Bend Central Library sets grand opening for August 15 and 16
Bend, ORE. (KTVZ) --- The Central Library in Bend, Ore., will host a community grand opening celebration on Aug. 15 and 16, 2026. The two-day event will feature performances, presentations and activities for all ages, marking a formal celebration for the library which has been operating since mid-May 2026.
The celebration comes after the library has been in full operation for more than two months, already welcoming nearly 150,000 visitors. Deschutes Public Library Director Todd Dunkelberg expressed the community's positive reception. "The community response to the Central Library has been nothing short of amazing," Dunkelberg said. "We've had nearly 150,000 enthusiastic people come through the doors since we opened in mid-May. Now that we've had a chance to settle in, we're excited to throw a proper grand opening event that celebrates not just this incredible new building, but the people of Deschutes County who made it all possible."
The grand opening event on Aug. 15 will begin at noon with remarks from members of Indigenous Neighbor Nations, U.S. Poet Laureate Arthur Sze and Oregon Poet Laureate Ellen Waterston. The Central Library will be closed on the morning of Aug. 15 for preparations and will reopen to the public after the noon remarks.
Attendees on Aug. 15 can see performances from kite fliers and Lava City Cirque. Activities will include face painting, hands-on activities in the MakerSpace, balloon artistry and a poetry exhibit. Events scheduled for Aug. 15 also include presentations by members of Central Oregon's Neighbor Nations at 12:45 p.m., artists Jeremy Okai Davis, John Grade and MoWo at 1:45 p.m., and U.S. Poet Laureate Sze at 3:00 p.m.
The celebration will continue on Aug. 16, with the library opening at 9:00 a.m. The day's events include llamas on the Central Library's east patio at 9:30 a.m., a free screening of the film "The Librarians" at 11:00 a.m., and a Bella Acapella Choir performance at 3:00 p.m. A writing workshop with Oregon Poet Laureate Waterston is scheduled for 2:00 p.m., requiring registration.
All library events are free and open to the public.
The library projects were made possible by a bond measure supported by Deschutes County voters in November 2020. This bond funded the remodeling of existing libraries in La Pine, Sisters and Sunriver. It also funded the construction of new libraries in Redmond, which opened in Jan. 2025 and the new Central Library in east Bend, which opened in May 2026 to serve all Deschutes County residents.
The remodel of the Downtown Bend Library, also funded by the 2020 bond measure, is expected to be complete in summer 2027. Registration is required for the writing workshop with Oregon Poet Laureate Waterston.
