The holiday season is a magical time to visit Central Oregon — with winter activities ranging from downhill skiing and snowshoeing to shopping at boutiques around Bend and cozying up next to outdoor fire pits.
Adding to the fun are a variety of colorful holiday light displays across Central Oregon—where you’ll enjoy dazzling drive-through experiences, family-friendly attractions and (naturally) a light-up paddle parade to celebrate the season.
Here are a few local favorite holiday displays:
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Excited to don your favorite winter jacket, toss a few marshmallows into your cup of hot cocoa, and enjoy the magic of the season? Get into the holiday spirit, and check out the best places to see holiday lights in Bend, Oregon, and beyond.
Sunriver Holiday Light Show
Every winter, Sunriver Resort transforms into a winter wonderland with its annual Traditions line-up—which includes filling holiday meals, horse-drawn sleigh rides, gingerbread house decorating, and other memorable activities for the whole family.
One of the most popular winter events at Sunriver Resort is the Holiday Light Show, occurring three times nightly between Nov. 24, 2024, and Jan. 1, 2025. The upbeat display comprises thousands of glittering lights, strewn across several trees and shrubs, that are programmed to sync up with some of your favorite holiday tunes.
Tumalo Creek Holiday Lights Paddle Parade
Paddling is one of Central Oregon’s most beloved summertime traditions — so is it any wonder that a group of outdoor enthusiasts get together each winter to put on the Tumalo Creek Holiday Lights Paddle Parade?
Here’s how it works: Paddlers dress up in costume and decorate their kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddleboards with colorful, battery-operated lights and holiday gear. From there, shortly before sunset, the parade kicks off from the Tumalo Creek outfitter shop on the Deschutes River before heading through the Old Mill District in Bend. Avid paddlers are encouraged to join, and spectators can watch from paved paths along the Deschutes River and from the Old Mill District Flag Bridge, which crosses the winding waterway.
Photo by Tumalo Creek Events
Christmas in the Pines
Christmas in the Pines is a beloved annual holiday lights display at the Crook County Fairgrounds in Prineville. This festive drive-through “Winter Wonderland” lights up Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays throughout December from 5:30 to 9:00 pm, with extended hours on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day. Guests can enjoy thousands of sparkling lights, holiday displays, and a special Live Nativity on Saturday evenings from 5:30 to 8:00 pm. Admission is free, and visitors are encouraged to bring non-perishable food or pet food donations to help local causes. It’s a heartwarming community tradition that captures the spirit of the season in the heart of Prineville!
Grimes Christmas Display
The Grimes Christmas Scene is a holiday tradition in Prineville featuring hundreds of miniature houses, buildings, and characters lovingly collected over more than 80 years by Bethene Callison Grimes. Set up each Christmas season in the Pioneer Building at the Crook County Fairgrounds, the display transforms into a magical winter wonderland of themed scenes—from mountain villages to seaside towns, old-fashioned communities to theater stages and more. Admission is free, though donations help the display continue, and families are encouraged to explore the creativity, nostalgia, and sheer joy this exhibit brings.
