M ng the Moment
Conversations with local leaders on finding strength, hope and power to face the challenges ahead
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MARCH 5
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EDITOR’S NOTE:
It’s my pleasure to be back in the middle of the action, and to be curating the 2025 Women’s Issue for you! Our Women’s Issue coverage starts with the News pages, where Julianna LaFollette checks in with the local Planned Parenthood on the health care refugees it’s taking in from other states, and the funding challenges it faces moving forward. Jennifer Baires highlights an event aimed at recruiting more women and non-binary people to critical jobs in wildland firefighting — which became the victim of a backlash against DEI. Our Feature pages share how local organizations and leaders are “meeting the moment” in supporting migrant women, the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and Deschutes County clients and employees affected by cuts to DEI programming, and so much more. In Culture, Jared Rasic explores Girls Who Code, the program aimed at young women in tech. And in Chow, we highlight Central Oregon’s women-owned brewery, Spider City. Thanks, as always, for reading this very special issue.
—Editor in Chief Nicole Vulcan
PS: Voting is now open for our Central Oregon Pets photo contest. The winning photo in each category will be published in the Central Oregon Pets issue at the end of March and will receive a free print from our friends at High Desert Frameworks. Cast your vote by March 10 at bendsource.com/pets
LIGHTMETER: PRESENTED BY HARVEST MOON
“Winter skies, snowy trails and twisted juniper on a February hike.”
Thank you so much @vitalityinfocus for tagging us in this lovely photo of your winter hike at Cline Buttes!
Don't forget to share your photos with us and tag @sourceweekly for a chance to be featured as our Instagram photo of the week.
Turning
Our Backs on American Infants and Mothers
American women continue to have the highest rate of death before, during and after childbirth, compared to any other high-income country in the world. The worst part: about 80% of those deaths are likely to be preventable, according to a 2024 brief from The Commonwealth Fund.
This has been a crisis since before the current president came back into power, but with threats to Medicaid looming and some of the structural issues around the problem yet unresolved, it appears the problem is going to get worse.
Here’s an example of how a lack of informed perspective on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts could interrupt efforts to fix this: In the U.S., the maternal death rate in 2023 was highest for Black women, at a rate of 49.5 deaths per 100,000 people. Compare that to 22.3 deaths per 100,000 for white women — or the rate of 8.4 for women in Canada, and 1.2 for Switzerland — and it’s clear there’s a serious problem. Mounting any effort at the federal level to address these racial disparities seems a distant possibility at the present time.
Here are some other things to know:
The U.S. and Canada have some of the lowest rates of midwives and OBGYNs per capita. Currently, downward pressure on people leads to abandonment of the profession here in the U.S., or others choosing not to join, when in states such as Texas and Idaho, some of these providers can be prosecuted for providing life-saving care, and are sometimes targeted with violence.
In countries with less-abysmal rates of maternal death and these types of threats, midwives and home health providers are a big part of the equation.
“Visits by a midwife or a nurse are associated with improved mental health and breastfeeding outcomes as well as reduced health care costs. Home visits give providers an opportunity to address maternal and mental health concerns as well as to assess the mother’s available supports and social drivers of health, including needs for food,
housing, financial security and protection from domestic violence,” The Commonwealth Fund’s brief described.
Here in the U.S., much of that vital care is provided to low-income women through Medicaid, a program that the president campaigned on leaving alone. Yet, this past week, he endorsed a budget that would cut Medicaid funding. As of August 2024, some 23% of Oregonians — around 1,427,00 people — were covered by the Oregon Health Plan or CHIP, both health insurance programs funded by the federal government, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Some 44% of births in Oregon are covered by Medicaid.
Here in our state, paid leave is a bright spot Oregonians enjoy, and one that can have an impact on postpartum outcomes. Oregon recently implemented a state-level version of paid family leave just last year, making it among 13 states, and the District of Columbia, to have such a program in place. Were it to be implemented at the national level, “a federally mandated paid leave policy would be especially beneficial to Black and lower-income women, who are less likely to have a paid leave policy through their employers,” according to The Commonwealth Fund brief.
If Americans are not yet deeply troubled by the rapid slashing of the lifesaving support our country provided through U.S. Agency for International Development; if they’re not ashen at the appalling conditions and treatment of the migrants who are in the process of being deported; our hope is that they’ll draw the line at cutting vital support for infants and their mothers. Inside this Women’s Issue, we can only hope.
A groundswell of concern over potential cuts to Medicaid, directed at members of Congress, would be the ideal place to begin to push back. But funding nonprofits that provide vital medical services — and recognizing the need for more providers in the realm of reproductive health, not fewer — would be another.
Letters
GUEST OPINION: PUBLIC LANDS ARE UNDER ATTACK LIKE NEVER BEFORE
Between funding freezes, budget cuts, firing thousands of federal public lands employees and legislation and regulations to weaken bedrock environmental laws like the Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Antiquities Act, the Trump administration and Congress have wasted no time in their efforts to roll back protections for our nation’s treasured public lands and sell them off to private interests. The list is way too long to fit within the required word limit, but here are just a few of the urgent threats our public lands face.
• Thousands of National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other federal employees have been fired without cause. These were park rangers, wildland firefighters, field biologists and other critical staff. They are also our friends, neighbors and community members in Central Oregon and beyond. Our federal land management agencies were already understaffed and it just got much, much worse.
• The Trump administration is cutting and withholding essential funding for national and international wildlife conservation, restoration work and community safety efforts.
• President Trump’s new Interior Secretary, Doug Burgum, recently issued several secretarial orders aimed at rolling back public lands protections and environmental laws in order to open up more public land for oil and gas drilling.
• Legislation was recently introduced into Congress that would repeal the Antiquities Act — a law signed by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 that allows presidents to designate nationally important lands as National Monuments.
• At the beginning of the new Congress, the House of Representatives adopted a new rules package that makes it easier to sell off public lands.
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• The House of Representatives also recently passed the Fix Our Forests Act, which, contrary to its name, has nothing to do with “fixing” forests and everything to do with weakening the Endangered Species Act and NEPA, removing public input and science from land management decisions and handing over more control of our public lands to timber interests. This harmful bill could soon be voted on by the Senate and sent to President Trump’s desk.
Public lands belong to us all — not corporate interests. These are the places we hike, bike, hunt, fish, ski and camp; places we rely on for clean air and clean drinking water; places where the fish and wildlife populations can still thrive. These cuts and proposals will devastate our ability to enjoy and care for cherished places like the Deschutes National Forest, the Three Sisters Wilderness, Crater Lake National Park and the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.
I encourage everyone who uses, enjoys and depends on public lands (it’s all of us) to reach out to Sens. Wyden and Merkley and Rep. Janelle Bynum (or your member of Congress) and share your concerns about these issues. We need champions in Congress who will stand up for the public good and push back against these unprecedented attacks on our public lands.
—Sami Godlove, Oregon Wild
OUR VOTE IS OUR VOICE
Republican state legislators, led by Christine Drazan (R-Canby), are proposing two bills to limit voting rights in Oregon. Oregon’s pioneering, first-in-thenation Motor Voter law has successfully increased voter participation, and it’s a thing Oregon voters should be proud of. Additionally, every registered Oregon voter automatically receives a ballot in the mail, along with a detailed voter’s pamphlet to help us compare candidates. With numerous drop boxes at local libraries and municipal buildings, voting is accessible for all, regardless of political affiliation.
Ensuring easy access to voting is crucial for our democracy, and Oregon legislators must prioritize this.
House Bill 3470 would require additional verification of citizenship documents by Secretary of State Tobias Read’s office, and House Bill 3473 aims to eliminate automatic voter registration entirely. These reactions stem from a DMV error that mistakenly registered noncitizens to vote — an issue now addressed with improved staff training and scrutiny. Gov. Kotek has initiated an audit and paused automatic registration until the audit is completed. Having previously lived in Pennsylvania, I am aware of the complexities and challenges associated with voting outside of Oregon. My concern is that overreaction to isolated incidents could make it harder to vote. Our right to vote is the foundation of democracy, and Oregon legislators must make voting easier, not harder, for us to elect our representatives.
—Kristine Seibert
MUCH NEEDED PREGNANCY LOSS RESOURCES IN THE COMMUNITY
I’ve been a critical care nurse for over 12 years and served in Bend the last six years at St. Charles. I founded A Soulful Sorrow, a holistic healing program and community for women navigating pregnancy loss. Although miscarriage and pregnancy loss happens to one in four pregnancies, there are quite literally no resources. Being a miscarriage survivor myself and as a nurse, I’ve experienced the staggering lack of resources for our community’s families who lose babies at any gestation. They are left with no mental health resources, support or medical supplies to aid in this experience.
That is why I founded A Soulful Sorrow,
to finally shed light on an all-too-common experience that has been stigmatized and in the shadows for too long. We are in the process of becoming a nonprofit. We currently offer free resources and guides to women and their families, free monthly support groups, an online healing program and community of women local and around the world. We have helped almost 1,000 women now.
We are now making our presence known locally and beginning to collaborate with local OBGYN offices and St. Charles to bring these much-needed resources to families. On April 27, I am actually going to be the keynote speaker of an event we are putting on with Deep Roots Birth Collective (a soon-to-be nonprofit that brings birth services to families at no cost in Central Oregon). The event is called Loss Literacy. It is a call to all community leaders and providers to finally learn the compassionate, grief-informed care needed that society and school never taught us.
This expert-led training provides compassionate communication skills, somatic exercises and hands-on tools to ensure we provide families with the dignity and compassionate care they deserve. Because how we show up matters.
—Lauren Paz
Letter of the Week:
Lauren, thank you for highlighting the dearth of these important services and support groups in our community and country.
—Chris Young
Man Pulls Gun on Protester in Downtown Bend
On Sunday, during a protest calling for aid to Ukraine, 27-year-old Trevor Dean Miller allegedly pointed a handgun at an individual in attendance. Bend Police responded to the incident after a person attending the protest reported that, following a verbal confrontation, a man driving a white Dodge Charger pointed a gun at him, then drove away.
At about 12:07pm, shortly after the incident, officers found the vehicle at a liquor store and conducted a traffic stop, according to Sheila Miller, Bend Police communications manager. Bend Police arrested Miller for menacing, unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm and a DUII.
—Julianna LaFollette
14 hours
— Of music at this Saturday's The Bluegrass Bend-r festival at the Volcanic Theatre Pub, from the Gung Ho story, "Central Oregon's Blugrass Scene Unites"
Firefighting Camp for Women and Non-Binary People Canceled
Amid an increasing need for wildland firefighters, a camp aimed at helping young women and non-binary people pursue careers in fire is the latest casualty of Trump’s crusade against DEI
By Jennifer Baires
It was supposed to be the inaugural year of the Young Women’s Wildland Fire Career Camp. Billed as a free, multi-day, hands-on learning experience for women and non-binary people between 16 and 20 years old, the camp was scheduled to take place in Redmond over spring break next month. The event was a joint effort between the nonprofit Discover Your Forest — a stewardship partner of the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and Crooked River National Grassland — and the U.S. Forest Service.
“This camp offers a fantastic opportunity for young women to explore the diverse career paths available in wildland fire,” Emily Curtis, wildland fire education coordinator at Discover Your Forest, stated in a press release from December. “We’re committed to fostering diversity and inclusion within the fire service, and this program is a crucial step in empowering the next generation of female firefighters.”
Now, that “crucial step” is canceled for this year, and the future of such programs remains uncertain. It’s another fallout from President Donald Trump’s day-one executive order blitz, which included a directive mandating that federal agencies eliminate DEI offices and positions, as well as abandoning “equity-related” projects. In addition to canceling the March event, Curtis said Discover Your Forest’s other work helping to manage thousands of Forest Service volunteers in Central Oregon, running interpretive programs for youth education like field trips at Lava Lands and providing natural resource internships is in danger of being canceled, too.
wildland firefighter shortage, and there’s been increasing coverage of the ways in which it’s really hard on people to be a wildland firefighter in a long-term career sense, it’s ridiculous to do anything that would potentially keep someone who’s interested and cares about this from getting to do it,” Windsor said.
"I’m
focusing on making sure that we aren’t insular in this, and that we are wrapping our
arms and our resources and hearts around communities, undocumented people, and doing whatever we can within whatever reach we have to assist the people around us.”
,—Ruth
Vernotico, founder of SUS, from the Feature story, “Wrapping Arms and Resources and Hearts Around Communities”
“As a nonprofit partner of the USDA Forest Service [U.S. Forest Service] for 29 years, Discover Your Forest operates all our programs free of charge, which is made possible by grants, donations, memberships and federal funding through agreements,” Curtis wrote in a statement to the Source Weekly. “Since the current administration came to power, money allocated through these agreements has not been paid out and many agreements have been put on administrative pause to be reviewed at the national level. As a result, we’re facing difficult decisions on staffing, operations and programs.”
Hailey Windsor, a 26 year old who participated in a similar woman-oriented wildland firefighting training in Vale, Oregon, last October, said that canceling training like the Young Women’s Wildland Fire Career Camp is not just a hit to women — it’s also a hit to wildland firefighters broadly and the nation’s ability to combat the growing wildfire crisis.
“It strikes me as ridiculous in a time where there’s a known
According to the Forest Service, approximately 13% of wildland firefighters are female— a growing percentage, but still small compared to men. Meanwhile, the need for a ready-trained workforce of firefighters grows each year as the West sees increasing fire activity during the summer months, and a regional push for more intensive preventative forest treatments ahead of those dry, hot days.
Last year in Oregon, nearly 2 million acres burned across the state, a historic amount. And, experts predict that the frequency, intensity and number of conflagrations will continue to increase as the climate continues to warm and dry.
Windsor said that despite her training and certification, she’s not considering a job in wildland firefighting anymore, though she is open to finding volunteer work. The field — and her place as a woman in it — is too uncertain.
“If I have this [wildland woman training camp] on my resume, does that make me a DEI hire?” she said. “Does just being a woman make me a DEI hire? I never would have considered myself a DEI hire if I’d gotten a job this time last year. That wouldn’t have crossed my mind, but now it definitely does.”
As of Friday, Feb. 21, a lawsuit challenging the legality of Trump’s executive order was granted a preliminary injunction by U.S. District Judge Adam B. Abelson to bar portions of the order related to canceling federal contracts with DEI components and requiring government contractors to certify they do not engage in DEI practices that violate anti-discrimination laws. It’s not clear how that injunction, or an eventual ruling in the case, would impact programs like the ones Discover Your Forest operates.
—This story is powered by the Lay It Out Foundation, the nonprofit with a mission of promoting deep reporting and investigative journalism in Central Oregon. Learn more and be part of this important work by visiting layitoutfoundation.org.
Planned Parenthood Awaits Potential Impacts to Care
Amid federal actions and proposals, Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette grapples with high demand and funding concerns
By Julianna LaFollette
In 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court decided to overturn Roe v. Wade, states gained the right to restrict or ban abortions. In 2023, Oregon expanded its law giving people the right to make their own decisions about their reproductive health. Since then, Oregon has seen a steady increase in its demand for all reproductive care services. While demand remains a growing issue that Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette (PPCW) is tackling, new threats to funding for reproductive care pose more challenges to the organization.
In his first month as president, Donald Trump has overturned two orders issued by former President Joe Biden protecting access to reproductive health care services, reinstating an anti-abortion policy that blocks the distribution of federal funding to overseas organizations that perform abortions and pardoning anti-abortion activists who blockaded an abortion clinic in 2020.
According to Dr. Sara Kennedy, president of PPCW, the organization still provides all of the services it offered before the election. However, the possibility of a reduction in Medicaid, or further restrictions to services like reproductive care and gender-affirming care, could have severe consequences for organizations like Planned Parenthood, and the people who utilize its services.
Funding Threats
President Trump has previously expressed that he would not touch Medicaid, then last week endorsed a budget calling for $880 billion in cuts to programs overseen by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, such as Medicaid, according to The New York Times. In October 2024, 72,308,002 people were enrolled in Medicaid. In Oregon, 1,427,016 people are enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan through Medicaid, according to analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
“They could attack the Medicaid program in a number of ways. We are waiting to see what happens, which way they’re going to go after that program and if they’re going to target Planned Parenthood specifically, so that we can react appropriately,” Kennedy told the Source Weekly.
According to Oregon Health Authority (OHA) Communications Officer Kristen Lambert, the agency is monitoring federal actions and plans to prepare for changes that would affect residents.
“OHA is actively assessing all changes on the federal level for any potential impact on Oregon. We will continue to monitor, prepare for and inform the public about changes that could impact access to health care and public health services in Oregon. OHA remains focused on eliminating health inequities by 2030 in Oregon,” Lambert said in a statement to the Source Weekly.
While PPCW hasn’t been tested with executive orders
yet, the organization is working to prepare for when that occurs, Kennedy said. It anticipates the administration could attempt further restrictions, like enforcing the Comstock Act, criminalizing the shipping of any material used in an abortion.
Other worries for PPCW include defunding Planned Parenthood at the federal level. This would mean that the organization would stop getting reimbursed for providing services to people on Medicaid insurance. When and if that happens, Kennedy said, the mitigation measures will likely include lawsuits and legal challenges.
“We know we have really fierce allies — the attorney general’s office, the governor’s office and then our legislative allies, and we’re going to be counting on those folks to step up if and when that happens,” Kennedy said.
Sisters resident Dr. Joe Weick worked as an obstetrician, has experience providing abortions and now sits on the board of Indivisible Sisters, a local advocacy group in Central Oregon that champions democracy and fights for progressive policies. Weick said the threat of cutting off Medicaid funds can have very dangerous effects on reproductive health.
“The money is going to dry up. Planned Parenthood is targeted specifically, but it is going to hit all the other health care clinics for outpatient care, suburban and rural, really hard, because that’s their primary income. They depend on Medicaid,” he told the Source Weekly.
Even without potential funding threats, Kennedy at Planned Parenthood said being a nonprofit health care provider is challenging enough when it comes to funding.
“Despite having robust support at the state level and the legislative level, the majority of the patients that we see are insured through Medicaid. The reality is that neither the state nor the federal government has invested the amount of money into Medicaid that we need to cover the cost of providing care,” she said.
On average, Planned Parenthood loses between $200 to $300 for every Medicaid patient it serves.
“That’s just not sustainable… we are working to really focus on asking our legislative allies and our allies in Oregon Health Authority to adequately fund this really important preventative health care so that our populations can be healthier here in the state of Oregon,” said Kennedy.
Growing Demand
Following the 2022 Supreme Court decision, and with subsequent reproductive care restrictions in nearby states, PPCW has almost doubled the number of abortions it provides, with abortions making up about 7% of the care it provided before, and about 13% after.
“That number, it doesn’t mean that all of those patients are coming from out of state, but we think a significant number of them are. Though, that’s only 13% of what we do,” Kennedy said.
The vast majority of Planned Parenthood’s services include preventative health care, like cancer screening, contraception and STI screening and treatment.
“Eighty-seven percent of what we do is about just providing basic preventative health care, and we are seeing an increased demand in those services as well,” said Kennedy.
In Oregon, PPCW continues to see an increase in patients traveling from outside of the state to Oregon health centers to receive care, according to Kennedy. To meet those needs, the organization continues to grow its capacity for both in state and out of state patients.
Currently, it’s working to extend its hours of operation for some of its health centers. PPCW extended
hours in the Portland area, opening certain clinics on Saturdays and adding early morning and evening hours.
“Patients need and want those services and are filling those appointments,” said Kennedy. “We know that there’s a lot of people who have really busy and hard lives and can’t get to medical care nine to five on a Monday through Friday. So, our goal is to be open whenever those communities need us, and that includes in Central and Eastern Oregon.”
Since the 2024 election, the Planned Parenthood in Bend has seen a 35% increase in appointments for long-acting forms of birth control and has seen “more and more patients concerned about their ability to access health care as sexual and reproductive health care continues to get politicized at the federal level.”
While PPCW plans to expand its hours at more locations, including the Bend Health Center, Kennedy says the largest limiting factor is staffing.
According to Weick with Indivisible Sisters, Bend clinics are already overwhelmed, because Bend is a hub for rural areas around Central Oregon, and further restrictions and funding obstacles could significantly aggravate that problem.
“What we’re working on is regularly calling our Congress people and senators, calling our state legislators, to make sure that Oregon stays a safe place,” Weick said.
Despite its challenges, PPCW plans to fight against restrictions to reproductive and gender-affirming care and continue providing care to people in and out of the state.
“To date, there is nothing in the executive orders that has immediately impacted our ability to provide our full scope of services. That may change, based on what the federal government does, and we are going to fight as long and as hard as we can to prevent any changes in our ability to provide basic health care to people,” Kennedy told the Source Weekly. “We are trying to fortify ourselves as much as possible, because we know what is coming, and we are determined to not let the federal government get in our way of taking care of people.”
