🎒 Back to school

It's back to school day in Bend, food carts on the move, and a new bus option will be launching at Meissner this winter

Author

Derek Carlson
September 03, 2025

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Bend! Happy back-to-school day for many kids around Central Oregon! I hope all the parents with school-aged kids are reading this in a nice, quiet coffee shop after today’s drop-off. I know I will be!

If you’re on the road, remember to keep an eye out for little ones, watch for those flashing school zone signs, and I hope everyone has a great school year!

In today’s Bend Buzz:

  • 🚧 Construction on Franklin Ave

  • 🚚 Food carts on the move

  • 🎿 A new bus option is launching at Meissner

Let’s get to it.

— Emily Randolph & Derek Carlson

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Curious? Head to twosunsartstudio.com to check the calendar, get inspired, and learn what creativity looks like around here.

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SNAPSHOTS

🚧 Franklin Ave Construction Kicks Off

As we discussed back in the summer (it is officially fall now, and I will accept no arguments otherwise), the city will be shutting down the eastbound lane of Franklin Ave between Fourth and Eighth streets for construction on September 2nd. Well, today is the 3rd, and while I haven’t personally driven down Franklin in the last two days, I’m assuming it is now closed.

Expect the eastbound lane to be closed through October, followed by the westbound lane, which will remain closed through the end of the year.

🚌 A New Bus Option for Nordic Skiers (and an update on the river buses)

Last year, the wonderful folks at Meissner Nordic put in a lot of work to launch a new bus service that would shuttle folks to and from the Meissner Sno-Park. While last year’s launch didn’t pan out, it’s looking like this year will be a go!

The pilot program will offer four round-trips each weekend day from town up to Meissner, and they are looking for drivers! You can learn more about the program or apply to be a driver here.

Also, if you plan on floating the river, prepare to shuttle some cars or hike back to the start, as the bus service is now done for the season.

đŸ„… Goaltimate Under the Lights

The fall Goaltimate (think a half-court..err..field version of ultimate frisbee) season kicks off TONIGHT at Skyline Park in NW Bend. These games are four-on-four and very fast-paced. If you don’t know the rules, no worries, they’ll go over them before the games kick off.

The games take place every Wednesday through October 22nd. Click here for more info →

BUSINESS HAPPENINGS

🎒 Moving sale at USWE & Giant Loop: It wasn’t that long ago that USWE and Giant Loop held their annual garage sale, and if you missed it, here’s your chance at redemption. Due to an impending relocation (don’t worry, it’s just to another part of town), USWE and Giant Loop are holding a moving sale. Gates open on Wednesday (today!) at 5 PM on the dot, but you can start lining up at 4:30. They’ll have free beer while you wait, so why not show up?

🚚 Food carts on the move: A few food carts around town are shuffling places.

5th Street Bagels has officially left Ponch’s Place and will reopen at Ballers & Brews (the new pickleball/food cart pod opening in a few weeks) later this month.

Indodaddy has also left their former outpost at Bevel Brewing for a move to the soon-to-be-opening Ballers & Brews pod.

I ❀ Ceviche was previously at Goodlife and has relocated to the Bevel Brewing food cart pod (taking the place vacated by Indodaddy) and will be opening back up with a soft opening today.

Wood Fired Pizza moves into Goodlife Brewing’s biergarten. I couldn’t find much info online about this one, but they should be open Thursday - Sunday. My kids ate there last week and said the pizza was tasty.

đŸ”ïž Mt Bachelor switches to fall hours: With the tourists heading back home and things starting to slow down for a bit, Mt Bachelor is making the switch to fall hours. This means the bike park, zipline, and scenic chairlift rides will only be open Thursday through Sunday instead of seven days a week. It won’t be long before we’re talking about the first snow of the season and pulling our rock skis out of storage!

@THEBENDBUZZ

📾 @kyleg503 |📍Sparks Lake
Tag @thebendbuzz to get your photos featured!

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Interested in buying? Sign up for our VIP Buyer List and jump on exclusive listings before they go public. Let’s turn your next chapter into your best chapter.

LOCAL LOWDOWN

Wednesday 9.3

đŸŒ Postpartum Moms Group: A safe and supportive circle for new moms to connect, share, and breathe. Central Oregon Birth hosts this weekly meetup where no topic is off-limits, and babies are always welcome. 10 AM Hanai

✏ Weekly Sketch Meetup: Calling all doodlers, artists, and sketchbook daydreamers! Urban Sketchers Bend meets weekly to capture Bend’s beauty one line at a time. BYO materials and people-watching skills. 9 AM Location via Instagram

đŸ§” The Cottage Craft Club: Needle, thread, yarn—or whatever your crafty heart desires. Join this cozy meetup for a relaxing evening of making things by hand, surrounded by Bend’s artsy crew. 5 PM Pomegranate Home & Garden

🧘 Free Gentle Happy Hour Yoga: Unwind after work with a free, all-levels flow under the trees at Pioneer Park. Bring your mat, your breath, and your happy hour vibes. 5:30 PM Pioneer Park

📚 Current Fiction Book Club: Bookworms unite! This month’s pick is Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips, a haunting Civil War–era novel about survival, family, and resilience. 6 PM Roundabout Books

đŸŸ The Beaver Den Book Club: Hosted by Think Wild, this book club blends conservation, community, and conversation. Dive into thoughtful reads with like-minded folks. 6 PM Bend CoWorking

Thursday 9.4

đŸ”ïž Yoga in the Wild: Take your flow off the mat and into the mountains. A guided outdoor class with stunning alpine views—this is Central Oregon yoga at its best. 4 PM Mt. Bachelor

🚮 Women’s Foundational Mountain Bike Skills: New to mountain biking or want to polish your basics? This Grit Clinics session covers cornering, body positioning, and confidence on the trail. 5 PM Seventh Mountain

đŸ» Bingo Night: Bingo, brews, and prizes—what more could you want on a Thursday evening? Bring friends and a lucky streak. 5 PM Cascade Lakes

📖 Author Event: High Desert, Higher Costs: Journalist Jonathan Bach talks about his new book unpacking the true cost of living in Oregon’s high desert. A timely, thought-provoking discussion. 6:30 PM Roundabout Books

❓ Trivia on the Moon w/ Hayden Homes: Test your brainpower with this themed trivia night hosted by Hayden Homes. Expect quirky questions, good competition, and plenty of laughs. 6:30 PM Silver Moon

💃 Party Latino: Spice up your Thursday with salsa, bachata, and reggaeton beats downtown. Bend’s best Latin dance night is calling—bring your dancing shoes! 8:30 PM The Capitol

LIVE MUSIC

Wednesday 9.3

John Shipe | Crosscut | 6 PM
Dail Croome | The Commonwealth Pub | 7:30 PM 
Wornoutjoy, -ether, House of Warmth & Long Operators | Silver Moon | 7 PM | Tickets

Thursday 9.4

Ben Johnson | Mountain Burger | 6 PM
Lickity Split | River’s Place | 6 PM
Joe Martin & Paul Streichan | Bar Rio | 6 PM
Melvin Seals & JGB | Midtown Ballroom | 6:30 PM | Tickets
Karyn Ann | The Commonwealth Pub | 7:30 PM
Seckond Chaynce & DJ, Trailer Trash Chris | Silver Moon | 7:30 PM | Tickets

WHO’S HIRING IN BEND

Looking for your next job? Here are some local listings that have popped up over the last week.

A huge shoutout to the folks over at Mosaic Community Health for filling up the job board this week!

Searching for a new job? Browse the full job board

Looking for local candidates for your open position? Post your job

THANKS!

Stay cool, and thank you again for reading!

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