Visit Bend opens applications for arts and culture grants funded by tourism

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Visit Bend is accepting grant applications now through March 27th for high-quality arts and culture events support, funded entirely by lodging taxes paid by overnight visitors.

From musical productions to art exhibits to film festivals and more, the Bend Cultural Tourism Fund supports cultural opportunities that draw visitors to Bend--and $300,000 in grants will be distributed this year.

Submissions must be received by March 27th at 5 p.m. and awards will be announced on or around May 19th. Click here to apply or to learn more.

Read the full press release from Visit Bend below:

"Visit Bend is now accepting grant applications to support high-quality arts and culture events held during Bend’s shoulder season and winter months. Funded entirely by lodging taxes paid by overnight visitors, the Bend Cultural Tourism Fund (BCTF) strengthens our community’s cultural vibrancy while supporting a more balanced visitor economy. Grants are available in a range of amounts and may be used to promote events, market them, and/or research new ones. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on March 27, 2026, with awards announced on or around May 19, 2026.

Visit Bend, a non-profit, has $300,000 to award this year. That’s 7.5 percent of its annual budget, which comes entirely from room-night lodging taxes collected by hotels, vacation rentals, and other lodging properties in Bend. The City of Bend receives the vast majority of those dollars—about $9 million annually—to support core services like road maintenance, police, and fire, helping reduce the tax burden on local residents. Visit Bend redirects significant portions of the remainder back into the community through partnerships and programs, including grants. Past BCTF grants have supported Bend Film Fest, WinterFest, Greenhouse Cabaret, and concerts at places like at the Volcanic Theatre Pub. Find a complete list of projects at bendculturegrants.com.

To apply, organizations are encouraged to reach out to Laurel MacMillan, BCTF grant administrator, through culture.visitbend.com/contact-us/, for support, and to Zavier Borja, Visit Bend’s destination stewardship director. The grant application is online at bendculturegrants.com. Eligible projects should strengthen Bend’s arts, culture, and creative economy; attract visitors from more than 50 miles away during traditionally low-occupancy periods; enhance residents’ quality of life; and help position Bend for long-term investment. Applications are reviewed and scored by the independent Bend Cultural Tourism Fund Commission, which makes funding recommendations. Visit Bend’s board of directors provides final approval and has historically adopted the commission’s recommendations in full.

“This fund is about reinvesting in the creative energy that defines our community,” said Zavier Borja, Visit Bend’s destination stewardship director. “By redirecting visitor dollars into arts and culture, we’re turning Bend’s popularity as a destination into direct support for the people and organizations that make it a great place to live and visit.”

Last year, the BCTF awarded 20 grants totaling $300,000 to help organizations expand their cultural events. Now in its 11th year, the fund has already awarded $2,578,418 to 133 projects from 50 organizations. A separate but complementary Visit Bend program, the Bend Sustainability Fund, has awarded to date more than $3.3 million to projects that protect Bend’s natural environment, improve tourism-related infrastructure, and expand equitable access to the outdoors. Together, the two grant programs will have reinvested more than $6.5 million in visitor-tax money into our community by the end of 2026.

ABOUT VISIT BEND:  Visit Bend is a non-membership, non-profit organization dedicated to stewarding a vibrant and sustainable community in Bend, Oregon, while supporting and enhancing the visitor experience. Learn more at visitbend.com.

ABOUT THE BEND CULTURAL TOURISM FUND: The Bend Cultural Tourism Fund (BCTF) is a grant program dedicated to enhancing the local economy through the promotion and cultivation of Bend’s cultural tourism programs, with an emphasis on activities that help attract cultural tourists during the shoulder seasons and winter months. For more information, please see the website at culture.visitbend.com."