Enjoy Bend for the Holidays
We heart the holiday season in Central Oregon. And while 2020 will undoubtedly be different than years past, it’s impossible to be in Bend during the holidays and not feel festive.
From fun in the snow at Mt. Bachelor to holiday lights and special meals and gift runs in the Old Mill District, the eggnog flows like wine in this part of Oregon during the holiday months.
North Pole Mailboxes
From Nov. 27 to Dec. 19, two special Christmas mailboxes will be in Bend’s Old Mill District for children to drop off their letters to Santa. All letters will get a response from the North Pole.
Santa in the Old Mill District
Every Friday and Saturday in December – Dec. 4-5, Dec. 11-12, and Dec. 18-19 – Santa will swing by the Old Mill District and pick up the letters in the special Christmas mailboxes.
Exact times will be announced soon.
With a little help from his friends in Bend, Santa will be driven through the OMD in the back of a pickup truck, allowing him to wave and interact with everyone in the Old Mill District while he picks up the letters, but in a way that respects the current health and safety guidelines.
The public is encouraged to come down and cheer on Santa every Friday and Saturday in December as he collects his holiday letters. We do ask that spectators maintain proper distance between one another and Santa and his special helpers.
Menorah Lighting
Rabbi Yitzchok Feldman, of Chabad of Central Oregon hosts the 10th annual Menorah Lighting in the Old Mill District.
This year’s festivities, like many others, will be different due to COVID-19. The lighting ceremony will be held in the westside parking lot across the river from the shops in the Old Mill District, near the Hampton Inn, where people will be able to view the menorah from their cars at a safe social distance.
After the initial lighting ceremony, which is expected to start around 4:30 p.m., the menorah will be transported across the river to Center Plaza in the Old Mill District, where it will remain lit for the duration of Chanukah.
During the main event there will also be light music, an inflatable dreidel, and a large screen showing Chanukah videos. The Rabbi and his wife will be passing out a Chanukah treat bag to each car.
This event is free to the public and all faiths are welcome.
Tree of Joy
A partnership between the Salvation Army, the four Rotary Clubs of Bend and the Old Mill District, the Tree of Joy ensures that every child in Central Oregon experiences the joy of Christmas.
Details for the 2020 Tree of Joy are still being ironed out – there will not be a physical tree that participants select tags from this year – but generous Central Oregonians will be able to view desired or needed gifts, make those purchases, and drop those items off at the Salvation Army’s offices at 541 NE Dekalb near Bend High School.
Nearly 1,000 individuals a year benefit from the kindness and generosity of the Tree of Joy program, which dates back to 1984.
More info coming soon.
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