It’s Easter weekend, folks!
For some of you that may conjure images of brightly-colored eggs and bunnies, or maybe a reverent morning of worship.
For others, it’s just an ordinary Sunday.
No matter where you fall on that spectrum, there’s plenty to do in Bend for Easter weekend 2019. Here’s what’s happening around town…
Begin with a brunch plan
Bend is a killer place to grab a great brunch any time of the year. I rounded up 15 of my faves in this blog post.
Brasada Ranch makes a great spot to enjoy Easter brunch AND scout out wild bunnies.
But for Easter Sunday 2019, several restaurants and hotels are hosting extra-special Easter events.
10 Below on the lower level of the Oxford Hotel is offering a mouthwatering Easter brunch buffet from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The cost is $50 for adults or $24 for kids 6-12 (5 and under are free). The buffet spread will include standard fare like French toast and scrambled eggs, as well as goodies like baked quiche, lemon poppyseed muffins, salads, and a variety of iced seafood like ahi sashimi, oyster shooters, and snow crab with drawn butter. #Yum
Currents at the Riverhouse also boasts a scrumptious-sounding Easter brunch buffet with river views to boot. The lineup includes an assortment of fresh pastries and scones, chilled seafood like smoked salmon and fresh oysters, and special stations for omelets, Belgian waffles, and carved meats like honey glazed ham and New York strip. Their buffet runs $49 for adults, $42 for seniors, $19 for kids 6 to 12, and free for younger kids. The brunch is available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Other Central Oregon hotspots offering special Easter brunch events include Broken Top, Brasada Ranch, Sunriver Resort, McMenamins Old St. Francis School, Pronghorn Resort, and Black Butte Ranch.
Make your reservations early so you’re sure to have a seat at the table!
Time to find some eggs
Few things are more delightfully cheery than the laughter of kiddos finding hidden treasure in the grass on Easter morning.
Unless that hidden treasure is dog doo, but I’m going to assume all of you are following Visit Like a Local protocol and picking up after Rover, right?
Sunriver resort is one of several spots hosting an Easter egg hunt this year.
You’ll find plenty of organized Easter egg hunts around Bend and Central Oregon this year.
Wildhorse Harley-Davidson is sponsoring their annual Easter egg hunt at Vince Genna Stadium. The event is free for all and begins at 11 a.m. with two separate Easter egg hunts—one for ages 6 and under beginning at noon, and one for older kids that starts at 1. There will be vendors, a bouncy house, kids’ games, and oh yeah, more than 20,000 eggs to find!
New Hope Church is sponsoring free egg hunts in community parks around Bend, including Boyd Park off Empire, Larkspur Park near the Bend Senior Center, and Pine Ridge Park on the south end of town. The hunts go from 3 to 4, and you can learn more here.
Other organized Easter egg hunts include events at Sunriver Resort, Crux Fermentation Project (they’ve got a special brunch, too!), Craft Kitchen & Brewery, and Hoodoo Ski Area.
For those of you hurrying home early on Sunday who desperately wish for a special pre-Easter egg hunt on Saturday, Faith, Hope, and Charity Vineyards has you covered.
Oh, and if your kid has four legs and a tail, don’t miss the Fido-friendly Easter egg hunt at Bend Pet Express.
Find your holy place
Regardless of your religious affiliation, you’ll find houses of worship willing to welcome you with open arms when you’re in Bend.
To find fellowship at the spiritual center of your choosing, check this page for a roundup of churches, synagogues, and other houses of worship in Bend.
Spotting wild bunnies around Central Oregon is easy if you keep your eyes open.
Look for bunnies
If your craving for fresh air and exercise is stronger than your craving for brunch and egg hunts, you can still add a little Easter hat-tip to your Sunday by scouting for bunny rabbits on your weekend hike.
Central Oregon is crawling (er, hopping?) with bunnies, including jackrabbits, cottontails, snowshoe hares, brush rabbits, and even pygmy rabbits.
Two spots I see bun-buns quite regularly are on the trails around Pine Nursery Park and at Brasada Ranch (hey, there’s an excuse to hit their brunch!)
For your best odds of spotting bunnies, keep your eyes peeled in areas dotted with sagebrush as well as in grassy meadows. Also keep dogs on-leash so bunnies aren’t chased and injured.
Celebrate without brunches, bunnies, or sermons
What if the whole Easter scene is just not your jam?
There’s still plenty of awesomeness happening the weekend of April 20 with none of the trappings of traditional Easter festivities.
From April 17-21, Mt. Bachelor is hosting an event called RendezVan, a festival celebrating camping and RVing. The five-day event features live music, apres ski activities, food trucks, giveaways, family activities, and some of the best skiing and riding in North America. Learn more here.
Back in town, the third weekend in April wouldn’t be complete without Bend’s annual Earth Day Fair and Parade. It’s a colorful celebration of the natural world and our place within it. Happenings include live music, local food, and family-friendly activities in Downtown Bend. Learn more here.
You’ll also find a lot of cool one-off events, including performances at the Tower Theatre, the Bend Marathon (there’s still time to sign up at packet pickup!), and the Beer & Italian Cured Meat Pairing at Immersion Brewing.
For more Bend happenings this weekend or any other, check out our Event Calendar.
Happy Easter weekend, everyone!