🗳️ Choose your favorite

Bend of Central Oregon voting opens, a new boba food cart, and your weekend preview

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Bend! After a short holiday week, we’re back and ready to serve up your summer helping of news and events.

In today’s Bend Buzz:

  • 🗳️ Best of Central Oregon voting kicks off

  • 🧋 A new boba cart opens at Bunk + Brew

  • 📆 Your weekend event preview

Let’s get to it.

— Emily Randolph & Derek Carlson

Feeling tired, off balance, or stuck with rushed, cookie-cutter healthcare? You’re not alone, and you don’t have to settle. OnePeak Medical offers personalized, preventative primary care that helps you feel more like yourself again, whether you’re chasing kids, hitting the trails, or just trying to keep up with your busy day.

If you're dealing with fatigue, brain fog, weight changes, gut issues, or hormone imbalances, our team of medical providers and nutritionists will work with you to find the root cause and build a care plan around your specific concerns and goals.

What sets us apart:

  • Primary care rooted in functional medicine

  • Advanced testing with clear, actionable next steps

  • Hormone and nutrition support for real results

  • Accepting new patients – no long waitlists, just care when you need it

  • In-network with most major commercial insurance plans

With local clinics in Bend and Redmond, better care is closer than you think. Learn more at OnePeakMedical.com

📍 Bend: 2088 NE Kim Lane
📍 Redmond: 2775 SW 17th Place

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

SNAPSHOTS

🗳️ Best of Central Oregon voting kicks off

It’s that time of year again when Bendites head to the ballot box to vote for their favorite burritos, bagels, bartenders, and beauty boutiques in town. The Source Weekly opened up voting for the prestigious Best of Central Oregon awards on July 3rd, and you have until July 13th to fill out those online ballots (July 11th if you’re sending one in via snail mail). Make sure to read the instructions carefully to ensure your votes count (vote only once, include your name and email, and vote for at least 25 categories). Too bad there isn’t an award for the best newsletter in town. 😉 

🎆 Fireworks at the Elks game

We were one of the many who made our way over to the Elks game for the fireworks show on July 3rd, only to leave empty-handed after the storm rolled in (that was still a pretty sweet display put on by Mother Nature!). If you’re still hoping to get your fix of fireworks at the park, the club is actively working to reschedule the performance and will provide updates through their social media channels if and when a new date is selected.

BUSINESS HAPPENINGS

🧋 Bobablastic opens at Bunk + Brew: Bunk + Brew has added a new food option to their lineup with the opening of Bobablastic on July 1st. This cart serves more than just boba drinks as their menu also includes poke bowls, spam musubi, chicken waffle cones, chili cheese fries….aaand now I’m hungry.

🍿 Brown Bag Popcorn celebrates three years: We dropped the ball in not including this awesome event in last week’s newsletter, as Brown Bag Popcorn celebrated their third anniversary with a popcorn eating contest. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still swing by to say congrats and pick up a bag of cookies and cream popcorn (AKA our favorite road trip snack).

@THEBENDBUZZ

📸 @solpathproperties |📍Deschutes River
Tag @thebendbuzz to get your photos featured!

TOGETHER WITH BEND COMEDY FESTIVAL

Bend’s First Comedy Festival Is Coming In Hot 🎤🔥

Get ready to laugh your face off because the very first Bend Comedy Festival is hitting stages all over town August 29–31. Produced by a team of local comics, this fest is bringing 25+ comedians from around the country for a weekend packed with stand-up, sketch, musical comedy, mind reading, and even jazzercise (yes, seriously).

To sweeten the pot even more, it was just announced that comedian Kate Berlant will be joining the festival as the final headliner. I would list all the places you can find her work, but we only have so much space here.

Venues include Midtown Ballroom, Volcanic, Silver Moon, and more. Want the full experience? Grab a pass for exclusive shows, after parties, and weekend-long perks.

🎟 Use code BENDBUZZ for 10% off at bendcomedyfestival.com

LOCAL LOWDOWN

Monday 7.7

⛺️ Camp Kinder: Bring your 3 to 5-year-olds to the East Bend library for Camp Kinder, where they can take part in an hour of camp-themed activities, crafts, and games. 2 PM East Bend Library

🙋 Bingo with Bren: Swing by Bevel Brewing for some Monday evening Bingo with Bren. Half of the proceeds will go towards supporting Vámonos Outside. 6 PM Bevel Brewing

🧠 UKB Trivia: Brainiacs assemble! Useless Knowledge Bowl is bringing the useless and not-so-useless knowledge questions to Bridge 99 for an evening of trivia fun. 6:30 PM Bridge 99 Brewery

📚 Preschool Storytime: Unwind after the holiday with a cozy storytime for kids ages 2–5. Enjoy songs, stories, and rhymes that’ll keep little ones entertained and happy—no sign-up needed! 9:30 AM at Downtown Bend Library

