From the ashes of the former Sparrow Bakery location on Scott St. Rose the “Cafe des Chutes.” Bought on December 3, 2021, and opened just 20 days later, 49-year-old Cari Brown will have owned the Cafe for two years in October. Where she has worked to build a fun, historic cafe that has its own personality. 

Brown was a manager and worked off and on at Sparrow Bakery for a decade. When the owners of Sparrow reached out to inform her they were closing the Scott St. location, she decided to take it on as a project and signed the lease. She had loved and curated a deep knowledge of the Sparrow environment, and wanted to create a space like it. There are many businesses on that property and they all work symbiotically. 

Cafe des Chutes itself has a positive atmosphere. 29-year-old Emily Gross and 25-year-old Lilly Hanson are both employees of the Cafe. 

“The vision and the historic place is getting new life,” said Gross. Hanson loves working there because out of the many places she’s worked, this is one of the few places that treats her like a human, not just a worker. She feels comfortable and cared about at the Des Chutes Cafe.                 

When the building was bought in 2021, there were a total of eight seats inside, and seating on the patio. Due to changes in the health department, they reoriented the front half of the building, added a marble bar looking out the window, and expanded the old backroom into more dining space. They now have over 30 seats inside, and more on the patio. 

The building itself is over 100 years old. In 1917, it was the ironworks built to support the mill and railroad tracks. Using plaster and other materials, they fixed the building up by layering. They did this to honor the history of the building, so nothing is lost in renovation.

“Cafe des Chutes” is French for “cafe of the waterfalls,” which is reflected in the European-esque design and pastries. Cari also made sure to have gluten-free and vegan items available, so no one is left without options. Along with food selection, they have quite a few drinks to choose from, including their decadent coffee. During nighttime events, they continue to serve their menu, but complemented with wine and cafe cocktails.

Night events have been hosted at the location every Friday and/or Saturday since 2011. The entire district had six years of monthly events called “Last Saturday.” On the property, there are about nine different businesses that work together to put on these events,but four of them take the lead: Cafe des Chutes, The Workhouse, Mud Lake Studios and Gathered Wears. They try to keep events innovative and interesting, with acts like live music, belly dancers, fire dancers, dance parties, artist pop-ups, performance art and poetry nights. 

The businesses around are art studios and shops. Artists make art and then showcase and sell their pieces in the front half of the buildings. Right now there are over 40 artists that work in the multiple buildings.The events held also double as an artwalk, bringing more people and opportunities to local artists. 

Mud Lake Studios is owned by 34-year-old Alica Renner. The building has been around for 20 years, and she’s been the owner for the past 6 years. She specializes in leather apparel and loves the events thrown. She describes them as “funky, underground, chill events that are like a celebration for the showcasing artists.” 

The Workhouse, also owned by Brown, has eight separate businesses inside. There are all kinds of art showcased, including letter pressing, graphic, jewelry, pottery, stained glass, recycled metal, wood, scents, tea, outdoor scenes and paintings made with only coffee and beer. 34-year-old Ashley Scholtes and Marianne Prodehl have both been with the Workhouse for 12 years. They both agree the events are “a wonderful community gathering that also brings exposure to artists.” 

The performer showcased by the event plays out on the patio with outside seating, scenery and an open space under the gazebo for dancing. The Cafe and other businesses are just a few feet away, for food and drink. There are no pets allowed inside, but they are free to sit on the outside patio. The atmosphere there is very upbeat and positive, everyone is smiling, having fun and letting loose.

The post Café des Chutes Brings Food and Festivities appeared first on Obsidian News | Oregon Youth Voices.

Munch-n-Music is a 32-year-old tradition, a festival held every Thursday evening in the latter half of summer at Drake Park. Filled with food, shops, music and fun, this festival is a place for some amazing times. 

Scattered along the grass of the park, there were dozens of stands selling different kinds of hats, clothes, jewelry, artwork and more. 

One vendor, Kate Schrotenboer was at her second Munch-n-Music selling her handmade jewelry. Another, Lit Lite, attended his first Munch-n-Music selling hats. Every vendor I talked to said the festival is a great place for sales, and to spread the word about your shop, as locals and tourists alike flock to the event.

Marinah Haynie sold her handmade beeswax candles. “It is a great way to see all of Bend’s creative people,” Haynie said.  

For those who didn’t want to shop, there was a plethora of food options which many said was their favorite part. From hearty dinners, foods spanning cultures, desert or a drink, you can find anything your heart desires.

Along with shopping and food, the main focus is the live music playing the entire time. You can sit and listen anywhere on the grass, or while roaming the shops or food area. Throughout the summer, the bands: Thunderstorm Artis, Cash’d Out, High Step Society, Boombox, Ozomatli and Precious Byrd play live. 

29-year-old Jamie Kozlowski was there for the first time. His first impression was that it was a good atmosphere where everyone is happy and smiling. Kozlowski said the music was his favorite part. 

