Easter's just around the corner, and that means Easter egg hunts for kids is going to be the big activity this weekend. There are a number of community hunts available for the kids, and fortunately someone has rounded a bunch of them up (saving me the trouble!): my friend Martha has a post on her blog listing them.

There are eight events listed so far; if you know of others, leave a comment over there or shoot me an email, and I will.

It's that time again—St. Patrick's Day! Although it's a Wednesday this year, that shouldn't stop you from having a good time, so here's my "official" pub-hopping guide for the holiday. As always, it's not definitive, but a list of the places that strike me as St. Patty's-appropriate (more in the spirit of the pub rather than the club).

And, a number of places will have St. Patty's-specific menus and events going on, too.

Valentine's Day is Sunday, and The Blacksmith has something special in mind for you:

Spend the afternoon in the cozy environs of the Blacksmith learning how to make aphrodisiac cocktails with Columbine Quillen, considered one of the nation’s top mixologists.

Space is limited.
Reservations are required.
This Sunday February 14 at 1 p.m.
$25 includes appetizers.

Aphrodisiac cocktails! How well do you suppose they'd pair with the erotic pastries from the Sparrow Bakery?

 Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a safe holiday and are ready for 2010.

Merry Christmas! I hope everyone's having a safe time this year and enjoying good food, good cheer, and good family. Except for a (possibly) a few posts here and there, I'm expecting to take the week off from the blog—sort of a Christmas blog vacation.

Happy Holidays everybody!

The Bulletin has their annual list of big Christmas light displays online, and you should definitely drive around and check these out one of these nights.

We did tonight, and while we didn't follow the Bulletin's list, we did catch the display at Perrigan Drive, which the paper's article covers. It is as big and crazy as advertised and totally worth seeing.

I nearly forgot that the Bend Christmas Parade is this weekend! This is one of my favorite Bend events of the holiday season, and it's coming up this Saturday, December 5th.

The Parade starts at noon, and as always, proceeds from Newport and Harmon east along Newport and the Bridge, then turns south(west) on Wall. Then west on Franklin/Riverside (along Drake Park) to cross the Galveston Bridge and end up back on Harmon.

Bundle up before you go, though. The temperature is only supposed to be 33 degrees that day.

The title pretty much says it all... this evening (from 5:30 until about 7) there's a Tweetup/"Ugly Holiday Sweater Party" over at Flatbread Pizza in the Old Mill District. The Facebook Event page is here.

Wear your ugliest (or coolest, depending on your point of view) holiday sweater, show up and have fun. Kids are welcome. And yes, Flatbread has beer and wine as well as food.

Sometimes you don't feel like cooking on Thanksgiving, or perhaps your plans fell through, or perhaps you have no other alternatives to a Thanksgiving meal. If you need other plans for your Thanksgiving dinner, here are some I've found around Central Oregon:

• McMenamins Old St. Francis School is hosting a Thanksgiving Buffet from 1pm until 7pm. You'll need reservations, and costs are: $23.95 adults; $18.95 senior; $11.95 kids 6-12; free for kids 5 and under. Their blurb:

  This holiday, let us handle the food — you bring the guests. Make reservations (early!) for the whole family to meet for an incredible meal with all the traditional American fixings. Throw in some handcrafted ales, wines and spirits, and it'll certainly be a Thanksgiving to give thanks about!

• The Jackalope Grill is open and featuring a Thanksgiving dinner from 1pm until 5pm. They'll be serving a traditional Thanksgiving meal (as well as items from their regular menu).
• The Lodge at Suttle Lake is offering "Thanksgiving at the Boathouse": $29.95 Adults, $15.95 children 10 and under. I don't have times though, so call 541-595-2267 to find out more.
• The Trinity Episcopal Church downtown is having their Community Thanksgiving Dinner hosted by the Hunger Prevention Coalition from 11am until 2pm. They accept volunteers and donations to help, you can find out more by emailing help1729@hotmail.com.
• Jake's Diner is hosting their Fifth Annual Thanksgiving Meal for Seniors from 12pm to 5pm. For $7.95 they serve Thanksgiving dinner to seniors in the area who do not have family here; the restaurant is closed for the occasion and staffed by volunteers.
• Sunriver Resort is having their Thanksgiving Feast in their Great Hall: $39 adults; $19 children 6-12; complimentary for children 5 and under. Reservations required. It takes place from 1pm to 7pm, and you can make reservations by calling 800-486-8591.
• The Blacksmith is featuring Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday: a four course pri fix menu for $30 a person and a smaller version for children under 12 for $15. They feature the menu on the blog post I linked, which has traditional dishes; the regular Blacksmith menu will be available too.

Any other suggestions? Leave 'em in the comments!

Looking for something to do on Halloween? There's a ton going on, both on the 31st and the days before as well. Here's the list:

General

• The Deschutes County Fairgrounds is hosting their "ScareGrounds" featuring "The Haunt at Juniper Hollow" and "Dark Intentions" running on a number of days this month, including the 28th through the 31st. You'll need to buy tickets and they recommend children to be ages 12 and up (though not required).
• Don't forget you can catch a showing of Evil Dead: The Musical at the 2nd Street Theater right up until the 31st—when they will present a midnight show, "Rocky Horror" style.

Thursday

• Bouncing off the Wall is having a Halloween party Thursday (the 29th). Unfortunately I don't have any other details but you can always call them at 306-6587.

Friday

• There's a Family Halloween Party at the Athletic Club of Bend Friday night (the 30th), from 6 until 8:30pm. It's taking place at the basketball court, and you'll need to RSVP at the front desk. (Thanks, Jen!)
• Person People is playing at the Domino Room Friday night; while not explicitly a Halloween event, it's "Mischief Night" and people are encouraged to wear costumes. The show starts at 8pm and costs $10.
• Deschutes Brewery is having their Halloween Fresh Hop Beer Tasting on Friday the 30th. They will be pouring at least six fresh hop beers and costumes are encouraged. $40 per person, starting at 6pm at the Mountain Room. Call 385-8606 to get in.
  
• The Monster Ball is taking place at the Old Stone Church Friday night (the 30th), starting at 8pm and lasting until whenever. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door; with lots of live music and a costume contest with prizes for the funniest, scariest, and naughtiest costumes, this is sure to be a wild party.

