With July upon us it’s First Friday again in Downtown Bend and the Old Mill District, and as usual there are a number of things going on!

There are of course the usual First Friday/Art Walk activities: shops and galleries are open late (from 5 to 9pm), featuring special art exhibits and many also offer free refreshments (including wine) and live music. And with summer finally here it’s going to be perfect weather for it (84 high, low 49)—the streets are going to be packed!

Deschutes Brewery will be featuring a special “Jubel in July” exhibit as well: “We’ve got Jubelale artists past & present including: Kaycee Anseth, Natasha Bacca and Cara & Louie in the “house,” and live music from local’s favorite band, Moon Mountain Ramblers! Wear your Jubelale shirts to show your “beer spirit” & to top off this amazing event, we will be serving BBQ goodness in the back-alley paired with Pinot Aged Jubel and more.”

And speaking of beer, while it’s not a First Friday-specific event (or is it?), Crux Fermentation Project will be tapping their very first in-house beer at 6pm! Details here and here: “A session Northwest Pale Ale with a refreshing hoppy aroma and flavor. Huge grapefruit notes. Oodles of complexity without the bitterness. Featuring Citra and Centennial whole flower hops from Yakima. 4.7% ABV—perfect for the hot temps this weekend.”

Over at The Wine Shop, they’ll be having a wine and beer tasting as well as featuring a drawing to win the “Go Green” painting they have, by artist Brenda Reid Irwin (a $225 value). The wine tasting will feature Vinho Verde, a Portuguese wine, and for beer Deschutes Brewery will be doing a tasting of Chainbreaker White IPA—both perfect hot-weather drinks!

And, don’t forget the GETIT Shuttle runs on First Fridays, shuttling people back and forth between Downtown and the Old Mill: it runs from 5 to 9:30 and leaves from 900 Wall St. beginning at 5. The loop is about an hour and is free for riders, and shuttles leave every half hour.