The Christmas Ships Parade Is The Most Wonderfully Oregon Holiday Event Ever
Sarah McCosham
Author
There are lots of exciting holiday events in Oregon, but the Portland Oregon Christmas Ships Parade might just be the most Oregon holiday event ever. This unique family event began in 1954 with one lone sailboat from the Portland Yacht Club. Today, over 60 boats take to the Columbia and Willamette Rivers each December; a festive fleet that delights onlookers with dazzling displays and twinkling lights. In fact, the annual Oregon Christmas Ships parade is actually the longest continually running Christmas Ship parade in America! Just one more reason why we think this waterfront event in Oregon is definitely one of the best ways to experience Christmas in Portland!
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Have you ever been to the Portland Christmas Ships Parade before? What festive fun! These Christmas boats in Portland have been lighting up the water for nearly 70 years, and it just keeps getting better. If you have any memories from this sweet annual event, we’d love to hear about them!
For more info and to plan your visit, view a full schedule on the Christmas Ships website.
Looking for more holiday fun? Portland is also home to Oregon’s largest drive-thru Christmas lights display! Or, take a Christmas lights road trip around the state to enjoy a taste of everything our state has to offer. Just be sure to check out our road trip packing guide so you don’t forget anything important.
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More to Explore
Portland Christmas Ships Parade & Related Info
What are the best Christmas light displays in Oregon?
Oregon is full of festive holiday spirit, and some truly unique Christmas celebrations! Some of the biggest and best Christmas light displays in Oregon include:
- Starfest Holiday Light Show at Eagle Crest, Eagle Crest
- Portland Christmas Ships Parade, Portland
- Pastega Christmas Lights, Corvallis
- Winter Wonderland, Portland
- Lighted Boat Parade, Newport
- Christmas Festival of Lights in The Grotto, Portland
- Christmas in the Garden, Silverton
- Sea of Lights, Newport
- Oregon Garden Resort, Silverton
- Zoo Lights, Portland
- Shore Acres State Park Holiday Lights, Coos Bay
- Aspen Meadows Celebration of Lights, Colton
- Winter Wonderland of Lights, Coastal Brookings
- Umpqua Valley Festival of Lights, Roseburg
What are the best towns in Oregon to visit at Christmas?
With so much phenomenal PNW beauty everywhere you turn, you'd be hard-pressed to find a small town in Oregon that doesn't twinkle with festive spirit during Christmas. Here are a few of the prettiest Christmas towns in Oregon:
- Hood River, OR
- Newport, OR
- Corvallis, OR
- Roseburg, OR
- Ashland, OR
- Jacksonville, OR
- McMinnville, OR
- Portland, OR
- Baker City, OR
- Sumpter, OR
- Oregon City, OR
- Astoria, OR
- Bend, OR
What are the coolest things to do in Oregon during winter?
Many of Oregon's best winter activities take place in the great outdoors. Here are a few ways to beat cabin fever this winter in Oregon:
- Take a scenic drive.
- Soak in a hot spring.
- Escape to a cabin in the trees.
- Brave the chill with a winter hike.
- Find a frozen waterfall.
- Visit a national park.
- Hit the slopes.