Entertainment
Oregon Blockbuster outlasts others to become last on Earth
BEND, Ore. (AP) — There are challenges that come with running the last Blockbuster Video on the planet.
The computer system must be rebooted using floppy disks that only the general manager — a solid member of Gen X — knows how to use. The dot-matrix printer broke, so employees write out membership cards by hand. And the store’s business transactions are backed up on a reel-to-reel tape that can’t be replaced because Radio Shack went out of business.
Yet none of that has kept this humble franchise in an Oregon strip mall from thriving as the advent of on-demand movie streaming laid waste all around it. When a Blockbuster in Australia shuts its doors for the last time on March 31, the Bend store will be the only one left on Earth.
“It’s pure stubbornness, for one. We didn’t want to give in,” said general manager Sandi Harding, who has worked at the franchise for 15 years and receives a lot of the credit for keeping it alive well past its expiration date. “We did everything we could to cut costs and keep ourselves relevant.”
The store was once one of five Blockbusters owned by the same couple, Ken and Debbie Tisher, in three central Oregon towns. But by last year, the Bend franchise was the last local Blockbuster standing.
A Blockbuster Video in Bend, Oregon, is the last one on the planet after the only other Blockbuster, in Australia, announced it’s closing this month. (March 18)
A tight budget meant no money to update the surviving store. That’s paying off now with a nostalgia factor that stops first-time visitors of a certain age in their tracks: the popcorn ceilings, low fluorescent lighting, wire metal video racks and the ubiquitous yellow-and-blue ticket stub logo that was a cultural touchstone for a generation.
“Most people, I think, when they think about renting videos — if they’re the right age — they don’t remember the movie that they went to pick, but they remember who they went with and that freedom of walking the aisles,” said Zeke Kamm, a local resident who is making a documentary about the store called “The Last Blockbuster” with a friend.
“In a lot of towns, the Blockbuster was the only place that was open past nine o’clock, and a lot of them stayed open until midnight, so kids who weren’t hoodlums would come here and look at movies and fall in love with movies.”
The Bend store had eight years under its belt as a local video store before it converted to a Blockbuster in 2000, a time when this high desert city was still a sleepy community with a small-town feel to match.
Customers kept coming back, drawn by special touches like staff recommendations, a “wish list” for videos to add to the rental selection and even home delivery for a few special customers who couldn’t drive in. Dozens of local teens have worked there over the years.
Then, in 2010, Blockbuster declared bankruptcy, and by 2014, all corporate-owned stores had shuttered. That left locally owned franchises to fend for themselves, and one by one, they closed.
When stores in Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska, shut down last summer — barely outlasting a Redmond, Oregon, store — Bend’s Blockbuster was the only U.S. location left.
Tourists started stopping by to snap selfies, and business picked up. Harding ordered up blue-and-yellow sweat shirts, T-shirts, cups, magnets, bumper stickers, hats and stocking caps from local vendors emblazoned with the words “The Last Blockbuster in America,” and they flew off the shelves.
A sign advertising locally made souvenirs from the last Blockbuster store on the planet sits in the store in Bend, Ore., in this Tuesday, March 12, 2019 photo. When a Blockbuster in Perth, Australia, shuts its doors for the last time on March 31, the store in Bend, Ore., will be the only one left on Earth, and most likely in the universe. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus)
Then, this month, she got a phone call: The world’s only other Blockbuster, in Perth, Australia, would soon close its doors. A new T-shirt order went out — this time with the slogan “The Last Blockbuster on the Planet” — and the store is already getting a new wave of selfie-snapping visitors from as far away as Europe and Asia.
On a recent weekday, Michael Trovato of Melbourne, Australia, stopped by while visiting his twin sister in Bend.
After posing for a photo, Trovato said he misses a time when choosing a movie meant browsing hundreds of titles and asking a video clerk for insight instead of letting a movie-streaming service recommend one for him based on a computer algorithm.
“I miss quite a bit being able to walk into a Blockbuster or CD store and have that social experience and see people looking at stuff and talking to people,” Trovato said. “It’s something you don’t get from the slick presentation of a music service or, you know, from the internet.”
The Bend store doesn’t seem to be in danger of closing anytime soon.
Its newfound fame has been a shot in the arm, and customers stream in to buy $40 sweat shirts, $20 T-shirts and even $15 yellow-and-blue beanies hand-knit by Harding herself. The store pays Dish Network for the right to use the Blockbuster logo and has several years left on its lease.
People regularly send the store boxes of old VHS tapes and DVDs. They also donate Blockbuster memorabilia: a corporate jean jacket, key chains and old membership cards.
Employees always send a thank-you note, store manager Dan Montgomery said.
Recently, Harding has noticed another type of customer that’s giving her hope: a new generation of kids dragged in by their nostalgic parents who later leave happy, holding stacks of rented movies and piles of candy.
Jerry Gilless and his wife, Elizabeth, brought their two kids, John, 3, and Ellen, 5, and watched with a smile as the siblings bounced from row to row, grabbing “Peter Pan” and “The Lion King” and surveying dinosaur cartoons.
