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🏎️ Who wants to lease the old Costco building?

🏎️ Who wants to lease the old Costco building?

A burger contest update, the old Costco building is available for lease, and your event roundup for the week

Derek Carlson
April 01, 2025

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Bend! No April fools here, just a fresh helping of news and events happening around the High Desert.

A few of you have asked about the burger competition, so here’s a quick update. I’ve got four burgers left to try (I very much overestimated how many burgers I could make my way through each week!) and will be releasing the final winners in the next week or two.

In today’s Bend Buzz:

🏢 The old Costco building is available to lease
🚵 New mountain bike trails are coming to west Bend
🐎 The High Desert Stampede kicks off

Let’s get to it.

— Derek Carlson

SNAPSHOTS

🤠 The High Desert Stampede kicks off

Giddy up! The High Desert Stampede kicks off at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds on Wednesday and runs through Saturday. The event gets underway as 40 of the top bull riders in the world compete for a $20,000 purse. The rest of the week will be filled with events like steer wrestling, barrel racing, tie-down roping, team roping, saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, and bull riding. Grab your tickets now.

🚵 West Bend trail upgrades are underway

Mountain bikers rejoice as COTA and the Deschutes National Forest are breaking ground on new mountain bike trails on the west side of Bend starting on Friday. The project's first leg will be the new COD Easy Option that allows all trail riders to traverse this otherwise technical section of trail. Other projects taking place this summer will include 9 miles of trail reroutes, a new downhill trail at Wanoga, new connector trails, and the decommissioning of unauthorized trails. No shutdowns are anticipated for this first portion.

You can take a look at the full project scope here.

🎫 Premium membership emails are on the way

I want to give a huge thank you to everyone who has signed up for our premium membership so far! It goes a long way towards us being able to continue to produce the Bend Buzz and keep Central Oregon informed on what’s happening every week in this beautiful place we call home.

This month’s premium perks include a discount to Wild Petals Provisions in downtown Bend. So if you’ve been eyeing some locally made goods, meats & cheeses, or a done-for-you charcuterie board, then this is the deal for you! Premium members will also be receiving our April events preview calendar that includes 90+ can’t-miss events happening this month.

Want to get in on the fun? Sign up here.

BUSINESS HAPPENINGS

🪧 The old Costco building is available to lease: Ever wanted to live out your dream of riding big wheels around a vacant warehouse? Well, with enough cash, you can, as the old Costco building is available for lease. If anyone goes this route, make sure to send me an invite!

@THEBENDBUZZ

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TOGETHER WITH HIGHER GROUND MOVING

🏡 Moving Season is Heating Up in Bend! 🔥

With real estate moving fast, now’s the time to lock in your moving crew before the busy season hits full swing. Whether you’re upsizing, downsizing, or just shifting across town, one thing’s for sure—moving is a pain. 😩

That’s where Higher Ground Moving comes in. Their expert crew doesn’t just load and unload—they handle everything from carefully packing your boxes to making sure they’re unpacked exactly where you want them in your new home. No stress, no heavy lifting, just a seamless move handled by the best.

Don’t wait until they’re booked solid—call 541-316-3155 for a free quote and let the pros take care of the rest! 🚚

LOCAL LOWDOWN

Tuesday 4.1

🍫 Toffee seconds sale: Discounted, locally made (but maybe slightly blemished) toffee - need I say more? Holm Made Toffee Co. is selling a few batches of toffee that don’t live up to their exacting standards for just $10/lb. If anyone picks some up and makes toffee cookies, please make sure to drop off a couple for me! 1234 NE 1st St 9 AM - 6 PM

🏞️ Indigenous Speakers Series: The High Desert Museum is kicking off their 2025 Indigenous Speaker Series with a talk about the life and impact of photographer Frank Matsura. 6:30 PM High Desert Museum

😜 Craft of fools: Love it when comedians interact with the audience? Then this is the show for you, as these interactions are the show. Come armed with your best quips and suggestions. 7 PM Craft Kitchen & Brewery

🔪 The Psychology of a Murderer: If your iPhone is filled with murder mystery podcasts, then this event at the Tower Theatre is for you. Forensic psychologist Dr. Rachel Toles will be guiding the audience through a deep dive into the minds of history’s most infamous murderers. 6:30 PM Tower Theatre