Saturday

• The Old Mill District is hosting a Halloween Party from 2-6p. There will be trick-or-treat for candy, healthy snacks and toys in each of the Old Mill District stores. Crafts will be hosted in Central Plaza (by the footbridge) by Arts Central and will include treat bag decorating, pumpkin painting, spooky sensory boxes and more. There will also be wagon rides as well as a special one-day reopening of Working Wonders Children's Museum. (Thanks, Cassondra!)
• CAT6 is having their party from noon on the 31st until 2am: "Spend this Halloween with your friends at CAT6. We’ll be running contests and mini-tournaments for prizes. Wear a video-game related costume and get a free candy! Best costume wins a 1-Year Family Membership to the lounge!!"
• Halloween is Carnivore Day at the High Desert Museum: "See our meat-eating animals enjoy special treats and other activities throughout the day."
• The Bend Factory Stores (AKA the Factory Outlets) are having their First Annual Halloween Festival from 10am until 4pm, with Trick-or-Treating among 21 of the Mall's stores from 4 to 8pm: "The Halloween Festival will feature Bouncy Houses, Face Painting, Balloon Creations, & Delicious Food! Entrance to the event is FREE and includes a Treasure Hunt for the first 100 kids with Prizes and Goody Bags. Make sure to arrive in the morning if you want to participate in the Treasure Hunt."
• The Tower Theatre is presenting a showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show Halloween night. $10, all ages, doors open at 9pm, costume judging (of course!) is at 9:30, and the film starts at 10.
• The Run Like Hell! Half Marathon starts in the morning at 8:30pm. It's a fundraiser and for Halloween is featuring a costume contest and an afterparty at Deschutes Brewery.
• The (new) Maragas Tap Room is featuring a Halloween Beatnik Bash from 3pm until 10, featuring live music with no cover charge. Beer on tap is $2.50, and wine on tap is $4, $5, and $6.
• Cascade Village (the shopping center at the north end of Bend) is featuring Trick-or-Treating from 5 to 7pm Halloween night.
• Kids can Trick-or-Treat at the Bend Police Department and get a Halloween goodie bag between 5 and 8pm.
• McMenamins Old St. Francis School is having their Halloween Party in the Theater, featuring the Empty Space Orchestra and MC Mosley Wotta. It starts at 9pm and is 21 and over.
• McMenamins is also having a DJ'd Costume Dance Party in Father Luke's Room, starting at 9pm—also 21 and over.
• Seven Nightclub is celebrating their first birthday with "Flesh for Fantasy: A Halloween Experience." It starts at 6:30pm, and yes, I'm guessing it will be exactly as the name sounds...

Have I missed anything?

Halloween is this Saturday (already!) and I'm putting together a list of Halloween events going on around town to be posted later in the week. You know, if you need something to do.

But! If there's something going on I (possibly/probably) don't know about, you need to tell me. Let me know here in the comments or via the contact form, and it'll make the list.

Even though the 4th is on Saturday, there are things happening tomorrow (the 3rd) that I'm including on the list—since it's a long holiday weekend for many of us. Here are a bunch of events happening:

• First Friday Art Walk (July 3rd): Downtown hosts the monthly event where the galleries stay open late and often offer refreshments and music. 5 to 9pm.
• "Independence Day" showing at Tower Theatre (July 3rd): Yes, it's the 1996 alien-blow-em-up movie on the big screen at the Tower, with 9 minutes of "special edition" footage. It's only $5—a great price for a move—and starts at 8pm.
• The Pet Parade: The perennial favorite parade where people bring their favorite pets (no cats or rabbits!) to march through downtown. More details here, including a parade map. I'll definitely be there. 10am.
• Old Fashioned 4th of July in Drake Park: After the Pet Parade, Drake Park hosts the Old Fashioned Celebration for the 4th, from 11am to 4pm. Lots of craft vendors, food booths, games and activities for kids. The Saturday Market vendors will be down in Drake Park for this, too (not at their usual spot across the street from the Library).
• Friends of the Bend Library Book Sale: From 10 until 4pm, the Library always has their Summer Book Sale on the 4th and as always there are great deals to be found. It's at the Library Administration Building, in the basement.
• 10th Annual Firecracker 100 Bicycle Ride with WebCyclery: "It's our metric century ride to Prineville. Maps and good food stops are included for $15 - with proceeds benefiting Partners in Care (formerly HospiceCenter and Central Oregon Home Health & Hospice)."
• Bend Elks Baseball: The Bend Elks are playing the Corvallis Knights at Vince Genna Stadium. Starting at 5:30pm.
• The Freedom Ride: I don't see a specific starting time on their Facebook page, but last year's Freedom Ride started at 2pm from Pioneer Park. Get on your bike and join the Ride through downtown Bend.
• Sound Fourth Community Concert: This free concert starts at 3pm at the Bend High Auditorium, followed by a free barbecue on the First Presbyterian Church lawn.
• Deschutes Historical Society Ice Cream Social and Free Day: The Historical Society Museum opens up free to the public from 10am until 4pm, and they give away free ice cream to all comers.
• Maragas Winery 4th of July Weekend Bash: The 4th and the 5th, from 11am to 5pm, Maragas has their weekend bash and wine tasting going on out at their Culver winery (actually just north of the Crooked River Bridge). Live music, food, and wine for $10.
• Redmond 4th of July: They have a parade starting downtown at 10am, and their fireworks display starting at dusk (9pm-ish) at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds.
• LaPine Frontier Days: Through the weekend, starting on the 3rd, it's the LaPine Independence Day celebration. Arts, a carnival, food, live music—the works. Don't forget the fireworks at 10pm.
• BBQ & Blues at Jake's Diner: The fifth annual BBQ presented by Jake's and the Vietnam Veterans of America (with proceeds going to the VVA) goes from 6 to 8pm. You're welcome to stay and watch the Pilot Butte fireworks, but don't bring any fireworks or alcohol.
• Pilot Butte Fireworks: Of course! This starts at 10pm and lasts about 20 minutes. Find a good view of the Butte and wait for the fires show to start.

I admit it, I got a kick out of this email, which is otherwise pretty obvious advertising:

Looking for a Luscious Mother's Day Package - Treat that special mama in your life with a unique package from Edible Arrangements and Anjou Spa & Salon. This yummy package includes a signature treatment from Anjou Spa. While she's luxuriating, Edible Arrangements will deliver a delicious arrangement of fresh fruit and chocolate to her home. Cost: $165. Contact Anjou for information at 541-383-8000.

Aren't interested in the package? Edible Arrangements® has a fresh fruit bouquets available, starting at $34. Call 541-585-1082 or visit EdibleArrangements.com. It isn't too late to order for delivery on May 10th.

(The "obvious advertising" refers of course to the second paragraph. With an ® and everything!)

I don't believe I'd heard of Anjou Spa. They bill themselves as the only "Green" spa in Bend and support the Anjou pear market... which in retrospect makes their Mother's Day Package with Edible Arrangements make sense.

