Bend vs. Californians in the NY Times

The NY Times this evening published a doozy: Slump Dashes Oregon Dreams of Californians. The freefall has made Bend a succinct symbol for the economic perils of “lifestyle destinations” in the so-called New West, recreation-heavy communities where jobs have been heavily tilted toward construction and services and where many of … Continue reading

SpecFest

Bend Memorial Clinic has their SpecFest coming up this Saturday, June 20th. From 9am until 3pm, you can get 20 to 40% off sunglasses, eyewear, and more. There will also be refreshments, entertainment (not sure what), and a bouncy house and a petting zoo. Most of this I gleaned from … Continue reading

The Westside’s new pub

The Bulletin today had some details on the new pub that will be opening over on Galveston on the Westside: The pub, to be called Brother Jon’s Public House and located at 1227 N.W. Galveston Ave., will be family-friendly and serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, Machell said. The menu will … Continue reading

Redmond’s free summertime music

Move over, Bend: Redmond has a summer’s worth of free concerts to offer, too. Starting this week and lasting through September 9th, Music on the Green and Music in the Canyon are offering free music every Wednesday (along with food vendors, arts, and crafts). Music on the Green: Hosted at … Continue reading

Commute Options Week

Monday kicks off Commute Options Week, the annual week-long driving alternative campaign "encouraging the use of sustainable modes of transport and raising awareness on the environmental impacts of citizens’ modal choice." From the 15th through Sunday the 21st there’s a whole slew of events people can get involved in, like: … Continue reading

Free (or cheap) Summertime Activity Guide (2009)

Summertime in Central Oregon offers a ton of things to do, but unfortunately much of it doesn’t come cheap. So for the budget-conscious, I’ve compiled over the past couple of years a list of free (or nearly free) activities to be found. Click through for the Free Summertime Activity Guide! … Continue reading

Sweet Harlots to play McMenamins June 24 (press release)

This is a free show at McMenamins. Special guest opener Shireen Amini Less than a year after the Sweet Harlots debut at McMenamins Old St. Francis School in Bend, Oregon, the all-girl acoustic/indie/alt/chamber-pop band has a whole new lineup and sound that just might knock you off your feet if … Continue reading

The East Village

I noticed there’s a new restaurant(ish) place that’s opened up on the Eastside: "The East Village" is the new second location of the Village Baker (who still have their main Westside space), located in the old Demetri’s space at 425 NE Windy Knolls. (Across from Bend Pet Express and Wells … Continue reading

Coming soon…

In the next day or three, I’ll have this year’s "Free (or nearly free) Summertime Activity Guide" posted, similar to the ones I’ve posted the last couple of years. It’s exactly what it says, a guide to free summer activities for the Bend area. Something that’s important this year more … Continue reading