🧑‍🌾 Happy hour in the garden: It’s spring, which means happy hour at the Environmental Center is back. This is a great way to meet fellow gardeners and lend a helping hand in keeping the center’s learning garden in tip-top shape. 4 - 6 PM Environmental Center

Wednesday 4.2

🪲 Big sexy movie night: After a short hiatus, Big Sexy Movie Night is back and better than ever! For those not in the know, these events are part movie, part live performance, and always a whole lot of fun. 7 - 9 PM The Capitol

🚵‍♀️ Movie Night & Bike Prep: The trails are drying out, and mountain biking season is right around the corner. Come meet some fellow women riders, watch a short documentary from a local filmmaker, and learn how to keep your bike in top riding condition with a bike prep workshop. 6 - 8 PM Embark Coworking Community

🧶 Cottage craft night: Last month’s inaugural cottage craft night at Pomegranate Home & Garden proved to be a huge hit, and now’s your chance to get in on the fun! Come hang out with fellow crafters, enjoy a cup of tea, and work on that painting, knitting, or other crafty project you’ve been putting off. 5 - 7:30 PM Pomegranate Home & Garden

♟️ Chess & Go at Crux: Work on your chess skills while enjoying a microbrew at the Chess & Go meetup at Crux. 6 PM Crux Fermentation Project

📘 Fiction book club: Come discuss one of the year's most popular books, James, at the Roundabout Books fiction book club. 6 - 7 PM Roundabout Books

Thursday 4.3

🐧 A dumb birds field guide: Celebrate the best of the worst of the aviary world at this meet-and-greet with the author of A Dumb Birds Field Guide To The Worst Birds Ever, Matt Kracht. 6:30 - 7:30 PM Roundabout Books

🍽️ Feeding Hope fundraiser: Throw on your best roaring 20s attire and head to Tetherow for a dinner, auction, and more to help support The Giving Plate, a community-centered non-profit dedicated to empowering individuals through compassionate, dignified, and inclusive food relief. 5:30 - 9 PM Tetherow Resort

👕 Spring kids’ clothing consignment: Get ready for one of Bend’s largest children’s clothing and gear consignment events. The new mom’s presale kicks off at 10 AM, and the public sale starts at noon. The event runs through Sunday, but get there early for the best selection. Seventh Mountain Resort

🐕️ RylieMay Rescue Bingo: Play some bingo, sip on locally made brews, and help support local dog rescue organization RylieMay Rescue Ranch. 6 - 8 PM Spider City Brewing

📚️ Author! Author!: Hear from Oregon’s poet laureate Ellen Waterston as she talks about writing and poetry. As a bonus, you can join her earlier in the day at a two-hour intensive writing workshop that will be limited to just 15 participants.

Writing workshop - 3 PM Downtown Bend Library
Author! Author! - 7 PM Caldera High School Auditorium

Weekend Event Preview

Here’s your weekend event preview for April 4 - 6.

LIVE MUSIC

Tuesday 4.1

Silver Moon Brewing | Fever Dog & the Blank Tapes | 7 PM | Tickets

Wednesday 4.2

Thursday 4.3

WHO’S HIRING IN BEND

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

Bookkeeper at the Tower Theatre
Broadband Technician I at TDS Telecom
Experienced River Guide at POWDR
Billing Specialist at Les Schwab
Human Resources Manager at VRCCO

Searching for a new job? Browse the full job board

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

THANKS!

Stay warm, and thank you again for reading!

Have an event you want to feature or want to advertise your business to our 9,300+ readers in Bend? Drop us a line here → [email protected]

🏎️ Who wants to lease the old Costco building?

A burger contest update, the old Costco building is available for lease, and your event roundup for the week

SPONSORED BY SIERRA JAMES CONSTRUCTION

SNAPSHOTS

🤠 The High Desert Stampede kicks off

🚵 West Bend trail upgrades are underway

🎫 Premium membership emails are on the way

BUSINESS HAPPENINGS

@THEBENDBUZZ

TOGETHER WITH HIGHER GROUND MOVING

LOCAL LOWDOWN

Tuesday 4.1

Wednesday 4.2

Thursday 4.3

Weekend Event Preview

LIVE MUSIC

Tuesday 4.1

Wednesday 4.2

Thursday 4.3

WHO’S HIRING IN BEND

THANKS!