Munch-n-Music is a fun event for teenagers too. 16-year-old Anika Simmons said, “[Munch-n-Music is] super cool because it’s a free event to hang out at.” With no shortage of teens, you might just run into someone you know. 

Even the parents were sitting back and relaxing while their kids had the time of their lives in the bouncy house area. From obstacle courses, to themed inflatables, there seemed to be something for everyone. 

Munch-n-Music is a place for everyone to have a good time. An event you can look forward to every Thursday

The post Bend’s Munch-n-Music 2023 appeared first on Obsidian News | Oregon Youth Voices.

Almost everything there is handmade and one of a kind; such as bags, clothes, charms, pottery and sculptures. 54-year-old Jacob McKean and his partner have attended Summer Fest the past three years, selling their clothing. They have been designing clothes for over 17 years.

”It’s a really good cross market,” said McKean. “There are people from all over, along with locals, and it’s close to a lot of things — so it can help to spread the word about your shop.” 

All of the art showcased at Summer Fest was unique, with styles ranging from contemporary to realistic, and everything in between. Hong and Adam Rubinstein, who have professionally handmade pottery for 27 years, sold pieces inspired by the texture and color of the ocean. Every sculpture has their own flare that you can feel and see.

Grant Pecoff is a 49-year-old painter who specializes in photo realism. Pecoff’s patience and dedication to his artwork shows through a mixture of realistic and animated landscapes. 

“Everything is alive, has energy and some sort of vibration,” said Pecoff. “If you put away all distractions and focus on feeling, you would be reminded of the beauty around.” Having been painting for 22 years, Pecoff describes it as “dreaming while awake.” 

“Everything changes and grows over time, [and] you can always improve,” said Pecoff. 

Another artist at Summer Fest, Elena Mosko, has been a self-taught painter for 25 years! Mosko started off with traditional oil landscapes, then experimented with mixed media and oil combined. Now, Mosko enjoys working with different mediums, being inspired by wildlife, climate change activism, zen and people. Her paintings of faces, animals and nature have many layers, giving her pieces life.

After taking a journey into the world of art, attendees could get a bite to eat and listen to live music! Some featured artists were Soul’d Out, Rubbah Tree and Alicia Viani Band. Right in front of the stage were the food trucks, with a wide variety of food, drinks, and dessert that did not disappoint. To make things even better for the parents, there were bouncy houses and different fun activities for kids to stay busy. 

The 2023 Summer Fest brought fun and enjoyment to bend. It was a great place for showcases and hanging out. Downtown Bend ensured everyone had an amazing time during the weekend!  

The post Summer Fest 2023  appeared first on Obsidian News | Oregon Youth Voices.

July Fourth is the day to dress up your pets, as seen in Downtown Bend on Tuesday at the annual Pet Parade – a Bend tradition since 1924.

There were tons of amazing outfits and decorated wagons. Everything from hats to bananas, wings, capes, crowns, glasses, headbands, flags, bows, earrings and more. For the parade, people can kept it simple or added a little flare. Aly, a 3-year-old dog, had her name superglued to a flag on her back. Along with her was 6-year-old Jesse, who had a stuffed cowboy riding on his back. 

The morning was so hot, some kept it light. Gipper, a light-colored 9-year-old fur ball, had hair dyed like the American flag with Manic Panic hair dye. Scarlet, an 11-year-old dog, was decorated similarly, but with paint. One social butterfly named Stella was wearing her patriotic wings, and many other pets had decorated leashes and little hats. 

A few really stood out from the crowd. One of whom was Amy and her dog Annie. Annie is a 9-year-old red toy Labrador rescue. She is a parade lover! The two have been to parades all over together and recently moved to Bend. Wearing a huge hat, riding a decorated bike attached to Annie’s decorated wagon, Amy and Annie were a sight to see. 

As much as Bend loves dogs, it is a pet parade, and there were some “odds and ends,” as the parade organizers referred to them. This included goats, horses, hamsters, bearded dragons, snakes and chickens. Sadie, a mini Nubian goat who’s only a couple of months old, rocked it with a hat and scarf. Three-year-old Caramel, a chicken, had her cage decorated by four young owners. This chicken’s designers were 10-year-old Charlotte, 11-year-old Mavis, 8-year-old Rory, and 8-year-old Aidan. With some tassels and mini flags they made a black cage red, white and blue. 

Falcore and Mojo didn’t even have to dress up, instead impressing all with their own flair. A 7-year-old bearded dragon, Falcore rode on a skateboard, pulled by Mojo. Mojo is a 4-year-old snake who spent its ride wrapped around a leash connected to the skateboard. 

While most pets stuck to red white and blue, there were some that went out of the box. There were dogs dressed up as Wonder Woman, Superman, Captain America, Halloween, mermaids, bees and princesses. Bringing some winter fun were the ski dogs, who had on the cutest goggles. 

Marla is a 2-year-old dog wearing an Army vest for her first parade in four years. The vest was inspired by her owner, Bret, who served for seven years in the Army. Bret put some of his own patches on the vest. After four years, the duo said they want to make this parade a tradition. 

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