the rest of the evening is after dark.
- Christmas Parade, Saturday, Dec. 5, 6 p.m. According to TravelOK, entertainment at the downtown pavilion comes first, then floats travel along Main Street. Sunset that week is around 5:13 p.m., so the parade runs under the neon from start to finish.
The run starts with an afternoon trick-or-treat and ends with a parade that starts after sunset. On the way, the tree lighting begins in daylight and finishes under the signs.
More tubes on the way
The neon isn't finished. The Tulsa Flyer reported in April that the city was seeking another grant to add 17 more businesses, which would bring Stroud to 66 signs, one for each number in the highway's name. A new business organization is also forming around the project.
Leslie Wilbourn, the city's grant administrator, told the Tulsa Flyer that one business reported a 40% increase in sales after getting a sign "because people could find it easier." She said the pieces are now in place: "we have the Rock Cafe for dining, signs as an attraction and now a place for people to stay."
The Skyliner, the place to stay in that sentence, is at 717 W. Main St. and is taking bookings now. That's handy if you have family coming in for the parade.
The neon was built to bring visitors in off Route 66. From November 1 through the December 5 parade, it's also lit up most evenings while Stroud residents are out for dinner or heading home.
If you own a building on Main Street or a block off it and wonder what the neon and the new foot traffic mean for its value, Premier Realty, LLC has been watching Stroud's downtown for more than 30 years and is glad to talk it through. Ask for your free valuation with Get My Valuation.
