In this issue, local distillers are pushing to sell canned cocktails in grocery stores alongside cider and beer. Plus, a desperate search for a missing horse before winter arrives. In music news, the sounds of Black Sabbath and the opposite of that, from the Central Oregon Mastersingers. Blockbuster celebrates 40 years of nostalgia. We have a tasty review of Crown and Curry. And a profile of a Bend athlete who goes to extremes in the world of competitive bikepacking. —Nic Moye, Managing Editor
LIGHTMETER: PRESENTED
Thanks to @tonitstop for capturing the essence of autumn along the McKenzie River. The photo was posted with this relatable sentiment: “Why is it that arguably the dreamiest season is often the shortest?”
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OPINION
Supportive Housing is a Lifeline. The Public Deserves Strong Oversight of How It’s Going.
Arecent investigation published in the Source revealed the complications and conundrums that can come up when trying to offer stability to those for whom instability has been the norm.
At the start of this year, the region’s housing authority opened the first supportive housing community east of the Cascades, aimed at providing not just housing, but support for those who had previously experienced homelessness. Funded through a combination of public dollars, Cleveland Commons is run by Shepherd’s House Ministries, with another property management company handling leases and other property concerns.
Less than a year in, residents we spoke to described inconsistent management practices, sometimes-dangerous fellow residents and a culture of drug use that they say included at least one member of the staff actually offering people drugs.
The Source reviewed video which showed a staff member offering psychedelic drugs to a resident. One of the people we interviewed spoke of her recovery from fentanyl addiction, and how hearing that someone upstairs was selling fentanyl caused her to have thoughts of relapse. Another person interviewed for the story was eventually kicked out of the apartments after wielding a chainsaw in anger at another resident who was allegedly harassing him.
Running a permanent supportive housing community is no walk in the park, to be sure. Cleveland Commons, like other PSHs, operates on the “Housing First” principle of securing housing for vulnerable people, so they can then work on the other issues, such as mental health concerns or drug and alcohol abuse.
Among the supports that are supposed to be provided, Shepherd’s House’s contract stipulates that they’ll offer early identification and intervention for behaviors that may jeopardize housing; crisis intervention and assistance in the resolution of household disputes and conflict resolution as needed. Since it’s not a jail or high-barrier shelter setting, inevitably, people are going to stretch the boundaries—that’s reality.
What is also reality, however, is that places such as Cleveland Commons are housing people across the spectrum. Some are trying desperately to stay sober and change their lives. Some require regular check-ins and intensive support with mental health and behavioral health challenges
These are complex problems, and the public has the right to understand that such challenges are being met with a robust response. In speaking with residents for the story, we came to understand the notion of holding two truths in your hand at the same time: Someone can present as a danger to others while they also pose a danger to themselves. Someone can engage in behaviors that make them seem unreliable, while also offering information that contains kernels of truth about where they are living. If residents offer those dueling truths, who can the public rely on for accurate and detailed information about how their public dollars are being spent? When presented with these issues at a county commission meeting this summer, one commissioner responded by visiting the facility and checking in. It’s not clear which specific issues, if any, were resolved as a result. Even when a facility such as this is funded through public dollars, entities like Shepherd’s House, a nonprofit and not a government entity, are not obligated to comply with public records requests about their operations. They can, as they did, simply decline to comment on the allegations of drug use by staff. They can simply offer vague numbers when we ask whether protocols outlined in their contract have been followed. That’s all within their right — but that doesn’t make it right.
As the first permanent supportive housing community east of the Cascades, the public should have high standards for the operation and oversight of the building. If residents’ accounting of the situation there is considered unreliable, then all the more reason that the entities in charge should weigh in on exactly what is happening.
Letters
THE HAWTHORNE BRIDGE LITERALLY ELEVATES BEND’S FUTURE
In response to the letter of the week from October 8th criticizing the City of Bend for investing in safer public transportation via the Hawthorne Crossing and instead suggesting the City and County divert these funds to a performing arts center and “prioritize an investment that directly benefits residents,” I’d like to point out that creating safer, more inclusive, and less car-dependent public rights-of-way is a direct and immediate investment in our community.
Yes, the arts are important, but this author clearly has not done their homework. In 2020, Bend voters passed the Transportation Bond Measure 9-135 in which “proceeds can be used only for transportation capital construction projects and issuance costs.” And according to the ODOT project website, “The City was recently awarded $20 million from the federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant program and $5 million through state House Bill 5030.” Meaning these funds are earmarked for transportation improvements. Not art.
Critics of the Hawthorne Crossing clearly have not experienced the joys of commuting by foot or bike through the Franklin pee tunnel or down Greenwood’s loud, narrow pedestrian path. The new bridge will not only reduce congestion for east-to-west-side travelers, but it will offer a safe alternative route for the 30% of residents who do not drive because they are children/ teens, elderly, have a disability, or simply prefer not to.
I commend the City for thinking long-term about how to elevate ALL of Bend’s residents, and for spending earmarked dollars as required.
—Meghan Teeter
ONE DOOR CLOSES, ANOTHER ONE… DOESN’T OPEN
Ironically, I was on my way to the library when I found out about closing of the East Bend library and re-routed to Downtown. This is a poignant example of our Library System’s misplaced priorities. East Bend was one of the system’s most popular, most used facilities. Why? The answer is easy access. Neighborhood libraries, unlike their “Central Library” cousins, offer folks a chance to visit with a short walk, bike ride or car ride to a commercial center where they can do more than one thing. Live, go to work, stop for a cup of coffee, maybe get a haircut — and yes, go to the library.
But central libraries, by contrast are central to everyone and convenient to
HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY?
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few. Our new one, out on 27th Street, won’t open for months, and it’s a very long drive from Redmond or LaPine. That means users of the East Bend Library (as well as the rest of us) now need to drive further and will have no access to library services on the East Side other than in cars.
With $195 million in bond money burning a hole in their pockets, the library board opted to spend about two thirds of the money on one huge building despite significant community push-back. Fortunately, a sprawling residential community is being build adjacent to the central library site. So at least in the future, those folks will have a neighborhood library, even if it is a gigantic monolith.
As a result of this central library plan, a large processing facility and expanded public space are the only broad-based benefits of their decision. The rest of the space will become an oversized Stevens Road “branch library,” while all the other key neighborhoods in Bend, except Downtown, remain without a library.
The City of Bend has an excellent plan for future development. It’s called “complete communities,” and it envisions residential and commercial neighborhoods with convenient access to jobs, businesses and services. In complete communities, people can meet most of their daily needs — such as housing, employment, education, shopping, healthcare and recreation — within a short distance by walking, cycling, public transit or a short car ride. These communities prioritize accessibility, sustainability, and inclusivity, offering a mix of housing types, transportation options, and public spaces.
The goal is to create vibrant, livable neighborhoods that support social connection, economic opportunity and environmental health while reducing reliance on cars and promoting a high quality of life for people of all ages and backgrounds. The best example we’ve got so far is Northwest Crossing, where I live. We have a great coffee shop, restaurants, a food court, hair salons, retail shops and even a small (but terrific) grocery store. Not to mention a great farmers market in the summer months. Neighborhood libraries would be great anchors for such communities, but the library has chosen to ignore this opportunity and instead focus their funds on their “palace to the people,” as library director Todd Dunkleberg has called it. I’ve been campaigning against this plan for years, but the money’s spent and the “big, beautiful building” is near completion. So while it’s not
too late to stop that mistake, we can still hope for a more constructive approach in in the future. The library board could still pay more attention to the needs and plans of the largest city in their county and work on better access to library facilities in Bend’s neighborhoods.
If, like me, you love libraries but you also like clean air, healthy living, as well as less congestion and stress on Bend’s roads, write to your Library Board and let them know you’d like a library facility in your neighborhood. They can be reached at: board@dpls.lib.or.us.
—Louis Capozzi
SUPPORT FOR A PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
I read with interest the Source opinion wondering if Central Oregon can find creative solutions to fund a center for performing arts. I, too, wonder what can be done to provide this community with a building committed to the performing arts. Bend High’s auditorium was adequate, but it’s gone. I was pleased that Tower Theatre brought the Kiev Ballet to the stage, and the artists did a beautiful job of accommodating the dance to the stage size while dancing to canned music. They exhibited an enormous amount of control, slowing or shortening the leaps and spins. I thought how sad it is for such great artists to have to restrict their movements and how wonderful it would be to watch this ballet company perform in a proper setting. If only we had one.
I see the empty Costco building and wonder if it could be retrofitted into a performing arts center. It would certainly require creativity. It has lots of parking. In Santa Clara County where I grew up, we had the Civic Auditorium. It accommodated music and boxing and whatever else came to town. The community decided to build a center for the performing arts in 1972, and it immediately became the center for the cultural community. Musicals and dramas from New York were presented as well as the symphony and local theater. It continues to this day without modification. I think we can do this as well. Bend would find it profitable in so many ways.
—Sheryl Mondt
Letter of the Week:
Thanks to everyone who submitted a letter, full of passion as always! Sheryl, as letter of the week, you can stop by the Source office for a gift card to Palate coffee.
—Nic Moye, Managing Editor
More Than 23,000 Central Oregonians May Lose Food Stamps
The Oregon Department of Human Services announced that 757,000 Oregonians may lose access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program starting Nov. 1 due to the government shutdown. In Central Oregon, that affects 23,405 households. NeighorImpact is anticipating a surge in demand. The agency says the amount of food at the regional food bank has dropped by 17% due in part to the loss of U.S. Department of Agriculture Commodity Credit Corporation commodities. NeighborImpact says it will be able to help offset about 10% of the anticipated shortfall but will also need community support. The nonprofit supplies food to 57 pantries and 15 mobile sites in Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties.
Downtown Bend Intersection to Close for Three Days
A portion of Wall Street will be closed for three days starting Monday, Oct. 27. Crews are completing the final phase of sewer line connection at the intersection of Wall Street and Olney Avenue. Access to driveways and businesses will remain open. Wall Street will reopen on Wednesday, Oct. 29, but work on Onley between Wall and Second Street will continue through early 2026 to replace water lines from the 1950s. City staff say it will also increase the water system’s flexibility during an emergency.
—Nic Moye
Fired Cop’s Lawsuit Against City of Redmond Results in Mistrial
Ryan Fraker, former Redmond police sergeant and whistleblower, filed the $5 million lawsuit in 2021, alleging a bullying work culture
By Peter Madsen
The jury in a $5 million lawsuit filed by a former police sergeant against the City of Redmond and the police department’s top brass couldn’t reach a verdict, resulting in a mistrial on Oct. 16.
In the lawsuit, Donald Ryan Fraker said that his February 2020 termination for alleged dishonesty was instead retaliation for filing numerous complaints for unprofessional conduct and bullying against then-police chief Dave Tarbet, along with several sergeants and lieutenants. Some were board members of the Redmond Police Officers Association. Fraker joined the Redmond Police in September 2001; he’d been a sergeant since 2017.
The Deschutes County Circuit Court will set a status hearing to pick a new trial date. Reached by email, Fraker’s attorney, Dan Thenell, said he was not able to comment on a potential settlement discussion or whether there were aspects of evidence or testimony the jury got hung up on.
In February 2021, shortly after filing the lawsuit, Thenell told KTVZ that police officers who are accused of dishonesty, whether real or otherwise, suffer career-ending consequences.
“In my opinion, because Redmond branded him a liar, he is not employable as a police officer,” Thenell said. “I have other clients who have been fired under similar circumstances. They have been branded as a liar or as a dishonest police officer and have applied to multiple agencies, and they’re just simply not employable…”
Subsequently, Fraker alleged that he experienced various retaliatory tactics that included calendar-hopping managerial meetings that kept him out of the loop and unsubstantiated poor performance reviews that resulted in a transfer and a demotion. Additionally, Fraker alleged that Lt. Eric Beckwith, his new supervisor, attempted to “groom” him in the event he was deposed. Beckwith had been named a defendant in a separate Feb. 5, 2020, tort complaint about age discrimination and sexual harassment filed by rookie officer Craig McClure. Fraker told Beckwith that he would only provide honest testimony if called as a witness in court, according to the suit.
2,745
—The
“Any jobs I ever had as a kid, it was a means to an end to buy a guitar or an amp.”
—Zakk Wylde from this week’s Sound.
The office of John Hummel, who was the Deschutes County District Attorney at the time, held a Brady hearing for Fraker, yet it didn’t turn up evidence of dishonesty. Redmond Police’s finding nonetheless landed Fraker on the Brady List — a list of law enforcement officers who are barred from giving testimony — but as a Tier 2 entry. That means the DA’s Office would still consider Fraker a reliable witness in court.
Reached by email, Redmond City Manager Keith Witcosky declined to comment beyond stating: “I know that after four and a half years, both sides were hoping for some closure. Now it looks like that may or may not occur in 2026.”
Andrew Campbell, the attorney who represented the City of Redmond, was booked through the week and not available for comment, his assistant told the Source.
Fraker, who’s worked as a loan officer since March 2021, according to his LinkedIn profile, didn’t reply to requests for comment.
The lawsuit stems from an incident at a Central Oregon firing range in early September 2018. There, Fraker found himself practicing alongside several members of the Bend Police SWAT team, including Sergeant R.C. Bigelow.
According to the lawsuit, “Abruptly and without warning, Bigelow began screaming at [Fraker] from some distance away, began throwing his tactical gear around the inside of his truck to the point gear was falling out onto the ground, and generally was acting in an unprofessional manner, including a series of angry outbursts.”
Fraker immediately left the shooting range and filed a complaint with Bigelow’s supervisor at Bend PD regarding the alleged behavior. Soon after, Lt. Jesse Petersen of the Redmond Police Department and a former SWAT member admonished Fraker, warning him not to interfere with his SWAT friends again, according to the suit. Petersen had been Fraker’s supervisor since July. Since that complaint, Fraker alleges that other department higher-ups and colleagues began distancing themselves from him.
Thenell, Fraker’s attorney, also filed the tort for McClure and another officer Hannah Copeland, who had been with Redmond police for 20 years. Many of their accusations mirror each other. McClure sought $750,000, while Copeland asked for $250,000. Their claims include sexual harassment and age discrimination. Both lawsuits were dismissed with prejudice. Copeland has appealed the decision.
According to Fraker’s complaint, On Nov. 19, 2019, during a rash of stolen vehicle crimes in the Redmond area, Fraker supervised his patrol division’s high-speed pursuit and foot chase of several suspects. Although no injuries nor damage to vehicles were reported, Redmond Police launched an internal investigation into Fraker’s supervision of the pursuit. Fraker said he felt ganged-up on by Lt. Beckwith, and another lieutenant blindsided him with onerously long questioning during two interviews that lasted hours. Fraker was subsequently placed on administrative leave for three months for allegedly lying during questioning. He asked his representatives in the Redmond Police Officers Association, which included Garland Derek Hicks jr. and Tyler Kirk, as well as the union’s retained attorneys, to contest the case. Initially, the union said it would, yet Fraker alleged they did nothing.
Prior to his being placed on leave, Fraker alleged that Redmond Police colleague threw a party attended by members of the SWAT team and a member of the Redmond Police Officers Association board. Lt. Beckwith was presented with a gift — a custom screen-printed pillow with a large image of Fraker’s face on it. According to the complaint, Beckwith began berating the pillow and yelling profanity at it before throwing it on a fire.
The Redmond Police terminated Fraker on Feb. 20, 2020, for alleged violations of the Redmond Police Vehicle Pursuit Policy, failure to provide adequate supervision to his team and alleged untruthfulness during his two interviews stemming from the internal investigation.
—This story is powered by the Lay It Out Foundation, the nonprofit with a mission of promoting deep reporting and investigative journalism in Central Oregon. Learn more and be part of this important work by visiting layitoutfoundation.org.
number of miles in the Tour Divide bikepacking race described in this week’s Outside.
City of Redmond
Still No Sign of Missing Central Oregon Horse
There’s been no trace of Cinnamon, a 24-year-old former polo horse, since shortly after he spooked and ran off during a trail ride on Aug. 4 in the Mt. Washington Wilderness
By Dallas Finn Calvert
For many, the first dusting of snow on the mountains around Central Oregon is a sight of wonder and excitement for the winter ahead. For Erika Dunning, it elicits misery and heartache.
One of the La Pine resident’s horses, Cinnamon, a 24-year-old Chestnut gelding with a “whisper” of a white star on his forehead, white socks on his hind legs, and a roached mane, “bolted” Aug. 4 during a trail ride at the Benson/Tenas Trailhead (https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/willamette/ recreation/benson-tenas-trailhead) in the Mt. Washington Wilderness in the Willamette National Forest. There’s been little sign of him since.
On Aug. 8, a few pieces of his tack were found near a small seasonal body of water that Dunning has coined “Cinna Pond.” It’s northeast of Benson Lake, from which he disappeared. There’s been no sign of Cinnamon since that day, despite nearly two dozen searchers looking for him, scent dogs trying to track him, a small plane trying to spot him from the air and Dunning spending hundreds of hours hiking and riding while looking for him.
“This has been one of the hardest experiences of my life. It’s been twoand-a-half months of constant trauma,” said Dunning, 26, who’s an Outdoor Science instructor at the OMSI Hancock Field Station in Fossil, Oregon. “I was out there looking for him every day for two weeks and then slowly had to decrease it.”
Dunning, who received her master’s degree in astronomy and astrophysics in May from San Diego State University, has spent all of her savings and exacerbated health issues — she has Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome
(POTS) and a fused spine — in an effort to find the former polo horse.
“I’ve had to come to the conclusion that he probably got caught up in branches with his saddle and died,” Dunning said, her voice breaking down the phone line. “That’s the worst possible way for him to die. And I have no way to find closure. He was so loved. I would do anything to have him back.
“It’s an absolute gut punch every day. Every time I go to look at (my other) horses or see my tack, it’s so hard,” she said. “When you lose an animal because you put them down, it’s definite and you can find closure. I don’t know how I’m supposed to find closure.”
Search efforts have mostly ceased, Dunning said, as she had to take the job in Fossil to begin earning money to bolster her savings depleted from the search for Cinnamon. The handsome gelding is a former polo horse who helped many people learn to ride and play the sport in Lakeside, California. Dunning said that when she prepared to move back to Central Oregon, Cinnamon’s then owner, a friend of Dunning’s, gifted him to her. She said having Cinnamon meant she could take friends who don’t have horses out on trail rides. Dunning also has four other horses, including Terra, a mare in her late 20s; Nyx (named after the moon of Pluto), a 16-year-old mare; Cadoc, 3, a Mustang named after the horse in the Eragon book series; and Rhea (named after the moon of Saturn), 18, who Dunning’s friend, Simon, was riding when Cinnamon spooked and ran off. Dunning had dismounted to adjust Cinnamon’s reins and says she doesn’t know what scared him.
