🏓 More pickleball courts on the way

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Bend! Spooky season is here in full force! We’ll have a roundup coming soon of all the Halloween events happening around town.

In today’s Bend Buzz:

• 🏓 More pickleball courts coming to Pine Nursery

• 🧺 A new local market on the east side

• 🍔 Americana reopens at The Podski

Let’s get to it.

— Derek Carlson

SPONSORED BY RYAN WALKER STATE FARM

It’s Open Enrollment Season!

Open Enrollment is here, which means now’s the perfect time to review your insurance or explore your Medicare options. Whether you’re enrolling for the first time or making changes for the year ahead, our team is here to help you find coverage that truly fits your needs and lifestyle.

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Call 541-640-8080 or visit mybendinsurance.com to get started!

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SNAPSHOTS

🔥 Where There’s Smoke

Wildfire season has come to a close, but for the foreseeable future, that means it’s slash pile burning time. The Deschutes National Forest has plans to burn up to 15,000 acres of slash piles over the next few months. So if you see a column of smoke in the forest, there’s a pretty good chance it’s coming from this. You can always check CentralOregonFire.org for more info, as well!

🚧 Changes Underway at Pine Nursery

Visitors to Pine Nursery Park over the weekend may have noticed a few changes as work is now underway for the fifth and final phase of the park’s construction. This phase will be happening on and off through next summer and will include adding new pickleball courts, improving walking surfaces, and expanding some of the baseball fields.

🛣️ Relief for Empire Ave??

Folks who have had to endure the less-than-ideal traffic conditions along Empire Ave over the past year+ may be getting a little bit of relief. The City is considering reallocating existing funds to replace the signal and adding a dedicated right-turn lane at Empire and Highway 20.

BUSINESS HAPPENINGS

🍔 Americana cart reopens at the Podski: Been craving your Americana burger fix, but don’t want to make the journey downtown? The wait is over as this award-winning burger spot has reopened its cart at the Podski. Sloppy Goat lovers rejoice.

🧺 Bend Roots Mercantile brings a local market to the east side: Eastsiders now have a new spot to grab locally made food and pantry staples, as Bend Roots Mercantile is now open. Granted, it’s still their soft opening, so their hours are limited, but they should be expanding come November. You can follow along on their Instagram account. 62080 Dean Swift Rd # 120

@THEBENDBUZZ

📸 @junctionroastery |📍9th & Wilson
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TOGETHER WITH BOARDWORKS CLIMBING

When Winter Hits, Bring the Climb Indoors

Winter in Bend is great for skiing, but not so much for climbing. That’s where Boardworks Climbing Gym comes in. It’s your 24/7 indoor training space and community hub for climbers who want to stay active, build strength, and connect through the colder months.

With dynamic climbing walls, a full fitness area, and even a sauna, Boardworks has everything you need to train your body and mind. More than a gym, it’s a place to unwind, meet other climbers, and find your people — a true third space built around movement and connection.

📍 Open hours for first-time visitors: Thurs–Fri 4–8 PM, Sat 12–3 PM
🧗‍♀️ First visit is free - learn more here

LOCAL LOWDOWN

Monday 10.20

🥏 Bingo with Bren: Proceeds from this month’s Bingo with Bren event will be going to the Central Oregon Disc Golf Club. So join your fellow flying disc fans and see if you can take home some fun prizes. 7 PM Bevel Brewing

🖼️ Last day of the $20 Art Show: Missed the $20 art show over the weekend? You still have one last day to attend and pick up some new, affordable art for your walls. The show will be open all day today and is free to attend. 9 AM - 5 PM High Desert Museum

🧒 Preschool Story Time: Drop the big kids off at school and bring the little ones (3 - 5 yrs) to the library for a half hour of stories, songs, and rhymes. 9:30 AM Downtown Bend Library

👻 Halloween Art Play: The Deschutes Library has teamed up with Two Suns Art Studio to offer a free hour of Halloween art play at Two Suns. Registration is required. 10:30 AM Two Suns Art Studio

🧠 Trivia at Crux: Enjoy the sunset from Crux while testing your trivia skills. Make this your new weekly spot for end-of-the-month prizes for the highest-scoring teams. 6 PM Crux

Tuesday 10.21

🖌️ Open Art Night: Come and get creative at the Open Arts Center’s weekly Tuesday evening art night. Work on your own project or build community with fellow creatives. 6 - 9 PM Open Arts Center

