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One of our favorite things about living in Bend during the holidays is the special traditions that Central Oregonians have found to enjoy their favorite days. If you’re relocating to Bend and looking for fun holiday activities to enjoy or new traditions to add to your yearly plans, we have several favorites for you to explore.

Cocoa and Snowshoeing

Once the snow starts to fall around Central Oregon, a combo of cocoa and snowshoeing is exactly what you need to start feeling like you’re home. There are several routes to snowshoe in the area (and options for renting shoes if you want), from majestic views of Bend best seen at night to park romps within the city limits. This is a great activity for family, or a romantic afternoon/evening out – but if you’ve never been before, it’s a good idea to find a group for your first time. If snowshoeing isn’t really your style, then you can easily replace that with sledding, casual cross-country skiing, or whatever else you’d like to do!

Tree Lighting

Bend holds its own tree lighting ceremony downtown, which is always fun to visit, but there are smaller tree lighting ceremonies from other organizations that you can also explore. Downtown’s tree lighting is usually in early December and is an excellent opportunity to explore downtown shops while you are there, or maybe stop by a place like O’Kanes with warm fires and enjoy a drink.

Family Time with Santa

Santa is making regular appearances at Old Mill throughout December, where he will be enjoying a variety of kid-friendly activities like reading holiday-oriented books, talking about life at the North Pole, and opening letters. If your family is still social distancing you can simply drop off a letter for Santa in special bins that will help guarantee a timely answer. This is also a great opportunity to explore the Old Mill shops, buy some gift cards for friends, and enjoy the winter views. Santa will also be making an appearance at the tree lighting ceremony in downtown Bend.

Find Your Favorite Food

Winter in Bend is all about getting cozy next to a fire with your favorite brew of choice…and eating some excellent winter comfort food. We’re not going to list all the delicious foods here (Bend Magazine has a few suggestions) but encourage you to experiment with dishes from the many renowned chefs in Bend. Find your favorite eggnog, your most comforting ramen bowl, the must-have coffee cake, the best artisan grilled cheese – there’s a whole lot to explore, and once you find your seasonal favorite, it will quickly become one of your go-to holiday traditions. Pair your food with some of the seasonal pumpkin ales that show up around this time for the best results!

Holiday Lights Paddle Parade

This December 10th parade in Old Mill encourages participants to decorate their canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards with the most festive lights possible (a battery power pack and LED light strings can go a long way). Costumes are also encouraged! Then everyone heads out as evening starts to set in and paddles up and down the Deschutes River as it curves through Old Mill. The results are spectacular as the light wanes, making it a fun event to visit even if you don’t plan on participating this year. Get ready to take some amazing photos!

Holiday Runs

Nothing draws people together like outdoor recreation in Bend, so it’s no surprise that many people prefer to celebrate the holidays with a few runs (and help burn off some of those extra calories at the same time). Notable examples include the Turkey Trot, I Like Pie Run, Ugly Christmas Sweater Run, and FootZone’s Holiday Lights Run, but you should be able to find more options if you are looking to match a specific schedule! These runs offer a variety of challenges depending on what you want to do but are generally family-friendly and focused on having fun. Just be sure to dress warm and wear shoes that can handle the snow and ice!

Let Moving to Bend help take care of the details so you can enjoy the holidays! Our relocation services in Central Oregon can help you find options for working in Bend and what industries in Central Oregon could be the best fit – plus many other helpful services. Ask us if you have any specific questions.

This year, we want to highlight a particularly important activity for our holiday season – how we can give back throughout the holidays. While we have special days to support our community businesses and other aspects of the city, there’s also plenty that Central Oregonians can do to help support nonprofits in their own way.

If you have recently moved or having been living in Bend for a little while, you can help by picking a local nonprofit working in Bend to support! Here are several of our favorites to help you get started.

1. Humane Society of Central Oregon

The Humane Society of Central Oregon is one of the most beloved nonprofit organizations in the region, applauded for its extensive work with animals, from a pet shelter and rescue operation to a variety of shops and medical services, even including end-of-life options for pet owners. Because of its widespread activities, there are often many options to volunteer with the HSCO (although this varies based on location, COVID conditions, etc.), and it should certainly be your first stop when looking for a new pet in Bend. From donating to the food bank to volunteering at the thrift stores, there are all kinds of ways to help, too!

2. Bethlehem Inn

Bethlehem Inn is a converted hotel complex in Bend that works to offer supportive services, food, and a safe place to sleep for people in Bend who are no longer able to find a place to live. The shelter focuses on helping people reach self-sufficiency, and on average cares for 110 adults and children. This is another great donation option, as they are frequently on the lookout for both money and food to support their services. The shelter is also expecting to have a particularly challenging upcoming winter and is looking for ways to expand.