Hard to believe, but everyone's favorite drinking holiday is just around the corner: Tuesday the 17th. Like the last couple of years, it's time for the "official" Pub Hopper's Guide. It's not definitive, but a list of the places that strike me as St. Patty's-appropriate.

And like last time, I'm also noting when a place has a specific St. Patty's thing going on (I've bolded the name and included a blurb).

Merry Christmas everyone! Nothing else to report today.

It's not specific to Bend or Central Oregon, but on Christmas Eve we enjoy NORAD Tracks Santa—the "official" site for finding out where Santa is right now. The dynamic map is updated every few minutes with Santa's current location, and every so often a video goes "live" showing Santa flying around near a famous landmark.

If you have kids, they'll be glued to it. Heck, even I'm glued to it at times.

I don't know if Bend will show up on the locations; you never know!

More snow; I heard on the radio driving home from work today that there's another winter storm advisory from 6am tomorrow morning until 6pm Thursday (Christmas), with 3-5 inches expected for Bend.

Now, I know better than to implicitly trust the weather report for Central Oregon, so I have my doubts. But as it is, we already have snow on the ground, and driving is dangerous enough right now—so even though there's last minute shopping to do (we've all been there), please take it easy when driving. Be patient! Remember that the person in front of you might not be used to this type of weather and road conditions, and nothing is important enough to get into an accident over.

Incidentally, you keep an eye on weather alerts here.

Hard to believe we're only three days away from Christmas already. Nothing substantive to point to tonight, other than a few pictures I took while shopping in the Old Mill District the other day. Christmas shopping, naturally.

Well, I suppose you can't tell it's Christmas time from the smokestacks picture... they're cool when they're lit up, though. (Lights on the mesh at the very top.)

A gift from the Bulletin: this year's edition of their Near/Far music coverage, which includes 36 free and legal songs to download. A snip of the blurb on their page:

[Y]ou can click "Lists and Reviews" to check out my favorite albums and concerts of the year, plus the faves of folks connected to Central Oregon's music scene. Below, the good stuff: Stream or download 36 songs by local and national acts, for free. (Each half of this double-length compilation will fit on one CD, so click the links right below this text to download a .ZIP file of all the songs in MP3 format, plus CD artwork with tracklists.)

I covered this last year, and was very impressed that the Bulletin was able to pull this off. Of course, Ben Salmon (the Bulletin's music writer (editor?)) was the driving force behind this and it represents a ton of hard work he's put into it.

The downloads this year are nearly twice as big as last year's: two zip files (local music and national music), 112 megabytes and 102 megabytes each. So be patient when you go to download them. (Of course, you can stream the music directly from the page, too.)

It's Christmas lights season for sure! The Bulletin today published their annual guide to the best regional light displays, and it's certainly more extensive than in past years.

Of course now I need to re-run Christmas lights pictures from this post back in 2006.

We went out this evening to look at lights for a little bit, and I'm bummed to report that the house in the second picture there—on Harmon Boulevard on the north side of Mirror Pond—is no longer decorated. It wasn't last year, either. This was my favorite display in town, so it feels like the end of an era.

McMenamins Old St. Francis School is hosting their annual "Breakfast with Santa" tomorrow, Saturday the 20th. Details:

9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. & 12 noon | $13 adults, $10 kids; reservations required | All ages welcome

This is way, way more fun than standing in line at the mall to see Santa. Enjoy a hearty, kid-friendly buffet while you wait for St. Nick to make an appearance. After your breakfast, have a chat with Santa and we'll snap a picture for you to take home.

They've also posted the menu on their detail page.

I don't know about you, but that sounds like a pretty good way to start the day.

This weekend the High Desert Museum is having a "Frontier Yuletide Celebration" that looks pretty interesting:

Celebrate the yuletide season frontier-style with a visit to Father Christmas, the Victorian version of Santa. Join the homesteaders (Living History performers) preparing for the winter holidays at their 1880 ranch cabin, and make garlands, ornaments and cook.

There will also be live music from the Thorn Hollow String Band.

It takes place Saturday from 11am until 3pm, and the cost is the normal museum admission fee. If you're into history—particularly Oregon frontier history—and the weather doesn't keep you away, go check it out.

Gift and shopping guides: the previous two years I ran a Holiday Shopping Guide and Holiday Gift Guide and surprisingly, they're still mostly relevant. And since there's now only one shopping week before Christmas left, it's a good time to revisit them.

Also, for anyone looking for locally-authored and topical books, Costco has the run of the "Thunder Over the Ochoco" series authored by the late Gale Ontko. These are reprints for $12.49 apiece; the first editions (which appeared about a decade ago) are almost impossible to find at a reasonable price, so this is a really good deal. Five volumes in all.

(Remember, even though the "Nth day" is going up, this is really a countdown until Christmas Day.)

Pictures of the Bend Christmas Parade!

...Yes, I know I'm late posting some of these, considering the parade was back on the 6th. But it all works out anyway. Enjoy!

Click through to view all of the photos

The Tower Theatre is presenting "A Christmas Carol" for five days, starting on Thursday, the 18th. The first day's play is performed by a youth cast, and tickets are $16 adults, $10 kids. Subsequent days are the community cast and are $24/$12.

Join the Tower Theatre Foundation for a world premiere adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic "A Christmas Carol." Follow Ebeneezer Scrooge through his journey with the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Future as he discovers that in life, you truly reap what you sow. Adapted by local writers Howard Schor and Brad Thompson, this traditional telling features a number of surprise interpretations, along with music and choreography that will definitely fill the audience with the holiday spirit.

In addition, the Tower is encouraging a little Christmas spirit:

In the spirit of the play, we wish to make it possible for less fortunate families to attend free of charge. We know this is a direct way to live out the message of the play by giving to others. Actors, volunteers and skilled craftspeople are volunteering their time and talent, and so can you! For the public performances, performed by our Community “adult” Cast, our goal is to have at least 100 financially challenged families (400 people) attend at no charge. Generous local businesses and individuals have already contributed in order to allow us to meet 30% of this goal. Please help us meet the goal!

We ask that you donate $74.00 to send one family of four to a show. Just donate through our secure website.

Overall it's very reasonably priced and I'll bet it's going to be a great series of performances.

You can read about "A Christmas Carol" here.

I thought it would be fun to count down the days until Christmas on the blog, with a post daily highlighting some sort of holiday theme. Starting today (the 14th, and yes, I know I've gotten off to a late start), and going right up until the 25th, that's 12 days—just like the song you now have stuck in your head.

