When Empire of the Sun finished its set at Hayden Homes Amphitheater on Saturday, October 3, who decided what the Old Mill District would look like by spring? Over the past three weeks, the answer has become fairly clear: the district itself. A beloved bar has closed so the Old Mill can take over its building. Three new buildings are rising on a former parking area. The art that will define the district's winter is a commission about the district's own history. The events that fill the calendar between now and the end of December mostly come from the Old Mill too.
That is the most useful way for a SW Bend resident to read the Old Mill this fall. Some of these changes came from tenants. More of them came from the district acting as landlord, builder, art patron and event host, all in the same season.
The Painkiller Count
Rapa Nui closed for good at 11 p.m. on Friday, September 18. The lounge began near the end of the pandemic as a pop-up holiday tiki bar in the empty second floor above Saxon's Fine Jewelers. Co-owner Andrew Soriano told The Bulletin that cheap decorations eventually gave way to $10,000 worth of bamboo. He estimates the bar sold one million Painkillers over five years, sometimes 700 in a single night.
Those are the numbers of a business that was doing well, which makes the reason for the closing stand out. The Bulletin reported that the bar closed because the Old Mill District plans to acquire the building. Soriano described it without any bitterness:
"The Old Mill has an idea for what they think is going to fit their rental market, so I totally understand that. They weren't going to move forward with our concept in the space. So we have to close."
Beau Eastes, the Old Mill District's marketing director, said he could not confirm what will replace the lounge. He credited Rapa Nui with bringing "something really fun" to the district just as it came out of the pandemic, and said the district is "excited about the new opportunity that's going to be coming into there."
The tiki bar may still come back. Soriano said the team wants to keep "slinging rum once winter passes." They are looking for new locations and considering a return to their pop-up roots, with short "bar takeovers" inside other restaurants' bars for a few weekends at a time.
Three Buildings Where Cars Used To Park
The Rapa Nui space is one change. A larger one is underway at the north end of the district. Across from Athleta, crews have been preparing the ground for three new buildings on a site that used to be parking. Old Mill officials told Central Oregon Daily they are adding parking spaces back to make up for the loss. They expected groundwork to finish by the end of the month and the buildings to be up by the end of the year. That update carries no publish date, so treat the year-end target as the district's forecast, not a confirmed finish.
Eastes framed the project around restraint:
"One thing we talk about all the time in the Old Mill District is that generosity of space. We're never going to overbuild."
The most detailed public description of the buildings is a plan reported by the Source Weekly in July 2025:
| Building | Planned use, per the July 2025 plan |
|---|---|
| Building X | A single restaurant with a rooftop dining and bar area facing the river |
| Building Y | Space for up to three retail or food businesses |
| Building Z, across from Athleta | Ground-floor shops plus nine furnished apartments |
That plan named no tenants and left open whether the apartments would be short-term or long-term rentals. It aimed to have spaces ready for tenants by the end of 2026. No newer public announcement of tenants has appeared. Put the two stories side by side and they point the same way. The district is adding a restaurant with a river-view rooftop and several smaller food and retail spaces, and in the same season it has taken back a bar space it plans to own.
Stacks Shows How The Mix Gets Filled
One recent addition shows what the district's choices look like once a space is filled. Stacks Dinner and Delicatessen is open at 545 SW Powerhouse Drive in Center Plaza, in the former Gap Kids space near the pedestrian bridge. The team is Cheri and Steve Helt with chef Eric Joppie. Central Oregon Daily describes it as a New York-style deli built on Pacific Northwest ingredients. A children's clothing store becoming a sit-down deli is the same kind of decision now pending for the old tiki space.
The District Paints Its Own Portrait
Each winter the Old Mill commissions an original artwork and builds its seasonal marketing around it. 2026 is the program's tenth year. This year's artists are twin sisters Lori and Lisa Lubbesmeyer, who own Lubbesmeyer Art Studio & Gallery and have worked from their Old Mill studio for 17 years. Their mixed-media piece, "Then and Now," marks the district's 25th anniversary. It includes the smokestacks, the Deschutes River and photos of co-founders Bill and Trish Smith.
Lori Lubbesmeyer said the history running through the piece reflects "the goodwill and the visionary element that's guided the Old Mill's growth" around "what would be good for a community and what would bring people together." So the image that will represent the district all winter was made by longtime tenants, about the district's founders, for a campaign the district runs. It goes up during the same months the Old Mill is deciding on new tenants.
The anniversary itself dates to the district's opening on June 26, 2001. Summer brought the big celebrations: a June 20 dance party at the amphitheater with DJ Eric Rhodes and guest SoMuchHouse, a $2,500 shopping-spree giveaway, and five "Golden Tickets" for pairs of 2026 concert tickets hidden in the 96-page Summer Guide. The winter part of the anniversary is quieter and closer to home.
What The Calendar Looks Like Without Concerts
The events left on the calendar are smaller, mostly held in shops and streets, and largely put on by the district.
| Date | Event | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 7–11 | 23rd Bend Film Festival | Screenings at Regal Old Mill ScreenX & IMAX, 680 SW Powerhouse Drive, one of six festival venues |
| Oct. 31, 3–6 p.m. | Old Mill Halloween | Shop trick-or-treating, pet costume contest, School of Rock performance, Witches Paddle |
| Nov. 6, 3–6 p.m. | First Friday Art & Wine Walk | Wine samples, light snacks, local and regional artists at participating businesses |
| Nov. 28–Dec. 27, weekends, noon–4 p.m. | Hot Cocoa Bar at Lady Bird Cultural Society | Holiday drinks, treats and a special menu |
| Dec. 4, 3–6 p.m. | First Friday Art & Wine Walk | December edition |
Some notes for the details. The film festival's full program has 40 features and 68 shorts. On Halloween, Powerhouse Drive closes to cars from REVOLVR to LUSH between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. The Witches Paddle launches from Riverbend Park at about 3 p.m. and finishes at the district's Flag Bridge. If you live off Brookswood or Century Drive, plan your Halloween drive around that closure. The Old Mill had not posted its 2026 holiday dates as of this writing, and its holiday pages still list last year's schedule. Check back closer to Thanksgiving for those.
The Newcomer Up The Hill
The district isn't the only place shaping how SW Bend eats this winter. On July 18, Base Camp opened at 319 SW Century Drive as a year-round gathering space for food and drinks. It started with 10 food carts, two indoor kiosks and a 36-tap bar. General manager Hayden McGee described the goal as "bringing everyone together regardless." It is a different model from the Old Mill, with many independent food carts sharing one site a short drive up Century Drive and built to operate through the winter.
By spring, the Old Mill will likely have a new tenant in Rapa Nui's old building, three new buildings near Athleta and a winter's worth of foot traffic on Powerhouse Drive. As of today, the only confirmed piece of that list is the empty bar.
If you own property near the Old Mill and want to know how these changes might affect its value, Lisa Cole has followed this district through its first 25 years and can walk you through what's ahead. Get an Instant Home Valuation and start there.
