Parade and tree lighting draw huge crowd in downtown Hermiston

Parade and tree lighting draw huge crowd in downtown Hermiston | East Oregonian

HERMISTON — There wasn’t an empty parking spot to be found in downtown Hermiston on Thursday, Dec. 4, as a festive crowd turned out for the Christmas parade and tree-lighting ceremony. Holiday songs were performed by the jazz bands of Sandstone Middle School, Armand Larive Middle School and Hermiston High School. The high school’s Majazzty Choir also performed during the evening. The crowd lined the streets as the parade got underway followed by the arrival of Santa Claus in a fire truck. After the cheers died down, Santa flipped the switch to light up the Christmas tree on Festival Street.

State Rep. Greg Smith, along with the help from an elf, lead the crowd in a cheer of merry Christmas on Dec. 4, 2025, in downtown Hermiston. (Michael Kane/Hermiston Herald)