Alexis McGill Johnson, the president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, made a statement about the organization’s gender-affirming care services on Jan. 28.
“Planned Parenthood will continue to stand with the transgender community, who deserve the freedom to control their own bodies, lives and futures. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Trans people have always existed and always will.”
PPCW President Dr. Sara Kennedy
Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette
The map above shows Planned Parenthood clinics in Oregon.
Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette
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Heart of Oregon Corps Finds Site for Youth Development in Redmond
The organization purchased a site for a campus in Redmond to support youth-focused workforce development
By Julianna LaFollette
Heart of Oregon Corps, a nonprofit that empowers youth through employment, job training and education, announced that it closed a deal on a site for a central campus in Redmond. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the organization launched a campaign, Legacy 25, to raise the remaining funds needed to build a regional youth workforce development campus on the site, according to a press release.
After years of borrowing service spaces, the central campus will offer a set location for HOC’s development trainings in construction, land conservation and child care.
The new campus, estimated to cost around $7.3 million, will include several buildings and services to support youth receiving specialized training, completing school and transitioning to a career.
It will offer classrooms, offices and meeting spaces, a 14,000-square-foot warehouse for workshops and trainings, and a courtyard to gather for events or studying, among other amenities.
“This campus is where underserved youth and young adults will transform their lives through training, certifications and direct support,” said Laura Handy, executive director of Heart of Oregon Corps, in a press
release. “After 25 years, we know this model works — for youth, for employers and for progress on regional issues. We just need the room to accommodate the growth in demand for our programs, and this campus is the visionary answer that will support this work for generations to come.”
HOC works with youth through offering job training, support to earn a high school diploma or a GED and practical experience in a variety of skills. The organization supports over 200 young people from ages 16 to 25 each year.
Some of HOC’s programs include opportunities for youth to maintain trails, complete conservation projects on public lands, do fire fuel reduction work, build affordable housing, work with children and more.
“We’re thrilled that this campus will be sited in Redmond,” Redmond Mayor Ed Fitch said in a press release. “Our community members believe in the value of hard work, and we know how critical youth workforce development is to building a strong economy where everyone can thrive. We are proud that Redmond will serve as the hub and backdrop to the life-changing education of these young people.”
PACAS, PAINTS AND PINTS
PAINT WITH ALPACAS
This one-of-a-kind evening offers the chance to paint and sip while alpacas roam around you. Enjoy a meet and greet with a few of the Healing Herd Horses and experience an instructor-led painting class with paint, canvas and beverages included. Fri., Feb. 28, 5:30-7:30pm at Healing Reins Equine Assisted Services at Cline Falls. 65325 Cline Falls Rd., Tumalo. $50.
Soothe muscle fatigue and promote healing with essential oils in this hands-on workshop by the School of Ranch. Create custom bath salts, mix a roller blend and learn techniques to target reflex points for ultimate relaxation. Sat., March 1, 1-4pm in Tumalo. $55.
Heart of Oregon Corps Facebook
Meeting the Moment
Conversations with local leaders on finding strength, hope and power to meet the challenges ahead
In conversation with Editor in Chief Nicole Vulcan
There's a quote by Audre Lorde I keep coming back to:
The words and poetry of Lorde, a self-described “Black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet” are some of the spiritual foods I consume in times that require strength and hope and power — like the times many of my fellow Americans, and the migrants and travelers we’ve long welcomed to our shores — are living through right now.
Each year, the Source puts together a Women’s Issue that seeks not to comprehensively cover every single issue that women, femmes, non-binary and other people in our community may be facing, but, through personal and local perspectives, aims to share some stories of their resilience. Our News and Feature stories this week offer an even broader lens on that — because in these times, there are more for whom the shackles are tightening in.
Feminism is, at its most basic, the notion that all people — regardless of color or gender or creed — have the right to live the fullest expression of their lives. It’s in this spirit that I’ve created this series of Q&As and guest opinions.
Freezing up in fear is a natural inclination during this moment, but for those who appear inside these pages, it seems they also understand another notion that comes from Lorde:
Meeting the Moment for 19,000 Children and Families
Q&A with Cassi MacQueen, executive director of Deschutes Children’s Foundation, on
the road ahead for nonprofits serving children and
families
The Deschutes Children’s Foundation, through its four campuses in Bend, Redmond and La Pine, house a total of 23 partner organizations that serve over 19,000 children and families each year. As part of our Women’s Issue focuses on meeting the moment, and how local nonprofits are feeling the effects of changes at the federal level, the Source Weekly checked in with Executive Director Cassi MacQueen. Answers have been lightly edited for clarity.
Source Weekly: Share a bit about what the Deschutes Children’s Foundation does and its impacts on local families.
Cassi MacQueen: Deschutes Children’s Foundation provides space and support to 23 nonprofit partners and is dedicated to creating a supportive environment where nonprofits can excel in assisting children and families.
We are deeply committed to reducing childhood poverty, supporting youth education and advancing youth advocacy through our innovative collaborative model. By providing affordable and stable office, clinic and classroom space to nonprofit organizations dedicated to children’s welfare in Deschutes County, we directly contribute to mitigating the impacts on vulnerable families. This support empowers our partner organizations to allocate more resources to their vital programs, and our collaborative approach fosters an environment where these nonprofits can effectively advocate for the needs of children and families. Through collective efforts and strategic partnerships, we strengthen community resources and services that address poverty related challenges.
DCF also removes the financial burden of operating costs associated with the upkeep, security and maintenance of the campus spaces our nonprofit partners utilize. To our knowledge, there are no other nonprofit service centers in the region or state offering this unique model of reduced rate office and classroom space and no-cost facility management. Rental rates that nonprofits would traditionally incur
are drastically reduced under the DCF model which, when combined with facilities maintenance cost savings, translates to $1.25 million in funds saved annually.
SW: How is the organization funded? What percentage of support comes from federal grants and other federal sources?
CM: DCF is primarily funded through fundraising and grants at the local level. Our small but mighty team raises money through special events, Central Oregon Gives and direct relationships with local businesses and donors. However, we received a Community Development Block Grant last year to provide critical capital improvement projects at our campus in Redmond. DCF received an email on Jan. 28 sharing that these funds were frozen, complete with a memo from the Office of Management and Budget. We were shocked as this is a reimbursement-based federal grant that requires an incredible amount of work through the application and monitoring processes. We’ve since been notified that these funds are available, but I’m still concerned they could be taken away at any moment, leaving DCF financially responsible for the project.
SW: What have been the impacts so far on pauses in federal grants and funding? Is your organization seeing a delay, even while federal judges have placed pauses on funding freezes?
CM: The unprecedented spending freeze had a massive effect on our local nonprofits. Numerous DCF partner organizations found that their access to federal drawdown funds was frozen the morning of Jan. 28, although the policy suspending federal grants and funding wasn’t supposed to take effect until 5pm Eastern time.
With little or no notice, the funding had already been cut off for many partners, as well as for some Deschutes Children’s Foundation funds. This includes key funding to our community through Housing and Urban Development, Health Resources and Services Administration, Runaway and Homeless Youth and more.
Nonprofit partners are breathing a sigh of relief as the executive order has been rescinded, but many, including DCF, are still concerned about what lies ahead. Our nonprofits rely on this funding to do incredible work right here in Central Oregon, which means the community relies on these programs as well. With the uncertainty of funding, especially reimbursement-based government funding, nonprofits are unsure of how to proceed and what may come in future orders. I am specifically concerned about starting construction projects where our organization must spend the money up front. It would be detrimental if those funds weren’t reimbursed due to a future executive order.
SW: How is the local community affected when funding that was promised does not come through?
CM: We have heard from partners that the people they serve are confused and scared about what is coming. People are reaching out about whether services are continuing and sharing fear about accessing resources and benefits across Central Oregon. This creates an even greater barrier for folks with limited
resources and impacts nonprofits’ limited capacity. In the absence of these critical resources for programs, which the community’s most vulnerable local children and families depend on in times of crisis, DCF’s partner programs have limited reserves they can fall back on. Children and families are still in dire need of food, housing, safety, medical care and services. If our community does not step up in a major way, services that many need, from homeless teens and newborn babies to victims of domestic violence and families already on the razor’s edge, will see cuts.
SW: Are there things that you are hopeful about right now?
CM: The reality is that nonprofits and the people that work in them are incredibly resilient. Most of us dedicated to changing the lives of others have seen incredibly hard times and have a unique skill set to overcome staggering odds. We will get through this. That being said, I always remember that while resiliency feels like a hopeful and positive word, it doesn’t feel good when you’re asked to be resilient again and again. DCF will continue being an advocate for our partners. We are committed now more than ever to ensure that our local nonprofits serving children and families can thrive in these challenging times.
SW: Seeing funding or grants that were expected suddenly not happen is one thing, but what does the future look like long-term, when perhaps certain types of funds are not allocated at all? Who wins and who loses in that type of scenario?
CM: The future looks quite uncertain and very concerning for nonprofits and the people who need them most. DCF has many partners that are expecting significant cuts to funding and are awaiting news about how various federal grants are changing or potentially going away all together. This removes the ability to plan strategically or even ask for additional funding from other sources. It only takes away from the vital work that nonprofits are doing all while the need of our community grows. Unfortunately, everyone loses in these situations, and the reality is that there is not enough state or local funding to backfill massive cuts at the federal level. As a local nexus for organizations on the front lines, DCF knows one thing for sure: Regardless of how funding to desperately needed services changes, the need itself does not change.
SW: What concerns you most about recent shakeups in funding at the federal level?
CM: I am concerned about the impact these shakeups have on nonprofit professionals that already have incredibly tough jobs. I have spoken to fellow executive directors that have spent countless hours planning and replanning for various scenarios, and DCF has spent many hours advocating for the needs of nonprofit partners at the state and national level. This is all additional work to the very full plates that nonprofit professionals juggle every day. We all know that increased stress and senseless changes can very well lead to burnout. I am personally doing everything that I can to support my team and our nonprofit partners to ensure that we stay strong for a community that needs us now more than ever. SW
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Going Forward After Dissolving a DEI Initiative
Deschutes County commissioners dissolved the County’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access Committee this month, citing a fear of losing federal funds. Two County employees share why those efforts still matter.
Janice Garceau is the director of Deschutes County Health Services, and Ashton Varner is a diversity, equity and inclusion strategist who also chaired the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access Committee that the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners dissolved in early February. The Source spoke with Garceau and Varner about the effects of that decision on the lives of County employees and residents as a whole. Answers have been lightly edited for clarity.
Source Weekly: What are some of the misconceptions you’ve heard about DEI programming in Deschutes County?
“I don' t think people really understand all the things that are part of our day-to-day lives right now that are the result of work that people did to honor diversity and ensure equity and invite people into community —
like wheelchair ramps, like laws against elder abuse, child abuse, child labor laws.”
— JANICE GARCEAU
Janice Garceau: I think, first of all, Ashton and I have really made a conscious effort not to use the terminology DEI, but to talk about diversity, equity and inclusion. I think the acronym has become associated with virtue signaling or with the notion that equity work is against a group of people. I don’t think people really understand all the things that are part of our day-to-day lives right now that are the result of work that people did to honor diversity and ensure equity and invite people into community — like wheelchair ramps, like laws against elder abuse, child abuse, child labor laws. There are so many things that we take for granted now that were the result of people saying, there’s something going on in our community that is causing some folks to be left behind or disadvantaged, and engaged in some thoughtful advocacy around that. That’s what I think the misconception is, is associating it with one or two hot-button issues, rather than understanding that work within the larger context of a community.
SW: What have been the effects so far of county commissioners’ decision to end the DEI committee?
JG: What I can say is we are not experiencing direct impacts in health services, because we are still able to offer a lot of things that we developed through our equity work. So, we are not seeing people impacted directly in terms of clients and service recipients. What we’re hearing from our staff is a great deal of concern from our immigrant community about what their future looks like in the U.S.,
and we are concerned about their feeling safe, accessing services. But that is not a direct result of the decision that was made by commissioners. That’s related to other factors going on right now.
Ashton Varner: We hear similar from the queer community as well. We have public health, but we also have behavioral health. So, our clients with behavioral health bring in whatever they bring in and whatever is causing them anxiety or stress or activating any of their mental health conditions. So that can really run the gamut, right? So, our behavioral health staff is hearing a lot about this from their clients right now.
SW: County staff conducted several audits, including one regarding language access for County services, and how the County may or may not be complying with federal language access rules. I wondered how those two things intersect now.
JG: I was born in Germany. My mom speaks English as a second language. Incidentally, so does my husband, practically speaking. Even when you’re doing everything you possibly can to learn a new language, you are probably five to 10 years from full proficiency, even when you’re living in a new country, and that puts you at a disadvantage if you’re trying to understand technical information or access services. So, this is a practical, necessary way to make sure that people who are newly immigrated here can actually understand their care and engage in their care. It’s pretty basic, and the federal law requiring it helped us be really clear about the mandate — but we are going to do everything we can to ensure people can access care, because our job is to take care of people.
AV: In our public health department, we have so many programs that focus on young families, etc. And if we have folks who aren’t aware of those programs or then also don’t think they can access them, that’s a real service they’re missing out on that could really help set that baseline for their family going forward.
“There’s
a phrase: If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together. Inequities hurt all of us.”
—ASHTON VARNER
SW: The County also performed a wage audit — finding that white men in County jobs are outearning everyone else by quite a bit. What can we learn from that audit? Is this more about the makeup of people in top positions in the County? Or about actual wage differences — one person in the same job earning less than another? Or both?
JG: An audit is not a deep dive into meaning or
causes. It is an initial look that identifies a discrepancy or an imbalance, or an inequity. The County is currently involved in a wage equity study with an organization that’s going to look more deeply at answering your second question: Is this about people in like positions having a wage difference simply based on gender? And I don’t know the results of that yet.
The equity group that Ashton was chair of would have been one of the ways we might have more deeply examined what was eliminated by the audit.
SW: What are potential impacts of wage gaps for people who work for Deschutes County?
JG: What I would say about Deschutes County itself is that one of the concerning things about a significant wage gap is that this is a very expensive place to live, and so we have a very diverse workforce in terms of ranges of salary and pay, and if you’re working with a colleague who has to live in Madras or with a family member because of the lower rate of pay, that has a direct impact.
AV: Coming to mind for me is just, ultimately, inequities hurt the entire group, whether or not it’s easy to see as individuals. There’s a phrase: If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together. Inequities hurt all of us.
SW: What are the broader benefits of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts?
AV: What it offers an opportunity to see people for who they are and where they’re at, and to collaborate and offer that investment to your workforce, versus decisions always coming from leadership and whatever perspective happens to be in that room and happens to be privileged enough to be in that space. And I think for me, it again, goes back to that we can go farther together.
I don’t mean that’s the only way a person gets to that table is through privilege, but that to be seated at that table, no matter how hard you work to get there, is still privilege, and there’s often limited seats there, so to hold that seat is a privilege, and I think, an honor and responsibility to continue to listen and bring into that space the needs and perspectives of others who you’re responsible for or speaking for or representing that space.
JG: I’m sad because I’m seeing a moment where we are making it easier for people to avoid connection and understanding. And I’m afraid because some of the depth of the anger that has been directed at this work is quite concerning, and the use of dehumanizing language and the public sphere is a warning sign we should be paying close attention to. SW
‘ Wrapping Arms and Resources and Hearts Around Communities'
Trans rights, passport concerns and sports bans are just part of the worries shared by two members
of the Central Oregon queer community
Jordan Kent is vice president of Bend Pride Coalition, the nonprofit organization that produces Bend’s Summer Pride. Ruth Vernotico is the founder of SUS, a local nonprofit working to increase visibility for 2SLGBTQIA+ people through print media, community engagement, education and celebration. In a conversation with the Source Weekly for our Women’s Issue, the two expressed concerns about recent executive orders affecting trans and 2SLGBTQIA+ rights, including passport issues and sports bans. The conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
Source Weekly: What are some of the things you are concerned about right now?
Jordan Kent: There’s a lot of information right now, and it is hard to follow which are most important. I feel like the ones that are being blasted in regard to the trans community and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community as a whole, it feels distracting, and so it’s hard to pay attention to what is most important, because there are greater things happening — like things happening in regards to all women’s rights, like all AFAB [assigned female at birth] bodies, and also immigrants’ rights as well. So, that seems more important. So what do I pay attention to? But as a whole, you know, executive orders are like the flashy, really disturbing pieces and don’t hold nearly as much weight as other things happening.
Trans women are no longer included in sports, like, just period; they’re not going to be allowed to compete. It is such a strange thing to me when those things come up in the news because it is such a low, low, low percentage of our population. And even just in regard to women’s sports, just such a tiny, tiny percentage of who’s competing. So, it’s like, why is this what’s happening in the first 30 days of taking office?
It’s a lot of flash, bang, confusion, and I’m trying to read the subtext.
Ruth Vernotico: I think the point is to keep us guessing what the point is. And what I have chosen
to do instead is to focus on what’s right in front of me. I believe wholeheartedly that this is not the time for anyone to stick their head above the parapet. All of us need to be looking right in front of us at the people who need help. And that has been my goal. I’ve been working directly with trans people in our community asking me how to put together a bug-out bag, what documents do I need to have in case I have to flee the country. That is a real and genuine concern that people have in our community, in
what is supposed to be a sanctuary state. I can only imagine the increased level of impetus there for other people outside of the state.
And, as a person who works directly with the communities that are being impacted, specifically the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, I’m focusing on making sure that we aren’t insular in this, and that we are wrapping our arms and our resources and hearts around communities, undocumented people, and doing whatever we can within whatever reach we have to assist the people around us.
SW: What are some of the things you’re seeing in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community right now?
RV: I think the most immediate experience that I have personally had, and I think Jordan would have a broader say on all of this, but immediately, trans folks not having access to medical care. And here’s
the thing, too, with a community that has been sidelined for so many years — barriers to us can also be the ones that we perceive, right? They’re not necessarily real barriers. You know, the perception of fear, the perception of harm that could be done to us is also a barrier, and so we have real and perceived barriers. And sometimes the perceived ones are worse — people who are afraid to talk to their doctors, people who are afraid to push back against their physicians because of a perceived barrier.
I think on a personal level, I’m trying to go to grad school, and I’ve already had three scholarships I’ve applied for be pulled because they are DEI-specific scholarships.
JK: I grew up in Texas, so there’s quite a few people that I see on social media saying, I lost my passport because I tried to get my gender marker confirmed. There are people that I’m seeing, and I know there’s more than I’m actually seeing, right? But there are people that I’m seeing that I’m like, OK, there are necessary things that we, as trans individuals, need to prioritize in order to keep ourselves safe in the future, if we do need to travel internationally, and I’m taking those precautions, and that’s what my feed is all about. It’s like, here’s the order of operations. This is what you do, and here’s who you don’t talk to first, and that kind of thing, which is crazy to me, because that was really, really fast. And I think that’s probably some privilege that I’m coming from as a white person, that I’m like, oh, this has been coming, and BIPOC people have been saying this for a long time, and we’re just starting to listen to that.
RV: I can confirm at least two folks — one here in Central Oregon and one in New Orleans — they have gone to get their passports, have been told they couldn’t get the marker that they wanted, and when they asked for, well, just give me the marker of my birth, they weren’t given that either, and told they couldn’t get a passport. Which is essentially a ban on trans travel, right?
SW: How do you see the community mobilizing to stand up to any of this?
JK: To be perfectly frank, I think that people are frozen right now. I think that there’s a strong desire to mobilize, and there’s still a lot of freeze, there’s a lot of panic and shock, that is being effective, right? So that was kind of the point, and it’s working. And I’m not exactly sure what the plan is to move forward beyond just like maintaining life and still being able to find joy as individuals.
RV: Personally, I don’t know that the smart move is trying to hit a moving target. And I feel like that’s what, obviously, executive orders are. All I think that we can truly do effectively right now is the effects of these executive orders, because that isn’t a moving target. There are real people right in front of us, and I’m helping those people and connecting resources where possible.
SW: What actions would you like to see from local, state or national leadership right now?
JK: I would love for our representatives to be vocal, not necessarily in even a partisan way, just in a human rights way that certain people and groups do not deserve to be targeted for violence. They don’t need to be targeted to strip their rights. I think that there needs to be a vocalization around like what is actually lawful for our greater government to not, like, if they’re not following the law, then who is going to call them out?
