It’s no secret that 2020 was rough for everyone — including the live music and festival industry, which usually bring a variety of events to Central Oregon year round. Many people look forward to attending Bend Summer Festival, The Bite of Bend as well as Farmers Markets and Saturday Markets throughout the region. With the pandemic seemingly on the downturn as more and more people become vaccinated and the number of cases declining, it looks promising that some of our favorite Bend festivals may return, at least in a limited capacity.

Bend Festivals 2021

It recently caught our attention on Facebook that people had started responding to summer events in Bend including Bend Summer Festival and a new event called the Central Oregon BBQ, Brews & Whiskey Festival. Upon further investigation, it appears some events my try to go on as pandemic restrictions ease.

Central Oregon BBQ, Brews & Whiskey Festival
June 25-27, 2021
Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center, Redmond
https://centraloregonbbq.com/

This event will be the first of its kind in Central Oregon, featuring beer and whiskey tastings alongside food vendors offering BBQ options from around the world. Do you prefer KC-style or Carolina? You’ll be able to try it all and wash it down with great cold beverages over a sunny weekend in the heart of Oregon. Entry to the festival is $10 and includes access to the festival throughout the day, as well as a chance to browse local businesses in the marketplace and toast tasty beverages while enjoying delicious BBQ.

Bend Summer Festival
July 9-11, 2021
Downtown Bend
https://bendsummerfestival.com/

The Bend Summer Festival has been an annual summer tradition and this year it returns with a new local focus. The Facebook Event says, “We are committed to the safety of our community and festival goers and are altering the focus of this year’s event to celebrate local artists, makers, growers and more.” With that said, it seems live entertainment will be limited in order to reduce large gatherings, but they are hopeful some performance will be able to occur in the Center Ring area. Expect delicious food, creative makers and spirits for sipping in the heart of Bend.

Balloons Over Bend
July 23-25, 2021
Riverbend Park
https://balloonsoverbend.com/

If you’re not familiar with Balloons Over Bend, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Hot air balloons float across the sky in Bend and the event supports local nonprofit Saving Grace. The event producers say they hope to be able to safely host this event in 2021. The Nightglow portion of the festival features the hot air balloons illuminated on the lawn at Riverbend Park. Keep checking back to see if this event will occur in 2021!

Sunriver Music Festival
August 14-23, 2021
Sunriver Resort’s Besson Commons and Sunriver SHARC Amphitheater
https://www.sunrivermusic.org/

Back here in Sunriver, the annual Sunriver Music Festival plans to offer an outdoor concert series. This will be the 44th season of the festival, which looks forward to a summer of creativity with concerts and programming. The festival states, “We are nimble, we are creative, and we are committed to presenting world-class musical experiences for Central Oregon residents and visitors. Therefore, we are flexible and ready to reimagine the below programs as needed based on current COVID-19 guidelines.” We have our fingers crossed for a summer of sensational classical music at the Sunriver Music Festival.

Bend Fall Festival
October 1-3, 2021
Downtown Bend
https://bendfallfestival.com/

The Bend Fall Festival hopes to come back better than ever in the autumn of 2021! Here’s hoping!

The Return of Live Entertainment to Central Oregon

While it may be too soon to tell if we’ll be soaking up sunshine alongside other people and toasting brews and BBQ, we’re hoping 2021 will look a little more like normal. We encourage you to continue wearing masks and social distancing as the country becomes more vaccinated. These precautions will help Central Oregon stay open and hopefully we’ll see the return of culture and entertainment this summer! Keep your fingers crossed and your mask on when in public spaces!

Have you reserved your Sunriver summer vacation rental yet? Browse our homes and find the ideal rental for your group this summer!