TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Bend! I’ll see you all at the pickleball meetup tomorrow. I’ve been practicing a little, so watch out (just kidding, I’m still awful at it).

In today’s Bend Buzz:

Let’s get to it.

— Derek Carlson

Celebrate Earth Day with us at the Earth Day Fair & Parade at Alpenglow Park!

🌎 The Environmental Center is thrilled to bring this beloved community event to a new location while our facility undergoes construction.

Enjoy an exciting lineup of performances, including Lava City Cirque, Bend’s own aerial and circus arts studio, featuring stilt walkers, unicyclists, and whimsical nature-inspired performers. We’re also honored to welcome Red Clan of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, who have been sharing powerful music and dance with communities for over 30 years. Plus, experience the graceful storytelling of Hokuleʻa of Central Oregon, bringing hula and Tahitian dance traditions to life.

With over 70 vendors, hands-on eco-friendly activities, a kids zone, face painting, food trucks, and live music, there’s something for everyone.

Join us at Alpenglow Park on April 25 from 11 AM–3 PM. Parking will be limited, so we recommend heading directly to Caldera High School and walking over. A shuttle will be available, along with a bike bus from Northwest Crossing.

Come celebrate, connect, and care for our planet together 💚

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After its inaugural edition last year, Bend Brews & Beyond is coming back for another round, and this year, they’re making some changes. Three pieces of feedback they received most often last year were a) the tickets were too expensive, b) there was no live music, and c) dogs weren’t allowed. So this year, tickets are $5-$10 cheaper, there will be 4 local bands on tap, and well-behaved, leashed dogs will be allowed. Tickets are on sale, and the event will be happening on May 23rd at Drake Park.

🎧Smith Rock Records moving…but not far: More changes are happening downtown, but in the grand scheme of things, this one is relatively minor. Smith Rock Records is moving from its current location in the (totally not) haunted O’Kane Building across the street to the Stereo Planet building (way less ghosts here). They’ll be moving over the next few weeks and should be fully settled into their new space sometime next month.

☕ Sisters Coffee opening at Jackstraw: The new-ish Jackstraw building is getting its second commercial tenant this week as Sisters Coffee will be soft opening their new space tomorrow, April 23rd. We haven’t peeked in the windows yet, but from what we’ve seen on Instagram, the space looks pretty nice!

🥞 Dear Mom to launch a breakfast menu: The folks behind Dear Mom have been keeping busy lately with their cafe and slinging brioche donuts (Oh My Goodness Bakery) all over town. And now, they’ve got one more thing in the works. Starting sometime in late May or early June, they’ll be launching a breakfast menu at Dear Mom with items like Japanese coffee pancakes with tiramisu or matcha cream. We’ll keep you up-to-date on when the menu officially launches!

🏓 Dink for a Cure: A community pickleball fundraiser is being hosted on June 6th at Bend RV Resort to support breast cancer research through the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund. Local runners Ally Thompson and Justin Burns are competing in the NYC Marathon for Team Baldwin, and this event is part of their fundraising effort.

They are also currently curating high-quality swag bags and would love to feature your local business. They are seeking items such as free drinks or food items, sample-sized sunscreens, socks, and other small items or gift cards to include.

You can register your team here or reach out to Dacia Farley at (541) 430-1657 or by email at [email protected] if you’d like to donate items for the swag bags.

🫘 Support the Bend Food Project:  Help our community, one green bag at a time! Join the Bend Food Project and be part of a simple, powerful way to give back. Every other month, leave a bag of nonperishable food on your doorstep, and a volunteer Neighborhood Coordinator will pick it up and deliver it to The Giving Plate Food Pantry. We are currently looking for:

1) Food Donors: Donate one bag of food every other month 

2) Neighborhood Coordinators: recruit your fellow neighbors and friends and collect food every other month.

Find out more at bendfoodproject.com 

📸 @sisterscoffee | 📍Jackstraw Building
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Recycling can feel confusing, but it’s now more consistent across Oregon—including here in Deschutes County. Keep it simple: recycle plastic bottles, jugs, and tubs (at least 2x2 inches). Items like clamshells and cups don’t belong. Plastic bags and wrap aren’t accepted in commingled bins but can go to RecycleOn Centers.

For fiber, recycle clean, dry cardboard and paper—like boxes, pantry packaging, and junk mail. Skip freezer boxes with plastic lining.

Aluminum and tin cans are recyclable, and glass is too, it just needs to be separated.

When in doubt, check before you toss, recycling right makes a big difference!