RV: I really want to hear our elected officials, and even unelected officials, stop calling us a sanctuary state. I think that’s harmful. I think it lulls people into a false sense of security. I think that we need to cut that shit out, if I’m being really honest, because I hear it so much from not only like county and state and city governments, but I hear it from local leaders as well. The truth is that none of us are safe. And I don’t believe the answer there is to live in fear or anxiety, but to live in the truth, right? None of us are untouchable, not even our very liberal state government. I really think that it’s important for the state of Oregon, for [Gov.] Kotek’s office to have a watchdog website of: Hey, this got passed. This is what it means for Oregon residents, that is an official communique from the state, where we understand how a federal mandate, law, policy has impacted our state-level rights.
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Adobe Stock
Katie Ball
A Healing Practice for Women
The owner of a local pole dance studio talks about the empowerment of the practice
By Emily Aygun
It was 2008. I was in college working toward my math degree at San Jose State University in California. During the weekdays, I worked as a math tutor to help make some extra money while putting myself through college. I was always told I was good at math. That might have been the only thing I was good at, or at least that is what I told myself. I was finally on my own and supporting myself, though through meager means.
One day, a coworker of mine had suggested I try a pole dancing class with her, and much to her chagrin, I disagreed. I told her I didn’t think I was the kind of person for that class. I struggled majorly with body image issues, and really didn’t have many kind things to say about myself. I had struggled a lot as a teenager, which later I found out was due to a lot of PTSD. After much begging, my friend convinced me to go with her.
That evening, as I was crossing the railroad tracks to enter into the industrial building complex, I began to tear up. I wasn’t ready to go into a random building
Ensuring Safety for Immigrant Survivors
By Abby Rowland, Executive Director, Saving Grace
At Saving Grace, we believe that every survivor of intimate partner and sexual violence deserves safety, support and a pathway to healing — regardless of where they come from or what language they speak. But for many immigrant women in Central Oregon, seeking help isn’t just difficult; it feels impossible.
Immigrant women in our community are facing an increasing risk of isolation and harm. Fear of Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity, language barriers, financial dependence and a lack of legal protections make it harder for them to escape abusive situations. Many are afraid to leave their homes, worried that reaching out for help could put them or their loved ones at risk of deportation. Others may not know that resources exist or feel they have no safe place to turn.
Intimate partner and sexual violence affect all communities, but immigrant survivors often face additional layers of control and coercion from their abusers. Many are threatened with deportation if they report abuse. Some have their passports or documentation withheld as a means of control. Others are financially dependent on their abuser, making it even harder to leave. The fear and uncertainty can feel overwhelming, and too often, survivors believe they have no options.
Even when they try to seek help, the road can be filled with obstacles. Without access to multilingual resources, survivors may feel unheard and misunderstood. Misinformation and fear of law enforcement
can prevent them from taking the first step toward safety. Many don’t realize that there are protections available regardless of immigration status, including the Violence Against Women Act and U visas, which provide a legal path forward. But these options are not always well known, leaving many trapped in dangerous situations.
As a community, we have a responsibility to show up for immigrant survivors with empathy and action. By sharing accurate information, fostering inclusive spaces and supporting organizations dedicated to this mission, we can make a real difference, helping survivors navigate complex systems with dignity and hope.
At Saving Grace, we are committed to meeting this moment with care, compassion and unwavering support. We are working to break down the barriers that keep immigrant survivors from accessing
with women I didn’t know and exercise around a metal pole. I would look stupid, I thought. I called up the studio crying, telling them to just keep my money. I wasn’t coming. I couldn’t face this. The instructor told me I could just come watch. I didn’t have to do anything if I didn’t want to, so I did.
Upon watching all of these amazing people, all shapes, ages and sizes lift each other up and cheer each other on, I saw that this place could be a place of acceptance, of healing, of growth in no other way I had ever found. I became addicted. I was sold from that day forward; pole showed me that I could be strong inside and out. I could conquer things I never thought possible — that I am beautiful, capable and proud. From that day forward, I vowed to one day create a space that could do the same for others that this place did for me. In 2021, I opened the doors to Altius Pole Studio in Bend, and though my goal is to help heal others, opening this place has healed me too. SW
the help they deserve. Through language-accessible advocacy, we ensure that no survivor has to struggle to be understood. Our Spanish-speaking advocates and language support tools, along with our trusted community partners, create safe spaces where survivors can find reassurance and guidance.
For many survivors, the fear of deportation is as strong as the fear of their abuser. Saving Grace can help alleviate this fear by connecting survivors to immigration advocacy centers, attorneys and even helping with safety planning and transportation to immigration appointments. We also work to strengthen relationships with local organizations that serve immigrant communities, fostering trust and ensuring that survivors know they are not alone.
This work cannot be done alone. As a community, we have a responsibility to show up for immigrant survivors with empathy and action. By sharing accurate information, fostering inclusive spaces and supporting organizations dedicated to this mission, we can make a real difference, helping survivors navigate complex systems with dignity and hope. We can ensure that no one feels trapped in silence or fear. No one should have to face violence alone.
We invite you to be part of meeting this moment — to be someone that survivors can rely on. Visit our website to learn how to donate, volunteer and support survivors. If you or someone you know needs help, our 24-hour helpline is available at 541-389-7021. You can also visit us online at saving-grace.org. SW
Emily Aygun
SOURCE PICKS
WOMEN’S ADVENTURE FILM TOUR
FILM SHOWCASE IN SISTERS
The Women’s Adventure Film Tour returns for its ninth year celebrating extraordinary women and their thrilling adventures. Get ready for an adrenaline-fueled showcase of courage and triumph that will ignite your spirit. The films feature real stories about women from a variety of cultures and sports around the world. Wed., Feb. 26, 6:45-8:45pm at Sisters Movie House. 720 Desperado Ct., Sisters. $17.
76 DAYS ADRIFT: A DOCUMENTARY FILM
AN EXTRAORDINARY SURVIVAL STORY
Based on the New York Times-bestselling book
“Adrift: 76 Days Lost at Sea” by Steven Callahan comes a profoundly immersive documentary that plunges you into the heart of one man’s extraordinary story of survival when Callahan spent 76 days stranded in the Atlantic Ocean. Thu., Feb. 27, 7pm at Volcanic Theatre Pub. 70 SW Century Dr., Bend. $10.
FRIDAY - SUNDAY 2/28 -3/2
BENDI GRAS 2025
MARDI GRAS COMES TO BEND
Get ready for a weekend of music, celebration and New Orleans-style fun with a local twist. Over three days, Bendi Gras will transform Bend into a hub of high-energy performances, vibrant parties and snow-filled festivities all inspired by one of the world’s most famous celebrations. Fri., Feb. 28-Sun., March 2, various locations in Bend. $20-$30.
FRIDAY 2/28
BENDRETHEGIANT & BISCUIT BRIGADE ORGAN TRIO
JAZZY R&B VIBES COMING TO SILVER MOON BendreTheGiant celebrates the release of a new EP that brings fresh funk, soul and jazzy vibes to the Silver Moon stage alongside the hip-hop and R&Btinged Biscuit Brigade Organ Trio. Fri., Feb. 28, 7pm at Silver Moon Brewing. 24 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend. $12-$15.
BEND COMEDY SHOWCASE AT IMMERSION BREWING
A NIGHT FULL OF LAUGHTER
Get ready for a night of laughter thanks to a hilarious lineup at the February edition of the Bend Comedy showcase at Immersion Brewing — featuring headliners Todd Armstrong and Brandie Posey, plus two other comedians. Fri., Feb. 28, 8-10pm at Immersion Brewing. 550 SW Industrial Way, Ste. 185, Bend. $30-$40.
THE BLUEGRASS BEND-R
A MINI BLUEGRASS MUSIC FESTIVAL
The inaugural Bluegrass Bend-R is a one-day bluegrass takeover featuring a lineup of local talent (Skillethead, Quattlebaum, Blackstrap Bluegrass) and regional favorites (Never Come Down). It’s a full day of bluegrass fun with workshops in the morning, open jams in the afternoon and live bands all evening. March 1, 10am-midnight at Volcanic Theatre Pub. 70 SW Century Dr., Bend. $36.
SUNDAY 3/2
SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN
WATCH THE CLASSIC FILM AT THE TOWER
It’s the Tower’s 85th anniversary and the theater is hosting a week-long celebration featuring eight cinematic blockbusters from each decade the Tower was an active movie theater. Enjoy the classic “Singin’ in the Rain” for only 50 cents. Sun., March 2, 2pm at Tower Theatre. 835 NW Wall St., Bend. $0.50.
SUNDAY 3/2
BENDFILM GALA & OSCARS WATCH PARTY
BENDFILM FUNDRAISER
Prepare for a night of community celebration with a silent auction and dinner at the annual BendFilm Gala fundraiser. Dress to the nines for a chance to win the best-dressed prize at this year’s Oscars watch party. Sun., March 2, 3:30-8pm at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Oregon. 61980 Skyline Ranch Rd., Bend. $75+.
TUESDAY 3/4
FAT TUESDAY CELEBRATION AT SILVER MOON
MARDI GRAS CELEBRATION WITH LEADBETTER
Enjoy a great annual Fat Tuesday celebration at Silver Moon with local favorites Leadbetter Band, bringing a funky, rocking flavor to the party. Tue., March 4, 6pm at Silver Moon Brewing. 24 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend. $10-$12.
FRIDAY, MARCH 21
TeamSMH
Evvnt
BendComedy
Brandy Peterson
Tower Theatre
Elise Furgurson
Loni Van Duzer, Megan Sedres, Camille Newman, & Diana Necessary
S SOUND
TTurning Up the Volume for Women
While many are feeling silenced, local women musicians aim to amplify the voices of the marginalized
By Katey Trnka
he past few months have been undeniably hard for many of us. Watching any amount of national news can be both disorienting and panic-inducing as the systems we’ve relied on for our entire lives are threatened by an overly empowered group of (mostly) super-rich, white men. Being from a marginalized community — or at the intersection of a few — feels increasingly unsafe.
For Bend’s all-girl “bubble grunge” band Not Your Ex Lover, the aggressive actions of Donald Trump’s racist, sexist regime feel like an attack from all angles. “I won’t lie; this new administration is very threatening to every aspect of our band as we are all women, Mexican and most of us are queer,” says lead singer and rhythm guitarist Kourtni Diva. Acknowledging intersectionality and working for
shared causes is something she’s quite familiar with, having released the song “Great Again” in 2020 with the help of filmmaker Jesse Locke, the Latino Community Association and fellow activists.
It shouldn’t be surprising that the folks leading the charge to make our spaces feel inclusive and inspiring are within our local music community.
“We have a voice and amplifiers — we’re going to use them,” lead guitarist and violinist Julie Canales says. “I’m honored to take the stage and create a space where we can be with community, dance, scream lyrics at the top of our lungs and prepare ourselves to keep pushing for positive change for everyone.”
“At this point, it feels impossible to see all the injustice around us and not want to scream about it,” adds bassist and singer Alyssa Reyes (aka Reya).
And the group has been channeling that energy into works like a new song, “UNiTED STATES of REGRET,” which touches on Diva’s buyer’s remorse concerning “the societal lie that is the American Dream.” She explains, “As Americans, we were promised the basic rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. All of which are currently being threatened under the new administration. As people of color, we’ve been fighting for basic human rights since before my grandmother’s time and we’re still fighting.” (You can check out a live recording of “UNiTED STATES of REGRET” from the band’s Feb. 15 show at The Commonwealth Pub on all streaming sites.)
The band doesn’t take its status as an all-girl band — and the responsibilities that come with it — lightly. “It’s important for women to see us speaking our truth and doing what we love so passionately. We hope it inspires them to do what they’re so passionate about, whether that’s music, art [or] getting their medical degree,” Diva says.
“It feels really powerful to be a part of something like this, especially in a time when women are fighting so hard for space and safety,” Reyes adds. “It extends beyond making music — it’s about creating a support system. We celebrate each other’s creativity and growth, but we’re also there to hold each other up when things feel dark. That kind of community and solidarity is everything right now, and we’re lucky to have it.”
Giving a platform to, and making literal space for women in the music community and beyond has been a priority for Mari, the lead singer of Mari & The Dream. In addition to running an open mic every Tuesday at The Cellar, she hosts a monthly Ladies Night at Silver Moon Brewing that was inspired by her own challenges finding her footing as a woman in the local music scene.
“When I was trying to find a band,” she says, “I made a Craigslist ad but got nothing but unwelcome, perverted comments. I wanted to work with other female artists because it felt safe. I created my Ladies Nights to make sure ladies feel safe and supported to express themselves. I want to give the ladies in our music community a platform and an opportunity to share their art. I also want to create new connections within our community and inspire more women to gain confidence and step on stage.”
Over the past two years, the event has grown from just solo artists to women-led bands to even including women-owned businesses that can set up booths and sell products. And Mari isn’t going anywhere. “With everything going on in the world, these events feel even more important to continue. I’m always open to more vendors and new local artists supporting women.”
In these dark times, both Mari and the women of Not Your Ex Lover are engaging in the ultimate form of protest: holding on to joy.
“Every single Ladies Night event that I have hosted warms my heart and inspires me, and hopefully others,” Mari says. And as Reyes explains, “Keeping your sparkle even in less-than-desirable experiences… [is] a way of saying [that] the world might be going up in flames, but right now, we’re still here, we’re still breathing, we’re still creating.” SW
Kourtni Diva
Mari & The Dream
Not Your Ex Lover
Mari & The Dream
CALENDAR
26 Wednesday
The Cellar-A Porter Brewing Company Wednesday Jam Sessions Drink some fine cask or imported beers and try some amazing British pies while listening to local musicians jam out. 6:30-8:30pm. Free.
Crosscut Warming Hut No 5 If and When Relax with a pint and enjoy great local music from If and When. 6-8pm. Free.
Deschutes Brewery & Public House
Head Games Trivia Night Eat. Drink. Think. Win! Head Games multi-media trivia is at Deschutes Bend Public House every Wednesday. Win prizes. Teams up to six. 6:308:30pm. Free.
The Domino Room Reverend Horton Heat, Black Joe Lewis, & Pinata Protest Seeing Reverend Horton Heat live is a transformative experience. Flames come off the guitars. Heat singes your skin. There’s nothing like the primal tribal rock & roll transfiguration of a Reverend Horton Heat show. Jim becomes a slicked-back 1950′s rock ‘n’ roll shaman channeling Screamin’ Jay Hawkins through Buddy Holly. 7-11pm. $32.
M&J Tavern Open Mic Night Downtown living room welcomes musicians to bring their acoustic set or turn it up to eleven with the whole band. Bring your own instruments. Goes to last call or last musician, whichever comes first. 21+. 6:30pm. Free.
Midtown Yacht Club Sink or Swim Trivia w/ Tiger Town Brewing Bring your friends and join us for a locally run trivia show! This is not ‘out of the box’ national, pre-made trivia and is most definitely NOT your dad’s trivia night 6-8pm. Free.
Northside Bar & Grill Mellow Wednesday Acoustic Open Mic and Jam hosted by Derek Michael Marc Sign-up sheet is available at 6:30pm. 7-9pm. Free.
Pangaea Guild Hall D&D Battle Royale! • Teams of 2 Players • Lvl-6 Characters, Standard Array Stats | 2024 5e PHB Rules | No Homebrew Rules • 1 Magic Item & Potion per Player, Uncommon Rarity or Lower • Prizes Awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place teams • Seasonal Wins/Losses tracked, prizes for top teams 6-10pm. $5.
Pinky G’s Pizzeria MUSIC BINGO Join music Bingo (think Bingo and Name that Tune). Great food, cold drinks and good times. Free to play and prizes for each round winner. 6-8pm. Free.
Ponch’s Place Bingo Wednesdays Enjoy bingo at Ponch’s Place on Wednesday’s. 5-7pm. Free.
Prost! Bend Trivia Prost! UKB Trivia is now at Prost! Genuine UKB Trivia is no average trivia night! Meet up with friends, win gift card prizes for top teams! Enjoy Prost’s authentic beer and food menu. Trivia is free to play, with no buy-ins! 7-9pm. Free.
The Commonwealth Pub Mari and The Dream at The Commonwealth Pub Mari plays a mix of blues/alternative rock/ folk. When she’s not performing with her band, Mari & The Dream, her sultry voice is serenading the audience in a more intimate setting. 7:30pm. Free.
Austin Mercantile Live Music Every Thursday Join at Austin Mercantile for live music every Thursday. Offering a light happy hour menu — daily flatbread, chili, charcuterie, soft pretzels and more! 4:30-6:30pm. Free.
Bridge 99 Brewery Trivia Thursday at Bridge 99 Brewery Trivia Thursdays at 6:30pm at Bridge 99 Brewery with Useless Knowledge Bowl. It’s no ordinary trivia night, Team up to win house gift cards! Great brews, cocktails, and more. In-house menu and food truck options available! It’s free to play. Indoor and outdoor seating available. 63063 Layton Ave, Bend. 6:30-8:30pm. Free.
Bunk+Brew Karaoke Thursdays Sing your heart out at Bunk + Brew’s Karaoke Night! Whether you’re a pro or just love the spotlight, all voices are welcome. Food carts available all evening! Located in the Historic Lucas House Living Room for winter. 7-10pm. Free.
Crave Kitchen Bend COMEDY OPEN MIC NIGHT Comedy Open Mic Night on the SW side of Bend! Adults only encouraged. Intimate, smaller venue, healthier food and beverages, and an interactive night of comedy every Thursday! Hosted By Hopper. 7-9pm. Free.
Deschutes Brewery & Public House Bingo Night Join us at Deschutes Brewery Bend Public House for our new Bingo Night! 6-8pm. Free.
Elements Public House Trivia Night at Elements Public House with QuizHead Games Come be all you can be with Trivia Night every Thursday from 6-8pm! Featuring QuizHead. games. Located at the north end of Redmond. Full bar and great food! 6-8pm. Free.
Mountain Burger Rum Peppers at Mountain Burger! Thursday Night Live at Mountain Burger! 5-7pm. Free.
Pangaea Guild Hall Intro to D&D Workshop Calling all adventurers! Have you wanted to play Dungeons and Dragons but have no idea where to start? Pangaea Guild Hall presents an “Intro to D&D” workshop series hosted by yours truly, Guildmaster Chris! Learn to build and play your own D&D character. Call or email to reserve your spot! 6-9pm. $10.
Ponch’s Place Trivia Thursdays with Quizhead Games Trivia Thursdays at Ponch’s Place with QuizHead Games. 5-7pm. Free.
River’s Place Eric Leadbetter Unique and original sound with ghostly echoes from the ‘60s & ‘70s; the golden age of rock from Eric Leadbetter. 6-8pm. Free.
Silver Moon Brewing Trivia on the Moon Come down to Silver Moon Brewing for a night of trivia! Teams are welcome to show up in groups up to 8 people. Silver Moon also offers seating reservations for $20 donations that all go to F*Cancer! If you would like to reserve a table please contact the Trivia on the Moon Facebook page. 7pm. Free.
Stihl Whiskey Bar The Brandon Campbell Trio Live Gypsy Swing with The Brandon Campbell Trio at Stihl Whiskey Bar! 7-9pm. Free. The Bend Wine Bar & Winery Tasting Room Trivia Night Tease your brain and win cool prizes. Happy Hour menu will be offered during game time. Grab your friends and enjoy an evening of fabulous wines, snacks and fun! Arrive early, game starts at 6pm. Last Thursday of every month, 6-8pm. Free.
LIVE MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE
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The Commonwealth Pub Elise Franklin Jazz Quartet at The Commonwealth Pub The Elise Franklin Quartet, a group of experienced musicians playing jazz standards and Latin, is led by Elise Franklin on vocals and Jack Krouscup on piano. 7:30pm. Free.
The Dez Lounge Open Mic w/ Joyful Lane Join Joyful Lane as he hosts open mic night @ The Dez Lounge! Enjoy NA cocktails, Charcuterie and desserts while listening to local talent! 6-9pm. Free.
Velvet Open Mic Monthly Open Mic at Velvet! Hosted by Mari every 4th Thu., of every month! Sign up starts at 6pm, and music goes until 9pm. All are welcome! Fourth Thursday of every month, 7-9pm. Free.
28 Friday
Deschutes Brewery Tasting Room Fresh Squeezed Friday with UKB Trivia Feb. 28th at 5pm at Deschutes Brewery Tasting Room Come join us Friday afternoon at 5pm for a great weekend warm-up of trivia with genuine Useless Knowledge Bowl! Featuring $5 Fresh Squeezed pints! Win top team prizes and free to play! In-house eats and tasty food cart options too! 901 SW Simpson Ave, Bend 5-7pm. Free.
