Hello Bend! The kids were super excited when they found out we had tickets to Breakfast with Santa. This weekend was the 25th annual Breakfast with Santa at the historic Pine Tavern Restaurant. As one of Bend’s oldest restaurants overlooking iconic Mirror Pond, it is also well known for the giant Ponderosa pine tree that is growing in the middle of the dining area!
Breakfast was a small buffet comprised of eggs, bacon, biscuits & gravy, and French toast. I was surprised they did not have pancakes on the menu as that is probably the most kid friendly breakfast item and both my kid’s favorite. However my kids didn’t seem to mind a bit when they saw the cookie selection at the front of the buffet line!
Shortly after we were seated, Santa and Mrs. Claus made the rounds greeting each table much to the delight of the miniature guests! Once we were finished with our meal, the kids were able to visit with Santa, sit on his lap, and present their toy wish list. It was quite pleasant as there was not a long wait to see Santa and we didn’t feel rushed. There is a photo included with your ticket purchase, but I would recommend you also snap a few extra pictures of your own. The wonderful ladies working the event are volunteers so they may not pay as close of attention to detail as a professional photographer. No biggie because I was able to take some awesome shots of my own, and the keepsake photo is fun!
As if the morning couldn’t get any better in the eyes of my little ones, they had the pleasure of picking a special stuffed animal from a variety of choices. Most Santa visits in the past for us have included a candy cane, or a simple craft at best. Here our kids walked away with a mini stuffed animal…the perfect size for sleeping and snuggling with!
The most rewarding part of this event is that the proceeds go towards hosting a separate Breakfast with Santa exclusively for Foster families in Deschutes County through the Assistance League of Bend. Going to this event not only provided fun lasting memories for our family, it gave other children the opportunity to experience the same joy of the holiday season!
Merry Christmas!