(No, it's not accurate as far as the actual "12 days of Christmas" go—which run from the 25th until January 5th—but it's more fun in a countdown kind of way.)

So on this First Day of Christmas, Bend is finally getting snow (and cold weather!). Snow in the mountains for the much-needed snowpack (from which we get our water) and the ever-so-popular winter sports and tourism (interesting story here about the snow-makers at Mt. Bachelor; the whole "making snow" thing seems odd to me); and snow down here out of the mountains which may even stick around long enough to give us a White Christmas.

In fact, as I write this, it's currently something like 8 degrees, and with the 10-day weather forecast it doesn't look like the snow is going anywhere—so that White Christmas seems pretty likely to me.

(Technically, it's still the day before Thanksgiving as I write this, but this has turned into a slow week here on the blog and I don't expect to be on tomorrow (duh).)

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving, everybody. Eat, drink, and be merry. And don't kill yourselves trying to get out the door for "Black Friday" either—relax! Enjoy the holiday weekend.

Happy Halloween everyone! Just for the heck of it I thought I'd re-run my Haunted Bend post from  a couple of years ago, with some additions. Enjoy the holiday and stay safe tonight.

A list of places that are allegedly haunted here in Bend (most of these are pulled from the Shadowlands Haunted Place Index for Oregon):

• The Deschutes County Historical Society building (the old Reid School): Supposedly the ghost of George Brosterhous, who died there in 1914, haunts the place.
• The McCann House: The subject of the only ghost story for Bend found in Ghosts and Strange Critters of Washington and Oregon. According to the Shadowlands site, "there have been a few families that have lived there that have either died or something tragic has happened to them due to living in the cursed house." I don't know about cursed; the book simply mentions that sometimes figures are seen in the upper story windows, and gives a short history of it. Listed as the "Congress House" on the Shadowlands site because the house itself is on Congress Avenue.
• The O'Kane Building: There's "ghostly smoke, weird lights, footsteps, and voices," and occasionally a voice that calls out orders in the restaurant.
• Old Mt. View Hospital: I'm not sure where this is, the site says it's now an apartment building next to Drake Park. Floor creaks have been reporting, like someone's walking around.
• The Old Smoke Stacks (Old Mill District): Teenagers would sneak in there at night to see if the place was haunted.
• The Pilot Butte Cemetery: Reports of ghostly blue orbs floating around.
• The Lara House Bed and Breakfast: Located on Congress Avenue, like the Congress House.
• The Downing Hotel building (current site of The Grove): Historically this was a brothel. Haunted by a woman?

A few more pulled from the comments on that post:

• McMenamins Old St. Francis School: many McMenamins are rumored to be haunted, due to their historic nature. No specific details for ours, though.
• An anonymous commenter said: "I went to The Sparrow Bakery on Scott Street the other day and the new owners told me a ghost lives in the "dish room," which is actually a large, walk-in vault. The building was the old payroll office for Bend Iron Works."
• June Ascencio said: "I had live in a haunted house on NW Ithaca years ago there use to be a smell of burnt wax when no one was home and things moving around the house and also when no one was home one day I was coming up to the house and it looked like someone was moving in the house and there was no one there."

And finally, here's a site that lets people submit their own haunted Bend stories: Bend, Oregon Ghost Sightings. I won't vouch for how accurate it is, but it's fun reading for a Halloween night.

Halloween falls on a Friday this year, which seems like it would be ideal for parties and such (don't have to go to work the next day with a candy/alcohol/fog machine hangover). So besides trick or treating and/or whatever costume party you've been invited to, here's a rundown of other things going on the 31st:

• McMenamins is hosting a "Property-wide Halloween Bash", free admission, 21 and over, with live music starting at 8pm. Wear a costume! There "could be a prize at the end."
• JC's is having their annual Halloween party: no cover, live DJ, costume contest. Oh yeah, and Wildfire brews, too.
• COCC is hosting a live cabaret version of Rocky Horror Picture Show.
• There's the HDC Halloween Party and Drag Show starting at 8pm at the Midtown Ballroom.
• The movie version of Rocky Horror is going to be at the Tower Theatre starting at 10pm. $10 and they emphasize that it's a dry show. Several times. (Bonus if you know what that means.) Also a costume contest and giveaways.
• Working Wonders Children's Museum in the Old Mill is hosting free festivities from 2 to 6pm: "Kids are encouraged to dress up in their costumes and head down to the Old Mill District for pumpkin painting, bag decorating and silly, slippery slime! Afterward, kids can go trick or treating throughout the shops."
• Power 94 (the radio station) is having a "Monster Ball" at the Old Stone Church on Franklin. (I actually had to look up "Old Stone Church".) 21 and over, the party features live music/DJ and goes from 8pm until 2am. And there's $2000 in prizes for their costume contest as well.
• Sunriver is featuring a free Halloween Carnival from 4 to 7pm at the Sunriver Village Mall. Trick or treating, games, costume contests, and a haunted house. For all ages.

Whew. There are more, but those are the ones that stood out to me. See also The Source's events page and KTVZ's Community Calendar.

Snapped a few pictures of the first part of our Fourth of July. We hit the Pet Parade (of course!), checked out the park antics briefly, then visited the Library's book sale and finished by checking out the free admission to the Deschutes Historical Society and enjoying their free ice cream.

Click through to see the rest of the pictures

Following up to yesterday's post about 4th of July goings-on, here's some more:

• (From the comments) The Freedom Ride! I forgot about this—bike riders meet at Pioneer Park at 2pm and cruise through town for fun.
• Straight from the comments: Also at Bend High School there will be a concert called "Sound Forth". There are several local choirs participating (I think 90+ singers and 60+ band members). It is at 3:00 at Bend Senior High.
  
  Also following the concert there will be FREE BBQ across the street at First Presbyterian Church. Hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, pie, brownies, popsicles. It is being hosted by the 6th-12th graders and they will be taking donations to support their mission work.
• The Deschutes Historical Society is having their annual Ice Cream Social: the Museum is open to the public and they give away free ice cream. 10 until 4.