The Domino Room Little Stranger, Wax Hailing from Philadelphia and now based in the vibrant city of Charleston, SC, alt indie hip-hop duo Little Stranger (Kevin and John Shields, no relation but best friends) have spent years honing their signature sound and perfecting their version of the “organized chaos” that a Little Stranger live show entails. Between John’s melodic singer-songwriter magnetism, Kevin’s in-your-face delivery, and an overall undeniable groove the duo has become known for its unique sound, - garnering millions of streams, playing countless sold-out shows and major festivals like Lollapalooza, Governor’s Ball, Hangout Fest, BottleRock, Levitate Music & Arts Festival, and more. 8:30pm. $25-$174.
Hardtails Bar & Grill Stage 28 Karaoke Come out for a night of Stage 28 Karaoke with your host Miss Min! What’s your go-to karaoke tune? Come to Hardtails for a fun Friday night and sing your heart out! 8pm-Midnight. Free.
Immersion Brewing Bend Comedy February Showcase - Immersion Brewing Join us Friday, Feb. 28 at 8pm for a hilarious lineup at Immersion Brewing, featuring headliners Todd Armstrong and Brandie Posey, plus two amazing features and your host for the evening! Tickets are available now! VIP and General Admission! @ BendComedy.com 8-10pm. $30-$40.
Big E’s Sports Bar Karaoke Night Central Oregon’s most fun karaoke venue! Karaoke is hosted by A Fine Note Karaoke Too and DJ Jackie J. Delicious food and drink and a friendly staff. Come join the show where you are the star! 8pm. Free.
M&J Tavern Dance, Luv, Rage Profit Drama brings a dynamic show of 4 different sets to bring everyone to the edge of beginnings for 2025! Some acoustic, some rock and a whole lotta heart fill this evening to overflowing with all types of emotion and release! 9pm. Free.
Silver Moon Brewing BendreTheGiant & Biscuit Brigade Trio BendreTheGiant is the vessel for Ben Estrada’s music. Estrada has been releasing music since 2020, but his forthcoming EP marks the first time he has brought in outside collaborators- Upon relocating to Eugene, Estrada reconnected with longtime friend Delos Erickson, who assisted in assembling a group of seasoned local players. 7pm. $12/$15. The Commonwealth Pub Chained to Stone at The Commonwealth Pub A dynamic ‘90s grunge rock cover band bringing the iconic sounds of the era to life with their authentic performances. 8pm. Free.
Volcanic Theatre Pub Ty Segall solo acoustic and King Tuff Ty Segall follows 2022’s acoustic introspection opus “Hello, Hi” with a deeper, wilder journey to the center of the self. With Three Bells, he’s created a set of his most ambitious, elastic songs, using his musical vocabulary with ever-increasing sophistication. 7pm. $25-$35.
Wildwood Bar & Grill DuBb Central Trio We’re a brand new, second hand, reggae band bringing island reggae dub music from our roots in Hawaii to the high desert of Central Oregon. soundcloud.com/dubb-central 7-10pm. Free.
Old Dominion, a country band from Nashville, comes to Bend this summer on its “How Good Is That” world tour with special guest Redferrin. Wed., July 30 at Hayden Homes Amphitheater.
Old Dominion FB
18 NEW HOMES SW Redmond
Ward Commons
Single-family detached homes
2 & 3 bedroom options
Attached garages
Community dog park & children’s play area
Estimated completion Spring thru Fall 2026
Efficient, solar-powered homes with low utility costs MARCH
How do I apply?
1. Scan the QR code to fill out a short eligibility form.
2. If you meet basic requirements, you will be invited to complete a full application.
Webfoot Garage at Silver Moon Brewing
1 Saturday
Austin Mercantile Saturday Afternoon
Live Music Austin Mercantile is now adding live music on Saturdays! Serving wine, beer, lite happy hour menu, gifts and home decor. Hope to see you soon! 4:30-6:30pm. Free.
Bend Cider Co. Bunkhouse Duo Come on out to Bend Cider in Tumalo and listen to the homespun, Americana roots sound of Bunkhouse Duo! Chill in the late afternoon tent vibe around the fires, with our delicious ciders, beer, wine, and N/A bevs, Light appetizers available, outside food welcome. 4-6pm. Free.
Bevel Craft Brewing ‘90s Dance Party Time to kick it old school—90s style! Join us at Bevel Craft Brewing for a night of epic throwback vibes out on our patio. DJ Bevel Beard will spin the 90s hits to keep you dancing! Rock your best 90s gear—and get $1 off drinks all night! 6-9pm. Free.
Cross-Eyed Cricket Craig Campbell Live @ The Cricket! Craig Campbell live acoustic set playing his hits! 8-10pm. $20.
River’s Place Saturday Jazz Sessions Brogan Woodburn plays jazz guitar at River’s Place. 6-8pm. Free.
Silver Moon Brewing Marty O’Reilly (solo) & Guests Explaining Marty O’Reilly’s music is like describing a dream. It feels familiar, but at the same time unchartered. His songs sound bluesy but not blues, folk but not folk, soulful but not soul. Marty’s voice is beautiful and unique, his lyrics stark yet lush over gritty electrified guitar. 7pm. $15/$18.
The Commonwealth Pub Dad Bods @ The Commonwealth Pub Dad Bods is Bend’s ‘80s party music cover band that plays all the rock songs you remember, with a few hits from other decades sprinkled in. Bring your dancing shoes for this high energy show and join Dad Bods for a fun and exciting night out! 8-10pm. Free.
Velvet One Mad Man Music One Mad Man: loops together multiple instruments to create moody, driven backdrops accompanied by smooth vocals. First Saturday of every month, 9pm-Midnight. Free.
Volcanic Theatre Pub THE BLUEGRASS BEND-R The Inaugural Bluegrass Bend-r will be a one-day mini bluegrass festival taking over the Volcanic Theatre Pub on March 1 from 10am-midnight. It will feature a blend of the top local talent and regionally touring favorites. Stop by Revival Vintage for a fee-free ticket! 10am-Midnight. $36 Presale $50 day of.
The Walkaways - Phish Tribute Band from Portland The Walkaways are Portland’s Phish Covers Cover Band. Yes, you read that right - they don’t play Phish songs, they only play the songs Phish has covered, which happens to be a list of 700+ of the greatest songs in rock history. 7pm. $10.
2 Sunday
The Commons Cafe & Taproom Trivia
Night Sunday Funday Trivia with Sean. Gather your team, or roll solo and find a spot early in the cafe, knowledge tests begin at 6pm. Prizes for 1st and 2nd place. 6-8pm. Free.
River’s Place Trivia! Free to play and prizes to win! UKB Trivia hosts this fun meeting of the minds. Check out our mimosa menu! Noon-2pm. Free.
River’s Place Fluffalove at River’s Place Head on over to River’s Place and cap off your weekend with Fluffalove! We play select songs from the ‘70s with acoustic guitars and male/female harmonies. Love and fluff will be in the air! Tasty brews and a wide selection of food trucks beckon. 5-7pm. Free.
Silver Moon Brewing Open Mic at the Moon Get a taste of the big time! Sign-up is at 4pm! Come check out the biggest and baddest open mic night in Bend! 5-8pm. Free.
Volcanic Theatre Pub Billy Wayne Davis & Eric Oren - STAND UP COMEDY Billy Wayne Davis has appeared on Conan, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, lent his voice & producing skills to SquidBillies, hosted a travel doc for CMT, opened for Sturgill Simpson, and made a quick appearance in Borat 2. 7pm. $15/presale.
3 Monday
Bridge 99 Brewery Trivia Mondays at Bridge 99 Trivia Mondays at 6:30pm at Bridge 99 Brewery with Useless Knowledge Bowl. It’s no ordinary trivia night, Team up to win house gift cards! Great brews, cocktails, and more. Inhouse menu and food truck options available! It’s free to play. Indoor and outdoor seating available. 63063 Layton Ave, Bend. 6:30-8:30pm. Free.
Bunk+Brew Open Mic Mondays Show off your talent at Bunk + Brew! Open mic runs from 6-10pm, with sign-ups starting at 5:30. Stick around for open jam from 9-10pm. Enjoy food carts in our backyard while supporting local performers. Located in the Historic Lucas House Living Room for winter. 6-10pm. Free.
Crux Fermentation Project Trivia Night @ Crux Trivia Night at Crux! First place team wins a $25 gift card! 6-8pm. Free.
Elixir Wine Locals Music Night and Open Mic Bend’s friendliest open-mic! All genres welcome. Oregon and international wine, beer and tapas menu available all evening. 6-9pm. Free.
Immersion Brewing Open Mic at Immersion Brewing - Bend Comedy - Open Mic at 7pmSign up at 6:30pm - All performance types are welcome! - All ages are welcome to attend and perform! - All acts are eligible to audition to perform in a future Bend Comedy show! - 5 minutes spoken or 2 songs of stage time! 7-9pm. Free.
JC’s Bar & Grill Free Pool + all day Happy Hour! Free pool Mondays! All-day Happy Hour, free pool with any purchase, and unbeatable deals on drinks and bites! Enjoy delicious eats, ice-cold brews, and game day vibes with football on and the sound up. Don’t miss out- Mondays just got way better! 2pm-Midnight. Free.
On Tap Locals’ Day Plus Live Music Cheaper drinks all day and live music at night, get down to On Tap. 11am-9pm. Free.
Silver Moon Brewing Beertown Comedy Open Mic Voted #1 Open Mic and Locals Night, Beertown Comedy’s Open Mic happens every Monday at Silver Moon Brewing. Free to watch and perform! Sign-ups at 6:30pm, show at 7pm. With 20 spots available, bring your best jokes and get noticed for paid gigs. Laughter guaranteed! 6:30-9pm. Free.
The Barrel Room at Immersion Brewing Public Rock Choir Come sing your face off in a fun, no-stress group where all skill levels can get loud with a live band and group singing. Rock and pop songs only. If you love to sing, but don’t want to sing alone, we are your people! No experience or skill required. First Monday of every month, 6-8pm. $20.
The Commonwealth Pub Monday Acoustic Open Mic Night Monday Acoustic Open Mic Night at The Commonwealth Pub Whether you’re performing original songs or acoustic covers, the stage is yours Monday nights at The Commonwealth Pub! With full sound and lights provided, just bring your instrument and get ready to shine! Sign-ups 5pm and music 6-10pm. 5pm. Free.
4 Tuesday
Bunk+Brew Trivia Tuesdays Test your knowledge every Tuesday from 7-9pm at Bunk + Brew! New exciting themes every week. Bring your friends for a night of fun and prizes. Food carts will be open, so grab a bite or brew while you play. Located in the Historic Lucas House Dining Room. 7-9pm. Free.
The Cellar-A Porter Brewing Company Open Mic Open mic at The Cellar hosted by Mari! 6-8pm and all are welcome! 6-8pm. Free.
The Commons Cafe & Taproom Open Mic StoryTellers open mic nights are full of music, laughs and community. Mason James is the host. Poetry, comedy and spoken word are welcome, but this is mainly a musical open mic. Performance slots are a quick 10 minutes each, so being warmed up and ready is ideal. If you wish to perform sign-ups start at 5pm in the cafe. 6pm. Free.
Crosscut Warming Hut No 5 Head Games
Trivia Night Live multi-media trivia every other Tuesday at Crosscut Warming Hut No. 5, Bend. Free to play, win prizes, teams up to 6. Please arrive early for best seats. Every other Tuesday, 6-8pm. Free.
The Domino Room Ballyhoo!, Cydeways, The Harbor Boys Through 25 years and eight independent albums, the last four on their own Right Coast Records, Ballyhoo! have earned the exclamation point which marks their name. Starting in the basement of their mom’s Aberdeen, MD, home, rocking out on guitar and drums respectively, practicing every day, brothers Howi and Donald Spangler formed the proto-punk band in the mold of Green Day and Nirvana, with an eye toward the emerging ska genre led by Goldfinger, Sublime, 311 and No Doubt. 8pm. $20.
Mountain Burger Trivia Tuesday at Mountain Burger Come to Trivia Tuesday at Mountain Burger! Fun and prizes await! 7:30-9pm. Free.
Northside Bar & Grill Karaoke with DJ Chris Ossig Karaoke with DJ Chris. 7-9pm. Free. Pinky G’s Pizzeria TRIVIA NIGHT Test your knowledge in a casual/laid-back atmosphere. Pizza, beer and trivia. Free to play and prizes for 1st and 2nd place. 6-8pm. Free.
Silver Moon Brewing FAT TUESDAY CELEBRATION w/LEADBETTER BAND + FRIENDS Southern Accent and Silver Moon Brewing presents our annual Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras Celebrations. Local favorites Leadbetter Band brings their funk-rock flavor to the party. 6pm. $10/$12.
The Commonwealth Pub Karaoke Get ready for a night of music, singing, and nonstop fun at The Commonwealth Pub! DJ Chris is bringing the energy with top 40 hits and all your favorite karaoke tracks. Grab your friends, warm up those vocal cords, and join us for an unforgettable evening. Sign-ups 6pm Karaoke 7pm! Free.
The Lot TRIVIA TUESDAY @ The Lot Join your trivia loving peeps on the heated benches for a fun Tuesday evening out! Six categories with six questions each. Eat. Drink. Think. Prizes from food carts and local breweries. Every Tuesday from November to end of April. 6-8pm. Free.
MUSIC
The Wardens They don’t just sing about the land – they’re part of it. This talented trio of Canadian Rocky Mountain National Park rangers share songs and stories of the wilderness they’ve protected collectively for over 50 years. Feb. 26, 7:30pm. Tower Theatre, 835 NW Wall St., Bend. Contact: 541-317-0700. info@towertheatre.org. $24 - $44 (plus $6 Historic Preservation fee).
DANCE
Adult Beginner Jazz Dance Workshop
Nonprofit Bend Dance Project and ABC Ballet present a six-week adult beginner jazz dance workshop. Learn fundamental jazz dance vocabulary while getting a great workout! No prior experience needed. Pre-registration required. Call or email for additional info 408-857-6773 Fridays, 10:30-11:45am. Through March 21. Acadamie De Ballet Classique, 1900 NE 3rd St #104, Bend. Contact: 408-857-6773. jcliff@gmail.com. $50 for the series.
Adult Jazz Dance Community Class
Join nonprofit Bend Dance Project for intermediate level adult jazz drop-in dance classes, Fridays 12:15 - 1:45pm. Styles include Broadway, street, lyrical with teachers rotating monthly. Friendly supportive atmosphere. Get your dance on! Fridays, 12:15-1:45pm. Acadamie De Ballet Classique, 1900 NE 3rd St #104, Bend. Contact: 408-857-6773. jcliff@ gmail.com. $10 donation.
Argentine Tango Classes and Social Dancing We all need more hugs! Join us for Argentine Tango every Wednesday. Tango 101 lesson at 6:30pm, followed by a práctica from 7-9:30pm. Lesson suitable for brand-new (or experienced) beginners. No partner or shoes required (but socks are nice!). Check Facebook for latest info. Wednesdays, 6:30-9:30pm. Sons of Norway Hall, 549 NW Harmon Blvd., Bend. Contact: 901-550-5671. aneezerk@gmail.com. Free your first time, $5 after that.
Ballroom Dance Class - American Tango A 4-week series occurring Wednesdays for during February. Partner encouraged but not required. Beginner or intermediate level. A weekly progressive class with review and new material. If you are new to partner dancing, please contact Valerie before attending or for more information. Great for social, physical health, and memory. Wednesdays, 6-7pm. Through Feb. 26. The Space, 2570 NE Twin Knolls Drive, Suite 110, Bend. Contact: 541602-6168. valdances@hotmail.com. $10.
New Orleans-based rapper and bounce queen Big Freedia brings down the house with support from CLICHÉ this Bendi Gras weekend. Sat., March 1, 8pm at Midtown Ballroom.
“I
Bend Dance Project Adult Community Drop-in Class Join nonprofit Bend Dance Project for an adult intermediate level drop-in dance class. Styles include classic jazz, street jazz, modern and lyrical. Teachers and styles rotate monthly. Supportive and welcoming atmosphere! Suggested donation $10. Fridays, 12:15-1:45pm. Acadamie De Ballet Classique, 1900 NE 3rd St #104, Bend. Contact: 541-728-1063. dancevelocity@live. com. $10.
Learn to Square Dance Square dance lessons start 3/2/2025 and occur every Sunday 3-4:30 and Wednesday 5 to 6:30pm. No new students after 3/9/2025. Cost is $5 per person per session. First 2 sessions are free. Additional information contact centraloregoncouncil.org, nurse4kids.aol.com or 619-9570732 March 2, 3-4:30pm. Redmond Grange Hall, 707 SW Kalama., Redmond. Contact: 619-957-0732. nurse4kids.aol.com. $5. Soulful Sundays Conscious Dance Sunday is a perfect time to step on to the dance floor being in the temple of our bodies, moving as prayer. At the altar all that is present and alive within us, between us, in the world. A facilitated and supported Soul Motion® practice of being with self, other, world, and spirit. Sundays, 10-11:30am. Continuum, A School of Shadow Yoga, 155 SW Century Drive, Suite 112, Bend. Contact: 541-9487015. soulinmotionbend@gmail.com. $25.
FILM EVENTS
“Creature from the Black Lagoon” & “Captain America” We’re rolling back ticket prices and giving away birthday cake! Join this weeklong celebration of Central Oregon’s iconic venue and re-experience eight cinematic blockbusters from each decade the Tower was an active movie theater. March 1, 2pm. Tower Theatre, 835 NW Wall St., Bend. Contact: 541317-0700. info@towertheatre.org. $.25.
“Maltese Falcon” We’re rolling back ticket prices and giving away birthday cake! Join this weeklong celebration of Central Oregon’s iconic venue and re-experience eight cinematic blockbusters from each decade the Tower was an active movie theater. March 1, 7pm. Tower Theatre, 835 NW Wall St., Bend. Contact: 541317-0700. info@towertheatre.org. $.25.
“North by Northwest” We’re rolling back ticket prices and giving away birthday cake! Join this weeklong celebration of Central Oregon’s iconic venue and re-experience eight cinematic blockbusters from each decade the Tower was an active movie theater. March 2, 7pm. Tower Theatre, 835 NW Wall St., Bend. Contact: 541-317-0700. info@towertheatre. org. $.50.
”Singing In The Rain” We’re rolling back ticket prices and giving away birthday cake! Join this weeklong celebration of Central Oregon’s iconic venue and re-experience eight cinematic blockbusters from each decade the Tower was an active movie theater. March 2, 2pm. Tower Theatre, 835 NW Wall St., Bend. Contact: 541-317-0700. info@towertheatre. org. $.50.
“The Graduate” We’re rolling back ticket prices and giving away birthday cake! Join this weeklong celebration of Central Oregon’s iconic venue and re-experience eight cinematic blockbusters from each decade the Tower was an active movie theater. March 3, 7pm. Tower Theatre, 835 NW Wall St., Bend. Contact: 541317-0700. info@towertheatre.org. $1.
“Planet of the Apes” We’re rolling back ticket prices and giving away birthday cake! Join this weeklong celebration of Central Oregon’s iconic venue and re-experience eight cinematic blockbusters from each decade the Tower was an active movie theater. March 4, 7pm. Tower Theatre, 835 NW Wall St., Bend. Contact: 541-317-0700. info@towertheatre. org. $1.50.
76 Days Adrift From Executive Producer Ang Lee comes 76 Days Adrift—a profoundly immersive documentary that plunges you into the heart of one man’s extraordinary survival story. Executive Producer Robert Sennott will be there for Q & A. Feb. 27, 7pm. Volcanic Theatre Pub, 70 SW Century Dr., Bend. $10.
Adventure Entertainment: Women’s Adventure Film Tour 2025
The Women’s Adventure Film Tour® (WAFT) returns for its 9th year, celebrating extraordinary women and their thrilling adventures. Get ready for an adrenaline-fueled showcase of courage and triumph that will ignite your spirit. The films showcase real stories about women from a variety of cultures and sports around the world. Feb. 26, 6:45-8:45pm. Sisters Movie House, 720 Desperado Court, Sisters. Contact: 541-549-8833. inquiries@sistersmoviehouse. com. $17.
The Power of Screenwriting Join John Breen to unleash your creativity in this immersive, eight-week screenwriting class, where you’ll transform your ideas into a compelling short film script. Whether you’re just starting your storytelling journey or looking to sharpen your writing skills, this course dives into the essentials of fiction and screenwriting. Thursdays, 6:30-8:30pm. Through March 20. Open Space Event Studios, 220 NE Lafayette Ave, Bend. Contact: improvbend@gmail.com. $390.
Ski Film Night Wednesdays Catch epic ski films at Bunk + Brew. Celebrate the slopes with fellow ski enthusiasts. Warm up with great food from our backyard food carts. Wednesdays, 6-9pm. Bunk+Brew, 42 NW Hawthorne Avenue, Bend. Free.