“He worked as a lesson horse for a long time, so he was not a hot head,” she said, explaining she first met Cinnamon when she began exercising polo horses at the Lakeside Polo Club in California while working on her master’s degree. “This is a horse who, once when I was about to fall off, moved his head specifically to prevent me from falling off him. I don’t know what spooked him. My other mare that was with us didn’t spook.
“We tracked him until his tracks disappeared. All of the old horse packers say that a horse will go back to the horse trailer, so we went back to the trailer and then also called for help. But what I should have done is kept going and kept trying to find his trail,” she ruminated, adding that hikers, rescue organizations and others helped with the search for several weeks, but no sign of the horse has been found. She’s explored nearly 70 lakes and seasonal bodies of water in an effort to find a trace of Cinnamon.
The search was hampered by a partial closure of Oregon Route Highway 242, also known as the McKenzie Highway, due to the outbreak of the Foley Ridge fire in late September. “They actually closed it while I was enroute to go up and search for him, so I had to stop and turn around,” she said.
Now the west side of OR 242 is closed for the winter, with the east side likely closing up within a couple weeks. That means any further search efforts will be extremely difficult and potentially treacherous.
“I’ve been thinking about what I can do to get help,” she said, explaining that she has a geographical area in mind that she’d
like to search, but it’s tough to reach.
“You can access it through the Robinson Lake Trailhead but it would be about 11 miles (in) with serious elevation gain. I would do anything to have people who could go and search really thoroughly, who are very experienced in back country (exploring). But then I worry that if I ask for help, would I be liable if anything happened to them? And I don’t think I expect anyone to find anything. It’s a needle in a very large haystack,” she said.
“I think he’s been dead for a while, but honestly, I just will never know,” she said. “I drained every resource I had. I would love to find a way to have some closure, but I’m worried that the only way I’m going to find that is, once everything opens up in the spring, I’m just going to have to keep going back until I find anything. Until I have closure, I don’t know what else to do, even if that means I have to find a skeleton with a saddle that’s caught on a tree. That would at least be closure.”
“I’m trying to just accept the fact that I’m never going to know what happened to him,” she said. “I don’t know what else to do. I would do anything to have him in the pasture. I would like to know what happened so I could deal with that. If what I think happened actually happened, I don’t know that I can ever find peace with that. I think about it all the time. I would do literally anything to find him.” If interested in helping with the search for Cinnamon, go to https://findcinnamon.com/. There’s a $2,000 reward for Cinnamon’s safe return, information that leads to his safe return, or photos and GPS coordinates of his remains.
Map depiction of where Cinnamon ran off on Aug. 4 and where some pieces of his tack were found on Aug. 8 near Benson Lake.
Erikka Dunning
Erikka Dunning
Cinnamon, a handsome chestnut gelding, on Aug. 4, just before the trail ride during which he spooked and ran into the woods.
REDMOND NEWS
Plans for Managed Camp Could Be Delayed
Vote at City, delayed vote at County threaten construction timeline
By Nicole Vulcan
Aplan to have a managed camp in Redmond open by this winter hit a snag this week. A split vote of the Redmond City Council and a delayed vote at the Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners mean the construction schedule will likely get pushed back for the camp planned on Redmond’s east side.
Plans to build the camp have been afoot for years but began to take shape in July 2024. That’s when Deschutes County commissioners moved to swap a county parcel for a piece of land owned by the Department of State Lands. That prompted a push to remove the people who were occupying the county lands off Antler Ave. and to relocate them to a new, managed camping area. The planned camp will have 36 camping pads, water and other infrastructure.
Deschutes County issued requests for proposals to construct the managed camp, with the lowest bid, from Taylor Northwest, coming in nearly $150,000 above the County’s projected budget. Redmond city councilors noted that some of the increase came from the need to add fire safety and suppression infrastructure to the bid.
On Oct. 14, Redmond City Manager Keith Witcosky asked the Council to approve nearly $73,000 in additional funds from the City’s general fund to cover the gap. The
City has roughly $9.6 million in reserves, with another $3 million slated to help cover a forthcoming east side arterial road, Witcosky said.
The Redmond City Council voted 3-3 — a split vote — to approve the funds. Redmond Mayor Ed Fitch just underwent heart surgery last week, meaning he was not present to cast a deciding vote. Councilors are expected to discuss the issue again at the Oct. 28 City Council meeting. County staff will attend to discuss the additional costs.
To cover those costs, the County would also need to contribute another nearly $73,000. Deschutes County commissioners delayed their vote on the issue during their Oct. 15 meeting, following the Redmond City Council’s split vote.
“I hope that Redmond will agree to the higher than originally estimated bid amount and that the Board of Commissioners will come through with our half as well,” Deschutes County Commissioner Phil Chang told the Source via email.
COYOTE RIDER
LIVE MUSIC AT SILVERLEAF CAFE
Kat Hilst, Kim Kelley and Tim Coffey perform original folk-Americana songs crafted for timeless storytelling with roots-driven sound and powerful harmonies. Fri., Oct. 24, 6–8pm at Silverleaf Cafe. 7535 Falcon Crest Dr., Redmond. Free.
TUESDAY 10/28
DISCOVER OWLS
NATURALIST TALK AT THE LIBRARY
Deschutes County will be responsible for operations of the camp when it’s built. Per the direction of the City Council, the City of Redmond will not be responsible for operational costs.
What makes owls so mysterious? Is it their nocturnal habit, their silent flight, their secretive nature? Explore the roles these birds play in traditional mythologies, while learning about owls of Central Oregon. Presented by Damian Fagan, a local naturalist who spent several seasons hooting for spotTue., Oct. 28, 1–2pm at the Redmond Public Library. 827 SW Deschutes
Redmond’s planned managed camp, which officials hoped to open this winter, sits adjacent to the tiny home community, Oasis Village.
Courtesy Oasis Village
The Battle Over Canned Cocktails Enters
Another Round
Oregon producers want to sell their products in grocery stores, but the OLCC and Oregon beer and wine distributors are opposed
By Nigel Jaquiss, Oregon Journalism Project
Ben Brewer’s Bend distillery, Forth Distilled Goods, is selling a lot of ready-to-drink cocktails in Idaho grocery stores.
But in Oregon, only the state’s 285 liquor stores are allowed to carry Forth’s products. By law, the state’s 792 grocery stores may not sell them, even though Forth’s products are 5% alcohol by volume. Meanwhile, those same stores are allowed to sell beers, wines, fortified wines, vermouths and other mixers with a far higher alcohol content (up to 21% by Oregon law).
State law allows grocers to sell spirits made from fermentation, such as beer, wine and cider, but if a product contains alcohol from distilled spirits — even a small amount, such as 5%, roughly equivalent to domestic beers or White Claw beverages — it is the exclusive province of the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission and may only be sold through state liquor stores.
“Our product is closer to a beer or hard seltzer, but we’re treated like it’s a bottle of 151 rum,” Brewer says.
Current law leaves Oregon’s canned cocktail manufacturers, the ones who make their drinks with distilled spirits, anyway, outside of their largest potential distribution channel.
“It is a huge hindrance to only be sold in liquor stores,” Brewer says. “Ours is a convenience product sold in an inconvenient place.” He notes that shoppers visit grocery stores far more often than liquor stores, which tend to be small and often not centrally located.
The Northwest Grocery Retail Association wants legislators to change the law and allow grocers to sell spirit-based canned cocktails. The group recently presented the OLCC, which acts as both regulator and retailer of alcoholic beverages, with a proposition similar to one in a bill that languished in the Legislature earlier this year: let grocers sell spirit-based canned cocktails (limited to 14% alcohol), and tax them at a rate lower than the state’s current markup but far higher than the tax on beer, wine or cider. Under the proposal, state liquor stores would also still sell canned cocktails.
Northwest Retail Grocery Association CEO Amanda Dalton says that by opening up sales in nearly 800 grocery stores, the ready-to-drink industry would see volume increase dramatically, leading to what she says would be a net increase in revenue for the state.
At an OLCC hearing Oct. 16, agency staff walked through the grocers’ proposal with the enthusiasm of a dog-walker leaning over to scoop up a mess.
Distilled spirits director Leisa Bertram rattled off her agency’s objections: the cost of administering a new tax, as well as threats to public health and safety (kids can go into grocery stores without adults and might drink more). “Minor access to liquor makes regulation much harder,” Bertram said. “It puts a burden on our staff and law enforcement.”
The latter point overlooks the fact that minors are already exposed to beer, wine and cider in grocery stores, including bottles with higher alcohol percentages than cocktails in a can. Bertram also made a point that nodded to the long-running tension between the Northwest Retail Grocery Association and its nemesis,
the Oregon Beer & Wine Distributors Association.
The two have sparred over ready-to-drink products, or RTD, for years. But the stakes are higher now because alcohol sales are declining nationally — and the OLCC’s revenues declined about 15% last year—while RTD sales in Oregon are increasing nearly 15% annually, albeit from a smaller base of $9.4 million last year.
Bertram even used one of the distributors’ arguments in her presentation: “RTDs could crowd out Oregon beer and wine and ciders, which wouldn’t have enough shelf space,” she said. That point is a little outside her lane: The OLCC holds a monopoly on hard liquor, but it isn’t involved in the distribution of beer and wine. That’s the province of the distributors association.
Danelle Romain, executive director of the Oregon Beer & Wine Distributors Association, says the grocers’ proposal is “fundamentally flawed.” She says their growth assumptions are overly rosy and just part of a cash grab by a group that has long wanted to be allowed to sell liquor. She says any such policy shift would benefit massive grocers at the expense of small local businesses.
“This proposal is also a direct threat to Oregon’s local beer, wine and cider producers, who would be crowded out of the limited shelf space available for their products,” Romain adds. “That is what happened in Washington, where currently 97% of RTDs sold are manufactured by national brands, severely damaging local producers.”
But Dave Schleef, the president of 503 Distilling in Portland, says his company just wants to see its canned cocktails for sale where Oregonians shop every day.
“The upside is, it would help small businesses like ours,” Schleef says. “That means more income taxes from our employees, and more sales means more revenue for the state. The cost of not doing it—that falls on the consumer.”
Lawmakers are expected to consider the issue in next year’s short session, which begins Feb. 2.
The president of 503 Distilling wants to see canned cocktails for sale where Oregonians shop every day.
503 Distilling Facebook
The makers of canned cocktails, like Forth, want to sell in grocery stores.
Northwest Native Nations Could Lose Hundreds of Millions in Federal Funding
Portland State University researchers say nearly half of federal funds allocated to Northwest tribes in 2024 is at risk under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
By Melanie Henshaw Investigative West
Anew report from Portland State University found that budget cuts under President Donald Trump’s new spending bill threaten nearly half of federal funding allocated to federally recognized Native American and Alaska Native nations last year.
Roughly $530 million of the $1.19 billion allocated to Northwest tribal nations in fiscal year 2024 — used to fulfill the federal government’s trust and treaty obligations to Native American and Alaska Native tribes — is at risk of being cut. The congressionally allocated funds serve myriad functions for tribes in the Northwest, including providing clean drinking water, affordable housing, schools, transit and land management. Funding is decided by Congress on a yearly basis and can be disbursed over a period of time that exceeds the calendar year it is allocated.
“All across the board, tribes are worried about the funding cuts that are happening right now,” said Serina Fast Horse, who is Lakota and Blackfeet and serves as the co-director of the Northwest Environmental Justice Center, which provides grant application assistance and advising to Indigenous communities in the Northwest.
Fast Horse says there are serious concerns among Northwest tribes about further cuts to vital programs,
ranging from health and wellness to early childhood education. The report warns of vulnerabilities to programs and grants that tribes rely on for resilience in the face of climate change, like improving home weatherization, managing forestland and renovating aging homes. Federal dollars to help Northwest tribes bolster their infrastructure against the increasing threats from wildfire, drought and sea-level rise could also be slashed.
The Portland State report found millions in Clean Air Act funding could also go away — the Environmental Protection Agency earmarked nearly $2 million in 2024 for Northwest tribes in a series of grants for monitoring air quality and pollution. Much of the congressionally allocated funding has yet to be distributed to tribes and is now at risk of being cut altogether.
The report demonstrates how proposed major reductions across the federal government, including at the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of the Interior and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, could reverberate across Indian Country.
Tribal officials shared concerns that drastic cuts could cause the federal government to fall short of trust and treaty obligations that mandate the federal government support tribal services, uphold tribal sovereignty
and protect tribal treaty resources — responsibilities that courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, have repeatedly upheld.
“All the funding reductions addressing clean water, air and dealing with climate change have impacts on the Tribes’ culture and treaty protected resources,” said William E. Ray Jr., chair of the Klamath Tribes.
Researchers declined to disclose specific projects at risk of elimination for fear of retaliation, and a number of tribes and tribal organizations declined to comment to InvestigateWest, citing similar concerns.
“Trump and Congressional Republicans are wreaking havoc on Tribal communities with their ‘Big, Ugly BETRAYAL’ of a law that arbitrarily cuts many programs supporting folks in Indian Country, where chronic underfunding is already impacting services and exacerbating disparities,” said Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley, a Democrat.
He added that the federal government plays an outsized role in funding essential services to tribal communities, including
health care, education and public safety, and that the Inflation Reduction Act took important steps in advancing funding for water infrastructure and environmental programs for tribes.
In 2024, Clean Air Act related funds were used to fund 15 projects for 12 Northwest tribes. The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and the Tulalip Tribes are some of the Native American nations set to receive research grants for improving air quality and pollution monitoring. Among 12 tribes selected for funding, several of them focus on minimizing exposure to poor air quality and harmful pollutants to their elderly and medically vulnerable residents. Other tribes intend to study impacts of pollutants on important first foods — culturally significant staple foods consumed before colonization — that officials say are critical to improving health outcomes for their citizens.
Researchers at PSU examined 469 programs impacted by President Trump’s reversal of former President
Biden’s Executive Order 14008, which sought to address climate change and created a number of environmental justice initiatives. Sixty of the programs identified by researchers were specifically named in the Republican-led spending bill for cuts, and 17 of those provided funding directly to tribes. The programs accounted for roughly 35% of all federal investments in tribes in 2024. The report says not all of the funding will be cut, but a significant portion of it could be.
The cuts come at a time when Native Americans and Alaska Natives already have limited access to federal services and funds, according to a December 2024 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan congressional watchdog. It found when tribes had to compete with other entities for federal funding, they may receive a small portion of the total amount, and that limited access to federal services and funds contributes to known disparities for Native Americans and Alaska Natives compared to other Americans.
Of the $20.15 billion in federal funding that went to tribes between 2010 and 2024, tribes within the boundaries of Idaho received a total of $304.56 million, Washington tribes $1.81 billion, Oregon tribes $690.76 million, and Alaska Native tribes received $2.35 billion.
Other programs at risk of being cut include the EPA’s embattled Environmental Justice Government-to-Government Program, which funded initiatives by states, tribes and local governments to support activities that lead to measurable environmental or public health impacts.
Under that program, in 2023, the EPA awarded the Tulalip Tribes $977,000 to work in conjunction with the Confederated Tribes and Bands of Yakama Nation to create a tool to detect which homes are at greatest risk from wildfire smoke infiltration and dangerously hot weather, which are growing issues affecting both communities.
While the federal government has repeatedly affirmed its obligations to tribes, actual allocations remain disproportionately small compared to population figures. In 2024, Native American
tribes received just 1.7% of federal energy and environment spending, despite Native people making up 2.9% of the U.S. population.
Between 2010 and 2024, tribes within the bounds of Idaho, Washington and Oregon received roughly $2.81 billion in federal investments in energy and environmental infrastructure, which represents roughly 14% of the $20 billion in allocations made to tribes nationwide.
The researchers determined that programs funded under the Inflation Reduction Act, Biden’s 2022 climate, health and tax law, are at particular risk of being eliminated. The funding allocated to tribes under the IRA represented a historic investment in infrastructure in Indian Country, more than doubling energy and infrastructure investment from $1.51 billion nationwide to $3.94 billion in 2024, around .04% of total federal grant spending obligations for 2024.
“When you put them in the context of how much money the federal government actually spends on certain things, it’s pennies on the dollar,” said Sophie Lalande, a co-author of the PSU report.
Soon after taking office and without consulting Congress, the Trump administration suspended some grants that tribal communities used heavily, such as community change grants, distributed by the EPA’s Offices of Environmental Justice and of External Civil Rights Compliance during the Biden administration, to support climate resilience and clean energy. Distributed as a part of the Inflation Reduction Act, the grants were suspended as part of the Trump administration’s anti-diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
The grants helped tribal communities in the Northwest tremendously, according to Fast Horse.
“They were providing hundreds of thousands of dollars to communities for infrastructure improvements, like access to clean drinking water and climate resilience hubs, just really essential pieces of community development for health and safety of communities,” she said.
The report stresses a multiplier effect from investments made in tribal communities. Infrastructure dollars invested on tribal lands serve as anchors for broader local development, since tribal lands often share regional infrastructure like power grids, roads or water systems with non-Native communities, with the power of dollars rippling outward into surrounding rural towns and cities.
Bobby Cochran, a researcher with Portland State University and senior project manager at the National Policy Consensus Center, co-authored the report.
—InvestigateWest (investigatewest.org) is an independent news nonprofit dedicated to investigative journalism in the Pacific Northwest. Reporter Melanie Henshaw covers Indigenous affairs and communities in the region. Reach her directly at melanie@investigatewest.org or by phone, text message or Signal at (971) 258-0891.
Kah-Nee-Ta Hot Springs Resort
Jennifer Baires
oregon.gov
S SOUND Black Sabbath Cover Band Coming to Bend Zakk Wylde toured with Ozzy Osbourne three times
By Dave Gil de Rubio
If music was the magical elixir that got Zakk Wylde off the gridiron and on a stage when he was a teenage linebacker, the guitar was the vehicle that got him to the dream gig as Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist when Wylde was barely 20.
The next three-and-a-half decades have seen the Jersey native not only serve three tours of duty with Osbourne, but also carve out his own musical path via his own bands (Pride & Glory, Black Label Society and Zakk Sabbath) and do high-profile collaborations spanning the gamut from being part of Steve Vai’s Generation Axe and a performer on the Experience Hendrix tour to being Pantera’s current touring guitarist.
Given his close relationship with the Osbourne family, Wylde was, of course, hit hard by the news of Ozzy Osbourne’s death in mid-July. In a statement the guitarist posted on Instagram, he said: “Thank you for blessing the world with your kindness and greatness, Oz. You brought light into so many lives and made the world a better place. You lived with the heart of a lion. I Thank the good lord every day for blessing my life with you in it. I love you, Oz, beyond forever.”
