What's on in Bend, United States through the year

Peak crowds — Christmas and New Year, Winter / Christmas break in United States

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Mt Bachelor ski season (25 Nov – 15 May (usually)), Christmas and New Year (24 Dec – 1 Jan)

Quiet — one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Mt Bachelor ski season (25 Nov – 15 May (usually))

Busy — Spring break in United States

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Mt Bachelor ski season (25 Nov – 15 May (usually))

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in April.

Still on: Mt Bachelor ski season (25 Nov – 15 May (usually))

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

• Opening

  Cascade Lakes Highway opens

  15 May – 30 Nov · usuallyTrail seasonClosures

  The scenic byway past Sparks and Elk lakes is gated shut by snow all winter and ploughed open in late May or June, earlier after a mild one. Without it the alpine lakes and trailheads are a long detour. Source ↗

Still on: Mt Bachelor ski season (25 Nov – 15 May (usually))

Peak crowds — Deschutes float season, Summer break in United States

• Season

  Deschutes float season

  15 Jun – 5 Sep · usuallySummer season opensCrowded

  Half the town floats the stretch from Riverbend Park to the Old Mill on a hot afternoon, and the shuttle runs all summer. The river is cold enough that it works as air conditioning.

Still on: Cascade Lakes Highway opens (15 May – 30 Nov (usually))

Peak crowds — Deschutes float season, Fourth of July in the mountains

• Hazard

  Wildfire smoke season

  1 Jul – 20 Sep · usually

  Central Oregon's unhealthy-air days have gone from a handful a decade to dozens, and late July through August is when the smoke settles in the basin. It is the one thing that can spoil an otherwise reliable summer here. Source ↗

• Holiday

  Fourth of July in the mountains

  3–5 JulNational holidayCrowdedBook early

  The Fourth of July weekend is one of the busiest of the mountain summer: lodging and campsites book out and roads into town are slow. Fireworks are often cancelled or replaced by drone shows when wildfire danger runs high. Source ↗

Still on: Cascade Lakes Highway opens (15 May – 30 Nov (usually)), Deschutes float season (15 Jun – 5 Sep (usually))

Peak crowds — Deschutes float season, Summer break in United States

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Cascade Lakes Highway opens (15 May – 30 Nov (usually)), Deschutes float season (15 Jun – 5 Sep (usually)), Wildfire smoke season (1 Jul – 20 Sep (usually))

Peak crowds — Deschutes float season, Summer break in United States

• Festival

  Bend Fall Festival

  2–4 OctMajor festivalCrowded

  Six blocks of downtown closed for a weekend of makers, cider and live music at the start of October. It is free, it is the busiest downtown weekend of the autumn, and parking is hopeless. Source ↗

Still on: Cascade Lakes Highway opens (15 May – 30 Nov (usually)), Deschutes float season (15 Jun – 5 Sep (usually)), Wildfire smoke season (1 Jul – 20 Sep (usually))

Busy — Bend Fall Festival

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Cascade Lakes Highway opens (15 May – 30 Nov (usually)), Bend Fall Festival (2–4 Oct)

Peak crowds — Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving break in United States

• Holiday

  Thanksgiving

  25–29 NovNational holidayCrowdedClosures

  Thanksgiving, the fourth Thursday of November, is the country's biggest travel holiday: airports and highways are at their busiest on the Wednesday before and the Sunday after, and on the day itself offices, banks and many shops close. Source ↗

• Season

  Mt Bachelor ski season

  25 Nov – 15 May · usually

  The mountain is half an hour from town and usually turns lifts from late November into May, one of the longer seasons in the country. Recent low-snow winters have opened in late December and shut in April, so check before booking early or late.

Still on: Cascade Lakes Highway opens (15 May – 30 Nov (usually))

Peak crowds — Christmas and New Year, Winter / Christmas break in United States

• Holiday

  Christmas and New Year

  24 Dec – 1 JanChristmas & New YearClosuresCrowded

  Christmas Day and New Year's Day are federal holidays: on 25 December most shops, museums and many restaurants close, and airports stay busy through the week between as families travel. New Year's Eve fills bars and restaurants, many at set-menu prices. Source ↗

Still on: Thanksgiving (25–29 Nov), Mt Bachelor ski season (25 Nov – 15 May (usually))