Bend Christmas Parade makes it way back to the High Desert to spread holiday cheer

BEND, Ore.(KTVZ) -- Central Oregon spread Christmas cheer Saturday, with the Bend Christmas Parade. The Bend Christmas Parade is a tradition near and dear to Bend - going strong for more than 30 years. 

 Our NewsChannel 21 team, are wishing you and your family a very, merry Christmas. More than 90 vehicles were registered for the parade. People lined up through the streets of Bend, taking in the action through downtown, as well as near Drake Park. 

 Parade participants were overjoyed with being apart of something special. 

"I'm looking forward to seeing all of the kids happy faces," Owen Houston, Bend South Little League player said.

"I'm just looking forward to seeing everybody and just representing Bend for school," Loren Alberg, Bend Forest School student said.

Another Bend Forest School student, Olivia Kelley, said: "I'm most looking forward to seeing everybody's great, creativity and their floats and, all the different schools that may be in it."

  This year's Bend Christmas Parade theme was "The Heart of Christmas." The Bend Christmas Parade is organized and run by a volunteer group. The first recorded Christmas parade in Bend was around 1950.