If you live around Bend and haven’t experienced the 4th of July Pet Parade or Freedom Ride, something is just wrong. These events are such must-dos, we’re not sure you can even call yourself a Central Oregonian if you haven’t participated in at least one Pet Parade or Freedom Ride. This year the Bend Pet Parade celebrated its 100 year anniversary. That’s right, this huge smile of an event began way back in 1924. The Freedom Ride is more of a counter cultural thing that’s been known to take some liberties! It began about 22 years ago when a bunch of Bendites got together to ride their bikes all over town celebrating freedom in America. The ride now consists of 1000s of reveling riders using all means of transportation. There are no permits, no official closures, or starting times. It still happens by word of mouth. We hope you enjoy our video from the 2024 Pet Parade and Freedom Ride. Who knows? Maybe you or your pet have been immortalized here for future generations! Our thanks to Tumalo Creek Kayak and Canoe and the local radio stations of BackyardMedia for making this video possible.