Lay it Out Events, in partnership with the Downtown Bend Business Association, have come up with some exciting new ways for Downtown businesses to take advantage of the upcoming 2020 event season.  This year, Lay it Out Events is offering a bundle of promotional opportunities for Downtown retailers to maximize foot traffic and sales during festivals.  The opportunities cost you nothing more than your time, energy, and willingness to participate.  Below is a list of items that Lay it Out Events is launching to make summer fantastic! 

New Festival App
This new app will place retailer discounts in front of festival goers.  Discounts, special items, or timely announcements are all possible for your business.  Let Lay it Out Events know what you have planned! 

Scavenger Hunts
Limited to a select number of retailers each festival, the scavenger hunt feature on the app is designed to be a family-friendly way for event attendees to move between festival vendors and downtown retailers.  Each retail stop has a prize (provided by LIOE) that allows scavenger participants to weave their way through and into your store in search for scavenger greatness. 

Sidewalk Sale Promotion
Each printed guide to the festival will have a space dedicated to information about promotionals and interesting aspects to your business.  This Guide is distributed in 15,000 copies of the Source Weekly one week prior to the event with extended distribution at the event.

After Festival Activity Promotion (Downtown Lit!)
When the festival ends the fun is just starting for many downtown businesses.  If you are a business that stays open past the festival conclusion, take the opportunity to be mentioned as part of Lay it Out Events' new 'Downtown Lit' promotion.  Participating businesses will be mentioned int he guide and on the music stage as an exciting place for after festival entertainment.  Space is limited.  This promotional opportunity will have stage mentions, social media, print advertising and poster support.  

Art of Song Workshops
Lay it Out Events is interested in partnering with several local businesses to launch a new aspect to the Bend Summer Festival.  We are looking for businesses willing to have a local singer-songwriter in their location for one hour performances throughout the day.  We will be promotion this series on stages, and with an independent marketing campaign.  This is another great way to bring the festival inside. 

It's First Friday Art Walk!  Head into Downtown Bend for a night filled with art, shopping, music and local food & drink.  On First Friday in Downtown Bend, we celebrate ALL forms of art - music, comedy, photography, painting, sculpture, acting and more.  Head to Downtown Bend, and delight your senses!  Make sure to drop into all of our Downtown Art Galleries and also be sure to hit these great First Friday events:

Forge Humanity: Mama House, will be rocking the house. Justus Vega, featured artist for the night. Boneyard beer flowing from their tap.

​OnPoint Community Credit Union: Join us on First Friday for the OnPoint Community Credit UnionOregon WinterFest where the Fire King and Ice Queen will hold a procession downtown, enjoy fire pits, ice carving, games, Oregon WinterFest ticket giveaways and other fun prizes.

Found Natural Goods: First Friday with Feather Divine.  Found Natural Goods will be serving complimentary 100% agave tequila margaritas––radical mixer to be announced––with local jewelry designer, maker, endless-energy woman wonder, Feather Divine. Julia Duke is the hands behind Feather Divine "Goddess Feather Earrings 🌿 Cruelty-Free ❤ 10% of sales donated to wildlife and bird habitat conservation efforts. 🌎" You may also know her as Julia Duke Photo getting published left and right for her portraits, wedding work, and all around good energy behind the lens.

Crater Lake Spirits: Come enjoy February's First Friday with cocktails, live music from Jesse, and we will be hosting Central Oregon LandWatch!  LandWatch plays a vital role in achieving a responsible, balanced approach to planning for and conserving Central Oregon’s land and water resources, while recognizing the needs of future generations. We work to protect and conserve the region’s ecosystems and wildlife habitats, to foster thriving, sustainable communities and to spread the costs and benefits of growth equitably across the community as a whole.

Outside In: Join us for the February Downtown Art Walk at Outside In. We are featuring local photographer & climber, Austin White, and his beautiful landscape images of climbers in Central Oregon. Over the weekends of February 1-2 and 8-9, the USA Climbing Bouldering National Championships are being held right here in Deschutes County. Come and celebrate our local climbers & their photography!

Seven Nightclub: First Friday Free for All with Fuzzy Logic. "Fuzzy Logic" is a live, interactive, variety show, for geeks and nerds! Produced and hosted by local Bend nerds, ready to share their passions and interests with you, as long as you are ready to share your's. The open platform and fluid structure of this unique show, allows for everyone to get a chance to share what they enjoy with others. Our guest panel of experts, professionals and comedians will teach and entertain you. Everyone attending will get a chance to interact with the show and the guests. From audience trivia, to the Q&A with our panel of specialists, everyone will get a chance to play along.

Deschutes Brewery: Come down to the Pub this First Friday and welcome our artist of the month Lucynda Campbell. Lucynda creates amazing custom oil paintings for your home or business. Oil painting began for me in an unexpected way, when I became very ill with what was later discovered to be Lymes disease. I had been an active person, hiking, running, and volunteering. I found myself virtually disabled and nearly bedridden, my life had been stolen from me. I had never been a TV watcher and I was starving for a way to keep my mind alive while I was afraid my body was dying. A good friend of mine who is also struggling with health problems invited me to come over to her home. She had been a professional pastel artist, and she begin to teach me how to paint. As soon as I was again healthy enough to drive, I was at her home regularly.

Bend Brewing Co.: Join us for live music at BBC! Music will play from 6:00-8:30 inside our bar area. If the weather permits, musicians might play outside on our beer garden. This weeks music by: Seth Martin & Tyler Key

Footzone: Let’s connect about The Haven’s upcoming arrival on the scene! Stop in for some nibbles while we feed you Info of our exciting venture. 

