🚗 Changes around the Box Factory

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Bend! Big news from the Bend Buzz crew! Emily will be off for a few weeks as she will be getting married in Spain 🎉 A big, big congrats to the new happy couple! Hopefully, I can hold everything together in her absence.

If you'd like to send over any well wishes, I’ll be sure to pass them along.

^{I’m also gonna drop this link to her registry, as well…no pressure though!}

In today’s Bend Buzz:

• 🚗 Changes around the Box Factory

• 🎸 School of Rock opens

• 🎉 Congrats to Emily!

Let’s get to it.

— Emily Randolph & Derek Carlson

SPONSORED BY SIERRA JAMES CONSTRUCTION

🩸 Join Us for a Blood Drive at Sierra James Construction! 🩸

Sierra James Construction is proud to partner with the American Red Cross to host a community blood drive at our construction warehouse in Bend. Every donation helps save lives, and we still have a few slots left!

As a thank-you, all participants will be entered into a raffle for a $200 gift card to BOSA Italian Restaurant. You’ll also get a $10 Amazon gift card through the Red Cross. 

📍 Where: Sierra James Construction, 747 SE Business Way, Bend, OR
📅 When: Wednesday, October 15, 2025
🕙 Time: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

👉 Schedule your appointment at:

https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=SierraJames

We love our Central Oregon community, and this is one way we can give back.

Together, let’s make a difference - one donation at a time.

📞 (541) 306-3775
🌐 sierrajamesconstruction.com

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

SNAPSHOTS

🚗 Box Factory updates

Big changes have/are happening around the Box Factory. The first being that patrons to stores in the Box Factory will now have to validate their parking with QR codes located around the Box Factory lot. The first 15 minutes are included when you park, and then you can scan the QR codes within the Box Factory businesses to extend your parking time for up to 4 hours. Look for signs around the lot for instructions.

Second, Lava Pass (the connector road between the Box Factory and Jackstraw) is now open. Unlike the old road that passed straight through from Arizona Ave to Industrial Way, the new road heads into the parking lot, with the only exit located next to Wildwood.

And last but not least, Jackstraw is now open to residents. We still have a while before businesses on the ground level start opening up, but we’ll keep you updated when that news starts to trickle in.

BUSINESS HAPPENINGS

☕️ 📱 Verizon and Starbucks open by Costco: Not the most exciting business update, as these aren’t exactly local outlets, but the new Verizon and Starbucks stores are now open in the shopping area next to Costco. We were hoping to have some fun news last Friday about a local store opening in the same shopping center, but it will have to wait until this Friday’s newsletter.

🎸 School of Rock opens: Have a little one who is an aspiring rock musician? Well, you’re in luck as School of Rock officially opened its doors on Friday. They will be offering lessons in singing, guitar, bass, keyboard/piano, and helping get kids performance-ready.

@THEBENDBUZZ

📸 @wheelfunbend |📍Drake Park
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TOGETHER WITH CASCADE VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTER

At Cascade Village Shopping Center, we make dining and shopping in Bend a breeze. With a wide variety of stores, delicious dining options, and a welcoming atmosphere, it’s the perfect place to spend your day. Shop, dine, and experience everything the Cascade Village Shopping Center has to offer, including Dick’s Sporting Goods, Trader Joe’s, See’s Candies, Moose Sisters, PetSmart, El Rancho Grande, Pretty Moments Lingerie and World Market, Men’s Wearhouse, Best Buy, and Dakota’s Brick Shop, to name a few!

LOCAL LOWDOWN

Monday 10.13

🕯️ Oddities, Curiosities & Macabre Show & Tell: Got something wonderfully weird or eerily mysterious? Bring it to the library for a spine-tingling show & tell that celebrates the strange and revels in the quirky and unusual. 5 PM East Bend Library

😂 Beertown Comedy Open Mic: Mondays get funnier with Silver Moon’s lively open mic night. Local comics and first-timers take the stage with raw, unfiltered sets, making for an unpredictable evening of laughs and surprises. 6:30 PM Silver Moon

💡 High Desert Innovation Fest: Celebrate creativity, entrepreneurship, and forward thinking at this dynamic gathering of Central Oregon innovators. Sip and mingle at Upp Liquids while exploring ideas shaping the region’s future—from tech and sustainability to local business ingenuity. 5 PM Upp Liquids

❄️ Intro to Winter Conditioning Class: Get ready for ski and snowboard season with this free intro to winter strength and mobility session. Designed to help you stay injury-free and perform your best on the slopes, this class at Bend Pilates is the perfect seasonal tune-up. 6 PM Bend Pilates

🍻 Bingo with Bren: Grab a pint and your lucky charm—it’s bingo night at Bevel Brewing! Supporting the Central Oregon Disc Golf Club, this midweek favorite brings laughs, prizes, and plenty of community spirit. 6 PM Bevel Brewing

Tuesday 10.14

🖌️ Open Art Night: Join the creative community on Tuesday nights at the Open Arts Center at their free open art night. Bring your own supplies and work on your latest painting, drawing, or other creative project in a fun, social environment. 6 - 9 PM Open Arts Center

