OCTOBER 29, 2026 / BEND’S INDEPENDENT VOICE - NOW DAILY AT WWW.BENDSOURCE.COM 2
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Originally planned as the opening reception for her first solo art show, “Field Notes,” the gathering has been reimagined as a community fundraiser in support of Silver Rail PTO. The event takes place Thu., Oct. 29 from 4:30–6pm at Shevlin Crossing Art Gallery, 2230 NE Labiche Ln., Bend. Find Yaeger’s work on Instagram @keycre8ive Call for Artists: If you're interested in being a SW featured artist, email: production@bendsource.com. EDITOR IN CHIEF Nicole Vulcan–nicole@bendsource.com MANAGING EDITOR Nic Moye–editor@bendsource.com REPORTER / CALENDAR EDITOR Dallas Finn Calvert–calendar@bendsource.com, reporter@bendsource.com COPY EDITOR Richard Sitts FREELANCERS Jared Rasic, Kimberly Bowker, Josh Jardine, Burt Gershater, Nathan Powers SYNDICATED CONTENT Rob Brezsney, Brendan Emmett Quigley, Jen Sorensen, Pearl Stark, Tom Tomorrow, Matt Wuerker PRODUCTION MANAGER / ART DIRECTOR Jennifer Galler–production@bendsource.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Adrian Galler–design@bendsource.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Ban Tat, Chad Barnes, Mark Siwek advertise@bendsource.com TECHNOLOGY OFFICER Megan Burton–megan@layitoutevents.com
I am not sure a week or two is enough time to begin to process the grief, anger, frustration, guilt and other emotions that this community has recently gone through, but these pages continue to be a place for people to do so. These last weeks, I have been reflecting on how the tragedy that happened at Silver Rail Elementary School happened, in some way, to all of us in this community — but by the numbers, it happened directly to children and the people paid to educate and care for them. Trauma and child development specialist, Dr. Gabor Maté, whose family escaped the Holocaust while he was in utero, writes about how the Jewish babies of that time were constantly crying. They didn’t know what was wrong; just that something was. I think about that as I see the kids around me today. Some appear untouched while others tense up or act out or cry loudly in public about something the rest of us can’t see. Maté is a staunch believer that early childhood intervention and support is the only way to heal society’s gaping wounds. I have been heartened this week by the displays of caring for our youngsters who are trying to navigate their own emotions alongside the strange world of adults in pain. Free toys, donated to local toy stores for anyone to take. Free camps, play sessions, food for little ones. These are our attempts to heal our kids. They will need our tender care and attention for a long time. It’s in that vein that we took on the stories in this week’s News section, answering questions like, what happens when a kid stops going to school? Does anyone come for him? And, do more cops in schools keep kids safer? We don’t wrap anything in a tidy bow with these stories, but they do, we hope, help the community understand where we are, so we can decide how we all want to move forward. —Editor in Chief, Nicole Vulcan
LIGHTMETER: PRESENTED BY HARVEST MOON WOODWORKS Dallas Finn Calvert
Approximately 300 young adults gathered at Peace Corner in downtown Bend on Monday, Oct. 26, after staging a walkout from their respective schools in support of ending gun violence and for the victims of the Oct. 15 Silver Rail Elementary School shooting. Still more drove around the downtown core, waving signs out car windows and beeping their horns in support of the demonstration. Check out the demonstration coverage at bendsource.com. Want to share your photo with Central Oregon? Email calendar@bendsource.com or share and tag @sourceweekly on Instagram for a chance to have your photo featured.
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VOLUME 30 ISSUE 44 / OCTOBER 29, 2026 / THE SOURCE
On the Cover: Kimberley Yaeger is a local artist, brand strategist and creative director who, in the wake of the tragedy at Silver Rail Elementary, channeled her grief into creativity and action, creating a poster and notecards featuring four birds flying over Bend. Yaeger is donating 100% of the proceeds to support the Silver Rail Parent-Teacher Organization.
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OCTOBER 29, 2026 / BEND’S INDEPENDENT VOICE - NOW DAILY AT WWW.BENDSOURCE.COM 4
OPINION Mental Health Services Deserve Greater Funding (and Oversight)
5
I
f we have not gone through this directly, we’ve seen it on the news enough times to know how it goes. Innocent victims die in a place of learning. The public is outraged and heartbroken. Parents call for more safety measures; students walk out of class to do something — anything — to display their ongoing dismay. It doesn’t matter if it happened on the East Coast or the West; the young people inside the classrooms where active shooter drills happen on a regular basis have that terrible feeling that it’s only a matter of time before the tragedies hit home. This time, it was Bend. Two years ago, it was also nearly Bend. Two years before that, it was Bend, in a grocery store, rather than a school. We have an ongoing problem with our disaffected young men. Ideological camps have been set up, with wide trenches between. One camp says it’s the guns. Without access, no tragedy. The other camp says sure, a gun was the weapon, but it’s the mental health issue. With better access, no tragedy. The anti-gun side lobs its most powerful barbs across the trench. The barb lands, and then falters, like Oregon’s voter-approved Measure 114 requiring simple background checks, lodged in the courts, for years on end now. And still the young people line up outside waving messages on cardboard, knowing that if they or one of their friends has a mental health crisis in this town, there is exactly one acute youth mental health bed in the region where they can go for help — and that one was only recently installed, at much effort. We do not profess to be able to solve one of America’s most intractable arguments here on this editorial page, simply because our city now boasts having the youngest school shooting victim, 5-year-old Rhoam Summer, in history. But what we keep coming back to in these trying times is the crisis around mental health. We seem to agree that our community has an acute crisis in this area. Let the court fight around Measure 114 play out, let the investigations reveal whether the mother of the shooter in the Silver Rail Elementary School shooting violated the existing law, ORS 166.395, which requires firearms to be secured, and then let’s move onto putting all of our anguish and pain, all our frustration and anger,
into righting the wrongs of our state’s mental health crisis, together. We did not get to be #39 in youth mental health and dead last in overall mental health in the U.S. from this horrific event that just happened in our city. Nor did we earn the distinction of being one of the worst states for chronic absenteeism due to this shooting. We got here through chronic under-investments in behavioral health — the workforce, the facilities and the trainings, to just name a few. The same legislature that in 2021 did away with the truancy laws that help keep kids connected to school communities (and ironically, sometimes led to referrals for mental health interventions, as our reporting this week reveals), also in 2021 passed a behavioral health package of over $1 billion. Later reporting found that oversight and tracking of that spending fell short. Only in the past year or so have authorities provided “the kind of tracking and transparency that earlier funding efforts lacked,” reads a report from the Common Sense Institute of Oregon. We are only just starting to tackle this problem, and more attention to its nuances from a wide-eyed public could certainly help. We all want to do something to make the madness stop, and to ensure that our children feel safe in spaces of learning, but the writing has been on the wall for years. Oregon needs more support for the children with special needs who fall through the cracks, for the educators with their fingers in the dikes, for the families to whom these kids go home and often continue to struggle, and for the many policy makers and big thinkers who have great ideas, but need someone to hold them accountable. Fixing the mental health crisis in our community is not simple. It requires education and awareness surrounding a part of our population that we have to our detriment ostracized, and in many cases shunned out of fear and ignorance. That should change. And most importantly, it requires a sizeable contribution by county, state and federal governments into these programs. The current level of funding is not enough and that means reprioritizing and investing. This will not come without a cost, but as we have seen, the cost of doing nothing is much higher.
VOLUME 30 ISSUE 44 / OCTOBER 29, 2026 / THE SOURCE
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OCTOBER 29, 2026 / BEND’S INDEPENDENT VOICE - NOW DAILY AT WWW.BENDSOURCE.COM
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ENDORSEMENT OF LAUREN CONNALLY
Just 10 minutes from Downtown Bend!
I am very disappointed that TSW endorsed Lauren Connally instead of Amy Sabbadini. Looking at who endorsed Ms. Connally, including Patty Adair, Tony DeBone, Chris Piper, Keith Rockow and Phil Henderson, I question the choice. With Republicans trying to gerrymander Deschutes County for this race, and a neo-Republican agenda I find troubling, why would the Source fail to investigate that she is backed by all Republicans, but isn’t transparent about it. Amy Sabbadini is smart and kind, and she would do a terrific job as County Commissioner. Don’t take her kindness for weakness. This election has been tumultuous in many ways. SO you don’t bring a knife to a gunfight. I urge my fellow Deschutes County voters to look closely at the candidates and vote. —Michele Knowles
SUPPORT OF AMY SABBADINI
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I am writing to share my support for Amy Sabbadini for Deschutes County Commissioner. I have known Amy through her work in our community, and what has impressed me most is her genuine commitment to civic engagement and to helping people understand and participate in our democracy. As an educator and as the Central Oregon representative for the Civics Learning Project, Amy has dedicated herself to teaching students and community members about the importance of being informed, engaged citizens. I have also had the opportunity to work with Amy through a Building Bridges gathering, where we talked about something our community desperately needs: finding ways to work across political differences for the betterment of our community and for future generations. Amy doesn’t just talk about these values — she lives them. She makes herself available to listen, talk and teach, and she treats people with respect even when they don’t share the same perspective. One of the qualities I respect most about Amy is that she doesn’t simply rubber-stamp things. She takes the time to consider different sides of an issue, asks questions, listens to different perspectives, and then makes her own decision. And when there is
something she doesn’t know, she is committed to learning about it. Amy is a hard worker who cares deeply about our community. I support her because I know her, I have seen her dedication firsthand, and I believe she would bring thoughtful, informed and community-minded leadership to the Deschutes County Commission. Our community benefits when people are willing to listen, learn, work across differences and make decisions thoughtfully. That is the kind of leadership I have seen from Amy Sabbadini. —Patricia DeVol Nadon
COUNTY COMMISSIONER ENDORSEMENT
It was disappointing to read your endorsement for Deschutes County Commissioner position #3. I often look to the Source to inform my vote. This time, I was confused that the Source did not back Amy Sabbadini. You correctly described the strengths of both candidates as comparable. It would have made sense if you decided the race a draw. But why would the Source support a candidate who is in favor of gerrymandering? The issue of district re-mapping is crucial as we move forward after this election. Given the long-range implications, it may be the most critical issue of this voting cycle. Voters will decide, but the fact that Amy’s opponent endorses the redistricting proposed by outgoing right-leaning commissioners is a red flag. It signals Lauren Connally’s more conservative, Republican, perspective. Amy, on the other hand, is opposed to gerrymandering and to limiting voters’ choice to just one member of the Commission. Sabbadini grew up in a rural county and understands both urban and rural concerns. She has years of land use and emergency services experience. As a civics teacher, Amy knows how the government works. She cares about health, safety, mental health and jobs. Amy is down-to-earth and approachable. She really listens and identifies common-ground solutions. I have heard her views on responsible growth in our county and her intention to explore unique options to address the traffic and fire response issues that come with it. Amy Sabbadini will be a reliable, responsive, hardworking commissioner. She has my vote. — Susan Reichert, MD
AMY SABBADINI
VOTE NO ON MEASURE 9-185
Measure 9-185 takes away your right to vote for all five Deschutes County Commissioners. Voters approved a measure to increase the County Commission from three members to five. We could vote for all five positions. However, two outgoing commissioners pushed through a deeply partisan and flawed process to create districts and limit your right to vote for only one commissioner. This gives us less representation, not more. Measure 9-185 injects unnecessary politics into a system voters chose to make nonpartisan. It divides Deschutes County into political districts, giving those who draw the boundaries enormous influence over election outcomes. That is the essence of gerrymandering, and we shouldn’t accept it here. Keep all five commissioners accountable to all Deschutes County voters. Vote NO on Measure 9-185. —Annette Christensen
TOUGH DECISION… WHY AM I SUPPORTING ROB IMHOFF
As I consider the candidates for Deschutes County Commissioner, one of the issues that matters most to me is how the county manages its limited financial resources. Rob Imhoff’s business experience is an important reason I am supporting him. I believe that experience gives him a practical perspective on budgeting, accountability and making thoughtful decisions about how resources are used. County government, like any organization, has finite resources, and I believe those resources should be managed carefully and responsibly.
I am concerned that government can too easily focus on finding additional ways to spend money rather than asking whether existing spending is necessary, efficient and providing value to taxpayers. I believe Deschutes County has opportunities to identify wasteful spending and find better ways to manage the funds entrusted to it by local residents. For me, fiscal responsibility is not simply about spending less. It is about making sure that the money the county does spend is used wisely and delivers meaningful value to the community. I also believe Rob Imhoff is a person of good character, and that matters to me when choosing someone to serve in public office. His business experience, his emphasis on responsible financial management and the character I see in him are the reasons I intend to vote for him for Deschutes County Commissioner. —Jim Dunn
WHAT ARE THEY HIDING?
As a member of the League of Women Voters I’m aware that two Republican candidates, Michael Summers (running for HD 53) and Rob Imhoff (running for Deschutes County Commission), have declined to participate in the non-partisan forums and debates conducted in Deschutes County each election cycle. These candidates need to be exposed for their unwillingness to share their views with voters through these open forums, whether it’s an intentional strategy or not. This unwillingness to participate in open, public dialog is irresponsible, causing further division and confusion among the voters. I for one, would never vote for someone who takes this approach, and that’s one of the important reasons I’m voting for their opponents, Emerson Levy and Morgan Schmidt, in this year’s election. —Molly Foerster
THADDEUS BETZ FOR JUDGE
I have been a longtime resident of Bend since 1994. I got to know Thad several years ago in a professional setting as an attorney. I found him to be a good listener, well prepared, competent, and focused on fairness. These are the attributes of an impartial and fair Judge. I highly recommend and encourage people vote for him as it would help Deschutes County be a better place. —Victoria Smith
THAD BETZ FOR JUDGE
I’ve known Thad Betz for more than 20 years. We went to law school together at Lewis & Clark, and as a civil attorney practicing statewide, I’ve had the chance to work alongside him. In these two decades, my respect for him has only grown. Thad has one of the best legal minds I’ve encountered. He sees to the heart of a problem quickly, understands the law deeply and explains complicated issues in a way anyone can follow.
Just as important, he is even-handed. Thad listens to every side, takes every argument seriously and treats people with respect, whether they agree with him or not. That temperament can’t be taught, and it’s exactly what we want in a judge. Above all, Thad is one of the best people I know. He is honest, humble and committed to public service. That’s why 17 judges from across Oregon have endorsed him. Judges know what this job demands better than anyone, and they’ve seen Thad’s work firsthand. Those of us who have practiced alongside him agree: he is the best candidate for this seat. Please vote for Thad Betz for Deschutes County Circuit Court Judge, Position 3. —Ashlee Albies
MISLEADING TV ADS FOR GOVERNOR
The ads from our current governor again show how she is more concerned with being against Washington, D.C., than concentrating on Oregon that is in a free fall. She does not want to talk about how bad Oregon is but rather attack areas that do not even come under her direct control. Here are some examples of the current decline under over 40 years of the left’s control: Oregon ranks: #1: In Meth and fentanyl use #2: In sexual assault #3: Homelessness #3: Income tax to residents #3: Unemployment Here is another — why does the Left party support biological men to play against girls? This is sooo wrong. These are just a few issues and it is time for a change! —Craig Poole
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WHY AM I VOTING FOR SONIA HUNTSMAN?
Why am I voting for Sonia Huntsman? Because I care deeply about Deschutes County and about justice. A judge hears a wide variety of cases, and Sonia is well prepared to show up on day one. She has 20 years of legal experience in many areas, giving her a broad and deep understanding of the law that stands out among the other candidates. Sonia’s experience in criminal law includes service as both a Deputy District Attorney AND a public defender. She’s worked hundreds of cases including major felonies, Measure 11 offenses, misdemeanors and child dependency cases. She understands the justice system from both sides of the courtroom and as a judge, she will treat everyone in her courtroom with fairness, dignity and respect. Sonia is the only candidate with deep experience in family law. For a large part of her career, she focused on child welfare and domestic violence. She also navigated emotional and complex cases around custody, parenting time, property issues and estate planning. Sonia pursued a custody and spousal support case all the way to the Oregon Court of Appeals, earning a rare win. There are a range of qualified candidates on the ballot, but none have Sonia’s balance of depth and breadth of legal experience. She’s the right choice for us, and I encourage you to vote Sonia Huntsman for Deschutes County Judge. She’s the best qualified for the job and will serve our community well. —Susan Gregory
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7 VOLUME 30 ISSUE 44 / OCTOBER 29, 2026 / THE SOURCE
My first experience meeting County Commission candidate Amy Sabbadini was a tap on the shoulder and an offer to help. She had found me at a crowded event as I attempted to deal with a dilemma in an overwhelming situation. We met one week later and had an hour-long meeting and developed a “wish list” for change. Within weeks that wish list became an action plan that has now become a reality. This plan was unanimously approved by the people affected by this previous dilemma. When she told me she was running for Deschutes County Commissioner I thought, “Wow, we need you!” I was already impressed with her ability to turn a simple wishlist into something that received action. Her energy, observation, attention to detail and ability to organize it all resulted in better and more efficient systems and processes that benefited so many people. Her action helped eliminate stress so many were facing. She didn’t have to do any of that, but she chose to be of service. That’s just one reason she has my vote. —Marlene Barnett
NEWS
OCTOBER 29, 2026 / BEND’S INDEPENDENT VOICE - NOW DAILY AT WWW.BENDSOURCE.COM
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Bend’s Silver Rail Shooter Was Chronically Absent. Then He Disappeared.
In a state where attendance rates are among the worst in the nation, the tragedy has raised questions about who should step in when students drift away By Clayton Franke
O
regon Gov. Tina Kotek spent a Saturday morning in October 2025 at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, helping make phone calls to hundreds of families in Bend-La Pine Schools to encourage and celebrate good attendance. On the call list were students who had gone from being chronically absent to regularly attending school. Meanwhile, one sophomore at Bend Tech Academy and former Silver Rail student, Griffin John II, was descending rapidly on a different trajectory. He’d missed weeks at a time on several occasions over several years. A month after Kotek’s visit, he left for good. Less than a year later, he returned to Silver Rail — his former elementary school — with a shotgun, killing three students and a teacher. Nearly two weeks after the Oct. 15 tragedy, many questions remain about how the young assailant got ahold of the gun, what his family life was like and what motivated him to carry out the violence. But in a state with some of the highest absentee rates in the nation, gaps in the shooter’s enrollment at Bend-La Pine Schools also raise questions about who should step in when kids don’t go to school and whether there are enough tools to pull them back to class. “The safety net failed,” said Amy Tatom, who chairs the board of directors for Bend-La Pine Schools. “We don’t have a strong enough safety net to help our most vulnerable students and families.” “When we see dips in attendance, that’s a warning sign,” she added. Gaps in attendance Bend-La Pine Schools declined to provide attendance and student records for John, citing federal and state privacy laws. While it’s not clear exactly how often he attended school, or what his experience was like, the student’s enrollment history shows large gaps in his schooling. John started kindergarten at Elk Meadow Elementary in 2015. As a third grader at Silver Rail, he started in the special education program. Mary Sheridan’s child, who is now
17, was in that same program with John. Sheridan described it as a classroom focused on social and emotional learning geared toward students with behavioral needs. Because there was relatively little instruction, Sheridan said, her student fell behind in learning. That didn’t matter as much at first, but by the time her child reached late middle school and high school, it became more obvious. “That led to them feeling embarrassed and frustrated in class, and then not showing up to class and falling farther and farther behind,” said Sheridan, who also writes a monthly column on psychedelics for the Source. There would be days when her child didn’t want to go to school, Sheridan said.
"The safety net failed. We don't have a strong enough safety net to help our most vulnerable students and families. When we see dips in attendance, that's a warning sign." — Amy Tatom
But “nobody followed up. There was no real consequences.” As for John, attendance issues began in fourth grade, when he was unenrolled for more than a month. In seventh grade, he dropped off the district’s rolls from Feb. 23 through April 6, and from May 9 through the end of the school year. In 2024 he moved to Bend Tech Academy, a career and technical education school that since merged with another magnet school to form Deschutes River High School. He missed the final few weeks of his freshman year and left for good the next fall.
NEWS Clayton Franke
Eastern Oregon provides a case study While Oregon law requires children to attend school, the parents of those who stop going don’t face legal consequences. In 2021, Oregon became one of the first states in the country to get rid of fines and citations for truancy, instead focusing on student support and removing barriers to attendance. The Legislature stripped superintendents’ power to issue a Class C violation to parents whose children aren’t in school, which carried a maximum $500 fine. Proponents of the legislation argued that fees or citations did more harm than good and were likely to disproportionately effect Black or Indigenous students.
9 VOLUME 30 ISSUE 44 / OCTOBER 29, 2026 / THE SOURCE
Court records indicate both of John’s parents had a history of run-ins with the law. John lived a few blocks away from Silver Rail with his mother, Shauntai Nickerson, who was arrested for assault — but never convicted — in 2023, instead pleading to a lesser charge of harassment. John’s father, who is reportedly unhoused in Astoria, has been convicted of felony assault of a public safety officer and, later, illegal possession of weapons. It’s unclear what specific efforts the district made to get John to come back. Those communications are also protected under privacy laws, said district spokesperson Scott Maben. But the district’s attendance policy outlines how the process should go: Staff should make at least two attempts — phone calls, home visits, text messages — to check in within the first 10 days of unexcused absences. After 10 consecutive days of absence, state law requires school districts to temporarily unenroll students, a rule meant to ensure proportional funding is distributed properly. The district provides interventions and supports in an effort not to lose contact once students are unenrolled, and students can return and reenroll at any time, Maben said. According to its website, the district also helps connect families to a variety of nonprofit services to address basic needs that might be a barrier for students to attend school. “We prioritize connection and positive relationships with our students and families to support them feeling welcomed and that they belong in our schools,” Maben said in a statement. “This is the most powerful strategy in supporting regular attendance.” Many times, the outreach succeeds, Superintendent Steve Cook told the Source Oct. 19. Other times, it doesn’t — and there’s not much more the district can do. “When students stop coming, we certainly engage to try to get them back to school,” Cook said. “If they don’t respond to that, then potentially this is the kind of thing that could happen, where an entire year could pass and a student is no longer anywhere around school. “Outside of a home visit, there’s not much more we’ve got,” Cook added.