Lots of things happening this Fourth of July, which falls on Friday this year. I've updated the calendar, but here's a rundown:

• The Pet Parade and Old Fashioned Celebration, Downtown. Starting at 10am, this is a perennial favorite; people walking pets of all stripe through downtown. Then the rest of the celebration is taken up in Drake Park, from 11 til 4, where "You'll find craft and food booths, old fashioned games like three legged races, watermelon eating contest and water balloon contest as well as wonderful live entertainment."
• Also starting at 10 (and lasting until 4) is the Friends of the Bend Library Summer Book Sale. Deals to be found here as always.
• WebCyclery's Firecracker 100 Bike Ride is a July 4th tradition (it's their 9th). "Patriotic clothing is recommended, so wear your stars and stripes! The ride is about 65 miles (starts and finishes in Alfalfa), is fully supported, and has a rest/food stop in Prineville. Meet at the corner of Alfalfa Market Road & Johnson Ranch Road (at the power station). Ride begins at 8-8:30AM (Beat the Heat)."
• It is also First Friday, and since I haven't heard otherwise, I'll assume it's still going on (didn't know if it was clashing with the holiday?). Downtown Bend and the Old Mill hosts art gallery receptions with music and (typically) wine and snacks. Starts at 5 and runs until 9 or so.
• The Fourth of July BBQ at Jake's Diner runs from 6 until 8pm, and people are welcome to watch the Pilot Butte fireworks from their parking lot.
• Of course, the annual fireworks show from Pilot Butte starts at 10pm, and lasts about 20 minutes. Don't miss it!

Outside of Bend:

• Sunriver Resort has an Old Fashioned Carnival from 4 to 8pm and provides a shuttle ($15 per person) to take you into Bend to watch the Pilot Butte fireworks.
• Redmond has their own parade downtown starting at 10am, and a fireworks show at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center starting approximately at 9pm.
• Prineville's Old Fashioned 4th of July has a multi-event race, a pancake breakfast, parade, music and vendors in the park, and fireworks from their viewpoint in the evening.
• La Pine's Frontier Days are running through the weekend, with their own parade at 10:30am and fireworks at 10pm.
• Out in Culver at Maragas Winery (north of the Gorge), they're having their Independence Day Weekend Barbecue. Through Sunday, from 12 until 5 each day. Cost is $10 for wine and cheese tasting, and there will be music and winery tours.
• Sisters Elementary School hosts the weekend's "Sisters Round-up of Gems"—free admission. Not necessarily directly related to the Fourth, but it always takes places on the respective weekend.
• Black Butte Ranch has a ton of things going on, including a Bike Decorating Party and following Bike Parade, live entertainment, and a BBQ picnic. Cost is $15 for the BBQ.

Jake's Diner is hosting another Fourth of July BBQ for Vietnam Veterans this year:

Jake’s Diner and the Vietnam Veterans of America are partnering on a BBQ at Jake’s on the evening of the Fourth of July. All proceeds will be going to the Vietnam Veterans of America.

The BBQ will start at 6PM with entertainment from the “Taelour Project” in Jake’s parking lot from 6PM until 8PM.

Everyone is welcome to stay at Jake’s for a great position to watch the fireworks from their parking lot. Please, no alcohol or fireworks.

Who: Jake’s and VVA.
What: Fourth of July BBQ
When: July 4th, 2008 at 6PM
Where: Jake’s Diner
2210 NE Hwy 20
Bend, OR 97701
541-382-0118

For any more information, please call Lyle at 419-6021

It's an all-you-can eat BBQ with chicken and ribs. The only info I don't have is the price.

This year the Bend Police Department along with the Fire Department are going to be cracking down on illegal fireworks use this year; you can read it in the release I've included below, but essentially they will be patrolling on the Fourth and anyone caught with illegals will face confiscation and some steep fines.

Legal fireworks are any of the ones that are sold in town: fountains, wheels, sparklers, hand-held fountains, ground bloom flowers. Anything that flies, shoots more than six feet into the air, or explodes is illegal.

I like fireworks, but find it ridiculous the sheer number of blatantly illegal ones that people set off every year. This should be an eye-opener.

Read full release details

Here we go again. This may be a perennial favorite: The St. Patrick's Day pub guide!

This time around, I'm also noting when a place has a specific St. Patty's thing going on (I've bolded the name and included a blurb).

I've also broken last year's rule of "not restaurant lounges, and nothing fancy" with The Blacksmith and The Village Grill. The Blacksmith is fancy, but I love their beer bar and they have some specials; and The Village Grill, while largely restaurant, is also at least half sports bar, so I'll qualify it.

So, starting tomorrow (Monday) I'll be running with the Holiday Gift Guide idea I had last week. Between comments on that post, some ideas of my own, and (hopefully) more feedback as I post, there's plenty to write about.

The idea, of course, is to put together a gift guide for things that are related to Bend and Central Oregon in some way—produced here, are unique to the area, are about the area somehow, like that. In some cases, ironically, there may only be a source for the item(s) online—but where possible, I'll try to point to a local outlet.

I'll be using a price range scheme, too, in the highly (un)original form of dollar signs. Here's my scale:

• $0 - 15: $
• $15 - 30: $$
• $30 - 60: $$$
• $60 - 100: $$$$
• $100+: $$$$$

And if I come across something ridiculously cheap, I'll tag it with the "cent" sign: ¢

I think I'll do one item (or group of items, if they're all from the same vendor or something) per post, rather than do a big post for each possible category.

And maybe if I'm feeling really ambitious I'll turn it all into a downloadable PDF. But don't count on that.

Bend Memorial Clinic is having their annual Holiday Bazaar tomorrow, December 6th. It's taking place at their Main Clinic (at 1501 NE Medical Center Drive), from 10am until 3pm.

I don't know any other details, so I couldn't say what to expect. Maybe someone from BMC could comment...?

Last December I wrote up a Holiday Shopping Guide here, and minus a few businesses that closed over this past year (Boomtown, Gambit Games, Vino Mercato), I think it's still pretty relevant and there's no reason to repeat myself.

But I was thinking about maybe doing a Holiday Gift Guide instead. The premise would be gifts that are fairly unique (or are related) to Bend/Central Oregon somehow, rather than just neat gifts you could buy anywhere.

I like the idea—it could be a lot of fun—but I strongly suspect it's not one I could do justice to by myself... so does anyone have any suggestions?

Tonight is the annual lighting of the Christmas tree in Downtown Bend, in Mirror Pond Plaza. That's the big area next to the Mirror Pond Gallery behind the Breezeway and Bendistillery. It's at 6:30, but I'd get there early—parking will likely be a zoo.

It's also gonna be cold—it's only 35 degrees right now, and Weather.com predicts it'll be 25-28 degrees by that time.

Looking at the Downtowners Holiday Poster (PDF), there's also going to be a chance to visit Santa and get $1 coffee and cocoa from Balay after the lighting. Otherwise, attending the lighting is free.

We may or may not be down there... the cold is dissuading me.

I hope everyone is having a good, safe holiday today. Apologies about it being slow around here lately, but what can I say, the holiday season is upon us.