“How could we not stop? It’s the last one,” said Gilless, of their detour to the store while on vacation from Memphis, Tennessee. “They need to see that not everything’s on the iPad.”
Entertainment
160+ Bands, 5 Stages: Welcome To Rockville Returns to Daytona International Speedway May 7–10 with Expanded Fan Experience
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (FNN) — Music set times have been released for the 15th anniversary of Welcome To Rockville, Florida’s largest rock, metal and punk festival, set for May 7–10, 2026 at Daytona International Speedway.
Produced by Danny Wimmer Presents, the four-day event will feature more than 160 bands performing across five stages, marking the festival’s largest lineup to date.
HEADLINERS AND DAILY LINEUP
This year’s festival will be headlined by Foo Fighters, My Chemical Romance, Guns N’ Roses and Bring Me The Horizon.
- Thursday, May 7: Guns N’ Roses, Five Finger Death Punch, Godsmack, Staind
- Friday, May 8: Foo Fighters, Turnstile, The Offspring, Parkway Drive
- Saturday, May 9: Bring Me The Horizon, Breaking Benjamin, Motionless in White, Lamb of God
- Sunday, May 10: My Chemical Romance, A Day To Remember, Rise Against, Yellowcard
FESTIVAL EXPANSION AND NEW FEATURES
Organizers announced several enhancements for 2026 aimed at improving the fan experience. A new “Pit Stop” fan zone near the Apex Stage will feature artist interviews, special performances and interactive experiences.
In addition, the Garage Stage will be fully tented for the first time, offering expanded shade coverage and upgraded production for attendees.
SPECIAL EVENTS AND EXPERIENCES
Festivalgoers can kick off the week with a pre-party on May 6 featuring performances by Fuel, Local H and others.
A new crossover event, “Blood4Blood,” will also take place at the Ocean Center, combining live music with bare-knuckle fighting, including a headline bout featuring Alex Terrible of Slaughter to Prevail.
TICKETS, ACCESS AND ATTENDANCE
Festival gates will open daily at 11:30 a.m. Organizers are offering a range of ticket options, including single-day, weekend, VIP and camping packages. A new Camp to Coast shuttle will provide transportation between the speedway and nearby beaches.
With expanded attractions, including rides, themed bars and interactive zones, Welcome To Rockville 2026 is expected to draw tens of thousands of fans to Daytona Beach, reinforcing its role as a major driver of Florida’s tourism and live entertainment economy.
Entertainment
Orlando International Fashion Week Partners with Orlando Fringe Festival for 35th Anniversary Avant-Garde Showcase
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — Orlando International Fashion Week (OIFW) has announced a new creative partnership with the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival as the festival celebrates its 35th anniversary this May.
As part of the collaboration, OIFW will present a special avant-garde fashion showcase on Saturday, May 16, 2026, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., during the two-week festival. The curated runway will feature bold, experimental designs that reflect Fringe’s spirit of artistic freedom, individuality and innovation.
PARTNERSHIP CELEBRATES CREATIVE COLLABORATION
Organizers say the partnership reflects a natural alignment between two nonprofit organizations committed to supporting artists and expanding access to creative spaces.
“Fringe and OIFW share a commitment to creating platforms where artists can take risks and express themselves freely,” said Rob Henlon, executive director and co-founder of OIFW. “This collaboration allows fashion to exist within a broader artistic conversation.”
John Payne-Rios, an OIFW advisory board member, added that the partnership strengthens Orlando’s creative ecosystem by bringing together fashion, theater and community engagement.
Festival organizers echoed that sentiment, noting the addition of fashion enhances the Outdoor Stage experience and introduces new artistic energy to the event.
DESIGNER CALL AND MODEL CASTING UNDERWAY
In conjunction with the partnership, OIFW has opened its designer registration call for creatives interested in participating in the Fringe showcase.
Designers are encouraged to submit collections that emphasize:
- Avant-garde concepts
- Artistic storytelling
- Bold, experimental design
Models can also audition for both the Fringe showcase and upcoming OIFW runway shows. Casting calls are scheduled for April 12 and April 19 at CityArts Gallery in downtown Orlando from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The casting is open to ages 4 and up, with no prior experience required.
FRINGE FESTIVAL MARKS 35 YEARS OF ARTISTIC FREEDOM
For 35 years, the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival has provided an inclusive platform for artists to present original work in an unjuried and uncensored environment. The festival is the longest-running Fringe festival in the United States and returns 100% of ticket sales directly to artists.
Each May, the festival transforms Orlando into a hub of live performances, visual art, music and interactive experiences that celebrate diverse voices and creative expression.
What’s Next for OIFW?
The Fringe collaboration serves as a lead-in to OIFW’s signature summer event, Orlando International Fashion Week Presents: 626 Euphoria, scheduled for June 6, 2026, at the Winter Park Events Center.
Organizers say the upcoming season will continue to focus on:
- Expanding fashion as a cultural platform
- Strengthening cross-industry partnerships
- Elevating emerging and diverse designers
