Questions? Check out the frequently asked questions below. Still have questions? Use the contact form at the bottom of the page.
PETS ARE NOT ALLOWED at the Balloon Launches at R.E. Jewell Elementary, Children’s Festival or Night Glow at Riverbend Park, per our event permits with the City of Bend.
The Bacon, Brew & Balloons Festival at Sam Johnson Park in Redmond is pet-friendly.
Service animals are allowed at all events per ADA and Oregon State Law policies.
R.E. Jewell Elementary – Parking Options
- Attendees can park in the school parking lot and on city streets for the launches.
*No loitering during the event, no overnight parking
Riverbend Park – Parking Options
- Riverbend Park *Very few parking spaces so plan to arrive 1-2 hours early
- Old Mill Dog Park: Immediately East of the park, along the river
- Lowes Lot: Corner of Shevlin-Hixon and Columbia
- Gravel Lot (below Deschutes Brewery): On Shevlin-Hixon, across from the Les Schwab Amphitheater
- Deschutes Ridge Business Center: On the corner of Columbia and SW Disk Drive (After 5pm ONLY)
*No loitering during the event, no overnight parking
Sam Johnson Park – Parking Options
- Parking in the park is limited and is reserved for ADA parking (outlined in blue).
- Additional parking (outlined in orange) is available in the Spud Bowl, baseball fields, side streets and at Redmond High School.
*No loitering during the event, no overnight parking
Parking availability will vary depending on which event you are attending, since they are held at three different locations. Riverbend Park (where the Children’s Festival and Bend Night Glow event will be held on Friday, July 26) has limited compact parking, and Bend Parks & Rec does not recommend parking RVs in this lot.
Sam Johnson Park in Redmond (where the Redmond Night Glow and Bacon, Brew & Balloons Festival will be held on Saturday, July 27) doesn’t have designated RV parking, but their parks department suggests a gravel lot next to the nearby skate park.
RE Jewell Elementary School doesn’t have designated RV parking, either (where we hold our Balloon Launches on Friday, Saturday & Sunday).
If you’re looking for a recommendation of where to camp with your RV, Bend Parks & Rec recommended Tumalo State Park (4 miles NW of Bend).
If you’re looking for an easy/accessible place to park your RV while you jet about town, the Walmart parking lot is always an option. It isn’t walking distance to any of the event sites, but it would give you a place to drop your RV and use alternative transportation to the events.
Adults do not need a wristband to attend the Children’s Festival. Children ages 3+ need a wristband ($15/child) and a donation of $5 is suggested for children 2 and under. Proceeds benefit Saving Grace.
The morning balloon launches and evening Night Glow events are free to attend!
The Night Glow in Redmond will be held in conjunction with the Redmond Chamber’s Bacon, Brew & Balloons Festival – which does require tickets to purchase beer and bacon. There will be food available for purchase as well. The balloon viewing and live music are free to those attending the Night Glow event.
The balloon launch and Night Glow events are at the mercy of the weather, and are especially sensitive to wind speeds. While the balloon launches are scheduled to take place shortly after sunrise (setup at 6:15am, launch est. 6:45-7am) and the Night Glows are scheduled to take place at dusk (setup at 8pm, launch est. 8:45-9pm), wind speeds of 7mph+ can delay or cause the balloon events to be canceled.
While we try to give attendees a heads up on event cancellations, the balloonists won’t make that call until they’ve setup their balloons on-site and monitored the take-off conditions.
Thanks for understanding!
No beer or alcohol is served at the Balloons Over Bend Children’s Festival or the Bend Night Glow event held in Riverbend Park. Per our event agreement with Bend Parks & Recreation District, no alcohol is allowed to be sold or consumed within the event premises.
Beer is available for purchase at the Bacon, Brew & Balloons Festival at Sam Johnson Park in Redmond on Saturday, which is held in conjunction with the Redmond Night Glow.