It was only a couple of weeks before Osbourne’s death that Wylde participated in the Back To the Beginning charity concert, which also marked the final live performance of Osbourne and Black Sabbath.
Along with appearing on a bill that included Anthrax, Mastodon, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Tool and Slayer, Wylde played with Pantera and as part of Osborne’s solo set. And while Wylde says in hindsight, his highlights included plugging in for both of those sets and taking in Black Sabbath’s headlining set, in real time, he was more focused on the task at hand.
“The ‘Mama I’m Coming Home’ performance from that show was on Instagram and [Pantera bassist] Rex [Brown] asked me what I was thinking when it was going on,” Wylde explained. “I told him nothing, because we just wanted to make sure that everything sounded right. When you’re in it, you’re not thinking about it. If you’re playing in the Super Bowl, you’re playing the game. You’re not thinking about how big the game is or whatever. When you get up there, you approach it like another gig, whether you’re playing a club, a phone booth, Madison Square Garden or the show last night. You go up there and you don’t halfass it because you’re playing before less people. You approach each gig the same.”
Recalling the event fondly, he added, “A lot of it was like taking a trip down memory lane. It was great seeing everybody and all the other bands playing. It was a really beautiful moment. The whole thing was pretty amazing because I had my kids out there. [My wife] Barb[aranne] was there and the kids because Ozzy is godfather to our oldest son.”
With the biggest gig of the calendar year behind him, Wylde stayed busy, doing a summer tour with Pantera before hitting the road for a fall tour leading Zakk Sabbath. With the former, it’s a special honor given the relationship he’s had with the band dating back to his first meeting Pantera’s late guitarist Dimebag Darrell while sharing a bill at the 1994 Monsters of Rock Castle Donington festival.
“Meeting Dime back then and becoming friends over the years was incredible,” Wylde recalled. “Being up there now all of us — me, Charlie [Benante], Phil
[Anselmo] and Rex [Brown] — get to honor Dime and Vinnie [Paul] every night. It’s a beautiful thing, because it’s a community. You have the Pantera faithful, who saw the band playing before eight people in an Irish pub. They you have all the younger kids that never got a chance to see Pantera back in the day and might only know about them because of an older brother or sister who saw them. And now they can hear that music live again.”
Founded in 2014, Zakk Sabbath is Wylde’s power trio Sabbath cover band currently featuring him on guitar and vocals with a rhythm section of bassist Rob “Blasko” Nicholson and Danzig/Queens of the Stone Age drummer Joey Castillo. While the band has its origins when Wylde and Nicholson were asked to participate in Metal Allstars, a touring concept featuring various metal musicians, Wylde’s Sabbath obsession dates back to sixth-grade. That’s when the then 11-year-old discovered the 1976 compilation “We Sold Our Soul for Rock ‘n’ Roll” after his mom offered to buy him an album during a trip to the local mall. Suffice it to say, it left quite an impression on Wylde, who’s also an avowed Elton John fan.
“The running joke is that I say I was Catholic when I put the album on,” Wylde said with a laugh. “When I got halfway through the album, I turned into a fullblown Satanist, and then when I got done with the end of the record, I converted back to Catholicism just so I could thank God for creating Black Sabbath. When I first put it on, I was beyond terrified. After that, I really dug it and I just kept listening to it. After that, it was a matter of trying to collect all the albums.”
By the time Black Sabbath was on Wylde’s radar, Osbourne had left to go solo and was replaced by the
late Ronnie James Dio. It was this iteration of the band the future Ozzy guitarist saw at Philadelphia’s Spectrum on “The Mob Rules” tour. By this time, Wylde was practicing guitar 10 hours a day, learning the Sabbath and Osbourne canon along with other hard rock icons including Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin. This self-driven woodshedding proved invaluable when Wylde eventually won the audition to replace Osborne’s former guitarist Jake E. Lee. While he continues to be grateful for that opportunity, the 58-yearold shredder knows that music was always going to be part of his life equation regardless of where he landed.
“Any jobs I ever had as a kid, it was a means to an end to buy a guitar or an amp,” Wylde said. “Whatever job I was working at, whether it was at the supermarket or mowing lawns, it didn’t bother me because I knew I wasn’t going to be doing it the rest of my life. I was doing it to get from here to here and then I’d be good. I’m truly blessed. Me and [Black Label Society bassist] J.D. [DeServio] always talk about it. If I hadn’t been blessed with Ozzy in my life, me and J.D. would still have a cover band, own a music store, teach, have a wedding band and do our originals. Everything would be based around music paying the light bill.”
Zakk Sabbath Sun, Nov 2, 8pm Midtown Ballroom 51 NW Greenwood Ave, Bend midtownballroom.com/ $89+
Zakk Wylde became Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist at age 20.
Dustin Jack
SOURCE PICKS
WEDNESDAY 10/22
BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA
WITH SPECIAL GUEST CORY HENRY
Recognized world-wide as living legends of gospel music, the Blind Boys of Alabama are celebrated for their soul-stirring harmonies and remarkable blend of traditional and contemporary sounds. With a career spanning over seven decades, they’ve won multiple Grammy Awards, been inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and collaborated with artists across genres, including Eric Clapton, Prince and Tom Waits. Wed., Oct. 22, 7:30pm at the Tower Theatre. 835 NW Wall St., Bend. $49–$69.
THURSDAY 0/23
JEFFREY FOUCAULT
WITH SAM WEBER
Drawing from folk, blues and Americana traditions, Jeffrey Foucault crafts songs that resonate with both grit and grace. He brings a rich sound to his poetic lyricism, making for a soulful and intimate evening of music. Joining Foucault will be Sam Weber, a Canadian singer/songwriter, guitarist, producer and music engineer. Thu., Oct. 23, 7pm at the Belfry. 302 E Main Ave., Sisters. $25.
PATTY PERSHAYLA
ROCK OUT AT SILVER MOON
Patty’s musical endeavors have taken many forms: from basement jam sessions in her formative years, to cantor and piano accompanist at school Masses in middle school, parody performer at Harry Potter conventions as a teen, alternative folk singer-songwriter and solo artist, multi-instrumentalist and side artist for The Accidentals, front woman for two Rush tribute acts (Catch the Fish and YYNOT) and full-on independent rock ’n’ roll banshee. This is sure to be an exciting performance. Fri., Oct. 24, 7pm at Silver Moon Brewing. 24 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend. $15. FRIDAY
MOVIES IN THE MOUNTAINS: HOCUS POCUS
OLD SCHOOL!
Experience a classic drive-in movie night at the mountain! Audio will be broadcast via FM transmission. Tune in from your car radio or bring a portable FM radio if you plan to sit outside your vehicle. Lawn chairs, blankets, and warm layers are encouraged. Concessions will be available for purchase on-site. Fri., Oct. 24, 5pm at Mt. Bachelor. 13000 Century Dr., Bend. $25.
SHAPED BY CHOPIN
JIM-ISAAC CHUA IN CONCERT
Critics have described internationally-acclaimed pianist Jim-Isaac Chua as “prodigiously talented—with technique to burn,” calling his concerts “a feast for the ears.” Presented by Sisters Habitat for Humanity, Chua will perform a special community concert, bringing with him a powerful presence and world-class artistry. Fri., Oct. 24, 7pm at Sisters High School. 1700 W McKinney Butte Rd., Sisters. $10–$20.
SATURDAY 10/25
HAPPY GIRLS RUN
SISTERS EDITION!
Need a little nature therapy and some time away?
Enjoy some bonding time with women of all ages and levels in the appropriately-named town of Sisters. Choose between the all-women’s trail half marathon featuring single-track in the Deschutes National Forest (on the Peterson Ridge Trail system) with some pretty stellar views or take part in the 5K and 10K road race that winds through scenic downtown. All races cross the same finish line, welcoming all to enjoy the beautiful FivePine campus under the towering Ponderosa pines. Sat., Oct. 25, 9am at FivePine Lodge Event Center. 1021 Desperado Trail, Sisters. $45–$80.
SATURDAY 10/25
THE DEAD AND RITUALS OF DEATH
PRESENTED BY AMY HARPER
Dealing with death, both in terms of the bodies of the dead and the grief of those left behind, are issues that all societies have to address. In addition to dealing with the physical and emotional aspects of death, communities also grapple with the philosophical and spiritual questions about what happens after death. This talk will explore some of the diverse ways in which communities deal with and make sense of death and think about what lies beyond. Sat., Oct. 25, 11am at La Pine Library. 16425 1st St., La Pine. Free.
SATURDAY & SUNDAY 10/25–10/26
WARREN MILLER’S SNO-CIETY”
BRING ON WINTER!
Catch Daron Rahlves, Britta Winans, Judd Henkes, Sarka Panacochova, Breezy Johnson, Chris Rubens, Juho Kilkki and more athletes making turns from California, Colorado and New Hampshire to Austria, British Columbia, Finland and Scotland. Warren Miller’s “SNO-CIETY” celebrates the spirit of winter—wherever you ride and however you connect to the snow and the community around it. Sat., Oct. 25, 4pm and 7pm and Sun., Oct. 26, 2pm and 5pm at the Tower Theatre. 835 NW Wall St., Bend. $21–$26.
MONDAY 10/27
STRANGER THINGS TRIVIA
SHOW OFF YOUR KNOWLEDGE
Test your knowledge on all five seasons of the hit series, from the Upside Down to Hawkins’ best moments. Teams of up to six; themed attire encouraged. Win Bevel gift cards! Mon., Oct. 27, 6pm at Bevel Craft Brewing. 911 SE Armour St., Bend. Free.
Jeffrey Foucault FB
Blind Boys of Alabama FB
Patty PerShayla FB
CALENDAR
22 Wednesday
The Astro Lounge Karaoke Get here early to put your name on the list! Drink specials every night. 9pm-2am. Free.
Bunk+Brew Open Mic Show off your talent at Bunk + Brew’s Open Mic Night! Sign-ups begin at 5:30 PM, the show kicks off at 6. All acts welcome—music, comedy, poetry, and more. Grab a drink, hit the stage, or cheer them on. Free to attend. Good vibes guaranteed. 6-8pm. Free.
The Capitol The Capitol Karaoke Music Weekly Karaoke at its finest! Central Oregon’s premiere karaoke experience has just moved locations! Now at the Capitol! Drink specials! Air guitars! Come see for yourself. 8pm-1am. Free. The Cellar Live Music with Danger Gently Head down to The Cellar every Wednesday to enjoy live music from Danger Gently, a talented rotating cast of characters playing old-timey jams! 6-8pm. Free.
The Commonwealth Pub Rubbah Tree Rubbah Tree is a 5 piece reggae rock band from the heart of central Oregon with heavy influence of mountains and the forest guiding the message. Rubbah Tree has shared the stage with huge name reggae acts like UB40, JBoog , Fortunate Youth and many more. 7:30-9:30pm. Free.
Craft Kitchen and Brewery Comedy Open Mic Night Open mic comedy on Bend’s NE side. Come down, eat some BBQ, drink some drinks, and be prepared to laugh. Great for first timers to experienced performers. FREE 7:30-9pm. Free.
Deschutes Brewery & Public House
Head Games Trivia Night Eat. Drink. Think. Win! Head Games multi-media trivia is at Deschutes Bend Public House every Wednesday. Win prizes. Teams up to six. 6:30-8:30pm. Free.
Dogwood At The Pine Shed Transmission: ‘80s Dark Wave Social Club Immerse yourself in the sounds of the ’80s underground. DJ Mark Brody spins Joy Division, Bauhaus, The Cure, Clan of Xymox, and more at Dogwood at The Pine Shed. A moody night of goth, post-punk, and darkwave. Every 2nd Wednesday. 7-10pm. Free. The Domino Room Raynes & Lennon VanderDoes 8-11pm. $30.
Hosmer Bar Trivia Night Join us midweek for brainy banter and cold drinks! Whether you’re a seasoned quiz champ or just in it for the laughs, gather your crew and test your knowledge! See you there! 7-9pm. Free.
JC’s Bar & Grill Wing-sky Wednesday + Trivia Dive into 75¢ wings, super cheap well whiskey and $6 Seven & Sevens all night long. Test your brain and your balance — trivia kicks off at 7pm with our legendary “physical” challenge (think paper airplanes, musical chairs and total chaos). 7pm-12:59am. Free.
M&J Tavern Open Mic Night Downtown living room welcomes musicians to bring their acoustic set or turn it up to 11 with the whole band. Bring your own instruments. 6:30pm. Free.
Market of Choice Bend Scrabble Club at Market of Choice We meet upstairs. We use the 7th edition of the Scabble Players Dictionary. New Scrabble players are welcome. If you have a Scrabble set, please bring it as a backup. 6-8:30pm. Free.
Northside Bar & Grill Mellow Wednesday Acoustic Open Mic and Jam hosted by Derek Michael Marc Sign-up sheet is available at 6:30pm. 7-9pm. Free.
LIVE MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE
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Samantha Hart plays an eclectic mix of originals and covers in a mellow, acoustic style. She will be joined by guitarist Landon Akins. Thu., Oct. 23, 6–8pm at River’s Place.
Pinky G’s Pizzeria MUSIC BINGO Join music Bingo (think Bingo and Name that Tune). Great food, cold drinks and good times. Free to play and prizes for each round winner. 6-8pm. Free.
Ponch’s Place Bingo Wednesdays at Ponch’s Place Enjoy Bingo at Ponch’s Place on Wednesdays. 5:30-7pm. Free.
Portello Wine and Spirits Music Bingo Join us for Music Bingo, hosted by the always entertaining Rachel Fishman, who keeps the crowd singing and laughing all night! It’s the perfect bonus to your night out enjoying great food, drinks and good company at Portello! 6:308:30pm. Free.
Prost! - Bend WTF! Wednesday Trivia Fun! Genuine UKB Trivia is truly unique and entertaining trivia for you! Independent, locally owned and operated. Please bring something to write with and some positive vibes, too :). 7pm. Free.
Upp Liquids Bend Comedy Open Mic The Bend Comedy Open Mic, every Wednesday at UPP Liquids. All peformance types and ages are welcome! 7-9pm. Free.
Volcanic Theatre Pub Spafford Jam band. 7-11pm. $25.
Wonderland Chicken X Worthy Brewing Karaoke Wednesdays Sing your heart out, enjoy a cold beer and fried chicken! 7-11pm. Free.
23 Thursday
The Astro Lounge Karaoke Get here early to put your name on the list! Drink specials every night. 9pm-2am. Free.
Austin Mercantile Live Music Every Thursday Join at Austin Mercantile for live music every Thursday. Offering a light happy hour menu — daily flatbread, chili, charcuterie, soft pretzels and more! 4:30-6:30pm. Free.
Bar Rio Live Music at Bar Rio Grab your favorite bites and sips and relax into the music— ranging from jazz and blues to pop and flamenco. 6-8pm. Free.
The Belfry Jeffrey Foucault + Sam Weber In two decades on the road Jeffrey Foucault has become one of the most distinctive voices in American music, refining a sound instantly recognizable for its simplicity and emotional power. 7-10:30pm.
Bunk+Brew Karaoke Thursdays Sing your heart out at Bunk + Brew’s Karaoke Night! Whether you’re a pro or just love the spotlight, all voices are welcome. Food carts available all evening! Located in the Historic Lucas House Living Room for winter. 7-10pm. Free.
The Cellar Live Irish Trad Music with The Ballybogs! Join us for a night of live music featuring Bend’s Irish Trad band, The Ballybogs! Every Thursday at The Cellar. Seats fill up, so get there early if you can! 6-8pm. Free.
Crave Bend COMEDY OPEN MIC NIGHT
Comedy Open Mic Night on the SW side of Bend! Adults only encouraged. Intimate, smaller venue, healthier food and beverages, and an interactive night of comedy every Thursday! Hosted By Hopper. 7-9pm. Free.
The Dez Lounge Open Mic Join Joyful Lane at open mic night! Enjoy NA cocktails, charcuterie and dessert while listening to local talent! 6-9pm. Free.
Dogwood At The Pine Shed Let’s Have a Kiki A weekly 2SLGBTQIA+ night hosted by Cliché, with a new featured resident DJ each month. Kicking off the series in May with DJ Lunallday. Let’s have a kiki! 7-10pm. Free.
Hosmer Bar Bingo Night Your week just found its highlight—bingo! Join us for drinks, good company and a little friendly competition. Pull up a chair, grab a board and let’s make some memories! 7-9pm. Free.
The Lot Two Trick Pony Two Trick Pony is united by a love of harmony singing, picking and groove. Their nontraditional interplay on guitars, mandolin, harmonica, and keys radiates a playful energy to every stage they grace. Drawing inspiration from folk, bluegrass, Americana, and blues. 6-8pm. Free.
Midtown Ballroom LAYZ Presents: BLACKOUT: NO SIGNAL 8pm.
Mountain Burger Paul Eddy Bedell Artist and local song-singer sings hits through the decades, plus originals from his new album “Oregonian.” 6-8pm. Free.
Mountain Burger Thursday Night Live Paul Eddy at Mountain Burger for Thursday Night Live! 6-8pm. Free.
Ponch’s Place Trivia Thursdays at Ponch’s Place Trivia Thursdays at Ponch’s Place with QuizHead Games. 6-8pm. Free.
River’s Place Samantha Hart & Landon Akins Eclectic mix of original songs and covers performed in an acoustic-coffeehouse, mellow style. 6-8pm. Free.
Silver Moon Brewing The Chilling Alpine Adventure The Chilling Alpine Adventure’s dynamic sound blends post-rock textures with moody, cinematic soundscapes, drawing inspiration from Manchester Orchestra and early Coldplay. 7pm. $20.
Silver Moon Brewing Trivia on the Moon Come down to Silver Moon Brewing for a night of trivia! Teams are welcome to show up in groups up to 8 people. Silver Moon also offers seating reservations for $20 donations that all go to F*Cancer! If you would like to reserve a table please contact the Trivia on the Moon Facebook page. 7pm. Free.
Sisters Depot Devils Duo: Bill Powers and Evan Mullins Bill Powers is a musician, recording artist, singer songwriter, band leader and music teacher of guitar, mandolin, and more. 7-9pm. $15.
Spiceland Sufi Circle: Live Music Join us for an evening of live Sufi music, reflection, and community connection. As the seasons shift, we gather in love and presence to honor change and stillness. Free and open to all. Thursday, Oct 23 at 6 PM, hosted by Spiceland & Shakti Farm Design. 6-8pm. Free.