🥾 Quest for the Boiling River: Come along with National Geographic for a film that takes you deep inside the Peruvian jungle in search of a sacred boiling river. 6:30 PM Tower Theatre

🌎 Earth Day Eco Prints: Celebrate Earth Day with a class on eco printing. Here you’ll learn how to decorate a cotton tote or shirt with prints using pansy flowers. 5:15 PM Freak’N Art

🧠 Earth Day Upcycle Workshop and Trivia: Looking for another way to celebrate the planet we all call home? How about an upcycling workshop and Earth Day trivia night? 5 PM Wondery Art + Adventure School

♻ Earth Day Habitat Cleanup: Take a drive out to the Crooked River for a morning of habitat cleanup with the crew from Think Wild. Here you’ll help remove invasive plant species to make room for native wildflowers and shrubs, while also painting pollinator-themed stepping stones for their park pathway. 10 AM Crooked River Park

🐦 Bird Walk: Visit one of Central Oregon’s birding hotspots on a guided bird walk with the Deschutes Land Trust. 8 AM Camp Polk Meadow Preserve

🖌 The Magic of Color: Let your school-aged little ones learn about the magic of color at this early out Wednesday class with Sarah from Let’s Paint. 1 PM Tower Theatre

🗑 Trash to Treasure: Turn your trash into treasure at this class, where you’ll learn how to take ordinary items like bottle caps to broken toys and turn them into beautiful art. 3 PM Open Arts Center

🔥 From Powder Season to Fire Season: Ski season is over, and, unfortunately, that means fire season isn’t far off. Hear from an expert panel on what Bend’s future may look like in a changing world. 5:15 PM Location provided after registration

📂 Declutter Your Digital Landscape: Tired of constantly looking at the 10,000 unread emails badge on your phone? Don’t let digital clutter get in the way of your mental well-being. This guided workshop will explore our digital habits while gently clearing what’s no longer needed. 6 PM Hanai

👩‍💼 Deschutes Women in Business: Join Deschutes Women in Business at their quarterly meeting. This month’s focus will be on what shift actually looks like in practice. 4 PM Tetherow Resort

🥊 Self Defense Class: Learn the basics of self-defense at this free (for first timers) class at Tula. 7:30 PM Tula

🐝 Garden Poetry: Take to the garden and let the flowers and the bees bee your inspiration as you put words to paper. 3 PM COCC-Pollinator Garden

🍺 EDCO PubTalk: Hear from some of Central Oregon’s top business minds as you shake hands and enjoy a cold beverage or two. 4:30 PM Open Space Event Studios

🏺 Pottery Handbuilding: Want to try your hand at pottery but are intimidated (or don’t have the space) for a wheel? This multi-week class on handbuilding will take you through the full process of creating functional serving ware, from concept to finished glazed pieces. 5:30 PM Camp Clay

🧶 Crochet for Beginners: Muddy clothes not your style? How about crocheting instead? By the end of the evening, you’ll leave with a beautiful handmade basket created with your own two hands. 5:30 PM Freak’N Art

🎬 Adapted: Driven by unbreakable willpower, three adaptive athletes — Josh Hancock, Anna Soens, and Danielle Doelling — embark on a daring and personal adventure with the hope of finding new ways to access places that make them feel most alive. 6:30 PM Tower Theatre

🌳 Got Juniper?: Come learn about the tree that has made itself known in the high desert landscape. The talk will distinguish old‑growth juniper from its younger counterparts, explain juniper–water relationships, and highlight what realistic rangeland restoration looks like in Central Oregon. 5 PM Larkspur Community Center

👩‍🎨 An Artist’s Memoir: Join local artist Mary Marquiss to discuss her new book, Behind the Painting: An Artist’s Memoir, in conversation with Heidi Berkman. 6 PM Roundabout Books

🎭 She Kills Monsters: Come support the Summit Theatre crew at the opening of their new performance, She Kills Monsters. Can’t make this one? There are shows happening all weekend, so you’ve got plenty of options. 7 PM Summit High School

⚪ The Embodied Wisdom Wheel: Join Good Grief Bend for a free intro night to their embodied wisdom wheel, where you can learn how to process grief in a way that works for you. 6 PM The Cottage

Noah Guthrie | Silver Moon | 7 PM | Tickets
MATISYAHU | Midtown Ballroom | 8 PM | Tickets
Stealhead | Silver Moon | 7 PM | Tickets
Skinny Dennis | Commonwealth Pub | 7:30 PM

Lena Rich | Silver Moon | 7 PM | Tickets
The Hucklebears | Mountain Burger | 6 PM
Big Treble | River’s Place | 6 PM
Rusty McRae | The Lot | 6 PM
Soul’d Out | Stoller Wine Bar | 6 PM
Saxsquatch | Domino Room | 8 PM | Tickets
Whalien | Commonwealth Pub | 8 PM

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Stay warm, and thank you again for reading!

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