People embrace Oct. 17 near a memorial for victims of the Oct. 15 shooting at Silver Rail Elementary.
They worried truancy fines feed the “school-to-prison pipeline” — a phenomenon where legally punishing student behavior only further entrenches disadvantaged youth in the justice system. “There’s pretty strong evidence that rather than serving a deterring effect for these kids, justice system involvement is actually a promoter of delinquency,” said Stephanie Wiley, a University of Oregon professor who studies juvenile justice and education. There’s also a strong association between skipping school and dropping out and delinquency, Wiley said — not only because of underlying factors that lead to both, but because when kids aren’t in school, they simply have more time to be involved in crimes. Oregon is consistently among states with the highest rates of chronic absenteeism in the country, according to Future Ed, a Georgetown University think tank. About one-third of students meet the definition of chronically absent, which is defined as missing more than 10% of school days. Bend-La Pine’s attendance rates have slowly recovered following a blow from the pandemic, but are still no higher than the state’s poor averages. And there is some evidence — at least anecdotally — that threat of fees or citations helps prevent chronic absence in the first place, even when used as a last resort. In 2023, educators in eastern Oregon convinced Malheur County to pass a local ordinance bringing back the power to issue fines or citations for truancy. Since then, Malheur County attendance rates have climbed from about 72% to 83.5% — nearly 20% higher than the
statewide average. The Vale School District Superintendent told the Oregon Journalism Project she believes the local ordinance made a difference. But the fines were always a last resort. The district issued 47 truancy citations last school year but only one fine. In most cases, a judge in truancy court assigned services like parenting classes or mental health referrals instead of fines. The attendance policy on Bend-La Pine’s website says staff should “monitor and report” attendance law violations to the superintendent. The policy also implies that parents of children not in school could be in violation of a statute called “failing to supervise a child.” According to the Deschutes County Juvenile Community Justice Department, law enforcement or school district officials may refer families to child welfare or juvenile authorities if “educational neglect” is suspected. But that’s “not a practice” the department experiences, it said in a statement. The juvenile justice department would only be involved with a young person’s attendance if actively supervising the person for another delinquency matter, the County department said. Tatom, the Bend-La Pine Schools chair, said she took note of the results from Malheur County when she read about it earlier this year. One thing she appreciated about the approach was that despite the legal threat, fines rarely came into play. Instead, the focus was on getting families what they needed to get kids back in school. She said a more robust “community approach” involving service providers
to support families could be in order for Deschutes County. Tatom didn’t specifically say whether she wanted to push to bring back fines and citations for chronic absence. She said she doesn’t disagree with social justice arguments against truancy courts, but there comes a point when society should stand up for children’s rights to an education. “If it is something that we can work on to help their student get to school, we should be doing that as a society,” Tatom said. “If you have someone who truly doesn’t care, that’s when I think it gets escalated.” State leaders said they’re waiting for more details from the investigation into the shooter before applying lessons learned to policy. When asked about attendance at a news conference on Monday, Kotek recalled her visit to Silver Rail one year ago. “Those parents love their kids, and they love their school,” Kotek said. “When it comes to the 16-year-old shooter, we have to examine — and there will be a long conversation — about what were those points and decision points that could be different to help a young person like that who wasn’t engaged with their school district or other services. “We just don’t know yet, but that is something we could do better,” she added. —This article is made possible by the Lay It Out Foundation. The Foundation is a Central Oregon nonprofit organization dedicated to producing independent journalism. This reporting is available for republication by news organizations statewide.
NEWS
After Silver Rail, Community Asks, How Many School Resource Officers — and Deputies — Are Enough? OCTOBER 29, 2026 / BEND’S INDEPENDENT VOICE - NOW DAILY AT WWW.BENDSOURCE.COM
10
Two conflicting school safety reports have muddied the public discourse By Peter Madsen
BLPS
The Bend-La Pine Schools Resource Officer Program includes a Bend PD sergeant, five officers, and now four Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office deputies. The officers are responsible for the safety of 32 BLPS campuses.
T
he topic of school resource police officers was a hot one at an Oct. 21 Bend City Council meeting, the first since the mass shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School less than a week before. The Bend Police Department presently provides Bend-La Pine Schools with five school resource officers and a supervising sergeant, each of whom serves five to six of BLPS’ 32 schools. The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office contributes three school resource deputies, with another on the way as of this week. Many in Central Oregon say that’s not enough. Others argue whether city and school officials took to heart findings of public safety reports that came out several years prior to Oct. 15. Bernadette Strome, who is running against incumbent Melanie Kebler for Bend mayor, made an in-person public comment at the Oct 21 city council meeting, admonishing the City Council for allegedly ignoring the findings a third-party consulting group made to the Bend PD in summer 2024. The Matrix consulting group published key staffing findings that include hiring an additional school resource sergeant and four more SROs. That report, which is available on the City of Bend’s website, was published three months before the October 2024 shooting threat at Pilot Butte Middle School, when a 12-year-old brought a loaded handgun to school, along with a list of intended targets, the Source reported. The pre-teen told a teacher about the gun. Within two minutes, the teacher had escorted the student outside where an onsite school resource officer then took the student into custody. (The student was charged with suspicion of attempted murder, first-degree attempted assault and unlawful use of a weapon. Police later discovered that the student took the gun from home. A parent was subsequently charged with failing to keep the firearm locked up. It was the first time Bend PD had ever issued such a citation, the Source reported.) “Two years ago, the City was told exactly what was needed to protect our schools,” Strome told the Council. “Yet leadership did not pass the funding to partner with the district on this very important issue.” After the Pilot Butte incident, BLPS published its own After Action Review and Safety Improvement Plan. As the Source reported, the BLPS plan didn’t call for a wireless panic alarm system nor for facial-recognition cameras. The district did not find it needed any significant overhauls to its safety protocols or that systems needed to change. Communications, however, particularly in how potential victims were to be notified, could have been improved, according to the report.
BLPS’ review plan didn’t call for more officers in its classrooms and hallways. Since Silver Rail, many community members have voiced support for more cops in Bend-La Pine schools, despite decades-long concerns about a “school-toprison pipeline” that has garnered national discussions among civil liberties groups, academics and talking heads alike. By press time, more than 3,000 folks have signed the online petition “Protect Them Before the Sirens: The Silver Rail School Safety Initiative,” calling for an SRO in each of the 32 school campuses throughout the BLPS district. At the Oct. 21 Bend City Council meeting, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said that stationing an SRO in each of BLPS schools wasn’t on the table. “That’s not something we can accomplish,” Krantz said, adding that a large part of an SRO’s job is mentorship. “They do take all the crimes that are reported or associated with school property. The relationships they create are incredible and long lasting. But they’re not a full-day, everyday security guard for school district locations.” Same year as Columbine Bend-La Pine Schools began its School Resource Officer Program in partnership with Bend PD in 1999, the same year two teenagers carried out a mass shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. All three entities split the respective school resource program costs down the middle, with BLPS covering any overtime incurred for officers sticking around for extra-curricular activities. SROs employed by Bend PD make about $90,000 to $125,000 (excluding health and other benefits) each year, according to the Join Bend Police website and confirmed by Bend PD spokesperson Sheila Miller. If the school district and Bend PD were to station an SRO full-time at each of its 32 schools throughout the district, that would cost approximately $2.4 million each year for the additional 24 SROs. The Bend PD’s adopted biannual budget for FY 2025-2027 is $49.3 million, while the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office operating budget is $72.2 million for FY 2026-2027. The Bend City Council, which oversees the Bend PD budget, would have to come to agreement with BLPS for more school resource officers. Bend PD Sgt. James Kinsella oversees the SRO program. He roams through numerous schools, covering as needed.
While giving a presentation during the Bend PD Civilian Academy on June 2, Kinsella said the district could double its number of SROs (from eight to 16) and “be just about right.” He broke down the priorities of the SRO Program in descending order: stopping school shootings; mentoring; providing education and trainings to students and teachers and aiding with the administrative responsibilities of deciding whether students be punished with suspension or recommending charges to the district attorney’s office. Responding to calls for service is also a large part of a school resource officer’s responsibilities. Bend PD Spokesperson Sheila Miller declined to name the SRO assigned to Silver Rail, but she told the Source that she’s not aware of any changes to SROs assignments since Oct. 15. The SRO assigned to Silver Rail is also responsible for Caldera High School, High Desert Middle School and R.E. Jewell, Elk Meadow and Pine Ridge elementaries. In 2025, the SRO Program responded to 39 “community policing contacts” at Caldera; 34 at Mountain View; 32 at Bend High; 19 at Summit; 7 at Bend Technical Academy; and three at REALMS. Concurrently, positive interactions, which are called “community enhancement programming,” rang in at 75 at Caldera; 84 at Mountain View; 73 at Bend High; 91 at Summit; 11 at BTA; and three at REALMS, according to Bend PD. “We’re building relationship with kids before they become problems,” Kinsella said. “Kids come to school with problems from home, for example.” DCSO’s growing SRO participation In response to the Silver Rail shooting, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office announced on Oct. 26 that it’s expanding its School Resource Deputy program to include a fourth, for which it’s advertised internally, to join the three SRDs that collectively serve BLPS in Sisters, La Pine, Tumalo, Terrebonne, Sunriver and Bend’s Buckingham Elementary and Realms Middle School. Presently, the DSCO school resource deputies are Tristan Cox, Jeff Woods and Casey Karpstein. —This article is made possible by the Lay It Out Foundation. The Foundation is a Central Oregon nonprofit organization dedicated to producing independent journalism. This reporting is available for republication by news organizations statewide.
RN
Bend Burlesque Company and Pangaea Guild Hall are teaming up to offer an immersive dark-fantasy experience, three-course dinner and dance party By Dallas Finn Calvert
REDMOND PICKS
11
10/29 – 11/2 THURSDAY
10/29
5TH ANNUAL BOWTIES AND BOOTS HELP RAISE FUNDS FOR LOCAL BEHAVIORAL-HEALTH SERVICES
Photos courtesy Bend Burlesque Company
Join Rimrock Trails Treatment Services for a festive evening of live entertainment, raffles and live and silent auctions at the 5th Annual Bowties and Boots, presented by Jeff Larkin Realty. The evening celebrates community, compassion and the life-changing impact of behavioral-health services throughout Central Oregon. Tickets at www.rimrocktrails. org. From 6-9pm at Brasada Ranch Barn, 16986 SW Brasada Ranch Road in Powell Butte. $125.
10/29 Redmond Library
THURSDAY
artists but, because it’s inside, without the live flame. “It’s an adult show, but like a variety show,” DeVine said. “Burlesque has a long history in being sultry, satirical entertainment. A lot of people think, ‘Oh, burlesque dancers just put feathers in their hair and take off their clothes,’ but it’s really a lot more than that. It has its roots in Paris, and while there is this sensual element to it, it really started as a way to make commentary about the social, pop, cultural and political landscape, in this really cheeky way. A lot of performers would dress as different characters or even like politicians, and then there was a sexually charged dance routine or song but often with a comedic element. Today, it’s really found a rebirth, and is often called ‘neo-burlesque.’” Costumes are encouraged but not required at the adults-only event, DeVine said. “They’re strongly encouraged, but everyone is always welcome to come as they are,” DeVine said. “That’s one of our tenets, coming as you are, and being accepted as you are, but we are dramatic, theatrical people, so we love costumes and always encourage them. But there’s no judgement. If that’s not your thing, you can still come and enjoy the show.” “Fears & Fantasies” burlesque show, dinner and dance party
Fri., Oct. 30; doors open 5:30pm, dinner 6pm, show 8pm, dance party 10pm Pangaea Guild Hall, located in High Desert Music Hall 818 SW Forest Ave., Redmond bendticket.com/events/fears-fantasies-10-30-2026 Price varies
AUTHORS
Enjoy readings from some spooky books, as part of the Oregon Book Awards Author Tour. Zoey Abbott, a picture book author; young-adult thriller writer Courtney Gould; and fiction author Karen Thompson Walker will be on hand on Thursday, Oct. 29 from 6-7:30pm at the Redmond Library, 827 Southwest Deschutes Ave. Free.
MONDAY
11/2 Provisions Market and SCP Redmond
D
ragons, masked assassins, vampires, witches, dark elves and myriad other fantasy beings will be stirring at Redmond’s High Desert Music Hall on Friday, Oct. 30 as the Bend Burlesque Company and Pangaea Guild Hall team up for a night of “Fears & Fantasies,” an immersive dark-fantasy experience. This isn’t the usual Halloween party. The 8pm show will feature 10 Bend Burlesque performers who’ll combine their dancing prowess with pole, flow arts, aerial silks and storytelling. After the show, there’s a “Dance of the Damned” party, while prior to the show, Pangaea Guild Hall is offering a 6pm optional fantasy-themed dinner. It’s celebrating its recent expansion to open a full-time restaurant and gaming space billed as a place to “eat, play and belong” in the High Desert Music Hall. The three-course dinner will be served community style, so attendees can get to know each other, with the menu including pumpkin bisque served in baby pumpkins; pork loin stuffed with apple chutney, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots and broccolini, and apple layer cake. A vegetarian dinner option of portabella steak with chimichurri is also available. There’ll also be live entertainment during the dinner, including a magician and singers, and “guild” tables where vampires can nosh with fellow bloodsuckers and elves can bond at another table. “It’s a great opportunity to go and meet some new people in the community, which I think we can sometimes be shy about as adults, and we’re really encouraging you to lean into the fantasy of it,” said Ivy DeVine, owner of Bend Burlesque. During the post-dinner show, expect a plethora of performers, including pole dancers and an aerial-silk and “flow” artist who uses LED lights, similar to fire
AFEATURING HALLOWEEN READING OREGON BOOK AWARDS
PAINTER’S CHOICE: HEART WIDE BRIM HAT PAINT PARTY WALK AWAY WITH A COOL HAT WITH A HEART IN THE MIDDLE
Come paint a wide brim hat with a heart shape in the middle. Participants choose their design and then buy the color they desire.. There will be stencils provided so participants can design it themselves. Tickets are limited. From 6-8pm at Provisions Market at SCP Redmond, 521 SW Sixth St., Redmond.
VOLUME 30 ISSUE 44 / OCTOBER 29, 2026 / THE SOURCE
REDMOND NEWS
Celebrate Halloween Night with an Exploration of Fantasies and Fears
FEATURE
OCTOBER 29, 2026 / BEND’S INDEPENDENT VOICE - NOW DAILY AT WWW.BENDSOURCE.COM
12
‘ I’m Just a Carpenter from Bend’ Father Who Killed Silver Rail School Shooter Grapples With the Aftermath
In an exclusive interview with OPB, Kaylub Giamanco, the man who fatally shot the teenage school shooter at Silver Rail Elementary, shares what he wants people to know about his experience. OPB granted the Source permission to reprint the interview. By Emily Cureton Cook and Jen Baires, Oregon Public Broadcasting
Photo by Saskia Hatvany/OPB
K
aylub Giamanco woke up and got his kids ready for school that Thursday like it was any other day. The family made breakfast and packed lunches. He and his wife spent a little extra time dressing up their two girls because Oct. 15 was picture day at Silver Rail Elementary. Giamanco dropped the girls off as usual, then the 36-year-old carpenter headed to a job site northeast of Bend. He had brought a packed lunch in his truck, but when afternoon came around, he decided to go home instead to eat leftover tacos with his wife. He thought about running some errands on the way, but decided against it. He was four blocks from their house when he turned on Brentwood Avenue, the road running along the south side of Silver Rail. In an exclusive interview with OPB, Giamanco described the series of seemingly insignificant decisions that brought him to that intersection at 12:58 p.m. that day — the same time a 16-year-old carrying a shotgun approached his children’s school. It was the packed lunch he didn’t eat, the masonry shop where he didn’t stop, the bolts he needed but didn’t buy, and the gun he says had just been “collecting dust” in his truck console. Passing by the school that day, Giamanco spotted someone carrying a gun, followed him into the school, and then shot and killed the teen who fired shotgun rounds into a special education classroom. The shooter killed three children, ages 5, 8 and 11, and a 25-yearold teacher. Two other people were seriously injured. Police credit Giamanco with saving many lives at the school of more than 400 children. But before all that, there were years helping his single mother as the oldest of seven children, there was the motorbike accident when he saved his brother’s life with a makeshift tourniquet, and the informal
military training he’d gotten from Iraq War veterans. A lifetime that shaped Giamanco, he believes, and prepared him for what he would do next. “I’ve always wanted to change the world, but I’ve felt small. I’m just a carpenter from Bend, Oregon. I was a nobody other than to my friends and family,” he said. “I feel like if I’m going to have a voice, then I’ll be damned if I’m not going to use it to change this world, to make it a better place.” Right after he turned on Brentwood Avenue Oct. 15, Giamanco noticed a “man in black” holding a long gun. This must be a prank, or a BB gun, he remembered thinking. Then he saw the shooter fire twice at a red pickup truck and turn toward the school grounds to fire once more at a woman mowing the school’s lawn.
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“I’m sorry. I have to go in. People are going to die.”
When he saw the shooter throw the gun over the school fence before climbing it, “that’s when panic fled into my brain, and that’s when I opened my center console.” His “heart dropped” for a second, he said, as he wondered if the .40 caliber handgun he rarely used would be there. It was. He got the magazine from a separate compartment and drove into the school parking lot while watching the shooter walk across the school grounds.
“I just was in full panic, like, ‘No, there’s children, there’s babies in there.’ I told my Siri to call 911,” he said. The dispatcher had questions for him, but he didn’t stay on the call to answer them. “I said, ‘I’m sorry, I have to go in. People are going to die.’” He hopped over the fence as the shooter was passing along on the opposite side of a wallball court, he said. Giamanco pursued while staying out of sight, shuffling along the court as the shooter reached the glass double doors to the school’s side entrance. “I heard him fire two shots into the doors,” he said. Giamanco ran from the wallball court to the building and got prone, moving on hands and knees along the windows. “That’s when I started hearing children pleading for their lives and then I started hearing gunfire and I just started army crawling faster and faster and I told myself this is probably the last thing that I’m ever going to do.” He crawled faster and faster, he said, until he reached a bottom window that had been shot out and crawled through it, too. He stayed on hands and knees until he reached the special education classroom on his left. He re-racked his weapon to make sure a live round came out, “so that I knew that I was ready to go.” When he peeked through the window of the classroom, he saw a teacher struggling with the shooter, both in profile to him. “I knew that he did not know that I was there,” Giamanco said. He swung the door open and stepped in. “And I fired.” The teacher and the shooter dropped to the floor. Then the teacher rose and sprinted from the classroom
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“I want to apologize for not saving their babies”
In the hours after the shooting, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz spoke at a press conference about his actions, and those of the teacher who grappled with the shooter. “I don’t think we can underestimate or underappreciate that courage,” Krantz said. In the week that followed, Giamanco and his family have been inundated by reporters calling and knocking on their door, and by political advocacy groups hoping he will tell his story on their behalf. Armed civilians stopping mass shooters is exceptionally rare. In 600 cases in the U.S. since 2000, it’s happened only a few dozen times. Experts who study mass shootings told OPB they were unaware if any of those had involved schools. President Donald Trump called Giamanco “a great hero that went in and did the business.”
Giamanco has been thrust into the limelight, into politics and gun control debates. Deschutes County reported this week that applications for concealed handgun licenses are on the rise since the incident. Giamanco, who told OPB he’s an independent, says he’s not interested in anyone’s finger pointing. “I teach my children that we love, we accept everybody,” he said. “I don’t want to make this a political situation.” In the shooting’s aftermath, he’s just trying to sleep at night. After his family goes to bed, he lies awake. “I relive, I see faces, I hear voices, I hear screams.” He thinks about the teenager he shot. “Sometimes there’s a child out there that didn’t have the love that they deserved,” Giamanco said. “But I do want to believe that if he had more love in his life and better parenting, that this could have been prevented.” He also replays the day in his head and wonders if he could have stopped him sooner and saved more lives. “It was split second decisions while gunfire was going off, while children were losing their lives,” he said. He thinks about his gratitude for the teacher who wrestled with the shooter, who he says gave him the chance to make his shot without losing his own life. He still doesn’t know her name. “I would love to give her a hug because that’s a real true hero,” he said. He thinks about the families of the people who were killed. He said he hasn’t spoken to any of them yet. “I want to apologize for not saving their babies,” he said, his voice breaking with emotion. “The gratitude for saving people’s children is awesome, but there were ones that I didn’t save.” Giamanco knows he’s being called a hero. He said it’s getting easier each day to think of himself that way. “I want to be a hero in this world,” he said. “It feels like I was meant to be here and do this.” He grew up in Bend, a self-described sci-fi nerd who loves riding four-wheelers and motocross bikes with his siblings. His grandfather bought him his first gun when he was 7, a shotgun they took bird hunting in the Ochoco Mountains. He said he and his grandfather led classes to teach kids how to safely handle guns, use a bow and arrow, and survive if you’re trapped in the woods. He plans to teach his daughters to use guns. “It’s more dangerous to be afraid of a gun than it is to just be comfortable with one and know that they’re there to either provide you food or to provide you protection,” he said. When Giamanco was 15, his father left his family. “It was chaotic,” he said. “We did not grow up wealthy, but my mother did everything she could to raise seven children, mostly on her own.” As the oldest of the seven, Giamanco realized they Photo by Eli Imadali / OPB
Kyle Ketchum, left, and Christina Edwards hold each other as they look at a makeshift memorial in front of Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, on Oct. 16.
