Twenty-two organizations supporting Bend’s arts and culture scene will receive a total of $300,000 in grants from the Bend Cultural Tourism Fund (BCTF), a Visit Bend program designed to increase participation in cultural experiences and spur economic activity during Bend’s shoulder seasons.
Funded entirely by taxes paid by overnight visitors in Bend’s short-term commercial lodging properties, RV parks and vacation rentals, the BCTF reinvests those dollars into local arts and culture to support experiences residents and visitors share. This year’s projects include the debut season of Ballet Bend, a benefit performance by Pattie Gonia in partnership with Outdoorist Oath, and expanded programming across film, music, visual arts and live performances.
An independent review board, the Bend Cultural Tourism Commission, evaluated applications requesting nearly $950,000 before recommending funding for 22 projects. Visit Bend’s board of directors approved the commission’s recommendations at its monthly meeting.
Top awards include $29,000 each to BendFilm, the High Desert Museum and the Tower Theatre Foundation. Additional support will help bring events like TEDxBend, Winter PrideFest and the Bend Fall Festival to broader audiences. This approach helps stabilize visitation across the calendar, supporting local businesses and jobs beyond peak travel periods.
As in the past, this year’s funding reflects a balance of established partners and new voices, helping sustain Bend’s cultural ecosystem while expanding opportunities for emerging creators. Thirteen returning organizations received support alongside nine new grantees, bringing the total number of BCTF recipients to 59 since the program’s inception.
The BCTF, now in its 11th year, reinvests a portion of Bend’s transient lodging tax into organizations seeking marketing and research support for high-quality events that have the potential to attract visitors from beyond a 50-mile radius. The majority of lodging tax revenue goes to the City of Bend to support core services such as police, fire and roads, offsetting costs that would otherwise fall more heavily on residents. Visit Bend manages a smaller, restricted portion to support tourism-related initiatives, including the BCTF, in an effort to boost city revenue and support local businesses.
“The Bend Cultural Tourism Fund takes the economic reality of Bend’s popularity as a destination and uses it to enhance the experiences and quality of life that we all love,” says Zavier Borja, Visit Bend’s destination stewardship director who oversees the grant program along with its sister initiative, the Bend Sustainability Fund (BSF). “That, to me, is a clear example of regenerative tourism at work.”
Since its inception, the BCTF has awarded more than $2.8 million to projects that expand access to arts and culture, support local organizations and encourage travel during periods of low occupancy. The BSF has awarded nearly $3.9 million for infrastructure-related projects over the past 5 years. By directing visitor-generated revenue directly into the community, the two funds help strengthen Bend’s economy while supporting the creative and visitor experiences that define our town.
For a complete list of past grantees, visit the BCTF website at culture.visitbend.com and the BSF website at sustainability.visitbend.com.
2026 BCTF Grantees, Projects and Amounts
Grantee |
Project |
Amount |
| 1988 Entertainment LLC | Volcanic Theatre Next Phase Outreach | $20,000 |
| Art Sprouts, Inc. (Kolovita) | Ukrainian Future-Heritage Arts Series | $10,000 |
| BendFilm, Inc. | Bend Film Festival | $29,000 |
| High Desert Museum | Tattoos of the High Desert | $29,000 |
| Parallel 44 Presents | Concert Series | $17,000 |
| Lay It Out Events | Bend Fall Festival | $20,000 |
| OUT Central Oregon | Winter PrideFest | $19,000 |
| Oxford Hotel | Jazz at the Oxford | $12,000 |
| Pattie Gonia Productions + Outdoorist Oath | Bend Drag Spectacular | $15,000 |
| Paula Dreyer | Piano Flow Live | $9,000 |
| TEDxBend | TEDxBend | $16,000 |
| The Greenhouse Cabaret | 2026–27 Season | $22,000 |
| Tower Theatre Foundation | Live at the Tower | $29,000 |
| American Impressionist Society | National Juried Exhibition | $4,000 |
| Backstitch, Inc. | Mapping Access Research | $7,500 |
| Ballet Bend | Debut Season | $8,000 |
| Bend Comedy and Arts Foundation | Bend Comedy Festival | $6,000 |
| Ghost of Brian Craig, LLC | Song of Sunset | $4,500 |
| High Desert Chamber Music | Concert Series Marketing | $5,000 |
| High Desert Fire Artists | Audience Development Research | $5,000 |
| High Desert Food & Farm Alliance | Food & Farm Fest | $6,500 |
| Oregon State University – Cascades | PRAx Concert Series | $6,500 |
About Visit Bend:
Visit Bend is a non-membership, nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and enhancing the visitor experience while stewarding a vibrant and sustainable community in Bend, Oregon. We serve as a leading source of information on Bend’s lodging, dining, outdoor recreation, arts and culture and vacation planning.
About the Bend Cultural Tourism Fund:
The Bend Cultural Tourism Fund reinvests a portion of visitor-generated lodging tax revenue into marketing and research for arts and cultural activities that attract visitors and strengthen Bend’s creative economy. Established in 2015, the fund supports projects that enhance Bend as a year-round destination for arts and culture.
