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Christmas with kids in Bend
In Bend, the Christmas season begins with a volunteer-run parade that traces back to about 1950. A day later, the whole town counts down to a downtown tree lighting, and the lights stay up through New Year's.
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The story of Christmas in Bend
How Bend celebrates
Christmas in Bend starts with a parade. The first recorded Bend Christmas Parade dates to about 1950, and today an all-volunteer committee, which has run it for the past 30 years, brings floats, marching bands, carolers and Santa down through downtown. A community tree lighting follows the next day, with a countdown led by the mayor, local choirs, hot cocoa and candy canes. Over at the Old Mill District, Santaland is where kids visit Santa and drop off letters, and a Tree of Joy from the Rotary Club lets neighbors fulfill wishes for local families in need.
Christmas last year in Bend
The 2025 season opened on Saturday, December 6, with the Bend Christmas Parade and its theme, A Storybook Christmas. The next evening, Sunday, December 7, families packed the downtown streets for the tree lighting, where Mayor Melanie Kebler led the countdown, local choirs sang, and children sat with Santa and handed over their wishes. Santaland at the Old Mill District welcomed families on four stretches of days between November 29 and December 23, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The tree and downtown holiday lights stayed up through New Year's.
Fun facts about Christmas in Bend
The 2023 parade, themed Lights of Christmas, had 104 entries, including dancers, trucks, wreaths and decorated trees, and about 160 volunteers helped make it happen, even in the rain. In 2016 Santa arrived at the Old Mill District by helicopter, and local officials and personalities took turns playing Santa while parents guessed who was in disguise. Bend also has a Christmas Lights Kayak paddle, where decorated boats glide up the Deschutes River, and the Pavilion ice rink and free sledding at Wanoga Sno-Park add snow-day fun.
Trains and Christmas near Bend
Bend has no big railroad museum of its own, so train families take a road trip. In Portland, the Oregon Rail Heritage Center is home to the steam locomotives SP 4449 and SP&S 700, and its Holiday Express is ticketed separately. In Hood River, the Mount Hood Railroad is a century-old short line. Closer to Bend, Train Mountain north of Klamath Falls has the world's longest rideable miniature railroad.
- Train Mountain Railroad Museum: Kids can walk past more than 50 full-size cabooses and railcars at the world's longest rideable miniature railroad.
- Oregon Rail Heritage Center: The home of two big steam locomotives in Portland, with a working machine shop and a turntable out front.
- Mount Hood Railroad: A century-old short line in Hood River that climbs an orchard valley over a rare railroad switchback.
Traditions today
- Bend Christmas Parade: Floats, marching bands, carolers and Santa travel through downtown on the first Saturday of December, a tradition with roots in about 1950.
- Downtown Bend Christmas Tree Lighting: The mayor leads a countdown, local choirs sing, and kids visit Santa while volunteers hand out candy canes and cocoa.
- Santaland at the Old Mill District: Families meet Santa, take photos and drop off letters, with a Tree of Joy that helps neighbors in need.
- Holiday lights downtown, at the Old Mill and in Drake Park: Bend's best-loved light displays glow across downtown, the Old Mill District and Drake Park, and the park district decorates trails and bridges.
- Christmas Lights Kayak: Decorated boats paddle upstream on the river at dusk while spectators watch from the bank.
- Skating and sledding: The Pavilion ice rink and free sledding hills at Wanoga Sno-Park give Bend kids a snowy side to the season.
A fact for kids
In 2016, Santa flew into Bend in a helicopter and landed at the Old Mill District. Then local officials took turns playing Santa while parents tried to guess who was in disguise.
Questions about Christmas in Bend
When did the Bend Christmas Parade start?
The first recorded Bend Christmas Parade dates to about 1950. Today an all-volunteer committee, which has organized it for the past 30 years, puts it on each December. It travels through downtown Bend and brings floats, marching bands, carolers and Santa to thousands of watchers, rain or shine.
Who runs the Bend Christmas Parade?
An all-volunteer committee runs the parade and has done so for the past 30 years. In 2023 about 160 volunteers helped, and 104 entries took part, including dancers, trucks, wreaths and decorated trees. That is a lot of neighbors giving their time so that kids can wave at Santa.
What was the Bend Christmas Parade theme in 2025?
The 2025 parade, held Saturday, December 6, was themed A Storybook Christmas. It brought floats, marching bands, carolers and an entrance from Santa through downtown. Earlier, the 2023 parade used the theme Lights of Christmas, so each year organizers pick a fresh idea for entries to follow.
How many people watch the Bend Christmas Parade?
Thousands of people watch or take part in the parade, according to local news coverage of the 2023 parade, though no exact count was given. That year 104 entries marched or rolled through downtown Bend, and the crowd stayed even though it was a rainy morning.
When is the downtown Bend tree lighting?
The tree lighting usually follows the parade by a day. In 2025 it took place on Sunday evening, December 7, hosted by the Downtown Bend Business Association. Check our Bend Christmas events guide on this page for this year's date, time and location before you head downtown.
