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    πŸ’Œ Things to do in Boise October 1-7

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    Happenings

    Hi, I'm Marissa Lovell, a writer and lover of all things local. So glad you're here.

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    Rocktober begins! plus, swing by a cider fest, walk around with some doggies, and catch a couple game days.

    From Boise Things

    • Next Dinner Club: Wednesday, October 14 at 6:30 PM in Boise. 🍴Book here!

    4th Annual Idaho Cider Fest

    Saturday, October 3

    Meriwether Cider takes over Bannock Street in downtown Boise for a big cider-filled block party featuring Northwest cideries, local food, vendors, and games. Portland Cider, Schilling, Western Cider, Tieton, Bauman’s, and more are pouring, plus food from The Funky Taco, Keystone Station, and others. Tokens are $24 for 8.

    Noon–6pm on Bannock Street between 8th and 9th. Free admission, all ages!

    🎟️ Buy tokens here

    credit Meriwether Cider Co.

    Things to do

    Thursday, October 1

    • First Thursday is happening in Downtown Boise from 5–9pm. Local shops, galleries, and restaurants host in-store events like tastings, art exhibits, trunk shows, live music, and family activities. It’s free!

    Thursday, October 1 – Monday, November 2

    • Scarecrow Stroll is kicking off at the Idaho Botanical Garden. It’s a fall stroll through the Garden featuring handcrafted scarecrows made by local artists, schools, families, and businesses, and you can vote for your favorite along the way. Tix are included with Garden admission: $15 adults, $13 seniors and students, $9 youth, and kids 3 and under are free. The display is up everyday from 9am–5pm through Nov 2.

    Thursday, October 1 – Saturday, October 3

    • Vintage Road Trippin’ is happening at vintage shops across the Treasure Valley from 10am–5pm daily. It’s a three-day shop-hop from Fruitland to Boise with curated vintage stops, artisan markets, food trucks, and a stamp card you can turn in for a chance at grand prizes. It’s free!

    Friday, October 2

    • Sentimentia: New Work by Noble Hardesty is happening at Visual Arts Collective. It’s the artist reception for Nobles new exhibition, a bold, nostalgic body of work inspired by comic books, cartoons, album covers, punk fliers, skateboards, tattoo flash, and role-playing games. It’s free! 21+
    • Museum After Dark: Whiskey & Wagons is happening at the Idaho State Museum from 6:30–9pm. It’s an Oregon Trail themed night with pioneer games, butter churning, yarn spinning, whiskey tastings from Koenig Distillery and the Snake River Stampede, and live music from local band RUDY. Tix are $32, or $27 for Idaho State Historical Society members.
    • Bingo Loco is happening at Treefort Music Hall from 10pm–12:30am. It’s a high-energy bingo party with DJs, dancing, rave rounds, lip sync battles, and ridiculous prizes. Tix are $42.

    Friday, October 2 – Saturday, October 3

    • Bluebird Oktoberfest is happening at Bluebird Social from 2–10pm Friday and 11am–10pm Saturday. It’s a two-day riverside biergarten with overflowing steins, giant pretzels, bratwurst, live entertainment, games, and dancing. Tix are $10, or $35 for a Steinmeister Pass with both days, a commemorative stein and pin, and 7 tasting pours.

    Friday, October 2 – Sunday, October 4

    • Canyon County Fall Home Show is happening at the Ford Idaho Center from 5–9pm Friday, 11am–6pm Saturday, and 11am–4pm Sunday. It’s a one-stop shop for home improvement, with vendors covering everything from remodeling and landscaping to dΓ©cor. Tix are $3, $2 for seniors, and kids 12 and under are free.

    Saturday, October 3

    • Baker Heritage Museum and Sumpter Dredge: Geologic & History Tour is happening from 10am–6pm, departing from Lowe’s in Meridian. It’s a day trip with professional geologist Mark Ferns to explore the mining and geologic history of the Baker Heritage Museum and the historic Sumpter Dredge in eastern Oregon. Tix are $20, free for Idaho Museum of Mining and Geology members and kids. Registration required.
    • See Spot Walk is happening at Julia Davis Park from 10am–12:30pm. It’s the Idaho Humane Society’s annual fundraiser with a 1-mile dog walk on the Greenbelt, followed by dog contests, food trucks, vendors, and an Alumni Pet Parade. Tix are $35, or $25 for kids 12 and under, and include a t-shirt.
    • Meridian Oktoberfest is happening in Downtown Meridian from 10am–9pm. It’s a full day of food, drinks, live music, and 70 vendors, plus a stein hold at sunset, brat and strudel eating contests, a pretzel toss, a beer pong tournament, and a kids craft area. It’s free!
    • Outside With Pride 5K is happening at Ann Morrison Park from 8–11am. It’s a community run and walk along the Greenbelt hosted by ICOM’s LGBTQ+ Alliance, with proceeds benefiting Terry Reilly Health Services. Tix are $25.
    • Witches on the Water is happening at Barber Park at 12pm. It’s a spooky season river float where witches trade broomsticks for paddleboards, and you can join in or watch from the Greenbelt. It’s free!
    • Dogtoberfest is happening at Dogtopia in Garden City from 3–7pm. It’s a fall afternoon for the whole family with food, beer and cider, local vendors, and a bounce house with a slide for the kids. It’s free!
    • Athletic Club Boise vs. Greenville Triumph SC is happening at Athletic Club Boise Soccer Stadium at 1pm. It’s a home match as AC Boise takes on Greenville Triumph SC in USL League One action. Tix start at $50.
    • Hay Day is happening at Indian Creek Plaza from 1–5pm. It’s a new fall festival celebrating Caldwell’s agricultural roots, with the grape harvest, hops, pumpkins, antique tractors, local vendors, and hands-on farm activities for kids. It’s free!
    • Boise State vs. Utah State is happening Saturday, October 3 at Albertsons Stadium in Boise. The Broncos take on the Utah State Aggies in their first Pac-12 home game of October, with kickoff at 5:30pm. Tix vary by seat.
    • First Saturday Open House: Spooky Saturday is happening at Catalyst Arts Collaborative. It’s a monthly open house where you can meet a featured local artist, learn about upcoming classes, and watch raku pottery firing in the parking lot, with a spooky twist for October. It’s free!

