We did it, we made it through the heatwave, as well as survived the 4th of July weekend! Now that we got through that it seems we are up against a new issue, forest fires. With the largest active fire in the US, burning down by our southern border and the Grandview fire raging just north of us, the fire and smoke inhalation danger has never been higher, hence the state-wide ban on campfires, you can read more about that here. 

We are two weeks into the Coid-19 restrictions being lifted in Oregon, and events are in full swing again! If you haven't noticed Munch & music has made a full return and you can find all the information you need here. 

In addition to Munch & Music, The Bend Farmers Market which has been back for a few weeks now, is no longer requiring masks. If you haven't been yet, you can pick up fresh local goods and produce every Wednesday on the Brooks alley Promenade from 2-6pm. You can find all the information you need on their website here. 

​This week we headed over to The Cellar, by Porter Brewing in Redmond. With an incredible aesthetic that perfectly matches their cask-conditioned 'real ales', The Cellar's new basement location off of Oregon is the perfect spot for something new on a hot summer's day. Our favorite beer was the 'BULLETin', an easy-drinking, approachable, malt-oriented Blonde ale, with tropical notes of fruit, it's an amazingly well balanced, and clean IPA.

​​Oktoberfest
We are bringing back Oktoberfest! Things will be looking a little different this year and a lot more fun! To purchase your passport and find out more information check out our website here.

If you are interested in participating as a sponsor, or event host, or maybe you have a couple of fun ideas up your sleeve let us know. Feel free to reach out to hayden@downtownbend.org

​In September of 2018, the Roberts started Porter Brewing Co., opening their first craft brewery and tasting in Redmond. Avara and Deven Roberts aimed to create Central Oregon’s first all-cask brewery, which specializes in cask-conditioned ales. Now, the Roberts are thrilled to bring their cask ales to downtown Bend. In a speakeasy-like setting, The Cellar features in-house brews, including Irish Red-mond Ale, Jackpine IPA, and Best Bitter. You can also look forward to a few site-specific beers made for the Redmond and Bend locations, respectively. The Cellar will provide a food menu, which consists of savory pies, soft pretzels with beer cheese, and sausage bites. “And really, what pairs better with a Scottish meat pie or a chicken curry pie, than a cask-conditioned ale,” Avara cheerfully exclaimed. Vi’s Pies are a tribute to their daughter, Violet, while Porter Brewing gets its namesake from their son, Porter.
You can read the full article from Eat Drink Bend here.

                                           Welcome to the Downtown Bend Newsletter, News from the ❤️️ of Bend!

        Happy almost weekend Central Oregon! We have a fun-filled one ahead of us with Munch & Music and Summerfest returning! We hope you all survived the heatwave, and are prepared for more because the last couple of days were the only break we are getting for another week. So blow up those tubes, paddles boards, grab your dog, and head to the river or one of the amazing lakes we are surrounded by!  

                                                                         Munch and Music (July 8th)
Summit Health Munch & Music FREE concert series in Drake Park presented by The Source Weekly and Hayden Homes will be kicking off it’s 30th anniversary in 2021! The weekly series provides the community of Central Oregon with free live music, outstanding food vendors at Restaurant Row, family fun in the Kids Zone, local vendors down Artisan Row, and beer, wine, and spirits.
 Our 2021 series dates: July 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th, August 5th, and 12th.
The Munch & Music food court is sure to have something for everyone! As one of the largest gatherings of all your favorite local food trucks and vendors; make sure you arrive hungry! 

The Deschutes Brewery Libation Stations will be available with beer, wine and a specialty cocktail weekly. With our walk-around policy, you can roam the area freely with your beverage! No outside alcohol is allowed on the event premise. ​

                   Summerfest (July 10th & 11th)
​We are so excited about the return of the First Interstate Bank Bend Summer Festival for 2021. We’ve missed everyone! Due to the constant changes around community events, this year’s festival will look different from the year’s past. We are doing our best to bring all of the attractions back for this annual celebration of summer so stay tuned to this website! Discover unique art pieces as you stroll through the Fine Artist Promenade and find a new favorite local shop in our Oregon Lifestyle Marketplace. Bring the kiddos down for our Summer Sprint race for a fun day for the whole family! Support local artists, grab a bite, sip on something new and soak up a weekend of fun in the sun. And don’t forget to visit the fabulous shops in Downtown Bend.

                                                                               Walk The Chalk (8/14)
Walk the Chalk is all about community collaboration! We will be creating art live with chalk on the sidewalks of The Commons, on the Brooks Street Plaza on August 14th.  Local businesses and artists will team up for this project, with proceeds going to our local organization, Scalehouse, Collaborative for the Arts.  Businesses can sponsor an Artist Square, and ta local artist will create their own designs for the sidewalk.  There will be several levels of sponsorship available for purchase, each package coming with additional benefits for the businesses, including their business names in the squares, a listing in the brochures, or even picking their own artist in the highest level of sponsorship.
 
