With Memorial Weekend upon us, folks in Central Oregon are beginning to gear up for the festival season, which is full and ripe with possibilities. In fact, hardly a weekend between Memorial Day and Labor Day goes by without a least one celebratory community event here– and usually there are several to choose from. Below is a schedule listing some of the most popular area events of summer:
May 30-31
Redmond‘s Centennial Celebration Kick-off Weekend – Centennial merchandise, release parties; historic dramas, displays, tours; & community breakfast. Downtown Redmond. 541-504-2010.
May 30
Sisters Stampede— 1st annual XC mountain bike race sanctioned by Oregon Bicycle Racing Assn; start/finish: Three Creeks Brewing, which is hosting the after-race party.
Camp Sherman Pancake Breakfast — Benefit for Friends of the Metolius. All-you-can-eat ham, pancakes, eggs, juice & coffee. $7 adults, $5 kids ages 5-10, under 5 free. 8-11:30 am, Camp Sherman Community Hall. 541-595-2719.
May 31
Memorial Day Ceremony –- 11 am, Village Green Park, downtown Sisters.
June 4-6
Balloons Over Bend — 8th annual event (the only one of its kind in Central Oregon) features a fantastic display of hot-air balloons sailing in the skies above Bend. Balloon launch Fri-Sun: 6-7:30 am, Riverbend Park, Bend. Festival w/marketplace & live music: 10 am-8 pm Sat; 10 am-6 pm Sun, Old Mill District. 541-323-0964.
June 11-13
Sisters Rodeo & Parade – 70th annual event w/4 shows, plus Saturday parade (9:30 am; downtown Sisters) & Sunday pancake breakfast. 7-11am, w/Cowboy Church Service at 9 am). Rodeo: Fri at 6 pm, Sat at 1 pm & 7 pm, Sun at 1 pm. 541-549-0251 or 800-827-7522.
June 12-13
Sisters Art in the Park — Arts, crafts, wine tasting & entertainment. Silent auction benefiting Make-a-Wish Foundation of Oregon. Sat 10-5 & Sun 10-4 at Creekside Park. 541-549-0388.
June 19
Sisters Art Stroll — Enjoy strolling through Sisters’s unique art galleries and shops. Refreshments & entertainment at various venues. 4:30-7 pm, Downtown Sisters. 541-549-0251.
Sisters Wine & Brew Festival –- Celebrate the wines & brews of the Pacific Northwest. Live music, cooking demos, artisans, food & specialty products. Free; VIP area w/wine , beer & appetizers: $60. 11 am-6 pm, Village Green, Sisters. 541-385-7988.
June 24
Family Night at Village Green Park — Barbecue, music, & crafts for kids. 5:30-7:30 pm, Village Green Park. Sponsored by Sisters Park & Recreation. 541-549-2091.
June 26-27
Bite of Bend – Annual event showcasing the foods of our region, w/local food booths offering “bites” of their locally created provisions, plus live Iron Chef competition, performance stage, beer garden, children’s area. Sat: 11 am-10 pm, Sun: 11 am-7 pm, downtown Bend. 541-323-0964.
July 1-4
Sisters Round-Up of Gems — Thurs- Sat. 10 am-6 pm, Sun 10 am-4 pm. Sisters Elementary School.
July 2-6
Redmond’s Centennial July 4th Celebration — Centennial Parade; dedication of Centennial Park, with music, food, vendors, children’s
activities, pie social, boxed lunch sales, historical equipment displays, draft horses, historical characters & tours. (541) 504-2010.
July 3-4
Sisters Summer Faire — Vendors selling handcrafted arts & crafts. Live entertainment, food court, children’s play area. 10 am – 4 pm both days. Village Green Park 541-549-0251.
July 4
Old Fashioned July 4th Celebration & Pet Parade — Children of all ages bring their pets to parade through downtown Bend (decorating & lineup starts at 9:30 am; parade begins at 10 am). July 4th Festival: 11am – 4 pm: craft & food booths, old-fashioned games, live entertainment. Drake Park, Bend. (541)389-7275.
July 5-9
Sisters Quilters’ Affair — 5 days of quilting classes, lectures & evening programs. 8 am – 3 pm, Sisters Middle & High Schools. 541-549-6061.
July 10
Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show –- More than 1,300 quilts from across the country will be displayed throughout town at the 35th annual event (the largest outdoor quilt show in the world). 9 am-5 pm, Downtown Sisters. 541-549-6061.
Sisters Annual Library Book Sale — Friends of the Sisters Library Annual Used Book Sale. 9 am–4 pm, Library Grounds. 541-549-6157.
July 17
Corvettes on the High Desert — Corvette car show, raffle & fund-raiser for Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch. Donations accepted. 9 am–2 pm, Sisters Elementary School. 541-549-6175.
July 24-25
Sisters Arts & Crafts Festival — Arts & crafts, food, entertainment & wine tasting. Silent auction benefits Make-a-Wish Foundation of Oregon. Sat 10 am–5 pm & Sun 10 am–4 pm, Creekside Park. 541-549-0388.
July 28-Aug 1
Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo — 91st annual event w/5 days of carnival rides, 4-H animals, food vendors, plus rodeo & big-name concerts. Wed- Thur: 10 am-10 pm; Fri-Sat: 10 am-11 pm; Sun: 10 am-5 pm. 541-548-2711.
July 31-Aug. 1
Sisters Summer Faire — Vendors selling handcrafted arts & crafts. Live entertainment, food court, children’s play area. 10 am – 4 pm both days. Village Green Park 541-549-0251.
Aug. 6-7
Sisters Country Fair — Juried art show & sale, live music, children’s activities, petting zoo, face painting, country store & book sale. Free admission. All proceeds benefit community outreach programs. Friday 5 – 8 pm, Sat 10 am – 3 pm. Sisters Episcopal Church. 541-549-7087.
Aug 7-8
Sisters Bead Stampede — Artists sell their handmade one-of-a-kind beads, & jewelry from beads & buttons. 10 am – 4 pm, Barclay Park. 541-549-0251.
Aug. 14-15
Sisters Antique Faire –- Annual showcase of regional antique dealers selling fine antiques & collectibles. Sat 9 am – 5 pm, Sun 10 am – 4 pm, Village Green Park. 541-549-0251.
Aug. 19
Family Night at Village Green Park— Barbecue, crafts for kids & music. 5:30 – 7:30 pm, Village Green Park. Sponsored by Sisters Park & 541-549-2091.
Sept. 4-5
Sisters Western & Native American Arts Festival — Handmade traditional & Native American wares, Western music & Native American entertainment. 10 am – 4 pm both days,Creekside Park, Hwy. 20 & Jefferson. 541-549-0251.
Sept 10-12
Sisters Folk Festival — 15th annual festival with acts from blue to bluegrass (including John Hammond, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Hot Club Cowtown, Solas & many more). All day, Village Green Park & other venues throughout Sisters.541-549-4979.
Sept. 17-18
Taste of Sisters — Friday Fare with the Artist: 6:30-9 pm. Participating restaurants team up with a Sisters gallery for a “quick draw” amid the intimate dining. The art will be on display & open for bids Sat. Sat evening Taste of Sisters Stroll 4:30-6:30 pm, through downtown Sisters. 541-549-4994.
Sept. 24-26
Sisters in Sisters Celebration — Casual weekend of foot-stomping fun, w/nationally recognized sister celebrities, speakers & much more. FivePine Conference Center. 541-549-0251.
About the Author:
Lisa Broadwater, GRI, CDPE is a Central Oregon-based real estate professional who specializes in listing and selling homes, especially in Sisters, Tumalo, Redmond and Bend.