ARTS + CRAFTS
Art with a Splash of Science: Picasso, Cubism & Minecraft Give your child an afternoon of creativity and fun with Let’s Paint! During the school year, we are hosting an early release Wednesday session at Sarah’s home studio, complete with painting and art activities. Let your child express themselves and learn new skills in a supportive and creative environment. Feb. 26, 1:15-4:15pm. Sarah’s Home Studio, 63320 NE Stonewood Dr, Bend. Contact: 541-480-7491. sarahanneswoffer@gmail.com. $45.
Foundation in Art, a 4-class series This 4-class series creates a strong foundation for any aspiring artist. Delve into a different fundamental principle of 2D art. Bring everything together in the final class with a painting. Thursdays, 5:15-7:15pm. Through March 13. FREAK’N ART, 1265 NW Wall st., Bend. Contact: 541-508-7438. hellofreaknart@gmail. com. $185.
Hand Sewing 101 Learn the basics of hand sewing such as stiches, knots, seaming, and more! A great start if you’re interested in hand mending, embroidery or generally useful knowledge on sewing! Feb. 26, 5:15-6:45pm. FREAK’N ART, 1265 NW Wall st., Bend. Contact: 541-508-7438. hellofreaknart@gmail. com. $45.
Intro to TIG Welding Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding is the ultimate method for beautiful welds. In this class you will learn the basics of TIG welding, studio and personal safety, machine and torch set-up, preparing Tungsten, material preparation and then practice your welds! TIG welding provides the versatility to weld different metals. March 4, 6-8pm. DIY Cave, 444 SE Ninth St. Suite 150, Bend. Contact: 541-388-2283. classes@ diycave.com. $149.
Kids Intro to Welding (Ages 10-17) In this hands-on class, kids will cut steel with a torch and weld those pieces back together. They’ll learn some amazing skills and take their creations home. This can be a powerful experience, and it won’t soon be forgotten! Beginners and intermediate beginners are welcome and will progress their skills. Feb. 26, 5-7pm. DIY Cave, 444 SE Ninth St. Suite 150, Bend. Contact: 541-388-2283. classes@ diycave.com. $229.
Kids Intro to Woodworking (Ages 11-17) Cut, carve, sand, create and more in the wood shop! This fun, introductory course will give you a solid foundation in woodworking techniques. You’ll learn best practices for many tools in the woodshop including both power tools and hand tools, construction techniques and finishing applications. Mon, Feb. 24, 5:307:30pm and Mon, March 3, 5:30-7:30pm. DIY Cave, 444 SE Ninth St. Suite 150, Bend. Contact: 541-388-2283. classes@diycave.com. $209.
Lets Paint Art Class - Nerdy Lama
Join us for a fun relaxing evening at Modern Games with Let's Paint! Unleash your inner artist in this wonderful all ages welcome painting class. No prior painting experience is needed, as our amazing instructor will be there to help guide you along any step of the journey. March 3, 6-8pm. Modern Games, 550 SW Industrial way #150, bend. Contact: 541-480-7491. sarahanneswoffer@gmail.com. $45.
Pacas, Paints, & Pints At this oneof-a-kind evening, paint & sip while Alpacas roam around you, enjoy a meet and greet with a few of our Healing Herd Horses, and experience an instructor lead painting class. For $50, all supplies, one beverage ticket, and light snacks are included. Feb. 28, 5:30-7:30pm. Healing Reins Equine Assisted Services @ Cline Falls, 65325 Cline Falls Road, Bend. Contact: 541382-9410. kirstenm@healingreins.org. $50. Paint and Sip at Stoller Wine Bar Looking for a laid-back night out? Come join me, your friendly local artist, for some painting and sipping fun! No pressure, just good vibes and a relaxed atmosphere. This event is two hours, and I’ll provide the 11”x14” canvas, all the supplies you need, and a guided tutorial. March 4, 6-8pm. Stoller Wine Bar Bend, 555 NW Arizona Ave, Suite 30, Bend. Contact: chalkedcreative@gmail.com. $55.
Publish That Picture Book Ecourse Launch Week! Publish That Picture Book Ecourse drops Feb. 24 at 10am. (You’ll get $100 off for 5 days only and prizes for the first 10 people!) An easy to understand course to show you exactly how to self publish your children’s book ...and empower you, every step of the way. Feb. 24-28. Contact: info@thebusybirds.com. $197.
Based in Charleston, South Carolina, alt-indie hip-hop duo Little Stanger, comprised of Kevin and John Shields (no relation), delivers a unique and quirky hip-hop sound. Fri., Feb. 28, 8:30pm at The Domino Room.
Little Stranger FB
De-tails hsco org
Self-Care for the Ranch-Worn Body Soothe muscle fatigue and promote healing with essential oils in this hands-on workshop. Create custom bath salts, mix a roller blend, and learn the Vita Flex Technique to target reflex points for relaxation. Bonus: Take home personalized products for continued recovery and self-care. March 1, 1-4pm. City of Redmond, Redmond, Or., Redmond. Contact: 650-2246750. info@schoolofranch.org. $55.
Wood Lathe Turning 101 - Learning to Create Fine Details This class takes your wood turning skills to the next level by building on techniques and practices learned in the Introduction to Word Turning class. The class covers use of two tradition turning tools: the spindle gouge and skew chisel. Feb. 26, 6-8pm. DIY Cave, 444 SE Ninth St. Suite 150, Bend. Contact: 541388-2283. classes@diycave.com. $139.
WoodShop Basics One - Table Saw, Chop Saw and Band Saw In this class you will learn how to use the table saw, chop saw and bandsaw. Once complete you will have the confidence to build utilitarian projects such as picnic tables, planter boxes, Adirondack chairs and much more. You will also get 1 free hour in the Wood Shop. Tue, March 4, 6-9pm and Mon, March 17, 6-9pm. DIY Cave, 444 SE Ninth St. Suite 150, Bend. Contact: 541-388-2283. classes@diycave.com. $159.
PRESENTATIONS + EXHIBITS
Bend Ghost Tours Join for Ghosts and Legends of Downtown Bend Tour and hear all about Bend’s permanent residents! Your spirit guide will lead you through the haunted streets and alleyways of Historic Downtown Bend where you’ll learn about the city’s many macabre tales, long-buried secrets and famous ghosts. Wednesdays-Sundays, 7:30-9pm. Downtown Bend, Downtown Bend, Bend. Contact: 541-350-0732. bendghosttours@gmail.com. $25. Emergency Preparedness for Wildfires, Earthquakes, and More This session will equip you with the knowledge and tools to prepare for wildfires, earthquakes, and unforeseen chaos. Learn how to create effective emergency plans, assemble essential gear, establish reliable communication contingencies, and provide meaningful assistance to others in times of crisis. Led by Ed Weiser, Wilderness EMT with DCSAR. March 2, 2-3pm. Sisters Library, 110 North Cedar Street, Sisters. Contact: 541-3121029. laurelh@deschuteslibrary.org. Free.
February 7 & Every Weekend David Kreitzer Open Studio and Gallery The son of a Lutheran minister, contemporary realist David Kreitzer paints stunning, meditative images of floral, landscape, figure, and mid-west beauty. Kreitzer began his professional career at the prestigious Maxwell Galleries in 1960’s San Francisco, on the vanguard of a revival of New Realism. Fridays-Sundays, 1-5pm. David Kreitzer Fine Art Gallery and Studio, 20214 Archie Briggs Rd, Bend. Contact: 805-234-2048. jkreitze@icloud.com. Free.
From Fallout to Fury Road: The Post-Apocalyptic Narrative This talk will use, primarily, the lens of the Mad Max films and the Fall Out Amazon series to explore the post-apocalyptic sub-genre of storytelling, and conclude with a focus on how video games can innovate on our experience of these stories through the use of player agency. March 4, 5-6pm. East Bend Public Library, 62080 Dean Swift Road, Bend. Contact: 541-312-1063. beccar@dpls.lib.or.us. Free.
Healing Waters: New Show by Contemporary Realist Painter David Kreitzer
Contemporary realist painter David Kreitzer presents “Healing Waters”-an exhibition of oil images of translucent, sparkling, emerald and turquoise lakes, rivers, and waterfalls. Kreitzer paints meditative and healing images of peace and beauty in the style of the old masters. 20% of proceeds will be donated to the St. Charles Foundation. Ongoing, 8am-7pm. St. Charles Medical Center, 2500 NE Neff Rd., Bend. Contact: 805-234-2048. jkreitze@icloud.com. Free.
Museum & Me A quieter time for children and adults who experience physical, intellectual and/ or social disabilities to enjoy the High Desert Museum after hours. Explore the Museum’s newest exhibitions and revisit your favorites. Feb. 27, 4-6pm. High Desert Museum, 59800 S. Highway 97, Bend. Contact: 541-382-4754. info@highdesertmuseum.org. Free with RSVP.
Natural History Pub: Silent Destroyer: The Invasive Freshwater Mussel Invasive mussels grow in dense clusters on streambeds and underwater structures. Tiny though they are, these animals harm riparian ecosystems and push out native species. Keith DeHart, Invasive Species and Wildlife Integrity Supervisor at ODFW, will share what we can do to stop invasive mussels from entering the state. March 3, 7-8pm. McMenamins Old St. Francis School, 700 NW Bond St., Bend. Contact: 541382-4754. info@highdesertmuseum.org. Free with RSVP.
THEATER
The Lifespan of a Fact Ellipse Theatre Community presents The Lifespan of a Fact, a hit play that humorously and thoughtfully explores the conflict between “facts” and “truth.” The story follows Jim Fingal, a young intern tasked with fact-checking an essay by a celebrated author, leading to a hilarious and timely clash of ideals. Thu, Feb. 20, 7-9pm, Fri, Feb. 21, 7-9pm, Sat, Feb. 22, 2-4 and 7-9pm, Thu, Feb. 27, 7-9pm, Fri, Feb. 28, 7-9pm and Sat, March 1, 2-4pm. Unity Community of Central Oregon, 63645 Scenic Drive, Bend. Contact: info@etcbend.org. $25. Plays Out Loud: “The Mousetrap” Have you ever wanted to dip a toe in the theatre world? Participate in a murder mystery reader’s theatre by Agatha Christie. This is a low-stress reading of the world’s longest-running play, “The Mousetrap," with script in hand. March 4, 5:30-7:30pm. Downtown Bend Library - Brooks Room, 601 NW Wall St,, Bend. Contact: 541-312-1029. laurelh@ deschuteslibrary.org. Free.
Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical The inspiring and heartwarming tale of Matilda Wormwood, a young girl with an extraordinary mind and a courageous spirit. Featuring a delightful score by Tim Minchin and a witty book by Dennis Kelly, Matilda the Musical is a story of resilience, imagination, and standing up for what’s right. Fri, Feb. 28, 7pm, Sat, March 1, 7pm, Sun, March 2, 2pm, Fri, March 7, 7pm, Sat, March 8, 7pm and Sun, March 9, 2pm. Mountain View High School Auditorium, 2755 NE 27th St., Bend. Contact: 541-355-4558. amy.james@bend.k12. or.us. $12-$16.
WORDS
“The Be-All and the End-All” - A Poetry Reading Taking a quote from Macbeth as the starting and end point for this collection, the poems consider what makes our world wonderful and worrying, hope-filled and hopeless, inspiring and daunting. The poems invite the reader to wonder about their role in the writing of our future. March 3, 6-7pm. Downtown Bend Public Library - Brooks Room, 601 NW Wall St., Bend. Contact: 541-312-1063. beccar@dpls.lib. or.us. Free.
How Poets Jump for Joy Registration Required. We will review a variety of poems, many written by well-known poets. Participants will be invited to write a new poem celebrating their own experience of joy. There will be an opportunity to share this writing. March 1, 11am-1pm. Redmond Public Library, 827 SW Deschutes Ave., Redmond. Contact: 541-312-1063. beccar@dpls. lib.or.us. Free.
Rediscovered Reads Book Club Please join us for Rediscovered Reads Book Club. We will discuss Brave the Wild River: "The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon," by Melissa L. Sevigny. Feb. 26, 6-7pm. Roundabout Books, 900 NW Mount Washington Dr., #110, Bend. Contact: 541-3066564. julie@roundaboutbookshop.com. Free.
The Author of “White Women Get Ready Comes to Bend! Bend Chapter of Coming TO The Table is sponsoring a book related event with Amanda K. Gross, Author of “White Women, Get Ready.” It is more than “just” a book...it is a tool for anti-racism. Part memoir, part historical analysis and clearly a call to action, this book offers white people a chance to learn why and how we all keep racism alive, often without intending to. Book information available at MistressSyndrome.com. Books will be available. Feb. 26, 7:30-9pm. East Bend Public Library, 62080 Dean Swift Road, Bend. Contact: 215-837-3765. edylynnz@gmail.com. Free.
ETC.
Apres-Ski Saturdays End your ski day in style at Bunk + Brew! From 7-10 pm, enjoy music, sauna passes, brews and après-ski vibes. Discounts for Mt. Bachelor pass holders and employees. Food carts open all night! Saturdays, 7-10pm. Bunk+Brew, 42 NW Hawthorne Avenue, Bend. Free.
Community Bonfire Fridays Gather around the fire every Friday from 7-10pm at Bunk + Brew. Meet new friends, share stories, and enjoy the cozy vibes. Don’t miss our delicious food carts in the backyard! Fridays, 7-10pm. Bunk+Brew, 42 NW Hawthorne Avenue, Bend. Free. Eurythmy Workshop - Speech in Movement for Adults (Six 1-Hour Sessions) Introduction to Eurythmy consonant and vowel gestures through lively verses and choreographies used in the K-8 Waldorf curriculum, including snippets from fairytales and Shakespeare. Experience how this art refreshes you, as in each session, you deepen your knowledge of language and collaborate on a group choreography of Wendell Berry’s poem. Sat, March 1, 10-11am and Sat, March 8, 1011am. Waldorf School of Bend, 2150 NE Studio Rd. Suite 2, Bend. Contact: 541-330-8841. info@ bendwaldorf.com. $80.
Trivia with Quiz Head Games Grab your smartest friends, some craft brews, and choose one of our delicious cocktails or a selection of over 50 whiskeys while playing trivia with prize giveaways! Wednesdays, 6:30-9pm. Through April 30. The Vault Taphouse at Kobold Brewing, 245 SW Sixth St., Redmond. Free.
OUTDOORS EVENTS
Adult Dodgeball (Drop-Ins Welcome!) Check out Bend’s favorite social adult co-ed sports league! Drop-in for a single game every Thur. through March 20 and see what the buzz is all
about. Sign up solo, with a friend or with a group of friends! Registration available at the door. Thursdays, 6:30-8:30pm. Through March 20. Boys & Girls Clubs of Bend, 500 NE Wall Street, Bend. Contact: 707-633-8874. hi@benddodgeball.com. $10.
Advanced Survival Series For adults. Practice traditional skills, go on overnights and a survival trip. Five weekends March-June. See site for details! March 1, 9am-4pm. Bend, RSVP for address, Bend. Contact: info@nighthawknaturalistschool.com. $925.
Bevel Putting Mayhem: Disc Golf! Join us for Bevel Putting Mayhem! This disc golf putting competition is open to all every Wednesday night from Oct-April in our hop garden. Bring 2 putters, enjoy $1 off beers, and compete in a double elimination format. Sign-up at 5:30pm; first putts at 6pm. $5 to enter. Wednesdays, 5:30-9pm. Through April 30. Bevel Craft Brewing, 911 SE Armour St., Bend. Contact: 541-972-3835. holla@bevelbeer.com. $5. Mastodon 10ish-Mile Trail Races A relatively flat course with only about 400 feet′ of elevation change, this race is a good early season event to see how the engine is running without too much demand on the early season legs. March 2, 9am-Noon. Maston Trailhead, 20135 Newcomb Rd., Redmond. Contact: 541-317-3568. info@ footzonebend.com. $65.
Winter in Sisters: Morning Snowshoe Adventure with Wanderlust Tours Join us for an incredible snowshoeing adventure through the forests of the Central Oregon Cascades. We will offer guests lodging in the Sisters area the opportunity to be picked up and taken on winter adventure just outside their front door. Available every Saturday from Jan. 11 through March 1. Sat, Feb. 15, 8:30am-12:30pm and Saturdays, 8:30am12:30pm. Through March 2. Wanderlust Tours, 61535 S Hwy 97, Bend. Contact: 541-389-8359. info@wanderlusttours.com. $115.
VOLUNTEER
Dog Adoption Event Hosted by Amazing Dogs Rescue Dog adoption event at PetSmart hosted by amazing dogs rescue. Check out adoptable dogs online at amazingdogs.org Every 2 weeks at PetSmart 11-1pm. Every other Sunday, 11am-1pm. PetSmart, 63455 N. Highway 97, Bend. General Volunteer Opportunities For information on volunteer opportunities at Bethlehem Inn please contact Courtney, Community Engagement Coordinator, at volunteer@bethleheminn.org. Fourth Thursday of every month. Bethlehem Inn, 3705 N Hwy 97, Bend. Contact: 541-322-8768 x11. volunteer@bethleheminn.org.
Portland-based five-piece Americana band Never Come Down is part of the extensive lineup at the one-day mini bluegrass fest The Bluegrass Bend-r. Sat., March 1, 10am-Midnight at Volcanic Theatre Pub.
Play
dine. drink. gather.
Wednesdays
Wednesdays
Thursdays – Bingo & Build-Your-Own Pasta Dinner
Thursdays – Bingo & Build-Your-Own Pasta Dinner
Observing Wildlife through Trail Cameras for Personal Enrichment and Citizen Science Are you interested in learning more about the wildlife living around us in Central Oregon? Trail cameras can be a great tool to monitor wildlife. We’ll share tips and tricks for getting the most out of a trail camera, introduce some citizen science camera-trapping programs and more. March 2, 3:30-5pm. Deschutes Public Library-Downtown, 601 NW Wall Street, Bend. Free. Volunteer for foster dogs Volunteer to be a dog foster parent! Help dogs to get adopted after transitioning from shelters to Herding Dog Rescue. There is a huge need and it is very rewarding, giving you a sense of purpose. Each dog is special. Fill out a foster application at www.HDRescueoregon.com Thursdays. Contact: 458-292-8362. HDRescueoregon.com.
Volunteer: Help Businesses Prosper! Share your professional and business expertise. Become a volunteer mentor with SCORE in Central Oregon. The chapter is growing. Your experience and knowledge will be valued by both new and existing businesses in the community. To apply, call 541-316-0662 or visit centraloregon. score.org/volunteer. Fri, Aug. 26 and Ongoing. Contact: 541-316-0662.
Volunteering in Oregon’s High Desert with ONDA Oregon Natural Desert Association is a nonprofit dedicated to protecting, defending and restoring Oregon’s high desert. They engage the public in their work to improve the health of desert ecosystems by leading guided, small group, volunteer service trips in some of eastern Oregon’s most remote and beautiful landscapes. Visit www.onda. org/trips to find the full calendar and descriptions of current volunteer trip offerings. Ongoing.
GROUPS + MEETUPS
Authentic Relating Games Night
Are you ready to deepen your connections and engage with your community in a fun and meaningful way? Join us for our community game night focusing on authentic relating games! Feb. 27, 6-7:30pm. Hanai Center, 62430 Eagle Road, Bend. Contact: 415-378-5722. suzettehibble@ mac.com. $20.
Central Oregon PubTalk
Join us for this month’s PubTalk, as we hear from local companies and business leaders from the area! EDCO’s Central Oregon PubTalk is a happy hour aimed at bringing together different facets of the business community in one place to network, share ideas and further local businesses. Feb. 27, 4:30-7pm. Worthy Brewing, 495 NE Bellevue Dr., Bend. Contact: 541-388-3236. $32–$48.
Engage Deschutes - Politics Social Club
Join us for Politics Night at Unofficial Logging every 4th Thursday! This month’s theme is Elections—chat with those who have run or are running for office. No tickets, no stuffy presentations—just casual conversation over beers about making local change. It’s easier than you think! Fourth Thursday of every month, 6-8pm. Unofficial Logging Co., 910 NW Harriman St. Suite #100, Bend. Contact: 510-7615230. jheylin@gmail.com. Free.
Experience OLLI-UO In Central Oregon Do you want to learn more about keeping your mind active in retirement? Have you been to OLLI-UO in the past and want to know what’s happening now? Are you a new member and want to meet more colleagues in person? Any “YES” means this event is for YOU! Feb. 28, 10-11am. Larkspur Community Center, 1600 SE Reed Market Rd., Bend. Contact: osher@ uoregon.edu. Free.
