BEND, Ore., Sept. 2 — Central Oregon is bracing for its busiest weekend of the summer as AAA projects Bend to be the top Labor Day travel destination in Oregon, a surge that arrives even as gas prices hit holiday records and hotel rates climb.
The expected influx offers a financial lifeline for local businesses just before the summer season winds down, a moment Visit Bend spokesperson Tim Neville described as the region’s “last breath of summer.” Nate Wyeth, Visit Bend’s chief of staff, said the holiday matters because the shoulder season that follows can strain companies that depend on summer revenue. “Any opportunity that these small businesses have to make money on key holiday weekends like this, they’re gonna do all they can to recover as much of those dollars as possible,” Wyeth said.
The optimism comes despite a record wildfire season that has dampened recreation in past years. Wyeth said smoke this time around did not linger long enough to hurt earnings in Bend. AAA spokesperson Marie Dodds said the organization expects a record number of travelers this weekend, a trend that has continued since COVID-19 restrictions eased.
“Central Oregon is such a beautiful area. There’s so much to see and do.
It’s one of those places where there truly is something for everybody,” Dodds said. She credited Bend’s proximity to Redmond Municipal Airport and its driveable distance for many Oregonians. The costs of getting here are rising.
Global conflicts in Iran and Ukraine are pushing up gas prices, and drivers heading from Portland to Bend can expect to pay an average of $4.82 per gallon — nearly a dollar more than last Labor Day. AAA predicts the worst traffic around 5:45 p.m. Friday. Hotel rates in Bend for the weekend are up $44 from 2024 to 2025, according to Visit Bend.
The Westman Hotel, a high-end boutique property that opened in December 2025 inside Bend’s former U.S. Post Office, is charging more than initially projected, said Sondra Storm, CEO and founder of Embarcadero Management Group, citing inflation and higher operating costs. Redmond Municipal Airport is in the middle of an expansion that will add 80,000 square feet, with completion expected in November 2027.
Spokesperson Jodi Low encouraged travelers to arrive at least two hours before departure, given expected increases in air travel, and said, “We do not anticipate delays or cancellations related to weather or construction.” For Bend’s small businesses, the holiday weekend is a chance to bank what they can before the quieter months settle in. Whether the record crowds materialize as expected will become clear as the weekend unfolds — and as drivers sit through that Friday evening traffic.