Stoller Wine Bar Bend Barringer & Baker Mark Barringer; guitar and vocals, and Bob Baker; violin, are back again at one of their favorite performance venues. They bring creative musical arrangements to songs from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Steller vocals with dynamic violin playing. 6-8pm. Free. Stoller Wine Bar Bend Live Music Thursdays Join us for our live music series, featuring local artist we know and love! 6-8pm. Free.
Touchmark at Pilot Butte Casino Royale Open House What could a vibrant lifestyle with new opportunities and friendships look like? Deal yourself in and find out! Step into an afternoon of fun! Try your luck at poker and blackjack tables, enjoy refreshments, and experience the lively atmosphere that makes our community so engaging. 2-4pm. Free.
Velvet Lounge Open Mic Night Hosted by Mari Our monthly open mic is coming up quick! Swing on in at 6pm to get on the list. 7-9pm. Free.
Worthy Brewing - Main Pub and Brewery Winter Mics: Comedy Open Mic Hear fresh jokes from established comedians, cheer on first timers, and drink tasty brews. 6:30-8:45pm. Free.
24 Friday
The Commonwealth Pub Commonwealth DJ Dance Party with TRUNORTH Join TRUNORTH as he makes his way down from the 49th parallel, spinning the latest and greatest, raising the bar on this year’s playoff season. Join him Friday and Saturday nights at The Commonwealth Pub and cheer on the beats from soul, to funk, to today’s hits. 9pm-Midnight. Free.
Craft Kitchen and Brewery Dirty Minds Trivia Night: Halloween Edition Think you’ve got a filthy mind? Perfect. Because this spooky season, we’re here to prove that what sounds dirty is actually innocent. (Get your head out of the gutter—or don’t, it’s more fun that way.) 7-9pm.
Faith, Hope & Charity Vineyards Grits ‘n’ Gravy Grits ‘n’ Gravy, formerly known as the Dry Canyon Trio is a smaller version of the full band, Dry Canyon Stampede. A folksy take on traditional country music featuring Lilli Worona, Mike Biggers & Kurt Silva! 5-8pm. $15.
Samantha Hart FB
PAGE to SCREEN
CALENDAR EVENTS
Hardtails Bar & Grill Stage 28 Karaoke
Free Books & A Movie!
Come out for a night of Stage 28 Karaoke with your host Miss Min! What’s your go-to karaoke tune? Come to Hardtails for a fun Friday night and sing your heart out! 8pm-Midnight. Free.
Silver Moon Brewing Patty PerShayla Patty PerShayla is already a rarity as a combination singer and bassist, but has established herself as a stand-out performer by meanwhile perching on one leg or strutting the stage in platform heels. She is heard before she is seen, boasting a big voice for a relatively small vessel. 7pm. $15.
Bend Brewing Company Bands for Bread
Bands for Bread unites local favorites—Amargoso, Gaspack, Jackrat, Long Operators, Anaphora, Zorb, The Raucous, and Vanderwalls—for a free full day of live music with 100% of proceeds bene fitting the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry in Bend. Additionally, Bend Brewing Co. will contribute $1 from every drink sold! 12:30-8:30pm. Free.
Friday, January 23, 2026 "HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE" (2005)
Friday, March 13, 2026 "WILD ROBOT" (2024)
Silver Moon Brewing Comedy Con Beertown Comedy Presents: The 4th Annual Comedy Con! Comedians become your favorite pop culture characters for a hilarious night of standup, costumes and chaos! Don’t miss this once-a-year spectacle. 8-10pm. $15.
Friday, May 15, 2026 "DOG MAN" (2025)
Silverleaf Cafe Coyote Rider Kat Hilst, Kim Kelley and Tim Coffey perform original folk-Americana songs crafted for timeless storytelling with roots-driven sound and powerful harmonies. 6-8pm. Free.
Bevel Craft Brewing Bewitched Bunco Come dressed in your favorite Halloween costume for a spirited game of Bunco! This fun, social game is easy to master and will get you meeting new people. Food carts will be open, so come early and grab a bite and a brew! All proceeds benefit KIDS Center. 6-8pm. $10.
Bridge 99 Brewery
oke Night Looking for family fun? You’ll find it every Saturday night at Bridge 99 Brewery. Fami ly-friendly karaoke is hosted by DJ Jackie J and A Fine Note Karaoke Too from 6-9 PM. Adults, kids and good dogs welcome. 6-9pm. Free.
The Commonwealth Pub
Community collaboration with:
Sisters High School Auditorium Shaped by Chopin: Jim-Isaac Chua in Concert Sisters Habitat for Humanity is honored to present a special community concert featuring internationally acclaimed pianist Jim-Isaac Chua. Back for his second year in Sisters, Jim-Isaac brings with him a powerful presence and worldclass artistry that has captivated audiences in Carnegie Hall and concert halls across Europe, Asia and North America. 7-9pm.
Tower Theatre Maria Bamford Maria Bamford is revered for her deeply personal and experimental comedy about mental illness. She starred in the surreal, semi-autobiographical Netflix comedy series Lady Dynamite, about a comedian who suffers a nervous breakdown, and is the star of three unconventional hour-long stand-up specials: Weakness is the Brand, Old Baby and Maria Bamford, the special, special, special! 7:30pm. $34.50 - $59.50.
Volcanic Theatre Pub Big Spooky 2 + DEFUNK Big Spooky 2 w/ DEFUNK and Eyeneye, Groundscore, & DJ Shalyssa This event is 21+ Wear your Halloween costume! 8-11:59pm. $20-$28.
Wherever Heller is playing, there is a party going on. Based out of Bend, Heller Highwater creates a vibe that audiences of all ages can move to. 8-10pm. Free.
The Commonwealth Pub wealth DJ Dance Party with TRUNORTH TRUNORTH as he makes his way down from the 49th parallel, spinning the latest and greatest, raising the bar on this year’s playoff season. Join him Friday and Saturday nights at The Commonwealth Pub and cheer on the beats from soul, to funk, to today’s hits. 9pm-Midnight. Free.
Midtown Ballroom/Domino Room/Annex Call Down Thunder Halloween Party: Grateful Night of the Living Dead The third year of this party calls for three sets! Be sure to arrive early to get the full experience. Complete with free crafting activities and a photo booth, this is the place to be! 8pm-1am.
Northside Bar & Grill The HWY 97 Band Come on down! 8-11pm. Free.
EXPERIENCE MEMBERSHIP
Wildwood Bar & Grill Latin Vibes with DJ Solo Come join us for a sizzling hot Latin Dance Party at Wildwood! Get ready to move your hips to the rhythm of the best Latin beats by DJ SOLO. Whether you’re a seasoned dancer or just looking to have some fun, this event is perfect for everyone. 8-11pm. Free.
25 Saturday
A tax-deductible membership with the nonprofit Tower Theatre ensures Central Oregon’s home of performing arts continues to present diverse artists, educate students, support regional nonprofits, and bring the community together. Benefits include early access to tickets, discounts, complimentary popcorn, and VIP parking.
The Ale Apothecary Tasting Room
Brenna Larsen Brenna Larsen is a singer-songwriter of the PNW, infusing her original compositions with the nostalgic allure of folk and the infectious groove of jazz. 6-8pm. Free.
Austin Mercantile Saturday Afternoon Live Music Austin Mercantile is now adding live music on Saturdays! Serving wine, beer, lite happy hour menu, gifts and home decor. Hope to see you soon! 4:30-6:30pm. Free.
Portello Wine and Spirits Acoustic Minds Portland-based duo Acoustic Minds deliver powerhouse vocals, stunning harmonies, and soulful blend of pop, R&B, and electronic grooves. Known for their dynamic energy and heartfelt originals, they create an unforgettable live experience that moves both hearts and feet! A night of pure talent and great vibes! 6:30-8:30pm. Free.
River Pig Saloon Bend Murder on the Dance Floor 2 : Neon Nightmare The electrifying sequel to last year’s Halloween dance party comes to River Pig Saturday October 25th. DJs Briantology, The Cosmic, See Alice and Ben Around will be spinning a horrorgasbord of Halloween hits amidst open format sets in front of Glow Lux Event’s spectacular 3D LED dancefloor. 9pm-2am. $15–$20.
River’s Place Saturday Jazz Sessions Featuring Haute Melange. 6-8pm. Free.
Silver Moon Brewing Fox & Bones + Fern Spores Scott Gilmore and Sarah Vitort are Fox and Bones—energetic offbeat folksters with a retro-tinged, soul-stirring, modern vintage bent. The indomitable duo has brought their optimistic Americana polish to international stages shared with the likes of Rayland Baxter, The Dead South, ZZ Ward, Fantastic Cat and ALO, among others. 7pm. $15.
Volcanic Theatre Pub Yak Attack & Watkins Glen: Flashback To ‘75 Halloween Party uber-talented jam band Watkins Glen pays tribute every year to the music of 50 years prior, followed by a dazzling power dance set from livetronica artist Yak Attack. 7pm-1am. $20–$25.
Wildwood Bar & Grill Almost Almost at Wildwood, Bends newest go-to live music venue in the box factory! 7-10pm. Free.
26 Sunday
Monday
The Commons Cafe & Taproom Trivia Night Sunday Funday Trivia with Sean. Gather your team, or roll solo and find a spot early in the cafe, knowledge tests begin at 6pm. Prizes for 1st and 2nd place. 6-8pm. Free.
The Commonwealth Pub Talam Dubh & Friends - Sunday Irish Evening Talamh Dubh is a trio with collective ties to Ireland and a love for Irish music. Their name, “Dark Earth” in Gaelic, pays homage to the volcanic ground of the Cascade range upon which the group formed. Featured in their repertoire are jigs, reels, hornpipes, marches, waltzes, and songs. 5-7pm. Free.
The Commonwealth Pub Head Games Trivia Night Eat. Drink. Think. Win! Live multi-media trivia every Sunday @ 6pm. The Commonwealth Pub - Bend Free to play. Win prizes. Teams up to 6. 6-8pm. Free.
Bevel Craft Brewing Stranger Things Trivia Join us for Stranger Things Trivia at Bevel! Test your knowledge on all five seasons of the hit series, from the Upside Down to Hawkins’ best moments. Free to play, teams up to six, and themed attire encouraged. Win Bevel gift cards! 6-8pm. Free.
The Commonwealth Pub Monday Night Musicians Open Showcase and Jam Calling all musicians, singers and performers! Join us for a weekly open showcase where you can share your talent, connect with other artists and perform in a welcoming atmosphere. Bring your instrument — backline is provided. 5-9pm. Free.
LessonPLAN (Performing Live Arts Now) is the Tower’s award-winning educational series of world-renown artists enhancing learning for more than 60,000 Central Oregon students since 2011. We serve students from public, private and homeschool groups across Central Oregon through theatre performances and in-school assemblies.
Dogwood At The Pine Shed Okay Karaoke Sing your favorite songs with friends, enjoy professional sound and lighting, and let the spotlight shine on you. Hosted by the dynamic Tammy Larsen, it’s the perfect night out for music lovers and party people alike. Noon-11pm. Free.
River’s Place The Brainy Brunch Trivia! Useless Knowledge Bowl Trivia presents “The Brainy Brunch!” Bring your crew of friends or family and a pen/pencil! Play for fun and gift cards, play for free! Experienced, independent, locally owned and operated! Noon. Free.
Crux Fermentation Project Trivia Night @ Crux Trivia Night at Crux! First place team wins a $25 gift card! 6-8pm. Free.
Elixir Winery and Tasting Room Locals Music Night and Open Mic Bend’s friendliest open-mic! All genres welcome. Oregon and international wine, beer and tapas menu available all evening. 6-9pm. Free.
JC’s Bar & Grill Karaoke night! Karaoke Night! Join us this Monday for an unforgettable night of karaoke hosted by the great Van Morrison! Enjoy all-day happy hour pricing and free pool. Karaoke kicks off at 8 PM — you don’t want to miss this week’s party. 8pm-2am. Free.
On Tap Locals’ Day Plus
The historic 460-seat Tower Theatre is owned and operated by the Tower Theatre Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. Our mission is to be Central Oregon's leading performing arts organization, providing cultural and educational programs that make essential contributions to the region's lifestyle and strength of community.
11am-9pm. Free.
The performances in this guide are presented by the Tower Theatre Foundation and reflect our vision of furthering Central Oregon as a dynamic hub of culture. The theatre is rented by film festivals, conferences, and nonprofits for an additional 150 events this season.
Jam-band extraordinaire Spafford takes the stage at Volcanic Theatre Pub Wed., Oct. 22, 7pm.
JANUARY & FEBRUARY
Thursday, January 15
LEFT BEHIND
The inspiring story of a group of determined moms who band together to create the fi rst public dyslexic school in the largest school district in America, New York City.
Saturday, January 31
HOT BUTTERED RUM
Blending Appalachian roots with California soul, Hot Buttered Rum’s banjo, fi ddle & bass deliver 20 years of dynamic, danceable music.
Tuesday, Februrary 3
INTERNATIONAL GUITAR NIGHT
Now in its 26th year, International Guitar Night spotlights four virtuosos from around the globe, from fl amenco fi re to ukulele brilliance.
MARCH
2026
Tuesday, March 3
WOMEN OF AMERICANA
Wednesday, Februrary 11
PEPPA PIG: MY FIRST CONCERT
Peppa Pig invites kids on a fun, interactive concert journey, introducing little ones to live orchestra magic, music, and muddy puddles! VIP and family meet and greets available.
Thursday, Februrary 12
MOANIN’ FROGS
Six saxophones, from soprano to bass, bring a zany mix of jazz, pop, classical, and comedy in this award-winning, one-of-a-kind show.
Friday, Februrary 13
BLUES HARMONICA BLOWOUT
Grammy-nominated Mark Hummel leads a powerhouse showcase of blues harp greats, cementing his place as one of the instrument’s legends.
Cristina Vane and Brennen Leigh celebrate women who shaped folk, gospel & swing, honoring Guthrie, Tharpe, Raitt, Dylan, and more.
Wednesday, March 4
LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO
Five-time Grammy winners Ladysmith Black Mambazo celebrate 65 years of uplifting South African harmonies and global inspiration.
Saturday, March 7
JIGJAM
Irish roots meet Americana in JigJam’s fi ery, foot-stomping blend of bluegrass and Celtic energy that has lit up stages worldwide.
Monday, March 9
DEVON ALLMAN BLUES SUMMIT
Son of Gregg Allman, Devon honors blues-rock tradition while forging his own path in a fi ery, collaborative showcase of talent.
Tuesday, March 10
ARTRAGEOUS
A mashup of live painting, original music, and interactive fun, Artrageous is part concert, part community, and truly unforgettable. Fun for the whole family.
Saturday, March 14
THE SELENA EXPERIENCE
Dance and sing along as 512 brings Selena’s timeless hits to life in a high-energy, heartfelt tribute hailed as the closest thing to her.
Sunday, March 15
MITCHUM YACOUB & JUNGLE FIRE
Egyptian-American drummer Mitchum Yacoub joins Afro-Latin funk collective Jungle Fire for unstoppable grooves and fiery horns.
Tuesday, March 17
IRISH RAMBLING HOUSE
Experience a heartwarming evening of music, dance, and storytelling that captures the charm of a traditional Irish gathering, bringing the Celtic spirit to life.
Thursday, March 19
JOSH BLUE
Since winning Last Comic Standing, Josh Blue’s sharp wit and fearless improv have made him a comedy powerhouse with 200+ shows yearly.
Monday, March 23
RHYTHM OF THE DANCE
Direct from Ireland, this dazzling spectacle of champion dancers, singers, and musicians has thrilled audiences in 57 countries.
Wednesday, March 25
TOPHOUSE
Montana's new favorite folk rockers blend folk, bluegrass, and rock into infectious sets, tear-jerking ballads, foot-stomping rhythms, cinematic strings, and deeply personal storytelling.
Saturday, March 28
TOUBAB KREWE
Fusing West African traditions with American rock, funk, and jam for over 20 years, Asheville’s Toubab Krewe bridges cultures with their electrifying sound.
Monday, March 30
DONAVON FRANKENREITER
Surfer-turned-musician Donavon Frankenreiter marks 20 years with soulful grooves and his fi rst studio album in nine years.
APRIL 2026
Wednesday, April 1
BLUEBIRD IMPROV with Liam Gibler
Bluebird’s comedians create laugh-out-loud shows entirely improvised from audience chats. No two nights are ever the same.
Thursday, April 2
DRUM TAO
Tuesday, April 14
CHANTICLEER
with C.O. Mastersingers
Explosive Japanese drumming meets dazzling spectacle as Drum Tao’s thunderous rhythms and stunning visuals captivate worldwide.
Tuesday, April 7
PSYCHOLOGY OF A SERIAL KILLER
A gripping, thought-provoking deep dive into who serial killers are, why they kill, and why our fascination with them endures.
Wednesday, April 8
BLACK VIOLIN
Classically trained duo Black Violin fuses strings and hip hop, breaking barriers with Grammy nods and 200+ shows yearly.
Thursday, April 9
EGGY with Taper's Choice
The comfort felt consuming a favorite dish that stirs memories past. The familiar tastes that envelop you & bold flavors that inspire, Eggy delivers heartfelt, evolving jams for an anything-can-happen ride.
Friday, April 10
CHARLIE CHAPLIN’S SMILE with Philippe Quint
Violinist Philippe Quint blends Chaplin’s world with poetic musicianship and multimedia storytelling in a moving performance, complete with local tango dancers.
MAY & JUNE 2026
Tuesday, May 5
REPERTORY DANCE THEATRE
The Grammy-winning “orchestra of voices” returns with a stunning and adventurous repertoire, joined by the C.O. Mastersingers.
Thursday, April 16
PHIL COOK
Known for work with Hiss Golden Messenger, Bon Iver and more, Phil Cook returns to solo piano with soulful folk-rooted compositions glowing with heart.
Wednesday, April 22
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: ANDRÉS RUZO
Explorer Andrés Ruzo takes audiences into Peru’s legendary “Boiling River,” weaving science, culture, and adventure together in a documentary and river ride like no other.
Friday, April 24
SIERRA HULL
Grammy Award winner and mandolin virtuoso Sierra Hull blends dazzling bluegrass with heartfelt songwriting, pushing the genre with artistry and soul.
Celebrating 60 years, RDT showcases modern dance history with dynamic, diverse, and emotionally powerful performances.
Wednesday, May 6
SPROUT FILM FESTIVAL
Films that celebrate the diverse lives and creativity of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).
Friday, May 8
PORTLAND CELLO PROJECT
From Bach to Radiohead, the Portland Cello Project smashes expectations with electrifying, genre-bending performances redefi ning what the cello can do.
Monday, May 11
360 ALLSTARS
This urban circus fuses BMX, basketball, breakdancing & more, celebrating street culture in a high-octane, 10-year world tour.
