TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Bend! This is an exciting edition of the Bend Buzz as we’ve been working HARD behind the scenes to put together a comprehensive guide to everything outdoors in Central Oregon, including some of our favorite mushroom foraging spots, off-the-grid camping spots, and plenty more!

In today’s Bend Buzz:

Let’s get to it.

— Derek Carlson

A Recipe for Resilience at High Desert Museum

Join us for an evening of culinary history and cultural restoration with Mariah Gladstone (Blackfeet/Cherokee), the founder of Indigikitchen.

Part of the Indigenous Speakers Series, Gladstone's presentation explores how locally harvested, pre-contact foods serve as a testament to the enduring strength of Native lifestyles. These ancestral ingredients are essential components of a healthy, modern kitchen. Gladstone will guide attendees through the history of Indigenous food systems, highlighting the connection between cultural identity, physical health, and the native plants and animals of the land.

Save your seat and join the conversation! Wednesday, April 8 | Reception from 6:00–6:30 pm, featuring a no-host bar and light appetizers. Admission: $12, 20% off for members; Tribal members free

_{Interested in featuring your business in our next ad spot? ⬆️ Fill out THIS FORM!}

If you live in Central Oregon, then you probably love the outdoors as much as we do. And while we enjoy a summer beach day at Elk Lake as much as anyone else, our favorite days are spent in the woods away from the crowds, exploring our favorite swimming hole or filling a basket with mushrooms.

When I launched the Bend Buzz, I promised I wouldn’t be a gatekeeper. Sure, I’d love to visit my favorite dining spot and be able to sit down immediately on a Friday evening at 6 PM, but that isn’t fair to everyone else if I keep this info hidden. So, in the spirit of transparency and making sure everyone can enjoy this place we all call home to the fullest, here’s our long-awaited guide to all our favorite secret swimming holes, dispersed camping spots, fly fishing streams, and morel mushroom foraging spots.

Get the guide here →

The Source is kicking off Bend Burger week tomorrow (April 2nd, which is not April Fools day…if you didn’t get the joke above) and restaurants across town will be offering burger specials for just $10. The burger deals run through April 8th, and you can see the full list of participating restaurants here. If anyone manages to finish all of them, I’ll give you a special shoutout in the newsletter and will personally contribute to your Pepto Bismol fund.

🪴 Staghorn Mercantile moving to a new location: Local gifts and goods shop Staghorn Mercantile is moving out of its space in downtown Bend. This isn’t goodbye, though, as they aren’t closing up shop for good. It’ll just be until they find a new spot to call home. In the meantime, make sure to swing by as they’ll be clearing out items that won’t be making the move.

🥩 Mountain View Roadhouse opens (softly): I tend to spend way too much time on social media as part of this job, but occasionally it does have its perks, such as catching wind of things early. Over the weekend, a few folks shared that Mountain View Roadhouse (formerly The Phoenix) on the east side of town was in soft launch mode and shared some photos of the dishes and menu. As of my writing this (on Monday afternoon), there were no updates on their website or socials, so YMMV if you try to stop in for a bite.

📸 Yours Truly | 📍Pilot Butte
Tag @thebendbuzz to get your photos featured!

Spring into SPANISH with Gringo Language Academy

Just got back from a spring break trip wishing your Spanish was a little stronger? Or looking ahead to summer travel plans and want to be able to say more than ¿Dónde está el baño?

At Gringo Language Academy, Bend local Jennifer Colestock helps folks actually start speaking Spanish. With 25+ years of teaching experience, she’s built a program that goes beyond the apps by offering unlimited online classes, 1:1 coaching, native-speaking conversation partners, and a supportive community.

Right now, their Spring into Spanish promotion gets you a free two-week trial and $50 off your first three months with the code SPRING. Sign up here to get started →

Want to meet Jennifer in person and practice your Spanish in a low-key, conversational setting? Join their free meetup happening on Saturday at 1 PM at Los Andes Sports Bar & Grill. They will have conversation-based games and activities for all levels - even for the little ones, so feel free to bring the hijos or nietos.

