The Avett Brothers, a music festival, the Cascade Cycling Classic “Crit” and more are happening this weekend in Bend. Here are five things to do in Bend this weekend that you don’t want to miss.
Photo by Jon Tapper
See the Avett Brothers
July 21 | Les Schwab Amphitheater
Tickets are still available to see the Avett Brothers perform tonight at the Les Schwab Amphitheater. The concerts are always one of the best ways to spend a summer evening in Bend, with a large outdoor amphitheater along the river providing great ambiance to watch the show. If tickets do sell out, you can also try to grab a seat on a patio at the Old Mill to listen to the show. Some also time their floats down the Deschutes River to hear the performance.
Watch “The Crit”
July 22 | Downtown Bend
Photo by Jon Tapper
“The Crit” is one of those classic Bend events that you just have to witness to understand. Part of the Cascade Cycling Classic (CCC), the Twilight Criterium is a timed cycling race through downtown Bend. Watch the elite racers whip by shoulder-to-shoulder around the streets in this event of the CCC. From our design ambassador René Mitchell: The summer calendar is packed with possibilities, but the Cascade Cycling Classic’s Downtown Twilight Criterium is a can’t-miss event. Grab a table at 900 Wall or Zydeco to get really close, or pack a blanket and picnic on the historical society’s lawn. However you do it, arrive early and remember, “More cowbell!”
Support the High Desert Classic Horse Show
July 18-23 and July 26-30 | J Bar J Ranch
Oregon High Desert Classic
The Oregon High Desert Classic is a professional and amateur hunter-jumper horse show that benefits J Bar J Youth Services, a working ranch for boys that has been in Central Oregon for more than forty years. It’s one of the premiere competitive jumping events in Central Oregon showcasing equestrian athletes. General admission to the event is free, but special events require paid tickets.
Listen to a Folk Icon
July 22 | Crow’s Feet Commons
Roots and blues icon Charlie Parr will make an appearance in downtown Bend Saturday night at Crow’s Feet Commons. The introspective and deeply gifted Minnesota songwriter won’t be spinning yarns from Lake Wobegon. Parr delivers fierce and soulful lyrics that explore dissolution, desperation and isolation that tell a different side of rural America than found on Prairie Home Companion. Parr’s sharp acoustic fingerpicking on his signature nine-string guitar severs as the backtrack. Parr is the kind of essential American musician that everyone should experience at least once. Here’s your chance.
Getaway to the Newberry Event Music Festival
July 21-23 | DiamondStone Guest Lodges
Take a trip outside of Bend this weekend for the Newberry Event Arts & Music Festival. Celebrating its fifth annual festival this year, the festival will bring back favorite bands from previous years as well as new ones. The festival will have performances from Lucas Nelson and the Promise of the Real along with other regional and national acts. The Newberry Event is family-friendly and also includes activities for kids. Taking place at the DiamondStone Guest Lodges, the festival is a fundraiser for multiple sclerosis.
