For nearly 15 years, a sushi restaurant ran in the ground-floor space between Kara's Kitchenware and Anthropologie, across from M's Bakery. Its signage is down now, and blackout curtains cover the windows. Behind them, the space at 375 SW Powerhouse Drive, Suite A125, is being set up as this year's SantaLand.
Santa's helicopter landing, the photos and the letters mailbox will all be back this season. Around them, though, much of the Old Mill District is new. Since last holiday season the district has added a bookshop cafe on the river, a deli in the center plaza, a vintage boutique in its oldest building and a pottery studio upstairs. A December visit this year mostly means walking past doors that weren't open last year.
A Familiar Space, New Use for the Season
Mio Sushi, a Portland-based regional chain, opened in Bend in 2008 at the Cascade Village Shopping Center and moved to the Old Mill District in 2011. The Bulletin reported on October 29 that the restaurant had closed after almost 20 years in Bend, after the Old Mill District decided not to renew its lease.
Beau Eastes, the Old Mill District's marketing director, told The Bulletin, "We're thankful for what they brought, but excited for new possibilities there. It's a cool location, centrally located on the ground floor." The space will be SantaLand for the holidays, which usually opens the day after Thanksgiving.
The address matters if you have a holiday routine here. According to the Old Mill District's Holiday Happenings page, Santa arrives by helicopter at 10 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 27, with help from AirLink Critical Care Transport and Deschutes County Search and Rescue. He lands on the west event lawn near the river and then heads to the new SantaLand location between Kara's Kitchenware and Anthropologie.
Here are this year's SantaLand details:
- Days: Nov. 27–29, Dec. 4–6, Dec. 11–13 and Dec. 18–21
- Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Letters to Santa: The North Pole Express Mailbox takes letters from Nov. 27 through Dec. 13 with no postage needed. Include a return address and Santa will write back.
- Tree of Joy: Giving tree at SantaLand for children in need
The Shops Around SantaLand Are Mostly New
The Mio Sushi space is one of many that changed hands this year. In an August interview with The Bulletin, Eastes called this year's wave of openings "unusual," and said, "In my eight years down here, this is the most businesses that we've opened in such a short time period."
He dated the wave to Will Leather Goods' opening last November. Since then, visits to the district have risen 4%, which he credited largely to what he called a "really eclectic tenant mix." The district says it mostly brought in regional and local stores.
Here is what has opened since the last time Santa landed by the river:
| Business | Where | Opened | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stacks Dinner and Delicatessen | 545 SW Powerhouse Dr., Suite 910, center plaza near the pedestrian bridge | Late January | From-scratch deli with pastrami, corned beef, beet-cured salmon lox and rotisserie chicken; river patio or grab-and-go |
| Dudley's Bookshop Cafe | 655 SW Powerhouse Dr., Suite 150 | Early May | Second location of the downtown independent bookstore and coffee shop, with a riverside patio |
| Elk Vintage | Little Red Shed, south end next to City Home | May | Locally owned vintage clothing, home decor and accessories |
| REVOLVR Menswear | 520 SW Powerhouse Dr., Suite 601 | Late May | Second location of the local men's clothing store |
| Portland Gear | 450 SW Powerhouse Dr., Suite 403 | Late May | Weatherproof travel bags and the brand's "P" logo apparel; its first Central Oregon store |
| Madewell | 520 SW Powerhouse Dr., Suite 608 | July 1 | Denim brand's first Central Oregon store |
Several of these are local businesses opening their second store. Dudley's and REVOLVR both have flagships downtown, and both owners explained the move to The Bulletin. Dudley's co-owner Tom Beans said that when he looked for other parts of Bend with traffic like downtown's, "the Old Mill was really the standout option." REVOLVR owner Jon Davis said the move was about reaching "a local and tourist customer base that we assume that we're not catching downtown." The REVOLVR store is in the space Francesca's left.
Elk Vintage has the most history behind its address. The Little Red Shed is the Old Mill District's oldest building and once held fire equipment. Co-owners Jeni Gallacher and Andria Hattenhauer handpick every item from around the country. Gallacher said the building's "small charm was totally our vibe."
Dudley's also runs a book club called Riverside Reads that meets on its back patio. That patio also overlooks the river where the holiday paddle parade floats by in December.
Upstairs, a Pottery Studio Joins the Galleries
The newest change is on the second floor. In October, the district announced that CeramiCafe would open this month at 450 SW Powerhouse Dr., Suite 429, above Lush, Budd + Finn and Tumalo Art Co. It is one door down from the Lubbesmeyer Art Studio & Gallery and The Stacks Art Studios & Gallery.
CeramiCafe has spent 25 years in Oregon and already has studios in Clackamas, Corvallis, Lake Oswego and Beaverton. The Bend location will offer paint-your-own pottery, mosaics, canvas painting, parties, private events, classes and camps. Owner Krista Courtney said in the Old Mill District's announcement, "We love the sense of community, creativity, and adventure that makes Bend so unique." Eastes said in the same announcement that the studio would be "fantastic neighbors with our other art concepts upstairs."
A paint-your-own studio upstairs also gives families another stop near SantaLand. Pottery painted by hand makes a good grandparent gift.
December's Calendar Lands on the New Map
This year's holiday events take place around the new storefronts. The Old Mill District's posted caroling and paddle parade dates fall in the first three weeks of December:
- Thursday, Dec. 3, 5:30–6:30 p.m. Central Oregon Mastersingers caroling
- Saturday, Dec. 5, noon–2 p.m. Bella Acapella Harmony, during SantaLand's second weekend
- Friday, Dec. 11, 4–7 p.m. Tumalo Creek Kayak & Canoe's Holiday Lights Paddle Parade on the river, with the High Desert Jazz Choir singing 4:30–5:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 12, noon–1 p.m. and 2:30–3:30 p.m. ReSistas
- Friday, Dec. 18, 5:30–6:30 p.m. Central Oregon Mastersingers again
- Sunday, Dec. 20, noon–1 p.m. and 2:30–3:30 p.m. ReSistas again, the day before SantaLand's last day
Friday, Dec. 11, has the most going on. It's the first day of SantaLand's third weekend, the paddle parade runs from 4 to 7 p.m., and the jazz choir sings in the middle of it. If you want a single December evening at the district, that's the one. You could visit Santa before 5, get dinner at Stacks or one of the long-running restaurants nearby, and be on the riverbank once the boats light up.
The holiday page also has district gift cards, which work for restaurants, shops, concerts and movies. You can buy them online or at the Ticket Mill. The page lists each business's holiday hours too, including which places are open on Christmas Day.
The North End Is Next
Another change is under way at the district's north end. The Old Mill District is adding three new buildings for restaurants and retail near the hot ponds and the parking area. Eastes told The Bulletin in August that groundwork was done and that two of the buildings were expected to break ground in the fall or winter.
The coworking side of the district is already open. In May, Kiln turned a former call center at 501 SW Hill Street into a 43,000-square-foot coworking hub with rentable offices, conference rooms and event space.
For skating, the district's ice skating and sledding page points to The Pavilion at 1001 SW Bradbury Way, Seventh Mountain Resort and Sunriver Village. For sledding, it suggests Wanoga and other snow parks.
From the helicopter landing on the west lawn to the lights on the river, this December at the Old Mill District runs through a lot of new addresses. If you'd like to talk about what's changing in Bend this season, from new shops to the next buildings going up, Bend Homes and Land is glad to hear from you. Contact Us any day of the week.
