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Central Oregon Lavender Festival in Redmond, Oregon

Central Oregon is blooming with lavender! Discover Central Oregon’s Lavender Country with the 1st annual Lavender Festival in Redmond, OR.

Home to more than a dozen lavender farms, the region has become one of the largest lavender-growing destinations in the Pacific Northwest. Now, local farmers are coming together to celebrate this beautiful and growing agricultural community with the launch of a new Lavender Festival in Redmond.

The inaugural event invites locals and visitors alike to experience the beauty and charm of Central Oregon’s lavender country while supporting the local farmers, growers, and small businesses helping put the region on the map as a premier lavender destination.

Hosted by High Desert Florals and Redmond Burger, the first festival will take place on Saturday, September 12, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway, exploring Central Oregon, or simply looking for a unique local experience, this is a wonderful opportunity to discover something new and experience the region through its farms, flowers, and local community.

Livable Future Forum

This year, Central Oregon LandWatch is celebrating 40 years of defending and planning for a livable future. Our 2026 Livable Future Forum brings an inspiring crew of storytellers and changemakers to Bend to explore how we can create a livable, just, and ecologically vibrant future in the face of profound challenges.

Filmmaker, entrepreneur, and engineer Dr. Len Necefer, alpinist Graham Zimmerman, conservation photographer Morgan Heim, filmmaker Veronica Wood, and author Emma Marris will share their hard-earned insights with us. For more information click here.

Firefighter Captain Petar Hossick

A steady force in Central Oregon’s emergency medical response community, Captain Petar Hossick of Bend Fire & Rescue spent 36 years redefining how lifesaving care reaches people in critical moments. Retiring in 2026 after 26 years with Bend Fire and 10 with Sunriver Fire, he leaves a legacy of innovation, mentorship and deep commitment to patient care.

Honored with multiple awards, including the Oregon EMS Impact Award and EMS Provider of the Year, Hossick championed advancements that shaped modern EMS across the region. Beyond protocols and programs, his legacy is the collaboration he created by uniting agencies and mentoring generations of responders in what’s now known as the “Bend Fire Way.”

Read more Soul of Central Oregon profiles.

Community Advocate Catalina Sánchez Frank

Recognized for her leadership by the Women’s Foundation of Oregon, Catalina Sánchez Frank received its 2026 Advancing Women Experience Grant, honoring leaders promoting gender equity across Oregon. She became the first female executive director of the Latino Community Association in January 2025, bringing more than a decade of experience advocating for immigrant communities in Oregon, including serving as vice chair of the Oregon Secretary of State Translation Advisory Council.

At LCA, Sánchez Frank leads a bilingual team acting as a trusted bridge for Latine families across Central Oregon, connecting community members to immigration legal services, housing, workforce and health resources, and culturally rooted programs that foster belonging and opportunity. She also serves on regional advisory groups focused on health equity and community wellbeing.

A Bend resident since 2015, Sánchez Frank immigrated with her family from Colombia during a period of civil unrest. “I am deeply honored to receive this grant and to represent the extraordinary women who pour their hearts into mission-driven work,” she said.

Read more Soul of Central Oregon profiles.

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