Good morning, Bend. I want to start out by saying a big thank you to everyone reading this email. Today marks two weeks since we started this little newsletter, and over 600 Central Oregonians have already signed up to get the latest news, events, and happenings around town sent straight to their inbox. You all rock!

To celebrate, we are rolling out a referral program starting today! A little further down in this email, you’ll find a link you can send to family, friends, or Sheryl from accounting.

If seven people subscribe to the Bend Buzz using your link, I will personally send you a gift card from a local coffee shop so you can enjoy a free latte on us.

Even bigger rewards are also in the works, so stay tuned…

Let’s get back to the good stuff. In today’s Bend Buzz:

• 🥁 Summer Fest takes over downtown

• 🪡 The Quilt Show is back

• 3️⃣ A trio of concerts

This weekend is jam-packed, so let’s get to it.

— Derek Carlson

SNAPSHOTS

🎠 Summer Fest is here:

Downtown Bend’s annual summer event is back and better than ever. During its three-day takeover of downtown, you’ll find art exhibits, live music, bouncy houses for the kids, and plenty of cold drinks and colder desserts to keep the heat at bay.

📚 Bend’s Eastside library has a closing date

Bend’s Eastside library, which opened as a temporary solution for the city’s growing population back in 2011, will close at the end of 2025. But fear not, as the new Stevens Ranch Library should be opening only a few short months later to fill the void.

🎵 A Trio of bands at the Amphitheater

The Hayden Homes Amphitheater and Old Mill District will be hoppin’ this weekend with three shows in three nights. Friday kicks off with The Decemberists, followed by Primus on Saturday and The Avett Brothers on Sunday evening. Watch out for packs of 80’s-born concertgoers reminiscing about their childhoods spent playing with Skip-its and Tamagotchis.

@thebendbuzz

📸 @roamthenorthwest | 📍View from Tumalo Mountain

Tag @thebendbuzz to get your photos featured!

BUSINESS HAPPENINGS

🎨 Unleash Your creative spirit: Downtown creative space IsoMiMo is celebrating its grand opening on Friday. Here, you can create your own art through their guided projects or design a screen-printed shirt and watch them print it right there in the store. Join their grand opening paint night tonight for $40/person. 925 NW Wall St. #201A

🛒 Grocery reshuffling: A proposed merger between mega-grocers Kroger and Albertsons is under regulatory scrutiny. To try to move things along, the companies have announced a plan to divest nearly 600 stores nationwide, including two Safeway stores in Bend and one in Redmond.

LOCAL LOWDOWN

Friday

🧺 Popup market at The Commons: Stop by The Commons in downtown Bend on Friday for their artisan market, where you can browse the wares from vendors selling handmade goods. 10 AM - 2 PM Brooks Alley

💃 Summer Fest kicks off: Expect big crowds in downtown Bend throughout the weekend as the Summer Festival kicks off on Friday afternoon and continues through Sunday. Don’t let that deter you from coming down to enjoy the music, cold drinks, and family-friendly fun.

Saturday

🐥 Gotta catch ‘em all: Join your fellow Pokemon’ers at the Pokemon GO Fest in Drake Park. Do I understand how Pokemon GO works? Not at all. Does it look like fun anyway? You betcha! 11 AM - 6 PM Drake Park

🪡 Quilters descend on Sisters: The annual Sisters Quilt Show is back, and the event expects to draw in nearly 10,000 visitors. So, if you were thinking about hopping over for a quick milkshake at Sno Cap Drive-in, this might not be the best day for it. 9 AM - 4 PM

🐈 Pet adoption: Mud Bay off of Robal Rd is hosting CCRew for a pet adoption event. With both kittens and puppies, you’re sure to make some new best friends. 11 AM - 3 PM 20520 Robal Rd

📨 Anyone need a pen pal?: Rekindle the lost art of letter writing at the Correspondence Club at Lone Pine Coffee. Bring a pen, typewriter, or quill and inkwell along with your favorite paper, envelopes, and wax seal and write a handwritten letter to your long-lost elementary school pen pal. 5 - 7 PM 910 NW Harriman St

Sunday

🍷Vive la France: Put on your favorite beret and black and white striped shirt and celebrate Bastille Day at San Simón with a market starting at 4 PM, wine races at 6 PM, and live jazz music at 7 PM. 845 NW Tin Pan Alley

