🪐 The planets are aligned for a great weekend in Bend

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Bend! How about this weather! Spring must be here to stay…right?

In today’s Bend Buzz:

• ⚜️ Mardi Gras weekend in Bend

• 🏪 Two businesses close, and another reopens

• 🪐 A planet viewing party

Let’s get to it.

— Derek Carlson

SPONSORED BY APOGEE BEND

☀️ Enroll by March 31st to Save Big!

If today’s sunshine doesn’t have you thinking about summer, I don’t know what will! And with warmer days ahead, it’s time to start locking in school plans for fall.

Apogee is shaking things up with a one-of-a-kind education model that fosters leadership, critical thinking, project-based learning, and physiology. And right now, they’re offering huge early enrollment discounts—including a tuition lock for life—but you’ve got to enroll by March 31st to lock it in!

Curious but not sure? Fill out the contact form, and the Apogee team will take you out for coffee to share more. ☕️ 

Ready to take the next step? Apply here before the deadline!

_{Interested in featuring your business in our next ad spot? ⬆️ Fill out THIS FORM!}

SNAPSHOTS

⚜️ Bendi Gras brings Mardi Gras to town

Just because we live in the high desert doesn’t mean we can’t get down and party like we’re in NOLA. Okay, so maybe the parties won’t be exactly like what you’ll find in the South, but if you want to get out and gorge on king cake and collect beads, there are still plenty of opportunities to do so.

Check out the schedule at BendTicket.com to get a full roundup of events happening around town and buy tickets to the paid events.

🧩 The puzzle poll results are in

A resounding 82% of you voted in favor of the jigsaw puzzle, so now it’s time to make it happen. Many of you said you’d prefer a 1,000-piece puzzle, so that’s the direction we’ll go. It’ll be a couple of dollars more, but that’s twice the fun, so it’ll totally be worth it. Heck, we might even offer up both 500 & 1,000. Stay tuned, as we’ll reveal the artist soon and share a few sneak peeks of the design along the way.

BUSINESS HAPPENINGS

🛒 C.E. Lovejoy’s officially closed their doors for good: SW Bend grocery store C.E. Lovejoy’s closed for good on Monday. The building’s owner announced they will look for another grocery store to take over the space, but there is nothing yet in the works.

🌮 Del Taco in SE Bend Closes: Burgerville caused a bit of a hubbub last month when they posted job listings at an address that the Del Taco currently occupied at SE 3rd and Wilson. Despite Burgerville blaming the mixup on a “3rd party vendor error,” it looks like there may have been more to the story as Del Taco abruptly closed this week. No word yet if Burgerville is officially taking over the space, but it does feel a little too coincidental 🤔 (late-night edit: Burgerville has confirmed they are moving into the space)

🦫 Summer hours begin at the High Desert Museum: We appreciate the High Desert Museum fully embracing this warm weather and switching back to their summer hours schedule. Or maybe it’s just a coincidence. Anywho, if you’ve been looking to bring your family down to check out the otters and other exhibits, the museum is now open 9 AM - 5 PM starting on Saturday.

🍨 Bonta on Galveston reopens: Gelato lovers rejoice as Bonta’s west side location off of Galveston is finally reopening after a long closure. Come celebrate the warm weather with a scoop or two when they open back up today (Friday) at 2 PM.

@THEBENDBUZZ

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TOGETHER WITH RETHINK WASTE

The Rethink Waste Project has three new opportunities: a first-of-its-kind repair workshop, a new round of funding, and we’re hiring!

🧵 Free Sewing Workshop: Come learn how to mend, sew, and darn, so that you can feel empowered to repair your own clothing, socks, and more! RSVP Required. Monday, 3/24 5:00-6:30 PM.

💰️ 2025 Community Innovation Fund is open! Have an idea to reduce waste in the community? Get up to $5,000. Info Session: 3/18. Learn more or view past projects.

🥡 We’re hiring!: The Reuse Bend Coordinator will help bring Reuse Bend to life. Deadline: 3/13. View Job Announcement.

LOCAL LOWDOWN

Friday 2.28

🪐 Planet viewing party: We all get to be amateur astrologers for a day as Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Mercury are lining up in the night sky. The Old Mill, along with Oregon Astronomy & Rocketry, is setting up telescopes so you can get an up-close look at the planets. 5:30 - 7 PM Old Mill District

🎬️ Family movie night: Bring the family to Craft Kitchen & Brewery for a family-friendly showing of The Emoji Movie 🙃 6 - 8 PM 62988 Layton Ave

🧘 Yoga + sound bath: If gazing up to the planets above wasn’t relaxing enough, then finish off your Friday evening with a yoga + sound bath session at Free Spirit Yoga. 6:30 - 8 PM Free Spirit Yoga

🍋 Fresh squeezed trivia: Join Useless Knowledge Bowl Trivia at the Deschutes Tasting Room, that’s the one on the west side of the river, for a helping of fresh squeezed trivia (and $5 fresh squeezed pints). 5 PM 921 SW Colorado Ave

🤣 Bend comedy showcase: Bend Comedy is bringing two hilarious headliners to Immersion Brewing for the Bend Comedy Showcase. Todd Armstrong and Brandi Posey will keep the laughs flowing all night long, and while tickets are still available, they likely won’t last long. 8 PM Immersion Brewing