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“I can see it in her eyes”
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were all looking to him. “I was young at the time. I wasn’t a father,” he said, but others kept telling him: “These kids are looking up to you. You lead by example. They watch everything you do.” Giamanco stopped hunting for a long time, starting when he was around 18. He studied geography at Central Oregon Community College before landing a carpentry apprenticeship through a family friend. It was only years later, while building a restaurant in Redmond, that the client reintroduced him to guns, he said. “He was highly decorated. He’s had multiple tours in Iraq and he is an amazing gentleman,” Giamanco said. “His platoon would come out to Bend and I built targets and walls for them.” The veterans offered to train him on using military drill and weapons, and the experience inspired him to own guns again. “I felt like if I didn’t have that training, I probably wouldn’t be alive today,” he told OPB. Until his interview with OPB, Giamanco had not yet told his family the details of what happened at Silver Rail, he said. He decided to share his story, he said, because he feels a need to embrace the public eye. He doesn’t know whether he’ll return to carpentry. “I feel like I was put on this earth to do something more than just fix houses,” he said. An idea has taken hold in the days since the Silver Rail shooting: a motocross race that donates all proceeds to schools for improving their safety. That could mean funding bulletproof glass on the doors, better locks, and better research to make these kids feel safe at school. He also wants school resource officers at every school. “We have AI. We are in a world of technology right now. We have smart homes. We have smart cars. Why can’t we have smart schools?” His own kids won’t be going back to school for quite some time, he said. Since the shooting, the family has stayed at a hotel, then a vacation rental, he said, because they can see the school from their house. They’ve been trying to take their minds off the tragedy with homemade chowder and board games. “My 5-year-old probably a hundred times a day comes up to me and just hugs me and says, ‘I love you, Daddy.’ And I hug her, I pick her up, and squeeze her as hard as I can. I say, ‘I love you too. You’re my world.’” His 10-year-old daughter is more reserved. She knows what’s going on, he said. “She has just the biggest heart in the world and I can tell, I can see it in her eyes.” He keeps reminding her of his love, he said, and that he will always be there to protect her, no matter what. “That’s our job as parents to be here for children, to spend time with them, to show them our love and compassion,” he said, “So that they know that they have people in this world standing behind them.” -This story is being republished through a content sharing partnership between the Source and Oregon Public Broadcasting. It was written and reported by Emily Cureton Cook and Jen Baires, edited by Gillian Flaccus and Tony Schick, digitally produced by Frankie Benitez, with video and photos by Julia Reihs and Saskia Hatvany, and visual editing by Kristyna Wentz-Graff. The audio version was scripted and produced by Tiffany Camhi and edited by Michelle Wiley. The original version can be found on the OPB website.
13 VOLUME 30 ISSUE 44 / OCTOBER 29, 2026 / THE SOURCE
in fear, Giamanco assumed, thinking that he was a second attacker. He looked down at the shooter. “He was scrambling for his weapon,” he said. “I looked at him and I shot him two more times to make sure that he couldn’t move because I was afraid of him shooting anybody else.” By then, Giamanco could hear sirens. He went out of the classroom to look for the teacher who’d fled, then laid his gun on the ground and held up his hands as the first officer on the scene appeared, geared in body armor and wielding a rifle. Minutes had passed since he called 911 outside the school. As police and first responders descended, Giamanco made his way back to his truck. He unloaded his gun, laid it on the floorboard and pulled out his phone. “I called my wife to tell her that I’m not coming home for tacos,” he said. He told her to get to the school right away because he had just fatally shot someone who was killing children and teachers. He called his mom next. “She was just like, ‘OK, baby, calm down. You did the right thing. You’re a hero. You saved lives.’ And I was just like, I didn’t save everybody. I didn’t get them all.’” Word of Giamanco’s actions first circulated over the emergency dispatch: “shooter has been neutralized, possibly shot by a father at the school.” Giamanco’s name was circulating publicly less than a day later.
FEATURE
S OCTOBER 29, 2026 / BEND’S INDEPENDENT VOICE - NOW DAILY AT WWW.BENDSOURCE.COM
14
SOUND I
20 Years on the ‘Front Lines of Joy’
Gabe Johnson, musician and promoter who founded Parallel 44 Presents, gets set to mark 1,500 shows and two decades of sharing the love of music By Nicole Vulcan
n 2005, when musician, promoter and thenagent Gabe Johnson moved to Bend, our city, now nearing 110,000 people, was a town of around 67,000. As the population began to explode and the building cranes began to hover in the sky, Johnson also found a music scene in need of a lift. Johnson is a lifelong musician who founded an agency representing musicians, In the Pocket Artists, in 2005. Not long after his arrival in Bend, McMenamins, a growing brand which had opened its Bend location, Old St. Francis School, in 2004, asked Johnson for help promoting its nascent shows. Amid the ups and downs of the music industry and the rapid rise of Bend as a booming outdoors mecca, the rest, as they say, is history. This year, Johnson and his company, Parallel 44 Presents, celebrate 20 years in Central Oregon, along with the milestone 1,500th show with his longtime band, Watkins Glen, set for Nov. 7 at Volcanic Theatre Pub. “I think I’m most proud of my legacy as a musician, but when you’re feeding a family and you’re of service and useful, people ask you to help in all kinds of other ways,” Johnson recalled of his early days juggling the agency, musicianship and then, increasingly, booking local shows. Johnson kept on the busy track of booking, promoting, playing, touring and representing artists for a number of years — all activities that circled around the music industry, if not exactly living inside its best parts. After a health scare, Johnson decided to stop booking tours and representing artists. His mantra was thus: “From now on, I’m gonna be on the ‘front lines of joy,’ meaning I’m either playing music, I’m promoting it, or I’m doing both at the same time, and I want to be where the joy is happening that I
Courtesy Gabe Johnson
planned.” Further clarity of purpose happened during the pandemic, when Johnson said he made the decision to go sober. He’ll celebrate six years of sobriety this Halloween, he said. Since then, he’s taken a step back from the all-in approach of booking every show he can, to the “pick your spots” approach that prioritizes shows and venues he values. The pursuit of joy also involves continuing to play in bands — so many bands. Johnson is probably best known as the guitarist for Watkins Glen, what he describes as a “mashup celebration of Allman Brothers, the Grateful Dead, the band Little Feet, and ‘70s funk music.” He’s also ushered in the “3.0” version of the local band Elektrapod, a dance, funk, jam, pop and R&B band that now features Johnson’s
daughter, 15-year-old Scarlett Rae, on lead vocals and 22-year-old, nationally known Malaika Friedman on keys. Johnson also plays in Friedman’s jazz group, Malaika Friedman Group, as well as the “roots funk” band Sonic Benders, which plays locally. He’s also got the Brother Gabe Trio, what he describes as, “more in the vein of John Mayer trio, Steve Ray Vaughan, and more singer/songwriter oriented.” And if that’s not enough, Johnson also puts together special bands, including the “flashback to 1976” band that will play this Halloween at McMenamins. This year’s tribute includes everything from, “Aretha Franklin to the Eagles to Chaka Khan to Joni Mitchell,” Johnson said. “We’re picking our favorite songs from that year and really doing them justice.” With him is a special lineup of local musical luminaries, including Pete Kartsounes on vocals, Mark Quon and Lily Worona. Parallel 44’s 1,500th show with the Watkins Glen Super Deluxe Band (featuring Cliff Porter, Kartsounes and Swiz) is set for Saturday, Nov. 7 at Volcanic Theatre Pub. But Johnson — always in search of that front line of joy — is also welcoming Goodnight Texas at The Belfry Nov. 14, The California Honeydrops at Midtown Ballroom Nov. 18, Family Mystic at Domino Room Dec. 4 and Fractal & Sonic Benders at the Domino Room Dec. 11. Music, after all, is supposed to bring us together. “We haven’t lost our magic, our faith, our trust,” Johnson said, reflecting on Bend’s Oct. 15 tragedy. “Even though things like the recent shooting tamp down people’s spirit and the general messaging in this this fascist zeitgeist is for us to be afraid and to stay separate and on our phones, there is an underbelly of really strong community in this town that comes out and says no, hell no, we’re getting together.”
SOURCE PICKS WEDNESDAY
10/28
FALL INTO COMMUNITY FESTIVAL CELEBRATING CONNECTION, CREATIVITY The annual Deschutes Public Library Literary Ghost Walk has been reimaged this year as the Fall Into Community evening of free activities for all ages. There’ll be live music, crafts, library staff and volunteers dressed up as authors, and a few new surprises and expanded footprint, to boot. From 5-7pm at the Central Library, 61956 SW Santorini St., Bend. Free.
THURSDAY
10/29
10/29-10/31
ROCKY HORROR AND HORROR CORE HALLOWEEN WEEKEND THREE DAYS OF HALLOWEEN FUN, WITH Murder Mystery, Rocky Horror, Horror Core Drag, a Tim Curry tribute, goth nights, a hip-hop party and so much more. On Thursday, check out the all-ages showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show with a Tim Curry Tribute and dance party, while on Friday, it’s Halloween Hip-Hop and on Saturday, there’s a Kids’ Halloween Adventure from 11am-4pm followed by a dance party, horror-core drag and another showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Times and ticket prices vary by day, but it’s all happening at Open Space Event Studios, 220 NE Lafayette Ave., Bend.
10/30 Pattie Gonia
OAC
Join the Central Oregon Avalanche Center for a fundraiser and an evening of exploratory ski mountaineering and alpinism with Sam Hennessey and Ryan Griffiths, (who was born and raised in Bend) world-class mountain travelers who have helped redefine what's possible in the Alaska Range and beyond, on skinny skis and with exceptional fitness and alpine-climbing chops. Doors open 5:15pm, program starts at 6pm at Silver Moon Brewing, Webfoot Garage, 24 NW Greenwood, Bend. $10.
10/31
TRUNK OR TREAT AT CRAFT CANDY, CANDY AND MORE CANDY (AND BEER, TOO)
PREPARING FOR DIA DE MUERTOS
Check out the free Community Craft Night where there’ll be Catrina face painting in preparation for Dia de los Muertos, which is Nov. 1-2. No experience needed, just creativity. All ages and families are welcome to this free event, which runs from 4-7pm at the Open Arts Center, 999 NE 2nd St., Bend. Free.
10/29
PATTIE GONIA: SAVE HER! FEATURING SEQUOIA AND VERA! HUMOR, POWER, UPCYCLED OUTFITS AND MORE
Watch Pattie Gonia’s SAVE HER! drag show and stay for a Halloween costume party DJ’d by Matt Suave and hosted by Pattie Gonia. Show touches on climate, politics and the power of nature and features co-hosts VERA! And Sequois, not to mention an all-start cast of local kings and queens. 21+ please. 8-10:30pm at Midtown Ballroom, 51 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend. $59.05-$174.95. Adobe Stock
Check out this free, family-friendly event where trickor-treaters can go from car to car to snag a treat. For those wanting to decorate their car’s trunk and hand out candy, registration with the club is required by emailing youth@athleticclubofbend,com. No scary costumes, please, as there’ll be little trick-or-treaters. 3-5pm (car set up begins at 2:45pm) at the Athletic Club of Bend, 61615 Athletic Club Dr., Bend. Free.
towertheatre.org
SKI MOUNTAINEERING IN THE ALASKA RANGE: A COAC FUNDRAISER PRESENTED BY THE HIGH ROUTE
SATURDAY
DIA DE MUERTOS COMMUNITY CRAFTS NIGHT ENJOY FOOD AND COMMUNITY WHILE
TRUNK OR TREAT AT BEND ATHLETIC CLUB FREE TREATS IN THE COURTYARD AT BAC
10/30 Adam Fabrikant
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE!
FRIDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
FRIDAY
10/30
RAD GLASS BEER CUP CRAWL DON’T MISS THE CAR CRAWL, COSTUME CONTEST AND SCAVENGER HUNT
Matthew Du Bois, a renowned glass artist known for creating fine-art glass drinkware, is hosting a Glass Cup Crawl on his birthday, where participants will undertake a scavenger hunt to earn raffle tickets to win a new, heady piece by Rad Glass. Don’t forget to wear a costume. Begins at 4:30-8pm at Higher Elevation Smoke Shop and Glass Gallery, 806 NW Brooks St., Ste. 100, Bend. Tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/radglass-tickets-2001721044529. Free to $535.38.
Saturday, November 21
SCHISM: A TRIBUTE TO TOOL
Grab costumes, round up the kiddos and celebrate Halloween with Craft, where the parking lot will be filled with decorated trunks, Halloween fun, and— most importantly—CANDY! Noon-3pm at Craft Kitchen & Brewery, 62988 Layton Ave., Bend. Free.
SATURDAY
10/31
TRUNK OR TREAT AND SCAVENGER HUNT AT FIRST PRESBYTERIAN FUN FOR ALL AGES
Trick-or-treat from car to car, play carnival games, enjoy hot cider, find all the scavenger-hunt items and more. There are lots of ways to volunteer and make the magic happen, from decorating the trunk of your car to serving. Email bbreed@bendfp.org. 3-4:30pm at First Presbyterian Bend, 230 NE 9th St., Bend. Free.
SATURDAY
10/31
RED CARPET CAR WASH 55TH ANNIVERSARY AND TRUNK-ORTREAT FAMILY-FRIENDLY HALLOWEEN FUN
Enjoy decorated trunks, Halloween treats, face painting, activities, family photos and costume fun as Red Carpet Car Wash celebrates 55 years serving Central Oregon with a trunk-or-treat extravaganza. 4-6pm at Red Carpet Car Wash South, 235 SE 3rd St., Bend. Free.
Sunday, November 22
SCOTT BRADLEE'S POSTMODERN JUKEBOX
Tuesday, December 1
JAKE SHIMABUKURO HOLIDAYS IN HAWAII
15 VOLUME 30 ISSUE 44 / OCTOBER 29, 2026 / THE SOURCE
AND JOY
THURSDAY-SATURDAY
10/28 – 10/31
LIVE MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE
CALENDAR
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→ Nathan Stanley
OCTOBER 29, 2026 / BEND’S INDEPENDENT VOICE - NOW DAILY AT WWW.BENDSOURCE.COM
16
28 Wednesday The Commonwealth Pub Musician’s Open Showcase Calling all musicians! Join us for a special opportunity to share your talent, connect with other artists and perform in a welcoming and collaborative, music-loving atmosphere hosted by The Session. Signups at 5pm, music starts at 6pm. 5pm. The Coyote Partner & Line Dance Lessons
at The Coyote Join us for fun dance lessons on Wednesdays at The Coyote in downtown Bend! Partner dance lessons from 6–7pm with Seth and McKenna. No partner or experience needed. Beginner-friendly line-dance lessons follow from 7–8pm with Alex Reininger. Learn two fun dances in one hour. Come solo and connect in a welcoming atmosphere. Enjoy great energy, a spacious dance floor, food, drinks, mocktails, pool tables and TVs. 6-8pm. Free.
Craft Kitchen and Brewery Comedy Open Mic Night Open mic comedy on Bend’s NE side. Come down, eat some BBQ, drink some drinks and be prepared to laugh. 7:30-9pm. Free. M&J Tavern Musicians Open Mic All Musicians
welcome to the downtown living room! Sign-ups start at 6pm. Set up and ready to go by 6:30pm. You bring instrument, your band and your friends. Goes until last call or last musician, which ever happens first. 21 and over. 6:30pm. Free.
Northside Bar & Grill Mellow Wednesday Open Mic Night Open mic night hosted by Derek Michael Marc! 5:30-8pm. Free. Portello Lounge Music Bingo Music Bingo is
hosted by the always entertaining Rachel Fishman, who keeps the crowd singing and laughing all night! It’s the perfect bonus to a night out enjoying great food, drinks and good company at Portello! 6:30-8:30pm. Free.
The Domino Room The Hasbens - 6th Annual Halloween - At The Domino Room The Hasbens are bringing their 6th Annual Halloween show to the Domino Room, joined by local support ROMZ! The Hasbens will be mixing up a monster mash of songs by Primus, the album “Animals” by Pink Floyd, more Animal “themed” jams and their own original music. 7pm-Midnight. Early Bird (available through Oct 3rd): $10; Advance: $15; Door: $25. Eastside Worthy Brewing Comedy Mics Treat yourself to free entertainment on select Thursday nights. Hear fresh jokes from established comedians, cheer on first timers and drink tasty brews. 7-9pm. Free. Hosmer Bar Bingo Night Your week just found its highlight—bingo! Drinks, good company and a little friendly competition. 7-9pm. Free. The Lot Lava Butte Boys Authentic bluegrass duo featuring tight traditional picking and rich vocal harmonies. 6-8pm. Free. M&J Tavern Rock Gods Halloween Kick off First Halloween weekend show announced with a “Rock God’” theme! Rock-n-roll and Punk Rock dominate the stage with Cutter Marie opening up for Problem Stick. Costume contest begins at 10pm and winner announced @ 10:30pm with a cash prize to the best interpretation/costume. 9pm. Free, but please tip the bands!. Mountain Burger Caveman Dave Live at Mountain Burger! Caveman Dave at Mountain Burger for Thursday Night Live. Great music, food and company! 6-8pm. River’s Place Bootlegger’s Bash! Celebrate our 8 year anniversary with a “Who Dunnit” mystery (a la the game Clue). At the party, you will find clues to help you solve the mystery and a chance to win the grand prize. Live bluegrass/ Americana music by Use’ta Do. It will be a real hootenany. Costumes welcome! 6-8pm. Free. Silver Moon Brewing TRIBUTE TO DR.
Silver Moon Brewing Holy Pinto &
guests “Sweetly jangling, good-natured Britpop - dispensed with abundant charm and grace, his songs feel warm and lived-in.” - Stephen Thompson, NPR 7-10pm. $14.92.
29 Thursday The Capitol No DnB w/ Khariszma - Supporting Sara’s Project San Francisco’s Khariszma brings a night of dark, soulful drum and bass to The Capitol, joined by local DJs. All proceeds from the event benefit Sara’s Project in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 8pm-1:30am. $5.
The Cellar Live Irish Trad Music with The Ballybogs! Live music featuring Bend’s Irish Trad band, The Ballybogs! Every Thursday at The Cellar. Seats fill up, so get there early! 6-8pm. Free. The Commonwealth Pub Switchback Catch them for one of their last gigs. Pushing boundaries, breaking the mold. With their unique blend of classic and alternative rock, lead singer Natalie Gibbs, with Spooky Robinson (guitar), Bill Ridner (bass), and Danny Kuettle (drums), unleash the energy and passion of the music you love. 8:30-10:30pm. Free. Dogwood At The Pine Shed Drag Bingo: Halloween Drag Bingo is back at the Dogwood at the Pine Shed for Halloween! Hosted by Riley Burrows! Seating at 6pm. Bingo starts at 7pm. $5 per card, good for all games. Arrive early to get the best seats in the house. Let’s Get Spooky. 6-9pm. $5 per card.
RALPH STANLEY Starring NATHAN STANLEY & CONSTANT SORROW & The Last Wild Buffalo A Dove Award winner, Grammy nominee, and ICM Award winner, Nathan Stanley. His tribute show celebrates not only the remarkable career of Dr. Ralph Stanley, but also the family bond and musical legacy that continues to live on. Don’t miss this heartfelt tribute honoring one of bluegrass music’s greatest legends, performed by the grandson who knew him best. 7-10pm. $22.94.
The Winery at Manzanita- Bend Vino &
Vibes Enjoy an evening of wine and Local community grooves every Thursday. Local singers and song writers welcome. 5-7pm. Free.
Volcanic Theatre Pub STEELY DEAD - A Sonic Fusion Of The Grateful Dead & Steely Dan Parallel 44 Presents STEELY DEAD - A SONIC FUSION OF THE GRATEFUL DEAD & STEELY DAN live at Volcanic Theatre in Bend, OR on Thursday, October 29, 2026. 7:30pm Doors - 8pm Show - All ages welcome 7:30pm. $30.
Check out the tribute to Dr. Ralph Stanley by his grandson and Grammy nominee Nathan Stanley on Thursday, Oct. 29 at Silver Moon Brewing.
The Commonwealth Pub ShineOla Singalong The Shine you know and love now has an alter ego... meet Shineola!! Shineola has one main aim- to get the audience singing at the top of their lungs! 5-7pm. Craft Kitchen & Brewery Bend Bachelor Comedy Show The Bend Bachelor Comedy Show at Craft Kitchen: spooky edition! Join us for another Bachelor show with a comedic twist! Come relax and laugh with us with some comedy and match making. We’ll start the night off with music from Atillion, and then kick off the bachelor portion. 8-9:30pm. $15-$20. Bend Burlesque Company presents: Fears and Fantasies This
Halloween, Bend Burlesque Company and Pangea Guild Hall are partnering to bring you an immersive Dark Fantasy-themed evening of storytelling through burlesque, pole, flow arts and aerial silks. Expect to see Dragon Riders, Masked Assassins, Witches, Vampires and Dark Elves. Optional add-on of a seated dinner before the show. Oct. 30, 8-10pm. High Desert Music Hall, 818 SW Forest Ave., Redmond. Contact: 978-771-4635. hello@bendburlesquecompany. com. $40 - $1,500.
M&J Tavern Super Hero or Villain Hal-
loween party Halloween 2026 continues with a Super Hero/Villain-themed party for the masses! Music at 9pm by local lady fronted bands Mari & the Dream and Wicked Darlings with special guest Danbert Nobacon f/Chumbawamba to open the festivities. Costume contest with cash prize winner announced at 11pm. 9pm. Free, but please tip the bands!.
McMenamins Father Luke’s Room
The Astro Lounge Live local sounds with
Coyote Rider’s EP Release Show EP Release Show featuring a special guest! Coyote Rider is a singer songwriter project based in Bend, with Kim Kelley on guitar and vocals, Kat Hilst on cello, mandolin and vocals and Tim Coffey on guitar and vocals. 7-10pm. Free.
