News from the Heart of Bend 5/27/21

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

            The warm weather is back! Now that 65% of the county has received its first dose of the vaccine Deschutes County will be staying in 'Low Risk' level (See those guidelines here). Don't forget folks 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 indoors 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. 

              First Friday's are coming back June 4th! We are so excited to announce that after 14 months of patiently waiting we are finally at 'Low Risk' level, we feel comfortable to bring back one of our favorite events! The Tower Theatre will be giving out free popcorn as well as provide public bathrooms Head over to our Website or our Facebook for more details. 

            Have you seen the newest restaurant to join downtown? Sen Thai Noodle & Hot Pot is brought to you buy that family that started one our favorite lunch spots Wild Rose! Though similar to the word ‘zen’, Sen translates to noodle, or thread, in Thai. A singular noodle personifies movement, balance, and longevity in numerous Asian cultures. At Sen, we’ve transported our family’s favorite Thai street carts into our own contemporary noodle shop in downtown Bend, Oregon. Travel back to Thailand with us by sampling our own renditions on these classic Thai noodles and street dishes. Indulge in Thai style hot pot as a group and cook your own fresh ingredients in our house made broth, or let us prepare it for you to enjoy as a single serving in a boiling pot. Think of Sen as your gateway into the vibrant street food culture of Bangkok and Chiang Mai — all while dining along the Deschutes with a craft cocktail in hand.

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           In downtown Bend we are always looking for ways to be more inclusive and make everyone's lives just a little bit better, That's why we are supporting our friends Kira and Amelia at CampFire USA, in their mission to put hygiene product disposal bins in men's restrooms. Here's where their mission began "When my FTM (female to male) transgender friend, Tony told me that he only uses the school bathrooms at school when he is on his period, but doesn't like using the women's room, it created a  passion about making a change for the better in Central Oregon communities. As part of our teen community service project, we decided that we wanted to install female hygiene product disposal bins in men's bathrooms around local businesses in downtown Bend. We're currently fundraising and spreading the word of our project in order to achieve our goal of making Bend a more trans-friendly environment. We would love your support in our efforts! Please contact us at ameliahw@icloud.com if you'd be interested in having bins installed in your men's restrooms or donate to our GoFundMe at https://gofund.me/1896df79. You can also check out our Instagram page at @co.wohelo to learn more about our organization!

        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!

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​Downtown Digital Bucks
If you missed out last time, now is your chance to get your business set up to accept Digital Downtown Bucks, sign up here.
If you have questions or are looking for more information about this program go 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
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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.