🕯️ Vintage is in: Gathered Wares is hosting their monthly vintage market in the Old Ironworks District. Shop from local vintage vendors and makers selling clothing and home goods. Where else do you think you’ll be able to find that perfect outfit for your next disco party? 11 AM - 3 PM 50 Scott St

🏠 Bend tour of homes: Check out the latest and greatest in Bend architecture with the Central Oregon tour of homes. With 49 homes spread out across the region, there are plenty of options to choose from. 10 AM - 5 PM

🐶 Bulldog & frenchie meetup: Bring your bulldog or frenchie to Ponchs Place for a community get-together. With food trucks and a beer garden, this is sure to be a good time for all. 4 - 6 PM 62889 NE Oxford Ct

Monday

🥾 Take a hike: Swing by Dudley’s Bookshop in downtown Bend to meet Becky Ohlsen, the author of Backpacking Oregon. She will be there to share trail tales and can point you toward your next epic backpacking trip. 5:30 - 6:30 PM 135 NW Minnesota Ave

LIVE MUSIC

Friday

Hayden Homes Amphitheater | The Decemberists | 6 PM | Tickets
Silver Moon Brewing | Larkspur Stand | 7 - 10 PM | Tickets
Bend Cider Co. | Roma Ransom | 6 PM
Boneyard Pub | Paul Eddy | 7 - 9 PM
The Barrel Room @ Immersion Brewing | Summer Latin Dance Party | 8 - 11:45 PM | $10 Door
Midtown Ballroom | Club Latino | 9 PM | $10 Door
Faith, Hope, and Charity Vineyards | Major Dudes’ Steely Dan Tribute | 6 - 9 PM | Tickets
Worthy Brewing | Billy and the Box Kid | 7 - 9 PM
Turtle Island Coffee | Kourni & Bella Cooper | 5 - 7 PM
Thump Coffee | Olivia Harms | 6 - 9 PM
Ponchs Place | Katelin Norton | 6:30 - 8:30 PM

Summer Fest Line-up:
Erin Cole Baker | 4 - 5 PM
Long Gone Wilder | 5:30 - 6:30 PM
The Jacob Joliff Band | 7 - 8 PM
Bandulus | 8:30 - 10:30 PM

Saturday

Hayden Homes Amphitheater | Primus | 6 PM | Tickets
Worthy Brewing | Strive Roots | 7 - 9 PM
Loge Bend | Travis Ehrenstrom | 4 PM
Boneyard Pub | Jackson Michelson | 6 PM
10 Barrel West | Olivia Harms | 5 PM
Silver Moon Brewing | Fractal | 7 - 11 PM | Tickets
Elk Lake Resort | Alicia Viani | 5 PM
Great Greek Mediterranean Grill | Dubb Central | 5 - 7 PM
Ale Apothecary | Moon Rattles | 6 - 8:30 PM
Crux | Tim Hall Band | 6 PM
Faith, Hope, and Charity Vineyards | Countryfied | 6 - 9 PM | Tickets
On Tap | Superball | 6 - 8 PM
The Capitol | Electric Soul | 9 PM - 1 AM
Midtown Ballroom | Club Crunk | 9 PM | $10 Door
Northside Bar & Grill | Switchback | 8 - 11 PM

Summer Fest Line-up:
Cascade School of Music | 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM & 1 - 2 PM
Joel Chadd Duo | 2:30 - 3:30 PM
Desert Wheel House | 4 - 5 PM
Speedway Sleeper | 5:30 - 6:30 PM
Watkins Glen | 7 - 8 PM
Ants in the Kitchen | 8:30 - 10 PM

Sunday

Worthy Brewing | The Hwy 97 Band | 1 - 3 PM
Hayden Homes Amphitheater | The Avett Brothers | 6 PM | Tickets
Rivers Place | Soul Benders | 6 - 8 PM
Bend Brewing | Sweet Motor | 3 - 5 PM

Summer Fest Line-up:
Cascade School of Music | 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM & 1 - 2 PM
Mamma Mia | 2:30 - 3 PM
Leadbetter Band | 3:30 - 5 PM

BEND ADVENTURE GUIDE

🚵 The Forest Service needs your feedback

As you may or may not know, e-bikes are not allowed on any mountain biking trails on Forest Service land around Bend. However, that may change soon as the Forest Service is currently soliciting feedback on a proposal to allow Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes on trails around town. You can read the response from COTA (Central Oregon Trail Alliance—the local mountain bike group that builds and maintains many of the trails we know and love), which offers a balanced view of the pros and cons of this change.

THANKS!

Stay cool, and thank you again for reading!

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