The Commonwealth Pub Pre-Halloween Bash with Shineola and Superball Come party and get ready for Halloween with Shineola and Superball. Scary songs are guaranteed! 5pm-Midnight. Free.
HER! Feat. Sequoia and VERA! Pattie Gonia stars in SAVE HER!, a drag show about the climate, politics, and the power of nature. Featuring co-hosts VERA!, Sequoia, and an all-star cast of local drag kings and queens, SAVE HER! delivers performances with humor, power, upcycled outfits, and more. 8-10:30pm. $35.87 - $151.77.
30 Friday assorted DJs. Live local sounds from different artists every Friday and Saturday. 10pm-2am. Weekend cover charge.
Midtown Ballroom Pattie Gonia: SAVE
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Open Space Event Studios Hip Hop Halloween Party Showcase Local hip hop artists throw a party! Come hang out with some good artists for some great vibes. Check out a couple vendors, hit the dance floor, grab some concessions from Pangaea, come dress to impress and HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 7:30-11:30pm. $10. Upp Liquids La Bon Burlesque Presents: Carnevil A wicked weekend of twisted thrills, tantalizing teases, and sideshow curiosities. Friday features fire artists, flash tattoos, sword swallowing, fortune telling, games, and more. Saturday brings another wicked show followed by a Halloween dance party with go-go dancing by Là Bon. Also on Saturday, Oct. 31. Come for one night or the whole weekend! 5:30-10pm. $10-$80.
31 Saturday The Astro Lounge Live local sounds with
assorted DJs. Live local sounds from different artists every Friday and Saturday. 10pm-2am. Weekend cover charge.
Bridge 99 Brewery Bridge 99 Brewery Family-Friendly Karaoke Night If you’re looking for fun on Saturday night, come out to Bridge 99 for karaoke with A Fine Note Karaoke Too! It’s a great night out for the whole family. Adults, children and even good dogs are welcome. It’s the show where you’re the star! 6-9pm. Free. The Commons Cafe & Taproom
RiseUpandGroove Halloween Dance & Costume Party Celebrate Halloween with RiseUpandGroove at The Commons in downtown Bend for a morning of music, dancing, costumes and community! Free for all ages, with fun costume prizes provided by our community partners. Mornings are for dancing. Let’s RiseUpandGroove. 9-10:30am. Free.
The Commonwealth Pub Studio 666 Halloween Party with Shine and Funk Around And Find Out (FAFO) This Halloween, Commonwealth Pub becomes STUDIO 666—a little disco glamour, a little beautiful decay, and a whole lot of live music. Come dressed to haunt the dance floor as Shine kicks off the night and Funk Around & Find Out takes you through midnight with funk, soul, and reimagined favorites. 7pm-Midnight. Free.
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EVENTS
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT
Hardtails Bar & Grill 2nd Annual Hal-
M&J Tavern Alice in Wonderland Blacklight Halloween party Dress your best and be ready! Trapper Keepers and Sungrater will be bringing the tunes while the party turns up to eleven! Alice in Wonderland is the theme with blacklights and fun for all that are 21+. Cash prize for best costume at 11pm. Must have ID. 9pm. Free, but please tip the bands!. McMenamins Old St. Francis School Halloween Party All treats at our
Halloween Party, no tricking! Enjoy an evening of music in both the Theater and Father Luke’s Room! Dance the Monster Mash between the two shows while sipping on Halloween-inspired cocktails. Don’t forget to dress in your Halloween best for the costume contest. 9-11:30pm. $25 advance, $30 day of.
River’s Place Saturday Jazz Sessions T5
Jazz, led by Thomas Tsuneta. 6-8pm. Free.
Tower Theatre Pigs on the Wing: Beyond
Pompeii Pigs on the Wing turns 20 this year and continues the celebration with a very special live performance inspired by Pink Floyd’s iconic 1972 concert film, “Live at Pompeii” plus a full second set of classic hits and fan favorites! 7:30-10pm. $52.85-$59.75.
1 Sunday GoodLife Brewing Live Music in the Good-
Life Beer Garden Free Live Music in GoodLife’s Beergarden every Sunday 4-6 and Tuesday 6-8. Full Kitchen, Full Bar, Food Trucks, Playground, Kids Menu, GOOD VIBES! 4-6pm. Free.
2 Monday The Commonwealth Pub Anderson Knight Koenig With his percussive rhythm guitar style, Anderson Knight Koenig tells stories about his life through songs, some of which might make you cry while others will make you want to get up and dance. Mostly original songs with a few great covers. 8-10pm. Free. M&J Tavern Vinyl Night Monday Night just got
better!!! 9pm to Midnight. SupaFly will be your Dj. Bring your own vinyl and sign up to add it to the Playlist or pick from hers. 9pm. Free.
drinks all day and live music at night, get down to On Tap. 11am-9pm. Free.
Provisions Market at SCP Redmond
11/02- (Monday) Painter’s Choice: Heart Wide Brim Hat Paint Party @ SCP Hotel in Redmond Come paint a wide brim hat with a heart shape in the middle. You get to choose the design at the party, you just buy the color hat you want. There will be stencils provided for you to design it yourself. Tickets are limited. 6-8pm. 55.
3 Tuesday Ballers & Brews American Mahjong Open Play at Ballers & Brews Enjoy two hours of social play, meet local Mahj players and connect around the table. Join Bend Mahj for a fun, relaxed evening of American Mahjong at Ballers & Brews! For players who know the basics of American Mahjong. Advance registration required at www. bendmahj.com. Space is limited! Every other Tuesday, 5:30-8pm. $25. The Cellar Open Mic Open Mic is hosted by Mari of the band, Mari & The Dream! This is an intimate night of sharing music in a welcoming environment and supportive community. 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. The Commonwealth Pub Blue Soul Jazz - Tuesday Night Jazz Come enjoy a soulful night of jazz as part of our Tuesday night jazz series. 7-9pm. GoodLife Brewing Live Music in the Good-
Life Beer Garden Free Live Music in GoodLife’s Beergarden every Sunday 4-6 and Tuesday 6-8. Full Kitchen, Full Bar, Food Trucks, Playground, Kids Menu, GOOD VIBES! 6-8pm. Free.
Initiative Brewing - The Hub Bingo at
Initiative in Redmond! Randy is hosting Central Oregon’s “semi-pro” bingo legend, for a fun night with real cash prizes. Great food, cold drinks, and a good time—all while supporting the Redmond Senior Center! 5:30-7:30pm. Free.
Volcanic Theatre Pub SKELETON CREWE feat. JAY LANE, ROB BARRACO, BARRY SLESS, PETE SEARS & STEPHEN INGLIS PARALLEL 44 PRESENTS SKELETON CREWE feat. JAY LANE, ROB BARRACO, BARRY SLESS, PETE SEARS & STEPHEN INGLIS . $30. POTW
4 Wednesday The Commonwealth Pub Musician’s Open Showcase Calling all musicians! Join us for a special opportunity to share your talent, connect with other artists and perform in a welcoming and collaborative, music-loving atmosphere hosted by The Session. Signups at 5pm, music starts at 6pm. 6-9pm. The Coyote Partner & Line Dance Lessons at The Coyote Join us for fun dance lessons on Wednesdays at The Coyote in downtown Bend! Partner dance lessons from 6–7pm with Seth and McKenna. No partner or experience needed. Beginner-friendly line-dance lessons follow from 7–8pm with Alex Reininger. Learn two fun dances in one hour. Enjoy great energy, a spacious dance floor, food, drinks, mocktails, pool tables and TVs. 6-8pm. Free.
Craft Kitchen and Brewery Comedy Open Mic Night Open mic comedy on Bend’s NE side. Come down, eat some BBQ, drink some drinks and be prepared to laugh. 7:30-9pm. Free. M&J Tavern Musicians Open Mic All Musicians
welcome to the downtown living room! Sign-ups start at 6pm. Set up and ready to go by 6:30pm. You bring instrument, your band and your friends. Goes until last call or last musician, which ever happens first. 21 and over. 6:30pm. Free.
Northside Bar & Grill Mellow Wednesday Open Mic Night Open mic night hosted by Derek Michael Marc! 5:30-8pm. Free. Pangaea Guild Hall Tavern LAN Party -
WoW Forever Launch Party at the Guild Hall in celebration of the launch of WoW Forever! Game with friends all night long and enjoy munchies and retro gamer drinks. We’ll also have gaming consoles set up for games like for Smash Bros and Mario Kart. Bring a gaming rig, too! 3-11pm. Free.
Portello Lounge Music Bingo Music Bingo is
hosted by the always entertaining Rachel Fishman, who keeps the crowd singing and laughing all night! It’s the perfect bonus to a night out enjoying great food, drinks and good company at Portello! 6:30-8:30pm. Free.
Volcanic Theatre Pub VTP & 1988 Entertainment Presents: Mdou Moctar (Solo) Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 8pm. Acclaimed Tuareg guitarist and songwriter Mdou Moctar brings his electrifying solo performance to the stage. Hailing from Agadez, Niger, Moctar blends traditional Tuareg melodies with powerful guitar riffs, desert blues and rock. 7-10pm. $25.
MUSIC
Archaeology of Early Persistant Places in Central Oregon Discover the ancient
history of Central Oregon during a special lecture with Anne Dowd, U.S. Forest Service archaeologist about the archaeology of the Ochoco Mountains. Dowd will share recent archaeological discoveries from the Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland. Oct. 28, 6pm. A. R. Bowman Museum, 246 N Main St, Prineville. Contact: 541-447-3715. Free.
Fall Concert: Cascade Horizon Community Band The Cascade Horizon Commu-
nity Band’s Fall Concert is a free, family-friendly event. Donations are appreciated. Gerald Carrell is the director. Nov. 1, 2pm. Mountain View High School Auditorium, 2755 NE 27th St., Bend. Free, but donations encouraged.
JOHN SCOFIELD’S “ELECTROSPECTIVE” featuring OTEIL BURBRIDGE, LARRY GOLDINGS & ADAM DEITCH
Pigs on the Wing brings its Beyond Pompeii show to Tower Theatre on Halloween, which is Saturday, Oct. 31.
Electrospective will rely on interpretative input from Scofield alum and super funk drummer/ producer Adam Deitch (Lettuce), multidimensional Larry Goldings (Scary Goldings, James Taylor) on keyboards, and legendary bassist Oteil Burbridge (Dead & CO., Tedeschi Trucks, Allman Brothers). Nov. 4, 7:30pm. Tower Theatre, 835 NW Wall St., Bend. Contact: 541-317-0700. info@towertheatre.org. $42-$62 (plus $8 Historic Preservation Fee).
MUSIC BINGO Bend’s first and BEST Music Bingo is back for the winter! Think of “name that tune” meets traditional bingo. Every other Wednesday, 6-8:30pm. Through March 10. Pinky G’s Pizzeria, 719 SE Third St., Bend. Contact: 541-797-0667. Free. Public (ROCK) Choir Come join a fun, no-
stress group where all skill levels can GET LOUD and sing to their hearts’ content 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’re your people! No experience or skill required. Mon, Sept. 7, 6-8pm, Mon, Oct. 5, 6-8pm, Mon, Nov. 2, 6-8pm, Mon, Jan. 4, 6-8pm, Mon, Feb. 1, 6-8pm, Mon, March 1, 6-8pm, Mon, April 5, 6-8pm, Mon, May 3, 6-8pm and Mon, June 7, 6-8pm. The Barrel Room at Upp Liquids, 550 SW Industrial Way, Bend. Contact: 541-728-3798. singbend@gmail.com. $20.
DANCE
An Evening...Halloween: Dance and Pole Performances by STUDIO 61ST
STUDIO 61ST (previously Seksé) is back with our annual Halloween performance showcase, class demos and costume party! Discounts on classes at the event! In the breezeway at The Box Factory (between River Pig and Stollar). 18+ or with parent or guardian. Seats require tickets, standing is free. After-party at the River Pig! Oct. 30, 7:30-9:30pm. Box Factory, 550 SW industrial way, Bend. Contact: 541-550-2364. liv@studio61st. com. Free to $200 (tables).
THRILLER WORKSHOP Come learn the iconic dance from the video! Owner and instructor Liv Mills has taught this dance in the past and excited to dance it again! Oct. 31, 121:30pm. STUDIO 61ST, 550 Southwest Industrial Way suite 154, Bend. Contact: 5415502364. liv@ studio61st.com. $25.
FILM EVENTS
2026 RITUAL Mountain Bike Film Tour
The RITUAL Mountain Bike Film Tour returns with a new line up of films that showcase creative filmmaking, incredible riding and beautiful cinematography, bringing local bike communities together in mountain biking’s greatest towns. RITUAL ‘26 stands committed to local MTB bike organizations and has partnered with organizations across the US. Nov. 4, 6:15pm. Sisters Movie House & Cafe, 720 S Desperado Ct, SISTERS. Contact: 5415498833. inquiries@ sistersmoviehouse.com. $17.
EXHIBITION ON SCREEN: VAN GOGH - POETS & LOVERS This film is a chance to
reexamine and better understand this iconic artist. Focusing on his unique creative process, Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers explores the artist’s years in the south of France, where he revolutionized his style. Oct. 28, 6:15pm. Sisters Movie House & Cafe, 720 S Desperado Ct, SISTERS. Contact: 541 549 8833. inquiries@sistersmoviehouse. com. $17.
Halloween Movie Night: Hocus Pocus at Juniper Preserve Celebrate Hal-
loweekend at Juniper Preserve! We’ll be showing Hocus Pocus (1993, PG) under the stars. Costumes are encouraged. Snacks and beverages are available for purchase. Chairs are provided; please bring a jacket and blanket. RSVP is required. Oct. 30, 7-9pm. Juniper Preserve, 65600 Pronghorn Club Dr., Bend. Contact: 5416935388. sales@juniperpreserve.com. Free.
Sketch and Release: Black Artists in Rural Oregon Sketch and Release is a touring
multimedia poetry and storytelling performance and docuseries centered on Black creatives living and working in rural Oregon. Created and led by multidisciplinary artist Jason McNeal Graham (MOsley WOtta), the project blends filmed interviews, poetry, storytelling and guided conversation into a 60-minute experience. Nov. 4, 6-7pm. Redmond Public Library, 827 SW Deschutes Ave., Redmond. Suggested donation.
17 VOLUME 30 ISSUE 44 / OCTOBER 29, 2026 / THE SOURCE
loween Bash in support of Bend Ronald McDonald House 2nd Annual Halloween Bash in support of Bend Ronald McDonald House. $10 admission, and all proceeds of cover charge will be donated to RMH. Costume contest and silent auction, plus a DJ, good food and good drinks! Join us for a great cause! 8pm-1am. $10.
On Tap Locals’ Day Plus Live Music Cheaper
CALENDAR
CALENDAR
La Luce Studio
Free Teen Open Art Hours Teens ages 13-
18 are welcome to join every Tuesday & Thursday between 3pm-7pm for Free Open Art Hours where they will have access to art supplies, musical instruments, a sewing station, and plenty of space for your creative projects with the support of creative mentors. Registration required. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 3-7pm. The Open Arts Center, 999 NE 2nd St, Bend, OR 97701, Bend. Contact: 9787714635. claire@theopenartscenter. org. Free.
18 OCTOBER 29, 2026 / BEND’S INDEPENDENT VOICE - NOW DAILY AT WWW.BENDSOURCE.COM
EVENTS
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT
High Desert Art League Member Show Premiere Property Group is hosting a
show of diverse works by High Desert Art League members. The exhibit includes paintings in oil, acrylic, pastel, watercolor, encaustic and mixed media. Artists will be available to greet visitors on “First Friday” (Oct. 2) from 5-7 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 9am-5pm. Through Dec. 31. Premiere Property Group, 25 NW Minnesota Ave., Bend. Contact: 541-241-6860.
Holiday Votive Two-Part Workshop at Tumalo Lavender Create a little holiday
Craft a mini holiday village at a two-part pottery workshop at Two Suns Art Studio + Maker Space on Oct. 28 and Nov. 11.
Warren Miller’s “Days Off” Warren Miller’s 77th annual ski and snowboard film, Days Off, celebrates the freedom of skiing for skiing’s sake. Join host Katie Burrell on a globe-spanning adventure from Alaska and Chamonix to Japan, Deer Valley, and Canada, following the world’s best athletes as they rediscover the joy of a day off. Oct. 29, 7-9pm and Oct. 30, 6-8 and 9-11pm. Tower Theatre, 835 NW Wall St., Bend. Contact: (541) 317-0700. feedback@warrenmiller.com. $26 (plus $8 Historic Preservation fee).
ARTS + CRAFTS
ADULTS ONLY! Naughty Holiday Two-part Pottery Workshop at Two Suns Art Studio + Makerspace Adults
only! Add a naughty twist to the holidays with this hilarious two-part pottery workshop! Sculpt cheeky, inappropriate and delightfully ridiculous creations, and then return to paint and glaze your masterpieces. Perfect for funny gifts, dirty-minded creatives and anyone who loves a little holiday mischief. Nov. 4, 5:30-7:30pm. Two Suns Art Studio + MakerSpace, 70 SW Century Drive, Bend. Contact: 415-308-4538. krista@ lalucestudio.com. $130.
Card Camp A relaxed, creative gathering where participants will make beautiful handmade cards to share or keep. using TEAL’s art supplies. Attendance is free. Cost is for materials only. $4/card paid at the tea bar. Every other Wednesday, 11:30am-12:30pm and Wed, Dec. 9, 11:30am-12:30pm. Through Dec. 17. Bend Tea and Art Lounge, 1024 NW Bond St, Suite 101, Bend. Contact: 5416686708. info@bendteal. com. $4. Ceramics Mugs and Bowls (Two-part class) In this two-part class, participants will
build ceramic bowls and mugs in class #1 and decorate them with underglaze in class #2. Wed, Nov. 4, 4:30-6:30pm and Wed, Nov. 18, 4:30pm. Bend Tea and Art Lounge, 1024 NW Bond St, Suite 101, Bend. Contact: 541-668-6708. info@ bendteal.com. $60.
Clay & Texture: Impressions from Nature Join us for a hands-on ceramics workshop at PMRCAA. Participants learn the fundamentals of hand-building with clay while drawing inspiration directly from the landscape of Pine Meadow Ranch. Using natural materials such as leaves, bark, rocks and other organic textures, students create unique surface designs through press-molding and imprinting techniques. Sat, Oct. 24, 10am-2pm and Sat, Oct. 31, 10am-2pm. Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts & Agriculture, 68467 Three Creek Rd., Sisters. Contact: 541-904-0700. moriah@roundhousefoundation. org. $180.
Crochet Café Fancy Nancy will be the host at
Fancywork Yarn Shop. This 2-hour hook session is designed specifically to foster community among the crochet crew. All skill levels are welcome in this weekly drop-in event. Thursdays, 1-3pm. Fancywork Yarn Shop, 200 NE Greenwood Avenue, Bend. Contact: 541-323-8686. hello@fancywork.com. Free.
Dia de Muertos Community Craft Nights at the OAC Join us for Community
magic with handmade house and tree votives! In this festive two-part pottery workshop, build charming clay houses and trees with whimsical details, then return to paint and glaze your creations. Finished votives will glow beautifully with candlelight, perfect for holiday décor or heartfelt handmade gifts. Nov. 1, 1-3pm. Tumalo Lavender Farm, 19825 Connarn Rd, Bend. Contact: 415308-4538. krista@lalucestudio.com. $150.
Intro to Oil Painting: Painting the Oregon Landscape Learn oil painting funda-
mentals while creating a finished 16”x20” Oregon landscape over four weeks with instructor Stephen Teater. No experience needed. Explore value, composition, color mixing and atmospheric perspective while building a repeatable approach to landscape painting, in the studio or en plein air. Wednesdays, 6-8pm. Through Oct. 28. FREAK’N ART, 1265 NW Wall st., Bend. Contact: 541-508-7438. hellofreaknart@gmail.com. $400.
Knit Night A cozy evening of creativity and connection hosted by Katie from Wool Town. Whether a seasoned knitter or just a beginner, this welcoming gathering is the perfect place to unwind, learn, and create alongside others. Second and Fourth Wednesday of every month, 6-8pm. Contact: info@bendteal.com. Free. KREITZER NEW WORKS: ART IN A DOMESTIC SETTING Stunning new works
Craft Nights as we prepare for Día de Muertos together. Each Thursday, we’ll create meaningful decorations and offerings, from altar kits and paper flowers to masks, flower crowns and Catrina face painting. No experience needed, just creativity. All ages and families are welcome! Thursdays, 4-7pm. Through Nov. 5. The Open Arts Center, 999 NE 2nd St, Bend, OR 97701, Bend. Contact: 9712416225. maija@theopenartscenter.org. Free.
by Contemporary Realist Artist David Kreitzer-painting for over 60 years. PNW Landscapes, Koi, Figure, Fantasy, Mid-West Heritage large and small oils. Fridays-Sundays, 1-6pm. David Kreitzer Fine Art Gallery and Studio, 20214 Archie Briggs Rd, Bend. Contact: 8052342048. jkreitze@ icloud.com. Free.
Emergence: Bringing Forth the Light
holiday village in this festive, two-part pottery workshop! Build charming clay houses, trees and snowy details, and then return to glaze creations with colorful, whimsical touches. Create a oneof-a-kind holiday village to display at home or gift to someone special. No pottery experience needed! Wed, Oct. 28, 5:30-7:30pm and Wed, Nov. 11, 5:30-7:30pm. Two Suns Art Studio + MakerSpace, 70 SW Century Drive, Bend. Contact: 415-308-4538. krista@lalucestudio.com. $130.
Rebecca Sentgeorge offers a solo exhibit of gouache paintings on black and dark-toned paper exploring how light, shadow and the unpainted surface work together to shape a painting. Mondays-Sundays, 9am-9pm. Through Dec. 31. The Oxford Hotel, 10 Northwest Minnesota Avenue, Bend. Contact: 541-382-8436.
