We’re not going to lie – fall is our favorite month here in Bend.

The air’s crisp, the trails are in perfect shape and the beer is fresh hopped.

Oh, and it means it’s time for Tenth Month, Bend’s month-long celebration of innovation and inspiration.

From Swivel’s recently concluded two-day digital marketing conference to BendFilm’s four days of indie cinema goodness, 10th Month taps into just about every artistic corner. Check out the Bend Venture Conference, the largest angel investing event in the Pacific Northwest, and see what it takes to attract the attention – and money – to launch a startup business. Take part in the Bend Design Conference and dive into how design thinking can improve and better interpret the world around you.

There really is no better time to be in Central Oregon if you want to flex your creative juices.

Here’s a quick look at Tenth Month!

 OCT. 12-15: BENDFILM FESTIVAL – BendFilm celebrates the brave voice of independent cinema through films, lectures and education.

It’s a festival put on by people who believe that art is best channeled through creative genius; not commercial interests. BendFilm believes that film festivals are best experienced in a relaxed atmosphere where the next venue is a block from the last and the words “velvet rope” apply to fashion choices; not exclusive access ordeals.

OCT. 13: FRESH HOPS ON THE POND: All hail Bend Brewing Company for hosting Bend’s first fresh hop beer festival.

The BBC is throwing a huge party on their lawn with all of your favorite local Bend breweries to sample their fresh hopped brew. It’s a one-stop shop to taste the best of Bend. Participating breweries include: Crux Fermentation Project, GoodLife Brewing,  10 Barrel Brewing Company, McMenamins Old St. Francis School, Deschutes Brewery Bend Public House, Silver Moon Brewing and Sunriver Brewing Co. – Galveston Pub.  BBC will be pouring & partying all day with live music starting at 12:30 p.m.

OCT. 18: VENTURE OUT CONFERENCE – If you have an outdoor company, mark your calendar to attend the Venture Out Festival at the Tower Theater. Your company could receive over $100,000 in funding !

OCT. 19-20: BEND VENTURE CONFERENCE – Hosted by EDCO, the Bend Venture Conference is the largest Angel Conference in the Pacific Northwest.Last year, more than 600 attendees, 50 prominent investors and 89 companies joined in for a celebration of entrepreneurship and innovation. Investments, awards, and prizes of nearly $4 million opened the opportunity for multiple winners at the 2016 conference!

The 2017 Bend Venture Conference will feature three competition categories: Early Stage, Growth Stage, and Social Impact with five finalists (companies) selected in each category.

OCT. 26-27: BEND DESIGN CONFERENCE – Bend Design is two days of engaging conversations, interactive workshops and hands-on exhibits intended to spread the notion that design is more than an art form. Design is an artful and innovative approach to the challenges and opportunities life offers, regardless of category or discipline. It is an experience for visual artists, trade professionals, entrepreneurs, civic leaders, students, and all of us curious in new ways to connect and interpret the world around us.

 

See you around Bend during this amazing time!