thursday 4
Fourth of July (Day)
FREEDOM—We can't say when or where Thursday's Freedom Ride will start, but we can say it's one of the biggest, most important community events of the year. Celebrate freedom, America, bikes, cats—whatever—just let it ring, while riding around town with thousands of other freedom lovers. Also, don't miss the pet parade. Adorable, patriotic creatures in downtown Bend. Starting at 10 am. Various locations.
thursday 4
Fourth of July (Night)
FIREWORKS—Whether by God or molten lava, Pilot Butte was designed with the Fourth of July in mind. Towering over the Central Oregon landscape, it is the perfect launching point for an array of red, white and blue fireworks. Watch from anywhere in town; best viewed while floating through the Old Mill in a canoe. 10 pm. Free.
friday 5
First Friday
ART & MUSIC—Celebrate Deschutes Brewery's ongoing 25th anniversary with a back-alley bash and music by Eleven Eyes before heading to Astro for a double-whammy: Natalie Fletcher's live body painting and the 11th Decibel fashion show at 7 pm, followed by DJ Enoch at 9:30 pm. Of course, there will be plenty of art, street music and wine at most downtown shops, too. 5 pm. Downtown Bend. Free.
saturday 6
Tour de France: Stage 8
CYCLING—Punishing climbs, vicious sprints, zany breakaways, peloton drama—early mornings in July are for Le Tour. Crow's Feet Commons, Thump and a few other cycling-crazy shops in Bend are showing the 100th Tour de France daily. Don't miss stage 8, the first day in the big mountains. 6 am. Crow's Feet Commons, 875 NW Brooks St. Free.
saturday 6
Summer Brewfest
BEER—Craft beer rules. Local hooch-makers 10 Barrel, Deschutes, Silver Moon, GoodLife and Crux will be pouring beers we drink on the daily but which would knock the socks off any Midwesterner. And with a total of 22 breweries represented, we are, once again, reminded that we're the luckiest bastards in the beer universe. Alt-country rockers Wilderness (correctly pictured here) play at 3 pm. Fest begins at 1 pm. Whole Foods Market, 2610 NE Hwy 20. $5.
saturday 6
Y La Bamba
ARRIBA!—Fresh off a national tour with folk-pop prodigies the Lumineers, Latin alternative rock band Y La Bamba brings traditional Mexican melodies face-to-face with modern indie rock. This benefit for Rise Up International is backstage at the Les Schwab Amphitheater. The show begins with bluesy, Detroit-based Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas and local band Silvero. 6 pm. LSA, 344 SW Shevlin Hixon Dr. $8.50 at bendticket.com.
monday 8
Media Salon
THINK & DRINK—The Bend economy has been in hibernation. (That's the polite term.) But like a bear awakening, we're about to kick back into high gear. In what direction will we head? What will the city look like in five years? The theme for the Source's monthly Media Salon is "smart growth," with special guests from City Hall. 7 pm. Broken Top Bottle Shop. Free.
tuesday 9
Kytami
MUSIC—Former member of global-fusion radicals Delhi 2 Dublin, Canadian fiddle master Kyla LeBlanc blends classical violin with 808s. Her festive dub and hip-hop beats are rump-shaking mandatory when accompanied by her tireless violin shredding. Way cooler than the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. 9 pm. Astro Lounge, 939 NW Bond St. $5.
wednesday 10
Wanderlust Circus
VAUDEVILLE—Portland-based Wanderlust Circus is marvelous—a mix of vaudeville, Yiddish theater and steampunk antics. The knife-throwers, trapeze artists and side acts loosely gather their edge-of-the-seat shows around plots. This evening's story, set in the peacock-colored 1980s, is about a muscled beach boy who falls for an aerobic songbird. 7 pm. Tower Theater, 835 NW Wall St. $22.
thursday 11
Munch & Music
FREE MUSIC—The Motet, a funky Boulder, Colo.-based Afrobeat groove band, will be pumping out (family-friendly) dance rhythms at the first Munch & Music event of the summer. Fun! And bring an appetite—Bend's favorite food vendors will ensure no dancer goes hungry. 5:30pm. Drake Park, 777 NW Riverside Blvd. Free.
