Welcome to the 107 new Banner Members this week. We’re Paige and Mason. The Bend Banner is our way of keeping tabs on this wild, beautiful place we call home. To the mornings that start with coffee and mountain air, the trails that somehow always lead to a brewery, and the kind of small-town stories that remind you why you chose to live here in the first place.

Date night. Family outing. Group hangout. X-Golf Bend somehow nails all three.

Private simulator bays, world-famous courses on the screen, and drinks (or snacks) in hand. No experience needed. No dress code. Just a good time with your people.

Bend has a lot of great options. This one's a little different. We took our kids and their cousins, and they had a blast.

There's a little alley in downtown Bend that most people walk right past. Paige and I walked past it 5+ times before even noticing what was down the alley. No big sign. No reason to turn in unless you already know. We took a friend there a few weeks ago, her first time in Bend, and she stopped halfway down and just looked around. "This feels like a different city," she said. She meant it as a compliment.

Tin Pan Alley has that effect.

It's the kind of place that slows you down without asking you to. The brick walls have art on them, pieces that catch the last of the evening light and make you want to stand there a little longer than you planned. There's something about being in a narrow space with good things happening on all sides of you. It feels intentional. Curated, but not precious about it.

San Simon sits right there, a cocktail bar with a patio and charcuterie boards you actually get to build yourself. There's something about the narrow brick alley, a drink in hand, evening settling in, that makes you feel like you could be somewhere in Barcelona. Except you're in downtown Bend, which is its own kind of good. You order a drink, you pick what goes on the board, and then you just exist for a while. That's the whole plan.

A few steps away is the Tin Pan Theater, run by the Bend Film Festival. In the summer, they host outdoor movie screenings. The kind of thing that sounds simple and ends up being one of those nights you bring up for years. And if you want something to sip during the film, The Wine Shop and Spider City Brewing are right there with a taproom and tons of wine. Grab a bottle, find your seat, let the night do its thing.

Not a lot of places in Bend give you that artsy, unhurried feeling. The kind where you show up for one drink and leave two hours later without really noticing the time. Tin Pan Alley is one of them. It's worth every minute of your Friday afternoon.

🐶 Halo – 1 year, Retriever Mix

This one-year-old lab mix is ready to find her forever family.  Great with other dogs, she'd also make an awesome hiking buddy, and she and her foster mom have enjoyed exploring all the trails in Bend.

🐶 Kaylee – 7 years, Mix
Kaylee is a calm presence who is good with kids, families, and cats. She’s even been known to help groom her fellow cats.

🐱 Oceana – 6 months - Mix
This pup is shy but has been very friendly with everyone. She’s been super sweet and will need some socialization to help her get more acclimated.

If you’re fostering a dog, reach out. We’d love to help get them adopted.

Want more event tips every week? Follow The Bend Banner on Instagram.

Bachata Dance Class - Beginner Level @ Foundation Health and Fitness, SE Centennial St | 7:30-8:30 PM

Post 58 Advisor Meeting @ UPP Liquis Barrel Room | 7 pm

Bend Farmers Market @ Brooks Alley, Downtown Bend | 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Family Resource Center Giveback Day @ Mountain Burger, 2747 NW Crossing Drive | 11:30 AM - 8:00 PM

Knight Night at Tea & Art Lounge @ Tea & Art Lounge, NW Bond St | 6:00-8:00 PM

Knit Night hosted by Wool Town @ Tea & Art Lounge, NW Bond St | 6:00-8:00 PM

Alpenglow Nights - Live Music in the Park @ Alpenglow Community Park, SE 15th St | 5:00-8:00 PM

Live at the Vineyard: The Substitutes Duo @ Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards, Terrebonne | 5:00-8:00 PM

Bend Rugby Trivia Night Fundraiser @ The Coyote Bar, NW Harriman St | Doors 5 PM, Trivia 6 PM

Thursday Night Live: Dirk Benson @ Mountain Burger, 2747 NW Crossing Drive | 6:00-8:00 PM

EcoNidra: Yoga Nidra Meets Nature Connection @ Namaspa Yoga Community, NW Galveston Ave | 7:00-8:00 PM

AROMA Thursdays - Latin Night @ Hola! Downtown, NW Bond St | 7:30-11:00 PM

Elevation Farmers Market @ Elevation Bend | 3:00-7:00 PM

Bend Summer Festival @ Downtown Bend, 916 NW Wall St | 4:00-10:00 PM Lineup: DJ PK the Groove Looper (4 PM), Spencer Marlyn Duo (5:30 PM), Iron Prophecy (7 PM), Mark Woodyard (8:30 PM)

Leather Earrings Workshop @ Tea & Art Lounge, NW Bond St | 6:00-8:00 PM

Vegan Hat Burning Workshop @ Tea & Art Lounge, NW Bond St | 6:00-8:00 PM

The Junebugs - Live at the Vineyard @ Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards, Terrebonne | 6:00-9:00 PM

Sunriver Saturday Market @ SHARC, Sunriver | 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Beaver State Comic Con @ Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center, Redmond | 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Tumalo Creek PaddleFest @ Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe, SW Industrial Way | 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Qigong & Meditation @ Hanai Foundation, Eagle Road | 10:00-11:15 AM

Camping Fun: Forest Sculpture Class for Kids @ Tea & Art Lounge, NW Bond St | 11:00-11:45 AM

Bend Summer Festival @ Downtown Bend, 916 NW Wall St | 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM Highlights: Hot Wing Contest (4 PM), Island in the Sun / Weezer Tribute (8:30 PM)

Forest Bathing: A Gentle Nervous System Reset @ Shevlin Park | 1:00-3:00 PM

Macrame Workshop @ Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards, Terrebonne | 2:00-3:30 PM

Art Meets Wine in Sunriver @ SHARC, Sunriver | 3:00-7:00 PM

Live at the Vineyard: High Street Band Spring Fling @ Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards, Terrebonne | 6:00-9:00 PM

Shamanic Drum Journey with Kelly Nie @ Juniper Preserve, Pronghorn Club Drive | 6:30-9:30 PM

Comedy & Live Music @ Craft Kitchen and Brewery, Layton Ave | 8:00-9:30 PM

Gabriel Rutledge - Stand-Up Comedy @ Volcanic Theatre Pub, SW Century Drive | 8:00-10:00 PM

Beaver State Comic Con @ Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center, Redmond | 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Sunday Farmers Market @ Worthy Brewing | 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Bend Summer Festival @ Downtown Bend, 916 NW Wall St | 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM Highlights: Lava City Cirque aerial performance (2:30-3:30 PM), Billy and the Box Kid (4 PM)

I'm With Her @ Tower Theatre | 12:00 PM and 7:30 PM

Until Next Week,

Paige & Mason