🐰 Pics & Pizza: Bring the littles ones out for two of their favorite things: pizza and the Easter Bunny. Enjoy a slice or two while the kids take a photo with the bunny. 5 PM Little Pizza Paradise

😂 Bluebird Improv: A heavy-hitting lineup of comedians (Tim Meadows!!) are making their way to Bend for a night of improv at the Tower Theatre. 7:30 PM Tower Theatre

🤠 High Desert Stampede: Get ready for a week full of bronco buckin’ and barrel racin’ as the High Desert Stampede kicks off its four-day run at the fairgrounds. 5 PM Deschutes County Fairgrounds

🪡 Kids Studio! Hand Sewing: Spring break is in the rearview mirror, and it’s time to start planning out the next month’s early release fun for the kiddos. Every Wednesday in April, Freak’n Art is hosting an after-school hand sewing workshop that will help unleash your kiddo’s inner creativity. 1:30 PM Freak’n Art

🧠 Wednesday Trivia: Put those thinking caps on and see if you can go home and brag to your cat about being the trivia king (or queen) of Bend. 6 PM Ballers & Brews

🚶‍♀ Women’s Walk & Talk: Join the crew from The AdventurUS and Outside In for their monthly ladies’ walk and talk. It’s the perfect excuse to get some fresh air and build real connections. 12 PM Outside In

🤖 Robots & Circuits: Let your little ones create and paint their very own robot. They’ll also learn a little science along the way as they build a working circuit to power a lightbulb. 1 PM Tower Theatre

👗 Teen Trash Fashion Workshop: Get ready for the upcoming Rubbish Renewed Eco Fashion Show. This class will give your teens some hands-on support to turn their design ideas into reality. 3 - 6 PM Open Arts Center

🌱 Beginner’s Seed Starting Workshop: The weather the last few days has been a stark reminder of why we don’t plant our outdoor gardens early in the high desert. But warmer days are coming soon, and this class will give you a solid foundation on how to start your own garden from seed. 5:30 PM Worthy Garden Club

🚲 Bike Computer Navigation Clinic: Get ready for biking season (although did it ever really go away this year 🤔) with a course on navigating by bike computer. 6 PM Sunnyside Sports

⛷ Bend’s Ski History & People: Bend’s ski scene hasn’t always been summit laps at Bachelor. Learn about the people and the ski areas that set the scene for winter recreation in Bend. 6 PM 10 Barrel Brewing East

🌕 Sacred Sound Journey: This intuitive sacred sound journey invites you to pause, center, and attune to the subtle currents moving within and around you during this potent lunar phase. 6 PM Hanai

🪴 Stained Glass Monstera Workshop: Did you miss the last stained glass monstera class (I saw some photos of the finished products, and they looked really cool!)? Here’s your second chance. DIYCave is hosting a two-night hands-on workshop where you’ll go home with a beautiful piece to show off. 6 PM DIYCave

🔨 Wildlife Fencing Work Party: Help make the fencing at Paulina Creek Preserve more wildlife-friendly with this work party hosted by the Deschutes Land Trust. 12 PM Location TBA

✏ Stranger Drawings: Explore how you see the world through pen and paper. No experience necessary, and all materials are provided. 6 PM Open Arts Center

🔧 Repair Cafe: Got a broken lamp, bike, watch, or anything else that still has life left? Bring it by the repair cafe, where their team of expert repairers will try their hand at fixing it, free of charge! 5 - 7 PM Open Space Event Studios

The Heart Springs | Silver Moon | 7 PM | Tickets
SHOVELBELT, Sweet Demon & Trajedy Shrine | Silver Moon | 7 PM | Tickets
Rob Gregerson | Commonwealth Pub | 7:30 PM

Jesus Christ Taxi Driver & Chiggi Momo | Silver Moon | 7 PM | Tickets
Overtime | Domino Room | 7 PM | Tickets
Drum Tao | Tower Theatre | 6:30 PM | Tickets
Dust Devils | River’s Place | 6 PM
Fluffalove | Commonwealth Pub | 7:30 PM
Franchot Tone | Mountain Burger | 6 PM
Jenna Hansen | The Lot | 6 PM

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

Searching for a new job? Browse the full job board

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

Stay warm, and thank you again for reading!

Have an event you want to feature or want to advertise your business to our 17,000+ readers in Bend? Drop us a line here → [email protected]