JDUB: Join us on First Friday as we welcome award winning The Ale Apothecary to J Dub and try some extraordinarily unique and truly craft beer from Bend's own vintage batch Oak barrel brewery! We also always offer the gold medal winning Sahalie Wild Ale. Sour fan? You can't miss this! Come learn and taste what origin beer is all about!

Wabi Sabi: Come see local goods made by artists and artisans just starting out! We'll have candles, chopsticks, woodworking, jewelry, photography, greeting cards, stickers, cosplay supplies, 3D printed items and so much more!! Come by, drink some sake, have a snack, and enjoy the items presented by these fabulous folks!
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Cascade Sotheby's: Please join us Friday, February 1st at our Downtown Bend Showroom (821 NW Wall St, Bend, OR) from 5 – 8 PM, to enjoy the artwork of Kristine Cooper. This event is sponsored by Cascade Sotheby’s International Realty and your hosts for the evening, Tammy Caruso, along with co-sponsors Academy Mortgage, who will be serving wine and beer samples.

Velvet: Artist Tara Doherty​​ resists the temptation to be stable. Her figurative art is inspired in this resistance by insects – their ability to transform, to connect, to possess an exoskeleton, to have acceptance, and to move forward into the unknown. Using whatever materials she finds, she hopes her creations can inspire others to be unstable too. 

Townshend's Teahouse: This Friday on February 1st, Paige Rajnus will be at Townshend’s Teahouse 5-8pm with a collection of small animal prints! This show is entitled “Held Together,” and has a very special and meaningful place in my heart. Come visit on First Friday for tea and art! Below are snippets of some of the work that will be there. ;)

The Oxford Hotel: For #FirstFridayBend, we'll continue displaying Debra Millette's exhibit titled "Pet Selfies with Their Persons" - a series of playful acrylic paintings.  Debra will be in our lobby during First Friday #inbend. Stop by to view her paintings and say hello!

Bellatazza: Join the OPA children's cast in full costume for a sing-along with several songs from their upcoming show, Oliver! We'll be handing out flyers to promote the show and within those, there will be some hidden "Golden Tickets" for free entrance to the show on Saturday, February 16th at 7pm. See you in front of Bellatazza for First Friday Art Walk! ​

Princess Athletics: The theme for this art walk is LOVE! We will be showcasing art from the kids at the Bend International School. Sara with www.bundleofjoyinfantmassage.com will be here as well!

Download our printable First Friday Art Walk Guide:

Do you want to be included in future Art Walk posts or do you see a correction
​that needs to be made?  Email us, or submit your event here.

Hey Bend Community!  We did it!  We've made it through another work week.  Here is your list to all the cool things to do this weekend in Downtown Bend.

Bendy Dog is all moved into their new location at 114 NW Minnesota in Downtown Bend!  Grab your pups and head Downtown to visit Tawna, and grab some great treats for your fur babies.  

For everytime your furry friend is there for you.. whether you are ready for an adventure or are just wanting to lay in the shade and relax, Bendy Dog is here to help you thank them.  No other creature is as loyal, loving and non-jusdgemental.  At Bendy Dog, they believe in showing our dogs how much we love them - whether you want the highest quality dog beds, durable leashes and collars, or anything in-between... Bendy Dog has it all!  Not only will you love what they have, but (most importantly!) your dog will too.

Join us on Friday, February 1st & Saturday, February 2nd for Chili Fest down at BBC! We will have live music both nights from 6:00-8:30!

There will be three chilis for you to choose from:

Texas Steak Chili
-petite tender steak, tomatoes, green bell peppers, onions, celery & anaheim peppers. Topped with cheddar cheese, green onions, cilantro, sour cream & lime

White Bean Chicken Chili
-chicken, cannellini beans, green chilis, tomatillos, celery & onions. Topped with pico de gallo, cilantro, sour cream & jack cheese.

3 Bean Vegetable Chili
-Black Beans, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans, corn, kale, red & yellow bell pepers. Topped with avocado, green onions, cilantro & tortilla chips. ​

The fun of 'Winter PrideFest' continues with a 'Cocktail Hour' at the Dogwood. Come by as an alternative to the 'Apres Ski Party'.

Hosts 'Madame Tucker' and 'Stella Nova' will provide entertainment with a Drag Performance. Let's celebrate our Pride with this nightcap!
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Details: http://outcentraloregon.com/winter-pridefest/

We've got all the stuff you need to dance your booty off and party like it's 1999!  Check out Toasty Takeover at Seven Nightclub, Big Cat and Karaoke at the Capitol, and Dennis Dabs at Bend Brewing Co.

Peterson Roth Gallery is a hidden Downtown Bend gem located on Oregon street in the basement below Silverado Jewelry Gallery. Peterson Roth is Bend's foremost contemporary Gallery, offering it's visitors a distinctive experience that can't be found anywhere else in Bend, Oregon.
Ken Roth, Gallery Director and Artist, has over 20 years of experience in the Bend art community. His unique perspective and unwavering passion nurtures an environment that is perpetually evolving.
Discover the gallery at 206 NW Oregon Ave and feast on the the unique collection of art you will find there.  As a local or a visitor to Bend, this is an experience you don't want to miss and January is the perfect time to drop in and say "Hi".

The importance of taking a time out and creating a nurtured lifestyle is the Bend way.  We believe in work-life balance.  We believe in ski days, coffee dates and afternoon adventures.  Dudley's Bookshop Cafe on Minnesota Ave in the heart of Downtown Bend in the perfect place to carve out an hour or two to browse the shelves for a new book and cozy-in to sit with a great cup of coffee.  With Dudley's friendly staff, relaxed environment, and comfortable couches, you'll leave feeling refreshed and balanced.  Visit Dudley's at 135 NW Minnesota.