Community Squares will be available the day of the event for a $25 purchase price, and any level or age of artist is welcome for these squares!
 
This project is meant to be a fun way to bring color to Bend, and to reunite the community through art.  It’s been tough times with this pandemic, so let’s bring a little more happiness and life to our downtown area! 
 
Contact us today on how to sponsor or participate!
Reach us here.

​Oktoberfest
We are bringing back Oktoberfest! Things will be looking a little different this year and a lot more fun! To purchase your passport and find out more information check out our website here.


If you are interested in participating as a sponsor, or event host, or maybe you have a couple of fun ideas up your sleeve let us know. Feel free to reach out to hayden@downtownbend.org

Welcome to July, time has really flown by this year, we aren't sure how, but it has. With one of our favorite holidays right around the corner, expect a massive surge of out of town visitors for the weekend, while things my be a little more packed than most of us like, just remember their someone's friends or family and think about how you would want your family treated if they were visiting you!

As of Yesterday June 30th, Oregon County risk level guidelines as well as all Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted. This means no more masks and we can sit at bar tops again! However we want to be clear that just because the restrictions have been removed, it doesn't mean the virus has. Covid-19 is still going to remain a dangerous virus that we continue to deal with. In Oregon we are less than 6,000 people away from hitting our goal of 70% vaccination rate, across the US those numbers are not looking as good with less than 50% of the US fully vaccinated. With most states fully reopening and cases on a decline things are looking better, but it's not over, encourage your friends and family to get vaccinated and remember to wash your hands! 

For more information visit, the Oregon Governments webpage here. 

​We survived the worst of it, but the extra warm weather isn't going away anytime soon. Don't forget to protect your little furry friends. Their paws are very sensitive and even can become damaged after just a minute on asphalt over 125 degrees and that can happen when it's as cold as 80 out! 

Along with protecting your pups, we are protecting our forests and our environment. If you haven't heard already Bend has put a ban on private fireworks through July 9th. As much as we are going to miss having fun at home with fireworks, with record-high temps, winds, and fire danger for the good of the community we are going to miss out this year. But fear not because Pilot Butte will still be hosting their annual firework display!

This week if you are looking to beat the heat head over to Crater Lakes Spirits, for an amazing selection of mini cocktails, that are best enjoyed on the shaded patio or inside in the fresh AC. Where ever you drink them, just remember all drinks are best paired with a nice tall glass of water!

With covid restrictions being lifted, one of our favorite "hidden" gems is opening back up again. Head over to Mcmenamins to see if you can find their secret bar "The Broom Closet". With all the great drinks you've come to love from Mcmenamins it's the perfect little spot to show to all your out-of-town friends! 

​Downtown Dollars
In-person or online, we've made it easy for you to support local Downtown Bend merchants. To purchase downtown dollars visit our page here. For a list of Downtown Bend businesses: click here, for online shopping links: click here, for curbside pick-up and delivery from Downtown Bend restaurants: click here. 

​Reserve your Ad Space on a Downtown Directory! 
Ad spaces are available for every type of business, and we offer extremely competitive advertising rates!  You don't have to be a business in the Downtown District to place an ad.  Contact us or click here for more information.  This is a great opportunity to showcase your business to thousands of people every single day!

Bend’s annual summer tradition is back! We are so excited for the return of the First Interstate Bank Bend Summer Festival for 2021. We’ve missed everyone! Due to the constant changes around community events, this year’s festival will look different from year’s past. We are doing our best to bring all of the attractions back for this annual celebration of summer so stay tuned to this website! Discover unique art pieces as you stroll through the Fine Artist Promenade and find a new favorite local shop in our Oregon Lifestyle Marketplace. Bring the kiddos down for our Summer Sprint race for a fun day for the whole family! Support local artists, grab a bite, sip on something new and soak up weekend of fun in the sun. And don’t forget to visit the fabulous shops in Downtown Bend.
​

For DBBA Members:

The intent of these awards is to educate and inspire our fellow citizens by showcasing architecture projects created within the AIA Bend Section area or globally by members of our Section. The program demonstrates to the public the role of the architectural profession in enhancing the built environment through sustainable, resilient, and inclusive design.
Project boards will be on display, visible to the public in the St. Clair Place atrium at 920 NW Bond Street in downtown Bend. The public is asked to vote for their favorite designs in several categories on our online platform beginning at the First Friday Event on July 2, 2021. The PCAs’ website will remain active and voting open until July 25. Votes will be counted, and winners recognized at a Section Meeting scheduled for July 29.

Go to www.aiaoregon.org for the link to the voting galleries, and to learn more.

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About The American Institute of Architects
For over 150 years, members of the American Institute of Architects have worked with each other and their communities to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings and cityscapes. Members adhere to a code of ethics and professional conduct to ensure the highest standards in professional practice. Embracing their responsibility to serve society, AIA members engage civic and government leaders and the public in helping find needed solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation and world. Visit www.aiaoregon.org.

