Ahh, summer.

The days are long, the sun blazing hot, the Deschutes becomes a traffic jam and the cold beverages taste that much better.

This weekend comes another sign that winter is finally gone for good: The Bend Summer Festival is back, bringing tons of food, music, fine art, activities and more to the paved paradise of downtown Bend (see “If you go”).

This year’s event will feature an array of attractions for all kinds of folks, from little ones looking for something to bounce on to big ones hoping to beat the heat by having fun.

For the browsing and shopping type, more than 125 fine artists will be set up along Wall Street, hawking their wares or at least sitting on a stool in the shade in case you have any questions. And Oregon Avenue will again host the Souk de Summerfest, an open-air market modeled after those found across the globe.

Foodies should wander around to the festival’s more than 30 vendors offering sweet and savory goodies. Feeling classy? Hit Minnesota Avenue, where jazz will be the soundtrack of your stroll through a cornucopia of companies, vintners and Oregon chefs offering wine and gourmet food. And on Saturday from 1-3 p.m., there will be a workshop on how to cook great food on minimal equipment while hanging out at the river.

Further south on Wall Street will be the Conscious Living Showcase, where more than 50 exhibitors who help Central Oregonians lead a healthy lifestyle will be on hand to talk about outdoor recreation, healing and wellness, home energy conservation and more. And on Saturday, tech geeks should check out The Oxford Hotel, where the Bend TechnologyFest will showcase the latest in home electronics gadgetry.

On the south end of the festival, there will be a Bend’s Got Talent competition on Saturday, which is open to kids and adults looking to show off their chops in music, dance, acting, comedy and beyond. Email meganz@c3events.com to enter.

Adjacent to that is the kids area, home to bouncy houses, face painters, pony rides, stomp rockets and more.

Finally, there’s the music, which is as omnipresent as it is varied: Fishbone headlining a stacked funk-rock bill. A day dedicated to Latin-flavored jazz. Folkie Ruthie Foster playing for a Gospel ‘n’ Brunch crowd. A community bluegrass jam. A stage teeming with fine local artists. Rickie Lee Jones. Gary Wright. Pat Travers. The list goes on, and you can find more info on Page 11.

Just be sure to wear your shades, not just to protect your eyes. You’re gonna want to look cool, too.

If you go

What: Bend Summer Festival

When: 5-11 tonight; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday

Where: Downtown Bend

Cost: Free admission

Contact: www.c3events.com