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.

Farmers Market Guide

Most towns are lucky to have one open-air farmers’ market. But in Bend, we have four.

And they're spread across four different days of the week, so there's really no excuse not to hit one. Fresh produce, local meat, homemade bread, food trucks, live music, and neighbors you haven't seen since last fall. Spring in Bend starts at a farmers’ market.

Downtown Bend Farmers Market

Wednesdays | 11am - 3pm | May through October @ Brooks Alley, Downtown Bend
This one is always popping. Brooks Alley fills up every Wednesday with local farmers, ranchers, and food producers. Great produce, great meat, great bread. It's a true farmers’ market, no fluff, just really good food grown and raised right here in Central Oregon.
If you've got kids like us, we'd recommend going either before peak hours or later in the afternoon. Stroller navigation gets real through a packed alley, and you'll thank yourself for the extra breathing room.
My personal favorite thing I've ever grabbed here? A curry chicken pie. I still think about it. If you see one, get it.

NorthWest Crossing Saturday Farmers Market

Saturdays | 10am - 2pm | May 30- September 26 @ NW Crossing Drive, West Bend
This one is great for families. More space, more vendors, and more room to roam than the downtown market. That said, it gets crowded, too. Our suggestion is to go right when it opens at 10 am, or wait until the late morning rush dies down and come back around noon or after.
There are food trucks and food stands scattered throughout, so if you get hungry while you're shopping, you don't have to go far. We end up making a whole morning out of it.

Worthy Farmers Market

Sundays | 10am - 2pm | April 26- June 14 @ Worthy Brewing, East Bend
This one is only a year old, and it’s much smaller than the others. There's something fun about watching a new market grow, and the Sunday timing is perfect for a slow morning out.

NEW: Elevation Farmers Market

Fridays | 3pm - 7pm | Starting May 1 at the Bend Factory Stores
This is the brand new one launching this year, and we are definitely going to check it out.
It's a Friday afternoon market, which is a smart move. You catch people getting off work, heading into the weekend, ready to slow down a little. The timing also means it doesn't compete with any of the other markets, so vendors and shoppers alike can hit multiple markets throughout the week.
More details to come once we get out there in May.

Even if fresh produce and local meat aren't your thing, these markets are worth visiting at least once. There's always something new, always a vendor you haven't tried yet, and no better place in Bend to put your dollars directly into the hands of the people who actually live and work here. Come for the food. Stay for the community.

Spring Quarterly Mailer

A quick update on the Bend Banner Quarterly: preorders are still open.

If you missed it last week, here is the short version. We are putting together a physical mailer. A real, hold-it-in-your-hands thing. No screens required.

Everything inside comes from here. Locally sourced seeds selected for Central Oregon soil. A drink ticket from a Bend business we genuinely love. A few local perks you will actually use.
We are not spilling everything just yet, but we will say this: you get your value back immediately.
The Spring Quarterly ships in May. Preorder is open now.

Preorder the Spring Mailer

This Week’s Conditions
☀️ Sunrise: 6:23 am
🌅 Sunset: 7:48 pm
High Temp: 65°F
Mt. Bachelor: 26” base depth
Local Shop of the Week: DIY Cave
Local Artist of the Week: Travis Knight Art

🐾Bend’s Best Good Boys & Good Girls 🐾

🐶 Sasha – 9 years, Husky
Sasha is friendly and energetic and can’t wait to be a part of a new family. She loves to run and will need a family with lots of outdoor exercise to take her in.

🐱 Angel – 2 year - Mix
This 2-year-old is a playful pup who is known to be good around cats and housetrained.

🐶 Arcadia - 8 months- Terrier/Pitbull/Mix
This sweet girl is just under a year old and still very much in her puppy era, playful, loving, and full of energy.

The Bend Banner is as local as it gets. Written here, for the people who actually call this place home.

No big media machine, no out-of-town editor guessing what Bend cares about. Just a weekly letter built from real conversations, real places, and real curiosity.

If you choose to support it, every bit helps me bring you more of the good stuff. The stories, the characters, the weird corners of this town that deserve a spotlight.

Appreciate you, friends. Thanks for being part of this.

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