Saturday, May 16
HELEN KEANEY AND SHANAN KELLEY
Comedy powerhouse Helen Keaney brings razor-sharp wit and charm, joined by Bend favorite Shanan Kelley for a night of laughs.
Thursday, May 21
SUGARHILL GANG with DJ Ells
Hip hop pioneers the Sugarhill Gang bring their legendary hits, joined by DJ Ells for a nonstop party celebrating rap’s roots.
Tuesday, June 2
WISDOM OF HAPPINESS MOVIE
The Dalai Lama shares timeless wisdom on compassion and joy in this extraordinary, hope-fi lled movie produced by Richard Gere.
Thursday, June 4
ADMIRAL RADIO
South Carolina duo Admiral Radio blends heartfelt harmonies, folk storytelling, and raw sincerity. With fiddle and bass accompaniment, their powerful live shows carry a timeless Americana spirit.
Thursday, June 11
TAB BENOIT with the Ghalia Volt Band
Blues guitar master Tab Benoit and Ghalia Volt’s fi ery rock ’n’ roll deliver an unstoppable night of raw, soulful roots music.
Saturday, June 13
ONE NIGHT IN MEMPHIS
Relive the legendary 1956 jam of Elvis, Cash, Perkins, and Lewis in this high-energy tribute packed with timeless rock ’n’ roll.
PAGE to SCREEN Free Books & A Movie!
Friday, January 23, 2026 "HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE" (2005)
Friday, March 13, 2026 "WILD ROBOT" (2024)
Friday, May 15, 2026 "DOG MAN" (2025)
Community collaboration with:
EXPERIENCE MEMBERSHIP
A tax-deductible membership with the nonprofit Tower Theatre ensures Central Oregon’s home of performing arts continues to present diverse artists, educate students, support regional nonprofits, and bring the community together. Benefits include early access to tickets, discounts, complimentary popcorn, and VIP parking.
BOX OFFICE HOURS
Monday – Tuesday, 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Wednesday – Friday, 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM
ADDRESS 835 NW Wall • Bend, OR 97703
WEB towertheatre.org
PHONE 541-317-0700
INSTAGRAM @towertheatrebend
FACEBOOK TheTowerTheatre
LessonPLAN (Performing Live Arts Now) is the Tower’s award-winning educational series of world-renown artists enhancing learning for more than 60,000 Central Oregon students since 2011. We serve students from public, private and homeschool groups across Central Oregon through theatre performances and in-school assemblies.
The historic 460-seat Tower Theatre is owned and operated by the Tower Theatre Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. Our mission is to be Central Oregon's leading performing arts organization, providing cultural and educational programs that make essential contributions to the region's lifestyle and strength of community.
The performances in this guide are presented by the Tower Theatre Foundation and reflect our vision of furthering Central Oregon as a dynamic hub of culture. The theatre is rented by film festivals, conferences, and nonprofits for an additional 150 events this season. Find the full schedule of events at towertheatre.org
CENTRAL OREGON’S HOME FOR PERFORMING ARTS
28 Tuesday
The Astro Lounge to put your name on the list! Drink specials every night. 9pm-2am. Free.
Beach Hut Deli Tip of the Tongue Trivia out and play Tip of the Tongue trivia for a chance to win some great prizes and show off your trivia skills! 6-8pm. Free.
The Capitol The Capitol Karaoke Music
Weekly Karaoke at its finest! Central Oregon’s premiere karaoke experience has just moved locations! Now at the Capitol! Drink specials! Air guitars! Come see for yourself. 8pm-1am. Free.
The Cellar Open Mic hosted by Mari! 6-8pm and all are welcome! 6-8pm. Free.
The Commons Cafe & Taproom
Mic StoryTellers open mic nights are full of music, laughs and community. Mason James is the host. Poetry, comedy and spoken word are welcome, but this is mainly a musical open mic. Performance slots are a quick 10 minutes each, so being warmed up and ready is ideal. If you wish to perform sign-ups start at 5pm in the cafe. 6pm. Free.
The Commonwealth Pub Jazz Quintet young jazz talent as part of our Tuesday night jazz series, led by guitarist Paul Streichan of The Rumpeppers. 7-9pm. Free.
Crosscut Warming Hut No 5 Trivia Night
Tuesday at Crosscut Warming Hut No. 5, Bend. Free to play, win prizes, teams up to 6. Please arrive early for best seats. Every other Tuesday, 6-8pm. Free.
Elements Public House
Tuesdays this week for UKB live trivia & more! Delicious menu favorites, brews, cocktails, plus Taco Tues day menu! Play for gift card prizes or just for fun. Bring good vibes and a pen. 6:30pm. Free.
M&J Tavern
downtown living room! Sign-ups start at 8pm and the singing goes until last call OR last singer, whichever comes first! 8pm-1:15am. Free.
Mountain Burger
Burger Come to Trivia Tuesday at Mountain Burg er! Fun and prizes await! 7:30-9pm. Free.
Northside Bar & Grill Karaoke with DJ Chris Ossig Karaoke with DJ Chris. 7-9pm. Free.
OSU Cascades Campus, Obsidian Hall, Room 207 Retrofitting Bend for a Resilient Future Join Building a Better Bend and RMI’s Steve Abbott to learn about resiliency hub planning in Oregon. 6pm. Free-$7.85.
Pinky G’s Pizzeria TRIVIA NIGHT Test your knowledge in a casual/laid-back atmosphere. Pizza, beer and trivia. Free to play and prizes for 1st and 2nd place. 6-8pm. Free.
River’s Place Bingo! Have fun, win prizes and help out a local nonprofit! 6-8pm. Free.
JANUARY–JUNE 2026: ACT 2
dancers. Tuesdays, 12:30-1:30 and 6:45-7:45pm.
Acadamie De Ballet Classique, 1900 NE 3rd St #104, Bend. Contact: 541-3824055. dance@ abcbend.com. Varies: Drop-ins $25, 4-Pack or Register receives a discount!.
Adult Jazz Dance Community Class Join nonprofit Bend Dance Project for intermediate level adult jazz drop-in dance classes. Friendly supportive atmosphere. Get your dance on! Fridays, 12:15-1:45pm. Acadamie De Ballet Classique, 1900 NE 3rd St #104, Bend. Contact: 408-857-6773. jcliff@gmail.com. $10 donation. Argentine Tango Classes and Social Dancing Tango 101 lesson at 6:30pm, followed by a práctica from 7:15-9:30pm. All levels welcome. Check Facebook for latest info. Wednesdays, 6:30-9:30pm. Sons of Norway Hall, 549 NW Harmon Blvd., Bend. Contact: 901-550-5671. aneezerk@gmail.com. $10.
us for a chronicle of chance encounters and soulful connection. Thursdays-Sundays, 7-9:30pm. Through Nov. 15. The Greenhouse Cabaret, 1017 NE 2nd St., Bend. Contact: 541.699.2840. info@ thegreenhousecabaret.com. $49-$79.
Bend Climate Action Protest and On Wednesday, October 22nd, we will be protesting and sitting in on Bend City Council work time. Council has a big opportunity to make major strides towards our climate goals with electrification policy. Let’s make our voices heard to ensure a safe, clean future for all! Spooky costumes welcome! Oct. 22, 2:30-7pm. Peace Corner, Corner of NW Greenwood Avenue and NW Wall Street, Bend. Contact: 541-904-5235.
$7 for non-members. If you have any questions or desire more information please contact us at bendpinochle@gmail.com or go to our website (bendpinochle.com) for details. All ages welcome. Thursdays, 11:30am-3pm and Fridays, 11:30am-3pm. Golden Age Card Club, 40 SE 5th St, Bend. Contact: 541-389-1752. Free.
Eat tasty treats, drink tea and discuss death. Free of agenda or ideology, the aim is to increase awareness of death to help people make the most of their lives. Facilitated by end of life doula, Cheryl Adcox. Tue, Oct. 28, 6-7:30pm and Tue, Nov. 18, 6-7:30pm. Downtown Bend Library - Brooks Room, 601 NW Wall St,, Bend. Contact: 5413121029. laurelh@deschuteslibrary.
5th Annual Pumpkin Painting & Pints
Bring your kiddos to paint while you have a pint! We will also be awarding awesome prizes to the best dressed pup & person! Oct. 25, 1-7pm. Midtown Yacht Club, 1661 NE Fourth St., Bend. Contact: 458-256-5454. mid-
outdoors with travel writer and photographer, Adam Sawyer. He’ll share how time spent in the outdoors has aided in his recovery from not just addiction, but the sudden and devastating loss of his life partner and home in early 2022. Oct. 22, Noon-1pm. Sisters Library, 110 North Cedar Street, Sisters. Contact: 5413121029. laurelh@ deschuteslibrary.org. Free.
The Nose Knows: Working Dogs in Conservation Learn more about how conservation detection dogs work to protect wildlife and wild places. Oct. 26, 3-4pm. Downtown Bend Public Library, 601 NW Wall St., Bend. Contact: 541-312-1032. lizg@deschuteslibrary.org. Free. Learn more about how conservation detection dogs work to protect wildlife and wild places. Oct. 27, Noon-1pm. Downtown Bend Library, 601 Northwest Wall Street, Bend. Contact: 541-3121032. lizg@deschuteslibrary.org. Free.
Grab your costumes and candy buckets — it’s time for Trunk or Treat! A fun, safe, and spooky afternoon of trick-or-treating from car to car, packed with creative trunks, sweet treats, and Halloween fun for the whole family! Oct. 25, Noon-3pm. Craft Kitchen and Brewery, 62988 NE Layton Ave., Bend. Contact: 541-6681766. craftkitchenandbrewery@gmail.com. Free. Tyler & Clarry’s Treasure Hunt Adventure A free, family-friendly adventure celebrating literacy and community! Follow the treasure map, visit local businesses, meet guest authors & illustrators, and discover the joy of reading together. Oct. 25, 10am-1pm. Herringbone Bookstore, 422 SW 6th Street, Redmond. Contact: 415-745-0330. HerringboneBooksEvents@gmail.com. Free.
FOOD + DRINK
Sisters Farmers Market Join us on Sundays June-Oct for a vibrant community gathering featuring fresh produce, local goods, live music and community activities.The market hosts a diverse range of over 45 Central Oregon vendors weekly. Sundays, 10am-2pm. Through Oct. 26. Fir Street Park, Sisters, Sisters. Contact: sistersfarmersmarket@gmail.com. Free.
by Ron Fritz and live music performed by Mark Quon, Jenny Wasson, Mike Potter, and Linda Quon. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. 7-9pm.
Maria Bamford
GUNG HO
By Nic Moye
Two Decades of Joy
The Central Oregon Mastersingers have a special performance scheduled to celebrate their anniversary
centraloregonmastersingers.org
The Central Oregon Mastersingers are celebrating 20 years. The choir, made up of 40 to 60 members, depending on the performance, is preparing for it’s next event, “Rooted in Song,” featuring vocalist and composer Moira Smiley. Her music is described as a blend of traditional folk, classical and jazz.
“For this concert, we’ll have about 50 singers, many of whom also form our smaller ensemble, the Chamber Voices,” Administrative Manager Stephanie Hutto told the Source.
To celebrate their anniversary, the Mastersingers commissioned a piece from Smiley called “Northern Flicker.”
“The text was written by Moira herself — partly in a van touring through the Montana mountains, and later at a window in view of fluttering aspen trees and clouds,” Hutto explains. “The piece reflects on time, memory and the powerful role of song in connecting people to the land and each other. The first verse has a haunting, folk-inspired feel, influenced by Ukrainian melodies… The chorus lifts us into joyful harmony, celebrating the human gifts of rhythm, melody and community.”
The second verse introduces the bird calls of the Northern Flicker and the Western Meadowlark.
Soul Food Sunday Best fried chicken in central Oregon. Sundays, 11am-4pm. Through Oct. 26. Dogs and Fries, 63136 Powell Butte Rd., Bend.
BEER + DRINK
$10 Wing Wednesdays A new weekly special: $10 Wing Wednesdays at Cascade Lakes Pub on Reed Market. Choose from one of the house-made sauces like Char Sui, This IPA BBQ and Spicy Staycay Pineapple or go naked! Wednesdays, 11am-9pm. Cascade Lakes Pub on Reed Market, 21175 SE Reed Market Rd., Bend.
$16 Fish Taco and House Margarita
Fridays Join for 3 fish tacos and a house margarita for only $16 every Friday at Cascade Lakes Pub on Reed Market. Fridays, 11am-9pm. Cascade Lakes Pub on Reed Market, 21175 SE Reed Market Rd., Bend.
Commonwealth Pub Happy Hour It’s
5 for 5, with $5 draft beers, $5 house wines, $5 margaritas, $5 crushes and $5 well liquor. Play ping-pong, darts, cornhole, games and enjoy afternoon music on patio and indoors. Ongoing, Noon-6pm. The Commonwealth Pub, 30 SW Century Dr., Bend. Free.
Crosscut Warming Hut: Locals’ Day!
Tuesdays are Locals’ Day. Every Tuesday enjoy $1 off regular size draft beverages. Come by the Warming Hut and hang out by the fire. See you soon, Bend! Tuesdays. Crosscut Warming Hut No 5, 566 SW Mill View Way, Bend.
Happy Hour at Mountain Burger Happy Hour happens every day at Mountain Burger! Ongoing, 3-5pm. Mountain Burger, 2747 NW Crossing Dr., Bend. Contact: 5416687177. info@ mountainburgerbend.com.
Happy Hour at Viaggio Wine Merchant $7 and $8 glasses of wine, cold beer and delicious discounted snacks. Cheers! Tuesdays-Sundays, 3-5pm. Viaggio Wine Merchant, 210 SW Century Dr., Bend. Contact: 541-299-5060. info@ viaggiowine.com. Varies by Purchase.
Power Hour Come check out our new Power Hour deals: $3 draft Coors Light, $5 draft beer, food cart specials that will make your taste buds dance! Mondays-Thursdays-Sundays, 8-9pm. Midtown Yacht Club, 1661 NE Fourth St., Bend. Contact: 458-256-5454. midtownyachtclub@ gmail.com. Free.
STOKED for Thursdays $2 Stokes Lager drafts. Yeah, you read that right. Crazy cheap beer, crazy fun vibes! Thursdays. Stoked for Thursdays! Get $2 draft Stokes Lager by Boss Rambler all day long — some of the cheapest draft beer in Bend! Come get stoked with us! Thursdays. JC’s Bar & Grill, 642 NW Franklin Ave., Bend. Contact: 5413833000. jcsbend@gmail.com.
Taco & Margarita Tuesdays Enjoy 2/$10 chipotle chicken street tacos and $10 margaritas! Tuesdays, 4-9pm. Portello Wine and Spirits, 2754 NW Crossing Dr., Bend. Contact: 541-385-1777. contact@portellobend.com. Free.
Wine Mondays! Every Monday night all glasses of wine are $9! This is an opportunity to try wines from our vast wine list all night long and pair with either tasty small plates or delicious dishes by creative chef Nikki Munk. Mondays, 4-9pm. Portello Wine and Spirits, 2754 NW Crossing Dr., Bend. Contact: 541-385-1777. admin@portellowinecafe.com. Free.
Wine Workshop Series: Björnson Vineyard Godforsaken Grapes and Their Relations: a tasting of rare varieties and their more popular relatives with Bjornson Vineyard. Ever heard of Auxerrois, Gouais Blanc or Mondeuse Noire? Well you’re about to! Oct. 25, 6-7pm. Flights Wine Bar, 1444 NW College Way, Bend. Contact: 541-7280753. events.flights@gmail.com. $25.
During the week of the performance, which is Wednesday, Oct. 29, Smiley will visit local high schools to work with hundreds of students. About 50 of them will join her on stage at the Tower Theatre. The Dove String Quartet will also accompany Smiley and the Mastersingers, which is led by Artistic Director Christian Clark.
Hutto says that working with students and outreach within the community is key to the Mastersingers lasting two decades. “Throughout the year, we offer free performances, like caroling in the Old Mill and at the library, and we participate in events like the Bend Christmas Parade.”
She explains ultimately, the music is about providing a moving experience and a feeling of joy.
“We believe in the power of music to bring people together, and we strive to create musical experiences that feel meaningful and accessible.”
Central Oregon Mastersingers “Rooted in Song” Wed., Oct 29, 7pm Tower Theatre 835 NW Wall St., Bend centraloregonmastersingers.org/2025-2026season.html
$24-$44 +$8 Historic Preservation Fee
Happy Hour Every Day Make every afternoon a little brighter with a hint of British charm at The Commonwealth Pub! From 3-5pm, enjoy drink specials and a cozy pub vibe that’s perfect for winding down. $3 PBRs $5 RPMs $6 Margaritas $7 Wine Happy Hour bites from Whappos! Mondays-Sundays, 3-5pm. Through Dec. 18. The Commonwealth Pub, 30 SW Century Dr., Bend. Contact: 541-668-6200. thecommonwealthpubevents@gmail.com. Free.
Harvest Wine Tasting It’s time again for one of our most popular events. Sample more than 30 wines from 3 of our favorite distributors and stock your winter cellar at the best prices. Come early as this walk-around tasting gets busy fast! Oct. 22, 4:30-7pm. Viaggio Wine Merchant, 210 SW Century Dr., Bend. Contact: 541-299-5060. info@viaggiowine.com. Free.
Locals Day! Locals Day at the Ale! $2 off drafts and $1 off wine and cider! Wednesdays, 2pm. The Ale Apothecary Tasting Room, 30 SW Century Dr., Bend. Contact: taryn@thealeapothecary.com. Free.
Locals’ Day Come on down to Bevel Craft Brewing for $4 beers and cider and $1 off wine all day. There are also food specials from the food carts located out back at The Patio! Tuesdays. Bevel Craft Brewing, 911 SE Armour St., Bend. Contact: holla@bevelbeer.com. Free.
Locals’ Night at WaypointBBC Locals’ Night at WaypointBBC! $5 draft beer, $8 house red and white wine and $8 specialty cocktail. Tuesdays, Noon-10pm. Waypoint, 921 NW Mt Washington Dr., Bend. Contact: 458-206-0826. Waypointbbc@gmail.com. Free.
Monday Night Football Come down for Northside’s Monday night football! Food, drinks and a raffle for your chance to win a jersey! Mondays. Northside Bar & Grill, 62860 Boyd Acres Rd., Bend. Free.
Wings + TRIVIA + Whiskey Enjoy $0.75 wings, $4.50 well whiskey, $6 seven & sevens while testing your knowledge with Trivia, hosted by our amazing Cole! Take on our infamous “physical” challenge - think paper airplanes, musical chairs, limbo etc! Come eat, drink and bring your A-game! Wednesdays, 7pm. JC’s Bar & Grill, 642 NW Franklin Ave., Bend. Contact: 541-3833000. jcsbend@gmail.com. Free.