3. REACH

REACH stands for Relationship, Empowerment, Action, Compassion, and Heart: This Central Oregon nonprofit provides a variety of services for the homeless in Central Oregon. These vital services include gathering and delivering mail, providing medical services, helping them with transportation, and providing important items such as sleeping bags and tents. REACH is a partnership of businesses and community volunteers throughout the area, so there are plenty of ways to help.

4. NeighborImpact

NeighborImpact is a broad-reaching nonprofit with centers across the nation, including an office in Bend. The organization is designed to help people who need temporary assistance to get over a variety of hurdles in life: That can range from buying a new home or managing debt to dealing with potential foreclosures or finding new ways to save money. They accept cash donations and a variety of other types of help. NeighborImpact is also involved in the work on a brand new permanent supportive housing project that has been funded in Bend and will be breaking ground before too long.

5. Bend Family Kitchen

This is a community meal program that serves meals throughout the week. This is an excellent option if you like to make, serve, or package food, while the program also accepts more traditional donations of money and food.

6. Oregon IDA Initiative

The IDA Initiative is designed to pair Individual Development Accounts with qualifying Oregonians who have lower incomes and are looking to save for education, a home, or other important goals. There are two important ways you can help. First, you can donate directly to the Initiative to help their project. Second, you can find local businesses that have used IDA accounts to start and support them while also helping industries in Central Oregon.

Looking to learn more? Moving to Bend offers relocation services in Central Oregon to help with a variety of important details. If you are looking for homes or jobs in Central Oregon or want to learn more about school and recreation opportunities, you’re in the right place!

 

Moving To Bend likes to keep up with the latest industry developments in Central Oregon: We know that many of those working in Bend (or planning to) like to know what industries in Central Oregon are thriving and where to start looking for new jobs. So let’s look at the thriving industries in the area and what they are like!

1. Healthcare and Bioscience

St. Charles remains the largest employer in Bend, and it’s far from the only player in the healthcare industry. The hospital and related clinics cover a wide variety of medical fields, from technicians and nurses to insurance and billing. For those with the right qualifications, healthcare is an excellent field to start looking for a job. While the COVID-19 pandemic has put strain on Central Oregon’s healthcare services, this has also led to increased demand for experienced workers living in Bend that can fill important positions.

A related field on the research and development side is biotechnology and bioscience in general, which EDCO (Economic Development for Central Oregon) labels a growing industry cluster for the region. This includes growth in medical device research, drug treatments, and bioscience software – which has led to double-digit year-over-year growth for this sector.

Finally, it’s good to remember Bend is a city of pet owners, and if your experience is more focused around vet tech and similar fields you may want to check out our numerous veterinary services.

2. Brewing

While technically part of the hospitality industry (which is also a mainstay of Central Oregon’s tourist-friendly economy), brewing deserves its own category in the region. Numerous breweries are always on the rise here, and often include additional restaurant or pub service. This provides plenty of opportunities not only for brewers and those with experience in brewing technology, but also a variety of service options. New breweries frequently look to stand out by hiring skilled staff and innovative chefs, too!

3. Technology

Bend has enjoyed a reputation as a fertile spot for tech ventures due to its combination of reasonable costs for early development and startup incubators looking to help the right tech firms grow. It’s also home to studios including Sony Bend, Kollective Technology, Manzama, and many, many more. Unlike some industries, the technology sector found it relatively easy to switch to remote work solutions in 2020, which allowed them to progress with their development plans.

4. Recreation

Bend’s outdoor recreation industry is split into many sectors, each with their own growth potential and plentiful startups. Outdoor recreation services, training, and tours remain a popular option with both winter and summer activities. Outdoor product startups are also common here, from new hiking equipment to outdoor gear for your pets. Bend is also home to the only four-year degree for outdoor product development in the country, as well as the only outdoor startup accelerator for new ventures.

5. Building Products

Bend, after all, started out as a mill town located on a useful bend in the river – and while those days may be long past, there is still a healthy building product industry in the town. This is another highly diversified field, with the production of a variety of residential and commercial products. This includes highly specialized products such as our notable carbon fiber fabrication for the aviation industry, right down to custom furniture and cabinets.

If you’d like to know more about jobs in Central Oregon or general help with the relocation process, contact us today! Moving to Bend has years of experience aiding all kinds of professionals learn more about Central Oregon, the opportunities offered here, and how to optimize their moving process. Our relocation services in Central Oregon include business resources, help with buying or renting a property, school applications, and much more. If you’re planning on remote work for your industry, don’t worry: Bend is one of the friendliest remote work cities around, and we can help you find resources for that as well.

We’ve talked before about how Bend is one of the best cities for working remotely, and how many of those moving to Bend are interested in work from home situations. With our local attractions, delicious food, and the ability to get out into nature at a moment’s notice, it’s a perfect remote setup.