    Saturday, October 3 – Sunday, October 4

    • Pacific Northwest Woodworking & Maker Expo is happening at Expo Idaho from 10am–5pm Saturday and 10am–4pm Sunday. It’s a weekend of woodworking vendors, maker booths selling handmade goods, educational seminars, and a tool sale. Tix are $5, kids under 12 are free.
    • Idaho Fiber Festival is happening at Expo Idaho from 10am–5pm Saturday and 10am–4pm Sunday. It’s a gathering of spinners, weavers, knitters, felters, and fiber artists, with local vendors selling hand-dyed yarn, fiber, and handmade goods. It’s free!

    Saturday, October 3 – Wednesday, October 7

    • Eagle Plein Air Festival is happening around Eagle, with free painting demonstrations from 11am–1pm Monday through Friday. It’s a week-long celebration of outdoor painting where 80+ artists capture Eagle’s landscapes, wrapping up with an exhibition and awards reception where you can buy the finished works. It’s free!

    Sunday, October 4

    • Heritage Homes Tour is happening on Mobley Drive in Boise’s East End from 11am–3pm. It’s Preservation Idaho’s 20th annual self-guided tour of private mid-century homes, including Charles Hummel’s 1956 residence and the Art Troutner-designed Klein House, plus a block party with food trucks. Tix are $35 in advance ($25 for members), $40 day of, and $15 for kids 13 and under.
    • Mineral Identification is happening at the Idaho Museum of Mining and Geology from 1–2pm. Bring your rocks, minerals, fossils, or artifacts and professional geologist Coyote Short will help identify them while teaching you the basics of identification. Tix are $5, free for museum members and kids. Pre-registration required.
    • YMCA Harrison Classic Kid’s Race is happening on Harrison Boulevard at 3pm. It’s an all-inclusive one-mile run/walk for kids, and every participant gets a shirt, a medal, and a healthy snack. Tix are $30.

    Monday, October 5

    • Harvest Edition: Meridian Monday Night Market is happening at Storey Park from 4–9pm. It’s a fall market with local vendors, food trucks, live music, and raffles, plus activities like hay rides, a petting zoo, face painting, train rides, and a camel experience. It’s free! Unlimited activity passes are $10 per person or $35 per family online ($15 or $40 day of).

    Wednesday, October 7

    • American Red Cross Blood Drive at the Old Idaho Penitentiary is happening at the Old Idaho Penitentiary from 10am–3pm. Donate blood to the American Red Cross and get a free Old Pen admission pass to use later. It’s free! Appointments recommended.
    • Speakers at the Center: Charlie Clements is happening at the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights at 6:30pm. It’s a talk by human rights advocate and Nobel Peace Prize co-recipient Charlie Clements on the history and impact of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, plus its recent erosion at home and abroad. It’s free! Registration required.
    • FRED 3 Gala & Awards is happening at Treefort Music Hall from 6–10pm. It’s Interfaith Sanctuary’s annual celebration honoring the fearless, resilient, empathetic, and dynamic people who helped move hope into its new Shelter Home, with a social hour, a tapas dinner from Ansots and Corona Village, and an awards program. Tix are $225, or $100 for bar seating.

