TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Bend! We’re back from a quick excursion to the coast, where agates were found, whales were not found, and clam chowder was a side dish with nearly every meal.

In today’s Bend Buzz:

Let’s get to it.

— Derek Carlson & Emily Elaro 

👗 Fashion tells us we always need something new, but every new piece comes with hidden waste and pollution long before it hits the rack. Meanwhile, perfectly good clothes are tossed aside, filling landfills or shipped across the globe in the name of “recycling.”

Clothing swaps offer a better way. Refresh your wardrobe without the waste, extend the life of what you already own, and be part of a culture that values reuse over constant consumption.

Swap, share, and style sustainably. We hosted a clothing swap last year, and this is what we learned!

🌍 Earth Day Fair & Parade is back and better than ever! Due to the remodel of The Environmental Center, the Earth Day Fair will be at Alpenglow Park this year. Join us Saturday April 25th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for family fun, performances, earth crafts, and booths to explore. Wear your best Earth Day costume and participate in the parade, or simply enjoy the planet with us. See you there! 

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Sad news for folks who had gotten used to using the fancy new roundabout at Purcell and Bear Creek, as the stretch of Purcell Blvd between Highway 20 and the roundabout will be closed starting on March 30th. The road will be closed for approximately two months while private contractors do utility work for the new adjacent development (that’s the city’s way of tactfully saying “this one ain’t our fault”).

If you’ve spent any amount of time exploring the area’s mountain bike trails, then you’ve likely spent at least a few hours on BendTrails.org checking out trail reports and browsing their amazing maps. I (and it sounds like many others) always assumed that the website was run by a local mountain bike organization like COTA, but it turns out that it was really a labor of love by some folks who just love mountain biking and keeping locals in the know. So it was quite the shock to read that, come June 1st, the website will be shutting down…unless they can find someone to take over the reins. So if you’re tech savvy and want to keep their work alive, drop them a line!

💌 Love in a Letter: I’ve likely said this before, but one of my favorite parts of writing this newsletter (this is newsletter #233, so I had better like writing them!) is shining a little light on local folks building cool businesses. I never know when they’re gonna pop up, so this was a fun email to receive. Local artist Lindsey Loughry has launched Love in a Letter, a company sending personalized, mini letters. So if you want to send a special someone in your life a mini letter with a tiny wax seal, or your kid a letter from the tooth fairy, check them out!

🗝 Elk Vintage to open at the Old Mill: Local vintage shop Elk Vintage will be moving into the little red shed at the Old Mill later this spring. The shed dates back to the early days of the mill (back when the river was filled with logs rather than paddleboarders) and will be Elk Vintage’s permanent home starting May 1st.

📸 @oldmilldistrict |📍Old Mill District
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The Coolest Thing to Hit Bend Since the Last Powder Day

Bend has no shortage of great ways to celebrate, and now there's one more. Bend Slush Club is a locally owned frozen drink machine rental company bringing the party wherever you need it.

You bring the people. They bring the machine.

Whether you're hosting a neighborhood hangout on a hot Central Oregon afternoon, throwing a birthday party, or planning the bachelorette weekend, a slush machine is the kind of thing that turns a good time into a great one. With two machines available, the kids get their sugar rush and the adults get their happy hour — everybody wins.

Bend summers are short. Make them count. Book your machine at bendslushclub.com and get ready to be the most popular person on the block.

Ready to book or want to learn more? Head to bendslushclub.com to check availability and get the party started.

📸 @bendslushclub

🚗 Subaru Winterfest: A full weekend of on-mountain and off-mountain festivities brought to you by Subaru. Live music, demos, giveaways, and all the end-of-season energy you can handle. Starts Friday, runs all weekend. 8 AM Mt. Bachelor

📚 Thump Downtown Library Book Club: Grab your coffee and your thoughts and join the Thump Downtown book club for a mid-day literary chat. 1:30 PM Thump Downtown

🌍 Global Eats Pop-Up: A pop-up celebrating food from around the world at Discovery Corner. Come hungry, come curious, come ready to try something new. This week is Artisan Mexican Tamales & Treats! 5 PM Discovery Corner

👢 Free Line Dancing Lessons: No experience, no partner, no problem. Ponch's Place is offering free line dancing lessons. 6 PM Ponch's Place

🤭 Dirty Minds Trivia: Trivia night, but make it spicy. Gather your most inappropriate friends and head to Craft Kitchen for the March edition. You know who you are. 7 PM Craft Kitchen

📖 Everyone in this Bank is a Thief — Author Event: A thriller set in a heist, a museum, and a whole lot of moral ambiguity. Join the author for an evening that'll have you immediately adding it to your reading list. 6:30 PM Unitarian Universalist

🌊 Big Wave Challenge at Mt. Bachelor: A custom-built course of sweeping banked corners, quarter pipes, and spines that turns the mountain into a wave. Riders of all ages take as many runs as they want in a jam-style format, judged on speed, power, and flow. All weekend at Mt. Bachelor

✏️ No Bones Drawing Club: A laid-back figure drawing meetup at TEAL for artists of all levels who want to sketch, improve, and enjoy some creative company on a Saturday morning. 10 AM TEAL Tea & Art Lounge