It'll pick up again soon. In the meantime, I've got a turkey in the oven and will have sweet potatoes and stuffing in pretty soon. I'm all about the traditional Thanksgiving meal—we're going to have green beans, rolls, and pumpkin pie too. (No mashed potatoes or cranberry sauce though—we're a small group this year.)

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Bend Christmas Parade, one of my favorite Bend traditions and holiday events I look forward to. And no, it's not too early to mention it—it's less than a month away already!

Saturday, December 8 is the day, and noon is when it starts. Downtown Bend, of course. It starts at Harmon and Newport and ends at Galveston and Harmon (map).

Prepare for cold if you go. And you might consider taking something to sit on, as well—collapsible chairs or something; sitting on frozen concrete makes it even colder.

I'd be remiss after blogging yesterday about Halloween Headquarters if I didn't mention another place that has a ton of costumes and Halloween accessories: brace yourself—the Pretty Pussycat.

Yes, that Pretty Pussycat, the adult store on 3rd Street next to the old Highway 97 gas station. I stopped in there today, idea-and-costume-hunting, and wow, they have a really big selection of stuff—some adult/mature themed naturally, but a lot of mainstream things. Their main floor in the front is women's costumes, and upstairs is men's. (The really adult stuff is in the back, probably somewhat displaced for the Halloween setup.)

There's a lot of licensed costumes especially—characters from movies and such. "V for Vendetta" (which no one else in town has; I was previously looking online for it), Star Wars costumes, the Burger King, like that. "Regular" costumes too, and a good selection of masks and accessories.

Full costumes range in price from around $40 and up (though there may be cheaper ones, I didn't look at everything), which is comparable to the Halloween Headquarters prices. Various other accessories seemed reasonably priced. If you're on the hunt for a good costume, definitely check it out.

I blogged about Halloween Headquarters last year, but this year they're in a new (permanent?) location: 1034 NE 11th Street, on Greenwood near the base of Pilot Butte. (The old Pilot Butte Event Center.)

They have a pretty expansive selection of costumes and accessories, the largest you'll find in town, I believe. Plus they have their haunted house—The Haunt. That's running through Halloween, and it's $10 per person.

They may or may not have a website; their yellow pages ad lists www.onlinehalloween.com as the site, but that doesn't seem to be resolving as I write this, so take that with a grain of salt.

Hours are Monday through Saturday, 11 to 7; Sunday 12 to 4.

I thought about trying to snap some pictures of the Pilot Butte fireworks show last night, but ultimately I don't think they'd turn out as good as I'd like. In the end, though, it doesn't matter, because Jen got some fantastic shots of the show... including the Fire on the Butte finale!

We went out of town for the weekend and when we got back it was July. Where'd the year go? The Fourth is in two days already!

Lots of things happening, too.

• Start the day at 8am with the annual Pancake Breakfast in Drake Park.
• If you feel like doing something healthier than pancakes and syrup, the Spark Your Heart 5K Run/Walk kicks off at 8am. $25 registration fee through midnight tonight, $30 for late registration.
• The Pet Parade starts at 10am downtown.
• After the Parade, the festival continues in Drake Park, which is set up with artisan and food booths, live music, and games from 11 to 4.
• The library is having their Friends of the Library Summer Sale, from 10 to 4. That's at the usual location of the administration building.
• The Deschutes Historical Society has free admission and ice cream all day, from 10 to 4:30.
• Ride along in the Freedom Ride! Join other riders at Pioneer Park at 2pm and be a part of the bike parade around town.
• The Farmer's Market is going on as usual, at the top of Drake Park from 3 to 7.
• Finally, the fireworks show from Pilot Butte starts at 10pm.

Update: Adding the two events from Jen and Lyle, in the comments.

• The Bend Elks are playing the Spokane Riverhawks, starting at 7pm.
• Jake's Diner is hosting a benefit BBQ for Central Oregon Veterans Outreach, starting at 6pm. Chicken and ribs and a live blues band!

I thought it'd be fun to write up a guide to places to go if you're going pub hopping on St. Patrick's Day. My only criteria? Pretty loose and arbitrary; any place that I think of as primarily where you would go for a drink—not necessarily to eat. And it has to be a pub or tavern or thereabouts—not restaurant lounges, and nothing fancy. Sorry Astro Lounge, I'm lookin' at you.

Basically, the kinds of places I think would make for a good Irish pub crawl. Any other suggestions?

St. Patrick's Day is coming up this Saturday (already?), and McMenamins has a two-day celebration going on. In addition to having their seasonal Irish stout on tap (it's pretty good), they are:

Featuring live music by the Moon Mountain Ramblers, The Severin Sisters and others, with McMenamins Irish Stout, Irish dancers, outdoor tents, barbecue specials, beer trucks, Silly Lilly the Clown, facepainters and more…

The celebration is going on all day Friday and Saturday; music starts at 1pm and is free. If the weather is nice it could be a lot of fun!

The Sparrow Bakery is serving up some Valentines Day treats this holiday season: erotic baked goods.

Yes, you read that right. They have a special menu divided into a "G-rated" section and "X-rated" section for "one day only." You'll probably want to place an order ahead of time if you want something in particular, otherwise you can stop in on the 14th and it's first come, first served.

(One interesting thing on the menu (don't worry, G-rated): an entire Valentine Supper To Go, for $58. It's a dinner for two, and includes shrimp spring rolls, miso soup, and a seared ahi plate. Sadly, I'm two days late in blogging it: order had to be in by Saturday the 10th.)

First heads-up appeared here in The Source Weekly.

The Sparrow Bakery is located at 50 SE Scott Street, just east off the Colorado Street exit from the Parkway—kind of in that industrial part of town just over the tracks.

For those of you not already going to a party (or just staying home) on New Year's Eve, the Bulletin has a pretty good article listing many of the parties and events you can go to. They include details, times, and prices.

Some are expensive, some are cheap/reasonable. For instance, the Deschutes Brewery's Mountain Room party is $75 per person, while the Black Horse Saloon is waiving cover charges entirely. The Riverhouse's party is $10.

They've got a ton of places listed, so check it out—you might just find the perfect soirée.

As I mentioned in my Christmas lights post the other day, I'd try to snap some pictures of displays if we were out and about. So, I took two; total amateur-hour nighttime productions, but you get the idea.

This is the house at 19911 SW McClellan, on the cul-de-sac. It's much more impressive in person.

My favorite house on Harmon Blvd, next to the park and Mirror Pond. Doesn't seem as lit-up this year, but still brighter than anything else around it.