🌼 Chat with a BLM Botanist: The High Desert chapter of the Native Plant Society of Oregon is holding their first meeting of the fall. Ian Grinter, a botanist for the Prineville BLM, will be on hand to chat about rare plant species found in Central Oregon. 6:30 PM 62080 Dean Swift Rd

🎤 Tuesday Takeover Karaoke: Warm up those pipes and get ready to belt out your best rendition of Don’t Stop Believin’ at M&J Tavern’s weekly karaoke night. 8 PM M&J Tavern

☕️ Coffee & Clarity: A weekly gathering for visionary women. Enjoy a coffee while talking with other like-minded women who have big goals for the next year. 8:30 - 10:30 AM Thump - The Grove

🧪 Super Science Trivia: Put your science knowledge to the test at Worthy Brewing at their super science trivia night. 7 PM Worthy Brewing

🌲 Grieving and Healing in Nature: Author Adam Sawyer will be sharing a series of photographs and essays about how time in the outdoors helped him deal with loss and grief. 6 PM Downtown Bend Library

🕊️ Hanai Open House: Join Hanai at their weekly open house. Use the time and space to connect, embrace your creativity, or enjoy some quiet time. 4 - 7 PM Hanai

🏃 Bend Run Club: Wear pink in support of breast cancer awareness for this week’s run with Bend Run Club. They’ll be encouraging donations to Sara’s Project, a local nonprofit that raises funds for education, early detection and support services for people fighting breast cancer. 6 PM Crux

LIVE MUSIC

Monday 10.20

Bluegrass Collective | Silver Moon Brewing | 7 PM

Tuesday 10.21

Small Town | Silver Moon Brewing | 7 PM | Tickets
CyDefects | Commonwealth Pub | 7 PM
Jacob Jolliff Band w/Skillethead | Tower Theatre | 7:30 PM | Tickets
Nolan Taylor | Domino Room | 8 PM | Tickets

WEEKEND PREVIEW

🎃 Friday is for the arts. Head up to the mountain for a classic drive-in experience with a showing of Hocus Pocus at Mt. Bachelor, bring the kids to Mountain Air for a Halloween-themed Kids Night Out, or enjoy a night of tarot card painting at Witches & Wine. Needing a little culture to offset the spookiness? Head to the Greenhouse Cabaret for weekend #2 of Once: The Musical, make the drive out to Sisters for their monthly 4th Friday Art Walk, or swing by the High Desert Museum for the Indigenous Speaker Series. Silver Moon will be providing the laughs for the evening with Comedy Con - an event where comedians dress up (and perform) as their favorite comic book characters. Tonight’s soundtrack will be courtesy of The Big Spooky 2 w/DEFUNK at Volcanic Theatre Pub, Superball at Commonwealth Pub, Emo Night at the Midtown Ballroom, and Patty PerShayla at Silver Moon.

🍁 Fall is still in full swing on Saturday. Pitch in to get the trails ready for winter at the Meissner trail work party or keep the spooky vibes flowing with the Bootox Halloween Party at Azura Studio, Boo Bash at the Little Gym of Bend, Spooky Carnival at the Open Arts Center, or the Witches and Werewolves Halloween costume party (and free line dance lessons) at Cross-Eyed Cricket. Looking for something less spooky but still very fall? How about the family-friendly Fall Festival at Bend Leadership Academy or Fall Fest at the newly opened Lava Pass next to the Box Factory? Or sit back and relax with the kitties at cat breed bingo at Playful Paws Cat Cafe. Bands for Bread will be playing tunes and raising money for charity at Bend Brewing, while Almost at Wildwood and Heller Highwater at Commonwealth Pub will be bringing the night to a close.

💁‍♀️ Sunday offers a little bit of everything. Get the winter stoke started with two showings of Warren Miller’s SNO-CIETY at the Tower Theatre, or take in Bend’s wildest morning of bingo with Not’cho Grandma’s Bingo at Silver Moon. Want to get your voice in caroling shape? Head to Hanai for a vocal workshop with Grammy-nominated singer Moira Smiley. Want to support a great cause? NeighborImpact is hosting its annual Empty Bowls fundraiser at COCC. And what better way to close out the weekend than with a visit from heavy metal band GWAR at Midtown Ballroom?

THANKS!

Stay warm, and thank you again for reading!

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