Happy Independence Day! Don’t forget with all the other fun stuff going on, the Deschutes Historical Museum is holding their annual Free Day today from 10am to 4pm. The Museum opened on this day in 1980, in fact—so they celebrate this birthday by offering free admission as well as give out free ice cream cups (while they last).

They also write:

This year, visitors can see the museum’s latest exhibit, Winter Comes: Oregon’s Nordic Ski History. Also on display are artifacts from Bend’s Water Pageant celebration, which took place on 4th of July weekend from the 1930s through the 1960s.

I’m particularly interest in the Water Pageant memorabilia, one of those quirky bits of Bend history (like the ski jump on Pilot Butte) that would have been amazing to see: decorated, illuminated floats that were on parade on Mirror Pond, passing through an arch to float down past the park. That might be a fun revival today.