What happens at the Bend tree lighting?
Families gather downtown for a countdown, and in 2025 Mayor Melanie Kebler switched on the tree. Local choirs sang holiday favorites, volunteers handed out candy canes, and people sipped hot cocoa. Kids also sat with Santa to share their wishes and take photos.
How long do the downtown Bend lights stay up?
The tree and the downtown holiday lights stay up through New Year's. That gives families a few weeks to stroll the streets after dark. The best viewing areas are downtown Bend, the Old Mill District and Drake Park, and the park district also decorates its trails and bridges.
What is Santaland at the Old Mill District?
Santaland is the Old Mill District's spot to meet Santa, take photos and drop off letters. In 2025 it was open on four stretches of days between November 29 and December 23, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Confirm the current dates before you visit with your kids.
What is the Tree of Joy in Bend?
The Tree of Joy is a giving tree run by the Rotary Club of Greater Bend at Santaland in the Old Mill District. Visitors can pick a tag and fulfill a holiday wish for a local child or family in need, which is a good way to show young kids how giving works.
Did Santa really arrive by helicopter in Bend?
In 2016 he did. Santa landed by AirLink helicopter at the Les Schwab Amphitheater in the Old Mill District around 10:15 a.m. on the day after Thanksgiving, then headed to SantaLand. Local officials and personalities also took turns playing Santa there, and parents could guess who was behind the beard.
Can kids write letters to Santa in Bend?
Yes. Kids can send letters to Santa's workshop at the Old Mill District, and in 2025 Santa answered those dropped off by December 14. Writing a letter is a calm activity for little ones, and you can mail or drop it off ahead of the busy weekends.
What is the Christmas Lights Kayak in Bend?
It is an annual paddle where kayakers decorate their boats with lights and head upstream on the river as the sun goes down. In the 2016 edition paddlers launched at 4 p.m. and spectators watched the decorated boats from about 4:15 to 6 p.m. Watching from the riverbank is a fun, low-key outing for kids.
Are there carolers in the Old Mill District?
Yes. In 2016 eight groups performed roving carols around the Old Mill District, from school jazz choirs and high school choirs to the Harmoneers Men's Chorus and The Victorian Carolers. The Old Mill District posts a performance schedule, so families can plan a stroll around the music.
Where can kids go ice skating in Bend at Christmas?
The Pavilion is Bend's seasonal outdoor ice rink, open to skaters of all skill levels. A bit outside town, the Seventh Mountain Resort also has an alpine ice rink. Both are winter stops for families once the holiday lights come on.
Where can kids go sledding near Bend?
Wanoga Sno-Park has free sledding hills and snowshoe trails, which makes it a popular outing for families in winter. Mt. Bachelor's Snowblast Tubing Park also has groomed runs and a lift back up. Bring warm layers and check conditions before you drive out.
How can I explain the tree lighting to a toddler?
Tell them that the whole town counts down together and then the tree lights up like magic. At the Bend tree lighting, the mayor leads the countdown, choirs sing, and there is cocoa and a candy cane afterward. Counting backward from ten at home beforehand makes the big moment more fun.
Is there a Christmas parade in Bend this year?
Bend has held a Christmas parade for decades, usually on the first Saturday of December, with the tree lighting the next day. Dates change each year, so see our Bend Christmas events guide on this page for this season's schedule, and plan to arrive early for a good viewing spot.
Where can families see Christmas lights in Bend?
The main viewing areas are downtown Bend, the Old Mill District and Drake Park. Bend Park and Recreation District also decorates its trails and bridges. The tree and downtown lights stay up through New Year's, so you can go after dinner on a quiet weeknight. Our Bend Christmas events guide on this page lists current displays.
Where can kids see trains near Bend at Christmas?
Bend has no railroad museum of its own, so trips mean a drive. The Oregon Rail Heritage Center in Portland shows two big steam locomotives and has a separately ticketed Holiday Express, and the Mount Hood Railroad in Hood River is a century-old short line. Check each site for current holiday plans.
What is the closest train museum to Bend?
The closest on our list is Train Mountain Railroad Museum near Klamath Falls, which claims the world's longest rideable miniature railroad on 2,200 forested acres. Free rail tours run from mid-May to mid-October, and a self-guided walk passes more than 50 full-size cabooses and cars. It is a summer trip, not a winter one.
Sources
- Christmas magic returns to downtown Bend as community counts down to tree lighting event, KTVZ
- Bend's Christmas Parade kicks off the holiday season for thousands who watched or took part, KTVZ
- Christmas in Bend, Oregon: your 2025 holiday happenings guide, Tetherow
- Holiday traditions continue in Bend, Oregon's Old Mill District, The Source Weekly
- Holiday events in Central Oregon, Visit Central Oregon
- Oregon Rail Heritage Center, Rally Takes the Train
- Train Mountain Railroad Museum, Rally Takes the Train
- Mount Hood Railroad, Rally Takes the Train