🐾 The State of Animal Welfare in Central Oregon: Silver Moon gathers advocates and community members for an important conversation about the future of animal care in our region. Learn, share, and find out how you can support the furry (and feathered) friends that call Bend home. 4 PM Silver Moon

🍻 Biz & Bevs: Mix business with pleasure at this casual networking night at Campfire Hotel. Local pros, entrepreneurs, and creatives come together over drinks, building connections that could spark your next big idea. 4:30 PM Campfire Hotel

📚 An Evening with Author Aiden Thomas: Bestselling author Aiden Thomas brings their wit, warmth, and world-building to COCC for an unforgettable literary night. Fans of Cemetery Boys and The Sunbearer Trials won’t want to miss this intimate author talk. 4:30 PM COCC

🤝 After Hours Networking: Unwind with local business leaders, makers, and dreamers at Bridge 99. With casual conversation, craft beer, and plenty of fresh ideas floating around, it’s a social mixer that makes connections easy. 5:30 PM Bridge 99

🌿 Cold & Flu Season Through a Traditional Chinese Medicine Lens: Get ahead of seasonal sniffles with a wellness talk at The People’s Apothecary. Learn time-tested herbal and lifestyle approaches to keep your body in balance all autumn long. 5:30 PM The People’s Apothecary

🌎 Bend Climate Innovation Fair: Worthy Brewing hosts an evening of solutions, ideas, and collaboration around climate change. Meet innovators, explore sustainability efforts, and see how Bend is tackling one of the biggest challenges of our time—all with a beer in hand. 6 PM Worthy Brewing

💃 Beginner Salsa Class: Add a little spice to your Tuesday with Latin Dance Bend’s beginner-friendly salsa session. No partner required—just bring your energy and get ready to move, laugh, and maybe discover your new favorite hobby. 7:15 PM Foundation Health & Fitness

🗣️ Cultivate LIVE!: Are you in (or interested in) the packaged goods space and want to grow your network? Join Cultivate LIVE! where you’ll hear from experts in the industry, companies trying to grow their brand, and have the chance to exchange business cards at the end of day happy hour. 12 - 5 PM Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

LIVE MUSIC

Monday 10.13

Bluegrass Collective | Silver Moon | 7 PM
LaMP | Volcanic Theatre Pub | 8 PM | Tickets

Tuesday 10.14

Born of Osiris | Volcanic Theatre Pub | 6:30 PM | Tickets
T5 Jazz | The Commonwealth Pub | 7 PM

WEEKEND PREVIEW

🍷 Friday in Bend is full of laughs, thrills, art, and a little bit of chaos. Score some deals on the opening night of the $20 art show. Kick off the night with Bend’s Blindfolded Bachelor at Hosmer Bar, where contestants go on live blindfolded “dates” and the crowd plays matchmaker—equal parts comedy and charm. Keep the laughter rolling with Comedy Night at Craft Kitchen featuring Nathan Scott Ford’s sharp wit. Embrace adventure under the stars at Movies in the Mountains on Mt. Bachelor, or climbing fans can check out Reel Rock 19 Film for epic ascents and jaw-dropping feats. Spooky Wine & Paint Night at Flights Wine Bar adds a festive, creative twist to your evening, or spend your night immersed in music and story at Opening Night of Once: The Musical at Greenhouse Cabaret.

🌱 Saturday is all about getting outside, getting creative, and enjoying fall fun. Join the nomadic gathering with Elsewhere at Hanai. Volunteers can make a difference at Pollinator Planting in Alpenglow Park, and adventurers can scale new heights at Redpoint Rock Wrangler. Craft lovers can refresh their supplies at the Fiber Arts Supply Swap, while families will adore Halloween Family Fun Day at Ponch’s Place. Raise a glass and cheer on creativity at the 4th Annual Glasstoberfest, or slow down with mindful Fall Forest Bathing at Shevlin Park. Savor the season at Forage to Table: Fall Harvest with Wanderlust Tours, and the whole family can celebrate fall at the Autumn Family Faire. 

🌼 Sunday blends relaxation, creativity, and a touch of music. Start grounded with The Power of Embodiment at Hanai, then indulge in Beats & Bites Brunch with live music by Evan Mullins. Take the mic at Okay Karaoke at Dogwood, or channel your spooky creativity with Black Magic Drawings at the library. Nature lovers can explore nature’s beauty with Wildflowers of the West at Roundabout Books & Cafe, a perfect mix of learning and leisure.

🎶 From smooth jazz to hard rock, Bend’s stages are alive this weekend. Friday kicks off with soulful sounds from Alex Winters and high-voltage energy from Chained to Stone. Keep the rhythm rolling with The Desert Howlers and Rustmouth turning up the heat. Saturday brings a genre-spanning lineup—Jared Eisenhower Trio sets the vibe, Sam Bush lights up Tower Theatre with legendary bluegrass, and Gaytheist, Baby Gurl & SPINA unleash their punk power at Silver Moon. Round it out Sunday with Talam Dubh & Friends bringing their Celtic charm, the bold brass beats of Brass Queens, and disco fever alive and well with Stayin’ Alive at Tower Theatre.

THANKS!

Stay warm, and thank you again for reading!

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