Bend Cultural Tourism Fund announces nearly $320,000 in grants
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) The Bend Cultural Tourism Commission announced Wednesday 20 grants for Bend cultural tourism-focused activities taking place September 2021 through June 2022, awarding a total of $319,500.
The funds will help local organizations leverage marketing resources to attract more cultural tourists during the shoulder seasons and winter months – a time of year when the city’s tourism industry is down yet the vibrant cultural activities so central to Bend’s character are still going strong, according to the announcement, which continues below.
The program started in 2015 and normally awards closer to $200,000 annually. However, due to pandemic restrictions for travel and events, the program went on hiatus in 2020. This year’s awards include carry-over from the 2020 budget, making it the largest amount granted since the program’s beginning. This sixth round of awards pushed the total BCTF fund