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2026 Summer Guide!
From world-famous headliners to local bands, this list covers all things music from end of May through September in Central Oregon. Who’s ready for a summer filled with sun and fun and plenty of live music? We are — so much so that we put together this entire guide of concerts, parties, festivals and so…
Redmond May Increase Rates For High Water Users
High water users in Redmond might pay more in the future as the City looks to incentivize conservation amid declining groundwater levels and rapid population growth. The Redmond City Council began a discussion Monday about adopting a tiered water rate structure, which would apply increasingly higher rates to each portion of water used beyond a certain threshold. Those exact thresholds still need to be hashed out…
Cascade Cycling Classic Criterium
The whooshing racers. The unmistakable tung-tung-tung of shifting drivetrains, reverberating through state-of-the art, carbon fiber road bikes. The electric jitters, the contagious joy of a racer’s win. In what’s become a summer tradition going back decades, the Cascade Cycling Classic Criterium, presented by the Horner Cycling Foundation, returns to downtown Bend on June 21. The…
Free Will Astrology, Week of May 21
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): When many people reflect on their early years, they focus on the alienation and wounds they endured. Few recall, in vivid detail, the moments of joy, triumph, and breakthrough. It’s a symptom, I suppose, of our era’s compulsive cynicism, and not necessarily an accurate account of the past. So many good…
Three Finger Jack Tavern Brings Grit, Whiskey and Great Meatloaf to Sisters
Three Finger Jack Tavern leans fully into its ranch town identity with a grin, a stiff drink and a plate of food that seems designed to make you loosen your belt one notch before dessert even arrives. Their tagline says it all. “Steak. Seafood. Firewater. Friends.” No tiny portions. No tweezer food. No apologies. Founded…
Theater in the Park Debuts “The Producers” this August
For more than a decade theater has been held in Bend’s Drake Park. Aug 14 and 15 will see the production company, Theater in the Park, put on the Tony Award-winning show, “The Producers,” a Mel Brooks Broadway musical comedy. The show follows two characters: a theater producer and an accountant doubling as an aspiring theater producer.…
Shut Up and Scare Me
I don’t think this is a very controversial statement, but we are absolutely living in the golden age of horror movies. We exist in a time where a grimy, bluesy vampire movie like “Sinners” can become the most Oscar-nominated film in history and a bonkers, singular vision like “Weapons” can nab Amy Madigan her first…
Newberry Volcano Explored Through Dance and Indigenous Oral Histories
A summer program explores the Newberry Volcano, 20 miles south of Bend, the largest volcano by area in the Cascade Range. The two-day event June 25-26 includes contemporary dance inspired by the caldera, an evening of Northern Paiute stories, a geological exhibition and a guided tour of the volcano. Oregon Origins Project is presenting “Echoes…
The Food Truck Shuffle
Big Ski’s is Winding Down A longtime Bend food truck is closing at the end of the year. In a post on Facebook, the owner of Big Ski’s Pierogis announced that after 12 years, it’s time to go onto his next adventure. Big Ski’s, which is located at The Podski on NW Arizona Avenue, serves…
Bend Central District’s First Block Party
It’s set to be the ultimate neighborhood block party: Bend’s up and coming Central District is throwing a blowout celebrating the arts on Saturday, June 27. The area has some gems with Somewhere That’s Green, Open Space Event Studios, Funky Fauna Artisan Ales and Dogwood at the Pine Shed bar and food cart lot. The…
World-Class Musicians in an Intimate Setting
The 29th Sisters Folk Festival will feature more than 30 diverse musical groups from all over the world. Organizers say the lineup redefines what folk music really means. “‘Folk’ can be a polarizing word,” Communication Manager Erin Pihl says. “I think people still tend to think of the genre of folk music as old-timey… At…
Sing-Along with KPOV and the Beatles at The Commonwealth Pub
“Do You Want to Know a Secret?” The Central Oregon community is going to “Come Together” for the fabled and fabulous KPOV radio station and its 21st “Birthday” Beatles Sing-Along on Friday, June 26, from 7-10pm. “Why Don’t We Do It In the Road?” Nah! There’s a much better location at The Commonwealth Pub in Bend. This…
A Summer of Music and Amusement at Hayden Homes
