One of the artists that you can experience at the upcoming COMAG show is Miguel Edwards. Miguel is a public artist, sculptor, photographer, and culture-maker in Bend, OR. 

In Seattle where he moved from, he was President of Center on Contemporary Art, a historic and growing art non-profit. He also built dynamic large-scale public art installations, as-well-as, photographing for local and regional magazines. Art in Seattle's Public Spaces,  a book for art and architecture lovers that Miguel co-created with Jim Rupp recently won a Silver Design Award. 

​Miguel and his wife Cori, are thrilled to be living in Bend now where Miguel was able to build his dream shop and spend more time sculpting. He loves investing in the local community and culture, working with Downtown Bend, Bend Design, Tedx Bend, COMAG (Central Oregon Metal Arts Guild), Old Mill and so much more.

Earlier this year at WinterFest you may have seen Hope Rising, the giant stainless cauldron that he made for the Opening Ceremony of the Special Olympics.

​This summer, Miguel began collaborating with Mark Meulebroeck of Red Miter Furniture building heirloom quality furniture. Miguel has been invited to show at Art Basel in Miami this December and has an opening in Palm Desert California with Coda Gallery, his new rep. (Click here for more info)

His work can be seen at:  
http://www.migueledwards.com/ 
http://migueledwardsphotography.com/

​If you are interested in discussing any projects with Miguel, please reach out, he always loves meeting new people!

It's First Friday Art Walk in Downtown Bend!  Here's what we've got going on:

Come by the Pub during the Downtown Bend, Oregon First Friday Art Walk and welcome our artist of the month: Nicole Fontana-Campbell.

Nicole Fontana-Campbell has always loved the arts, especially painting. She pursued her dream by attending Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY
on a President's Scholarship, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts. After graduating in 2005, she launched Fontana Painting and has been painting ever since. She now lives in Bend, OR with her rambunctious family. Her murals and artwork can be found
all around town as she enjoys making contributing to her community. ​

Born and raised in rural Idaho, Jenn spent countless hours outside. Her family road-tripped all around the west camping and exploring. Jenn’s parents both studied biology/botany and are avid birders. They taught her a lot about the natural world, and have always inspired her love of ecology and living creatures.
Living in this current moment/ our environment in a precarious state, humankind learning how to cope with the impact we make...her paintings have evolved into a sort of meditation, a therapy for dealing with emotional conflict concerning our environment. Grateful for the ecological systems and all the elements that compose life. ​

Downtown Bend would like to invite you to their largest fundraiser of the year, Bend Oktoberfest. Bend Oktoberfest is a two-day festival in Downtown Bend, Oregon featuring local beer, wine, and cider, traditional German foods (vendor list here), live music, absurd games, and ridiculous feats of strength.  Bend Oktoberfest is free to attend, and the festival is family friendly with a kid’s zone sponsored by On Point Community Credit Union.  

USA Today rated Bend Oktoberfest as on of the top Oktoberfest’s in the country, and it’s no wonder why.  Bend Oktoberfest’s schedule of events boasts a Chicken Dance Flash Mob (happening at 1pm on Saturday), barrel rolling, a bratwurst toss, tricycle races, the Hammerschlagen, and a stein holding competition – just to name a few.  Of course, you can’t talk about Bend Oktoberfest without talking about the Weiner Dog Races sponsored by Bend Veterinary Clinic and ran by the Humane Society of Central Oregon.  The Weiner Dog races are scheduled for 4pm on Saturday, Sept 21st.  The race can be viewed from the bleachers on Irving Ave next to the track, or from the Large LED Screen, sponsored by Elevate Pro AVL, on Oregon Ave next to the parking garage.  For a full schedule of Bend Oktoberfest events, click here.

With over 16 different beers on tap, 2 ciders and 6 featured German wines – Bend Oktoberfest has something for everyone.  While at Bend Oktoberfest this weekend, you can try unique brews like Holy Schmidt Oktoberfest Lager by Sunriver Brewing, The Iron Cross German Hefeweizen by Spider City Brewing, or Festbier by 10 Barrel Brewing Co.   Bend Oktoberfest beers are local and donated to Bend Oktoberfest by breweries invested in their community’s growth and development.  We applaud these local businesses for their contributions to the historic core of our city, Downtown Bend.  For a full list of beers, click here.

100% of the funds raised at Bend Oktoberfest go directly to keeping Downtown Bend vibrant and thriving!  Bend Oktoberfest is the only festival in downtown Bend that financially contributes to ongoing year-around beautification in our downtown.  Join us to celebrate the heart of our City, Downtown Bend, and come together for music, dancing and community fun!

​Bend Oktoberfest is happening Friday, September 20th from 3pm to 10pm and Saturday, September 21st from 11am to 10pm.  For more information, including the schedule of events, beer list, directions and more – visit www.bendoktoberfest.com

The Downtown Bend Business Association (DBBA) is a small nonprofit dedicated to increasing the vitality of Downtown Bend.
 
