Bend (Oregon)

Bend is a city in, and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. Bend is located on the eastern edge of the Cascade Range along the Deschutes River. Bend's climate is typical of the high desert with cool nights and sunny days, classified as semi-arid. Central Oregon summers are marked by their very large diurnal temperature ranges, with a July daily average of 64.5 °F, and an average diurnal temperature variation approaching 35 °F. Bend is the larger principal city of the Bend-Prineville CSA, a Combined Statistical Area that includes the Bend metropolitan area and the Prineville micropolitan area, which had a combined estimated population of 216,310 by the United States Census Bureau in 2008. Tourism is one of Bend's largest sectors. The Mount Bachelor ski resort brings in tourists from all over Oregon, Washington, and California. The nearby Cascade Lakes are also a large draw for tourists. Recreational activities include downhill and cross country skiing, hiking, biking, rafting, golfing, camping, fishing, picnicking, rock climbing, and general sightseeing. Bend is also home to the Deschutes Brewery, the 6th largest craft brewery in the nation and the largest of over a dozen microbreweries in the city. Each year the city hosts many events celebrating its brewing culture including: The Bend Oktoberfest, The Little Woody Barrel Aged Brew and Whiskey Fest, Bend Brewfest, and Central Oregon Beer Week. Beer aficionados can also visit many of the breweries along the Bend Ale Trail. Since 2004, Bend has also hosted the one of the top indie film festivals in the nation The Bend Film Festival.