Mini Holiday Village Two-Part Pottery Workshop: All Ages! Create a miniature
Naturally Dyed Linen Napkins Come
and spend an evening with us creating a set of 6 naturally dyed linen table napkins. This is a great way to learn some of the basics of natural dyeing and walk away with a beautiful set of linen napkins that are a great addition to a fall table. Oct. 29, 5:30-7:30pm. Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts & Agriculture, 68467 Three Creek Rd., Sisters. Contact: 541-904-0700. moriah@ roundhousefoundation.org. $75.
Open Art Nights Bring your art supplies and make art with your new creative community! No registration required, just show up with an open mind and willingness to create and connect. 18+. Questions? Email brian@theopenartscenter. org Tuesdays, 6-9pm. The Open Arts Center, 999 NE 2nd Street, Bend. Contact: 978-771-4635. brian@theopenartscenter.org. Free. Paint Your Pet as a Tarot Card - Halloween Edition ***SUBMIT YOUR
PET PHOTOS & THEME/TITLE ON THIS GOOGLE FORM, included in the URL! Must still purchase a ticket through the ticket URL on this listing as well. Registration cut off is October 28th as I hand draw every pet tarot! Paint Your Pet Night “Paint Your Pet as a Tarot Card” is a fundraising event for Herding Dog Rescue of Central Oregon! Oct. 30, 5-8pm. Junction Roastery Social Club, 708 SW Deschutes Ave., Redmond. Contact: 5417600723. Chelsea.childers95@gmail.com. $50-$80.
Paint Your Pet Tarot Style Join Sarah from Lets Paint and paint your pet as a Tarot Card. Each pet will be sketched on your canvas ahead of time along with the card outline. Oct. 29, 6-8pm. Bend Tea and Art Lounge, 1024 NW Bond St, Suite 101, Bend. Contact: 541-668-6708. info@bendteal.com. $65. Pet Portraits: Stippling Transform your pet’s photo into a stunning ink portrait using stippling! Learn a simple transfer technique and create a value scale to master dot density for light and shadow. No drawing skills needed. Everyone achieves great results. Ages 8+. Oct. 30, 5:30-7:15pm. FREAK’N ART, 1265 NW Wall st., Bend. Contact: 541-5087438. hellofreaknart@gmail.com. $50. Printmaking Series In this Printmaking series, students will learn the fundamental skills of block-printing. Students will get a chance to create multiple stamps exploring different techniques in design, carving, and printing. All tools and materials are provided for, students will get to take home all prints and stamps! Thursdays, 6-7:30pm. Through Nov. 5. Two Suns Art Studio + MakerSpace, 70 SW Century Drive, Bend. Contact: 503-8634242. tangledroots.connect@gmail.com. $135. Sew Club Sew Club hosts this fun, focused stu-
dio time on the first and third Monday every month! Work on projects with expert guidance from Sabrina of Bend Alterations (45+ years’ experience). First and Third Monday of every month, 5:30-7pm. FREAK’N ART, 1265 NW Wall st., Bend. Contact: 541-508-7438. hellofreaknart@gmail.com. $40.
Sew Easy: Intro to Pattern Making
Learn to draft your own custom skirt or pants pattern using your measurements. Gain handson experience with flat pattern-making, fit adjustments, and garment construction, walking away with a personalized pattern and the confidence to create truly custom clothing. Thursdays, 5:30-7:30pm. Through Nov. 19. FREAK’N ART, 1265 NW Wall st., Bend. Contact: 541-508-7438. hellofreaknart@gmail.com. $200.
25 Y
e ears of Strength
n
F g n i
a
lie i m
K o t s
e
ids S ep K
afe
MESSAGE FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KARA TACHIKAWA
Dear Friends, Twenty-five years ago, MountainStar began with a simple belief: every child deserves a safe and healthy start. What started in 2001 as one small program in Bend has grown into a community-wide commitment to prevention - built by families, staff, volunteers, donors, businesses, foundations, and partners who believed that supporting families early can change the trajectory of a child’s life. Over the past 25 years, MountainStar has grown and evolved alongside Central Oregon. We have expanded into new communities, deepened our therapeutic services, strengthened mental health supports, and found new ways to meet families where they are. Through every season of change, one thing has remained constant: our commitment to strengthening families so children can grow up safe, healthy, and supported. This anniversary gives us an opportunity to celebrate how far we have come, but more importantly, to recognize the people who made that progress possible. Every classroom opened, every home visit made, every family supported, and every child kept safe represents a community choosing to invest in prevention.
As you turn these pages, I hope you see more than 25 years of MountainStar. I hope you see what is possible when a community comes together around children and families - and the lasting impact that support can have across generations. And our story is still being written. As we look toward the next 25 years, we are committed to ensuring MountainStar remains strong, responsive, and ready for the families who will need us tomorrow. Together, we will continue building the programs, places, partnerships, and financial stability that will help keep children safe for years to come. Thank you for being part of MountainStar’s first 25 years and for helping us build the next 25! With heartfelt gratitude,
KARA TACHIKAWA Executive Director
Every child deserves a safe and healthy start.
OUR STORY
25 YEARS OF GROWING WITH OUR COMMUNITY For 25 years, MountainStar’s story has been shaped by the changing needs of Central Oregon families and by a community willing to step forward to meet them.
2001-2003 A Bold Beginning
2013-2020
2004-2012 A Community Steps Up
Growing Across Central Oregon
These early investments did more than help MountainStar grow, they demonstrated what would become a defining part of our story: when families need support, this community responds. MountainStar opens its doors at the Deschutes Children’s Foundation East Bend Campus with one bold belief: supporting families early prevents child abuse and neglect. This laid the foundation for a model of therapeutic care centered on strengthening families and keeping children safe.
1 Central Oregon Location
5 team members
126
children and family members served annually
2004 Donated minivan removes transportation barriers 2005 Children’s Expedition Luncheon raises $263,000 2005 First “birdie dollars” raised 2009 STAR Dinners and FairyGodparent Program 2012 Cumulative private giving reaches $2 million As our community grows, MountainStar grows with it.
MountainStar commits to reaching families closer to their homes. 2013 Juniper Junction Relief Nursery becomes MountainStar Madras Relief Nursery 2015 Prineville Relief Nursery opens 2016 Outreach services begins in La Pine 2018 Outreach services begins in Redmond 2020 Redmond Relief Nursery opens
ONE RELATIONSHIP. ONE COMMUNITY. ONE FAMILY AT A TIME.
2021-2025 Deepening the Work
2026 25 Years of Keeping Kids Safe
MountainStar’s 20th Anniversary - clear priorities set to reach more rural families, strengthen trauma-informed services, and expand mental health support.
La Pine grows from Outreach into a permanent Therapeutic Early Childhood Center Investments made to improve Redmond and Madras Therapeutic Centers Outreach extends to families in Warm Springs with basic needs support On-site mental health support begins in Prineville, Bend, and Redmond AT 20, WE LOOKED AHEAD. Expand rural services. Deepen mental health support. Reach more families. FIVE YEARS LATER, THAT VISION IS TAKING ROOT.
Today, MountainStar has grown to five therapeutic centers + Warm Springs outreach, supported by 49 team members and a community of volunteers, donors, businesses, foundations, and partners.
5
49
1,300+
therapeutic centers
team members
children and family members served annually
25 YEARS. 27,300 LIVES. ONE ENDURING MISSION. Our story has always been one of community - people coming together, responding to changing needs, and believing that prevention can change what comes next.
M O U N TA I N S TA R
PREVENTION IN ACTION, EVERY DAY
1,000+ home visits each
hours annually
year
SUPPORT THAT SHOWS UP
FAMILIES ARE NAVIGATING TOO MUCH
Mental health challenges
Family violence
Isolation
Financial instability
Parent stress
PREVENTION WORKS
100%
77%
of children served remain safe from abuse and neglect
receive developmental screenings
meet or exceed social emotional benchmarks
THE SOURCE
98%
M O U N TA I N S TA R
MountainStar’s role is not to define families by these challenges. It is to ensure they do not have to navigate them alone.
THE SOURCE
Housing and food insecurity
M O U N TA I N S TA R
15
average stressors experienced by families served
THE SOURCE
Prevention is built through relationships. MountainStar combines therapeutic early childhood services with home visiting, family support, mental health resources, and connections to basic needs - meeting families with individualized support before challenges become crises.
M O U N TA I N S TA R
3,000+ therapeutic classroom
THE SOURCE
Twenty-five years of growth has strengthened MountainStar’s ability to meet families where they are. Today, families across Central Oregon receive consistent, relationship-based support designed to reduce stress, strengthen families, support healthy child development, and keep children safe.
WAYS TO GIVE: JOIN US IN BUILDING A STRONGER COMMUNITY BY Becoming a monthly donor. Making a gift from your Donor Advised Fund. Creating a Legacy Gift. Volunteering your time. Attending events, like Birdies 4 Babies. Joining your local Advisory Board. Advocating, for MountainStar’s Mission. Joining our Partners for Kids program.
STRENGTHENING FAMILIES TO KEEP KIDS SAFE MountainStar Family Relief Nursery is the only prevention program in Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook Counties providing therapeutic classrooms, parenting education services, and family support targeted at protecting babies and toddlers who are at significant risk for abuse and neglect.
DONATE TODAY
mtstar.org info@mtstar.org (541) 322-6820
EVENTS
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT
Sewing Machine 101 Class Come learn to use your sewing machine OR one of the studio’s! Everything provided. Thu, Oct. 15, 5-7pm, Thu, Oct. 29, 5-7pm and Thu, Nov. 12, 5-7pm. Fashion Workshop Fabric & Open Sewing Studio, 1285 Wall Street, Bend. Contact: 5414107875. community@fashionforeveryone.org. $40.
Ghosts & Legends of Downtown Bend Tour Do you dare join us this spooky
Tradition Lives: Kreitzer Fine Art Gallery Opening Tradition Lives: A professional
Indigenous Speakers Series: Tribal Sovereignty Join Roberta (Bobbie) Conner for
for 60 years, Contemporary Realist Painter David Kreitzer exhibits translucent, sparkling water images as well as the figure, koi, fantasy, and Mid West Heritage. Kreitzer paints healing masterpieces of peace and beauty in the style of the old masters- with sold-out shows at Maxwell Galleries. Thu, July 2, 1-5:30pm and Fridays-Sundays, 1-5:30pm. Through Oct. 31. David Kreitzer Fine Art Gallery and Studio, 20214 Archie Briggs Rd, Bend. Contact: 8052342048. jkreitze@icloud.com. Free.
a discussion of the inherent sovereignty of tribes and how Native nations continue to exercise their sovereignty today. Conner is the director of Tamástslikt Cultural Institute and enrolled in the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Doors open at 6pm. Oct. 28, 6:307:30pm. High Desert Museum, 59800 S. Highway 97, Bend. Contact: 541-382-4754. info@highdesertmuseum.org. $8.
Vertebrae Earring Class Join Hanna from SchaeferWorks Jewelry for an exciting and creative workshop where you can craft your very own vertebrae earrings! Oct. 30, 6-8pm. Bend Tea and Art Lounge, 1024 NW Bond St, Suite 101, Bend. Contact: 5416686708. info@bendteal.com. $100.
Oregon LandWatch is celebrating 40 years of defending and planning for a livable future. Our Livable Future Forum brings an inspiring crew of storytellers and changemakers to Bend to explore how to create a livable, just and ecologically vibrant future in the face of profound challenges. Thu, Oct. 15, 6:30-8pm, Sat, Oct. 24, 6:30-8pm and Thu, Oct. 29, 6:30-8pm. Ray Hall, OSU-Cascades, 1500 SW Chandler Avenue, Bend. $15-$40.
Youth Wheel and Handbuilding This sixweek class is for teens who have either already fallen in love with clay or who are looking to try something new! This is a small-sized class, so each participant receives one-on-one attention. Teens will be able to pursue ideas of their own or be guided into project ideas. Wednesdays, 3-5pm. Through Nov. 18. Camp Clay Bend, 147 NE Olney Ave, Bend. Contact: 808-269-9992. jess@campclay.studio. $350.
PRESENTATIONS + EXHIBITS
Best Case Scenario Tired of environmental
doom and gloom? So is Emma Marris. In this talk, based on her National Geographic cover story looking ahead to life in 2070, Marris will paint a portrait of one possible future: the one where we learn how to live well on Earth. Oct. 29, 6:30-8pm. OSU Cascades Ray Hall Atrium, 1500 SW Chandler Ave, Bend. Contact: 541-647-2930. info@colw.org. $15.
Coyote Encounters: Art Inspired by a Storied Earth Coyote Encounters: Art Inspired
by a Storied Earth invites visitors to explore the multiple dimensions of Coyote through the lens of Indigenous artists. Oct. 31, 9am-5pm. High Desert Museum, 59800 S. Highway 97, Bend. Contact: 541-382-4754. info@highdesertmuseum.org.
Livable Future Forum This year, Central
THEATER
Cabaret (Musical) Daring, provocative and exuberantly entertaining, Cabaret explores the dark and heady life of Bohemian Berlin as Germany slowly yields to the emerging Third Reich. Sound familiar in 2026, now don’t it? Brought to life by Bend’s only proffessional theater that brought you ONCE, Great Comet, Sweeney Todd and Little Shop. Thursdays-Sundays, 7:30-10pm. Through Nov. 14. The Greenhouse Cabaret, 1017 NE 2nd St., Bend. Contact: info@thegreenhousecabaret.com. $20-85. Diva Drag Brunch: Halloween
Diva Drag Brunch is back and taking over the Dogwood at the Pine Shed for HALLOWEEN! Featuring the best of the best from the Pacific Northwest as well as some of your local Bend favorites! Hosted by Riley Burrows, with Ed Du’Bull, Papa Raunch, Ophelia Vibez, and Chaotica! Oct. 31, 11am-2pm. Dogwood At The Pine Shed, 821 NE Second St., Bend. Contact: 5037062335. justinbucklesproductions@gmail. com. $20.
Unsplash-Florian Lidin
Halloween fun! Something for everyone! Murder Mystery, Rocky Horror, Horror Core Drag, Tim Curry tribute, goth nights, hip hop party and so much more! Thu, Oct. 29, 5-9:30pm and Sat, Oct. 31, 10:30pm. Open Space Event Studios, 220 NE Lafayette Ave, Bend. Contact: 541-788-1437. raechelgilland7@gmail.com. $25.
WORDS
“Word-for-Word” Writer’s Workshop
Word-for-Word is a monthly writing workshop open to all skill levels and genres. First Mondays are for sipping on tea, responding to prompts and receiving feedback on work. Build a creative routine, gain fresh perspective, and meet fellow writers in a supportive, inspiring space! Payment through cash or venmo. First Monday of every month, 6-8pm. Cafe des Chutes, 50 SE Scott St., Bend. Contact: wordforwordworkshop@gmail. com. $5.
Current Fiction Book Club October 7th
we will discuss The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout. November 4th, we will discuss The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. Wed, Oct. 7, 6pm and Wed, Nov. 4, 6pm. Roundabout Books, 900 NW Mount Washington Dr., #110, Bend. Contact: 5413066564. events@roundaboutbookshop.com. Free.
ETC.
Clarity Circle Join Meaning Mirror in this
weekly class that focuses on exploring personal themes and dilemmas through guided conversations that encourage curiosity about the meanings we assign to our experiences. Sundays. Through Dec. 14. Bend Tea and Art Lounge, 1024 NW Bond St, Suite 101, Bend. Contact: 5416686708. info@bendteal.com. Free (RSVP).
Elixir Bar Herbal happy hour, Apothecary style. Discover seasonal elixirs, refreshing botanical beverages, and healing teas crafted by our herbalists. Come gather, sip, and savor the abundance of the season in a welcoming space dedicated to connection and wellness. Fridays-Saturdays, 11am-5pm and Sundays, 11am-2pm. Through Dec. 27. The Peoples Apothecary, 1841 NE Division Street, Bend. Contact: 5417282368. classes@thepeoplesapothecary.net. $5-$8.
Food, Feelings and Body Image-Connect Emotions to Food Behaviors Group
Feathered Forest: Aloft with Birds in Ancient Trees, Marina Richie Join
Mind Body Spirit Psychotherapist LLC will explored how to connect emotions to eating behaviors and ultimately foster a healthier relationship with oneself and viewing the body and food as allies. Ages 24 and older. Thursdays, 2:15-3:30pm, Wed, Nov. 25, 2:15-3:30pm and Thursdays, 2:15-3:30pm. Through Dec. 18. Bend Tea and Art Lounge, 1024 NW Bond St, Suite 101, Bend. Contact: 5416686708. info@bendteal.com. $95.
Mystery Book Club Discussion of “Five,”
The ScareGrounds returns to Redmond with two terrifying haunted attractions in one location. Step into Juniper Hollow, where a mysterious traveling circus left an entire town changed forever, or brave The Asylum for the Crazy and Criminally Insane. With immersive sets, live scares, special effects and timed ticketing Fridays-Saturdays, 7-9pm. Through Oct. 31. The Scaregrounds, 120 SE Glacier Ave., Redmond. Contact: 541-548-4755. info@scaremegood. com. $25 to $40.
award-winning nature writer Marina Richie to discuss her newest book, “Feathered Forest: Aloft with Birds in Ancient Tree,” where she entwines the lives of birds with a hidden vertical world of wild trees. Oct. 29, 6:30-7:30pm. Roundabout Books, 900 NW Mount Washington Dr., #110, Bend. Contact: 5413066564. events@ roundaboutbookshop.com. $5. a novel by Ilona Bannister. **NOTE DATE CHANGE** Oct. 28, 6-7pm. Roundabout Books, 900 NW Mount Washington Dr., #110, Bend. Contact: 5413066564. events@roundaboutbookshop.com. Free.
Necessary Turbulence: Fifty Years, One Unbreakable Sisterhood Forged in the Crucible of the Air Force Academy Join for a panel discussion of decorated
officers and contributing authors for Necessary Turbulence: Fifty Years, One Unbreakable Sisterhood Forged in the Crucible of the Air Force Academy. Nov. 3, 6:30-7:30pm. Roundabout Books, 900 NW Mount Washington Dr., #110, Bend. Contact: 5413066564. events@roundaboutbookshop.com. $5.
Rediscovered Reads Book Club
Discussion of “My Sister, the Serial Killer,” a novel by Oyinkan Braithwaite. Oct. 28, 6-7pm. Roundabout Books, 900 NW Mount Washington Dr., #110, Bend. Contact: 5413066564. events@ roundaboutbookshop.com. Free.
Roundabout Books 10th Anniversary!
Celebrate our 10th anniversary with treats, cake and mimosas (while supplies last)! Customers who attend one of our 10 events throughout the month of October will be entered to win in our Halloween raffle. Oct. 31, 10am-5pm. Roundabout Books, 900 NW Mount Washington Dr., #110, Bend. Contact: 5413066564. events@ roundaboutbookshop.com. 0.
Writing is Fun with Eileen Tannich Gose Express yourself, make new friends, ex-
plore memories and/or simply try something new at Writing is Fun! Headed by Eileen Tannich Gose, is a welcoming space to create, laugh and share. No experience needed. Registration required at front desk of Redmond Senior Center. $3 per class for senior-center members, $5 per class for nonmembers. Mondays, 2-3pm. Through Nov. 30. Redmond Senior Center, 325 NW Dogwood Ave, Redmond. $3-$5 per class.
Learn about the ghosts and legends of downtown Bend Wednesdays through Sundays until Nov. 1.
Writing Wednesdays at the OAC An evening of writing, connection, and creativity. 1st & 3rd Wednesdays: Poetry Workshop; 2nd & 4th Wednesdays: Writing Workshop. Open to adults 18+, all levels welcome. Email: claire@theopenartscenter.org Wednesdays, 7-8:30pm. The Open Arts Center, 999 NE 2nd Street, Bend. Contact: 978771-4635. claire@theopenartscenter.org. Free.
ScareGrounds Haunted Attractions
Wednesday Night Rebuy Tournament
20-minute blind levels with a 10-minute break every hour. Register early to get our early bird bonus for an extra 1/3 starting stack! Unlimited rebuys for the first hour. Late registration ends at 7:10pm. Wednesdays, 6-11pm. Bend Poker Room, 917 NE Greenwood Ave, Bend. Contact: 541-508-9123. bendpokerrroom@gmail.com. $20.
OUTDOOR EVENTS
Bend Adult Volleyball Bend Hoops adult open gym volleyball sessions offer players a chance to get together and enjoy some competition. To sign up, go to meetup.com and RSVP. Bring exact change. Sundays, 7-9pm and Saturdays, 7:30pm. Bend Hoops, 1307 NE 1st St, Bend. $10. Priday Ranch Tour Join the Deschutes Land
Trust and Jen Zalewski for a tour of Priday Ranch. Learn all about the fire impacts, see how the Preserve is recovering and how post-fire restoration efforts are helping it along, and explore how the Preserve might evolve in the coming years. Registration is required. Oct. 28, 10am-1pm. Priday Ranch, near Madras, Madras. Contact: 541-3300017. event@deschuteslandtrust.org. Free.
Skull Hollow Campground Native Planting Join the High Desert Chapter in planting native plants in Skull Hollow Campground in partnership with the USFS. Skull Hollow Campground, northern parking Lot, (lat/long: 44.39736, -121.0623). Bring appropriate field work clothes, shoes and work gloves, and plenty of water, snacks and a lunch. Nov. 4, 8:30am4pm. Skull Hollow-Crooked River National Grasslands, (Between Madras, Prineville and Redmond), Lone Pine.