In addition to our other services, we are the 100% responsible for the cleanliness and beautification of  the Downtown Bend economic improvement district (EID).

Our scope of work includes, but is not limited to:

• Funding, delivery, installation, maintenance, and daily watering of 100 flower baskets and 50 planters May-Sept annually including active communication with our community partners at Landsystems Nursery.
• Management, including active communication and project maintenance, with all of the Downtown Bend waste management vendors, including our community partners at Bend Garbage, Cascade Disposal, and SeQuential.
• Active communication with all building owners within the Downtown Bend EID to assure clean, uniform and safe building and sidewalk maintenance.
• Funding and staffing for Snow Removal – 42″ wide clear path of Downtown sidewalks and crosswalks for employees, visitors and customers to get around safely.  We also ensure that all ADA parking spaces and access points are cleared, and provide shop owners with supplies to borrow (snow shovels) so that they can clear their ‘front porches’.

We would like to extend a huge “Thank you!” to our staff, board, volunteers, donors and community partners for helping us keep Downtown Bend beautiful!  By being committed to positive communication, community support, and a shared love for Downtown Bend, we can continue to keep our Downtown vibrant and thriving!
 
We are excited about several new Downtown Bend beautification projects we have coming up, stay posted to learn about all the great stuff that we have in store for Downtown Bend! 

On September 7th, OVER THE EDGE is coming to downtown Bend! United Way of Deschutes County will offer the opportunity for folks to rappel off the roof of the Oxford Hotel in downtown Bend – for charity.

In an effort to raise donations for our community, OVER THE EDGE participants – called Edgers – will rappel down Central Oregon’s tallest building. In addition, we will host a ground party – closing NW Minnesota Avenue and NWLava Road to traffic for food vendors, a beer garden, activities, DJs, and more.

Everyone is getting excited about OVER THE EDGE! We’d like to invite you to be involved. This unique, high-visibility, and exhilarating event is a perfect fit for a business looking to distinguish itself through sponsorship and/or participation.

Why OVER THE EDGE? It’s scary to wake up in the morning and not know where you’ll sleep that night, if you’ll eat today, or when you’ll next be assaulted or abused. Especially if you are a child.
You can help take away some of that fear. We’re offering the opportunity to help alleviate the fear faced by many in our community by providing an occasion for Edgers to face their own fears and go OVER THE EDGE, as well as for businesses to show their support for this effort.

40% of the 88,000 households in Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson Counties earn less than what it takes to survive in our Central Oregon economy.

We leverage more than dollars. Yes, we are a local fundraiser and a local funder. The money we raise stays here and serves this community. We partner with local nonprofits that address homelessness, child abuse, basic needs, and more through strategically invested grant funding. We are also a convener, bringing together community leaders,government, other funders, nonprofits, and stakeholders, to collaborate and coordinate our efforts to effectively address our most complicated social issues. We are leading a Central Oregon-wide collective action effort to address the impacts of childhood trauma, and to build resilience.

31% of Central Oregonians are impacted by a United Way funded program or service.
You can partner with United Way of Deschutes County – one of Bend’s most reputable and longest-standing nonprofit organizations - to give back to our Central Oregon community in a sustainable and meaningful way.

You can sponsor OVER THE EDGE today! You can also participate! You can put a team of employees together, Toss Your Boss over the edge, Treat Your Team to raffle for an Edger spot, challenge someone to a competition,rappel for teambuilding, sign up to volunteer, and more! 
More info: diana@deschutesunitedway.org

It's First Friday Art Walk in Downtown Bend tonight, and it is the place to be for art, music, creativity and laughter.  Make sure to check out the Downtown Bend Ambassador Launch Party in the Starbucks courtyard, and pick up your free Downtown Bend sticker!  

You'll want to make sure that you stop by all of the Art Galleries in Downtown Bend as well as checking out the list of cool things happening (below).

The best way to get to First Friday Art Walk is to walk, ride, carpool or uber - however, we've also got lot's of parking here and here - and if you live within the map get a free ride from Ride Bend! 

Join us for the 4th of July weekend First Friday. We will be hosting Wanderlust Essentials with CBD Crafted Cocktails and our good friend Imani from Hibiscus Jewelry will be in showing her gorgeous creations. ​

The Downtown Bend Parking Advisory Committee (DPAC) has announced a partnership with Deschutes County and the City of Bend to provide access to free public parking at the Deschutes County Administration building parking lots on weekends and during special events. The Deschutes County Administration building parking lots, located between Wall Street, Lafayette Ave and Olney Ave, contain as many parking stalls as the Downtown Bend parking garage on Lava Rd and Oregon Ave.  DPAC anticipates that utilizing these parking lots at the Deschutes County Administration building, during the busy summer tourist and special event season, will allow more people to easily access Downtown Bend.  The parking lots will be available from Friday evening after 6pm to Sunday night.  
 
