TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Bend! While yesterday was nice and all, I think we can all agree that the upper 80s in May is a touch too warm.

In today’s Bend Buzz:

Let’s get to it.

— Derek Carlson

Tired of trying to get your kid into swim lessons in Bend? There's a new option coming.

SafeSplash Swim School is opening a brand new facility on Bend's north side this August, and enrollment is open now. They offer small group, private, and semi-private lessons for swimmers of all ages and skill levels, starting at 6 months old, including adult learn-to-swim and competitive programs. No more waking up at 6 AM to compete for spots. Just consistent, high-quality instruction with certified teachers in a purpose-built facility.

Whether it's your baby's first splash or you're finally learning as an adult, SafeSplash has a spot for you.

🏊‍♀ Now enrolling. Opening August 2026.

Learn more and sign up here →

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Been waiting for the perfect opportunity to show off your LEGO building skills? Now’s the chance, as the Deschutes Historical Museum is hosting a competition to see who can build the best model of a historic landmark in Deschutes County (this can be one still standing or lost to history). Pick from your favorite landmarks like the Old Mill smokestacks, Tower Theatre sign, or the roundabout deer sculpture with googly eyes (never forget). There will be two categories, one for kids under 12 and one for everyone else, and entries need to be submitted by July 3rd.

Want a chance to win a pair of tickets to a show at the Hayden Homes Amphitheater this summer? The folks at the Amphitheater are celebrating their 25th anniversary by hiding 5 golden tickets in the Summer Guide that will be going out in today’s Source Weekly. And here’s a hint - two of the tickets will be in issues distributed at locations in the Old Mill District. May the odds be ever in your favor.

🚰 City of Bend Public Works grand opening: Come tour the new City of Bend Public Works campus and explore their public art collection. Visitors can grab a bite to eat at a food cart, meet the artists behind the public art displayed at the campus, and use self-guided tour maps to see the Public Works buildings and the water conservation demonstration garden. Thursday 4 - 7 PM at 21051 NE Talus Place

🌮 New Mexican restaurant opens on the west side: The west side of town has a new option for Mexican food as Casa Sur opened their doors over the weekend (sorry for not giving you all a heads up on the free margaritas 😬). I haven’t tried the food yet, but judging by the reviews so far, it sounds like its gonna be a good spot! You can find them at 335 SW Century Dr, and they’ll be open for lunch + dinner Tues-Sun.

🎉 Bend Chamber celebrates 100 years: May marks 100 years of the Bend Chamber supporting local businesses. For anyone who wants to join in on the fun, they’re hosting a celebration party on May 21st at the High Desert Museum. For the month of May, the Bend Chamber is also offering $100 off a Small Business membership in honor of their Centennial. If you have been thinking about joining, there has never been a better time!

🚚 Bend’s newest food cart pod announces its food lineup: Basecamp Bend, the food cart pod going in behind Powder House, announced the food trucks that will be joining them when they open their doors in June. It’s a mix of old favorites and some new arrivals in the Bend food scene. The carts are:

📸 @stoked2eat | 📍Aspen Lakes Golf Club
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 Ever wondered what it actually feels like to visit Salt Aesthetics?

Take a minute to watch our short video, A Peek Inside. You’ll see plenty of laughs, a calm boutique space, and care thoughtfully focused on one thing. Natural, subtle results.

We keep things simple. A small menu of treatments, done really damn well.

No upselling. No pressure. Just honest, medically guided care that leaves you looking refreshed, never obvious.

And if you’re curious what others think, you can read our 260+ five-star Google reviews. We truly LOVE our patients.

If it feels like the right fit, we’d love to meet you for a complimentary consultation.

As a Bend Buzz welcome, wrinkle relaxers starting at $12.60 per unit.

We can’t wait to meet you.

📖 Wild Rise of Rolling Stone: Come learn about the rise of Rolling Stone magazine from author Peter Richardson. 5:30 PM OSU-Cascades

🧠 WTF Wednesday Trivia: Think you’re the brainiest of them all? Put that to the test at Prost’s WTF trivia night. 7 PM Prost!