This is the category of "Everything Else" that I couldn't fit on its own, for whatever reason. Some are suggestions, some are just single-entry categories. And, I wanted to more-or-less finish this out before it got too late to shop for the holidays.

The Home Brewer

Really the only place in town that sells homebrewing and winemaking supplies. Get someone the full package with a kit, or pick up individual supplies or brewing-related items. You can also enjoy some Silver Moon Brewing beers on-premise—that's where the microbrewery is located, as well.

24 NW Greenwood Avenue
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 388-8331

Wild Birds Unlimited

Yes, I know this is a chain store, but I'm going with Jen's recommendation:

I know "Wild Birds Unlimited" (across from Barnes & Noble) is a chain but they seem to be very knowledgeable about the area.

Bird food, feeders, houses, accessories—everything you'd want to attract and deal with a variety of birds. It's located out at the Forum Center east of town on Highway 20.

2680 NE Hwy. 20, Ste 310
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 617-8840

Goody's

Also a bit of a franchise, although Goody's has been in downtown Bend for a long time—long enough to have become a fixture. Not only do they sell handmade chocolates and candies (including sugar-free ones), but their downtown store is also an old-fashioned ice cream store—selling cones, shakes, malts and more.

957 NW Wall Street
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 389-5185

Bend Pet Express

The local pet store alternative to the chain stores. (Quick disclaimer: my brother works for them, too.) They carry a huge variety of pet supplies—everything you could want—and even make their own dog treats. They have two locations—east and west.

East:
420 NE Windy Knolls
Bend, OR 97701
541-385-5298

West:
133 SW Century Dr
Bend, OR 97701
541-389-4620

Iron Horse

This secondhand and antique store is located in a quiet, out-of-the-way spot just south and a little west of downtown. Don't expect anything fancy—in terms of atmosphere—and that's part of its charm.

210 NW Congress St
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 382-5175

I'm almost ashamed to say that even though I'm in the computer field, I don't know much of the offerings here in town. Part of that is intangible—I wouldn't put services and repairs only here in the shopping guide; part of that is, well, I just don't need to hit those stores much, I suppose. I'll likely be updating this particular post as I go.

Connecting Point

I like Connecting Point; they carry a variety of things, from equipment all the way to full systems, software, books, and a lot of Apple stuff—iPods especially. The times I've had to pick something up in a pinch (power supply, networking router), I've gotten a good deal and had no problems.

And right now through Christmas, their iPods are $20 off—the cheapest in town!

514 NW Franklin Avenue
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 385-6757

PHD Computers

A good wholesale computer dealer that Jake has recommended to me more than once. They have a warehouse on 2nd Street and a storefront in the Forum Center on the east side; I suspect they'd rather have walk-ins at the storefront.

2680 NW Highway 20
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 382-8335

DSI Computers

Another Jake recommendation. He says,

They've been here forever and while they might be more expensive than some, they've a nice bunch of guys and they'll take care of you.

I haven't been there for years, but they are one of the area's mainstays and were always fair.

145 NE Revere Ave #A
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 382-1536

When it comes to music, there's really only two stores in town to visit for retail. Unless, of course, you're looking for musical instruments, but I really can't help you there. So, here's the Holiday Shopping Guide for music.

Boomtown

Yes, I just recommended them for toys, but music is where they're at. New and used CDs and vinyl records covering most genres I can think of. They also have DVDs and a variety of other items (like the toys). Definitely the more metropolitan-feeling of the two.

910 NW Harriman St.
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 388-1800

Ranch Records

Bend's iconic music store that's been around for ages and ages. They offer a good selection of new and used CDs and vinyl records, as well as movies (DVDs) and posters. Pricing is similar or the same as at Boomtown, though I think they carry more used albums. Ranch Records is more "Grateful Dead" to Boomtown's metropolitan, I think.

831 NW Wall St
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 389-6116

Today's Bulletin has an article on the front page of their Community Life section about local Christmas light displays. (No link—it's behind their paywall, grrrr.) I've been thinking about doing a holiday lights post; it's usually a tradition of ours to drive around and look at the lights, and if we do that this year I'll take some pictures.

As it stands, there's a few displays that we seek out every year because they are so over the top. Without knowing (yet) if they're up this year, the addresses (roughly) are:

• Harmon Blvd., fronting Mirror Pond and Harmon Park. This is my favorite, it's so garish and tacky and colorful and bright, it sticks out like a sore thumb—none of the surrounding houses comes close.
• Summer Shade Drive. This is a good area for lights in general, but the house on the western end of Summer Shade (it makes a loop coming off of McClellan Road) is well decorated—and, defying common sense, they string lights up their tall ponderosas, some 50 or 60 feet, I'm guessing.
• 19911 SW McClellan Road. This is one listed in the Bulletin's article; it's at the cul-de-sac at the end of McClellan (just down from the Summer Shade place). The breadth and scope of this one is pretty impressive; they spread out a lot and it's worth the trip.

The other ones listed in the Bulletin's article are:

• 61140 Parkwood Court
• 1658 NE Matson Road
• 1671 NE Matson Road
• Sarah Drive, several around 61245
• 257 NW Outlook Vista Drive
• 20734 NE Town Drive
• 61771 Arrow Avenue
• 19196 Shoshone Road
• 19683 Platinum Way
• 22830 McGrath Road
• 2730 NE Faith Drive
• 1154 NW Redfield Circle
• 2422 NE Ravenwood Drive
• 1808 NW Duniway Court
• 2360 NE Meadow Lane
• 2432 NE Crocus Way
• 1126 SE Gatewood Place
• 64727 Sylvan Loop
• 807 NE 12th Street
• 2260 NE Meadow Lane
• 52503 Sunrise Blvd. (La Pine)
• 701 NE Mariposa Avenue (Prineville)
• 2927 NE Sugarpine Road (Prineville)
• 4990 SW Quarry Avenue (Redmond)
• 1635 NW Teak Avenue (Redmond)
• 2840 NW Lynch Road (Redmond)

Time for more Holiday Shopping Guide. It's every kids' favorite topic: Toys and games!

Leapin' Lizards

The downtown toy store that specializes in non-mass-produced fare: all their toys and games are engaging, educational, unusual, active, goofy, and any and all combinations of those. My own kids love this place. No, they're not the cheapest, but then you don't necessarily want your toys to be cheap, either. And they gift wrap for free.

953 NW Wall St.
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 382-8326

D's Hobbies

Simply the best—and I think the only—full service hobby and model shop in town. Radio control, models of all kinds, rocket kits, model train gear, they carry simply everything. The paltry model section of the big stores? Forget it; D's goes way, way beyond them.

