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Snow may start falling soon, but spirits are always high in Central Oregon, where grand celebrations and casual hijinks lie just ahead. Here are three must-see, must-do events to add to your calendar.
The People’s Christmas Tree Celebration
For the second time in more than 50 years, Oregon will be supplying the U.S. Capitol with the towering Christmas tree known as “The People’s Tree” — and decorating it with 10,000 ornaments made by Oregon kids.
Celebrate the majestic noble fir as it heads from the Willamette National Forest to Washington, D.C. on a reverse Oregon trail, a 3,000-mile journey with stops in communities along the way. Father Christmas will fly in for the Bend festivities via helicopter, and we hear Smokey Bear will be aboard a U.S. Forest Service fire truck. There will be hot chocolate, cider, cookies and ornament-making booths, too.
Details: The free festivities run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 12 at the Les Schwab Amphitheater, 344 S.W. Shevlin Hixon Drive, Bend; www.oldmilldistrict.com; www.capitolchristmastree.com.
Grand Illumination at Sunriver
Many of the big resorts in Central Oregon celebrate the holidays with sleigh rides, Santa visits and more. But Sunriver’s Grand Illumination is a particularly sparkly way to start the season, with fireworks, train rides, sleigh rides, a grand tree lighting and live music. The Oregon Observatory will have its telescopes on hand for viewing after dark. And, of course, Kris Kringle will put in an appearance.
Details: The free fun runs from 12 to 7 p.m. Nov. 17 at Sunriver Resort, 17600 Center Drive, Sunriver; sunriverresort.com.
Winterfest
This fire and ice extravaganza is a winter tradition in Bend. Ice carvers transform 600-pound blocks of ice into art before your eyes, and the banks of the Deschutes River are illuminated by fire pits and light sculptures.
A wine walk ($25) kicks things off on Friday evening. And all weekend, food and drink pavilions offer up some of the best of Bend. Last year’s lineup included suds from the Deschutes Brewery, sips from Avid Cider and Crater Lake cocktails, and bites from Scout Post, Dump City Dumplings and more.
Enjoy live music, sled on the 10 Barrel Rail Jam Truck and explore the family play zone, where OMSI — the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry — mans a science tent. Don’t miss the 5K and 10K Royal Run, billed as an “adventure obstacle course,” and the Kids Hot Cocoa Run, which sends little ones dashing from station to station to scoop up ingredients for the perfect cup of cocoa.
Details: Winterfest runs Feb. 15-17. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the gate — and they’re included when you purchase wine walk, 5K, 10K or Hot Cocoa Run passes, which run $15-$35. Old Mill District, Bend; http://oregonwinterfest.com
But wait, there’s more…
First Friday Art Walk: 5:30-10 p.m. Nov. 2, Dec. 7, downtown Bend. Stroll the streets, browse galleries and artist events, enjoy live music and pop into the bustling cafes and bars. www.downtownbend.org
Bend Ale Festival: Nov. 10. Northwest Crossing, Bend. Leave it to Bend to combine a half marathon and 10K event, which starts at 10 a.m., with a race-ending beer festival that runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and features 20 local craft breweries. $20 tasting package includes 10 tasting tokens. http://bendalefestival.com
Old Fashioned Christmas Market: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 11, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 12, Deschutes County Fairgrounds, 3800 S.W. Airport Way, Redmond. Browse the arts, crafts, food and gift booths at this nostalgic, indoor holiday market. Enjoy live entertainment, holiday movie screenings and a candy land maze that leads to Santa. $5 plus a canned good donation for the Redmond Food Bank, Salem’s Marion Polk Food Share and a food bank in Lodi. www.centraloregonshows.com
Jazz at the Oxford: Nov. 16-March 16, Oxford Hotel, 10 N.W. Minnesota Ave., Bend. The ninth annual BendBroadband jazz series brings artists such Kat Edmonson and Paul Taylor to the hotel’s intimate stage. $47-$50. www.oxfordhotelbend.com
Bend Christmas Parade: 12 p.m. Dec. 1, downtown Bend. Kick off the holiday season with a parade of marching bands, floats and, of course, Santa sightings.
Blacklight Blast: 6-8 p.m. on six Saturday evenings from Nov. 24-Feb. 16, SHARC, 57250 Overlook Road, Sunriver. Sunriver’s illuminated tubing hill is the venue for this crazy-fun blacklight and glow stick event, held regardless of weather. The tubing run is made with a plastic NevPlast that creates downhill thrills with or without snow. $12. www.sunriversharc.com/wintertubing