“Downtown Bend is one of the greatest assets of our City, and currently we are seeing parking reach capacity during our popular events and attractions”, says Aisling, Executive Director for the Downtown Bend Business Association, “This partnership will allow more people to experience our vibrant Downtown with ease.”

The third season of the free Ride Bend transit service will launch in Bend on July 1, with a new twist!   Instead of waiting at a bus stop, riders can request rides on demand via the new Ride Bend App (or via phone).

Within the defined service area (below), The Ride Bend shuttle picks up riders at their door and shuttles them to their destination with other riders heading the same way. The service will enhance overall mobility and reduce parking demand and congestion in popular areas of Bend (including Downtown Bend, the Old Mill District, and along the busy Galveston Avenue corridor). 

"Ride Bend is a fresh, new improvement to our transportation options" said Mayor Sally Russell. "Especially during the summer months we need to make it easier and more efficient for residents and
visitors to move around our community"

​
The free Ride Bend service will include three vans, one fully ADA accessible, providing curb-to-curb
service on demand. Service will be available daily, from noon to 8 p.m.

Rides can be requested via the Ride Bend App, available for iPhone and Android.  A call-in number will also be available for passengers without access to a smartphone.

After Labor Day, the Ride Bend service will connect Oregon State University-Cascades, Central Oregon Community College, Northwest Crossing and all residential areas west of 14th Street. That service will run through the middle of December, coinciding with the students’ fall term.

​The Ride Bend service is provided by Downtowner, a national leader in microtransit, with successful
programs running in California, Utah, Colorado, Georgia, and Florida. The Mobility Lab at OSU-Cascades will oversee the service as a pilot study intended to help regional agencies identify a more efficient way to provide transit to a region that lacks the density of larger metro areas.

The program is sponsored by the City of Bend, Visit Bend, The Downtown Bend Business Association, the Bend Metropolitan Planning Organization, St. Charles Health Systems, Cascades East Transit, OSU-Cascades and Bend 2030.

What is Ride Bend?
Ride Bend is an on-demand, app-based transit service available to everyone. This service will be available at no cost to any rider who summons the vehicle with the Ride Bend app. Funding partners include: the City of Bend, Visit Bend, the Bend Metropolitan Planning Organization, St. Charles Health System, OSU-Cascades, and Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council.

How do I use Ride Bend?
Download the Ride Bend app and enter your desired trip origin and destination. The app will tell you how soon we can pick you up. If the pick-up time works with your schedule, request the ride.  
You can also call [phone number coming soon] to request a ride.

How much does Ride Bend cost?
The Ride Bend service is free.

Can I take Ride Bend from my house near Galveston Avenue to Safeway? To my friend’s house? To get dinner?
Yes! You can use Ride Bend to get anywhere within the service boundary. For those interested in traveling outside of the service area, Ride Bend can drop you off at Cascades East Transit’s Hawthorne Station.  

Will my ride go directly to my destination? Or will we stop to pick up other people?
The Ride Bend vans fit up to 12 people, including the driver. On busier days, expect to share the van with other passengers (and possibly their dog).

How many vehicles will be in service?
Three vehicles in total will be in service, with seating for up to 12 people, including the driver. One vehicle is wheelchair-accessible and all vehicles are dog-friendly.

Can I bring my bike?
Yes. Ride Bend vans are equipped with bike racks.

Can I take Ride Bend after floating the river?
Floaters can ride the Ride the River shuttle buses for $3.00, and enjoy unlimited rides all day.

How do I request a ride in an accessible van?
Within the Ride Bend app, select the option for an ADA vehicle. Or, call us to request an accessible ride. Phone number to be posted by July 1.

When will Ride Bend operate in 2019?
Ride Bend will operate a summer service July 1 through September 2 (Labor Day). After Labor Day, the service area will shift west to include the OSU-Cascades and COCC campuses. The most up-to-date information on hours of operation can always be found on the app.

Is there an age limit for who can utilize Ride Bend? 
In the interest of safety, children 12 & under may not ride Ride Bend alone. Children must be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or other responsible rider.

Why was Ride Bend introduced?
Ride Bend was introduced to reduce parking demand and congestion within the areas that see the most traffic during the summer months. Ride Bend connects to the Cascades East Transit system to make it easy for those traveling to other parts of Bend or Central Oregon.

​How is Ride Bend funded?
The program is sponsored by the City of Bend, Visit Bend, the Bend Metropolitan Planning Organization, St. Charles Health Systems, OSU-Cascades, and Cascades East Transit, with in-kind support from Bend 2030 and the Downtown Bend Business Association.