🐆 Kids Studio!: There are still a few weeks of school left, and your kids still need something to keep them entertained on early out Wednesdays. How about with a little art with Freak’N Art’s weekly Kids’ Studio series. 1:30 PM Freak’N Art

🐦 More Accessible Mindful Birding: Birding should be accessible to all, and the library is making that happen with their mindful birding outing at Riley Ranch Preserve. 1 PM Riley Ranch Preserve

📝 Urban Sketchers Meetup: Take your art to the park as the Urban Sketchers group will be meeting for a morning of sketching in the wild at Pine Nursery. 9 AM Pine Nursery Park

🥕 Bend Farmers Market: It was great seeing everyone at last week’s opening day for the downtown farmers market. And they’re back at it with another day of locally grown produce, baked treats, and more. 11 AM - 3 PM Brooks Alley

🌱 Weed Warriors: Is your backyard weeding proving to be too easy a challenge? Bring those weed-pulling skills to the Camp Polk Meadow Preserve, where you’ll be helping to remove invasive weeds like spotted knapweed, teasel, mullein, and Canada thistle. 9 AM Camp Polk Meadow Preserve

🖋 Reduction Print Making: Learn the techniques of reduction print making to create your own unique, multicolored prints (for those not in the know (like me), reduction printing is a multi-layered printing process that uses a single block to create a multi-colored print) 5:30 PM Two Suns Art Studio

🔭 Bend Astronomy Club: Scattered across the universe are tiny, bright red objects that, technically, shouldn’t exist. Hear from Dr. Brandon Matthews as he takes you on a tour of these “little red dots” and talks about how they’re forcing scientists to rethink the earliest moments of our universe. 6 PM COCC Middleton Science Center Room 230

🎐 Rest in Rhythm: Pine and Prism is hosting a free community class featuring slow, floor-based movement and supported postures. A perfect way to start off the day right. 7 AM Pine & Prism

🛠 EDCO Made in Bend Tour: Hit the road with the EDCO crew to tour some businesses that were born and raised right here in Bend. 7:30 AM - 12 PM EDCO Office

👩‍💼 Munch & Mingle: Want to join a group of professional women for a lunch and mingle? Here’s your chance with Connect W’s monthly meetup. 11:45 AM Currents Restaurant

🚲 Goldilocks Gravel Social Ride: Join a fun group of ladies for a social ride from Discovery Park. 5:15 PM Discovery Park

🌸 Flower Power Workshop: Learn techniques to create stunning, layered mini paintings that capture the abundance of spring at Freak’N Art’s gouache workshop. 5:30 PM Freak’N Art

🦆 Birders’ Night: Spend the evening celebrating all things birds with the East Cascades Birders’ Alliance. 6 PM Worthy Brewing

✏ Distinguished Writer Series: Listen in as esteemed author Carter Sickels reads from his award-winning work. 6:30 PM OSU-Cascades

🧘 EcoNidra: Connect with yourself and with nature at EcoNidra - a gentle and restorative meditation-like practice. 7 PM Namaspa Yoga

👗 Ladies Night: Find your new summer look and make some new friends in the process as New Friends Bend and Consignment Collective have teamed up for an evening of fashion and fun. 4:30 PM Consignment Collective

🍽 Chef Gary Shelly presents Stoked Supper Club: Forget the backyard grill. This Memorial Day weekend, Chef Gary Shelly is bringing Stoked Supper Club to Aspen Lakes for two unforgettable evenings under the Three Sisters. Sixteen seats. One table. One chef. Seven courses of locally-sourced food and curated drink pairings. Get a sneak peek at the menu here.  May 24 & 25 at Aspen Lakes Golf Club - $135 per person (dinner, drink pairings, and gratuity included)

🐑 From Ranch to Runway: Join longtime Central Oregon resident Jeanne Carver, founder of Shaniko Wool Company (the company behind the official Team USA uniforms at the last five Winter Olympics), for an evening celebrating land, craft, and the generations-long story of ranching in the high desert. Proceeds from the event go towards benefiting the High Desert Food & Farm Alliance. May 18th at 5:30 PM at Pine Meadow Ranch Center

Dark & Grey | Commonwealth Pub | 7:30 PM

Lane Norberg & The Paper Flyers | Silver Moon | 7 PM | Tickets
Coyote Rider | River’s Place | 6 PM
Jenna Hansen | Mountain Burger | 6 PM
Sidney Joseph | The Lot | 6 PM
Jared Graham | Commonwealth Pub | 7:30 PM
Devil’s Duo | Bevel Brewing | 6 PM
Take It To The Limit | Tower Theatre | 7:30 PM | Tickets

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Stay warm, and thank you again for reading!

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