Bend Summer Festival is moving up to late May, also gets a new title sponsor
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- After 35 years of fun under the often-hot summer sun, the Bend Summer Festival will be kicking off the season with a new, earlier schedule - and a new title sponsor.
The 2026 Hixon Mortgage Bend Summer Festival returns to downtown Bend Friday–Sunday, May 29–31, marking the event’s first-ever move to late May - technically, before the June 21 arrival of summer - but "offering ideal early-summer weather for a full weekend of celebration," the organizers, Lay it Out Events, announced in a news release this week.
Hixon Mortgage President Derek Meyer said the company “is fired up to be part of Summerfest and celebrate what makes our community so special!"
Hixon Mortgage is a locally owned mortgage company that says it's "focused on helping families achieve the great American dream of homeownership. We love and are proud to support events like Summerfest in an effort to bring the community together to celebrate local vendors and businesses."
The annual community favorite will once again take over multiple blocks in downtown Bend with art, music, food, shopping, and family-friendly fun — "now perfectly timed to launch the summer festival season," organizers said
The festival weekend kicks off Friday, May 29, from 4–10 p.m. with music and food along Oregon Avenue. Saturday, May 30 (11 a.m.–10 p.m.) and Sunday, May 31 (11 a.m.–5 p.m.) feature full festival programming across downtown.
The organizers said, "Festival-goers can expect a vibrant mix of fine art, hand-made goods, local shopping, live music and pop-up performances throughout the weekend."
More than 80 regional and national artisans will line Bond Street, while additional vendor areas highlight clothing, jewelry, specialty foods, wine, and Central Oregon businesses. Live music and performances will run all weekend, with the 2026 lineup to be announced soon.
Presented by Hixon Mortgage, the Bend Summer Festival is produced by Lay It Out Events and supported by a wide range of local and regional sponsors.
For a full schedule, sponsorship and vendor opportunities and more event details, visit bendsummerfestival.com.
Lay It Out Events, which annually produces more than 20 events and has donated more than $340,000 to Central Oregon charities in the last decade. Events include WinterFest, Bend Fall and Summer Festival, The Little Woody, Cascades Wedding Show, Balloons Over Bend, and Theater in the Park. Learn more at www.layitoutevents.com.
