Posted inFood & Drink

Bar Rio is Morphing into The Rio Room

The downtown Bend restaurant will close, but the public can rent the space

Bar Rio in downtown Bend is rebranding into a private event space called The Rio Room. The last day for the public to visit Bar Rio is expected to be Thursday, Oct. 30. After that, the owners will focus on renting out the space for rehearsal dinners, business luncheons, birthdays, holiday parties and more. The […]

Posted inLocal News

Bend Considers Adding a Fee to Discourage Natural Gas in New Homesย 

The City Council is struggling to balance climate goals with costs associated with upgrading to efficient electric systems

The Bend City Council is struggling to define a policy to encourage all electric appliances and heating/cooling systems in new construction.   The City is working toward a goal of cutting fossil fuel use by 70% by 2050. According to the Cityโ€™s website, half of local emissions come from energy use in buildings. Residential buildings are […]

Posted inCulture

Building Confidence, Character and Grace

โ€œThe Little Mermaidโ€ swims onto a high school stage in Redmond

A Disney classic, โ€œThe Little Mermaid,โ€ will be center stage in Redmond this November.ย  Ovation Performing Arts is putting on the production. The non-profit primarily serves homeschooled families and describes itself as a Christian-based organization. Jonathan Shepherd and his wife have run OPA for the past decade, developing young actors from around Central Oregon. For […]

Posted inMusic

The Sounds of Yemen Are Coming to Bend

Trio El Khat is on an international tour that includes Silver Moon Brewing

What began as a few friends playing music together in the Middle East turned into an international tour with a stop at Silver Moon Brewing in Bend. El Khat is a three-person minimalist band, using mostly homemade instruments. โ€œI wasn’t planning on starting a band, I was workingย on some tunes that afterwards became the first […]

Posted inCentral Oregon Pets

Life With Fancy Ratsย ย 

A local owner shows off her small pets with big personalities

When you walk into Shaena Iveyโ€™s spotless home north of Bend, you see a giant bird cage against the wall. Itโ€™s the kind that might hold a cockatoo or parrot, but instead it holds three fancy rats who spend every waking minute racing from floor to floor, climbing up wire walls, zipping through plastic tunnels, […]

Posted inCentral Oregon Pets

A Program Keeping Pets with Low-Income Owners Expandsย ย 

Pet Pals serves most of Central Oregon with the help of donations and volunteers

A new partnership between the Council on Aging and the Humane Society of Central Oregon is helping to expand a program that supports low-income adults and their pets. Pet Pals began when the Council on Aging saw Meals on Wheels clients struggling to afford pet food and vet care. It launched in 2021 with 30 […]

Posted inFood & Drink

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 doesnโ€™t like the changes that are being made to the building. โ€œWe were interested in retaining the current footprint, a relatively small indoor space and current outdoor patio […]

Posted inLocal News

Gentling Neglected Horses Back to Health & Happinessย 

Local equine rescues take in sick, abused, often unadoptable horses

Each week, 3 Sisters Equine Refuge receives five to six requests to surrender from horse owners around the state who can no longer care for their horses. According to Board President Amber Holm, they often have to turn them down. Volunteers are currently caring for 30 rescue horses, many of which are high needs. Some […]

Posted inFood & Drink

Blue Eyes Burgers Now in Redmond

The food truck opens at Ottoโ€™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 Ottoโ€™s Landing in Redmond.    โ€œWe have known that we have had a good fan base up here and are excited to become a […]

Posted inFood & Drink

The Lemon Tree is For Sale

The owners say theyโ€™re committed to finding a buyer who will continue building upon what theyโ€™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 […]

Sign up for newsletters

Get the best of The Source - Bend, Oregon directly in your email inbox.

Sending to:

Gift this article