There’s a lot to do around Central Oregon this weekend, and we couldn’t pick just five things. This week, here are the seven best things to do around town, from the annual independent film festival to a campy musical just in time for the season.
Photo by Karen Cammack
BendFilm Festival
October 12-15 | Bend
Get your indie film fix at the BendFilm Festival, now in its fourteenth year. The renowned festival brings top independent and documentary filmmakers from around the country to Bend for four days of films. The festival is one of the best events in Bend each year, and brings the community out for the chance to see films you can’t find anywhere else.
Live Music
October 13 | The Capitol, Bend
Head to The Capitol this weekend to see the Portland-based indie rock band The Automatics. The “catchy power pop” trio is on a west coast tour promoting their new album, Debt Sounds, which they self-financed while touring and working full-time jobs.
Evil Dead the Musical
October 13-28 | 2nd Street Theater, Bend
Back for its second year, Evil Dead the Musical, the unlikely piece of theater that mashes up the Sam Raimi-Bruce Campbell cult classic films “Evil Dead,” “Evil Dead 2” and “Army of Darkness” to music and dance. Produced by 2nd Street Theater, Evil Dead the Musical will have plenty of bad jokes and fake blood flying.
Rockridge Park Opening
October 14 | 20885 Egypt Dr., Bend
A new thirty-six acre park on Bend’s east side opens this weekend. The $3.6 million Rockridge Park includes a nine-hole disc golf course, lunar skatepark, a more than one-mile-long beginner and intermediate bike skills course and a nature play play with a Juniper “log forest.” An opening celebration will take place on Saturday from 1-3 p.m. and will have live music, food and drinks, and activities for kids and families.
High Desert Museum Exhibit Opening
October 14 | High Desert Museum, Bend
This weekend, dinosaurs will swoop into Bend in the form of an exhibit at the High Desert Museum. The long saga of Archaeopteryx, a feathered and winged dinosaur long believed to have represented the only link between ancient, long-extinct reptiles and modern birds. While its place in the evolutionary chain is a matter of some scientific dispute, the smallish birdlike creature remains a subject of much speculation and study. The exhibit will feature multiple artistic representations of Archaeopteryx as well as interactive video. You don’t have to be a biologist to appreciate the vivid artist recreations of this unique specimen.
Sisters Harvest Faire
October 14-15 | Main Avenue, Sisters
Celebrate the new season in Sisters. The Sisters Harvest Faire has been a tradition for more than thirty years. The two-day festival features a juried arts and crafts fair, where you can find handcrafted items from 200 vendors. Held along Main Avenue in downtown Sisters, there will also be live entertainment and local food and drinks.
Skyliners Ski Swap
October 14 | The Pavilion, Bend
The unofficial start to ski season in Bend may be the Skyliners Ski Swap, an annual fundraising event for Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation. Held at The Pavilion in Bend, the Ski Swap starts at 8 a.m. Get there early to make sure you get first pick on all the new and used snow gear on sale.