🌎 Multilingual Monday: Ready to practice or learn a new language? Join this free, friendly meetup where folks chat in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Mandarin, and more! Whether you’re just starting out or a native speaker, come hang out and connect with fellow language lovers. 5:30 PM Midtown Yacht Club

🎤 Open Mic Night: Grab a beer and catch Bend’s best up-and-coming performers—or get up there and show us what you’ve got! Music, poetry, comedy…it’s all fair game. Super chill vibes, great crowd, and plenty of talent. 6 PM Bunk + Brew

Tuesday 7.8

🧘 Yoga in the Park: Join Emily from Do Yoga Outside for a session of yoga outside at the park. These classes are free and fill up fast! 5 PM Drake Park

🏃‍♀️ Trail Kooks Morning Run: Wake up and shake out those legs! Choose your adventure: a chill 2-mile or a sweaty 6-mile. Stick around after for tasty, discounted coffee and pastries to refuel. Perfect way to start your day! 7 AM Thump Coffee York

📚 Ladies Book Swap & Meetup: Book lovers unite! Bring a book (or a few), grab a pint, and chat with fellow readers about your latest literary loves. No pressure to read a certain title—just good company, shared stories, and maybe your next favorite novel. 6:30 PM Bridge 99 Brewery

📝 Who's Telling Your Story?: Whether you’re writing a memoir or just journaling your way through life, this free workshop with Meg Fancher explores how to tap into your true voice on the page. Open to writers of all levels—just bring pen, paper, and curiosity. 5:30 PM Downtown Bend Library

⚾️ Bend Elks vs. Marion Berries: Root for the home team and kick back with classic summer vibes. The Bend Elks take on the Marion Berries at the ballpark—hot dogs, cold drinks, and local pride included. 6:05 PM Vince Genna Stadium

🌈 Chakra Explorers: Silent disco yoga + watercolor painting = the best kind of mindful mess. Join adventure yogi Alyssa and local artist Michelle for a fun, family-friendly flow and art sesh all about the Solar Plexus, Heart & Throat chakras. Move, paint, play, repeat. 10 AM Pioneer Park

LIVE MUSIC

Monday 7.7

Bluegrass Collective | Silver Moon | 7 PM
John Shipe | On Tap | 6 PM
Bill Powers | Bend Brewing | 6 PM

Tuesday 7.8

Blues Revival Night | Silver Moon | 6 PM
The Harris Blake Band | Greg’s Grill | 6 PM
Sun Threaders | GoodLife Brewing | 5:30 PM
Fried Pies | Commonwealth Pub | 7 PM

WEEKEND PREVIEW

🎉Friday: You’ve got options. Wanna dance? The Cuban Salsa Dance Party at The Barrel Room is bringing the rhythm—no partner needed, just good energy. Comedy more your speed? The Bend Bachelor Comedy Show promises big laughs and probably some questionable dating stories. Craving a little adventure? Head up to Mt. Bachelor for the Gravity Race Series—think adrenaline, dirt, and fast rides. And if you like your nightlife with a little sparkle, head to the Cosmic Crawl with your glitter and your crew.

Bend Summer Festival kicks off downtown with live music, local makers, and tasty bites all weekend long.

🏞️Saturday: Start the day grounded with the Nature Reset Retreat, which includes forest bathing, breathwork, the works. Or, if your vibe is more “party than peace,” roll over to the Upp Liquids Grand Opening for fresh drinks, DJs, and sun-soaked fun. Bend Dirt Fest is all-day trail magic. Plus, Trevor Noah is in town (!!) bringing his iconic stand-up to the Hayden Homes stage. Swing by Ponch’s Place for a Pilsner Release Party, then catch a feel-good flick under the stars at the Stirrup Purpose Summer Movie Night.

🎒Sunday: Ease into your Sunday with the Backpacking Food Workshop at LOGE (9 AM)—perfect if you're dreaming up your next outdoor adventure and want your trail meals to not suck. Then, cruise over to the Downtown Library at 11 AM for Defiant Moments, a storytelling session all about bouncing back and finding strength.

🎶 Live music is popping off all weekend with the laid-back grooves of Coyote Ryder at Bend Cider Co. to big-name acts like Billy Currington & Kip Moore at Hayden Homes. Catch the surfy psych sounds of Allah Las, bluegrass from Broken Top, or mellow out with Grace Cooper at The Grove. Whether you’re into funk, folk, or full-on dance floor chaos, there’s a stage (and a cold drink) with your name on it.

THANKS!

Stay cool, and thank you again for reading!

Have an event you want to feature or want to advertise your business to our 12,000+ readers in Bend? Drop us a line here → [email protected]