926 NW Greenwood Ave.
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 389-1330

Gambit Games

Bend's one and only gaming store; they have a huge variety of board and card games (many of which you haven't heard of), and are your source for role-playing game supplies. Plus, they hold weekly role-playing tournaments (with miniatures and everything), and even have a couple of poker tables for Texas Hold'em.

(A rumor going around has it that Gambit is actually closing its doors soon, and everything is on sale. I'll follow up on this with a separate post.)

815 NW Wall St.
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 330-8196

Boomtown

Although they're known primarily for music, Boomtown also has an extensive section of unusual toys and gag gifts. Punching puppets, Accoutrements action figures, metal lunchboxes, disco ball keychains... lots of fun, and a lot of good things for stocking stuffers.

910 NW Harriman St
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 388-1800

Pegasus Books

Yes, I mentioned Pegasus previously, but they stand out as a toy store, too—comics, sci-fi and fantasy themed toys. Which means a lot of action figures, and a good amount of McFarlane toys.

105 NW Minnesota Ave.
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 388-4588

More in my "Holiday Shopping Guide"! This time I'm going with alcohol (hey, write what you know, right?)—beer, wine, booze. What shopping guide would be complete without it?

Liquor store

No real recommendation here; a liquor store is a liquor store is a... well, you get the idea. I am partial to the eastside store, it's big and convenient, but I also like the one in Ray's on the westside.

Newport Avenue Market

The best selection of bottled beer that I've found around here is, by far, Newport Avenue Market. From cheap American lagers to expensive high-end Belgian ales, it's the place to go. Don't forget to check out their Thirsty Thursday beer tastings if you're in the area. And you can pick up a growler of Silver Moon Brewing beer if you want to keep it really local. (And no offense to Deschutes, but you can get theirs anywhere.)

Can't find what you're looking for? Odds are they can special order it for you—but be warned, it's by the case.

1121 NW Newport Avenue
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 382-3940

Bend Brewing Company

You can only get Bend Brewing Company beers on tap at the brewpub, but they do offer beer to go—another chance to keep it local. Keep in mind these won't last long. They're filled from the tap and aren't sealed so they'll go flat. Drink quick!

1019 NW Brooks St.
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 383-1599

Maragas Winery

Currently one of two wineries in Central Oregon (Volcano Vineyards is the other, see below), Maragas not only makes wine but is also starting their own vineyard to grow their own grapes locally (up north of Terrebonne). Down at their tasting room on Colorado and Bond you can buy their signature Legal Zin, as well as glassware and accessories.

And, sign up for a membership to get discounts on wine and receive their limited edition releases (three times a year).

643 NW Colorado
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 330-0919

Vino Mercato

Not just a wine bar and bistro, Vino Mercato sells wine by the bottle as well as a variety of specialty deli goods. So not only can you find the perfect bottle of wine, but you can put it together with a variety of cheese and meats, or even a custom gift basket.

916 Wall St.
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 385-6979

Volcano Vineyards

The other winery in Central Oregon; whereas Maragas uses grapes from both California and Oregon, Volcano only uses Oregon grapes that they personally harvest. Down at their tasting room downtown on Brooks Street, you can not only try (and buy) their own wine, but:

In addition to our own Volcano Vineyards wines, we carry wines from other small production, self-distributed Pacific Northwest producers, such as Zerba Cellars, Mystic Wines, Spindrift Cellars, Anthony Dell Cellars, Eden Vale and Medici.

930 NW Brooks St.
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 617-1102

The current issue of The Source Weekly is running a holiday shopping guide of their own: the "Naughty or Nice" over-$100 gift guide. I like the "over-$100" part—pretty much the opposite of what I'm doing here, but hey, it's fun.

And with gift recommendations like a leather couch, a chainsaw, Sirius radio, and a "Maya Dream Week Tortoise Eco Tour," it's hard not to like it.

It doesn't seem to be online, though, so if you want it you'll have to pick up the dead tree version.

The first in my Holiday Shopping Guide posts, covering something I'm pretty familiar with: books!

Now I really like Barnes and Noble, don't get me wrong, but that's not what this gift guide is about. So here are my picks:

The Open Book

Bend's best used book store, and my favorite too. Paperbacks are half the cover price, hardbacks and large books are priced individually. They have a huge selection and cover nearly every topic—all but computer books. (They don't deal in computer books because those are too transient.) They also sell used CDs.

You can also sell books for store credit, and use your credit when buying (up to half the price of your purchase).

The only negative I can think about is that their parking lot is small, but that's expected considering their location.

155 NE Greenwood
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 388-3249

Pegasus Books

Yes, it's very much a comic book shop—the comic book shop in town—and it should be the first stop for any graphic novels or comics on your list. They sell used books, toys, anime, and collectible cards, too.

It's one of the longest-running businesses in Downtown Bend right now, and I blogged the other day that Duncan (the owner) has recently started a blog. He's a good guy and knows his stuff, so definitely ask for recommendations.

105 NW Minnesota Ave.
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 388-4588

The Book Barn

The Book Barn is the big bookstore alternative: they have mostly new books (and some used), so you should be able to find any of the newest books out right now—and what they don't have, they can order for you. They also have a great section devoted to local writers.

Right now on their website, they're advertising 20% off on selected calendars. It's a good time to do some shopping—though if you need to make a special order, I don't know what their turnaround time is for that.

135 NW Minnesota Ave.
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 389-4589 or 877-389-4589

I thought it would be fun and useful to run a series of "Holiday Shopping Guide" posts as we get close to Christmas; basically my take on where to go for the best deals, stay local, stay small, and such. But then I figured, there's no way I can do all that by myself, so let's make this a collaborative effort.

So send me your suggestions—leave comments here or use the contact form. Where are the best places for holiday/gift shopping? Any type of item—food, books, clothes, whatever. The best deals, the local stores, the insider info, avoiding the big box stores (if possible) and super-spendy stuff.

I'll organize by topic and start running posts in a few days, both submitted suggestions and my own picks (I have a few).

Let's make this the definitive holiday shopping guide for Bend!

Saturday, December 9th is the Bend Christmas Parade! Hard to believe it's that time of year already...

The parade starts at noon, and follows a looping course through downtown and around Drake Park and Mirror Pond; check out the parade map here. It's a fun parade, the kids will love it, but be prepared for cold! Bundle up, it's been really cold each year as long as I can remember.

I'm sure we'll go again this year, and I'll take the camera and post a bunch of pictures.

Update: I forgot that the Newport Bridge is still closed, but this KTVZ article indicates that they might be done next week, in time for the parade. We'll see. I wonder what they'll do if it's closed?