HEALTH + WELLNESS
Cards and Crystals Seeking some clarity on a situation or curious about what your guides and ancestors have to share? Kati brings her intuitive gifts to Nature’s Bling this Sunday for 15 and 30-minute Tarot readings. Longer sessions available. Reserve your reading ahead of time at threedeertarot.com Oct. 26, Noon-4pm. Nature’s Bling, 133 SW Century Drive, Bend. Contact: hello@threedeertarot.com. $33.
Prenatal Yoga Series Rejuvenate, relax, and recharge as we move, breathe, and build community with other expectant moms! You’ll reduce common pregnancy discomforts and tensions, prepare your body for birth, improve your postpartum recovery, and bring mindfulness to your daily life. All levels and stages of pregnancy are welcome. 6-week series. Saturdays, 10:30-11:45am and Saturdays, 10:30-11:45am. Through Dec. 13. Free Spirit Yoga Ninja Play, 320 SW Powerhouse Drive, Suite 150, Bend. Contact: 5412413919. info@freespiritbend.com. $142.
Sit Spot Community Gathering and Meditation This 1-hour forest bathing experience is a safe space to get grounded and find solace and belonging in the comfort of nature. This practice includes a guided sensory meditation, a nature connection invitation to reduce stress and anxiety, and a closing community circle. Thu, Oct. 16, 1-2pm, Thu, Oct. 23, 1-2pm and Thu, Oct. 30, 1-2pm. Shevlin Park, 18920 Shevlin Rd., Bend. Contact: mindy@rootedpresence.com. Free.
Members of Central Oregon Mastersingers after singing in St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City. June 30, 2024.
CHOW C
A Diversity of Flavor The Crown Curry instantly impresses
By Jared Rasic
The first thing I noticed about The Crown Curry upon entering is the unpretentious warmth of the vibe. More than the dearly departed Nome Italiano or Balthazar’s before that, The Crown Curry has a casual peacefulness that I appreciated. It doesn’t feel stuffy inside; instead, it asks that you take a load off and relax while enjoying some of the finest Indian food the region has to offer.
With the opening of The Crown Curry, we have four Indian restaurants in Bend. But having now tried all four, I don’t think any of them are covering the same ground, and all deserve to thrive in Central Oregon. The recipes for all four restaurants are so different that it’s hard to compare them, honestly. Everything I tried at The Crown Curry was unlike anything else I’ve had locally.
I was initially concerned when I heard that The Crown Curry’s menus were on iPads, but after seeing the sheer magnitude of their menu, it made perfect sense. With nearly 150 menu items, having everything easily accessible on a touch pad to flip through, read about and explore pictures of each dish was actually a huge convenience. It was easy to navigate, and I’m totally here for it.
“Creating the menu was definitely a challenge — but one filled with passion,” says Owner Bhavna Pardeshi. “Each recipe took time, testing and love to perfect. Many of them are inspired by traditional family recipes that I’ve refined for a restaurant kitchen while keeping the soul of the dish intact. It’s about finding the perfect balance — making sure every dish represents true Indian flavor but also suits the taste and quality our guests deserve.”
Pardeshi has built a lovely menu and did something at our meal that I respect greatly. I usually ask the chef or the owner if there are any specific things on the menu they are proud of or think I should definitely try or want readers to know about. I mentioned that Bend doesn’t have the most adventurous palate when it comes to spice or heat, so I thought I should probably try one of the milder Indian staples like Butter Chicken or Tikka Masala. Pardeshi immediately said that she was very proud of her recipes for both, but thought that her entire menu had such a deep well of flavors that I should try something new. I’m glad I took her advice.
“Those classics are wonderful, but India’s cuisine is incredibly diverse,” says Pardeshi. “I always suggest guests try dishes like Lamb Rogan Josh, Goat Curry, or Kadhai Paneer for something comforting yet unique. For spice lovers, Vindaloo or Chicken Curry are great choices. It’s important to explore because Indian food isn’t just one flavor — it’s a whole world of regional tastes and textures. Every dish tells a different story, and that’s what makes Indian cuisine so exciting.”
First off, I tried the Special Vegetarian Platter, featuring samosas, multiple pakoras, spring rolls and aloo tikki. The veggie samosas were delicious, with a complex and multi-layered filling unlike anything I’ve had before. Everything was fried perfectly, with a light, crispy crunch that tasted fresh and without a drop of grease. I’d also never had an Indian spring roll before and found it much lighter and healthier than the Chinese, Vietnamese, or Thai varieties I’ve had before.
“At The Crown Curry, we focus on both authenticity and warmth,” says Pardeshi. “Our recipes come from traditional Indian cooking methods passed down through generations, but we also take pride in our presentation and hospitality. We pay close attention to the balance of spices and the freshness of ingredients. What truly sets us apart is the consistency, passion and personal care we put into every plate. I hope we’re known as the restaurant that serves food with heart — rich flavors, elegant ambiance and genuine hospitality.”
Next came the Chicken Shahi Korma in cashew onion sauce. I chose three out of five heat, and it was that wonderful level where you actually feel and taste the spice without it overwhelming any of the other flavors. And what flavors they are: slight hints of paprika and turmeric with a robust curry base tempered with coconut milk and many things I’m sure I didn’t catch. The cashew onion sauce is creamier than a typical korma, giving it a velvety texture one must experience themselves to believe.
Finally came the Lamb Broccoli, which was truly unlike anything I’ve had in Central Oregon. The curry base was a gorgeous dark red that balanced savory masala flavors with something much smokier and earthier than expected. The lamb was tender and expertly prepared. Not sure what else could have made this any tastier, and it’s on my list as a dish to share with friends whenever possible.
“When guests dine at ‘The Crown Curry,’ I want them to leave with full hearts and happy memories, not just full stomachs,” says Pardeshi. “I hope they feel like they’ve experienced something authentic, vibrant and made with care. Every dish is prepared with passion and every guest is treated like family. Whether it’s their first time trying Indian food or they’re long-time fans, I want them to walk away saying, ‘That was something special.’” That won’t be an issue, I’m guessing.
The Crown Curry 1465 SW Knoll Ave. Bend Tue. 10am-9:30pm Wed.-Mon. 11am-9:30pm facebook.com/p/The-Crown-Curry-ofBend-61576716237369/ 541-241-3700
Robert Marquez
Jared Rasic
Jared Rasic
LITTLE BITES
By Nic Moye
Blue Eyes
Burgers Now in Redmond
The food truck opens at Otto’s Landing
Blue Eyes Burgers and Fries has expanded to Redmond. When the food cart lost its Bend location with the closing of Boss Rambler on Galveston Ave., the company moved it to Otto’s Landing in Redmond.
“We have known that we have had a good fan base up here and are excited to become a part of the community here in Redmond with hopes of opening a brick and mortar here in the future,” owner Parker Vaughan told the Source.
The food truck celebrated its grand opening on Oct. 17. In addition to its popular burger menu featuring the Classic, Rainshadow Rodeo, veggie and kids Smashy, the Redmond cart will also serve milkshakes. Vaughan says delivery and online orders are also available.
Sunriver Brewing is Leaving Its Galveston Location
The brewery manager says remodeling plans led to the decision
Sunriver Brewing Company is closing its NW Galveston Pub in Bend on Saturday, Nov. 1 after nearly a decade. Chief Executive Officer Ken Cameron says the company doesn’t like the changes that are being made to the building.
“We were interested in retaining the current footprint, a relatively small indoor space and current outdoor patio with southern and western sun exposure. We get a lot of folks who like to drink pints in the sun with friends (furry or otherwise) during spring, summer and fall seasons. The developer plan is to eliminate the patio, cold storage, annex and the neighboring residential building and build a second two story building behind the Bakery Building in order to increase the available rentable square footage of the property,” Cameron told the Source.
McKenna Mikesell, Principal Broker with RSM Real Estate Group says, “The original concept was to add to the rear of the lot while giving Sunriver Brewing an incredible new patio space. However, city code requires a 10-foot setback from the neighboring residential properties, which led us to rethink the design. The new plan extends the existing building and adds a fully enclosed, year-round patio.”
Mikesell says there will be two new restaurant spaces available for tenant buildout by January of 2027.
closing from Oct. 31 through Nov. 17, reopening with an updated fall/winter menu on Nov. 18.
BOSA owners went onto say, “If anything, our concerns lie with the City’s upcoming Galveston Street Project. We are in the dark just as much as other neighboring businesses. We have not been approached yet or received any calls, emails or updates regarding the project.”
The City of Bend is expected to begin work next spring on the Galveston Corridor Project which includes street paving and lighting, creating five-foot-wide buffered bike lanes, and more visible and ADA-compliant pedestrian crossings. Once design has progressed, there will be an informational open house meeting that is likely to take place in December or January.
RSM Real Estate Group is also managing the redevelopment happening across the street from Sunriver Brewing where Boss Rambler Beer Club used to be. That will include space for three new restaurants or businesses, which Mikesell says will be ready for tenant buildout in fall 2027.
Before closing, Sunriver Brewing is hosting a Halloween bash on Friday, Oct. 31 from 6-9pm at its Galveston Pub. Cameron says they may host holiday events in the space in November and December.
The Lemon Tree is For Sale
The owners say they’re committed to finding a buyer who will continue building upon what they’ve created
The popular downtown Bend breakfast/lunch restaurant, The Lemon Tree, is for sale. A listing on Compass Commercial says the asking price is $500,000. The post states gross revenue is $1.5 million while rent is $4,151 per month with an additional monthly Common Area Maintenance fee of $1,605.
The Lemon Tree, which won Best Brunch 2025 by Source readers, opened in the spring of 2018 on NW Franklin Avenue. After yachting around the world and enjoying international cuisine, the owners, Mac and Betsy McDonald, developed The Lemon Tree in Tuscany before moving to Bend.
“We’ve completed all of our goals that were made when we first established The Lemon Tree,” Mac told the Source. He says he and his wife want to take a break and travel, but say they will spend the time needed to sell to an owner who will continue building upon what they’ve started.
BOSA Food & Drink, which shares the Bakery Building with Sunriver Brewing, is staying put. Manager Jenny King forwarded an email to the Source from BOSA’s chef/owners that states, “The rumor mill is going strong in town regarding BOSA and the construction at the Bakery Building. We’ve heard it all. From tearing down the Bakery Building, to us taking over Sunriver’s space, to closing permanently, etc. The wildest things.”
But the only thing changing at BOSA is that the restaurant will be getting its own bathrooms. BOSA normally takes a break in the fall,
“We are interested in opening another location in Bend if the right opportunity arises,” he says. For now, he’s focused on the brewery’s three other Central Oregon locations in Sunriver, the eastside of Bend and Redmond.
“We’ve had a lot of good memories in this location and will miss being a part of the Galveston community. We’ve done our very best to find placement for many of our current Galveston staff at our other locations and appreciate all the work our team has put in over the years to make the location a success.”
“We are focused on selling to an individual who sees the value in what we’ve created,” Mac says. “This may take months, if not years to sell. Worry not, we’ll be open with our usual hours until then.”
Menu items, which change seasonally, feature a variety of egg Benedicts, such as the popular crab cake, steak or salmon, the Tunisian dish Shakshuka, the Indonesian dish Nasi Goreng, a Coronation Salade with curried chicken breast and a variety of bakery items.
Mac says business has rebounded from the Covid days, setting new internal sales records each season. “We’d like to thank our local base of ‘Lemonheads’ for their support throughout the years. We couldn’t have done it without them.”
Blue Eyes food truck is now open at Otto’s Landing in Redmond.
The Lemon Tree is for sale for $500,000.
Rendering of what the remodel of the Bakery Building may look like when complete. Two new restaurant spaces will be available for tenant buildout by January of 2027.
RSM Real Estate Group
Parker Vaughan
Halloween Haunts
Halloween Themed Events curated to Spookify your week!
Schilling's Garden Market Pumpkin Patch
Head to Schilling’s any day through the last of the month to enjoy a festive atmosphere, complete with specialty pumpkins, mums, porch decorations, squash and cider. Bring the kids to enjoy a hay maze, and say hello to donkeys, goats and chickens.
Pumpkin Patch
Open daily, through Fri., Oct. 31
Schilling's Garden Market 64640 Old Bend Redmond Hwy., Bend Schillingsgardenmarket.com Free
Pattie Gonia Presents: Spooky Save Her!
A Halloween-themed environmental drag show! Critically acclaimed drag artist Pattie Gonia stars in “Save Her!”, a drag show all about climate change and solutions. The show also features an all-star cast of drag kings, queens and things that will leave you saying “it’s getting hot in here”. Pattie Gonia is an environmentalist, drag queen and community organizer. They’ve been named Outside Magazine’s Person of the Year, National Geographic Traveler of the Year and a TIME Magazine Next Gen Leader 2023.
Spooky Save Her! Fri., Oct. 31, 8pm Tower Theatre
835 NW Wall St., Bend
Towertheatre.org
$58–$87
Beetlejuice Jr.
Presented by BEAT Children’s Theatre and written by Michael McDowell and Larry Wilson, “Beetlejuice Jr.” is a play based on the movie and promises a fun, family-friendly way to celebrate the season. When teenager Lydia Deetz moves into a haunted house and meets the ghostly couple who once lived there— along with a mischievous demon named Beetlejuice—chaos ensues!
Beetlejuice Jr.
Thu., Oct. 30–Sat., Nov. 8
Open Space Event Studios 220 NE Lafayette Ave., Bend www.beatchildrenstheatre.org
$15–$20
Bend Witches Paddle
Don your best witch outfit, grab your preferred aquatic vessel and head to Riverbend Park for an enchanting paddle. This year’s event will operate as a fundraiser for Mountain Star Relief Nursery and, though not a requirement to partake, participants are invited to bring donations in the form of diapers (sizes 4–6), gas cards and grocery gift cards. Direct financial donations are appreciated as well. This is a kid and dog-friendly event where all witch costumes are welcome. Don’t forget your life jacket!
Witches Paddle Fri., Oct. 31, 4pm
Enter if You Dare
If you’re seeking an especially haunting experience, the ScareGrounds in Redmond are now open in Redmond. There are two creepy options: “The Asylum for the Criminally Insane” and the “Demented Toy Factory.” The Asylum is where abandoned patients, alive and dead, roam around terrorizing those who dare to enter. The Demented Toy Factory features one-of-a-kind toys, which customers will discover are to die for!
It’s the 18th year for the haunted grounds. Visitors who dare to enter are not allowed to use cell phones, cameras, recording or lighting devices of any kind. The terrifying experience is every weekend, Thursdays through Saturdays now through Nov. 1. The event uses timed tickets. When you arrive, you go to the tent, and get in line for your time slot.
The Asylum & Demented Toy Factory Thu-Sat, Oct 10-Nov 1 120 SW Glacier Ave., Redmond scaremegood.com/ $25 single ticket/$45 for both haunts
Belfry Halloween Extravaganza!
Celebrate with The Crunk Mountain Boys: a high-octane musical force to reckon with. David Jacobs-Strain is at the helm with his swampy roots/blues originals and fierce guitar playing. You can’t sit still when this mostly-acoustic band is rattling the windows and thumping the floor. David Jacobs-Strain and The Crunk Mountain Boys play festivals, barn parties, house concerts, stages, hallways, tents, tailgates and more. Also playing is Christopher Worth.
Belfry Halloween Extravaganza Fri., Oct. 31, 8pm The Belfry 302 E Main Ave., Sisters Bendticket.com $29
Pattie Gonia
Howl-o-ween Pet Costume Contest
The Humane Society of Central Oregon is running back a crowd favor ite: the Howl-o-ween Pet Costume Contest. Think your doggo has the best outfit on the block? Head to the Main Plaza at the Old Mill to show it off! Registration is open 4–5:30pm with judging beginning at 5:30pm.
Local “celebrity” judges will hand out prizes for the top three costumes. It would be difficult to find a cuter Halloween event!
Howl-o-ween Fri., Oct. 31, 4–7pm Old Mill Main Plaza 520 SW Powderhouse Dr., Bend www.hsco.org/whats-happening Free
Discovery Corner Fright Night
A Spooktacular evening and perfectly autumnal celebration for ghouls and goblins of all ages. Fire Line Dancing will be leading our haunted hoedown with Halloween-themed line dancing. There will also be face-painting, a photobooth, food trucks on site and free trick-ortreat bag giveaways. Come in costume! Kids (and kids at heart) can fill their bags with treats as they explore Discovery Corner.
Fright Night Fri., Oct. 31, 4–6pm Discovery Corner 1125 NW Ochoa Dr., Bend Discoverywestbend.com/fright-night-at-discovery-corner/ Free
Literary Ghost Walk Returns
Ghosts of famous authors will be roaming the Downtown Bend Library the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 29. Visitors of all ages can take a haunted stroll through the stacks to meet the spirits of Edward Gorey, Dorothy Parker, Shel Silverstein, Toni Morrison and more. Visitors will receive a Ghost Walk Passport to collect stamps from each author. That can be exchanged for a book or toy at the end of the evening. There will also be live music and crafts. Costumes are encouraged.
Library Ghost Walk
Wed. Oct 29, 6:30-7:30pm Downtown Bend Library 601 NW Wall St., Bend deschuteslibrary.org/ Free
C CULTURE
WHAT CASSIE'S READING
A terrifying locked-room mystery —this time set on a remote outpost on Mars.
The human crew sent to prepare the first colony on Mars arrives to find the new base half-destroyed and the three robots sent to set it up in disarray — the machines have formed alliances, chosen their own names, and picked up some disturbing beliefs. Each must be interrogated. But one of them is missing. "Exiles" is a terrifying, taut, one-sitting read, and Mason Coile once again blends science fiction and psychological horror to engage some of humanity’s deepest questions.
Under-the-Radar Reads for Spooky Season Haunted reads for every type of reader
By Joanna Roddy, Bookseller at Roundabout Books & Cafe
Iadmit to being a coward when it comes to the horror genre. I don’t even watch horror movie previews. But I can’t deny that this time of year, with the longer, colder nights, Halloween lights flickering from houses and the urge to stay cozy, safe and warm inside, there’s something about a bone-chilling tale by the fire that’s just…delicious. Even a chicken like me finds herself seeking spooky thrills. Here’s my round-up for the best scary books you may not know about at the bookstore this fall.
Multiple Jackson and Stoker award-winner Stephen Graham Jones’s latest, “The Buffalo Hunter Hunter” (2025) is a historical novel following a man (or is he a man?) who haunts the Blackfeet reservation, taking violent revenge, an agent of justice. Some compare Jones to a literary Quentin Tarantino, and this novel is an excellent starting place for his highly regarded body of work.
