Redmond is preparing to welcome thousands of music festival fans this weekend. Organizers of the FairWell Festival say the event will be the first of its kind of this magnitude at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds.
“Bend is really one of those markets that a lot of people are moving to and traveling to and does not really have a tier-one festival,” Sophie Lobl, Creative Director at C3 Presents said. “We decided between all of us that we felt like this was a really good place to try.”
The three-day event features more than 30 acts with everything from country to rock. Top artists include Zach Bryan, Turnpike Troubadours and newly-minted Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Sheryl Crow and Willie Nelson.
FairWell Festival was unable to give an exact estimate on how many people will show up. They said the venue capacity is 35,000.
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The RV lot will be entirely full starting Friday after camping passes quickly sold out.
Festival goers and community members have already begun voicing concerns online regarding options for transport at night without camping options available.
One nearby business owner expressed that they’re worried organizers won’t be able to keep trash, vandalism and disorderly behavior inside the fairgrounds. They added the fairgrounds did not offer support during the Fourth of July when fireworks viewers parked at any lots they could find nearby after the fairgrounds banned parking on-site.
There’s a lot that has to go right. But if it does, organizers say they want to work to put the festival on the calendar for future years.
“We feel like we’ve had a really great reception from especially locals, but fans everywhere,” Lobl said. “The hope is to really bring this back and make it an annual event.”
