Christmas in the Pines | Prineville's Holiday Light Tradition

Christmas in the Pines: The Official History

A Prineville Tradition Built by Volunteers, Fueled by Community, Remembered for Generations

Every community has a holiday tradition that becomes part of its identity. For Prineville, that tradition is Christmas in the Pines.

Each holiday season, thousands of visitors slowly make their way through a dazzling display of Christmas lights at the Crook County Fairgrounds. Children point excitedly from car windows. Families create memories they’ll talk about for years. Visitors from across Central Oregon—and well beyond—make Prineville part of their holiday tradition.

What many never realize… is that none of it happens by accident.

It Began With An Idea

More than thirteen years ago, Crook County Fairgrounds Manager Casey Daly and community volunteer Beth Grimes imagined bringing a little more Christmas spirit to Prineville.
The first display was simple. Just a few inflatable holiday decorations placed near what is now affectionately known as Grimes Christmas Scene. No one could have imagined what those few decorations would eventually become.

The Heart Behind The Movement

Every successful community project eventually finds someone who becomes its heartbeat. For Christmas in the Pines, that person was Debbie Smith. Friends lovingly called her “Velcro“. Once Debbie invited you to volunteer, you didn’t simply lend a hand…You became part of the family.

Her enthusiasm was contagious. Her belief was unwavering.Her favorite word became the organization’s quiet motto… BELIEVE.

Today, a beautifully illuminated BELIEVE display continues to welcome visitors as a tribute to the woman whose passion helped shape one of Prineville’s most cherished holiday traditions.

Even more remarkable…Five members of Debbie’s original volunteer team continue serving Christmas in the Pines today. Among them, Gail Merritt who served the first six years as the board Vice President and the last seven as President. That’s not simply volunteerism. That’s legacy.

Turning An Idea into a Tradition

As the event grew, so did the need for organization. Board member Stanley Flynn, working alongside a local attorney, helped draft the nonprofit bylaws that officially established Christmas in the Pines as the organization it is today.

Each year the nonprofit raises funds through sponsorships, grants, generous business support, and donations collected at the entrance during the Parade of Lights. Visitors also contribute canned food, allowing Christmas in the Pines to give back while celebrating the season.

Nearly every dollar raised goes directly back into the event. Every year… New displays. New ideas. New memories.

Seventy Volunteers… One Community

When visitors drive through the Parade of Lights, they see the finished masterpiece. What they don’t see… are the seventy plus volunteers who quietly make it happen. Most contribute an hour or two during setup. About a dozen dedicate countless additional hours building, repairing, wiring, arranging, and preparing displays long before opening night. The work is exciting. It is rewarding. It is also stressful.

Will everything be finished in time? Every year… The answer somehow becomes yes.

The Map Nobody Sees

One of the event’s best-kept secrets belongs to longtime volunteer Marianne Carbaugh. Every year Marianne begins with a blank plat map. Nothing stays where it was the year before. Every display is thoughtfully rearranged to create an entirely new experience. Returning visitors don’t simply see new displays. They experience an entirely new journey. That’s one of the reasons Christmas in the Pines continues to surprise families year after year.

The Lady Who Keeps Christmas Shining

Behind thousands upon thousands of Christmas lights… stands one remarkable volunteer. Marilyn Malloy. At ninety years young, Marilyn continues spending nearly eighty hours just to start each year, carefully repairing displays, replacing burned-out lights, and preparing decorations months before the season even begins. That’s not even counting time of trouble shooting during the actual set up process.

Long before the first visitor arrives…Marilyn has already helped Christmas shine. She represents something larger than volunteerism. She represents commitment.

Nora’s Walk

Sometimes the best ideas are beautifully simple. Community volunteer Nora Morris believed families should experience Christmas in the Pines without the distraction of automobile traffic. She envisioned one evening where visitors could simply… walk. Slow down. Take photographs. Notice details. Spend time together. Following Nora’s unexpected passing, her vision became reality.

Today, Nora’s Walk has become one of the most beloved evenings of the season, allowing visitors to experience the Parade of Lights exactly as she imagined.

It has also become one of the most accessible evenings of the event, helping ensure everyone can enjoy the experience regardless of mobility. One person’s idea… Now belongs to an entire community.

Twelve Weeks…

Four Hours
Perhaps no statistic better illustrates the spirit of Christmas in the Pines. Nearly twelve weeks of planning, repairs, setup, decorating, testing, and preparation… Can disappear in approximately four hours.

Local high school students volunteer to carefully dismantle the displays once the season concludes. Everything is thoughtfully packed away beneath the grandstands and inside two forty-foot storage containers. Waiting patiently… Until Christmas returns once again.

More Than Christmas Lights

Christmas in the Pines now welcomes approximately 12,000 visitors each season. Many are local, others come from neighboring communities.

Some travel from much farther away. For one couple, Prineville has even become their annual holiday destination while taking a seasonal break from operating their own business.

Every visitor who arrives supports local restaurants. Coffee shops. Retail stores. Hotels. Fuel stations. And countless local businesses throughout the holiday season. The lights bring visitors. The community gives them reasons to stay.

A PATHWAYS Reflection

There is an old saying that many hands make light work. Christmas in the Pines reminds us of something even more meaningful. Many hearts… Create lasting traditions. Every volunteer. Every sponsor. Every donated can of food. Every repaired light. Every child pointing excitedly through a car window. Every family beginning a new tradition.

Together… They have built far more than a Christmas display. They have built one of Prineville’s defining pathways. One that returns every winter… Welcoming old friends. Inviting new visitors. And reminding us all what can happen when an entire community chooses to believe.