The Borrego Springs Bargain Barn: Summer Season Update

Community Rallies Behind Austrian Cyclist Training for RAAM  You might have seen a focused cyclist zipping around Borrego Valley over the past few weeks. That rider is Lukas Kaufmann , a world-class athlete from Austria who’s chosen Borrego Springs as his training ground for the upcoming Race Across America (RAAM) —a 9-day, coast-to-coast endurance race starting June 10 in Oceanside and finishing June 19 in Atlantic City. Track his ride here: trackleaders.com/Team_Kaufmann While Peter Kellner was also out riding with his wife Tammy Baker , he spotted Lukas and could tell right away he wasn’t just another visitor getting in a few desert miles. Peter tracked him down, learned his story, and turned that curiosity into action. The result? A spontaneous community celebration: “Borrego Cheers for Lukas!”

Borrego Springs CRC Food Bank offers weekly groceries, monthly health services, and improved facilities with help from community grants and donations. Open to all.

Sylvia Maas Ride Updates On June 1, 2025, Sylvia Maas, an ultra-endurance cyclist and Soroptimist from Borrego Springs, will embark on the Trans Am Bike Nonstop Check Point Edition (3,500 miles), a self-supported, coast-to-coast cycling challenge starting in Astoria, Oregon. Her mission is to raise funds for the "Bike 4 Borrego Kids" scholarship program, supporting Borrego Springs High School seniors pursuing higher education.

Community nonprofit completes construction phase, seeks funding for equipment The Borrego Springs Music Festival and its educational arm, the Borrego Academy of Music & Art (BAMA), have completed construction on a new recording studio in downtown Borrego Springs. The buildout included soundproofing and a technician window, with oversight provided by John Young, BAMA’s Technical Director and Vice President of the board. The studio is the latest milestone in the organization’s mission to provide music education to youth in a region where none of the local schools—elementary, middle, or high school—offer a formal music program. Borrego Springs serves a population of approximately 2,500 residents, and 87% of the 358 enrolled students in the school district are considered socioeconomically disadvantaged. John Young, a 34-year science center veteran and longtime volunteer, helped launch the studio space as part of his ongoing work with the music festival and its education efforts. He also teaches courses in piano, digital recording, and technology. 

Borrego Springs honors fallen service members with a Memorial Day ceremony at Christmas Circle, followed by lunch at American Legion Post 853.