Readers likely didn’t have to deliberate long before elevating First Friday Gallery Walk, a venerated Bend institution, to the rarefied air of first place in the category of Where to GO! for art gawking and buying. The monthly events bring the crowds to shops, cafes and, of course, galleries such as Red Chair, Mockingbird, Peterson-Roth, Tumalo Art Company, Lubbesmeyer Art Studio & Gallery, Just a Little Charm and many more in downtown Bend and the Old Mill. Foot traffic can be heavy as art lovers mosey from reception to reception, admiring and buying clay, print, paint, wood, metal, jewelry and more by local and national artists. In addition to the art on display, there’s also free wine sipping, finger foods, music and people watching and more.

No. 2: Red Chair Gallery

No. 3: Downtown Bend

Honorable mentions: Old Mill District and Mockingbird Gallery