Harmonic Flow: Yoga & Sound Bath Immerse yourself in an evening of deep relaxation and renewal. Harmonic Flow Yoga is your sanctuary for letting go, finding balance, and reconnecting with your inner harmony—an ideal way to end your week and month. No prior yoga or sound bath experience required. Ages 15+ welcome. Last Friday of every month, 6:30-8pm. Through May 30. Free Spirit Yoga Ninja Play, 320 SW Powerhouse Drive, Suite 150, Bend. Contact:
541-241-3919. info@freespiritbend.com. $40. IDD Adult Foster Home Community Forum Understand the project supporting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilites. Deschutes County is developing a residential property in SW Redmond to support adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Feb. 27, 5-6pm. Redmond Public Library, 827 SW Deschutes Ave., Redmond. Contact: 541-312-1032. lizg@dpls.lib.or.us. Free.
Kiwanis Club of Bend Weekly Meeting
Join us at noon at the Coldwell Banker near the Old Mill for our weekly Kiwanis of Bend Meeting. Learn more about our mission to help the youth and community of Central Oregon and get involved in some exciting community events we’re planning! Everyone is welcome! Thursdays, Noon-1pm. Through March 23. Coldwell Banker, 486 SW Bluff Dr., Bend. Contact: 541-306-8186. kiwanisbend@gmail.com. Free.
Mountain Muskrats Monthly Meeting Your unexpected Central Oregon dive experience begins here. The Mountain Muskrats is an independent dive club set on exploring Central Oregon’s waterways. Join the club! First Saturday of every month, 5:30pm. The Den Dive Shop, 56881 Enterprise Drive, Sunriver. Contact: 541-600-9355. thedendiveshop@hotmail.com. $100 annual club fee.
Ribbon Cutting for Synergy Health & Wellness—February 27 Join us for a Ribbon Cutting at Synergy Health & Wellness! As they celebrate 12 years of serving the greater Central Oregon community, Synergy Health & Wellness has a new home! Enjoy snacks, drinks, chair massages and fun! Please RSVP to Andrea @ andrea@ socialsuitepr.com Feb. 27, 4-5pm. Synergy Health & Wellness, 369 NE Revere Ave. Ste 105, Bend 97701. Free.
Single Mingle Join us for an unforgettable evening at our Single Mingle, designed for singles 50+ looking to expand their social circle and create meaningful connections! This is the perfect opportunity to engage in dynamic conversations, share laughter, and perhaps even spark a romantic connection in a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere. March 4, 6-8pm. Bend Wine Bar & Winery Tasting Room, Contact: 541-323-0964.
Speed Dating & Single Bridge 99 (ages 50+) Calling all Central Oregon singles! Ready to mingle? Join in the fun for a night of mingling and speed dating with other singles in the area! Female to male speed dating for ages 50+. Meet our matchmaker, Jamie from Epiphany Match, and get in her free singles database! All proceeds go to the charity of the quarter. Not single? Grab your single friend and be their wingman/woman! Feb. 28, 6-8pm. Bridge 99 Brewery, 63063 Layton Ave., Bend. Contact: 541-323-0964.
What’s Brewing: Keeping Watch on Legislative Impacts What happens in Salem typically ends up impacting the business community here in Bend in some form or fashion. This year is no exception. So far, 2,500 bills have been introduced in the 2025 Session focusing on topics ranging from tax policy & employment law to land use, etc. March 4, 5-7:30pm. Mountain Room @ Deschutes Brewery, 901 SW Simpson Ave, Bend. Free. Wild Women Book Club Come join other women in community as participants dive deep into the untamed feminine psyche. This is set up in a way that you can jump in at any time with or without reading the “required” pages. Join in the discussion or just come for a cup of tea and listen! Fourth Wednesday of every month, 6-8pm. The Peoples Apothecary, 1841 NE Division Street, Bend. Contact: 541-728-2368. classes@thepeoplesapothecary.net. $9/online, $10/door.
FUNDRAISING
Bend FFA Alumni & Supporters “Run for the Roses” Benefit Dinner & Auction The Bend FFA Alumni & Supporters present the third annual benefit dinner “Run for the Roses” Benefit Dinner & Auction to support the Bend FFA Chapter. March 1, 4-10pm. Beaver Coach Sales & Service, 62955 Boyd Acres Rd., Bend. Contact: bendffaalumni@gmail.com. $55-$650.
BendFilm Gala & Watch Party
Tickets are live for our annual gala raising money to support BendFilm initiatives such as our new filmmaker retreat, student summer camps, and of course the Annual BendFilm Festival. Prepare for a night of community celebration, live and silent auction, and a screening of everyone’s favorite award show! March 2, 3:30-7:30pm. Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central OR, 61980 Skyline Ranch Rd, Bend. Contact: 541-388-3378. elise.furgurson@bendfilm.org. $75+.
Community Pint Night Join us every Thursday during the month of February to raise a pint to the COCC Afrocentric Program. The Afrocentric Program focuses on the recruitment, retention, and development of students who want to create impactful change for themselves and the overall community. Thursdays, 4-7pm. Through Feb. 28. The Ale Apothecary Tasting Room, 30 SW Century Drive, Ste 140, Bend. Contact: taryn@ thealeapothecary.com. Free.
Not’cho Grandma’s Bingo Silver Moon partners with The YOUNI Movement to guarantee the best bingo experience in all of Central Oregon! Not’Cho Grandma’s Bingo is the OG of bingo, high energy bingo that promises to entertain from start to finish! Bingo cards are $25 per person. Family friendly fundraising! Free general admission, $10 early entry. Sundays, 10amNoon. Silver Moon Brewing, 24 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend. Contact: 541-639-1730. hello@ younimovement.com. $10-$200.
FAMILY + KIDS
“Screenagers: Elementary Edition” Film Event + Expert Panel Q&A The “Screenagers: Elementary Edition” film addresses issues that elementary school aged kids, parents, and educators are facing with today’s modern tech. Expert panel Q&A with audience discussion will follow film. This is a free and we welcome parents, caregivers, educators, & kids 6 and up to participate! Feb. 26, 5:30-7pm. Seven Peaks School, 19660 SW Mountaineer Way, Bend. Contact: brooke.mues@gmail.com. Free.
ANNUAL UPSCALE GARAGE
SALE
You’re invited to join us for our Annual Upscale Multi-family Garage Sale at the River Run Event Center in the Eagle Crest Resort. There are 38 tables for you to browse through to find your perfect treasure. 1730 Blue Heron Dr., Redmond. March 1, 8:30am-1pm. Annual Upscale Garage Sale at the River Run Event Center, 1730 Blue Heron Drive, Redmond. Contact: 541-526-1876. aztke70@gmail.com. Free.
Family Dance All Humans Welcome - Groove Community Family Dance with Andrew Belinsky followed by Healthy Potluck. $15/person; $20/ family Inquiries: belinsky.andrew@gmail.com Sun, March 2, 11am-1pm and Sun, March 16,
11am-1pm. Waldorf School of Bend, 2150 NE Studio Rd. Suite 2, Bend. Contact: belinsky. andrew@gmail.com. $15.
Hello! Storytime Hello, and welcome to Roundabout Books Storytime! ~ Letters & ABC’s ~ We are looking forward to sharing stories, movement and a touch of music with 0-5 year olds, geared toward those younger ages. There will be a heavy emphasis on fun, so bring your listening ears and a smile! Feb. 26, 10:30-11am. Roundabout Books, 900 NW Mount Washington Dr., #110, Bend. Contact: 541306-6564. julie@roundaboutbookshop.com. Free.
Kids Studio! Black History Month (4-class series) Unleash your child’s creativity with Kids Studio! Join us this February as we learn about some amazing Black American Artists! We’ll create wearable art like Nick Cave's soundsuits and make work inspired by the art of Janet Henry and Coreen Simpson. Recomended for artists ages 7-12, space is limited. Wed, Feb. 26, 1:30-3:30pm Freakin' Art, 1265 NW Wall st., Bend. Contact: 541-508-7438. hellofreaknart@gmail.com. $200.
Sewing Garments 101 - Make a Fleece Pullover In this comprehensive 2-day sewing series you will learn all the ins and outs of how to successfully sew your own clothing. You will gain sewing knowledge and skills and by the end of the series you will have a fun fleece pullover. Mon, Feb. 24, 6-8pm and Wed, Feb. 26, 6-8pm. DIY Cave, 444 SE Ninth St. Suite 150, Bend. Contact: 541-388-2283. classes@diycave.com. $259. Tele-Fest @ Hoodoo Ski Area Grab your free-heel skis and get ready for a fun-filled day of lessons, stories and Nordic culture at Hoodoo. All events are free and family friendly. Activities include a race course with arrow shooting and ax throwing, Viking sword decorating and more! March 1, 9am-9pm. Hoodoo Ski Area, 27400 Big Lake Road, Sisters. Contact: 541-815-0574. eventsbreakingfree@gmail.com. Free.
BEER + DRINK
Black History Month Dinner Special For Black History Month head over to The Tradesman Coffee and Taproom every Friday and Saturday in the month of February. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the COCC Afrocentric Program Scholarship Fund. Fridays-Saturdays, Noon-9pm. Through Feb. 28. Contact: 541-678-2099. Email: tradesmencoffeetaphouse@gmail.com. Varies.
Educators & Nurses Apprecation Day
We’re raising a glass to those who give so much! Join us for Nurses & Educators Day, where we show appreciation for the heroes in scrubs and classrooms. 50% off all beers and ciders for nurses and educators all day, every Tuesday, at Cascade Lakes Pub on Reed Market. Tuesdays.
California-based garage rock singer/songwriter Ty Segall is known for his solo career, delivering 15 studio albums with a psychedelic rock style. This appearance sees him playing solo and acoustic. Fri., Feb. 28, 7pm at Volcanic Theatre Pub.
tysegall IG
By Chris Young
Central Oregon’s Bluegrass Scene Unites
With
eight bands, workshops and an open jam session, The Bluegrass Bend-r
showcases the region’s best at the Volcanic
Austin Quattlebaum plays what he calls “weirdgrass. More accurately, it’s probably indie folk with a bluegrass edge,” he explains. He’s been performing in Bend for over a decade — often with James Rossi on fiddle, Josiah Payne on mandolin and Mark Karwan on bass — and always had the desire to create a local bluegrass fest.
Enter The Bluegrass Bend-r, a day-long mini fest featuring a stacked lineup of local and regional players plus morning workshops and an afternoon jam session, at the Volcanic Theatre Pub on Saturday, March 1 from 10am to Midnight.
“I’m a traditional bluegrass fan, but my style of music is not anywhere close to ‘traditional.’ This seems to be the case with a lot of the local bluegrass bands as well,” Quattlebaum says. The Bluegrass Bend-r will showcase “the ‘bluegrass adjacent’ bands of the region. Hopefully our first one will be a success, and we can continue this cabin fever-style tradition year after year!”
The offerings of the day are impressive, starting with five workshops (banjo, fiddle, mandolin, harmony singing, guitar) for various skill levels, taught from 10am-4pm. There’s an open jam sesh lead by Cascade Bluegrass from 3-5pm (so bring your instrument), followed by full sets from Central Oregon acts Blackstrap Bluegrass, Skillethead, Quattlebaum and Larkspur Stand, plus Portland-based five-piece Never Come
Down headlining. And in between sets, you can catch 30-minute performances from Johnny Bourbon, Broken Top Bluegrass and Darin Gentry’s Old Time Machine while the main stage acts swap out their gear.
“It will be a packed day!” Quattlebaum exclaims. “We’re trying to fit an entire festival in one day, so there’s 14 hours of fun. I’m probably the most excited for the mega jam at the end of the night where we will attempt to get all eight bands playing together for a big ole clusterpluck.”
“Local luthiers Nechville Banjos and Thompson Guitars will be there tabling and showing off their incredible instruments,” he adds. “We’ve got a lot of great bluegrass-ish bands here in Bend that hardly ever get to play a big stage, so I look forward to lifting up the local community the best way we can.”
As Quattlebaum says, it’s sure to be a “gathering [of] the acoustic music community of Central Oregon.”
The Bluegrass Bend-r
Featuring Never Come Down, Skillethead, Quattlebaum, Blackstrap Bluegrass, Larkspur Stand, Darin Gentry, Broken Top Bluegrass and Johnny Bourbon Sat., March 1
Volcanic Theatre Pub
70 SW Century Dr., Bend Workshops 10am-4pm; open jam 3-5pm; show 5pm-Midnight; all ages $36 advance, $50 day of show
Photos courtesy of The Bluegrass Bend-r
CALENDAR EVENTS
Cascade Lakes Pub on Reed Market, 21175 SE Reed Market Road Lot #2, Bend. Contact: 458836-7866. jesse@cascadelakes.com. Free.
Elixir Wine Dock Sale Don’t miss this one-day chance to catch the best wine deals in town. Overstock from our import portfolio goes on sale for one day only, at up to 75% off. Reds, whites, blends and single varietals from around the world at unbeatable prices. Taste before you buy! March 1, 10am-5pm. Elixir Wine, 11 NW Lava Rd., Bend. Contact: 541-388-5330. paul@ elixirwinegroup.com. Free.
Happier Hour at MTYC Join us for the happiest hours in Bend! Monday - Friday | 2-5pm Relax, unwind, and enjoy great deals: $3 Draft Coors Light $5 Draft Beer Food Cart Specials that will make your taste buds dance! Mondays-Fridays, 2-5pm. Midtown Yacht Club, 1661 NE 4th Street, Bend. Contact: 458-2565454. midtownyachtclub@gmail.com. Free.
Industry Appreciation Day! 20% off for all Industry friends every Wednesday from 2-8pm! Wednesdays, 2-8pm. The Ale Apothecary Tasting Room, 30 SW Century Drive, Ste 140, Bend. Contact: taryn@thealeapothecary. com. Free.
Industry Night Every Sunday is Industry Night! If you’re a bartender, server, chef, cook - anyone in the biz - come unwind with: $5 Hornitos or Monopolowa, $7.50 draft domestic beer + well whiskey, and $3.50 tallboys & $10 man-mosas (on special for all!). You work hard-cheers to you! Sundays-Noon-2am. JC’s Bar & Grill, 642 NW Franklin Ave., Bend. Contact: 541-383-3000. jcsbend@gmail.com. Free.
Premier League & Football Weekends at The Commonwealth Pub! Sports fans, kick off your weekend mornings (at 7am) at The Commonwealth Pub with Premier League action, then dive into college and pro football fun! Grab your squad, your lucky scarf, your favorite jersey, enjoy a pint (or two), and fuel up with tasty bites from Whappos! Saturdays-Sundays, 7am. Through May 25. The Commonwealth Pub, 30 SW Century Drive, Suite 100, Bend. Contact: 541-6686200. thecommonwealthpubevents@gmail. com. Free.
Wings + TRIVIA + Whiskey Enjoy $0.75 wings, $4.50 well whiskey, $6 seven & sevens while testing your knowledge with Trivia, hosted by our amazing Cole! Take on our infamous “physical” challenge - think paper airplanes, musical chairs, limbo etc! Come eat, drink and bring your A-game! Wednesdays, 7pm. JC’s Bar & Grill, 642 NW Franklin Ave., Bend. Contact: 541-383-3000. jcsbend@gmail.com. Free.
+ WELLNESS
Access Bars and Body Process
Gifting and Receiving Did you know your body’s first language is energy? Group trade of Access Bars and Body Processes is a great way to connect with others in the area and receive! If you have taken a Bars or Body Process class, join! First Tuesday of every month, 5-7pm. The Blissful Heart Hidden Garden, 105 NW Greeley Ave, Bend. Contact: 541-848-7608. jenniferevemorey@gmail.com. Free.
Aikido Free Introductory Adult Class! Please call to reserve your spot. Sat, March 1, 10:1511:30am, Mon, March 3, 5:30-6:45pm and Wed, March 5, 5:30-6:45pm. Oregon Ki Society Bend Dojo, 20685 Carmen Loop, Suite 110, Bend. Contact: 541-350-7887. cfhc@hotmail.com. Free.
Capoeira Mixed Levels Community
Experience the exciting Brazilian art form of freedom, incorporating martial arts attacks, creative escapes, acrobatic movements, music and much more. Call to coordinate please. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 7-8:30pm. High Desert Martial Arts, 63056 Lower Meadow Dr. Ste. 120, Bend. Contact: 541-678-3460. ucabend@ gmail.com. $40 for a taster month.
Central Oregon LGBTQ+ Peer Connection Online Support Group A peer-led support group for adults (ages 18 and older) who identify as LGBTQ2SIA+ and are living with mental health challenges. A diagnosis is not required to participate. This group is facilitated by Central Oregon peers. Schedule: meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month. Every other Tuesday, 6-7:30pm. Contact: 541316-0167. info@namicentraloregon.org. Free.
Coming Home to the Body after Trauma group Coming Home to the Body after Trauma is a small, trauma-informed group that helps participants slowly and gently return to the body and reconnect to the wisdom within. We use a variety of tools and the power of the group to heal. Fridays. Through April 25. True Center Therapy, 2669 NE Twin Knolls Dr., Ste. 103, Bend. Contact: 541-205-9235. jess@ truecentertherapy.org. $362.
Concussion Support Group Hoping to learn more strategies for improving your memory and efficiently healing your brain after concussion? Come join our adult therapy group! Connect with others who have experienced concussion, practice strategies, and learn from other related professionals on a variety of topics related to concussion recovery. Every other Tuesday, 4-4:45pm. Through Feb. 3. Sagebrush Speech Therapy, 604 NW Harriman St, BEND. Contact: info@sagebrushspeech.com. Free.
Couples Massage Classes Explore a
nurturing way to connect with your sweetheart in a couples massage class with Taproot Bodywork. Learn to relax your partner without hurting your hands! 2 or 4-hour classes, one couple per session. Prices vary. Additional days/times are available. Visit www.taprootbodywork. com for details. Every other Saturday-Sunday. Taproot Bodywork studio, Tumalo, Tumalo. Contact: 503-481-0595. taprootbodywork@ gmail.com. Price varies.
Intro to Yoga In our beginner friendly classes we will practice and learn about different styles of yoga, go over posture names, and discuss accommodations and modifications to create accessibility for all body types. In this relaxed environment, there will be space for conversation, questions, or curiosities. Zoom option available. Mondays, 7-8pm. Through March 4. Namaspa Yoga Studio, 1135 NW Galveston Ave., Bend. Contact: 541-550-8550. namaspayoga@gmail.com. $25. Inversions Workshop This workshop will emphasize shoulder mobility and strength in inversions. Drills to expand your strength, safety and alignment in headstand, handstand, and wheel pose will be offered. We will use the wall as a tool. Suitable for all levels. Inversions elevate mood and energy, boost circulation, and aid in digestion! March 1, 2-3:45pm. Bend Hot Yoga, 1230 NE 3rd St. UnitA230, Bend. Contact: yoga@bendhotyoga.com. $30.
Motivation and Goal Setting Workshop It’s a great time to redesign your life. Make use of your time at home by setting and reaching goals in a free Zoom workshop. Certified Life Coach Jacquie Elliott is hosting a motivation and accountability workshop on the first Monday of the each month. Email her at coach@jacquieelliottclc.com for the link. First Monday of every month, 5:30-6:30pm. Contact: coach@jacquieelliottclc.com. Free.
Prenatal Yoga Prepares the body and mind for labor, birth and new motherhood. Emphasis is placed on building strength, channeling the power of the breath, and connecting to intuition. Suitable for women in any stage of pregnancy, as long as you feel good practicing and your care provider approves. Please pre-register. Tuesdays, 9-10am. Bend Hot Yoga, 1230 NE 3rd St. UnitA230, Bend. Contact: yoga@bendhotyoga.com. $20.
Shadow Yoga Basics, Donation Based Introduces principles and practices of Shadow Yoga, with an emphasis on the lower structure and building the pathway of power. Pay what you can. Mondays, 6-7pm. Continuum, A School of Shadow Yoga, 155 SW Century Drive, Suite 112, Bend. Contact: 541-588-2480. info@continuum-yoga.com. $1-$19.
Shala Breathwork Shake off the weekend and let go of the expectations for the upcoming week with breathwork at Yoga Shala Bend! Join Whitney as she guides participants through a beautiful breathing meditation with music! Sundays, 6:15-7:15pm. Yoga Shala Bend, 806 NW Brooks St. Suite 200, Bend. Contact: 208-4096028. breathewithwhitney@gmail.com. $20.
Tai Chi Unlock the Secrets of Serenity with Grandmaster Franklin’s Tai Chi Class! Embark on a transformative journey toward inner balance, harmony and a healthier you! Grandmaster Franklin invites you to join his exclusive Tai Chi Class, where ancient wisdom meets modern well-being. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 9:45-10:45am. Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Oregon, 61980 Skyline Ranch Rd, Bend. Contact: 541-797-9620. arawak327@gmail.com. $100.