            The Summer Solstice has come and gone, we are officially four days into summer and four weeks into the tourist season.  Now that over 68% of the county has received its first dose of the vaccine Deschutes County will be staying in 'Low Risk' level (See those guidelines here) we are just 38,143 people away from hitting the state's goal of 70% vaccination rate. Don't forget in these final few weeks it is up to the business/establishment to determine how to handle the CDC's new mask policies. Please remember to be nice, no one wants to still be in this pandemic, just be kind wear your mask where required and we will hopefully be done soon! Encourage your friends and family to get tested if they are feeling sick or if they are over the age of 16 to get vaccinated. 

Well if are really getting into the spirit of summer and you’re starting your day early, we highly recommend you start off at…

​The Commons Cafe for the perfect roast to start your day off. We proudly offer locally roasted coffee from Thump Coffee, teas from Metolius Tea, 15 taps of delicious beer, cider, and kombucha, and a selection of wines by the glass.  Our food selection includes fresh local baked goods and small snacks

For brunch, our go-to spot is Lemon Tree, the best spot to get a delicious midday bite like the jumbo crab cake benedict or Amaretto French toast. Paired with Betsy’s Bloody Mary or a Mimosa and you are set to have a great day.

Bend Brewing Company, with a massive grass and patio area right on the river, there’s always bound to be some fluffy friends joining for a couple of rounds! A great way to kick it off is with a sample tray, we find it hard to choose one beer when there are so many great options. 

Or maybe you want to hit the brewery that started it all back in 1988, Deschutes brewery is and forever will be a local’s favorite. With classics like Mirror Pond pale ale and new style beers like the Neon Dream hazy.

With spring in full swing our favorite lunch spot is Chomp Chomp. With a rotating seasonal menu of Japanese and American comfort food, from delicious burgers to poke bowls, there’s something for everyone.

Stuck in the brewery mood? Head over to McMenamins for lunch and beer, with 3 different bars, the McMenamins campus is a great place to spend the afternoon.

After lunch swing by Velvet and grab yourself a spot right out front and soak up the sun while you soak up a craft cocktail. Or enjoy a craft beer from one of the largest canned microbrew selections downtown!

Before you head to dinner, stop in at JC’s for a cold pint and some fun! You can play pool, giant Jenga or even shuffleboard. One of our favorite spots to take to everyone, because there is endless entertainment.

Dinner is best spent at Zydeco Kitchen and Cocktails features Northwest cuisine with a Southern twist and focuses on quality ingredients that are hormone-free, pesticide-free, and organic. Zydeco is a local favorite for starters like their Artichoke & Corn Fritters and Acadian Flatbread, and entrees ranging from NW Reserve “PRIME” Ribeye to Grilled or Blackened Redfish.

Maybe you are  in the mood for a margarita, drop in at Hola!, for a margarita list that will leave you wanting to try them all and food menu that manages to outshine the drink list. Serving nouveau Mexican-Peruvian cuisine, including authentic Peruvian ceviche, Hola! has been voted ‘Best Margarita in Bend’ numerous times.

There is no shortage of great bars in Bend so you’ve got to be someplace pretty special to be voted “Best Bar” and “Best Specialty Cocktail” in Central Oregon. Dogwood Cocktail Cabin is that place. Located smack in the heart of downtown Bend, their mixologists shake up uber-creative concoctions that are shaking up the cocktail scene across the country

To wrap up your evening you can head right around the corner to the D & D, a joint that takes pride in the fact that its bartenders mix the stiffest drinks in town. The bartenders and servers are old school efficient and bring out plates of the best hangover food in town. With a the perfect amount of dive bar vibe, it’s Bend’s oldest bar for good reason.
​

 New Law Firm, Resonate IP Informs and Empowers Iconic Lifestyle Brands
 
​Bend-based Resonate IP assists brand owners with protecting business and product names to ensure that each has a broad scope of protection against competitors.  “The Covid-19 pandemic has emphasized the importance of having a strong brand, with successful businesses leveraging their consumer goodwill to expand into new markets” states Resonate IP principal Drew Smith.  “Resonate IP bridges the divide between simply doing business and having a strong, enforceable brand that is a business asset.” With services such as Brand Clearance, Brand Protection, Brand Enforcement, Transactional and International Trademarks, check our their website here.

Oktoberfest
We are bringing back Oktoberfest! Things will be looking a little different this year and a lot bit more fun, if you are interested in participating as a sponsor, or event host, or maybe you have a couple of fun ideas up your sleeve let us know. Feel free to reach out to hayden@downtownbend.org
​
Downtown Dollars
In-person or online, we've made it easy for you to support local Downtown Bend merchants:  For a list of Downtown Bend businesses: click here, for online shopping links: click here, for curbside pick-up and delivery from Downtown Bend restaurants: click here. 

​Reserve your Ad Space on a Downtown Directory! 
Ad spaces are available for every type of business, and we offer extremely competitive advertising rates!  You don't have to be a business in the Downtown District to place an ad.  Contact us or click here for more information.  This is a great opportunity to showcase your business to thousands of people every single day!