23 VOLUME 30 ISSUE 44 / OCTOBER 29, 2026 / THE SOURCE
Spooky Halloween Decor Join local artist Chalked Creative and paint a spooky Halloween scene. Oct. 28, 6-8pm. Bend Tea and Art Lounge, 1024 NW Bond St, Suite 101, Bend. Contact: 541-668-6708. info@bendteal.com. $55.
season and meet downtown Bend’s many ghosts? Bend Ghost Tours features historically accurate, spine-chilling ghost tours presented by bestselling Bend authors. It’s the perfect way to celebrate the spookiest time of the year! Tickets are nearly sold-out for the season. Don’t delay! Wednesdays-Sundays, 7:30-9:30pm. Through Nov. 1. Mirror Pond Plaza, 875 NW Brooks St., Bend. Contact: 5413500732. bendghosttours@ gmail.com. $30 per adult, $25 per child under 12.
Rocky Horror and Horror Core Halloween Weekend Three days of
CALENDAR
CALENDAR SkyBall SKYBALL at Pine Nursery Park Have fun
OCTOBER 29, 2026 / BEND’S INDEPENDENT VOICE - NOW DAILY AT WWW.BENDSOURCE.COM
24
EVENTS
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT
while getting your exercise. For active men and women ages 60+. Mondays and Thursdays 9:3010:45. Meet at the net just west of playground. Information and video available on Substack. Search “SkyBallOregon”. Contact Dave 541233-7573 or email: skyballoregon@icloud.com. Mondays-Thursdays, 9:30-10:45am. Pine Nursery Park, 3750 NE Purcell Blvd., Bend. Contact: 541233-7573. skyballoregon@icloud.com. Free.
Sunday Funday NFL Ticket Come watch every Sunday NFL game via NFL ticket! Also ask about our Football Club for specials and savings. Sundays, 9am-8:30pm. Through Jan. 3. The Commonwealth Pub, 30 SW Century Dr., Bend.
VOLUNTEER
Community-Engaged Beaver Research & Monitoring Get in the field this
autumn for our second year of community-powered beaver monitoring - and the first survey of Deschutes National Forest! This is a unique opportunity to learn how to identify subtle (and sometimes dramatic) signs of beaver activity and contribute to science-based conservation. Sat, Wed, Oct. 28, 9am-5pm, Thu, Oct. 29, 9am-5pm and Fri, Oct. 30, 9am-5pm. Deschutes National Forest, Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District, 63095 Deschutes Market Rd., Bend. Contact: 5416991606. Maureen@thinkwildco.org. Free.
Volunteer CASAs Needed CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. They are community volunteers who advocate solely for the best interest of children and youth in foster care. Our pre-service training classes are designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively advocate for these children. Ongoing. Rosie Bareis community campus, 1010 NW 14th Street, Bend. Contact: 541-389-1618. enoyes@casaofcentraloregon.org. Free. Volunteer for Foster Dogs Volunteer to be a dog foster parent! There is a huge need and it is very rewarding, giving you a sense of purpose. Each dog is special. Thursdays. Contact: 458292-8362. HDRescueoregon.com.
Volunteering in Oregon’s High Desert with ONDA Dedicated to protecting, defending and restoring Oregon’s high desert. Guided, small group, volunteer service trips in some of eastern Oregon’s most remote and beautiful landscapes. Visit onda.org/trips to find the full calendar and descriptions of current volunteer trip offerings. Ongoing.
Volunteers Needed for Humane Society Thrift Store Do you love animals and
discovering “new” treasures? Then volunteering at the HSCO Thrift Store is a great way to combine your passions while helping raise funds to provide animal welfare services for the local community. For more information visit the website at www. hsco.org/volunteer. Ongoing. Humane Society Thrift Shop, 61220 S. Highway 97, Bend. Contact: 541-241-3840. abigail@hsco.org.
Weekly Solidarity Protest Solidarity
protest on the Peace Corner every Saturday. Join your concerned community members to protest the injustices in the US, Palestine, Congo, Sudan and around the world. Saturdays, Noon-2pm. Peace Corner, Corner of NW Greenwood Avenue and NW Wall Street, Bend. Free.
Adobe Stock
GROUPS + MEETUPS
The Beaver Den- Beaver Book Club
Each month, they select a published research paper relating to beavers to read, critically evaluate, and discuss. Beavers are fascinating animals with so many mechanisms for influencing the world. Scientific writing can be impenetrable, but discussing it together can be fun! Nov. 4, 5:307pm. Dogwood At The Pine Shed, 821 NE Second St., Bend. Contact: 541-699-1606. Maureen@ thinkwildco.org. Free.
Deschutes Land Trust Open House
Join the Deschutes Land Trust in celebrating this year’s success with conservation, community and caring for the land. Outstanding volunteers will be honored as well. Connect with Land Trust staff and other community members who care about the outdoors, while you enjoy light snacks and drinks. Oct. 29, 5-7pm. Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Oregon, 61980 Skyline Ranch Rd, Bend, OR 97703, Bend. Contact: 541330-0017. event@deschuteslandtrust.org. Free.
Fall Men’s Weekend Info Session
Curious about the men’s retreat this November? Join this free info session to learn what it is, who it’s for and what to expect. We’ll cover the container, the facilitators and how deep men’s work can change how to show up at home and in life. Text to RSVP. Fridays, 3-4pm. Through Nov. 6. The Haven CoWorking, 1001 Southwest Disk Drive, Bend. Contact: 541-668-7594. andrew@ masculineembodiment.com. Free.
Free casual car show Free car show, bring
your cool or unique car to our super casual car show. Hang out with other car enthusiast, grab a bite and a beverage. Every Saturday from 5-7pm. Vintage, Classic, Custom, Foreign Exotic, bring your cool or unusual car. No Judging no prizes just low key fun. Saturdays, 5-7pm. Eurosports Sisters Food Cart Garden, 223 E Hood Ave., Sisters. Contact: 541-549-2471. eurosports@ bendbroadband.com. Free.
Free Live Social Skills Class (30 min, Online) Every Sunday, Jaunty runs a free 30-minute live class online for adults who want to feel easier around people: starting conversations, keeping them going and connecting at work, with friends or on dates. Live with a real instructor. Space is limited; register: https:// www.jaunty.org/workshops?utm_source=source-weekly&utm_medium=event_listing&utm_campaign=sunday_class Sundays, 2:30-3pm. Through Jan. 31. Contact: jauntyevents@agentmail.to. Free.
A Halloween Reading: Featuring Oregon Book Awards authors! As part
of the Oregon Book Awards Author Tour, Literary Arts invites you to an event featuring Oregon Book Awards authors with some spooky themes! Including picture book author Zoey Abbott, YA thriller author Courtney Gould and fiction author Karen Thompson Walker. Oct. 29, 6-7:30pm. Redmond Library, 827 Southwest Deschutes Avenue, Redmond. Contact: 541-312-1071. sydneyl@dpls.lib.or.us. Free.
FEATURED EVENTS
Volunteer to be a foster-dog parent with Herding Dog Rescue of Central Oregon.
Pet Bereavement Support Group HSCO recognizes that losing a beloved pet can be a profound and often misunderstood loss. This support group provides a safe, compassionate space for participants to share their experiences, process their grief, and connect with others who understand the unique bond between people and their pets. Led by Marla Corwin, a retired LCSW and behavioral health specialist with over 30 years of experience in healthcare, hospice, and mental health. She has worked as a therapist, trainer, and consultant, specializing in grief and helping individuals navigate loss. A lifelong animal lover and dedicated HSCO volunteer, she is passionate about supporting those grieving the loss of a pet. Saturdays, 10-11:30am. Through Nov. 21. Humane Society of Central Oregon, 61170 SE 27th St., Bend. Free but registration required. Pregnancy and postpartum Fall group - 4 weeks One Month of Pregnancy Group
Meetings: This series of group meetings is designed for pregnant women, those looking to conceive and newly postpartum ladies. Bring any questions you have, and come meet new friends! RSVP needed to hold space. Tuesdays, 5-6:30pm, Tue, Oct. 27, 5-6:30pm, Tue, Nov. 3, 5-6:30pm and Tue, Nov. 10, 5-6:30pm. Through Nov. 10. Little Medicine Obstetrics, 701 NW Arizona Ave. Suite 200, BEND. Contact: 4063344093. littlemedicineranch@gmail.com. Free.
FUNDRAISING
Bowties and Boots Join Rimrock Trails
Treatment Services for our 5th Annual Bowties and Boots, presented by Jeff Larkin Realty, for an unforgettable evening celebrating community, compassion, and the life-changing impact of behavioral health services throughout Central Oregon. Oct. 29, 6-9pm. Brasada Ranch, 16986 SW Brasada Ranch Rd, Powell Butte. Contact: (458) 203-1570. $125.
Dia de Los Muertos Fundraiser Ft. Pixie Lighthorse + Maribel Ramirez
Join Liberation Pathways for a cacao communion and sacred limpia with Indigenous-methodologies healer Maribel Ramírez, and drum journey with acclaimed local author Pixie Lighthorse. Preregistration is required online. All proceeds directly support Liberation Pathways healing programs. More info: www.liberationpathways. org Oct. 30, 5:30-8pm. Hanai, 62430 Eagle Rd, Bend. Contact: welcome@liberationpathways. org. $150.
Ski Mountaineering in the Alaska Range Join the Central Oregon Avalanche Cen-
ter for a fundraiser and an evening of exploratory ski mountaineering and alpinism with Sam Hennessey and Ryan Griffiths. They are world-class mountain travelers who have helped redefine what’s possible in the Alaska Range and beyond. Oct. 30, 5:30-7:30pm. Webfoot Garage at Silver Moon Brewing, 24 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend. Contact: admin@the-high-route.com. $10.
EVENTS + MARKETS
6th Annual Bend Witches Paddle
Calling all witches, warlocks and ghouls! Put in at Riverbend Park and paddle down through the Old Mill District. Many participants bring along their doggies, too. Paddleboards, kayaks, canoes and tubes welcome, as are warlocks and ghouls! Donations of diapers and wipes will be collected for families served by MountainStar. Oct. 31, 3pm. Riverbend Park, 799 SW Columbia St., Bend. Free.
Rad Glass Beer Cup Crawl, Scavenger Hunt and Costume Contest
Rad Glass will host a Glass Cup Crawl with a bar crawl and scavenger hunt in which participants earn raffle tickets that will be used to win a new heady glass piece by Rad Glass! There’s also a costume contest. Oct. 30, 4-8pm. Higher Elevation Smoke Shop and Glass Gallery, 806 Nw Brooks St. Suite 100, Bend. Contact: 541-207-4060. thehigherelevationbend@gmail.com. Free to $100.
Trunk or Treat Grab costumes, round up the kiddos and come celebrate Halloween at our Trunk or Treat. We’re filling the parking lot with decorated trunks, Halloween fun, and—most importantly—CANDY! Oct. 31, Noon-3pm. Craft Kitchen & Brewery, 62988 Layton Ave Ste 103, (no city). Contact: 541-668-1766. www.craftkitchenandbrewery@gmail.com. Free.
FAMILY + KIDS
Fall Into Community Celebrating connection, creativity and joy! The annual Deschutes Public Library Literary Ghost Walk has been reimaged this year as the Fall Into Community evening of free activities for all ages. There’ll be live music, crafts, library staff and volunteers dressed up as authors, and a few news surprises and expanded footprint, to boot. From 5-7pm at the Central Library, 61956 SW Santorini St., Bend. Free.
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Junction Roastery & Social Club
High Desert Music Hall
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FRIDAY OCT 30 @ 5:00pm
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HALLOWEEN EDITION
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EVENTS
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Halloween Hangout - Kids Event
Halloween Hangout - Toddler Event
Come celebrate Halloween with a spook-tacular Toddler Open Play! Dress up your little one for our adorable costume contest and enjoy festive music, a spooky photo backdrop and our giant pumpkin weight-guessing raffle. Plus, everyone’s favorite pup, Bluey, will be here for smiles, high-fives and photos! Oct. 30, 9-10:30 and 10:30am-Noon. Free Spirit Yoga + Ninja + Play, 320 SW Powerhouse Drive, Suite 150, Bend. Contact: 5412413919. manager.freespiritbend@ gmail.com. $28.
Howl’o’ween Party 4th annual Howloween Bash! Treats for Tricks! Grab your dogs and get ready for an evening of PETtacstic fun. Pet Pedis on the patio 3-5pm. Goody bags for all pets in costume. Games, wine and more! Oct. 31, 4-8pm. The Winery at Manzanita- Bend, 550 sw Industrial Way #194, Bend. Contact: info@ bendwinebar.com. Free. Kids Halloween Adventure Kids Halloween Adventure is full of fun with activities, crafts, pumpkin painting, kid’s karaoke and dance, a few vendors, costume parade and more! Parental supervision required, kid tix only! Oct. 31, 11am-4pm. Open Space Event Studios, 220 NE Lafayette Ave, Bend. Contact: 541-788-1437.. raechelgilland7@gmail.com. $5 at the door. Red Carpet Car Wash’s 55th Anniversary Trunk-or Treat Enjoy dec-
orated trunks, Halloween treats, face painting, activities, family photos and costume fun! Thank you, Central Oregon, for 55 wonderful years of support. Bring the whole family. We can’t wait to celebrate. Oct. 31, 4-6pm. Red Carpet Car Wash South, 235 SE 3rd Street, Bend. Contact: 541-382-8654. rccwoffice@ gmail.com. Free.
Stenciled Trick or Treat Bags Create a special Halloween memory together in this parent-and-child Trick-or-Treat Bag Class! Teams will use festive Halloween-themed stencils and fabric paints to decorate a sturdy cotton tote that’s perfect for collecting candy or carrying seasonal treasures. Oct. 31, 10-11:30am. Bend Tea and Art Lounge, 1024 NW Bond St, Suite 101, Bend. Contact: 541-668-6708. info@bendteal. com. $45. Team Hyundai Bend’s Spooktacular Halloween Bash! Team Hyundai Bend is
hosting a free Halloween Family Fun Night! Bring the whole family for candy, obstacle courses, indoor games and plenty of spooky fun! Costumes encouraged! We can’t wait to see you! Oct. 31, 4-8pm. Team Hyundai of Bend, 2250NE Highway 20, Bend. Contact: 541-234-8865. s.jones@ gokiefer.com. Free.
of Bend is hosting a trunk or treat event in its courtyard that’s open to the public, free and for all ages. Registration is required for trunk displays, so please email. RSVPs are appreciated but not necessary for trick or treaters. Oct. 29, 3-5pm. Athletic Club of Bend, 61615 Athletic Club Dr, Bend. Contact: 541-385-3062. youth@ athleticclubofbend,com. Free.
Trunk or Treat & Halloween Scavenger Hunt Trick-or-treat from car to
car, play carnival games, enjoy hot cider, find all the scavenger-hunt items and more. This event is always fun for all ages! There are lots of ways to volunteer and make the magic happen, from decorating the trunk of your car to serving. Oct. 31, 3-4:30pm. First Presbyterian Bend, 230 Northeast 9th Street, Bend. Contact: 541-3824401. bbreed@bendfp.org. Free.
FOOD + DRINK
Fall Chef’s Pairing Experience A communal Chef’s Pairings Experience hosted by Winery Ambassador Ashley and Chef Cuin at Bend Tasting Room & Restaurant. Enjoy a curated fivewine flight paired with four chef-created dishes, plus a $40 bottle credit with a two-plus bottle purchase. Gratuity is included. Oct. 28, 4-5:30 and 6-7:30pm. Willamette Valley Vineyards, 916 NW Wall St., Bend. Contact: (541) 306-6000. bend@wvv.com. $80-$95.
Mushroom Dinner Benefiting Locavore An evening of community, locally sourced
ingredients and fungi, in the Chanterelle Ballroom, where guests will have the opportunity to dive deeper into the flavors of foraged mushrooms and chef-curated dishes. Enjoy an evening of discovery while bidding in a silent auction benefiting Central Oregon Locavore. Oct. 30, 6-9pm. Juniper Preserve, 65600 Pronghorn Club Dr., Bend. Contact: 541-693-5388. info@ juniperpreserve.com.
HEALTH + WELLNESS
Breathwork to Rest and Restore Regis-
tration required. Discover how breath can become a powerful tool for managing stress and restoring balance. Through slow, mindful breathing practices, improve breath awareness, promote relaxation and leave feeling more centered, grounded and resilient. Suitable for all experience levels. Nov. 3, 6-7pm. Central Library, 61956 SE Santorini Street, Bend. Contact: 541-241-3395. emilyc@deschuteslibrary.org. Free.
Candle-Lit Sound Bath & Gentle Yoga Flow This is your sanctuary for letting go,
finding balance, and reconnecting with your inner harmony. (75min) Every other Thursday evening at Hanai. Oct. 29, 6:30-7:45pm. Hanai, 62430 Eagle Rd, Bend. $27.22.
Candle-Lit Sound Bath & Gentle Yoga Flow at Hanai Step into Stillness at Hanai and
immerse yourself in an evening of deep relaxation and renewal with 75 min candle-lit slow flow Yoga and Sound Bath. Start with gentle movement (30min) followed by soothing sound bath (45min). Enjoy a harmonic soundscape - every other Thursday evening, October through December. Thu, Oct. 15, 6:30-7:45pm and Thu, Oct. 29, 6:307:45pm. Hanai, 62430 Eagle Rd, Bend. Contact: 5419052949. info@stepintostillness.org. $24.
NAMI Family Support Group Gain hope
and develop supportive relationships. This group allows one’s voice to be heard and provides an opportunity for personal needs to be met. It encourages empathy, productive discussion and a sense of community. Second and Fourth Wednesday of every month, 5:30-6:30pm. First Presbyterian Church, 230 NE Ninth St., Bend. Contact: info@namicentraloregon.org. Free.
NAMI Mental Health Peer Support Group: La Pine NAMI’s Peer Connection
Support Group is a free, peer-led support group for adults living with mental health challenges. You will gain insight from hearing the challenges and successes of others, and the groups are led by NAMI-trained facilitators who’ve been there. 1st & 3rd Tuesdays of each month. First and Third Tuesday of every month, 3pm. La Pine Senior Activity Center, 16450 Victory Way, La Pine. Contact: 541-3160167. programs@namicentraloregon.org. Free.
Pet Pedis on the Patio Enjoy a glass of wine while your pet is pampered! We are partnering with VanGo mobile dog spa every last Saturday of the month. Nail trims and more! Join us at the tasting room! Woof! Last Saturday of every month, 3-5:30pm. Through Nov. 28. The Winery at Manzanita- Bend, 550 sw Industrial Way #194, Bend. Prineville In-Person Group NAMI Con-
nection Peer Support Group is a free, peer-led support group for any adult who has experienced symptoms of a mental health condition. You will gain insight from hearing the challenges and successes of others, and the groups are led by trained leaders who’ve been there. First and Third Wednesday of every month, 3pm. Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 695 N.W. Third St., Prineville. Contact: organize@namicentraloregon.org. Free.
Redmond NAMI Family Support Group The National Alliance of Mental Illness is having a Family Support Group. This is a peer-led group program for family members, caregivers, and loved ones of individuals living with mental illness. In these groups, family members can talk frankly about their challenges and help one another through their learned wisdom. Third and First Tuesday of every month, 6-7pm. Redmond Seventh Day Adventist Church, 945 SW Glacier Rd, Redmond. Contact: 541-316-0888. organize@namicentraloregon.org. Free.
Willamette Valley Vineyards
BEER + DRINK
Candy and Wine Pairing Experience
Celebrate Halloween with a playful wine and candy pairing featuring six curated combinations designed to surprise the palate. Explore how wine complements classic treats while enjoying a flight, candy pairings and a $10 bottle credit. Come dressed in Halloween best! Oct. 31, 5-6:30pm. Willamette Valley Vineyards, 916 NW Wall St., Bend. Contact: (541) 306-6000. bend@wvv.com. $35-$40.
The Haunted Waypoint Meet at The Haunted Waypoint for an immersive, spine-tingling experience where spirits gather.. and then quickly disappear. Step into a world of haunted décor and wickedly crafted seasonal cocktails that are just to die for. Oct. 7-31. Waypoint by Bend Brewing Co, 921 Northwest Mount Washington Drive, Bend. Contact: waypointbbc@ gmail.com. Free. Year 5 Spookiversary Join us for our 5 Year Spookiversary on Halloween! - Fresh Pepper Beer Releases - Hot Sauce - Spooky Packs - Flash tattoos by @ghostcat.ink - Fresh merch drops - Vibes - Regardless the day, costumes are always encouraged Oct. 31, 1-9pm. Funky Fauna Artisan Ales, 1125 NE Second St., Bend. Free.
Experience a fall-themed chef’s pairing at Willamette Valley Vineyards on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
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Come hang out during this special Halloween Kids Open Play for ages 13 and under. We’ll be leading fun games like “Zombie Tag”! Kids come in your craziest costume for our costume contest, plus we’ll have a spooky photo backdrop, fun Halloween music and a raffle with some awesome prizes! Oct. 30, 12:30-2 and 2-3:30pm. Free Spirit Yoga + Ninja + Play, 320 SW Powerhouse Drive, Suite 150, Bend. Contact: 5412413919. manager.freespiritbend@ gmail.com. $28.
Trunk or Treat The Athletic Club
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to Honor the Dead CULTURE ADía Place de los Muertos events have been happening in Central Oregon for
years. Amid ICE presence and the fallout of a school shooting, this year’s event offers a safe space for celebration and community healing.
