Whittling down to 10 top movies of the year was hard, but my #1 never changed. These might not be the “Best” movies of the year, but they are most certainly my favorite. 10 Morris From America: A romantic coming-of-age drama about a 13-year old American boy falling in love for the first time while […]
Pacific Northwest
Posted inFood & Drink
Best New Brews of 2016
New styles, old standbys
The year 2016 will go down as a year where the far-out varieties of the past are now indispensable. Wild fermentation and sour farmhouse ales used to be the domain of just a few outfits; now most craft joints will have at least some kind of kettle sour. When it comes to picking the best […]
Posted inOutside
Best Outdoor Events of 2016
…and what to watch out for in 2017
The year 2016 was a great time to be outside: extreme sport start-ups let Bendites bungee off a bridge or dive into the sky; rare wolves and foxes made brief cameos in the wild; Bachelor debuted a new ski lift; even Pokémon Go helped out, if only fleetingly. To help you start planning your outdoor […]
Posted inMusic
Hardest Losses
A tribute to the musicians we loved and lost over the past year
Throughout 2016, the grim reaper was busy taking some of our most beloved icons. While this section focuses on music, it’s hard not to pour one out for John Glenn, Gene Wilder, Anton Yelchin, Garry Marshall, Muhammad Ali, Garry Shandling, Larry Drake, Harper Lee, Alan Rickman, Carrie Fisher and dozens of others. Plus these people, […]
Posted inNews
Top Cannabis Strains of 2016
As a bad year comes to a close, Smoke Signals considers the best strains of 2016. The strains making the list are both strong sellers in Bend, Portland and elsewhere in Oregon, as well as those that have increased greatly in popularity over the past year. Blue Dream Blue Dream is what’s known as a […]
Posted inCulture
Good Stuff, Not-So-Good Stuff
The most underrated and overrated films of 2016
Every year there are films that are wonderful, yet are completely ignored by audiences, eventually attracting a cult following several years later. On the opposite end there are movies that critics and audiences alike think are giant piles of crap. Here are a couple of films misunderstood or over-loved by audiences this year. Underrated: The […]
Posted inNews
Year in Review for Bend and National Housing
What is happening in the national housing market appears to be very true for Bend as well. According to the Beacon Report for December 2016, based on November MLS statistics, prices for Bend single family homes have increased by about 16 percent for the period of November 2015 to November 2016, but housing inventory has […]
Posted inCulture
Picks 12/28-1/4
Friday 30 Quick and Easy Boys ROCK & ROLL—This Portland-based trio rocks the house every time they come to Central Oregon, and this show should be no exception. A great way to gear up for New Year's Eve celebrations. Compare Quick and Easy Boys to Band of Gypsies, the Police, the Minutemen…or don’t compare them […]
Posted inCulture
Beauty for the Beasts
The C.O. artists of note in 2016
If you didn’t find a way to support your local artists in 2016, there’s still time to do so in 2017. Here’s where to start. Flor and Fawn Flor and Fawn is the artistic collaboration between friends Katie Daisy and Karen Eland. On their own, their artistic characteristics are unique and diverse, but together their […]
Posted inOpinion
2016 Editorials
Here’s a review of some of the issues our editorial board tackled this year—which we also expect to see pop back up next year. “This is Not Your Land” Jan 7, 2016 and “Malheur Verdict: A Slap in the Face to Law and Order” Nov 2, 2106 January brought the occupiers; November brought their stunning […]