Winter Yoga Inside We’re excited to announce that Emily is moving indoors to a stunning new location! Enjoy 75 minutes of yoga flow followed by 15 minutes of community connection to unwind and meet other beautiful humans Let’s stay grounded, connected, and warm! Tuesdays, 5:30-7pm. Through March 25. The Heartgrounds, Shared upon RSVP, Bend. Contact: 541-668-6132. DoYogaOutside@ gmail.com. $22.
Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light craft a bluegrass and folk sound that’s both timeless and unique, captivating audiences with every note they play. Thu., Feb. 27, 6-8pm at The Suttle Lodge.
Rachel Sumner FB
CHOW C
In 2021, the Brewers Association, a craft brewing industry group, released the results of a demographic audit of U.S. breweries, revealing that almost a quarter of brewery owners were women, yet less than 3% of breweries were fully woman-owned.
Here in Central Oregon, there is one fully woman-owned brewery: Spider City Brewing. The Bend operation was founded by twin sisters Melanie and Michele Betti, alongside their friend Tammy Treat. Their success proves the beer industry isn’t just a boys’ club.
Bend is no stranger to craft beer, but Spider City is breaking the mold. The founders met in college and bonded over a love of craft beer, but they didn’t just sip — they explored. Their global travels introduced them to diverse beer styles and brewing cultures, fueling their dream of opening a brewery in Bend, a city with a beer scene as bold as their ambitions.
Women in brewing face outdated stereotypes and limited visibility in a male-dominated industry. Despite many women-owned breweries struggling, Spider City proves that passion, dedication and community can create lasting success. The Source Weekly spoke with the women behind Spider City to discuss their mission, sustainability efforts and what it takes to succeed in an industry where women remain underrepresented.
Source Weekly: As a women-owned brewery, you’re breaking barriers. What challenges have you faced and what advantages come with being women-led in the craft beer industry?
Spider City Brewing: Any business has challenges. We focus on making a wide range of good beer to create an experience for our customers. Whether it’s our Polish-inspired Pavuchky Brewski (Polish wheat) or our Black Lava Sea Salt Baltic Porter, we keep things interesting. Women also have outstanding palates, which drives us to make delicious IPAs like our flagship Grazing Goat West Coast IPA and our award-winning Sneaky Deer Hazy Double IPA.
SW: Many women-owned breweries struggle. What sets Spider City apart? Does being women-owned come with a smaller margin for error?
SCB: We run as lean as possible without cutting quality or experience. We do much of the work ourselves to keep costs down with help from our families.
SW: What holds women back from brewing at the same rate as men?
SCB: Brewing requires heavy lifting and long days. Whether you’re a woman or a man, it’s a tough job that demands hard work and resilience. Women can and should brew as we bring a different perspective and palate to the table.
SW: Women-owned businesses often face unspoken
Brewing Equality
The women at Spider City Brewing are fermenting change in the craft beer industry
Story and photos by Megan Baker
expectations to be sustainable and community-driven while male-owned breweries focus on beer. Have you felt this pressure and how has it shaped your approach?
SCB: We haven’t felt that pressure, but we like to give back. We donate our time, brewery space and goods to local causes whenever possible.
SW: Sustainability is crucial in Central Oregon’s water-sensitive environment. How does Spider City approach water conservation and waste management?
SCB: We provide all of our spent grain to Lark Ranch Rescue and Rehabilitation in Redmond to feed farm animals. Our hop trub goes to Fields Farm in Bend for composting.
SW: Collaboration is key to your brewery’s ethos. Can you share a partnership or community initiative that’s made an impact?
SCB: We frequently partner with RylieMay Rescue Ranch, which rehomes senior dogs or provides them sanctuary. This partnership has helped us connect with other animal organizations we’ve been able to support.
SW: With the rise of nonalcoholic craft beers, have you considered brewing a N/A option?
SCB: We haven’t explored the N/A arena, but we focus on offering beers and seltzers under 5% ABV so customers can enjoy more than one drink.
SW: What’s the overall vision for Spider City?
SCB: We aim to continue bringing great beer to our customers and expand distribution to share our beer with a larger community.
SW: How did Spider City Brewing get its name?
SCB: Spider City was the name of our garage where we first started brewing. It lived up to its name!
Just as fermentation transforms simple ingredients into something bold and complex, women in craft beer are brewing more than just great beer — they’re shaping the future of the industry. This transformation isn’t swift or easy; it takes time, dedication and collaboration.
As the craft beer scene evolves, women’s contributions are vital ingredients to a cultural shift toward a more balanced, vibrant future. The craft beer world thrives on creativity, resilience and innovation — qualities that women bring in abundance. So next time you raise a glass, toast to the women redefining a more inclusive tomorrow: Here’s to the future of craft beer that’s brewing with possibility, one pour at a time. SW
Spider City Brewing
Brewery Taproom: 1177 SE Ninth St., Bend Downtown Tasting Room: 55 NW Minnesota Ave., Bend spidercitybrewing.com
SpiderCityBrewing's Master Brewer, MelanieBetti
By Savannah Mendoza
Funky Fauna Artisan Ales Brings Farmhouse Brewing to Bend
The local brewery is relocating to Bend’s Central District with an expected opening date in spring
Funky Fauna Artisan Ales, a microbrewery celebrated for its bold, fruit-forward farmhouse ales, is making the move to Bend. Co-owners Michael Frith and Danielle Burns originally launched the brewery in Sisters, crafting small-batch ales that blend traditional craftsmanship with modern brewing artistry, using Oregon-grown malted barley and hops.
Now, Funky Fauna is setting up shop in Bend’s Central District, taking over the
former Humm Kombucha Taproom on Second Street. The new taproom is set to open this spring, with a potential launch in April. The move marks an exciting new chapter for the brewery — the couple is looking forward to making the 5,000-squarefoot building their own and continuing to offer unique, Saison-inspired ales in the new space.
“We’ve got so many things in store for the new space, including a revamped Funky Fauna Fellowship club, new brewhouse, 23 taps, food truck, all the plants, hella Saison, spooky labels, hoppy beers, foamy lagers and cozy taproom vibes,” Funky Fauna shared on Instagram.
With its focus on small-batch brewing and community engagement, Funky Fauna has built a loyal following over the past four years. The brewery’s reputation for producing high-quality, innovative ales has made it a favorite among craft beer enthusiasts — it was ranked runner-up for Best Sour Beer in our Best of Central Oregon readers’ poll in 2023.
Some standout offerings from its Sisters taproom included Frightful Spell, a wild ale made with Pacific Northwest nectarines and peaches, and Spectral Shadow, a tart and refreshing blend of dragon fruit, cucumber and lime.
As anticipation builds for the grand opening, Funky Fauna fans can still find their favorite ales online and at select local retailers. For updates on the move and official opening date, beer lovers can follow along on Funky Fauna’s Instagram.
Funky Fauna Artisan Ales
1125 NE Second St., Bend funkyfaunabeer.com
Funky Fauna IG
CULTURE
IThe Future Is Female Girls Who Code seeks to close the tech gender gap
By Jared Rasic
n the last 30 years, the number of computer scientists who were women dropped from 37% to 24% and a majority of that drop-off occurs between the ages of 13 and 17. Girls Who Code, a nationwide program, is on a mission to close the gender gap by 2030, aiming to prepare its members to lead and improve the workforce instead of just entering it.
In a time where diversity, equity and inclusion have become the latest boogeyman in a culture war against all things black, brown, poor and non-binary, it’s nice to see that Girls Who Code fearlessly seeks to reach out to underrepresented minority groups and people from low-income backgrounds, proudly welcoming anyone identifying as female, regardless of their gender assignment at birth — this includes those who identify as non-binary or gender nonconforming.
Ridgeview High School in Redmond and Caldera High School in Bend are just a pair of the schools in the Pacific Northwest that foster a Girls Who Code club. The Source Weekly reached out to computer science and math teacher and GWC Ridgeview founder Josh Davis, as well as Ridgeview students and three-year GWC members Shayanne Akenga and Caitlyn Pigg, to find out more about the club.
Source Weekly: How would you explain Girls who Code to the layperson?
Josh Davis: It’s a nationwide collection of clubs of girls and non-binary students who use a shared interest in computers to programming to gain skills and give back to the community at large. Our project this year is to go to elementary schools in the spring and teach young girls coding games to introduce them to coding concepts and algorithmic thinking.
Shayanne Akenga: It’s a program that will never make you feel out of place or not included because everyone is willing to help you succeed. It doesn’t matter if you have years of experience or none at all, you’ll find people who are in the exact same boat as you. You will fit right in with this club if you enjoy coding/technology and want a fun, new community by your side.
SW: What do you think makes GWC so important, especially in our current landscape?
JD: Girls and non-binary students are significantly underrepresented in the computing field. If we are to solve the problems we are facing in this world (climate change, distribution of wealth, finite resources, etc.), we need everyone’s perspective, especially those of girls and minorities.
efficient progress will never be made.
SW: What do you hope to see GWC do for girls and women over the next decade?
JD: I would like nothing more than to see the broad field of computer science (software engineers, cybersecurity experts, data analysts, etc.) be a reflection of our society at large rather than a field made up of mostly white men.
SW: What is your ultimate dream job in the future?
CP: I want to be a manager! My original plan was to be a part of a company that builds recreation centers, but I am open to any other kinds of career paths. Even though that isn’t exactly related to coding, I still believe it is extremely important to understand. In the modern world it is now essential to be educated in technology.
SA: My dream job is to become an astrophysicist, then I’ll work my way up to becoming an astronaut for NASA.
SW: Anything you would like to add?
We have an amazing group of girls currently who are leaders in our school and community who willingly give up their free time in order to be involved in Girls Who Code. They should be commended and are the young people who will go out and change the world for the better.
Talking with the three of them and learning more about Girls Who Code created some much-needed faith in the future. Let’s hope programs like this one survive the culture war witch hunt because a world that fosters diversity, equity and inclusion is a much better one than whatever Elon Musk, Kid Rock and Ted Nugent have planned. Check out girlswhocode.com for more information. SW
The Ridgeview High School branch of Girls Who Code with instructor Josh Davis.
Josh Davis
SC SCREEN Just an Honor to be Nominated It’s time to predict the 2025 Oscar winners
By Jared Rasic
The time has arrived for the 97th annual Academy Awards, and you have more options than ever to watch them. You can either tune into your local ABC affiliate, stream it live on Hulu or YouTube TV or you can attend the BendFilm Gala and Watch Party (which starts at 3:30pm at the Unitarian church) and help raise money for some of the incredible initiatives being offered this year by the local film fest.
However you decide to watch it (or not watch it at all, like most normal people), I hope you’ll take the time to laugh at me as I once again attempt to prognosticate the winners through my advanced ability of nerd, geek and dork. This is the dozenth or so year I’ve attempted this and, incredibly, do not seem to be getting any better at predicting what Academy voters actually enjoyed (or really just took the time to watch).
I’ll once again divide my guesses into what should win verus what will win. But so many of the nominees this year are movies I genuinely enjoyed, so mostly I’m happy no matter who takes home the little bald man. Let’s get into it.
Actor In A Leading Role
Who Will Win: Adrien Brody. His work in “The Brutalist” is monumental and deserves recognition.
Who Should Win: Brody. But if Ralph Fiennes (“Conclave”) or Colman Domingo (“Sing Sing”) took it, I’d be so happy. Fiennes does work unlike any we’ve seen from him before, and Domingo is such a gentle and moving artist that it’s impossible not to root for him.
Actor In A Supporting Role
Who Will Win: Kieran Culkin. He builds such a jagged-edged, empathic character in “A Real Pain” that it feels like we’re watching a tightrope walker dance over a bonfire.
Who Should Win: Culkin. He captures something singular in “A Real Pain,” but I sure love Yura Borisov in “Anora.” In many ways, it doesn’t even feel like the movie starts until he shows up.
Actress In A Leading Role
Who Will Win: Demi Moore. The Academy loves a comeback almost as much as it loves a beautiful person under a bunch of prosthetic makeup. Also, “The Substance” is probably the best performance of her career.
Who Should Win: I’m rooting for Moore just because of how much I love “The Substance,” but part of me really hopes Mikey Madison gets the upset for “Anora.” She paints with the entire palate.
Actress In A Supporting Role
Who Will Win: Isabella Rossellini for “Conclave.” She maybe has a dozen lines of dialogue in the entire film yet conveys a thousand years of patriarchal servitude in just a glance.
Who Should Win: Probably Rossellini, but Felicity Jones’ work in “The Brutalist” is for the ages and flawlessly calibrated.
Animated Feature Film
What Will Win: “Flow” — it’s a stunning work of imagination.
What Should Win: “Memoir of a Snail” — an absolute gut punch of (semi) autobiographical storytelling.
Costume Design
Who Will Win: Paul Tazewell for “Wicked.” It’s bright, colorful and eye-catching in the way voters love.
Who Should Win: You can smell the costumes in “Nosferatu” from home.
Directing
Who Will Win: Brady Corbet. His work on “The Brutalist” is massive. Most people aren’t as in love with the film as I am, but I think his work here is legendary.
Who Should Win: Corbet, but I would still be so happy if Sean Baker (“Anora”) or Coralie Fargeat (“The Substance”) won. All of their work is seminal.
Documentary Feature Film
What Will Win: “No Other Land” — timely and important.
What Should Win: “No Other Land.” It’s not even close.
Film Editing
Who Will Win: Sean Baker for “Anora.” He built that movie in the editing room.
Who Should Win: Baker’s work is virtuosic, but so is the editing on “Conclave” and “The Brutalist.” Any of these three deserve the win.
International Feature Film
What Will Win: I’m scared France’s “Emilia Pérez” will win, but backlash has been so intense that I think it will go to Germany’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.”
What Should Win: It doesn’t stand a chance but Denmark’s “The Girl with the Needle” felt like the most groundbreaking to me.
Makeup and Hairstyling
What Will Win: The team behind “Wicked” will take it because the movie became a pop-cultural phenomenon and because they did bracingly original work.
What Should Win: “The Substance” — the work runs the entire table from grotesque
Music (Original Score)
Who Will Win: John Powell and Stephen Schwartz for “Wicked.” People have been humming this movie for months.
Who Should Win: “The Brutalist” has an oldschool score like they did back in the 1940s, and “Conclave” builds the entire tone of the film through the score. The real best score of the year is Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ work on “Challengers,” which was not nominated.
Music (Original Song)
What Will Win: “Like a Bird.” I think the voters want “Sing Sing” to win something.
What Should Win: “Like a Bird.” I want “Sing Sing” to win something.
Best Picture
What Will Win: It’s either “Anora” or “The Brutalist.” I think “Anora” has the momentum but “The Brutalist” works better as a movie. I think “Anora” wins by a hair.
What Should Win: Anything but “Emilia Pérez.” In my heart, I know that “The Substance” is my favorite but doesn’t stand a chance. “The Brutalist” should win as it’s a monumental work of artistic vision that moves me even just thinking about it. Although, if/when “Anora” wins, I’ll raise a glass to Sean Baker anyway.
Focus Features
The majesty of “Conclave.”
The unpredictable joy of “Anora.”
The stark power of “The Brutalist.”
It shouldn’t be a secret that Bend’s backyard offers some of the best adaptive skiing on the planet. While the able-bodied enjoy “Mt. Bachelor,” everyone else skis “OAS” — as those in the adaptive sports community call it. Two names for the same mountain, depending on who you ask. Oregon Adaptive Sports has been offering opportunities to adaptive skiers, young and old, inexperienced to the highest-level pros and instructors, since 1996, all driven by a team of volunteers.
If you ski at Bachelor, you will cross paths with some amazing people. Joanna Adams is one of them. Between monoskiing, being a wife and mother of two, working full-time as a neurosurgery physician assistant at Oregon Health and Science University and advocating for others with disabilities, Adams made time to chat with the Source Weekly — answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Source Weekly: Where are you from and how long have you been playing in the mountains of Oregon?
Joanna Adams: I am a native Oregonian! I was born in Portland. My family ancestry actually goes back to the Oregon Trail. My great-grandfather was a mail carrier and delivered mail in Portland during WWI. I have always been a recreational connoisseur of the mountains — we camped a lot growing up, and then as I transitioned into adulthood, I added activities like kayaking, backpacking, snowboarding and now monoskiing.
SW: What led you to OAS and how did you become a monoskier?
JA: I was injured on Mount Hood in a snowboarding accident when I was 21 years old and suffered a T7 spinal cord injury. I underwent emergency surgery at OHSU to stabilize my spine and then completed inpatient rehab at the Rehabilitation Institute of Oregon. Shortly after getting released from rehab, I was visiting OMSI and a gentleman came up to me who was also a wheelchair user. His name was Carl Backstrom, a Bend resident and disability advocate. All he asked was, “Are you new to this?” pointing to my wheelchair. Then, he asked if I was interested in adaptive skiing. I honestly didn’t know if I was since I was injured on the mountain, but said “yes” anyways. He gave me his card and said to contact him when I was ready. About two years later, I decided I was ready and got a hold of him. He told me about OAS in Bend and said all I had to do
The Future is Adaptive at Mt. Bachelor, Thanks to OAS
Monoskier Joanna Adams offers insight and inspiration
By Barron C. Wolfe
was give them a call and they would guide me through the process. OAS did a fantastic job of setting my expectations for a visit and helped me get set up with their scholarship fund so the cost was covered for me, and I was out on the mountain a few weeks later.
SW: Is there anything particular about Mt. Bachelor and OAS that the world should know?
JA: I joke that OAS is “the in-crowd” in Bend. It’s because this community includes and supports everyone. The hardest part for someone new is reaching out to ask for help doing something they’ve possibly never done before and not knowing what to expect. OAS gives that mental support from the beginning and follows through with expert activity support. Another key feature of OAS is the volunteer roster they have — there are hundreds of fun, adventurous and compassionate people who find joy by helping other people find their joy. This is a large part of why OAS is such a successful program.
SW: What has adaptive skiing taught you?
JA: It’s taught me that you can always learn something new from everyone: [a] volunteer, ski instructor or even someone you don’t directly know on the slopes. It has also taught me that the adaptive sports community is one of the most supportive and fun places to be a part of. If I was able-bodied, I would still want to be skiing with this same group.
SW: Have you been inspired by other adaptive ski athletes?
JA: The other adaptive ski athletes that have inspired me have all been the ones I’ve learned from personally or skied alongside. It’s these individuals that are doing what I’m doing, just a little bit better or faster. It’s the friends who started skiing after I learned and have now far surpassed me in ability. It’s the instructors who are in a monoski next to me showing me how to carve differently or maneuver in a better way. I am inspired by people who know and do better, slowing down to help other people come up to their level and encouraging others with every step. That being said, my biggest shout-out has to go
to my husband who went out with me to Bend for my second lesson on the monoski after we had only been dating for two weeks. Ever since then, and discovering ADA parking in a ski lot, he has been with me for most of my snow adventures — constantly packing my equipment, picking me up after my falls and doing most of the driving to and from Portland. He’s encouraged, prepped, joked, massaged sore arms and been my constant that has made most of these snow adventures possible and fun.
SW: As someone who has overcome incredible adversity, what is your main message to the young women of America today in 2025?
JA: What matters most is being an advocate in your own local community. You can’t necessarily change the world, country or even your state; but you can change the community you are a part of and live in. How you interact with each person has a ripple effect. As a person with a physical disability, how I treat people is how they are likely going to turn around and treat the next person who has a similar disability. Be proud of who you are — there’s only one of you! — and choose to push for what you and your community needs. People who care and do will always make an improvement to people’s lives.
For more information about OAS, call 541-3064774 or visit oregonadaptivesports.org
Joanna Adams tears up the mountain on her monoski.
Oregon
By Savannah Mendoza
Snow, Sparkles and Celebration: Winter PrideFest Returns
Winter PrideFest offers a weekend of dancing, connection and outdoor adventure in the heart of Central Oregon
Snow, sequins and celebration: Winter PrideFest is back, and bigger and bolder than ever. Since 2018, OUT Central Oregon has hosted the vibrant festival to honor Pride, inclusivity and a shared love of the outdoors. From March 6-9, the festival transforms Central Oregon into a winter wonderland of LGBTQ+ joy, featuring skiing, dancing, snowshoeing, comedy and electrifying performances.
“This is going to be the biggest Winter PrideFest yet,” says Justin Buckles, producer of the event and owner of Justin Buckles Productions. “Now more than ever, it’s important for the queer community and allies to come together and celebrate.
The festivities span across multiple venues, including Mt. Bachelor, Silver Moon Brewing, Volcanic Theatre Pub, Seventh Mountain Resort, Tower Theatre and Campfire Hotel. Performers from across the country, including Los Angeles, Birmingham, Alabama, Seattle, Eugene and Portland, will bring top-tier talent to the celebration.