    Wednesday, October 7 – Sunday, October 11

    • NAPA Halloween Classic XXXIII is happening at Firebird Raceway, with spectator racing from 9am–7:30pm Friday and Saturday and 9am–6pm Sunday. It’s five days of NHRA drag racing plus the Top Gun Shootout, with a Halloween bash on Saturday featuring kids games, a costume contest, trick-or-treating in the pits, a chili feed, and an adult costume party. Tix are $20 per day, $10 for kids 12 and under, or $75 for a full-event pass.
    credit See Spot Walk

    Food finds & things to drink

    Thursday, October 1

    • Evidence & Spirits: Houses of Horror is happening at Watson’s Mystery CafΓ© & Spirits at 7pm. It’s an immersive true crime night with live performance and dark history on Madame Delphine LaLaurie, H. H. Holmes, and Dorothea Puente, served with three craft cocktails or mocktails. Tix are $40. 18+

    Saturday, October 3

    Tuesday, October 6

    • Wine-toberfest is happening at House of Wine from 6:30–7:30pm. It’s an Oktoberfest-inspired tasting of five wines from Germany, Austria, and beyond, including Riesling, GrΓΌner Veltliner, and GewΓΌrztraminer, paired with light cheese and charcuterie. Tix are $45.
    • Book Tasting: Banned Books Week is happening at Parcero Wine Bar from 3–8pm. Parcero and The Lit Room are pairing a four-wine flight with your pick of a banned book to take home, in celebration of the freedom to read. Tix are $44.

    Boise’s Best Breakfast Burritos

    Nothing fuels a morning quite like a good burrito, and Boise’s got no shortage of contenders.

    • Certified Kitchen + Bakery in Hyde Park bakes its own English muffins from a 52-year-old sourdough starter, but the real move is the Huevos Ranchero Burrito: eggs, crispy potato, pinto beans, and white cheddar wrapped up with housemade ranchero sauce.
    • Oddbox Breakfast Project is a walk-up window on Bannock Street, grab-and-go and fast. The Papas Rizz, their OG burrito, packs pork chorizo, scrambled eggs, seasoned potatoes, cheddar, guacamole, and crema into one handheld package.
    • Hawkins Pac-Out is a North End cult classic. Ask for the Morning Heater, though there are a few burrito options on the menu, and they recently reworked their hashbrowns, so it’s worth a revisit even for regulars.
    • El Chavo Taqueria, a taco truck on Overland, makes burritos that really come into their own once you add salsa. Good for breakfast now, lunch later.
    • Lost Grove Brewing has run a breakfast pop-up called Lost Window out of their La Pointe location, serving hot burritos and parfaits right off the Greenbelt.
    credit OddBox Breakfast Project

    Comedy & storytelling

    Thursday, October 1

    • The Page Turner: Techniques of Writing the Propulsive Novel is happening at The Cabin from 6–8pm, continuing Thursdays through November 5. It’s a six-week novel writing workshop with Idaho Writer in Residence Mitch Wieland, where you’ll leave with a logline, an outline, and the first five pages of your novel. Tix are $215, or $195 for members. Scholarships available.

    Thursday, October 1 – Friday, October 2

    • Killer Queens is happening at The Adelmann with shows at 6pm, 8pm, and 10pm each night. It’s a 90-minute theatrical true crime experience where Delphine LaLaurie, Lizzie Borden, Aileen Wuornos, and Idaho’s own Lady Bluebeard take the stage, paired with three themed cocktails (mocktails available) and a wicked dessert. Tix are $68.90. 21+

    Thursday, October 1 – Saturday, October 3

    • Patrick Garrity is happening at The Comedy Lounge from 7–8:30pm each night. The “Neverending Tour” comedian, who lives on the road in his fan-signed car, brings his mix of personal stories and sharp observational humor to Boise. Tix are $21.20, plus a 2 drink minimum (non-alcoholic options available).

    Friday, October 2

    • Lectures by Lushes is happening at The Balcony Club from 7–8:30pm. It’s TED Talks meets Drunk History, with very smart (and very drunk) presenters tackling topics like ham radio, the pumpkin spice industry, and license plate readers. Tix are $17.85. 21+
    • Musical Mischief is happening at The Green Room from 7:30–9pm. It’s an entirely improvised musical, with Athena Hoxsey and Daniel Maggard (plus Dylan Olsen live on keys) creating characters, songs, and plot twists on the spot from audience suggestions, and this month’s show is family-friendly. Tix are $24.57.
    • Nate Ford is happening at Liquid Laughs Underground from 8–9:30pm. The Boise comedian and 27-year stand-up veteran has appeared on Last Comic Standing and A Prairie Home Companion and opened for Bill Burr, Dave Attell, and Pauly Shore. Tix are $21.20 online or $30 at the door. 21+

    Friday, October 2 – Saturday, October 3

    • Legend of Sleepy Hollow is happening at the Treasure Valley Children’s Theater at 7pm Friday and 2pm and 7pm Saturday. It’s a spooky stage adaptation of Washington Irving’s classic tale of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman, with special effects that call for parental discretion. Tix are $20.

    Saturday, October 3

    • Sweater Weather Comedy Show is happening at The Creative Space at 8pm. It’s a fall-themed stand-up show celebrating crisp air, cozy sweaters, and $7 cinnamon-sprinkled coffee, made for anyone whose personality is autumn. Tix are $15.99, or $5.99 for kids 5–12.

    Tunes & shows

    Thursday, October 1

    Friday, October 2

    Saturday, October 3

    Sunday, October 4

    Monday, October 5

    Tuesday, October 6

    Wednesday, October 7

    Just trust me…

    β€˜tis the season πŸ’€

    Thanks for reading!

    With love from Boise,

    Marissa

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    πŸ’Œ Things to do in Boise October 1-7

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