For more than 80 years, the Cinnamon Bear has been a holiday tradition in Portland, Oregon. From his historic radio program to special cruises on the Portland Spirit and other live appearances, he spreads Christmas cheer everywhere.

This year, because of COVID, the Cinnamon Bear has a drive-in holiday show at Oaks Park. The show is on a stage, where the audience watches from their cars and tune into the audio on FM radio.

The Cinnamon Bear Christmas Show is a combination of music and storytelling. When the Cinnamon Bear reveals the decorated Christmas tree, he discovers that the Christmas star is missing from the top of the tree. He learns that an evil force stole the star. With the help of the captain of the Portland Spirit, the Cinnamon Bear recovers the star, and Christmas is saved.

While the audience waits for the Cinnamon Bear to return from his voyage on the Portland Spirit, the Cocklebur Cowboys sing some holiday favorites, country style, and lead a sing-a-long. Santa comes to tell a story and wish everyone a merry Christmas.

Chipper the Squirrel is supposed to make a guest appearance, but on the night we were there, we didn’t see him. We went to the first show on opening night, and the lead singer of the Cocklebur Cowboys said they were “still working out some glitches” and thanked us for our patience. There were a couple of technical issues that night, but they were worked out quickly and the show went smoothly.

The show runs Thursday through Sunday until December 27. Showtimes are 4-5:30 p.m. and 6-7:30 p.m. nightly. Admission is $49 per car, and tickets must be purchased online. Vehicle size restrictions apply.

Snacks, drinks, and souvenirs are available, but they need to be reserved and purchased online.

For more information, visit the Cinnamon Bear Holiday Show page at the Oaks Park website.

The park is located at 7805 SE Oaks Park Way.