Last night we had a front row seat to watch the paddle parade go by on the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon. This event has taken place for many years, rain or shine. It was kind of blustery weather last night but there were still a lot of people participating in the parade.

The event is hosted by Tumalo Creek Kayak and Canoe in the Old Mill district. Participants dress up their watercraft and themselves with colorful lights. The parade takes place from about 4:00 to 6:00 pm. After it’s over, everyone gets together for nice warm drinks.

Santa and a few of his elves were there to help spread good cheer. The flamingos towing the raft looked sort of tired.

The boats went a little past the Flag Bridge and then turned around.

The breezy conditions made it hard to paddle upstream but it was easy going back down.

Everyone looked like they were having a great time. There were a lot of people watching this year — more than I’ve seen before.

We watched part of the parade from inside a nice warm restaurant. It was a wonderful way to watch one of Bend’s special winter events. 🙂

Lens-Artist Photo Challenge – Celebrations