The weekend kicks off on Thursday with a Welcoming Snocial at the Volcanic. Friday’s lineup includes Ski Out On The Mountain at Mt. Bachelor, ice skating at Seventh Mountain, a Queer Comedy Night at Tower Theatre and a nighttime snowshoe and bonfire with Wanderlust Tours.
Saturday’s events feature “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 11 winner Yvie Oddly at the West Lodge Party at Mt. Bachelor, followed by a performance at Silver Moon that evening. Los Angeles-based DJ Jae Fusz, a powerhouse in the LGBTQ+ club scene, will keep the Winter PrideFest Dance Party at Silver Moon going late into the night, joined by drag king Spikey Van Dykey from Birmingham.
Portland’s own Riley Burrows will make his Winter PrideFest debut, performing alongside Yvie Oddly. Known for high-energy routines packed with sparkles, feathers and dazzling choreography, Burrows describes himself as, “the living Bratz Doll of the Pacific Northwest.”
“I love getting to visit new cities and celebrate Pride,” Burrows says. “It’s amazing to share the love and energy that so many communities have — for themselves and for each other.”
New to the festival this year is Out and About, a Sunday community gathering featuring drag bingo at Silver Moon Brewing to wrap up the weekend.
“I’m looking forward to the energy — good vibes, good people,” Buckles says. “I hope everyone has an amazing time and gets to be around people who feel like family and who have your back.”
Photo Credit: Forrest Reinhart
Justin Buckles
Winter Pridefest Central Oregon FB
Dr. Cochran • Dr. Westbrook • Dr. Kinnear
Dr. Cuthbert • Dr. Nicol
By guest columnist Mikaela de la Myco
Mothers of the Mushroom
Mikaela de la Myco is an educator, mother, folk herbalist, community organizer and entheogen facilitator centering ancestral healing modalities, sacred earth medicine and sensual assault advocacy. As the founder of mushWOMB, she provides education for birthing people, queer folks and BIPOC in the sacred earth medicine space and full spectrum womb care space. In all things, she acts as an instrument of change in the struggle to rematriate entheogens. She’s answering this week’s reader question.
Q: My relationship with psilocybin through microdosing and larger journeys has helped me get off of antidepressants and work through past traumas among other things. I’m now trying to start a family and I would like to breastfeed. I’m curious if it’s safe for me and my future baby if I continue microdosing through this time? I can’t find any information and my doctor is not well educated in this area.
A: Thank you for this question, it is a common and complex one. It sounds like your relationship with psilocybin has been meaningful, and it makes sense that you’re wondering whether microdosing is safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Unfortunately, because psilocybin is still federally restricted, clinical studies on its effects during this time are lacking and many doctors simply don’t have the knowledge to offer guidance.
Mothers of the Mushroom, a community-led research project, offers insight from over 400 women who have used psilocybin while pregnant or breastfeeding, informed and inspired by generations of Indigenous perspectives that have long honored mushrooms as gestational aids.
Indigenous Wisdom and Scientific Findings
Psilocybin-containing mushrooms have been incorporated in these lineages as a tool for healing and support during transformation, like the motherhood journey. This is a way of knowing that prioritizes observation over time and adaptability to individual needs. Rather than asking if something is universally safe, a person might ask: How does this feel and what am I observing? These perspectives encourage mothers to pay attention to their own experiences and their babies’ responses and adjust accordingly.
From a Western scientific perspective, psilocybin mushrooms have a proven safety profile. LD50 toxicity
testing — used to determine the lethal dose of substances — shows that psilocybin has extremely low toxicity, far lower than substances commonly consumed in pregnancy, such as caffeine.
What Mothers of the Mushroom Research Tells Us
While large-scale studies are lacking, Mothers of the Mushroom gathered data points concerning mothers who ingested psilocybin during pregnancy and breastfeeding — and the following was observed:
• Newborn health outcomes were within expected norms. Birth weights and lengths mostly fell within typical ranges.
• No significant negative birth outcomes were reported. One mother surveyed had a pregnancy complication leading to induction at 38 weeks, but her baby was born healthy.
• Mothers found psilocybin emotionally and mentally supportive. Many reported that microdosing helped regulate anxiety, stabilize mood and deepen their connection to their child.
• Some mothers observed changes in their babies after consuming psilocybin while breastfeeding. Some babies became more active, while others became sleepier. For mothers, physiological side effects reported were nausea and sleepiness. Psychological side effects included fear due to stigma or judgement and hard-to-manage sensations brought on by too strong of a dose. Observation as a Primary Tool
Mothers naturally adjust their babies’ environments based on observation — whether it’s choosing formula, introducing new foods or changing sleep routines. Mothers of the Mushroom participants applied similar approaches to psilocybin, adjusting or pausing microdosing based on their baby’s feeding patterns, temperament or sleep. Making an Informed Choice
Because research is still emerging, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. If psilocybin has been a source of healing for you, it may continue to support you during this time. However, your body and your baby’s needs will shift, and you may choose to adjust or pause use accordingly.
People deserve access to both research and traditional knowledge so they can make informed decisions. For more info, visit Mothers of the Mushroom, or if more personalized care is needed, I consult with mothers and families about these choices — visit mushWOMB.love
other?
31. Computer program that shares its name with a drink
33. Situation where the comments far outnumber the likes on socials
35. “Cutting it fine, huh?”
36. Kind of account
37. College basketball channel
38. Follow closely
39. Flush, e.g.
40. Utensil used for making applesauce
41. Jungfrau’s home
42. Peacock’s parent company
43. Lady doc, informally
44. ___ mater
46. Draw forth
48. Actor who removed Donald Trump from the Screen Actors Guild
51. “Silicon Valley” star ___ Nanjiani
53. Kathryn of “Agatha All Along”
54. It’s spotted in casinos
55. Level
56. “You beat me”
58. Pizzeria stock
59. Length of some fundraiser runs
By Brendan Emmett Quigley
60. Montana, famously
61. “I’m working ___!”
62. Granola morsel
63. Birds that fly in a V-formation
64. Prima donna’s have big ones
DOWN
1. Industrial arts?
2. Words to live by
3. Bit of personal growth
4. Boom sticks?
5. Collection at some liquor stores
6. Opposite camp
7. Some wagers
8. Crew member
9. Empty billboard’s come-on
10. Successfully complete a task, and a hint to the endings of the other theme answers
11. “Only Murders In the Building” streamer
12. Slow-churned ice cream brand
15. Fit to be tied
20. Off-roader’s wheels, for short
22. Financial planner’s suggestion
24. Explorer Amundsen
25. Nose tackle’s squad
27. One setting up firewalls
29. Cry
30. Birds with asymmetrical ears
31. Legend of the music biz
32. Kaffiyeh wearer
34. Teamed up
35. Collision sounds
43. Pictorial PC display
45. Office computer system
47. Like good weed or sick memes
48. Lightens the load
49. Letters sung after many a farm animal
50. Stops playing
51. Caveman diet alternative
52. Iris’s place
53. Sharpen up
57. Slab of baloney
58. Supposed inventor of detective fiction
Puzzle for the week of February 24, 2025
Pearl’s Puzzle
Puzzle for the week of February 24, 2025
Difficulty Level: ●●○○
Fill in every row, column, and 3x3 box with each of the letters
Fill in every row, column, and 3x3 box with each of the letters exactly once. WARN HIM CD
exactly once.
Fill in every row, column, and 3x3 box with each of the letters W A R N H I M C D exactly once.
The highlighted letters read left to right and top to bottom will complete the quote: “Up from the sea, the wild north wind is blowing, under the sky's gray arch. Smiling, I watch the shaken elm boughs, knowing it is the _____ of _____.”
The highlighted letters read left to right and top to bottom will complete the quote: “Up from the sea, the wild north wind is blowing, under the sky's gray arch. Smiling, I watch the shaken elm boughs, knowing it is the of ”
John Greenleaf Whittier
Answer for the week of February 17, 2025
ANSWER TO LAST WEEK'S PUZZLES
The highlighted letters read left to right and top to bottom will “Up from the sea, the wild north wind is blowing, under the watch the shaken elm boughs, knowing it is the of - John Greenleaf Whittier
Answer for the week of
“The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to catch up.” —Steven Wright
“The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to catch up.” ― Steven Wright
—John Greenleaf Whittier
BURT GERSHATER- COUNSELOR
ASTROLOGY
By Rob Brezsny
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Octopuses have three hearts, each with a different function. Every one of their eight limbs contains a mini-brain, giving them nine in total. Is there any doubt, then, that they are the patron creature for you Pisceans? No other zodiac sign is more multifaceted than you. No other can operate with grace on so many different levels. I celebrate your complexity, dear Pisces, which enables you to draw such rich experiences into your life and manage such diverse challenges. These qualities will be working at a peak in the coming weeks. For inspiration, consider putting an image of an octopus in your environment.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries author Anne Lamott articulated a thought that’s perfect for you to hear right now: "Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you." I might amend her wisdom a bit to say “for a few hours” or “a couple of days.” Now is a rare time when a purposeful disconnection can lead you to deeper synchronization. A project or relationship will improve after a gentle reset. Your power mantra: “Renew yourself with quiet inaction.”
flummoxed while visiting. Here’s the moral of the story: While you Virgos are naturally inclined to favor order and precision, a modicum of noise and commotion in your life is often beneficial. Like background sounds that keep you oriented, minor wriggles and perturbations ensure you remain grounded. This will be extra important for you to acknowledge in the coming weeks.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Beavers are the engineers of the natural world. The dams they fabricate not only create shelters for them, but also benefit their entire ecosystem. The ponds and marshes they help shape provide rich habitats for many other species. Boosting biodiversity is their specialty. Their constructions also serve as natural filters, enhancing water quality downstream. Let’s make beavers your inspirational symbol for the coming weeks, Taurus. In their spirit, build what’s good for you with the intention of making it good for everyone whose life you touch. Ensure that your efforts will generate ripples that nourish your tribe and community.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): To make a Mobius strip, you give a half twist to a strip of paper and attach the ends. You have then created a surface with just one side and one edge. It’s a fun curiosity, but it also has practical applications. Using Mobius strips, engineers can design more efficient gears. Machinists make mechanical belts that are Mobius strips because they wear out less quickly. There are at least eight other concrete functions, as well. Let’s extrapolate from this to suggest that a similar theme might be arising in your life. What may seem like an interesting but impractical element could reveal its real-world value. You may find unexpected uses for playful features. One of your capacities has dimensions you have not yet explored, but are ready to.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I predict that you will soon have reason to celebrate a resounding success. You will claim a well-deserved reward. You may even shiver with amazement and gratification as you marvel at how many challenges you overcame to emerge triumphant. In my view, you will have every right to exude extra pride and radiance. I won’t complain if you flirt with a burst of egotism. In accordance with my spirituality, I will tell you, “Remember that this wonder you have spawned will live for a very long time.”
CANCER (June 21-July 22): When you see the stars in the night sky, you’re looking at the ancient past. Light from those heavenly bodies may have taken as long as 4,000 years to reach us. So we are beholding them as they used to be, not as they are now. With that as your inspiration, I invite you to spend quality time gazing into your own personal past. Meditate on how your history is alive in you today, making its imprint on all you do and say. Say prayers and write messages to yourself in which you express your awe and appreciation for the epic myth that is your destiny.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I mourn the growing climate calamity that is heating up our beloved planet. Among many other distortions, it has triggered yellow forsythias and blue gentians to blossom during winters in the Austrian Alps—an unprecedented event. At the same time, I am also able to marvel at the strange beauty of gorgeous flowers growing on the winter hills of ski resorts. So my feelings are mixed—paradoxical and confusing—and that’s fine with me. I regard it as a sign of soulfulness. May you be so blessed, Leo: full of appreciation for your capacity to hold conflicting ideas, perspectives, and feelings.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The quietest place on earth is a room at Microsoft’s headquarters near Seattle. It’s made of six layers of steel and concrete, and its foundation includes vibration-dampening springs. Within it, you can hear your heartbeat, the swishing of your clothes, and the hum of air molecules colliding. The silence is so eerily profound that many people become
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Sandra Cisneros is a visionary writer with Sun and Mercury in Sagittarius. She is always in quest of the next big lesson and the next exciting adventure. But she also has the Moon, Venus, and Saturn in Scorpio. Her sensitive attunement to the hidden and secret aspects of reality is substantial. She thrives on cultivating a profound understanding of her inner world. It took her years to master the art of fully expressing both these sides of her character. I bring this to your attention, Scorpio, because you’re primed to go in quest for experiences that will open your heart to novel amazements— even as you connect with previously unknown aspects of your deep self that resonate with those experiences.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The Moeraki Boulders are spread along a beach in New Zealand. Many of the 50 big rocks are nearly perfect spheres and up to six feet in diameter, so they provide a stunning visual feast. Scientists know that they have steadily grown for the last 4 million years, accumulating ever-new layers of minerals. I propose we make them your symbols of power until July 1. In my astrological estimation, you are in a phase of laying long-term groundwork. What may seem to be a tedious accumulation of small, gradual victories is part of a grander undertaking. Like the Moeraki Boulders, your efforts will crystallize into an enduring foundation.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A Japanese proverb says, “The bamboo that bends with the wind is stronger and more resilient than the oak tree that resists.” That’s true. When storms bluster, oak branches get broken and blown away. Bamboo may look delicate, but it is actually strong and capable of withstanding high winds. It flourishes by being flexible instead of rigid. That’s the approach I recommend to you, Capricorn. Challenges may emerge that inspire you to stay grounded by adapting. Your plans will become optimal as you adjust them. By trusting your natural resilience, you could find unexpected chances for interesting transformation. Your potency will lie in your ability to bend without breaking.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Seattle’s Space Needle serves as an observation tower. It’s 605 feet high. For years, there was a restaurant with a rotating floor at the top. In its early days, the movement was so brisk that some visitors got dizzy and nauseous. Engineers had to recalibrate the equipment so it was sufficiently leisurely to keep everyone comfortable. Your current situation resembles this story. The right elements are in place, but you need to adjust the timing and rhythm. If there are frustrating glitches, they are clues to the fine-tuning that needs to be done.
Homework: Make a promise to yourself that’s hard but not impossible to keep. Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com
THE MEDICINE CABINET WITHIN:
HOT SPRINGS HEALING
By Joshua Phillips, ND
HEALTH AND REJUVENATION FOR MIND AND BODY
The experience of soaking in mineral-rich hot springs is one that not only inspires deep relaxation and a sense of internal unwinding, but in many ways also supports greater health and vitality. For millennia, Native Americans and other Indigenous and ancient peoples, including the early Greeks, Romans and Egyptians, have soaked in hot springs that emerge naturally from the depths of the earth. Ever since, humans have had a long history of gathering at these sacred sites, sometimes creating resorts and spas but thankfully also preserving the primitive and natural condition of many of these special places.
What is it about hot springs that has for so long drawn us in? And why are there so many claims of the healing powers of these waters at locales all over the world? Balneology is the study of the art and science of therapeutic mineral water use and is championed by the Balneology Association of North America (BANA). In centuries past, both physicians and clergy would recommend hot spring soaks and other uses of the water for specific ailments. From the famous Lourdes waters in France, steeped in Catholic religious tradition, to the Blue Lagoon in Iceland or the famed Thermae Bath Spa in England — and of course the geothermic pools of Oregon and the western U.S. — one doesn’t have to travel far for a healing hot spring experience.
Many believe the explanation is as simple as the relaxing effect of soaking in hot water, particularly in a natural setting that is inherently calming and soothing to mind and body. Relaxing in a hot spring pool induces a state that, without question, creates an internal physiologic and psychic landscape that is consistent with rejuvenation and well-being. Cortisol and other stress hormones fall away, while our complex and ever-changing neurochemistry leans toward a balance that’s supportive of feelings of joy, peace and calm. The hot spring soaking experience is one of the finest examples of mind-body medicine at work.
Hot spring waters travel to the surface through deep cracks and fissures in the earth, drawing with it mineral content unique to that region. This mineral content in hot springs is a big contributor to the healing properties of a soaking experience. This variable blend of minerals carried in geothermic water creates a healing potential or signature that is unique from spring to spring. Commonly, calcium, magnesium, manganese, lithium, chloride, silica, boron, potassium, iron, sulfur and other trace minerals are found in naturally occurring hot springs.
While the effects of minerals in hot springs are undoubtedly more complex than we understand, they certainly have many contributions to health. Sulfur can act as an antimicrobial and antifungal on the skin, while silica is inherently cleansing and detoxifying. Lithium absorption can offer positive mood effects — any who have soaked in springs high in lithium content can attest to the extreme relaxation this mineral offers. Calcium and magnesium in the water are wonderful for relaxing muscles and joints while also soothing the nervous system. Many people with
issues of chronic pain will report great relief during and after a hot spring visit. Raising body temperature alone increases blood circulation, which in turn stimulates detoxification and increases lymphatic movement, benefitting all of the body’s internal organs. For this reason, drinking plenty of water during and after a hot spring visit is very important.
Adding in the element of the cold plunge can dramatically increase the therapeutic value of hot springs soaking. Contrast hydrotherapy is the alternation of hot and cold submersion and is a very powerful experience. Starting hot and ending on cold is a rule of thumb and should be repeated for the fullest effect. This has huge cardiovascular, immune and endocrine benefits, and believe it or not, most feel that they retain the heat of the hot spring experience by ending on cold. A 2014 study cataloged in the NIH Library of Medicine further outlines the physiological effects of hot and cold water on the body.
While we go to great lengths to improve our health and vitality, often some of the simplest and elemental are forgotten. Connecting to some of the most primary elements of life — minerals and water — could be just the thing the doctor forgot to order.
—Joshua Phillips, ND, is a naturopathic physician and the director at Hawthorn Healing Arts Center in Bend. He can be reached at docnaturecure@gmail.com with questions or comments.
Umpqua Hot Springs
TAKE ME HOME
By Karen Malanga, Kristin Marshall & Jonny Malanga Brokers RE/MAX Key Properties
Bend vs. Portland vs. Seattle
Why millennials are choosing to buy in
In the Pacific Northwest, Bend is a top destination for millennials looking to escape the high costs and other problems of big cities like Portland and Seattle. But what exactly is drawing them to Bend? Let’s break down the key reasons millennials are making the move.
Career Opportunities and Professional Networks
Remote work has transformed career opportunities for millennials and professionals of all ages, driving a wave of migration that fueled Bend’s rapid growth during and after the pandemic. As work dynamics evolve, we’re continuing to see growth in entrepreneurship and more companies choosing to establish operations in Central Oregon. According to the Milken Institute, Central Oregon is ranked #5 for five-year job growth in the U.S.
With the additional benefit of a growing, established campus of higher education at OSU-Cascades and organizations like the Bend Chamber and EDCO providing networking and funding opportunities, the job path in Bend is much stronger and more diverse than it was 20 years ago, making it more competitive with cities like Portland and Seattle.
Convenience, Walkability and Beautiful Backdrops
Another key factor drawing millennials to Bend is the city’s convenience and walkability. Unlike larger cities where navigating traffic is a daily struggle, Bend offers a more laidback, pedestrian-friendly environment. The convenience of having workspaces, outdoor activities and community hubs within close proximity fosters a healthier, more efficient lifestyle.
NestBend
the High
Desert
Affordability: Bend is Still a Better Deal
For years, Portland and Seattle have been go-to cities for young professionals, but skyrocketing home prices and rising living costs have made them less accessi ble. While Bend is no longer the best-kept secret in Oregon, it still offers a more affordable alternative.
Home prices have risen due to demand, but buying a home is still more attainable compared to Portland or Seattle. The median home price is lower than in Seattle, and there’s more opportunity for space — whether that’s a larger backyard, access to trails or room for hobbies like skiing and biking. Once a millennial hotspot, Portland has seen a surge in housing costs, making it harder for firsttime buyers to enter the market. Rent prices remain high and affordability is a growing concern.
Brewery Brew Ha-Ha, But Also Sober Curious
Bend is quickly becoming a hub for both craft beer enthusiasts and those exploring the sober-curious lifestyle. While the city is home to a vibrant brewery scene — featuring award-winning spots like Deschutes Brewery and Crux Fermentation Project — it also caters to individuals who prefer nonalcoholic options. Many local breweries and restaurants offer craft mocktails, kombucha and alcohol-free craft beers, ensuring that everyone can enjoy the social scene, regardless of their drinking preferences.
Bend’s charm lies in its ability to combine the best of both worlds: small-town feel with big opportunities. For millennials looking to redefine what it means to work, live and thrive, Bend is more than just a destination — it’s a place to call home.
By Fat Tony’s Chef Roberto Cardenas