As we settle into the warm weather, the 8,000-seat outdoor Hayden Homes Amphitheater next to the Deschutes River has a busy season scheduled with big names from multi-platinum American rock bands like the Goo Goo Dolls to younger arena-filling comedians like Matt Rife and a final display from the creative duo Empire of the Sun.…
Well-Traveled Guitarist to Touch Down in Redmond
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and now based in Fort Collins, Colorado, musician Dominick Antonelli says he is “beyond excited” to venture into the Pacific Northwest for the first time this summer. More specifically, he is excited to perform on Aug. 5 at General Duffy’s Waterhole in Redmond. Antonelli says he also performs in…
Since ‘de-Flocking,’ Bend Officials Circle a New Vendor for Surveillance Cameras, With No Plans for Public Input
When the Bend City Council voted to turn off its four Flock Safety stationary Automated License Plate Readers on Jan. 7, Bend Police Capt. Brian Beekman said the department would look for an alternate vendor that could provide similar technology in fighting crime. Several months later, the department is eyeing cameras from Axon, the same…
After Pushback to La Pine Data Center, Community, Developers Await Next Steps
After dozens of people packed La Pine City Hall on May 13 in an uproar against a proposed data center, it’s unclear where City leaders and developers stand on the project. The public comment period at the meeting took nearly three hours, with most people in opposition, citing fears the facility would guzzle water, push up power costs, hurt wildlife habitat and…
The Era of Artificial Intelligence
Remember when you’d sit around with friends pondering questions about life or contemplating some scientific curiosity? How long has it been since an abstract question was just kicked around, stimulating boisterous conversation and spirited debate amongst family or friends? It has become all too easy to reach for the phone and throw the inquiry into…
A Data Center Hopes to Move into La Pine and Use 15X the Power the Town Currently Uses
It’s too soon to tell the fate of the proposed data center in an industrial park in La Pine, but if local action and national sentiment are any indication, approval of the project looks iffy. According to Source reporting, a company called Boxminer, which “mines” bitcoin, is seeking to build a data center on a…
Bent Alley Cat Races Are Back
The fledging “competitive bicycle group ride” that mewled to life last summer returns bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and ready for meow-r. Now entering its second season, The Bent Alley Cat Races — yup, “bent” as in “outta shape,” for example — will resume its fun and slightly chaotic checkpoint-structured competition on May 21. The Bent Alley Cat series is an ode to the bicycle messenger races popularized in urban places like San Francisco, New York City and…
Letters to the Editor, Week of May 21
Bend Electrification For over a year, the Bend Council has been working to “…promote welfare and reduce economic cost to Bendites by mitigating the impacts associated with fossil fuel emissions…” Incentives have been proposed to reduce CO2 emissions from gas by electrifying new homes in Bend. Using the EPA’s 2023 “Social Cost of Carbon” ($ of damage…
New Art & Co-Working Studio Opening in South County
A new artist co-working space called Centrally Oregon is opening in Sunriver. “I want to have artists and professionals feel like they have a community, a place to get work done with everything they need close at hand. It will be a place that you will want to spend time,” explains founder Stephanie Gregory. She’s…
SeaPort Airlines Lets You Glimpse Aviation’s Golden Era
A new regional airline now offers “charter-like” flights that will connect Redmond to select locations in the Pacific Northwest. And you can even skip security checkpoints and lines. SeaPort Airlines, based in Juneau, Alaska, began offering business flights last year. The limited service runs weekdays and connects Roberts Field at the Redmond Municipal Airport to…
Bend into Balance: Alli Jorgensen and Dr. Matthew Ingrassia
After every swim at Juniper Swim & Fitness Center, I stop to fill my water bottle on my way out. This time, however, a flyer above the drinking fountain caught my eye. It was a week before Valentine’s Day and the flyer announced an upcoming free body composition analysis celebrating heart health week. I didn’t…
Ten Easy Ways to Freshen Up Your House for Summer
Summer is the perfect time to make your home feel lighter, brighter and more relaxed without spending a lot of money. The best seasonal updates are simple ones: they clear visual clutter, bring in fresh color and make everyday spaces feel easier to enjoy. Current decorating trends point toward mismatched vintage finds, layered natural textures,…
