🌞 Last week of our summer era

Firefighters gain ground on the Flat Fire, meet new connections in town, and Americana food truck closes for a bit

Author

Derek Carlson
August 27, 2025

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Bend! So, how about that Travis & Taylor engagement, eh? We’ll break it all down soon, but for now, here’s your latest roundup of need-to-know news and events happening in Central Oregon.

In today’s Bend Buzz:

  • 👩‍🚒 Firefighters gain the upper hand on the Flat Fire

  • 🤝 A new way to make meaningful connections

  • 🍔 Americana temporarily closes their Podski location

Let’s get to it.

— Emily Randolph & Derek Carlson

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SNAPSHOTS

🧑‍🚒 Firefights Gain Upper Hand on Flat Fire

The arrival of a few days of showers and cool, cloudy weather certainly couldn’t have come at a better time. The recent weather has allowed firefighters (you all rock!) to gain the upper hand on the Flat Fire burning near Sisters. We’re certainly not out of the woods yet, but things are looking a whole lot better than they were just a few days ago!

BUSINESS HAPPENINGS

🌯 Help Bend Breakfast Burrito find a new home: We’re down to 30 days left before Boss Rambler Beer Club closes its doors for good to make way for a fancy two-story retail/condo building. Also getting caught up in the shuffle are our friends over at Bend Breakfast Burrito. After Boss Rambler closes on September 20th, they’ll need a new home. If you’re a coffee shop, food cart pod, or any other spot in town that would be willing to host their burrito cart, please let them know!

🤝 A better way to make real connections: Bend’s still a small town at heart, and last week I stumbled into a very Bend moment. While hanging at Dilly Dally (great spot, btw), I overheard the table next to me talking about a project I’d caught wind of recently. Turns out, it was Jake who’s the founder of Bend Signal. We got to chatting, and now I get to share it with you.

Here’s the scoop: no swiping, no awkward small talk. Just one weekly match with someone worth meeting. It’s free right now, and Bend Buzz readers get early access to the Founding 100.

Matching starts once they hit 100 users, and if it takes off, a fall meetup is on the horizon.

🍔 Americana food truck closes temporarily: If you’re looking to get your Americana fix anytime in the near future, you’ll need to swing by their new downtown location. Their food truck at the Podski will be closed for the foreseeable future. Per a post on Instagram, they are working to replace their current truck, and once they have a new one up and running, they’ll be back open for business as usual.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

🕊️ Helping Parents Heal: Two Bend locals are starting up a Bend chapter of a support group called Helping Parents Heal. This is a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting parents who have lost a child. 

Through support and resources, they aspire to help individuals become "Shining Light Parents", meaning a shift from a state of emotional heaviness to hopefulness and greater peace of mind. HPH goes a step beyond other groups by allowing the open discussion of spiritual experiences and afterlife evidence in a non-dogmatic way. 

HPH welcomes everyone regardless of religious or non-religious background and encourages open dialogue.  For more information, please email them at [email protected].

@THEBENDBUZZ

📸 @sdfenton |📍Airshow of the Cascades
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TOGETHER WITH TRU NORTH FITNESS

What’s happening in September at Tru North Fitness

We’re keeping the momentum going—our $185/month membership continues this September!

✅ Get a FREE Myzone HR Monitor (Value $160) with your Founders membership.
✅ Try our Intro 3-Class Pack—3 classes in 7 days for just $25.
✅ New! Youth Memberships for only $125/month, giving access to small group training Monday–Thursday at 4:15 PM.

Join us September 13th for an Open House from 11 AM - 2 PM with a SurgeFit Pop Up class from 11 AM - 12 PM, Fitness clothing swap, meet and greet with our staff, and MORE……..