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hen the news broke Oct. 15 about the deadly shootings at Silver Rail Elementary School, community organizer Greg Delgado was in the middle of a crafting session, preparing items for an upcoming Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, event at The Open Arts Center. As the reports came in, so, too, did various community members, sharing their stories of anguish over people they knew who worked at or attended the school, and were as-yet unaccounted for, Delgado said. “My heart sank,” Delgado said. “I’m watching this happen real time to our community, and we’re trying to be together. So that’s all I can think about — is being in community.” For at least the past decade, Delgado has helped to put on a Central Oregon version of the annual Mexican and indigenous Mesoamerican event, which honors the departed in various ways between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2. Delgado hails from Tucson, Arizona, what he jokingly calls “the heart of Mexico.” Last year, the local, public event took place in downtown Bend, out front of the Hola! restaurant. As part of the tradition, loved ones typically set up altars, or ofrendas, in the cemeteries where their departed are laid to rest. In this year’s Bend version, Delgado and other organizers are setting up an ofrenda at Open Arts, where there are fewer restrictions and permits to tackle, compared to a cemetery or public street. “The whole idea is a community altar — a place to celebrate our loved ones, and a place of healing,” Delgado told the Source. “How can we work as a community together to work through these processes… and also bring some culture to our community?” But even before the tragedy at Silver Rail, Delgado pointed out that the community — particularly the immigrant and Latino communities — was already struggling from increased activity from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the Trump administration. “There’s a lot of fear, especially around ICE right now. But we know that when there’s a community united, people…. Latinos… are not vulnerable because they’re not alone,” Delgado said. “I think that was one of the messages that we’re going to be clear with our families and our people, is saying, ‘Hey, this is a community united, and we can’t guarantee your safety, but we can guarantee that everybody will be there with you, and we’re with you.’” The “Día de Muertos” event at Open Space takes place Friday, Nov. 6. “Families come together to light candles, create altars, and share offerings of food, music, and flowers as they honor and welcome the spirits of loved ones,” the event’s posting describes. Assembly of the ofrenda begins at 3pm, when people are invited to share memories and artifacts of their loved ones. Delgado has also been distributing an altar kit that includes a frame on which to add photographs or small mementoes. He’s also organizing a face-painting workshop, or “Taller de Maquillaje de Catrinas” on Thursday, Nov. 5 from 4-7pm. The face-painting workshop is $20; the Día de Muertos event on Nov. 6 is free to attend, though RSVP/tickets are requested through Eventbrite. Open Arts also has two more crafting nights planned, taking place Thursdays from 4-7pm, where people will prepare for the Nov. 7 event.
Chris Luengas Unsplash
Día de los Muertos altars pay homage to the departed with photos, favorite foods and other items loved by the people being honored.
Greg Delgado
Greg Delgado
An ofrenda, or altar, from a previous event.
Día de Muertos at Open Arts Sat., Nov. 7, 3:30-9pm Open Arts Center 999 NE 2nd St., Bend Free RSVP at Eventbrite
Greg Delgado at last year’s Día de los Muertos event at Hola!
VOLUME 30 ISSUE 44 / OCTOBER 29, 2026 / THE SOURCE
By Nicole Vulcan
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LITTLE BITES
CHOW Reuben Egg Rolls, Irish
By Nicole Vulcan
Stew and a Perfect Pint
The Emerald Loop brings the neighborhood home
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ave you ever walked into a restaurant and immediately known you’d be back? I mean, before tasting the food, sampling the cocktails or just chilling for an hour or three. Walking into The Emerald Loop, I realized that not only would I be back, but that I was a little sad I didn’t live across the street. If it were in my neighborhood, The Emerald Loop would be my neighborhood pub, without question. Maybe they’ll adopt me. “I’ve always believed that a proper Irish pub should feel like an extension of someone’s living room,” says owner Janette Goodship. “We worked with the building’s existing layout to create comfortable spaces, using booths, warm lighting and fireplaces to give the rooms that cozy, inviting feeling. We wanted somewhere people could settle in, enjoy themselves and not feel rushed.” Hidden from Third Street behind a Valvoline and near the bright green goodness of Tacos Pihuamo lies a homey Irish pub and sports bar in the spot formerly occupied by Kelly D’s. Let me get this out of the way right up front: if you miss Kelly D’s but aren’t spending time at The Emerald Loop, then you’re only really hurting yourself. From the wonderful food to the warm service to the perfectly poured Guinness to the inventively delectable cocktails, The Loop impresses on all fronts. Goodship wanted to bring something authentically Irish to Bend when she first opened. “I was born in the Highlands of Scotland and raised in Devon, England, before moving to the United States about 18-and-a-half years ago,” says Goodship. “Through my travels and the time I’ve spent in Ireland, I’ve always had a special love for Irish pubs. There’s something about them that you don’t find everywhere. They’re warm, welcoming, full of character, and have a wonderful sense of community. Having the opportunity to open one of my own really was a dream come true.” I can’t stress enough that you need to start with the Reuben Rolls. They are fried to the perfect crisp like an egg roll, but packed with corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss and Thousand Island. You hear “Reuben Egg Roll,” and you think, “huh, not sure that will work,” and then you take that first bite and realize it’s what you’ve been missing your entire life. I rarely have time to go back to a restaurant a second time before writing a review, but I was back at Emerald Loop within just a few days because I couldn’t stop thinking about these little babies. The texture, the balance, the perfect ratio between the corned beef, Swiss,
Jared Rasic
New spot in Cascade Village will serve as a community gathering place, its owners hope
Courtesy of M’s Bakery
The Emerald Loop also serves up the classic Fish & Chips, with mushy peas and pineapple-craisin slaw.
kraut and dressing…these things are dangerous and just writing this has made me start plotting when I can get more. “When this location was Kelly D’s, the Reuben was a well-known and muchloved sandwich,” says Goodship. “We wanted to honor that history and carry on something people already had a connection with. Our Reuben Egg Rolls actually came from noticing that not everyone could finish a full Reuben sandwich. We thought, why not take those same wonderful flavors and offer them in a smaller, shareable version? Something people could enjoy as an appetizer or alongside a pint.” Don’t let that discourage you from trying the Reuben proper, though. With perfectly crisped marbled rye and a thick pile of tender, rich corned beef, Emerald Loop’s Reuben stands easily alongside the best I’ve had in Central Oregon. Whether you get that or the Irish Filly (packed to the gills with corned beef, onions, mushrooms and a decadent Guinness beer cheese on a toasted hoagie), you should probably plan on sharing with your table mates. If you want something more traditional, I did my due diligence and tried not just the Fish & Chips, but the Bangers & Mash and Irish Stew as well. If I’m going to do the job, I might as well do it right. They classically execute the fish with a 10-ounce, beer-battered cod, fried crispy and golden brown, paired with wonderful fries and sides of pineapple-craisin slaw and some good old-fashioned, savory mushy peas.
The Irish Stew is delectable and thick with tender, mouth-melting tri-tip, potatoes, peas, carrots and a darkly rich Guinness gravy. Meanwhile, the Bangers & Mash come with massive, classic English sausages, perfect mashed potatoes, onions, more of that gravy and what is easily the best soda bread I’ve ever had. The bread is so fresh and subtly sweet that it reminded me of a classic Mexican sweet bread, but quintessentially Irish. “To me, the heart of a great Irish pub is family, friendship and community,” says Goodship. “It’s a down-toearth place where people of all ages feel welcome, where conversations happen naturally, and where strangers can become friends. We also believe in giving back to the community whenever we can, because being a neighborhood pub means being part of the neighborhood. We’re not trying to be the fanciest restaurant in Bend. We want to be the kind of place people return to because they feel at home here.” I love the intentionality of that statement because that’s exactly what The Emerald Loop has achieved. I can’t wait to go back and slowly sip a proper pint while chatting with friends and family… almost as much as I want an endless supply of those Reuben Egg Rolls. The Emerald Loop
1012 SE Cleveland Square Loop, Suite #2, Bend Mon–Thu 11am–10pm, Fri 11am-11pm, Sat 7am–11pm, Sun 7am–9pm theemeraldloopbend.com
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beloved Central Oregon bakery is expanding beyond its original Old Mill location. M’s Bakery is opening a second location in the Cascade Village Shopping Center, set to open in January, owner Macy Davis told the Source. The bakery location will be adjacent to World Market, in the former Starbucks location, and will be grab-and-go style, featuring a toast bar, parfaits, oatmeal and its other bakery items, but without the full breakfast and lunch menu offered at the original location. M’s also plans to roast coffee in-house, from beans sourced through co-owner Dario Muciño-Trujillo’s connections with family farms in Veracruz, Mexico. “We’re really excited to serve the north part of Bend, especially as that area and Redmond are rapidly growing,” Davis told the Source. “We have so many customers that come from that side of town, that come all the way down to the Old Mill just to get a pastry or coffee or something. So it really felt like the north side of town needed some love, and we wanted to just provide a space for the community to gather.” People can keep up with updates about the opening of the new location at M’s Bakery’s Instagram at @msbakerybend/.
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By Jared Rasic
M’s Bakery Opening Second Location
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Halloween SCREEN Underseen Ten spooky movies (most of which) you haven’t seen By Jared Rasic Photos courtesy IMDB
"A Tale of Two Sisters"
deliriously insane hybrid of a police procedural, an oldschool Universal Monster movie and a Cronenbergian body horror nightmare. “The Cycle” hits beautifully late at night with a tub of popcorn and some mood lighting. “A Tale of Two Sisters” (2003) — South Korea makes my favorite horror movies…and revenge movies…and action movies…actually, South Korea just makes my favorite movies, period. Kim Jee-woon’s “A Tale of Two Sisters” is easily one of the most beautifully constructed ghost stories of the 21st Century. This is the perfect film for someone looking for a classy, sophisticated tale that manages to be just as terrifying as it is emotionally devastating. “The Cremator” (1969) — A comedy so pitchblack you’ll feel guilty for laughing until the final, bone-chilling 30 minutes forces you to realize that sometimes all you can do is crack wise into the void. This Czech masterpiece completely takes the piss out of fascism while offering a profoundly disturbing view of the danger inherent in stupid people gathering in large groups. A great choice for those looking for some Criterion in their collection.
“Ravenous” (1999) — A bloody cannibal comic-Western freak show starring Guy Pearce and Robert Carlyle as adversaries facing off against the desolate backdrop of the Sierra Nevadas during the Mexican-American War. Tonally jumping between slapstick black comedy and ultra-violent absurdism, “Ravenous” was a massive "Ravenous" flop on release, but with an insane score from The Gorillaz’ Damon Albarn and endlessly inventive filmmaking from Antonia Bird, this It’s focused on a small crew of asbestos removal workis a cult classic destined for eventual re-evaluation. ers slowly losing all sense of reality inside the walls of “Overlord” (2018) — Not perfect by any means, an abandoned mental institution. Something deep in “Overlord” is still one of the best revisionist war mov- the DNA of this film is so unhinged that you might find ies that also revels in killing legions of Nazi zombies yourself dissociating before the credits. Perfect for and giant mutants. Watching fans of that slow-burn horror that moves into your ribthis with a group of friends cage and squats for a few decades. late at night can feel like dis“Something Wicked This Way Comes” (1983) — covering a classic midnight Not necessarily a “horror” movie, but if you’re looking movie that the rest of the to share something gently spooky with some kiddos, world hasn’t acknowledged this one creeped me to my soul when I was around yet. Big, dumb, gory and fun eight. Along with “Return to Oz,” some of my first in equal measure. childhood fears came from some of the imagery here, “Castle Freak” (1995) — like the creepy carnival and Pam Grier’s Dust Witch. If I mean, if you haven’t seen you wanna get your kids or your friends’ kids into horthis, don’t you wanna watch a ror, this is a good place to start. movie called “Castle Freak?” “Ghostwatch” (1992) — If you’re looking for Is there anything more that something actually set on Halloween, this one is still you need than that delicious- an all-time classic. Broadcast on Halloween night on ly evocative title? Fine…it also the BBC, this legendary mockumentary scared the hell features all-time great horror out of (and then subsequently pissed off) British viewdirection by the GOAT Stu- ers in the ‘90s when it was presented as live evidence art (“Re-Animator”) Gordon of the paranormal. While it can feel somewhat dated in and more iconic performanc- 2026, it’s still a brilliant example of how to play a fun es from the equally GOAT-ed trick on your audience that feels less manipulative and Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton. It’s about a cas- more groundbreaking and ultimately hilarious in rettle with a freak in it. It’s bonkers. Watch it immediately. rospect. A fun time capsule of a simpler time. “The Eyes of My Mother” (2016) — A blackNo matter what you choose to do on Halloween, and-white bad dream that uses hypnotic editing and just keep it spooky. stark performances to build an all-encompassing sense of creeping dread that becomes almost overwhelming by the third act. “The Eyes of My Mother’s” brief 76-minute runtime doesn’t waste a single second, building into one of those movies that sticks to you like a miasmatic film. Literally unforgettable. I don’t really know if that’s a good thing, but I have to recommend it anyway. “Session 9” (2001) — To this day, “Session 9” remains one of my favorite horror movies of all time. "Something Wicked This Way Comes"
VOLUME 30 ISSUE 44 / OCTOBER 29, 2026 / THE SOURCE
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isten, I would never try and tell you what to watch, but don’t you sometimes feel stuck in a rut, watching the same old spooky movies every Halloween, year after year? I get it, I really do; we’re wired to take comfort in repetition. It’s the exact same reason some of us are currently on our 10th rewatch of “The Office,” dipping into that sweet nostalgia to relieve some existential stress, or whatever else ails us. It’s why cozy, comfort TV is a thing. I would never begrudge you another viewing of “Hocus Pocus,” “The Shining” or “Halloween” on Halloween. But if you prefer to dance macabre a little outside your comfort zone this year, here are 10 movies most of you haven’t seen before, to enjoy on Devil’s Night and beyond. Mild spoilers follow. “The Cycle” (2026) — If you’ve ever felt that the only thing that could have made the serial-killer classic “Seven” any better was an inhuman creature lurking in its Neo-noir margins, then this was made for you (and also me). This wildly original, hyper-creepy thriller is a
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N A T U R A L
O
OUTSIDE A First-Timer’s Guide to Mushroom Foraging
Time in the woods at one of Oregon’s many hidden spots
32 OCTOBER 29, 2026 / BEND’S INDEPENDENT VOICE - NOW DAILY AT WWW.BENDSOURCE.COM
W O R L D
By Kimberly Bowker
W
e meet for a second date. Since dating in Central Oregon immediately requires a shared seasonal outdoor activity — such as snowshoeing, hiking, or boating — we decide to go camping. Hiking beside an undisclosed river near an equally undisclosed campground (see — I’ve already learned the first rule of Fight Club, err, Forage Club — don’t talk about where you forage) he spots something in the dirt. He reaches down and quickly unearths a large, beautiful mushroom seemingly out of nowhere. “Was it a chanterelle?” My friend, also a forager, asks when I recount the story a few days later. “Yes,” I say, surprised at how quickly my friend clocks it. “Then he chopped it up and added it to the chicken marsala he made that night in a cast iron skillet over the campfire. It was absolutely delicious.” “That was a good move, huh?” my friends asks. “Yup. Sure was.” “Where was this again?” So of course I tell my friend the exact location. After dating into week three and passing an incognito background check (he just has a wilderness permit violation in 2014 to really worry about) I trust him enough to drive us deep into the woods and he trusts me enough to reveal his foraging sites so I can write about it for all of Central Oregon to read. But don’t get too excited yet, I think we are still dating, so there will be no identifying
site information here. That’s the second rule of Fight Clu-, err, Forage Club. I also learn two rules that every beginner should know: Never munch on a hunch and never eat a mushroom raw. We veer off one of the many generic tree-lined mountain pass highways. I am informed that it is the top-secret spot and to tell no one, so it’s good that I actually miss seeing the sign for the turn-off because I am writing notes. Mostly, this: Did you bring a whistle? I did. Good. Three is an emergency situation. Two is ‘I found chanterelles.’ One is ‘where are you at?’ We can also Marco Polo. He pauses. Hey, what’s that crow doing? When I look up we are on a forest road. We are searching for three things: rock rings for camping, construction tape on trees identifying previous forage sites that replenish about 10 days after a harvest, and mushrooms because, well, mushrooms. The truck suddenly stops and I lurch forward. He removes his hand from my knee because, well, mushrooms, and he reverses the truck to pull it over. Immediately we see different varietals: coral mushrooms that resemble undersea castles and devil’s tooth mushrooms that appear to bleed into the earth. We primarily seek white and golden chanterelles whose local season runs from September to the frozen ground in November. The “scaly,” or an inedible species of chanterelle, are also present. If mushrooms are cut and not edible, I learn that good practice is to toss them Kimberley Bowker
Kimberley Bowker
against a tree to release spores for propagation. A drop kick also works, harkening back to my half-hearted hacky-sack days as a teenager in a location not too far from this one. Back in the car we spot a fire ring and set up camp for the night to breathe with the trees and a frog croaking in near-perfect gumption. We gear up for my first forage. He hands me a knife and says to always carry it open — no, just kidding, if you are reading this I remember you said it’s the opposite — and make sure I have my brightly colored shirt, long pants and brimmed hat to reduce eye pokes from branches when we step off trail. And it is off trail where everything changes. Every step fills with an originality and rawness of wonder. It all connects. There is no one way anymore, no single path. The leaves and soil and moss and sticks create the map. I look up at treetops and talk to birds while he looks down toward the earth and spots signs of bear skat a little loose from too many half-consumed mushrooms. He sees one, and then I do: two big white chanterelles. I squat down close to the earth. Remove leaves and sticks that may have grown with the mushroom. Push down into the soil, feel the stem. It must connect to so much. Open the blade, point the knife away from the thumb, cut. The mushroom releases easily. It is cool and firm and
delicate. Brush off some of the dirt, as it’s best to clean mushrooms every step of the way. Place in a collecting bag. I stand up. “Once you see one, then you start seeing them everywhere,” he says. This is perhaps not a metaphorical statement that I think he is expressing about awareness and expanding consciousness when we start noticing things that we don’t usually notice. Rather, since he is an earth sign on the zodiac wheel, he likely means that mushrooms grow in groves and next to one another. Where there is one, there are many. They act as sponges, he explains, which is why a healthy environment is so vital. Upon returning to camp he hands me the feather of a Steller’s jay. I stare at an indigo blue so specific in its color I’m not sure it’s found anywhere else. A moment of contrast, of truth. We exist in these symbiotic relationships with awareness and non-awareness of networks that connect above and below, left and right, me and you. Me and him. Even to the campfire that night when I chop up the white chanterelles and place them in the oil to create the cast iron sizzle, and watch. When we finally see it, we see: rejuvenation is wherever we are (which may oftentimes be an undisclosed, top-secret and beautiful site.) Note: Be sure to check out local foraging regulations before venturing into the known and unknown.
RENT THE
GO HERE
By Dallas Finn Calvert
Local Couple Transforms Yard Into a Spooky, Haunted Attraction Each Halloween
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Dallas Finn Calvert
NEST BOXES, HAWK PERCHES, HUMANE EXCLUSION AND MORE CONTACT US
Snow White and her dwarves, as imagined in Kevin Tucker and Lara Matheny's haunted yard.
T
ucked away in a quiet Southwest Bend neighborhood, don’t be surprised to see throngs of trick-ortreaters, and plenty of adults, too, stopping for a visit on Brianne Place. On Halloween night, Kevin Tucker and Lara Matheny transform their charming residence into a spooky walk-through experience that’s family-friendly and draws people from far and wide. In fact, they expect about 300 people to visit this year’s attraction, which includes a graveyard, haunted forest, evil gingerbread house, a spooky swamp and other immersive delights. “Halloween is the best holiday of the year,” said Tucker, 52, with a big smile. “You get to dress up. You get to be someone else. And you get to go get a bunch of candy.” They do hand out candy at the end of the walk-through, which features creepy, spooky decorations and scenes that the couple have mostly built themselves, save for some of the skeletons and other figures that they purchased. They also have a cadre of friends who help them each year. Out front of the house, to the side of the haunted graveyard entrance guarded over by Chuckles the Skeleton, there’s a stockade for people to use for photo ops, with adult treats available. The couple has been putting on the neighborhood attraction for 18 years. They arrived in Bend in 2002 and decorated their first home for their favorite holiday. However, they didn’t really get into their decorating groove until moving to Brianne Place.