T. Kingfisher might write horror, but it’s kind of cozy. Or it’s more like horror adjacent. Her novella, “A House with Good Bones” (2023) is a contemporary take on the Southern Gothic, with an entomologist protagonist (plenty of creepy crawlies in the story!) returned to her childhood home that festers with twisted family secrets, casual racism and horrifying monsters just under the surface of things. Oh, and vultures.
Horror’s foremost magazine, “Dark Matter”, published Bend’s own Stephen Schreffler for one of its first novels. “The Bleed” (2024) is a cosmic horror romp of 90’s nostalgia and monsters, following two high school outcasts who, after a series of brutal murders in their small Michigan town, are forced to prove their innocence while a super-secret organization tries to contain the tear in reality. With “Stranger Things” vibes and a heavy metal heart, it’s been called “binge-worthy” and “a hell of a good time.”
I read a lot of mystery novels, and this atmospheric thriller set in Wales with a supernatural twist is a perfect fall read. “The Madness” (2024) by Dawn Kurtagich plays with Gothic themes, the Dracula myth and the all-too-familiar phenomenon of missing women to create a thoroughly contemporary tale of crime, violence, and survival. Short Stories
If you’re looking for something more bite-sized, “Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology” (2023) edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst, Jr. is a collection of 26 short stories by Indigenous authors exploring Indigenous supernatural themes. It’s so good, it won a hat-trick: the Stoker, the Jackson, and the Locus.
Stephen King isn’t exactly under-the-radar, but you may not know of his new short fiction collection, “You Like it Darker” (2024). It has a range of spooky, sci-fi and suspense tales, including a sequel to Cujo.
Non-Fiction
Law enforcement officer and Navajo Ranger, Stanley Milford, Jr.’s “The Paranormal Ranger: A Navajo Investigator’s Search for the Unexplained” (2024) had me diving under my covers and awake at 2am for weeks. He details his experiences with paranormal events on the 27,000-mile Navajo Nation: UFO and alien encounters, livestock mutilations, skinwalker visitations, Bigfoot sting operations and malevolent hauntings. Fascinating, freaky and told with a calm authority that only adds to its credibility. And terror.
Teens
My favorite Young Adult horror writer is Krystal Sutherland, and I’m obsessed with “The Invocations” (2024) and its feminist angle on the serial killer subgenre. Three young women—one a witch, two desperate for what her magic can do for them—band together when someone starts killing girls with magical powers. Bloody, unflinching and badass, it was my top book of last year.
Natasha Preston is the queen of YA thrillers. Her latest, “The Party” (2024), takes the teen slasher back to its roots in Gothic literature as a group of friends partying at a remote English castle are picked off by a killer, one by one.
Kids
For upper elementary kids, “Small Spaces” (2018) by Katherine Arden is THE Middle Grade horror series. Each book of the quartet is set in a different season and “Small Spaces”, the first, is set in autumn, with creepy scarecrows, graveyards and the sinister “Smiling Man,” who pursues the three eleven-year-old protagonists while mysterious things happen all around them.
Another spooky kids’ trilogy is Victoria Schwab’s Cassidy Blake series, beginning with “City of Ghosts” (2018). After resurrecting from drowning, Cassidy can enter the world of the dead and her best friend is a ghost. Her parents’ investigations into haunted places bring Cassidy deeper into a shadow world that’s far more dangerous than she knew.
Come on by Roundabout Books, and let us help you find one of these titles, or something more catered to your tastes. We have the perfect stormy night books for the most seasoned horror fans, and for the total scaredy-cats like me.
—Joanna (Joey) Roddy writes fantasy novels, narrates audiobooks, works as an event designer at Authors Unbound—a full-service author event agency, and generally lives and breathes books. After three years as a bookseller at Roundabout, she still fills in some weekends and leads the Out of This World Book Club.
Roundabout Books & Cafe
“Exiles” by Mason Coile
O OUTSIDE Mateo Paez cycles his way across the world as an elite competitive bikepacker
Bikepacking racers tackle tough climbs, long hours in the saddle and emotional fatigue as they must rely on themselves to get through a race
By Dallas Finn Calvert
As a college student, Mateo Paez commuted on his Vespa up, down and around the hills of San Francisco. However, a collision with a car pulling out of a parking spot set Paez on a path to cycling up mountains, across the globe, that he never saw coming.
“I didn’t have any major injuries, but my scooter was totaled, which forced me to fall in love with the bike,” recalls Paez, 33, who like many people, “always had a bike around” but hadn’t considered it as a primary mode of transportation. Once his scooter was out of commission, he realized he didn’t want to drive a car or take the bus, so he got himself an inexpensive one-speed bike.
“I fell in love with it,” he says of cycling around San Francisco. “It was definitely surprising. It’s totally my life now. It’s this tool to see the world with but then has also morphed into this competitive world.”
Paez, who’s lived in Bend since 2014, is an elite athlete in the cycling world, but not in a discipline that’s necessarily well known, like road or mountain biking. Rather, he competes in bikepacking, an endurance sport that combines the toughest aspects of all-terrain cycling and backpacking. He placed second in the 2025 Idaho Smoke & Fire 400, third in the 2022 Big Lonely in Bend and third in the 2022 Westfjords Way Challenge in Iceland.
When the clock starts, bikepackers take off on a prescribed route that can range anywhere from 400 to 3,000 miles and 30 hours to two weeks. They ride mostly dirt and gravel roads, rail and singletrack trails, and even ford rivers. Off-the-bike wrangling occurs regularly, as competitors have to hike-a-bike over steep or rocky terrain, and for some races, such one Paez did in Norway, they must catch a ferry between the route’s points. Some races include predetermined nightly stops, but others are just the cyclist and their bike racing against the clock from start to finish.
Men and women compete equally, and they must carry everything they’ll need with them, although they can avail themselves of commercial establishments along the fixed route, such as restaurants, hotels, and bike-repair shops. It’s an “unsupported” form of multiday cycling competition, meaning there are no vans with helpers who follow you and help when your bike breaks or you need food or first aid. Competitors must figure out their sleeping arrangements and worry about their dental hygiene, sun protection (particularly while riding high in the mountains), and deal with any minor injuries or sickness requiring first aid. Most importantly, they must plan their meals, which often involves eating whatever they can find during a quick gas station stop.
“You have to eat like it’s your job, so your body will keep powering through it. The first day, you’re eating tested nutrition, including candy, protein bars and gels, and gummies,” Paez said. “Once you get about 24 hours into a race, you’ve gone through your stockpile, so it comes down to anything you can find in commercialized shops. One of the more unappetizing aspects of the sport is that it requires eating gas-station food. Weirdly enough, if I haven’t done a race or event lately, I kind of look forward to it in a way, because I can
eat like a crazy person or a kid. But definitely after the race, I crave natural, clean, simple foods.”
While it might sound easy enough to pop into a restaurant for a satisfying meal mid race, the competitive aspect of bikepacking doesn’t necessarily allow for it.
“Once the clock starts, the race doesn’t stop,” Paez explained. “You have to have everything that you need to take care of yourself and your bike. You’re doing it under your own steam and your own power to get to that finish line. You have to carry everything you need on your bike. Your nutrition, bike maintenance (tools and parts), and anything mechanical, you have to take care of it yourself. But you can go to a bike shop. You just can’t have stuff delivered to you or call a friend to bring it to you.”
And while rigorous climbs in the saddle and a lack of a comfortable mattress or hot meal are not small factors, the hours of isolation competitors endure, where they might not see, nor talk to, another person, can be the toughest aspect of all.
“It’s not just a bike race. It pretty quickly turns into wayfinding and just taking care of yourself,” Paez said. “Every single comfort that you’re used to in your daily life is kind of taken away. You’re in your own little bubble of eating, drinking, sleeping and riding your bike."
Growing up in San Clemente, California, Paez never imagined he’d be a competitive cyclist. After finishing college in San Francisco, he moved himself back home, making the long trip down the California coast on his one-speed bike.
“There’s just never the right gear on a bike like that,” he said with a chuckle, adding after making that final trip on his one-speed, he sprang for a new road bike.
Paez then moved to Portland, where he lived for a few years before a weekend trip to Bend left him
hooked him on Central Oregon because of the “thriving bike scene” and cycling community and also because “I needed sunshine at that point.” Today, he works for Chariot Bike, coaches at Bend Endurance Academy, and trains for and competes in, typically, two major long-distance bikepacking races annually along with several smaller cycling competitions. Two major races a year might not seem like a lot, he said, but the planning and training that goes into ensuring a smooth and successful multi-day race performance requires a significant amount of time and energy. However, after completing several long races, including the Tour Divide (twice), The Big Lonely (350 miles), and another around Central Europe, he’s becoming an old hand at the preparation it takes.
The Tour Divide, which began in 2005, is one of the longest-running bikepacking races. Competitors ride the length of the Rocky Mountains, beginning in Banff, Alberta in Canada and finishing in New Mexico, cycling through Idaho, Montana, Colorado and Wyoming, racking up 2,745 miles in total. During the ride, competitors will climb nearly 200,000 feet, spending upwards of 16 hours a day on their bikes. Along the way, cyclists must camp out overnight or find shelter along the route, and it can take approximately two weeks to finish the race.
“It’s the grandfather of bikepack racing,” said Paez of the June race that sees competitors navigating through the many passes of the Continental Divide. He’s done it the last two years. “It’s one of those events that definitely takes control (of your life) and takes anywhere from six to 12 months of the year with planning and balancing other life things and financials. Then, if you’re going fast, it takes two weeks (to finish). If anything happens or there’s (bad) weather, it can take longer.”
Paez completed the race in 2024 but had to withdraw this year after a crash in the mountains.
“I pulled the pin,” he said, a tinge of frustration in his voice. “There were really high winds on day 10, just out of Wyoming, like 70 mile-per-hour winds. I was stuck in the middle of nowhere, and the only way out is through. I wasn’t paying attention and I got blown off the road. I crashed into a ditch. I was able to keep going, but I was definitely injured. I continued for two days and then…I decided to scratch in Silverthorne, Colorado. I was 1,800 miles into the route. I did it in 2024, and I wanted to do it faster this year. It was going great until it wasn’t.”
Paez has shaken off the Tour Divide experience and is focusing on his next big race, the Tour Te Waipounamu 2026, which runs the length of New Zealand’s South Island, Te Waipounamu o Aotearoa. The route is approximately 900 miles long, going through lush forest and climbing up large mountains.
—This story has been edited for length and clarity, read the full version online at bendsource.com.
Mateo Paez racing in the 2024 Tour Divide, which runs from Banff, Alberta in Canada to the U.S. border with Mexico.
Mateo Paez
SC SCREEN Score One For Ross and Reznor
Nine Inch Nails Save Tron: Ares
By Jared Rasic
The “Tron” franchise is an interesting one. The original from 1982 is groundbreaking in terms of filmmaking and special effects, but it didn’t perform well critically or financially. At the time, Disney had to write off most of the budget, and the film was seen as a failure (except by Roger Ebert!). Over the next decade-plus, the film became a cult classic for nerds like me, who were in love with the effects and the strange beauty of the world.
After 18 years, Disney decides that “Tron” has enough of a following to not only make a legacy sequel, but to position it as their company’s answer to “Star Wars.” Thus, we got “Tron: Legacy” in 2010, a decent movie that made around $400 million for the “Tron” brand but was still seen as a disappointment by Disney, as they were hoping to cross a billion. Same story, different movie: the movie was forgotten almost immediately after release, and then slowly over the last 15 years has built up enough of a cult following that Disney is ready to dust off the old arcade cabinet and tap back into The Grid.
In rewatching “Tron” and “Tron: Legacy” in preparation for the release of “Tron: Ares,” I was able to learn a few things about the franchise, always enhanced by rose-colored nostalgia glasses for me. First, the original “Tron’s” actual plot is secondary to the effects. If the revolutionary computer effects and world-building weren’t there, no one would really care about Jeff Bridges’ mission to regain ownership over a video game he invented. The film is actually pretty dull, with Bridges doing his best
to energize a fairly mellow story.
“Tron: Legacy” does a good job expanding the scope of the world and has a ton of exciting action and sci-fi shenanigans, but it is completely hobbled in 2025 by the de-aged version of Jeff Bridges, who serves as the villain of the film. The character looks so AI and phony that (especially when standing next to the REAL Jeff Bridges) it grinds the movie to a halt whenever it shows up.
But “Tron: Legacy” has one thing going for it that really elevates the film into cult classic territory: The score by Daft Punk is an all-timer. The score is so propulsive and intense that it carries the movie through even some of its worst moments. Seriously, even if you have zero interest in ever watching a “Tron” movie, listen to Daft Punk’s score, and create your own version in your imagination.
Now, we have “Tron: Ares,” fresh with many of those same lessons from the previous “Tron” movies learned and unlearned. Obviously, the effects
are incredible with astonishing production design, cinematography and action sequences. This was always going to be a given. Director Joachim Rønning really does some awe-inspiring stuff with the camera that always manages to keep the film interesting to look at, even when the pedestrian story falters along the way. My biggest problem with “Tron: Ares” is something that might not bother anyone else, but I need to bring it up anyway: Jared Leto doesn’t know how to modulate a performance. I’m almost positive he’s a terrible person in real life, but even if we ignore all that, it seems like he’s way more concerned with making an impression than creating a character that fits in the world he’s a part of. His Joker is cartoonish without any subtext, his performance in “House of Gucci” is garish and worthy of SNL, and his work in “Ares” is like he googled being “subtle” and pulled off “sleepy” instead. He’s not a consistent performer, and in roles like this, “Blade Runner 2049” and “Morbius,” he
actively makes them worse.
Luckily, the one thing Disney retained from “Legacy” is finding a brilliant band to provide an omnipresent and transporting score and dialing into it with intensity and gusto. The Nine Inch Nails score for “Tron: Ares” isn’t just one of the best of the year but will be in the conversation for GOAT. It held me rapt, watching every single frame, even as the story (about AI, freedom and other trite conventions) bored the hell out of me.
I hope “Tron: Ares” is watched by millions of people, not as an extension of another Disney franchise or a Jared Leto vehicle, but as the most expensive NIN music video ever made.
I couldn’t tell you half of the plot points or story ideas in “Ares,” and I watched it two days ago, but as a visual ride, it’s pretty incredible. If you just want two hours of NIN elevating film scores into another stratosphere while you’re looking at insanely layered imagery, then look no further. Think of it like “Koyaanisqatsi,” but with 100% more Leto. Gummies were invented for “Tron: Ares.” Do with that what you will.
“Tron: Ares” Dir. Joachim Rønning Grade: A- or a C+, I have no idea. Now Playing at Regal Old Mill, Sisters Movie House, Redmond Cinema, McMenamins Old St. Francis, Madras Cinema 5
SC SCREEN It’s a Block(buster) Party Blockbuster hits middle age
By Jared Rasic
Ithink Bendites and Central Oregonians take for granted that they live alongside the Last Blockbuster on Planet Earth. While there are still several incredible and iconic video stores across the West Coast (the dreamy “Movie Madness” in PDX and the deeply quirky and cavernous “Scarecrow Video” in Seattle are two of my favorites), our Blockbuster is a genuine Mom and Pop show that inspires nostalgia from the moment you pull in the parking lot.
But don’t trust my opinion, because I am proudly un-objective. Several years ago, I was lucky enough to be in “The Last Blockbuster” documentary, waxing poetic about the smell of VHS cases and the importance of physical media in a time when algorithms and AI shape most of the entertainment we consume. I’m a diehard fan of the store and have been since before it was the last one. It’s a five-minute walk from my house, and being able to roll in at some random time and chat with the manager Dan Montgomery about the latest horror movie releases is something I’ll never get tired of doing.
This last weekend, The Last Blockbuster on Earth celebrated its 40th anniversary. Not of the store, but of Blockbuster itself…coming out the same year as “Back to the Future” and “The Goonies.” The party itself was perfect and as unpretentious as GM Sandi Harding is herself. Rocking a flawless throwback jean jacket and a smile, Harding made sure the block party in the parking lot of Blockbuster felt like something you could stumble across in 1985 or 2085.
With corn dogs, snow cones, booths for dance studios, the Humane Society, Papa Murphy’s and a company that transfers old VHS tapes to disc or otherwise, plus a musical performance from the cast of Greenhouse Cabaret’s “Once,” the Blockbuster anniversary party was less about celebrating the survival of a corporate entity and much more about reminding Bend of its small-town roots. It was impossible to walk around inside or outside the store and not feel deeply connected to this community and be reminded that video stores weren’t just a place to rent movies, but also a space to gather and discuss film, connect with friends, go on dates and be yelled at by your parents when trying to rent “Hellraiser” as a 10-year old.
I was there to judge a costume contest and as soon as I saw a little kid dressed like Beetlejuice, it was all over. It was hard not to feel a bit emotional seeing children running around a video store and being sort of amazed that something like this existed outside in the real world instead of just on a streaming service. With genuine film geeks behind the counter and curating the DVD and Blu-ray selections, I found stacks of Mario Bava and Dario Argento movies I have always wanted physical copies of, while my friend found a treasure trove of Asian Extreme horror flicks she always wanted. Finding these kinds of artifacts out in the wild is genuinely exciting and was one of the best physical media scores I’ve had all year.
Celebrating Blockbuster’s 40th with Sandi, Dan and the crew was genuinely special and reminded me that the store isn’t just a must-see tourist destination but still thrives as a store for people who genuinely love what video stores should still mean to the world. Film is important and much more than just a throwback to kitchy nostalgia. When I walk into that store, I don’t see the half-faded glory of a corporate brand, I see a tireless group of locals keeping actual magic alive in the world. Happy 40th, Blockbuster. May you have so many more.
The Last Blockbuster on The Planet Everyday 10:30am-10pm 211 NE Revere Ave., Bend bendblockbuster.com/ 541-385-9111
Dom Makasuya
THE PSYCHEDELIC FRONTIER EXPLORING INTENTIONAL PSYCHEDELIC USE IN THE MODERN WORLD
By Mary Casanave Sheridan
Finding Balance in Sacred Relationship
Q: Is it possible to develop too much of a relationship with psychedelics? How do I know if I’m using them as spiritual bypassing?
A: Your awareness in asking it already speaks to the wisdom you’re cultivating, because the very act of questioning our relationship with these substances is part of maintaining healthy boundaries with them.
Yes, it is absolutely possible to develop an imbalanced relationship with psychedelics. Like any profound relationship, the one we form with these teachers can become distorted when we approach them from a place of spiritual materialism rather than genuine surrender and growth.