🎭️ Roald Dahl’s Matilda: Support Bend’s burgeoning artists at Mountain View High for their performance of Roald Dahl’s Matilda. Shows take place Fri - Sun this weekend and next. Mountain View High Auditorium

Saturday 3.1

🎹 Piano concert at Meissner: It’s hard to believe, but this is the last piano concert of the winter at Meissner. Come up for one last evening of skiing while listening to the enchanting piano music of Paula Dreyer. 6 PM Meissner Sno Park

🪕 The Bluegrass Bend-r: The Volcanic Theatre Pub is hosting the 1st annual Bluegrass Bend-r. The event will feature workshops, open jams, and live music all day long. 10 AM - Midnight Volcanic Theatre Pub

🪓 Advanced survival series: Ever feel like running away to the woods for a couple days (or a couple years) but are worried you won’t be able to start a fire and might get trampled by a deer? Nighthawk Naturalist School is hosting a 5-week advanced survival class that starts this weekend!

🎦 Celebrate with movies for a quarter or two: The Tower Theatre is celebrating its 85th anniversary by bringing back movies from the past with prices to match! This weekend, you can catch showings of Creature from the Black Lagoon, Maltese Falcon, Singin’ in the Rain, and North by Northwest for $.25 to $.50! Tower Theatre

🐻‍❄️ SOOR Polar Plunge: The Special Olympics of Oregon is hosting a 5k run and polar plunge to work up a sweat and cool down very quickly afterward. 10 AM Riverbend Park

🪩 90s dance party: Break out those baggy jeans and flannel shirts for another 90s dance party at Bevel Brewing. Well-behaved Tamagotchis are welcome as well. 6 PM Bevel Brewing

Sunday 3.2

📽️ BendFilm gala: Join BendFilm at their annual fundraiser gala to help fund initiatives such as their new filmmaker retreat, student summer camps, and the Annual Bend Film Festival. Dress to impress for a chance to walk away with a special prize. 4 PM 61980 Skyline Ranch Rd

🏃 Mastodon 10-ish mile trail run: Kick off trail racing season with the 10-ish miler at the Mastodon trail system just north of town. This relatively flat course is the perfect way to get those trail-running legs back under you. 9 AM Mastodon Trailhead

🕺 Family dance: Bring the family to the Waldorf School of Bend for some family dance fun. All are welcome! 11 AM - 1 PM 2150 NE Studio Rd #2

🏒 Girls & women have the edge: Bend Rapids and Bend Parks and Rec are teaming up to introduce girls and women to the fun of ice hockey. This event is free, no prior experience is required, and all gear is provided. 3 - 7 PM The Pavillion

🤣 Comedy night at VTP: Close out the weekend with a night of laughs from comedian Billy Wayne Davis at the Volcanic Theatre Pub. 8 PM Volcanic Theatre Pub

March Event Preview

The calendar clicks over to March on Saturday, so it’s time for another look at some notable events happening in March. A few of these events WILL sell out, so make sure to take a look and grab those tickets now so you’re not left on the outside looking in (or the inside looking out for a few of these events).

Read the full March preview here.

LIVE MUSIC

Friday 2.28

Wildwood Bar & Grill | DuBd Central Trio | 7 PM
The Domino Room | Little Stranger & Wax | 8:30 PM | Tickets
Commonwealth Pub | Chained to Stone | 8 PM
Northside Bar & Grill | Americana Redux | 7 PM
Volcanic Theatre Pub | Ty Segall | 8 PM | Tickets
The Cellar | Old Oaks | 6 PM
M&J Tavern | Profit Drama | 9 PM
Silver Moon Brewing | BendreTheGiant & Biscuit Brigade Trio | 7 PM | Tickets

Saturday 3.1

Commonwealth Pub | Dad Bods Band | 8 PM
Cross-Eyed Cricket | Craig Campbell | 9 PM | Tickets
River’s Place | Brogan Woodburn | 6 PM
Silver Moon Brewing | The Walkaways | 7 PM | Tickets
Silver Moon Brewing | Marty O'Reilly & Jeshua Marshall | 7 PM
Volcanic Theatre Pub | Bluegrass Bend-r | 5 PM | Tickets
Portello Wine & Spirits | Brandon Campbell Trio | 6:30 PM
Bend Cider Co | The Bunkhouse Duo | 4 PM

Sunday 3.2

River’s Place | Fluffalove | 5 PM

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FARMERS WITH A CSA

With temps hitting the upper 60s, I think it’s safe to say fresh powder isn’t in the forecast this weekend. So, instead of mountain conditions, let’s talk summer—and the incredible work our local farmers do to keep Central Oregon stocked with fresh produce.

If you love farm-fresh veggies but can’t always make it to the farmers markets, a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box is the way to go. You get a weekly haul of seasonal produce, and local farmers get some much-needed financial stability.

There are a bunch of CSAs around Bend, and while some farms are already sold out, there are still plenty of great options! Instead of listing them here, I put together a full guide on local CSA options for summer 2025. Check it out!

Read the post here

THANKS!

Stay warm (or maybe even cool today!), and thank you again for reading!

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