“We started this, a much smaller version, at our old house. Each year, it’s grown. We just keep adding something or changing something,” said Tucker, explaining that after the Covid-19 pandemic, they began incorporating a fundraiser into the Halloween-night attraction as a way to give back to their community. The walk-through is free, but donations are encouraged. All money raised goes to the Family Access Network, which provides essential services such as food, shelter, heating and health care to Central Oregon families in need. This year, Movement Mortgage, for which Kevin is a loan officer, will match all donations. Last year, they raised several hundred dollars and hope to do even better this year. One thing they won’t do, however, is intentionally scare anyone. They want young and old alike to enjoy the experience they work hard to create every October. “We do creepy. We don’t do jump scares,” Kevin said. “Jump scares are cheap. Creepy is way more powerful.” Haunted Yard Halloween WalkThrough and FAN Fundraiser Sat., Oct. 31, 5-8pm Brianne Place in Southwest Bend - look for the graveyard! Free but donations encouraged. Benefits Family Access Network Scan the QR code to donate to FAN as part of the haunted-yard fundraiser
(541) 933-0182 www.thinkwildco.org wildlifeservices@thinkwildco.org
VOLUME 30 ISSUE 44 / OCTOBER 29, 2026 / THE SOURCE
The house on Brianne Place is the sight of a creepy walk-through attraction that delights young and old alike while helping raise funds for FAN
smokesignals@bendsource.com
SMOKE SIGNALS
La Mota Owner Looking at La Prision 34
By Josh Jardine
OCTOBER 29, 2026 / BEND’S INDEPENDENT VOICE - NOW DAILY AT WWW.BENDSOURCE.COM
Toking and (unpaid) taxes
A
s a longtime cannabis user, I will admit that cannabis can impact one’s memory. Many stoners have uttered a variation of the phrase, “Wait, what was I just saying/looking for/doing?” Thankfully, this is a temporary occurrence, and it’s rare that any of the misplaced intentions are a hanging matter. So while everyone deserves a pass for forgetting things while high, there are some things that come with penalties, such as forgetting to pick up your children from school, your Mom’s birthday, and paying your taxes. Recently, Rosa Cazares, the owner and CEO of dispensary chain La Mota, discovered that last one the hard way. She’s facing a federal indictment on multiple charges of tax fraud, which could result in prison time. La Mota has solid name recognition, with a Latina owner and CEO who in a 2017 profile was lauded for having a staff that was nearly 80% women. (More of that, please.) They started in Oregon, and expanded into New Mexico. They have 40+ stores between the two states, and are known in some circles for sub $50 ounces of flower. In other circles, they are known for being the catalyst in the resignation of former Secretary of State Shemia Fagan in 2023. In an industry known for being messy, this development required a Level 3 Haz Mat team. Thanks to ace reporter Sophie Peel, the best part of Willamette Week, her three-month investigation revealed that La Mota had some…issues. As I shared in a May 2023 column, “As Peel wrote, ‘The chain and the companies they control have been issued more than $3 million in tax liens over the past five years’ . . . and that Cazares, [Aaron] Mitchell and several La Mota entities have faced 30 lawsuits filed in Oregon circuit courts since 2017 that collectively allege more than $1.7 million in unpaid bills from cannabis vendors, handymen, testing labs, and even the accounting firm hired to complete 2021 tax returns for all of the LLCs.” Peel’s work also uncovered that Secretary Fagan had signed a consulting contract for $10,000 a month to help La Mota expand beyond Oregon
and New Mexico. Fagen exited the deal, but the damage was done, and she resigned days later. A nonprofit run by La Mota, designed to train applicants in cannabis extraction, was forced to return a $500,000 grant from the Bureau of Labor and Industries. La Mota closed a few Oregon dispensaries and that seemed to be the end of that. Until this month, when the Justice Department announced that Cazares had failed to collect and pay over $1.5 million in federal income, Medicare and Social Security taxes on La Mota and another of her businesses, 503 Staffing, between March 2020 and December 2021. This isn’t the only unpaid tax issue associated with La Mota. Cazares’ business and life partner, Aaron Mitchell, was hit with an eye-watering tax bill of $7.9 million from the Oregon Department of Revenue for five tax liens going back to 2020. Per Peel, “...The unpaid taxes included marijuana, personal income and withholding taxes—including $3.4 million owed for personal income tax from 2021 alone.” This isn’t the first time Mitchell has been cited for unpaid taxes, with issues going back to 2014. While Mitchell isn’t looking at any jail time, Cazares may well be. She’s facing up to five years per charge, or a potential 40 years (which is too long, and likely won’t be imposed). While the unpaid taxes is not a reason for many to forgo shopping at La Mota, their history of lawsuits from employees may be. Back in 2023, Peel wrote, “Records show that 21 former employees have filed complaints against La Mota with the Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries since 2019. They allege unpaid or late wages, unsafe working conditions due to health hazards, and allege the company did not implement safety precautions after armed robberies.” (The armed robbery complaint was prior to the fatal shooting of two armed robbers at a La Mota dispensary in St. Johns in 2024 by the store manager.) It’s hard to justify supporting a business with this many lawsuits from members of the cannabis industry.
COLUMN
AWAKENING YOUR INNER HERO
WELLNESS
A column to help locals live a kinder and more courageous life By Burt Gershater
35 VOLUME 30 ISSUE 44 / OCTOBER 29, 2026 / THE SOURCE
We Shall Overcome
What does hope really mean?
F
rom darkness into Light. What does hope really mean? None of us in Bend, Oregon, can believe what happened in our beautiful hometown at midday, Oct. 15. A mass killing in Silver Rail Elementary School. We’re still in shock, and we’ve all been blessed by the rapid responses of many of our heroic citizens who made our hell smaller than it was going to be. Can our hell on Earth ever be made smaller? Absolutely! Absolutely not! Nearly everyone we speak to locally begins by saying, “I don’t have any words.” Our state of shock and horror are beyond words. This condition is visceral, instinctive, automatic. We are what our body is telling us we are. Infuriated, terrified, devastated, heartbroken. Two of the most common symptoms of this state are numbness and confusion. We are unable to believe what has happened, and in our confusion, we can’t accept our horrific reality. We are flooded with anxiety which leads to agitation and anger. Rapid heartbeat, withdrawal, nausea, shaking, headaches and loss of appetite are also common in this state. “There are no words.” We are, in so many ways, not running our own show. Our show is being run in ways we hardly even realize. During this phase of anguish, may we all do our best to be more accepting and less judgmental of ourselves and all our dear, wounded brothers and sisters negotiating these horrific waters along with us. Here is a question: How much do we ever run our own show? This may be THE question. How much do you and I consciously bring out our highest, most thoughtful self? This leads to two other questions: Which parts of our lives are we capable of running? And, of these, which are we running in ways that are best for ourselves and our family, friends, co-workers and folks we meet along the way? Back to the title, WE SHALL OVERCOME. The famous lyrics that follow are: Deep in my heart. I do believe We shall overcome some day. I do believe does not mean the same as I know, although it does mean the same as I know…if that is what you truly do believe.
Deep in my heart. I do believe We shall overcome some day. Do you believe we can ever overcome these heinous behaviors that humans do to each other? Some say “Yes” and some disagree and say “No way.” Did slaves ever know they would be free some day? Could they ever know their future? But many believed in their hearts and souls that freedom was on the way. Even when they were merely pieces of property, being sold, whipped and lynched by angry mobs, they were still singing, praying and fighting for their freedom. Are any of us ever 100% free? We are all slaves to the scared and angry parts of ourselves. Some more than others. Love, kindness and courage are daily, often difficult choices. The young man who shot and killed three young students, their teacher and seriously wounded another teacher and her student was a slave to who knows what. The brave father who “happened” to be driving by the school where his two children were, and saw and heard the young shooter, made a choice. He saw the young man jump over the playground fence with a gun. He was in full panic mode but knew he had to follow with his own gun. He knew people were going to die. Courage is where we are truly in control of our lives. When we do the right thing even when we are terrified. Kaylub Giamanco, our hero, is our role model. His heroism revealed to himself his purpose in life. He said, “I feel like I was put on this earth to do something more than just fix houses,” he said. Let us all continue to have the courage to find our truest purpose. And maybe some of that is to courageously be the best person we can be. Even when we don’t feel like it. Be a believer in believing Hold to your convictions and have perfect faith they will succeed. -Tzvi Freeman Blessings on all our courageous journeys. - Burt Gershater is a counselor, leadership trainer, speaker and writer. He can be reached at info@burtgershater. com
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon (541) 316-0627 borstingmd.com
WELLNESS
Clarity Health Integrative Psychiatry
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REAL ESTATE Otis Craig
FIND YOUR PLACE IN BEND
www.otiscraig.com
Broker, CRS
& 541.771.4824 ) otis@otiscraig.com
20449 ABERDEEN DRIVE
In the established Countryside neighborhood, this 2022 Structure Development NW home features open-concept living, LVP flooring, an office and flex space for versatile living. The main floor hosts a primary suite, a living area flowing seamlessly into a chef’s kitchen with a spacious island and dining area opening onto a covered patio. Rounding out the first floor is an office off the living room and a mudroom and laundry room just off the 2-car garage, with plenty of room for storing your outdoor gear. Upstairs are two spacious bedrooms, a full bath, and a large bonus room/4th bedroom. Outside, enjoy a welcoming covered front porch and a private, fully fenced backyard with easy-care xeriscaping. Lovingly cared for and lightly lived in as a second home, this property puts you close to Alpenglow Park, schools, and shopping, with Downtown Bend and the Old Mill District just minutes away.
OFFERED AT $769,000 NEW PRICE
2504 SW 32ND ST
Perched on a quiet street in SW Redmond’s Valleyview neighborhood, this elevated home combines an open layout with ideal separation of space. The main-level vaulted living area features a kitchen with a Bluestar 6-burner range, new cabinetry, a large island, and views of Smith Rock from the deck. The main level primary suite has vaulted ceilings, a bathroom with double vanities, a soaking tub and two walk-in closets. The lower level features a huge bonus room, two additional bedrooms, a full bath, laundry and access to a fully fenced yard with low-maintenance turf. Privacy easements to the north and east enhance the setting, while an oversized driveway provides secure parking for an RV or adventure gear.
OFFERED AT $595,000
Skjersaa Group | Duke Warner Realty 1033 NW Newport Ave. Bend, OR 97703
541.383.1426
www.SkjersaaGroup.com Oregon Real Estate Licensees
TAKE ME HOME
By Nathan Powers Engel Volkers Bend
Why Bend is Worth the Price Tag
The real value of living in Bend goes far beyond the home itself of dollars on lodging for a golf vacation elsewhere, residents can play beautiful courses close to home and sleep in their own beds that night. The real luxury isn’t necessarily getting a discount. It’s having more opportunities to enjoy the things you love. A Dining Scene That Punches Above Its Weight Bend’s appeal extends well beyond the outdoors. The local dining scene offers everything from relaxed neighborhood favorites to destination-worthy restaurants led by talented, nationally recognized chefs. Whether you’re planning a special anniversary dinner or simply looking for a new date-night spot, there’s no shortage of options to explore. Having that variety close to home adds another layer to the experience of living here. A memorable evening doesn’t have to involve a trip to Portland or a weekend away. So, Is Bend Worth It? Bend isn’t the right fit for every budget, and no amount of beautiful scenery makes housing affordability an insignificant concern. But for those who value outdoor access, recreation, great food and the ability to enjoy all of it without constantly planning a trip, the price tag can look a little different. A home is a significant investment, but so is the life you build around it. In Bend, some of the greatest perks of homeownership aren’t inside the house at all. They’re the trails, rivers, mountains, parks and experiences waiting just beyond the front door.
HOME PRICE ROUNDUP << LOW
999 Golden Pheasant Drive, Redmond 3 bed, 2.5 bath, 1,484 square feet, .04 acres lot Built in 1998 $499,000 Listed by Grady Garrison and James Page of Engel & Völkers Bend | Sisters
MID >>
61000 Jennings Road, Bend 4 bed, 2.5 bath, 2,408 square feet, 4.76 acres lot Built in 1990 $1,136,000 Listed by Vincent and Kimberly Bishop of Engel & Völkers Bend | Sisters
<< HIGH
62677 NW Mehama Court, Bend 7 bed, 4 bath, 3,222 square feet, .18 acres lot Built in 2020 $1,449,999 Listed by Natalie Nolte of Engel & Völkers Bend | Sisters
VOLUME 30 ISSUE 44 / OCTOBER 29, 2026 / THE SOURCE
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end isn’t cheap. With median home prices hovering around $725,000, living here requires a significant financial commitment. But what if the value of living here isn’t measured solely by the square footage of your home, but by everything waiting just outside your front door? Your Backyard = Great Outdoors Miles of hiking trails, the Deschutes River, nearby lakes, immaculate parks and an extensive mountain biking network provide endless opportunities to get outside. Add paddle boarding, snowshoeing, fishing, and the seemingly endless supply of pickleball courts around town, and there’s something for just about everyone. The best part? These experiences don’t require an entire weekend of planning. World-Class Recreation Without the Weekend Trip For many people, access to outdoor recreation comes with a hidden cost: travel. A weekend skiing trip might mean hours in the car, an expensive rental and careful planning. In Bend, Mt. Bachelor is roughly a 30-minute to one-hour drive away, depending on where you start and road conditions. For skiers and snowboarders, that means access to exceptional mountain terrain without having to book an Airbnb and turn every trip into a weekend getaway. Golf offers a similar advantage. Yes, golf in Central Oregon can be expensive, but the region boasts an impressive collection of courses. Instead of spending hundreds or even thousands
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Don’t miss this special issue,
OCTOBER 29, 2026 / BEND’S INDEPENDENT VOICE - NOW DAILY AT WWW.BENDSOURCE.COM
38
bursting
Oct 30
Nov 12
holiday magic!
with all sorts of
Don’t miss this special issue filled with holiday magic and all sorts of fun and helpful info for this Holiday season, winter and the New Year! Here is a sneak peakof the magic inside the issue: Holiday Magic - Create memories for the whole family Your Child’s First Pet - Pro tips for timing and preparation Love the Arts? Local schools include art in their curriculums Dress for Success! Tip for outfitting your child for winter Winter Cra�ts, and more! Contact your rep to learn more
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ASTROLOGY By Rob Brezsny SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): This is your high holy season, Scorpio, which also happens to be the time when the veil is thinnest between this world and the other world. Others find this eerie, but you've always been at home here. You know how to explore the deepest depths, how to abide with what’s buried and hidden, and how to find treasure in the dark. In the coming weeks, your natural power to perceive what's concealed will be amplified. For Halloween, be a psychopomp: a keeper of the threshold, a soul-guide draped in shadow and starlight who walks comfortably between the living and the dead. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Early bal-
loonists had little control over the direction of their flights. They couldn't steer horizontally. But they found that changing altitude allowed them to catch different winds moving in different directions. The smartest way to change course was to rise or descend. Keep that image close, Sagittarius. If you can't alter external circumstances directly, shift your perspective or your social environment. A new current may be waiting higher or lower than where you've been drifting. For Halloween, be a hot-air balloon pilot, comet rider, sky pirate, or bird god like the Hindu Garuda.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Life must both perpetuate itself and surpass itself. Capricorn philosopher Simone de Beauvoir said that. We need continuity, but we also need transcendence. This beautifully encapsulates your assignment in the coming months. Your fun job will be to continue honoring the commitments that anchor your life while also making room for an exhilarating experiment or two. Make stability your launching pad rather than your destination. For Halloween, be the person you will be three years from now. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Inventors often describe
breakthroughs arriving after weeks or months of seemingly unproductive tinkering. Clearly, their subconscious minds kept working on the puzzles even while their conscious minds felt frustrated. Eventually, a fresh arrangement appeared as if by magic. I suspect you're approaching a threshold like that. Your experiments have been subliminally educating your intuition. The solution that's searching for you may be cleverer than the one you've been searching for. For Halloween, be a time traveler, benevolent extraterrestrial, or eccentric professor.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Travelers crossing dark marshes on foot may report eerie, flickering lights hovering over the bog. Science explains these will-o'-the-wisps as gases from decaying matter that ignites in the night air. Folklore provides other theories: They're spirit-lanterns, fairy lights, the lamps of the dead, or beckoning wanderers. I believe you’re in a similar liminal zone these days. Science and magic are both at work. Truth may take the form of both inexplicable mystery and fascinating anomalies that light your way. Be open to both! For Halloween, be a will-o'the-wisp made flesh: a glowing spirit of the marsh draped in mist and lantern-light, beautiful and uncanny. ARIES (March 21-April 19): For centuries, Japanese craftspeople have cultivated an ethos called shokunin kishitsu: a devotion to skilled work, lifelong learning, and continual refinement. The pursuit of perfection is less about reaching a final state than about bringing ever greater care and precision to the work. In traditional carpentry, this can mean years of learning to make joints whose quality resides in their strength and durability even though no customer will ever notice. I suggest you try out this attitude, Aries. Pour extra focus into details, regardless of whether anyone will applaud them. For Halloween, be a blacksmith, artisan, or eccentric inventor. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): How do the oldest trees live for so many years? What's their secret to longevity? They're very adaptable. During storms, they bend without breaking. During
droughts, they slow down their growth. Cultivating alliances with fungi is one of their brilliant tactics. You’re in an opportune phase to favor this approach to strength and endurance, Taurus. Here's what I propose: Weave gleaming strands of buoyant resilience into your fervent willpower. Experiment with yielding strategically rather than resisting reflexively. Boost your soulful power through flexibility and adaptability. For Halloween, be an ancient oak tree, forest guardian, or mushroom spirit.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): When archaeologists unearth a fresh batch of ancient artifacts, they never find a complete civilization in one dramatic moment. Each object or bone fragment helps explain another. A piece of pottery illuminates the meaning of an inscription. A broken staircase reveals why buildings were constructed as they were. Through educated guesswork and chains of association, knowledge accumulates. I invite you to wield your curiosity in the same way, Gemini. Treasure the sequence of little discoveries that gradually reshape your overall understanding. Have eager faith that every clue will lead you to further clues. For Halloween, be an archaeologist, paleontologist, or investigator of crime scenes. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Researchers studying wolves have found that play remains essential to them throughout their lives. Mature wolves wrestle, chase, and invent games that strengthen trust and sharpen cooperation. They never graduate from joyful experimentation. I hope their friskiness inspires you to remember, dear Cancerian, that serious responsibilities don't require a terminally serious personality. That's especially crucial to keep in mind now. I invite you to bring maximum amounts of playful intelligence into everything you value. Laugh during challenging conversations. Invent rituals that nobody else would think of. Observe the true rule: Amused delight generates an atmosphere where meaningful work may become exceptional. For Halloween, be a playful wolf. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Peacocks’ extravagant feathers are beautiful displays that also communicate health, vitality, and genetic resilience. They’re excellent role models for you. You should never apologize for expressing your charisma with style and theatrical flair. As long as your outer brilliance reflects inner vitality, your radiance will nourish rather than intimidate others. Authentic glamour is a public service. For Halloween, be a sun deity, lion monarch, or glamorous ringmaster. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): "Dear Oracle: I am obsessed with improving things. I tinker with systems that already work fine. I wake at 3 a.m. and catalog details I could have done better. My results are never ultimate enough. Please offer tips to help me find rest. —Drooping Purist." Dear Drooping: The autumn season is your teacher. The harvest is in; the fields are meant to lie fallow. Nothing more can be improved by force. Growth happens underground, invisibly. In that spirit, I invite you to practice the radical art of leaving at least one thing gloriously alone so it can work its magic outside the reach of your conscious awareness. For Halloween, be a scarecrow who stands serenely in the harvested field, watching over everything, accomplishing its whole purpose by being present. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): If you’ve spent years regretting the moment a friend took credit for your best idea, that sting may finally lose its hold on you. If an opportunity you earned was handed to someone else, you may soon receive recognition in a form you never anticipated. And if an ancient family legend claims you were doomed to repeat the same mistake forever, you can now break that pattern. The days ahead favor overdue adjustments. Watch for turns of fortune that don’t erase what happened, but change what it means, and what becomes possible next. For Halloween, be an exorcist.
Homework: Instead of hunting for what you want, make yourself irresistible to it. https://tinyurl.com/y88y88y
THE REC ROOM Crossword
By Brendan Emmett Quigley
Fill in every row, column, and 3x3 box with each of the letters B L E D T H AThe Nhighlighted K B letters Lleft Eread D left toandright The highlighted letters read to right topand to bottom will complete the quote: top to bottom will complete the quote: “Never walk near the bed; to a ghost your ankle is your most vulnerable part-once in bed, exactly once. “Never walk near the bed; to a ghost your ankle is your most vulnerable part-once in bed,
once. Texactly H A N K
ACROSS 1 Weight 5 58-Across bone 10 Jazz pianist Melford 14 Leave a review, say 15 In the midst of 16 Debt notes 17 Theoretical computer designed by mathematician Alan 19 ___ the wrong way 20 Up to the time that 21 Queen's attendant 23 "Not this again! 26 Comedian Heidecker 27 Places for notes 28 Like a fire station that burns down 30 Chopped up fine 31 Roman goddess of grain 32 Vampire's pair 33 Going places in the UK 36 Poker pot starter 37 Dessert made with whipped egg whites 38 "Let's go!" 39 "Radiant Baby" artist Keith 40 Coconut trees 41 Like some sci-fi bases 42 "Goodfellas" star 44 Zoe Saldaña's "Guardians of the Galaxy" role 45 Soft leather cloth 47 Attempt 48 Rapper Fetty ___ 49 Self-sufficient people 50 Chills out 52 Tiny bit 53 Classical group, often 58 See 5-Across 59 Devour 60 Fireside chat? 61 Diplomatic skill 62 Eyelid bumps 63 Ferris wheel part
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Questions, comments or T H B A L suggestions for our local puzzle guru? L D T A 39 Email Pearl Stark at Puzzle for the week of October 26, 2026 ●○○○ Difficulty Level: pearl@bendsource.com K N T H B A L © Pearl Stark mathpuzzlesgames.com/quodoku T H LK D D T A Difficulty Level: ●○○○ K N DT H K D E B D K N E B K N B L B L DD A A H K H K N L E H D N L E H D
TH ANK L E D and 3x3 box with each of the letters exactly once. Fill in every row,Bcolumn,
★
Fill in every row, column, and 3x3 box with each of the letters
Difficulty Level
VOLUME 30 ISSUE 44 / OCTOBER 29, 2026 / THE SOURCE
©2021 Brendan Emmett Quigley (www.brendanemmettquigley.com)
“Hat in the Ring”
Pearl’s Puzzle
Puzzle for the week of October 26, 2026
DOWN 1 Menopause treatment, for short 2 ___ de nil (greenish color) 3 "Aw hell no" 4 "Shop like a billionaire" sloganeer 5 Strategic maneuver 6 "You're looking at the guy" 7 Lanced item 8 Hog's Head ___ (establishment just outside of Hogwart's) 9 Numbers on a game box, say 10 Unbelievable image 11 Expression of shocked disbelief 12 Record producer Rick 13 Donkeys 18 Opponents 22 Tolkien villains 23 2021 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Parsons 24 Big game room? 25 Its deepest point is the Puerto Rico Trench 27 Less 29 Born with the name 30 Gandhi's title 32 Hat materials 34 "Goodies" singer 35 Watch band 37 "La Danse" and "L'Atelier Rouge," e.g. 38 Seriously depress 40 One-star 41 Song about George Harrison's first wife 43 "Let me clarify" 44 Festival lineups 45 Like some rarely-seen stars 46 Fuss 47 Chef's tall hat 50 Having a lot to say 51 Murcia miss: Abbr. 54 Ink spot? 55 The cost of being profitable? 56 Melon's center? 57 Thing shot from a cannon
you're aroundunder underthe thebed bedallall night, you're as daylight. you you'resafe; safe;he hemay may lie lie around night, butbut you're safesafe as daylight. If you If still still have doubts pull ______ over your ______.” have doubts pull ______ over your ______.” - F. Scott Fitzgerald letters read left to right and top to bottom will The highlighted — F. Scott Fitzgerald
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