Hayden Homes Amphitheater: Bend homebuilder new title sponsor of Old Mill riverfront venue

After 20 years, Old Mill picks new 'name-in-title sponsor,' says Les Schwab organization still 'meaningfully involved'

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Live Nation announced Tuesday that local area partner Hayden Homes will be the new name-in-title sponsor of Bend's 20-year-old, popular Old Mill District riverfront concert venue formerly known as the Les Schwab Amphitheater.

"This announcement serves as a logical step forward in the amphitheater’s continued progression as a pillar of Bend’s Old Mill District by identifying another strong community partner to help with continued success and future growth," the announcement said. Financial terms of the new sponsorship were not disclosed, but the venue underwent a major upgrade over the past year.

The venue, now to be known as the Hayden Homes Amphitheater, just wrapped up its first year in partnership with Live Nation, hosting 25 concerts, a record for the riverfront venue.

Here's the rest of the announcement:

The Hayden Homes Amphitheater was built in 2001 and is an independent, outdoor riverfront amphitheater located in the heart of the beautiful, historic Old Mill District, which incorporates shopping, dining, outdoor recreation, businesses and residences.

Since its first season in 2002, the venue has hosted over one million guests in a unique and unmatched setting. With a mission of making both fans and artists feel welcome, the venue features scenic paths for pedestrians and cyclists, space for food vendors, and artist amenities like first-class dressing rooms, badminton, croquet, and inner tubes to float down the Deschutes River. All summer long, the Hayden Homes Amphitheater presents some of the biggest names in entertainment, and the second largest brewfest in the northwest.

“As a local homebuilder established in Central Oregon over 30 years ago, we are proud to partner with the Old Mill District and Live Nation to support an iconic venue that has a long commitment of bringing the community together,” says Steve Klingman, president of Hayden Homes. “At Hayden Homes, we exist to Give As You Go so together, we build a strong community and lead fulfilled lives. We believe the Hayden Homes Amphitheater offers a place where we can do just that -- join together, enjoy the benefits of live music, create memories and experience a true feeling of community.”

“We’re thrilled to partner with Hayden Homes,” said Marney Smith, the longtime director of the newly christened Hayden Homes Amphitheater.

“Like us, they’re a family-owned business rooted in Central Oregon that wants to do what’s best for this community. The goal of the amphitheater has always been to provide a space for arts and culture in the heart of Bend,” Smith added. “Hayden Homes has been longtime supporters of not just our venue, but community organizations throughout the region.”

Bill Smith, developer of the Old Mill District, said “Hayden Homes shares the same values we do. We named the venue after Les Schwab the man for 20 years, to honor his contribution to helping build the Old Mill District. Hayden Homes builds and invests in this community. Passing the torch to Hayden Homes feels right.”

The Les Schwab organization will still be meaningfully engaged at the venue.

Since its opening in 2002, the Hayden Homes Amphitheater has developed an unbeatable reputation, becoming an icon for consistently providing the best in live entertainment and having a strong economic impact on one of the region’s most popular destination areas.

The Hayden Homes Amphitheater has and continues to host a vast array of artists representing a wide range of music genres, including Jackson Browne, Brandi Carlile, John Legend, Alison Krauss, Luke Bryan, Ringo Starr, Heart, Dave Matthews Band, Paul Simon, Coldplay, Willie Nelson, Trombone Shorty, Robert Plant, The Beach Boys, Pink Martini, Sheryl Crow, Diana Krall, The Avett Brothers, Bob Dylan, Alabama Shakes and many more.

About Hayden Homes Amphitheater

Hayden Homes Amphitheater is an independent, outdoor riverfront amphitheater built in Bend, Oregon’s historic Old Mill District in 2001. The amphitheater has hosted more than 1 million guests at the venue for ticketed and free concerts, brew festivals and races. The venue currently accommodates 8,000 patrons for concerts and other events, which includes some of the biggest names in entertainment and the second-largest brewfest in the Pacific Northwest. Learn more at www.bendconcerts.com.

About Live Nation Entertainment

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world's leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Sponsorship.

For additional information about Live Nation, visit  www.livenationentertainment.com.

About Hayden Homes

Established in Redmond, Oregon in 1989, Hayden Homes has provided over 20,000 new homes to price conscious, value-driven homebuyers in underserved, secondary markets throughout Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Hayden Homes continues to be the largest privately-owned new home builder in the Pacific Northwest. 

Hayden Homes exists to Give As You Go™, so together we build a strong community, and lead fulfilled lives. Hayden Homes has contributed 4.2 billion dollars to local economies and has created more than 76,000 jobs since the company’s inception. Hayden Homes supports philanthropic efforts in the