🧘 Yoga All the Time. Disco, Occasionally: The name says it all, and we have nothing to add except: yes. Harry Styles yoga at Bend Yoga Center, because Saturday afternoon should always feel this good. 12 PM Bend Yoga Center

🪧 No Kings Protest: Exercise your First Amendment rights at what’s expected to be a pretty big turnout at Drake Park. 1 PM Drake Park

🪴 Macramé Plant Hanger Workshop: Learn to knot your way to a beautiful plant hanger at River's Place. Your houseplants will thank you. 2 PM River's Place

✏️ Doodling with White Ink: White ink on dark paper creates a surprisingly magical combination. A relaxed, creative afternoon workshop at Larkspur Community Center. 2 PM Larkspur Community Center

🛍️ Spring Maker's Market: Local makers, fresh finds, and the kind of shopping that actually feels good. UPP Liquids opens up for a spring market worth browsing. 3 PM UPP Liquids

🌸 Cascade Spring Night Market: A full spring market at Cascade Indoor Sports with vendors, vibes, and all the signs that the warmer season is finally here. 4 PM Cascade Indoor Sports

😂 The Bend Bachelor Comedy Show: Bits N Skits brings the roses, the drama, and the laughs for another Bachelor-themed comedy night at Craft Kitchen. There’s no way that it can go worse than the current (cancelled) season of The Bachelorette. 8 PM Craft Kitchen

🔊 Bass in Bend: A DJ showcase at Volcanic Theatre Pub celebrating the deep, thumping, face-rattling end of the spectrum. A proper night out for anyone who likes their music loud and their bass lower. 8 PM Volcanic Theatre Pub

💪 HUNKS The Show: The name is self-explanatory, and we respect it fully. A big, fun, unapologetically rowdy Saturday night at Midtown Ballroom. Grab your friends, grab your singles, and go have the time of your life. 8 PM Midtown Ballroom

🧶 Yarn Bowl Workshop: Calling all knitters and crocheters! Hobbies will collide at Mud Lake Studio’s very first ceramic yarn bowl workshop. 10 AM Mud Lake Studios

🤣 Improv Comedy Showcase: Join the crew from the Bend Institute of Comedy for a hilarious night of long-form improv. 7 PM Open Space Event Studios

🏃‍♀ Pages and Peaks Book Club: Gather for an easy, conversational run exploring Overturf Park, followed by coffee and an informal book discussion. 8 AM Fox & Fern Coffee

🥷 Ninja Night: Celebrate the end of spring break with a night out minus the kids. Not that they’ll be having a rough go of it, as they’ll be enjoying an evening of ninja fun at Free Spirit Yoga. 5:30 PM Free Spirit Yoga Ninja Play

🥏 Disc Golf Fly Market: Disc golf gear, good people, and the unofficial start of the outdoor season. Browse, buy, and maybe pick up a new driver at Bevel. 12 PM Bevel Craft Brewing

🏔️ Shred the Patriarchy: The first-ever Shred the Patriarchy Day lands in Bend, created by Coalition Snow and brought to life locally by AdventurUs and UPP Liquids. The idea is simple: get outside and shred in whatever way means something to you. Snow, dirt, trail, water, your call. Then gather at UPP Liquids to celebrate and connect. A day built on community showing up for community. 12 PM UPP Liquids

🌬️ Breath & Release: A breathwork session at Hanai designed to help you let go of whatever you've been carrying around all week. Equal parts challenging and deeply restorative. 2 PM Hanai

🌮 Indian Tacos with Page for Progress: Gather at Alpenglow Park for Indian tacos and a chance to support Amanda Page's community-focused work. Food, community, and a good cause all in one Sunday afternoon. 3 PM Alpenglow Park

👗 Rewoven Community Clothing Swap: Bring your books, plants, and clothes (of course) to this community clothing swap. 11 AM Pine & Prism

📖 Creating Connections Book Club: Grab a cup of tea and spend your Sunday making some new friends over a good book. 11 AM Bend Tea + Art Lounge

Will Kinky | Portello Lounge | 6:30 PM
Larry and his Flask | Silver Moon | 7 PM | Tickets
Lickety Split | Currents | 7 PM
Vana Liya | Silver Moon | 7 PM | Tickets
Pedro the Lion | Volcanic Theatre Pub | 8 PM | Tickets
Rod DeGeorge’s Guitar Gods Revue | The Commonwealth Pub | 8 PM

Emily Nenni | Deschutes Brewery | 6 PM
Beverly Anderson | Portello Lounge | 6:30 PM 
Buckets, The Dunes & Palo Soprano | Silver Moon | 7 PM | Tickets
Dominique and the Diamonds | Silver Moon | 7 PM | Tickets
Toubab Krewe | Tower Theatre | 7:30 PM | Tickets
Soul’d Out | The Commonwealth Pub | 8 PM 
Shakey Graves | Deschutes Brewery | 8 PM

KC Flynn | River’s Place | 5 PM
Mr. Crowley's Ozzy Experience | Tower Theatre | 7:30 PM | Tickets 
L.A. Witch | Volcanic Theatre Pub | 8 PM | Tickets

Stay warm, and thank you again for reading!

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