TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Bend!

In today’s Bend Buzz:

Let’s get to it.

— Derek Carlson & Emily Elaro

An Evening with Joy Harjo at the High Desert Museum

Celebrate the power of storytelling and the enduring influence of desert landscapes at the 2026 Waterston Desert Writing Prize Award Ceremony on Thursday, September 17, at 6 pm at the High Desert Museum.

The evening honors the 2026 Prize winner and features keynote speaker Joy Harjo, the 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate and an internationally acclaimed poet, author and musician of the Muscogee Nation.

The evening begins with a reception featuring light appetizers, followed by the awards program, winner reading and keynote presentation. After the program, attendees are invited to meet the featured authors during a book signing. Save your seat! Tickets are $10. Members get 20% discount.

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The Deschutes County Fair is back with the fun kicking off today and running through Sunday. Here you can expect all the classic fair fun like eating your weight in corndogs, riding the tilt-o-wirl (although maybe not in that order), watching the rodeo and demolition derby, and catching some live music. Sara Evans and Tyler Hubbard are the music headliners today and tomorrow, and then all you elder millennials will have your moment with Ja Rule taking the stage on Friday night.

Every Bend parent’s favorite day is nearly upon us once again, as registration for Bend Park & Rec programs happens next Tuesday at 6 AM, sharp! Want to start planning your calendar now? The playbook is out, which lists all the programs that will be offered this coming September through December.

🥯 More bagels on the west side: Haven Bagels is ready to share their new west side location with the world, as they are launching with a soft opening starting tomorrow. If you want to give them a day or two to work out all the kinks of opening a new shop, then they’ll be holding their official grand opening on Friday. You can find the new space at 521 SW Century Dr.

🐷 Tin Pig opening at Ballers & Brews: The fried chicken cart, The Tin Pig, is on the move…but they’re not moving far. They’ve pulled up stakes at Ponch’s Place (more to come on them soon) and are moving down the street to Ballers & Brews. If everything went smoothly, they should be open today.

📸 @bentonmcleod | 📍R.E. Jewell Elementary School
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Some Like It Wet

Summer heat getting to you? Cool off at Flux.

Three cold plunges at different temps. Choose refreshing, bracing, or “what was I thinking?” cold. It’s your own temperature adventure, and a pretty satisfying way to erase the heat from a bike ride, hike, river float, round of golf, or simply a very long day.

For those who like it hot, we have three hot tubs, too. That’s six pools at six different temperatures, so everyone in your crew can find their happy place.

Need even more cold? This is also the only place you can get electrolyte slushies, cooling you from the inside out, and replenishing what the trail took out of you. Brain freeze may ensue.

Flux now serves beer and wine, too, making it Bend’s newest watering hole and the ultimate recovery spot after a summer adventure.

Come get wet at the Flux Block Party on Sunday, August 2, from 3–9 pm. Bring your crew, or come find one here.

Book your soak at Flux

🌿 BRPD Volunteer Project Day: Help maintain the off-leash area at Pine Nursery Park for a morning of community stewardship. The dogs of Bend thank you in advance. 8 AM Pine Nursery Park

🧪 Kids: Slime Time: Slime. Kids. TEAL. A fun, messy Wednesday morning that'll make you the coolest parent around. 9:45 AM Bend Tea & Art Lounge

🤝 Good, Gooder, Goodest: Join the crew from Bend Signal for a social hour to expand your social circle. 4 PM Dilly Dally

⚾ Bend Elks vs Portland Pickles: The weather is looking great for baseball, so head over to Vince Genna for the last few games of the season. 6:35 PM (Wed & Thurs) Vince Genna Stadium

🧑‍💻 What the Tech Meetup: Join What the Tech, Bend? for a tech community happy hour where you can talk all things AI or just enjoy a cold beverage with friends on a beautiful summer evening in Central Oregon. 5:30 PM Crux

🎥 Pulp Fiction: Catch a flick under the stars as Tin Pan Theater will be showing Pulp Fiction in the alley. 9 PM Tin Pan Theater

🎬 Brave: Kids not quite ready for Pulp Fiction yet? How about a slightly more family-friendly option, as Brave will be on the outdoor screen at Ballers & Brews. 5:30 PM Ballers & Brews

🧺 Downtown Farmers Market: It’s that time of year when we’re making all things tomatoes (we made a delicious BLT over the weekend with veggies from Boundless and bread from Mill Fire). So stock up at the downtown farmers market. 11 AM Brooks Alley

🌍 To What Do We Pledge: A community conversation at the Central Library exploring civic identity, belonging, and what we owe each other. 6 PM Central Library

🌕 Full Moon Night Market: NE Bend’s Terranaut Beer is hosting their first night market, so swing by, grab a cold one, and pick up some new threads from Nature is Dope and LVMC. 5 PM Terranaut Beer

🧘 Yoga in the Wild: Take your practice to the mountain for an outdoor yoga session with views that make every pose feel like a gift. 4 PM Mt. Bachelor

🎵 Munch & Music: Bend’s free outdoor summer concert series has just two weeks left! So come down to Drake Park to browse the local vendors, enjoy some food and drink, and take in the summer tunes. 5 PM Drake Park

🎨 Plein Air Paint & Sip: Paint the lavender fields in view while sipping something lovely at Tumalo Lavender Farm. 6 PM Tumalo Lavender

🍼 Perinatal Providers Meetup: Are you a perinatal care provider in Central Oregon? Then this social meetup at The Grove is for you! 5:30 PM The Grove

🎭 Cymbeline: You’ve got only three chances left to catch one of Guerilla Shakespeare’s performances of Cymbeline. Today’s takes place out at Petersen Rock Garden. 7 PM Petersen Rock Garden

🏃 Vert Quest: Think you’ve got what it takes to hold the king of the mountain crown? Show off those vert skills with this month’s Trail Kook’s Vert Quest at Tumalo Mountain. 6:15 PM Tumalo Mountain

💃 Bend Ecstatic Dance: Bend Ecstatic Dance has moved their weekly groove sesh from the Boys & Girls Club to Tula. So shake off those midweek blues with some moves under the lights. 7 PM Tula

😂 Comedy Mics: Open mic comedy at Worthy Brewing. Some polished, some figuring it out, but all of it worth watching. 6:30 PM Worthy Brewing

📚 Lian Dolan in Conversation with Nicole Meier: Author Lian Dolan brings her new novel to Roundabout Books for an evening of wit, storytelling, and conversation with Nicole Meier. 6:30 PM Roundabout Books & Cafe

If and When | Crosscut Warming Hut | 6 PM
Hannah Juanita | Silver Moon | 7 PM | Tickets
The Quons Trio | Tetherow Resort | 5 PM
The Brothers Comatose | Volcanic Theatre Pub Courtyard | 7 PM | Tickets
The Living Room | The Commonwealth Pub | 7:30 PM

Jay Geib | The Lot | 6 PM
Derek Michael | Mountain Burger | 6 PM
Soul’d Out | River’s Place | 6 PM
Trainwreck | Bevel Brewing | 6 PM
Inner Limits | Silver Moon | 7 PM | Tickets
Ginger Molasses | Silver Moon | 7 PM | Tickets
June Swoon | The Commonwealth Pub | 7:30 PM
Tyler Hubbard | Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center | 8 PM | Tickets

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Stay cool, and thank you again for reading!

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