Hello Bend! Who is planning to take advantage of the 4th of July festival and Bend Pet Parade in Bend this year? The day starts off with a pancake breakfast in Drake Park, Pet Parade through downtown, followed by the Old Fashioned Festival back in Drake Park.
I did a write up on my previous blog site about the 4th of July Festival and Bend Pet Parade back in 2016. Check it out for more information about the parade and festival. Looking to take your 4th of July festivities up a notch? If you don’t have kids in tow, consider the Freedom Ride through town. We did it back in 2016 and oh my gosh what a cool experience. I’ve never seen so much red, white and blue (and skin) on bikes before!
If you’ve never been to the Bend Pet Parade, this is not your typical parade. Do not expect to see any parade floats. Here you will find a slew of people walking their pets of all varieties through the streets of downtown Bend. Don’t have a pet? Bring a stuffed animal and join in the fun. Dress up in costume, decorate your bike or scooter, it is all welcome at this not so traditional 4th of July parade. Be sure to check out the fun history behind the Bend Pet Parade.
Our kids have wanted to walk with a pet in this parade since we moved here. It didn’t work out in the past because, well…fish don’t really travel well. This year, however, we are making our debut with our new pet guinea pig! The kids named him Humphrey after a children’s book series about a classroom pet. My husband and I prefer to call him “Piggy Smalls” or the “Notorious P.I.G”, which the kids didn’t understand and was not an acceptable name for their new pet. So “Piggy Smalls” will forever be his stage name…because it is really too good to not use in some capacity. Am I right?
If you are planning to head down to the Bend Pet Parade and Festival on the 4th, we look forward to seeing you there! I’ll be handing out the new Hello Bend stickers when appropriate, so if you see me around, be sure to hit me up for a sticker of your own!
****Update 7/5/19****
“Piggy Smalls” was a huge hit! We decorated the wagon and brought along his travel cage. The signs were designed to help spectators figure out who was in the cage. Our attire paid homage to our guinea pig’s 90’s rapper namesake.
Of course, a little branding goes a long way!
We did get him out of the cage during the parade. He was a hit when my son would stop and let the kids pet him.
After the parade, and a detour to take Humphrey home, we went down to Drake Park for the Old Fashioned 4th of July Festival. There was plenty to explore….
Games to play….
And food to eat…
BTW-If you haven’t tried the Shred Town Food Truck yet, do yourself a favor and grab a tasty bite next time you see their food cart at one of the many local events. Or visit them at their permanent location at Spoken Moto. Be sure to check back for a full write up on the blog about this Bend Local Favorite!
