John Shipe will perform Saturday at the 2022 Bend Roots Revival.

Here’s a quick history lesson about the Bend Roots Revival for anyone who’s new to town — and there are a few of you.

The annual grassroots gathering of local musicians, bands and artists started way back in 2006 (ancient times ‘round these parts). As founder and organizer Mark Ransom said back then, it was a “music festival in Bend for the musicians of Bend.” It happened in one day on two modest stages near the roundabout at 14th Street and Galveston Avenue — one at Parrilla Grill and one at The Victorian Cafe.

The Roots festival thrived in that location for a few years, then outgrew it and moved to the Century Center, then an old junkyard on the east side called Pakit Liquidators, and then to the Deschutes Brewery area along Southwest Shevlin Hixon Drive. That lasted for several years, until the festival had to adjust to COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021 by spreading its venues out across town in an effort to avoid gathering large crowds.

This year, however, the Bend Roots Revival is getting back to its … you guessed it … roots, Ransom said earlier this week.

“Last year, we shared responsibility with our venues, who were great partners in helping us as we socially distanced the whole event,” he said. “This year, we’re excited to bring it all back to one place, which to me is the Roots festival.”

The 2022 version of Bend Roots will take over the Box Factory area between Arizona Avenue and Bond Street, with 100 acts playing seven stages, plus educational workshops and other fun stuff. It is, as it has always been, family friendly and free to attend, because Bend Roots is, as it has always been, a celebration of the arts, of the community and the creative spirit of Central Oregon.

“As Bend has grown, the talent here has grown,” Ransom said. “I’ve always felt that if Bend just stays on track creatively, we won’t have to go out into the world. The world will come to us.”

As Bend grows, Bend Roots is growing, too, said Ransom, who used to have his hands in every aspect of the festival’s operation. Now, thanks in part to Bend Cultural Tourism Grant from Visit Bend, he has more help than ever, including event manager Samantha Harber, band booker Ian Egan, volunteer organizer Deanna Dewitt and media guru Anne Pick, plus the sound and stage crews that keep the music going. Ransom also cited the vendors who help feed participants, the stage hosts and sponsors, and key partners such as Worthy Brewing, KPOV and Fuzz Phonic Records, who all work in harmony to make the Roots Revival happen and also to extend the organization’s reach into local schools and music education efforts.

The Visit Bend grant — Roots was awarded $14,000 — is intended to help Bend Roots bring more people to Central Oregon during the “shoulder seasons” (before and after summer) and the winter months.

By doing that, Ransom believes Bend Roots can serve as a reminder of what the town has always been and wants to be in the future.

“It’s not just the growth of our local arts community, but also a turn toward it as an example of what Bend is,” he said. “If there are any roots left in Bend, what better example is there than this? Where would we turn to know what it is to be a local? I think our event definitely speaks to some traditions that go back a little farther than others.”

If you are going to Bend Roots and you have the capability to walk or ride your bike, please do so. If you must drive, try to carpool.

In addition to the Box Factory and Spoken Moto, there will be stages at The Podski food cart lot across Arizona Avenue and Crosscut Warming Hut No. 5 across Bond Street. Please take care crossing those roads. And if you’re driving those roads this weekend, please watch out for fest-goers.

If you’re crossing the street, you should not have a beer in your hand. Again: You should not have a beer in your hand when crossing the street.

Bend Roots Revival, with 100+ artists on seven stages: Free, Friday night, Saturday and Sunday, Box Factory area between Arizona Avenue and Bond Street in Bend. See a full schedule of music at bendroots.net.