Visit Bend Oregon

05/30/2026

Weekend forecast: waterfall chasing. 💦

📍 Lava Island Falls | Deschutes River Trail

05/29/2026

There's no hiding at Bend's most immersive theater. 🎭
At The Greenhouse Cabaret, founder John Kish stages professional, thought-provoking shows in an intimate 65-seat former garage—where the line between performer and audience completely disappears.

👉 Next up: Angels in America, Aug. 7–Sept. 5. Shows sell out fast.

Discover The Greenhouse Cabaret, Bend's intimate, professional theater. Experience immersive, thought-provoking shows by founder John Kish.

05/29/2026

The sky last night 😮

⚠️ Heads up for the next few days: trails are going to be soft and muddy after last night's storm. Hikers, walk through the puddles (seriously, it's better for the trail). Mountain bikers, the trails need a day or so to recover; they'll be worth the wait.

📷: Whitney Whitehouse | May 2023

05/28/2026

Here, even the storms are something special.
The high desert gets about 12 inches of rain a year, which makes a morning like this rare. The ponderosa pines smell like vanilla, the sage and juniper come alive, and the misty air just opens up.

Bend has a way of surprising you. 🌲

05/26/2026

Hear that? The river's calling 🌲

05/22/2026

POV: You decided to spend the long weekend in Bend.

Three days. Wide open. No agenda required.

05/20/2026

Still mornings. Still water. Still one of the best views in Bend.

📍: Sparks Lake
📸: Pete Alport

05/19/2026

$300,000 in funding. 22 local organizations. Endless reasons to visit Bend.

This year, the Bend Cultural Tourism Commission reviewed applications totaling nearly $950,000—and awarded grants to 22 of Bend’s arts and culture organizations. Every dollar comes from overnight visitors to Bend, reinvested right back into the community.

Meet the 2026 grantees:
BendFilm
High Desert Museum
Tower Theatre Foundation
The Greenhouse Cabaret
Parallel 44 Presents
Lay It Out Events
OUT Central Oregon
TEDxBend
Oxford Hotel
1988 Entertainment
Pattie Gonia + Outdoorist Oath
Ballet Bend
Paula Dreyer
Bend Comedy & Arts Foundation
High Desert Food & Farm Alliance
High Desert Chamber Music
High Desert Fire Artists
American Impressionist Society
Backstitch Ghost of Brian Craig
OSU Cascades
Art Sprouts (Kolovita)

05/18/2026

Effective May 18, 2026: Stage 1 Fire Restrictions are now in effect on the Deschutes National Forest and BLM lands in Central Oregon.

🚫 No campfires or charcoal — except in designated Forest Service fire rings at approved campgrounds
🚫 No smoking
🚫 No chainsaws between 1 PM and 8 PM
🚫 No off-road vehicle use — stay on designated roads and trails
🚫 No open-flame welding or explosives

✅ Gas or propane stoves with an on/off switch are still allowed — clear 3 feet of vegetation on all sides first.

One spark can start a wildfire. Thank you for doing your part to protect Central Oregon. 🌲

05/18/2026

Exploring Central Oregon in the summer and fall means staying aware and prepared. Here are the key tools to bookmark before your trip:

🔥 Fire restrictions + wildfire updates: centraloregonfire.org / Text COFIRE to 888-777
🔍 Large wildfire incident updates: inciweb.wildfire.gov
🌫️ Real-time smoke + air quality: fire.airnow.gov
🚨 Evacuation alerts: Download the Genasys Protect app
🛣️ Road closures + travel impacts: tripcheck.com

Know the evacuation levels before you go: Be Ready → Be Set → Go Now.