Source Weekly

Distance from Bend: 98 miles (About a two-hour drive)
Elevation: 5,190 feet
Sure, we have our own selection of lakes up here right outside of Bend, including the Cascades Lakes, but if you want to get a real getting-out-of-town experience, consider making the relatively short drive down to Diamond Lake. Located just to the north of Crater Lake, Diamond Lake features three well-maintained campgrounds in addition to the Diamond Lake Resort.
On most summer days, you should be able to get down to Diamond Lake in two hours or less and once you do, there is definitely a sensation of being off the high desert, which the thick trees surrounding the pristine lake will help you realize. The lake is open to watersports, something many of the Cascade Lakes prohibit, and the resort features a restaurant and other amenities for you to check out if you want to escape the campsite (there are 238 of them around the lake to choose from) for a bit. Or, if roughing it was really never in the cards, you can enjoy one of the resort's many rooms, which range from suites equipped with Jacuzzis to motel rooms, all of which are more affordable than you'd find in other resorts around the region.

Cornhole, the deliberately titled game featuring “bean” bags and boards, is quickly becoming the summer yard game of choice for many Central Oregonians. It's a great party game that travels well, accompanying everything from backyard barbeques to camping trips. Last year Bend hosted its first cornhole tournament and drew dozens of teams, vying for the title of cornhole king, or queen, as it were. (There is no gender bias in cornhole… ) While many retailers, including the sports “governing” body, the American Cornhole Organization, sell pre-made boards, a new set can cost as much as $250. However, with a little ingenuity, a skill saw, and a few miscellaneous nuts and bolts, you can put your own set together in an afternoon. Below is a quick overview of what you'll need to get started. As you might expect, the Internet offers a wealth of information on the actual construction.

It's well known that Bend is the self-proclaimed mountain biking and craft brewing capital of Oregon. What's less well known is our claim to the title of festival capital of Oregon. Okay, so no one has officially designated us as the festival capital of the Cascades. But someone could. It seems we've got a festival for every season, as well as a beer festival, a wine festival, a balloon festival, a paddlefest, a film festival, a bike festival. And a year-end festival to celebrate all the festivals, okay so I made the last one up, but you get the picture.
While there's plenty of reason to get excited about Bend's festival scene, including great food and music, did you ever wonder if you could do it better if you had the chance? Turns out, there's not much to stop you from trying, at least on a small scale. The city makes the process of getting a festival permit relatively easy and affordable.
Here's a quick Cheat Sheet for you to follow when organizing your own festival.

In Oregon, summer is the season to enjoy the work of William Shakespeare, thanks to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, which presents several works from the Bard of Avon. This year, however, fans of the literary master have an option other than traveling to Ashland, which is most certainly worth the journey. Portland's Northwest Classical Theater company, an outfit that has been specializing in Shakespeare productions for more than a decade, brings A Midsummer Night's Dream to Drake Park. The performances are scheduled for just two nights, Aug. 26 and Aug. 27, with a matinee performance on Saturday afternoon, Aug. 27. Tickets range from $20 to $75 for the event that is being produced by the Source sister company Lay It Out, Inc. and Cat Call Productions, which put on the widely praised Cabaret and Little Shop of Horrors productions.