We also know that many remote workers, freelancers, and other professionals thinking about living in Bend often need quick, easy access to other cities in the country for meetings, consultations, pitches, and more. That brings us to RDM, the primary airport in Central Oregon, and an excellent access point to many nearby cities. Those interested in relocation for a professional remote work situation will need to know the details – let’s talk a little about the Redmond airport and how it helps.

Quick Flights to West Coast Cities

It’s no surprise that networking professionals may have plans and contacts in larger NW cities like Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, and beyond. Fortunately, getting there is no problem at all. The RDM airport is only a quick drive away from Bend and provides several flight options to nearby cities that can drastically cut down on commuting time (and snowy mountain pass driving) while being much more enjoyable.

Portland is an excellent example: Flights out are relatively easy to find and can get you to the Portland Airport with only 20 – 30 minutes of flight time, perfect for those who need to spend at least part of each week in Portland or would prefer meeting clients there.

Growing Ease of Access to Other Areas

RDM is an award-winning airport due to its design and service, but it’s also always working on expanding available flights. This has been challenging in recent years with COVID-19 restrictions and other challenges that have affected many industries, including airlines. But that hasn’t stopped RDM from adding more options to its list.

One of the latest additions is Aha! Airlines (a leisure brand division of Express Jet), which is launching nonstop flights from RDM to the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, which is itself an excellent access point for cities around the continent. These types of quick actions make it easy to arrange meetings and then plan your flight around them. Or, if you just want easy access to the Reno-Tahoe region for more beautiful lakes, a trip down for Burning Man, or to check out the latest golfing championships, Aha!’s perfect for that, too.  

Additional Airline Options

Airline options at RDM include Alaska, United, Delta, and American Airlines, as well as private charter options. The airport prides itself on comfortable indoor seating, delicious food and beer options, and excellent Wi-Fi for getting work done while you wait. If you are looking at remote work options in Bend, you’ll love what you’ll find here!

Interested in learning more about what Central Oregon has to offer? Check out the resources on Moving To Bend. We provide information on everything from events in Bend to what to do in Bend over the winter. Contact us if you’d like to learn more about our relocation services in Central Oregon!

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If you’re living in Bend in October, there’s nothing like planning a family-friendly Halloween adventure. And while carving pumpkins and planning costumes are excellent activities to enjoy at home, it’s also nice to get out and experience some of the Halloween events in Bend. Let’s look at some of the most popular events happening this year and how the whole family can enjoy them.

1. Hoodini’s Trick-or-Treat Trail – Oct 28

This fun trail by Puzzle Effect is fit for all ages: Attendees are encouraged to put on costumes and brave the unique set designs (also perfect for family photos), while picking candy at various stops. There will also be a costume contest and giveaways.

2. Great Harvest Bread Company Coloring Contest – Oct 30

 This annual coloring contest is a perfect way to celebrate fall while also avoiding exposing your kids to potential COVID infections. Simply download their Halloween coloring contest page and have your kids color it in however they want. Then drop it off at the bakery when finished by October 30th. Winners will get to pick some goodies for themselves! Just make sure to include all relevant contact info on the back of each entry.

3. Pumpkin Carving at O’Kanes – October 28 – 30

Carving pumpkins at home is nice, but you can also choose to carve pumpkins as part of the community! O’Kanes is holding a pumpkin carving weekend where people can get a hollowed pumpkin and pumpkin carving kit, then work on making their masterpiece. O’Kanes’ whiskey and cigar bar will be open for this, but it is designed to be a family friendly event for older kids and you will also be able to order dinner, including some Halloween specials!

4. Downtown Trick or Treating – Oct 31

Looking for a safe trick or treat option for your younger kids? Downtown Bend is holding a special event from 1pm to 3pm for the little ones. Businesses around downtown will be handing out treats, and some will even be offering special deals like free trick or treat bags, a geocaching adventure to try, or great specials on gelato from Bonta Gelato. Also, don’t forget to stop by the Tower Theatre to enter a costume contest and a chance to show off costumes on stage!

5. Halloween Costume Contest – Oct 31

After the little ones have had their fun, The Commons Café down by Drake Park is holding its own costume contest at 3:30pm. The contest is divided by age group up through 12 years old, with prizes award for each group.

6. Downtown Scavenger Hunt – Oct 31

If you feel like a bit more in-depth fun, you can participate in the Downtown Bend scavenger hunt, which is running all day on Halloween. You can find the full list at the Downtown Bend website, but it includes common Halloween items like a skull, a bat, a pile of leaves, and other things that are relatively easy for kids to find. Take a photo by all 12 items and post them on Instagram with #downtownbend and #halloweenhunt hashtags. Every post will count as an entry to win a $100 credit to use with downtown businesses!

As always, Moving to Bend is here to answer any other questions you may have along with our relocation services in Central Oregon, so feel free to contact us.