LOCAL LOWDOWN

Wednesday 8.27

🌽 Bend Farmer’s Market: Stock up on fresh, local produce, handmade goods, and all the peak-of-summer flavors Bend farmers have to offer. 11 AM Brooks Alley

🐯 A Boy & His Tiger Trivia Night: Test your knowledge of everyone’s favorite boy-and-tiger duo. Expect nostalgia, laughs, and maybe a philosophical quip or two from Calvin. 6:30 PM Silver Moon Brewing

👜 Create Your Own Botanical Tote Bag: Turn plants into art in this eco-printing workshop. Walk away with a custom tote bag infused with the beauty of nature. 10 AM Schilling’s Garden Market

🕹️ Mario-Kart Battle: Put those old Mario-Kart skills to the test at Cassity’s Bar with their weekly Mario-Kart battle. Free to enter and prizes for the winners. 7 PM Cassity’s Bar

🤸 Tula Open House: Tula Movement Arts is hosting an open house where you can try out their aerial swings, bounce in the bouncy house, and enjoy some free play time. 5 PM Tula

🎶 Music Bingo: It’s bingo, but with tunes instead of numbers. Sip wine, hum along, and hope your card hits the jackpot. 6:30 PM Portello Wine & Spirits

💪 Happiness-First Workout: A free, upbeat running workout designed to boost your mood, energize your body, and put happiness at the top of your wellness goals. 6 PM RSVP for details

🌠 Bend Astronomy Club: Join your fellow astronomy enthusiasts at the Bend Astronomy Club's monthly meeting. This month, they’ll be discussing SkyLark, a new dark sky observing site in Crook County. 6 PM Downtown Library

Thursday 8.28

​​🎨 Paint & Sip: A night of painting, sipping, and letting your creativity flow. No experience needed—just bring your imagination (and maybe a steady hand). 6:30 PM Bevel Craft Brewing

🔔 Chill for Cheer: Sound Bath Fundraiser: Unwind with a soothing sound bath while supporting Caldera’s cheer program. Relaxation meets community spirit. 6 PM Caldera High School

🌿 Plant Spirit Meditations: Connect with the wisdom of plants in this guided meditation led by Dr. Ashley. A grounding, mindful evening with nature at its core. 6:30 PM The People’s Apothecary

🎤 Velvet Open Mic: Whether you’re a poet, musician, or storyteller, step into the spotlight—or just kick back and enjoy Bend’s local talent. 7 PM Velvet Lounge

💘 Rom-Com Trivia: From Notting Hill to When Harry Met Sally, test your knowledge of love stories that made us laugh, cry, and believe in happily-ever-afters. Pairs perfectly with a glass of wine (and maybe a meet-cute or two). 6 PM Bend Wine Bar

🚴 Gear Fix Group Ride: Join fellow cyclists for a casual community ride starting at Gear Fix. All levels welcome — just bring your bike, helmet, and good vibes. RSVP required to save your spot! 6 PM Gear Fix

🧗 Free Climb Night: Join me at Boardworks for a free climb night and social hangout. I’ll be bringing some post-climb refreshments. (P.S. Never climbed before? Good, I haven’t really either! If you’re a newbie to the sport, please join so I’m not the only one there looking totally out of their element.) 6:30 PM Boardworks Climbing

LIVE MUSIC

Wednesday 8.27

Sidney Joseph | Crosscut | 6 PM 
Desert Wheelhouse | Bevel Brewing | 6 PM
The Northern Light | Silver Moon | 7 PM | Ticket 
Mark Creech | The Commonwealth Pub | 7:30 PM
Harmony in the Desert | Tetherow Resort | 6 PM | Tickets

Thursday 8.28

Doone Jennings | Mountain Burger | 6 PM 
Olivia Harms | River’s Place | 6 PM
The Northern Light | The Commonwealth Pub | 8:30 PM
Cyrus Nabipoor | Silver Moon | 7 PM | Tickets

WHO’S HIRING IN BEND

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

A huge shoutout to the folks over at Mosaic Community Health for filling up the job board this week!

Searching for a new job? Browse the full job board

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

THANKS!

Stay cool, and thank you again for reading!

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