Bend Farmers Market

Bend Farmers Market pairs fresh-food shopping with one of the clearest food-access programs in town: the Double Up Food Bucks grant program doubles SNAP dollars up to $20 each week through the Farmers Market Fund. The market runs in Brooks Alley at the top of Mirror Pond off Franklin in downtown Bend, giving it a compact central setting for a midweek stop. On Wednesdays from May into early October, shoppers can find farm goods, baked items, pantry foods, and prepared products from Central Oregon growers and makers. The result is a market with a strong practical streak: local food first, and multiple ways to keep it within reach.

Why it matters locally

Brooks Alley places the market directly in downtown Bend, and the market frames that location as part of its seasonal identity from May 6 to October 7 on Wednesdays. Its local significance also shows up in the partnerships tied to food access. Alongside SNAP, the market works with the Double Up Food Bucks grant program, administered by the Farmers Market Fund, to stretch EBT spending on local food by up to $20 each week. It also collaborates with the Oregon Farm Direct Nutrition Program, a state-administered federal nutrition program serving families enrolled in WIC and income-eligible seniors. That structure connects the market not just to downtown commerce, but to how Bend households buy produce and farm goods during the season.

What you'll find there

The vendor mix leans toward working food purchases rather than souvenir browsing, with organic produce, meats, mushrooms, baked goods, sauces, and specialty pantry items represented across the lineup. Several vendors also list ways to buy from them beyond the main season, which points to a market tied closely to ongoing regional food businesses.

• -Pick up certified organic vegetables, herbs, flowers, and grains from Rainshadow Organics, a farm based in Sisters.
• -Find grass fed and finished lamb, beef, and seasonal poultry from Bend-based North 44 Farm.
• -Browse breads, cakes, pastries, and English muffins at Curmuffins.
• -Take home honeybee products from Broadus Bees, which also works in hive installation, maintenance, and public bee education.
• -Shop gourmet mushrooms cultivated in Central Oregon from Deschutes Gourmet Mushrooms.
• -Look for organically grown food and flowers, including year-round microgreens, from Deschutes Produce.
• -Bring home small-batch pesto-style sauces and meals from Fixa Foods.
• -Choose an organic, gluten-free seed loaf from Good Friend.
• -Add chili crisp in Mediterranean, Molé-inspired, and Asian varieties from Chilie Royale.
• -Pick up fruits and vegetables from Upriver Organics, a small organic farm in the McKenzie Valley.
• -Find premium cocktail service and edible flowers through The Asian Liquor Lady.
• -See the Tower Theatre Foundation at the market, where it presents programs tied to Central Oregon culture.

The market also connects to named programs beyond weekly shopping. Central Oregon Fill Your Pantry is identified as an event founded and organized by board member Megan Kellner-Rode, and an Anti-Inflammatory Cooking Class is described as a program launched by board member Amy Snow for the Dermatology PA Foundation. Brooks Alley and the entrance to The Commons Cafe Courtyard give this market a very specific downtown footprint: lost and found is handled at the information booth by the courtyard entrance, and bike racks sit by both Mirror Pond parking lots and in the courtyard itself. That setting fits the market's recurring emphasis on stewarding its historic venue while keeping the visit grounded in everyday use. The geography around it is unusually concrete. Parking is split between the North Mirror Pond lot off Brooks Street and the South Mirror Pond lot off Franklin Street, with ramp access from both ADA areas into Brooks Alley. Instead of feeling detached from downtown, the market is threaded through familiar places around Mirror Pond and the alley itself.

Know before you go

No dogs are allowed, which is the detail most likely to change a visit plan. Parking is straightforward if you aim for one of the two Mirror Pond lots directly behind the alley: the North Mirror Pond lot is accessed from Brooks Street and the South Mirror Pond lot from Franklin Street, and both have pay stations. ADA parking is available in both lots with ramp access into Brooks Alley. Restrooms are available on site. If you're arriving by bike, racks are placed next to both Mirror Pond lots and in The Commons Cafe courtyard. One parking restriction matters downtown: the Downtown Bend Library asks market shoppers not to use designated library parking spots.

Payments & SNAP

SNAP/EBT is accepted at Bend Farmers Market. The market also participates in the Double Up Food Bucks grant program, administered by the Farmers Market Fund, which doubles SNAP dollars up to $20 each week. It further collaborates with the Oregon Farm Direct Nutrition Program for eligible WIC families and income-eligible seniors.