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Combining Bend’s love for the outdoors with the holiday spirit, the Tumalo Creek Holiday Lights Paddle Parade is back for another magical year. This beloved tradition invites the community to celebrate the season as brightly lit canoes, kayaks and paddleboards glide along the Deschutes River. The parade takes place on Friday, Dec. 13 from 4-7pm.

What began over 20 years ago with a small group of friends at Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe has grown into one of Bend’s most anticipated holiday events. Inspired to create a festive gathering on Mirror Pond, those friends laid the foundation for a tradition that continues to thrive.

These days, the parade has as many as 75 to 100 crafts on the water, all decorated with incredible lights and holiday touches, according to Sue Fox, manager at Tumalo Creek.

“It’s a ‘must do’ Central Oregon holiday event with additional festivities typically being held in conjunction,” she told the Source Weekly.

Participants are encouraged to deck out their kayaks, canoes, or stand-up paddleboards with colorful, battery-operated lights and holiday-themed decorations. Festive costumes are also welcome, of course. Paddlers will gather at Tuamlo Creek’s dock, located near the Bend Whitewater Park, around 4pm. The parade launches at dusk and follows a route upriver to the Old Mill District.

Spectators can take in the sparkling display from the Old Mill Bridge or the surrounding area, enjoying the sight of holiday spirit floating down the river.

No registration is required for participants, but everyone is encouraged to dress warmly. Paddlers can bring hot beverages and snacks for the evening and Tumalo Creek will provide complimentary hot cocoa to help keep the festivities cozy.

“We love seeing how much the parade has grown and that the whole community can come out and partake in this wonderful event,” said Fox.

Tumalo Creek Holiday Lights Paddle Parade
Fri., Dec. 13, 4-7pm
Tumalo Creek Kayak and Canoe
805 SW Industrial Way Suite 6, Bend
tumalocreek.com
Free

This article appears in The Source Weekly December 5, 2024.

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Holiday Lights Paddle Parade: Bend’s Floating Winter Wonderland

by Savannah Mendoza, The Source - Bend, Oregon
December 4, 2024

<h1>Holiday Lights Paddle Parade: Bend’s Floating Winter Wonderland</h1> <p class="byline">by Savannah Mendoza, The Source - Bend, Oregon <br />December 4, 2024</p> <br /> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full aligncenter aligncenter"><a href="https://www.bendsource.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/gohere1-1-ba9f99d395a7def1.webp"><img src="https://www.bendsource.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/gohere1-1-ba9f99d395a7def1.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-2467" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Holiday Lights Paddle Parade is a festive tradition on the Deschutes River that takes place on Friday., Dec. 13 from 4-7pm.</figcaption></figure> <p> <span class="fdnDropCap">C</span>ombining Bend's love for the outdoors with the holiday spirit, the <a href="https://tumalocreek.com/event/holiday-lights-paddle-parade/" target="_blank">Tumalo Creek Holiday Lights Paddle Parade</a> is back for another magical year. This beloved tradition invites the community to celebrate the season as brightly lit canoes, kayaks and paddleboards glide along the Deschutes River. The parade takes place on Friday, Dec. 13 from 4-7pm. </p> <p> What began over 20 years ago with a small group of friends at Tumalo Creek Kayak &amp; Canoe has grown into one of Bend's most anticipated holiday events. Inspired to create a festive gathering on Mirror Pond, those friends laid the foundation for a tradition that continues to thrive. </p> <p> These days, the parade has as many as 75 to 100 crafts on the water, all decorated with incredible lights and holiday touches, according to Sue Fox, manager at Tumalo Creek. </p> <p> "It's a 'must do' Central Oregon holiday event with additional festivities typically being held in conjunction," she told the Source Weekly. </p> <p> Participants are encouraged to deck out their kayaks, canoes, or stand-up paddleboards with colorful, battery-operated lights and holiday-themed decorations. Festive costumes are also welcome, of course. Paddlers will gather at Tuamlo Creek's dock, located near the <a href="/bend/bend-whitewater-park/Location?oid=10925252" target="_blank">Bend Whitewater Park</a>, around 4pm. The parade launches at dusk and follows a route upriver to the Old Mill District. </p> <p> Spectators can take in the sparkling display from the Old Mill Bridge or the surrounding area, enjoying the sight of holiday spirit floating down the river. </p> <p> No registration is required for participants, but everyone is encouraged to dress warmly. Paddlers can bring hot beverages and snacks for the evening and Tumalo Creek will provide complimentary hot cocoa to help keep the festivities cozy. </p> <p> "We love seeing how much the parade has grown and that the whole community can come out and partake in this wonderful event," said Fox. </p> <p> <b><br /> Tumalo Creek Holiday Lights Paddle Parade<br /></b><span>Fri., Dec. 13, 4-7pm<br /> </span><span>Tumalo Creek Kayak and Canoe<br /> </span><span>805 SW Industrial Way Suite 6, Bend<br /> </span><a href="http://tumalocreek.com" target="_blank">tumalocreek.com<br /> </a><span>Free</span> </p> <p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://www.bendsource.com/outside/holiday-lights-paddle-parade-bends-floating-winter-wonderland-22294621/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://www.bendsource.com&quot;&gt;The Source - Bend, Oregon&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/www.bendsource.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/cropped-Untitled-design-4.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;</p> &lt;img id=&quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&quot; src=&quot;https://www.bendsource.com/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=2466&quot; style=&quot;width:1px;height:1px;&quot;&gt;&lt;script&gt; PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: &quot;https://www.bendsource.com/outside/holiday-lights-paddle-parade-bends-floating-winter-wonderland-22294621/&quot;, urlref: window.location.href }); } } &lt;/script&gt; &lt;script id=&quot;parsely-cfg&quot; src=&quot;//cdn.parsely.com/keys/bendsource.com/p.js&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;

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