Bend Cultural Tourism Fund
A Visit Bend Project
The Bend Cultural Tourism Fund (BCTF) is a grant program created to enhance Bend’s economy through cultural tourism. From musical productions to art exhibits to film festivals and more, the BCTF supports cultural opportunities that draw visitors to Bend.
Stage the Change Conference
- 2021 –
- 2022 •
- Tower Theatre Foundation •
- $70,000
-
•
- Marketing
Stage the Change is the Tower Theatre’s 2-day conference, open to high school students throughout the Pacific Northwest. Stage the…
Winter PrideFest
- 2019 –
- 2022 •
- OUT Central Oregon •
- $75,500
-
•
- Marketing
To fund Winter PrideFest, a multi-day and multi-event weekend celebrating diversity and inclusivity in the outdoors through various winter activities,…
Muse Conference/UnConference
- 2015 –
- 2021 •
- World Muse •
- $97,125
-
•
- Marketing
World MUSE hosted its first MUSE Conference in 2013 as a one-day event to support and celebrate women and girls…
We Invest In Bend
Supporting culture and the arts
Thanks to a ballot measure passed in 2013, Visit Bend funds the BCTF using 7.5-10% of the organization’s total annual public funding received from the City of Bend. The program awarded $125,000 to cultural tourism organizations in 2015, just over $185,000 in 2016, just under $200,000 in 2017, $205,000 in 2018, $200,000 in 2019, $319,500 in 2021, and $400,000 in 2022.
Awards have supported cultural opportunities ranging from the Deschutes Public Library’s Author! Author! series to a Nordic skiing exhibit at the Deschutes Historical Museum to the Bend A Cappella Festival.
The next application period will open in January, 2023. The deadline to apply is April 7, 2023.
Have a project?
How to Apply
We are looking to support events and project that, with our funding, can accomplish the following:
- Attract incremental tourists to Bend during the shoulder seasons and winter months
- Diversify Bend’s tourism offerings
- Enrich and cultivate Bend’s arts and cultural assets
- Establish Bend as a premier cultural tourism destination
- Enhance Bend’s quality of life
- Increase Bend’s appeal to attract new long-term investment into the community
The next application period will open in January, 2023. The deadline to apply is April 7, 2023.
If you have questions about submitting an application, please check the FAQ.
Meet a few of our
Grantees
High Desert Music Collective LLC
OUT Central Oregon
Wanderlust Tours
Learn More About Visit Bend’s
Commitment to Bend
Visit Bend and the Bend Cultural Tourism Fund support our community as it seeks a sustainable future. Our team cares deeply about this place we live, play, raise families, and call home. We’re passionate about caring for the wild places, this community, and sharing them with people from all walks of life.
