June in Bend brings short sleeves and cider sipped on sun-soaked patios. Sunshine spills down white-capped mountains, sending icy-fresh flows to rivers and lakes where kids hug colorful floaties. 

While each month in Bend brings its own sort of magic, here’s what’s great about June in Bend, Oregon.

Bring on the festivals!

Folks joke there’s a festival each weekend in Bend, and that’s pretty much true in June.

Gift your inner yogi the ultimate outdoor treat with Bend Yoga Festival. From workshops to classes to soul-nourishing nature, it’s an awesome form of self-care.

Bookmark the site for Bend’s Juneteenth celebration and commemorate the date in June 1865 when soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce that the Union won the war and had the manpower to enforce the end of slavery. Bend’s fun, family-friendly Juneteenth event includes a three-day festival with music, food, dancing, and kids’ activities, not to mention historical and educational exhibits. 

June also marks Pride Month when LGBTQIA2+ communities and allies celebrate the ability to come together and be themselves. This year, Bend Summer Pride will be organized by the Queer Creatives Collective in Drake Park.

The Central Oregon BBQ, Brews, & Whiskey Festival brings everyone’s favorite summertime treats to the forefront in a weekend fest at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds.

Looking for more June events in Bend? From Father’s Day happenings to wine tastings to 5k foot races, you’ll find what you’re after on Visit Bend’s Event Calendar. 

Head for the hills

While seasonal road closures start lifting in May, June’s when our high-elevation hotspots swing into full summer operations.

Popular resorts open this time of year, boasting gift shops, boat rentals, and restaurants. Head for scenic spots like East Lake Resort, Elk Lake Resort, Cultus Lake Resort, Paulina Lake Lodge, and other breathtaking high lake locales to kick your summer off in style.

June also brings summer operations to Mt. Bachelor as ski slopes transform into mountain bike trails, ziplining kicks into full swing, and scenic chairlift rides open to the public.

If it’s been a heavy snow year, watch your step on popular high-elevation hiking trails around the Newberry National Volcanic Monument or spots off the Cascade Lakes Highway like Sparks Lake and Todd Lake. Snow lingers a lot longer than you might expect!

Speaking of Central Cascades hiking trails, make sure you know which areas require wilderness permits for day use and overnight hiking. Now’s the time to line up permits for June hikes, so read this blog post for rules, maps, and other details about the Central Cascades Wilderness Permit system.  

Let the live music flow

Bend’s warm summer temps, cooler evenings, and relative lack of rain make it the perfect spot for live outdoor music, and June’s when our music scene starts to rock.

The first shows of the year at Hayden Homes Amphitheater typically kick off in late May and early June, and this season boasts a fully packed calendar.

Don’t forget Munch and Music, which has been going strong in Drake Park since 1991 with free, family-friendly shows. The concerts don’t kick off ‘til July, but now’s the time to mark dates on your calendar so you don’t miss your favorite artist.

If you don’t mind driving just a bit, Faith, Hope, and Charity Vineyards offers super-awesome live music shows with tasty wine to boot. Best of all, they boast some of the most epic mountain views around. Make it a dinner date and pair their wood-fired pizzas with a glass or two of locally-made vino. Just remember to have a designated driver for the journey back to Bend!

Time for family-friendly fun

For most families in the Pacific Northwest, school lets out for summer sometime in mid-June. That’s the cue for Bend’s best kid-friendly attractions to bust out their best programming.

June means the event calendar for the High Desert Museum starts bursting with offerings like Raptors of the Sky flight demos, kid-friendly exhibits, and camps for kiddos of different ages. There’s a reason this place has been a top family attraction for 40+ years, and now’s when its outdoor exhibits shine.

The outside attractions at Sun Mountain Fun Center also get lots more fun when June brings warmer weather. Make a plan for the whole fam to hit the batting cages, go-karts, and mini-golf course.

Want a side-dish of adrenaline with your family adventure? Schedule at ATV tour with Outriders Northwest and prepare to laugh and scream ‘til your sides hurt.

If you prefer your horsepower with actual horses, add some giddyup in your family’s summer plans on an outing with Smith Rock Trail Rides.

I already touched on whitewater rafting above, but can I give it another shout-out? It’s truly one of the coolest family-friendly adventures to have on your bucket list, particularly in June when the water’s running high and fast.

And don’t get me started on the roundup of offerings from Wanderlust Tours. Excursions like their Cascade Lakes Canoe Tour and their super-fun Volcano Tour start rolling again as snow melts. These outings are hands-down some of my family’s favorite memories, and their naturalist guides do a great job mixing educational info with cheerful fun, plus all the transportation and gear you need.

Want a one-of-a-kind summertime adventure? The Paulina Plunge combines biking (it’s tame, I swear!) with waterfall hikes and a chance to ride natural waterslides unlike anything you’ve experienced before. My kids first did this with us nearly a decade ago and HAVE. NOT. STOPPED. TALKING. ABOUT. IT. Tours run from June through September each year and tend to book up fast. 

For more ideas on family-friendly fun in Bend, check out this page on the Visit Bend site.