The Signs of Spiritual Bypassing
Spiritual bypassing with plant medicines often looks like using journeys to avoid the messy, mundane work of integration. I’ve witnessed people, and if I’m honest, I’ve been one of them at times, who return from powerful experiences with insights about love, oneness, and transcendence, yet remain unable to have difficult conversations with their partners, set boundaries at work, or sit with their own anger without reaching for the next ceremony.
The medicine might show you that “everything is connected,” but if you’re still avoiding your tax paperwork, neglecting your body’s need for rest, or using spiritual language to dismiss others’ very human concerns, the teaching isn’t landing where it needs to.
Another red flag is frequency without purpose. When we find ourselves booking the next journey before we’ve fully digested the last one, or when we start measuring our spiritual progress by how many ceremonies we’ve attended rather than how we show up in our daily lives, we’ve likely crossed into problematic territory.
The Difference Between Devotion and Dependency
There’s a crucial distinction between a d evoted practice and a troubling pattern. Devotion to this work feels grounding, and it connects you more deeply to your values, relationships, and purpose. You might journey regularly, but there’s spaciousness around it. You can sit with discomfort without immediately seeking something to soothe you.
Unhealthy relationships are marked by anxiety around not journeying. A feeling that you’re not progressing fast enough, that you need another breakthrough, another download, another dissolution to finally “get it.” This
mindset treats the medicines like spiritual fast food rather than honoring them as teachers who work on their own timeline.
Integration as the True Measure
The real question isn’t how often you journey, but how those journeys are living through you. Are the insights you receive becoming embodied wisdom? Are you more patient, more honest, or more aligned six months after a powerful experience?
I’ve learned to evaluate my relationship with these medicines by looking at my capacity for presence without them. Can I sit with my grief without needing to journey through it? Can I access states of gratitude and wonder in my ordinary consciousness? Can I navigate conflict and uncertainty without immediately seeking the clarity that only seems to come in ceremony?
The Practice of Sacred Pausing
One of the most transformative practices I’ve developed is what I call “sacred pausing” or intentionally taking breaks from ceremony work. These pauses aren’t punitive; they’re devotional. They honor the medicines by giving their teachings space to root and blossom in the soil of everyday life.
During these pauses, I often discover that the medicine is still working, still teaching, still transforming. The real magic isn’t always in the peak experiences; it’s in how those experiences continue to unfold weeks, months, or even years later through our choices, relationships, and way of being in the world.
Trust Your Inner Knowing
Ultimately, you are your own best guide in assessing this relationship. If something feels off, if you’re journeying more frequently but feeling less grounded, if you’re gaining insights but struggling to implement them, if you’re using spiritual language to avoid difficult emotions - examine that discomfort. It’s often the first sign that rebalancing is needed.
The Long View
Remember, this is a lifelong relationship, not a race to enlightenment. The medicines will be there when you truly need them. The most profound transformations I’ve witnessed in myself and others have come not from the frequency of journeying, but from the depth of commitment to living what we’ve learned. —Questions are encouraged. Please send to Mary@myco.vision and they may be answered in future columns.
Pearl’s Puzzle
By Brendan Emmett Quigley
tsk”
30. Breakfast cereal served at the Genius Bar? 36. Weaves together
39. Sealed the deal
40. Stubborn social reformer Dorothea? 44. Music genre whose bands often use the genre in their names
45. Dr. who’s a headphone magnate
46. St. relative
49. Shiny comic book Gaul?
56. Sarcastic snort
57. Local legislator, informally
58. Make some repairs to a train station?
62. Like many a rural highway
63. ___ de Saint-Exupéry (“The Little Prince” author)
64. Mouth to the music
65. Discreetly include on an email
66. Student Debt Support org.
67. Coast Guard mem.
68. College football day, mainly: Abbr.
DOWN
1. Waits in the wings
2. Speaker on a soapbox
3. Unsophisticates
4. Dubya’s secretary of state
5. La ___ (sparkling water brand)
6. Subscriber’s option
7. Crow’s call
8. Like the times when radio was king
9. Cheri in the “SNL” Spartan cheerleaders skits
10. Psaki of MSNBC
11. Geodesy, e.g: Abbr.
12. El Big ___ (Del Taco purchase)
14. “Cryptonomicon” author Stephenson
16. Having two functions
20. Sequence of stages, in ecology
23. F1 neighbor
24. Bay Area force: Abbr.
28. Three, on sundials
29. Phone no. adjunct
30. [Finger snap!]
31. Chest press muscle, briefly
32. Trident-looking letter
33. Get ___ of
34. Opposite of là’s
35. “One of the most beautiful, natural, wholesome things that money can buy” according to Steve Martin
36. Ski area locales: Abbr.
37. “Call the exterminator”
38. Pick up
41. Dedication in verse
42. Some heavy planters
43. Home to Sub Pop records
46. Neat displays
47. “Amadeus” setting
48. Await
50. Very, very melodramatically
51. Language that roughly 2000 people speak globally (I’m sure many of them are teachers)
52. Radio-controlled device
53. Escorted through the foyer
54. Sports car features
55. Wriggly fish
58. Cool, in the ‘60s
59. End of business?
60. “Senses Working Overtime” band
61. Vegetable that rolls
Puzzle for the week of October 20, 2025
Puzzle for the week of October 20, 2025 Difficulty Level:
Difficulty Level: ●●○○
Fill in every row, column, and 3x3 box with each of the letters
L exactly once.
Fill in every row, column, and 3x3 box with each of the letters exactly once. THEN PROWL
The highlighted letters read left to right and top to bottom will complete the quote: “Utility is when you have one , luxury is when you have two, opulence is when you have three - and paradise is when you have ”
Fill in every row, column, and 3x3 box with each of the letters T H E N P R O W L exactly once.
ANSWER TO LAST WEEK'S PUZZLES
Answer for the week of October 13, 2025
The highlighted letters read left to right and top to bottom will “Utility is when you have one , luxury is when you you have three - and paradise is when you have . ” - Doug Larson
W R I N O L D E E I N D L W O V R O L D V E R N W I
“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn't it?” — Lucy Maud Montgomery
“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn't it?” - Lucy Maud Montgomery
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ASTROLOGY
By Rob Brezsny
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): When I began writing horoscopes years ago, I had greater empathy with some of the signs than with others. But I worked hard to overcome this bias, and now I truly love and understand every tribe of the zodiac equally. I attribute this accomplishment to the fact that I have three Libra planets in my natal chart. They have propelled me to develop a warm, affectionate, fair-minded objectivity. I have a deeply honed capacity for seeing and liking people as they genuinely are, without imposing my expectations and projections onto them. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to tap into these qualities in yourself, dear Libra.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Many cultures regard obsidian as having protective powers against negative energy. This makes it popular for healing talismans. Obsidian mirrors have often been used to scry for visions and prophecies. Because obsidian is so sharp, ancient peoples incorporated it into tools used to hunt for food, like knives and arrowheads. In modern times, obsidian is used for its beauty in tabletops, tiles, and architectural components. Do you know how this precious substance is formed? It’s born in the shock between elements: molten lava meets water or cool air and hardens so quickly that crystals can’t form, trapping a mirror-dark clarity in volcanic glass. I propose we make it your symbolic power object in the coming months, Scorpio.
ing through. I believe life will conspire on your behalf if you initiate this bold move. You now have extra power to exorcize at least some of your angsts and embrace liberating joy.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): I bet your upcoming night dreams will include marriages, mating dances, and sacramental unions. Even if you are not planning deeper mergers with trustworthy allies in your waking life, your subconscious mind is musing on such possibilities. I hope this horoscope inspires you to make such fantasies more conscious. What collaborations and blends would serve you well? Give your imagination permission to ponder new and exciting connections. Visualize yourself thriving amidst new connections.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In winemaking, malolactic fermentation softens a wine’s tart malic acid into gentler lactic acid. This process imparts a creamier and rounder mouthfeel, while preserving the wine’s structure. In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to adopt this as your metaphor of power. See if you can refine your intensity without losing your integrity. Keep things interesting but soften the edges a bit. Introduce warmth and steadiness into provocative situations so they’re free of irritation and easier to engage with, but still enriching.
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SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Medieval alchemists engaged in literal laboratory work as they attempted to create elixirs of immortality, concoct medicines to heal diseases, and metamorphose lead into gold. But the modern practice of alchemy is primarily a psychological effort to achieve awakening and enlightenment. In the early stages of the work, the seeker experiences the metaphorical “black sun.” It’s a dark radiance, the beginning of creative decay, that fuels the coming transformation. I suspect you now have the potential to call on this potent asset, Sagittarius. It’s wild, though. You must proceed with caution and discernment. What worn-out aspects of yourself are you ready to let rot, thereby fertilizing future growth?
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In Japan, shakkei refers to the practice of “borrowed scenery.” The idea is to create a garden so that surrounding features become part of its expansive context: distant mountains, an expanse of sky, or a nearby body of water. The artistry lies in allowing the horizon to merge gracefully with what’s close at hand. I recommend this approach to you, Capricorn. Frame your current project with a backdrop that enlarges it. Partner with places, influences, or long-view purposes that augment your meaning and enhance your beauty. Align your personal actions with a vast story so they send even more potent ripples out into the world.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Computer scientist Radia Perlman is the “Mother of the Internet.” She invented the Spanning Tree Protocol, a component that’s essential for the flow of online data. Despite her work’s splashy importance, hardly anyone knows of her. With that in mind, I remind you: Some revolutions unfold with little fanfare; positive transformations may be inconspicuous. How does that relate to you? I suspect the next beautiful or useful thing you contribute may also be veiled and underestimated, at least at first. And yet it may ultimately generate a shift more significant than you can now imagine. My advice is to trust the long game. You’re doing good work, though its recognition may be late in arriving.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The mystical Persian poet Hafez wrote, “Fear is the cheapest room in the house. I’d like to see you living in better conditions.” Picture that shabby room, Pisces: cramped, dim, damp. Now imagine you have resolved to never again live in such a place. In fact, sometime soon you will move, metaphorically speaking, into a spacious, high-ceilinged place with wide windows and skylights, fresh air flood-
Homework:
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The coming weeks will be an excellent time to practice the art of strategic disruption. One way to do it is to interrupt your patterns so they don’t calcify and obstruct you. Just for fun, you could eat breakfast for dinner. Take a different route to a familiar place. Talk to a person you would usually avoid. Say no when you’d normally say yes, or vice versa. Part of your brain loves efficiency, habits, and well-worn grooves. But grooves can become ruts. As a rousing spiritual experiment, you could do things differently for no reason except to prove to yourself that you can. Playful chaos can be a form of prayer. Messing with your standard approaches will unleash your creativity.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): In Shinto mythology, Ame-no-Uzume is the goddess of mirth and revelry. In one story, she seduces the sun out of its hiding place by performing a humorous and provocative dance. I am sending her over to your sphere right now in the hope that she will coax you out of your comfort zone of retreat, control, and self-protection. While I’m glad you have taken this break to recharge your spiritual batteries, I think it’s time to come out and play. You have done important work to nurture and process your deep feelings. Now we would love you to express what you’ve learned with freewheeling panache.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Ancient cultures in Sumeria, Egypt, and China used willow bark as a pain reliever. Many centuries later, in 1828, European scientists isolated the chemical salicin from the bark and used it to create aspirin. What had been a folk remedy became a widely used medicine all over the planet. Is there a metaphorically comparable development unfolding in your life? I think so. Something you’ve known or practiced could be evolving into its next form. The world may finally be ready to receive wisdom, a technique, or an insight you’ve used for a long time. Consider refining and upgrading it. Share it in ways that meet the present moment’s specific need.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In honor of your special needs right now, Virgo, I am coining a new English word: edge-ucation. It’s like “education” but with an extra edge. Though book-learning is included in its purview, it also requires you to seek out raw teaching in all possible ways: on the streets, the bedroom, the natural world, everywhere. To properly pursue your higher edge-education, you must hunt down provocative influences, thought-provoking adventures, and unfamiliar stimulation. Make the whole world your laboratory and classroom.
THE THIRD ACT A COLUMN ON AGEISM AND AGEING
By Ellen Waterston
Where There Is Fire, Manifest Lake
At a recent event, I chatted with a consultant whose area of focus and expertise intrigued me. Long a practitioner of martial arts, he now travels the country to instruct organizations, from corporations to churches, to employ verbal martial arts techniques to create more fruitful communications outcomes between adversarial groups. From what I gathered, an example might be a business competitor or individual whose approach to problem solving is consistently reactionary and divisive. By using Judo precepts in a method referred to as “the martial art of the mind and mouth,” the energy of the antagonistic language is leveraged using a verbally empathetic “throw,” if you will, which results in the situation being neutralized and thereby providing the opportunity for productive discourse.
Credit for the concept is given to George J. Thompson, Ph.D., a former English professor and black-belt master of karate. It was during his years as an urban police officer that he came up with the idea of verbal judo. Before his death in 2011, he founded the Verbal Judo Institute and authored Verbal Judo: The Gentle Art of Persuasion, in which he is quoted as saying, “when you react, the event controls you. When you respond, you’re in control.”
In addition to all our favorite oldy moldy reasons for disagreement, the ante has been upped due to the current political landscape. One current hot topic is the dispatching of National Guard troops to cities in America, providing ever more fodder for discord along the crowded avenues of rancor and hiss. The urgent question is how to leverage our reactions into something beneficial for all?
Storm Large has an answer. If you’ve never heard of the Portland-based performer, you’ve missed out. A singer with a huge range, from alto to soprano, and a mastery of many styles, pop to rock to classical to torch songs, she is irreverent, fearless and vulnerable at once. Widely acclaimed, she performs nationally with her own band and tours internationally with Portland’s Pink Martini. And don’t just take my word for it. “She is an intoxicating and unmissable cocktail of power and vulnerability.” The London Times “She can smolder like a chanteuse and then she lets fly with one of the most powerful rock voices I have ever heard in my life and have you pinned to the back wall
with its intensity.” Short Back & Sides: Adelaide Reviews
When Portland’s Willamette Week recently asked readers to comment on the arrival of National Guard troops in the city, Storm Large responded. Anthony Effinger’s October 8 WW piece titled “At Ease, Soldier” set up the article this way: “…if he (Trump) did read things, he might know that violent crime in Portland fell by 17% in the first half of this year. And that homicides fell from 35 in the first half of 2024 to 17 through June of this year. That decline, at 51%, was the largest decrease among 68 metro areas surveyed by the Major Cities Chiefs Association.” Effinger also reported that the current protests are confined to a two-block area in South Portland and include families and retirees exercising their freedom of speech. “The best advice we’ve heard,” says Effinger, “comes from Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and Portland Mayor Keith Wilson, who tell us not to give Trump exactly what he wants: footage on Fox News that features tear gas, Molotov cocktails, burning tires and green lasers.”
Storm Large, he adds, “puts a finer point on that advice,” suggesting Portlanders host “a welcoming ceremony for the National Guard with civic leaders, faith leaders and cheering crowds.”
From a military family herself, Large maintains that Guard members are being used as pawns. “They’re not some bully arm of the federal government, but they’re being used as such, and it’s not cool,” she says. “We need to say, ‘We know why you’re here and we’re so sorry. You’re welcome here and we’ll look after you, but we don’t really need you.’” And, speaking of verbal judo, she adds: “If we do something that works — something simple, actionable and authentic — we could become a great model for other blue cities to do the same.”
Eighteen percent of the current total population of the United States is over 65. Each of us has learned in one way or another that the only thing divisive language accomplishes is division. Based on our experience, we have an important role to play in promoting the martial art of mind and mouth. Where there is fire, manifest lake.
—Poet and author Ellen Waterston is a woman of a certain age who resides in Bend. "The Third Act" is a series of columns on ageing and ageism.
“Love
TAKE ME HOME
By Karen Malanga, Broker RE/MAX Key Properties
What Kind of Snow Falls on Your Dream Home?
When winter arrives in Central Oregon, no two snowfalls are quite the same, just like no two homes. From powder snow dusting Cascade Mountain cabins to glistening hoarfrost on Tumalo ranch properties, the type of snow that settles around a home says everything about the lifestyle it offers.
Powder Snow: The Adventurer’s Haven
Light and dry, Central Oregon’s powder snow is what dreams are made of. Homes near Mt. Bachelor, Sunriver, or the Cascade Lakes Highway attract skiers, snowboarders, and backcountry enthusiasts who live for that first morning cross-country ski through pristine forests.
Real estate note: Properties in these high-altitude communities offer exceptional mountain views and year-round recreation. They are ideal for primary residences, vacation homes, or shortterm rental income. And when those powder days pile up? Our team ensures your listing stays accessible and attractive all winter long with complimentary snow maintenance services, so buyers can experience your home at its best.
Wet Snow: The Family Gathering Spot
The heavier, packable snow that often blankets Bend’s westside neighborhoods and Redmond’s family friendly streets is perfect for snowmen, sledding at Drake Park and playful winter afternoons. These are homes where fires crackle in river rock fireplaces, hot cocoa steams in kitchens with views of the Cascades, and the living room becomes the heart of the season.
Real estate note: These properties may feature inviting communal spaces such as open floor plans, cozy fireplaces and easy access to Old Mill District shopping or Downtown Bend’s cafes for those cherished family traditions.
Hoarfrost: The Peaceful Retreat
When hoarfrost transforms the junipers along the Deschutes River or decorates the pines in Sisters into crystalline sculptures, it’s nature’s version of quiet luxury. These are the homes that offer calm and reflection. Envision a custom cabin overlooking the Metolius River or a modern architectural masterpiece in Ranch at the Canyons, where floor-toceiling windows frame the Crooked River and Smith Rock like living artwork.
Real estate note: Buyers seeking Central Oregon’s legendary serenity gravitate toward private acreage or homes designed to celebrate our high-desert landscape, some with radiant heated floors for those crisp 15-degree mornings.
Corn Snow: The All-Season Optimist
Corn snow arrives when winter begins its graceful exit, usually around March in Central Oregon. It’s the symbol of transition. These are the properties that glow under summer sun at the lake, blaze with fall color in Tumalo and still sparkle under spring skiing conditions at Mt. Bachelor.
Real estate note: Homes with strong year-round appeal, like this riverfront gem close to Downtown Bend, hold excellent value in Central Oregon’s robust outdoor recreation and tourism economy. From fly fishing to mountain biking, our market rewards versatility.
As you dream about where you’ll hang your wreath this holiday season, take a moment to imagine: What kind of snow falls on your dream home?
—At NestBend, we don’t just list homes; we care for them through every season. Our winter snow maintenance service keeps your property safe, accessible and showing-ready throughout the listing period, because we know that Central Oregon’s winter wonderland shouldn’t keep your dream buyer away.
