Hello friends! 18 days until Christmas - ooo boy! Idk about you but I am very ready for a lil holiday break haha. Today I've got lots of fun events for you, starting tonight with First Thursday and more things happening throughout the weekend. You can listen to me talk about some on today's podcast. And as a reminder, you can send me your events by filling out this form. Also reminder that you can order From Boise tees, sweatshirts & stickers here. You get a free sticker with every purchase through Christmas!

Ok - onto the fun stuff.

First Thursday tonight

Tonight is First Thursday in Downtown Boise & it's a great time to do some shopping, drinking & beeboppin around downtown. Here's a few highlights for ya:

Treefort Music Hall is hosting a From Boise merch pop up, Boise Phil Youth Orchestra holiday performance, ornament making, festive drinks & a Treefort merch pop up.
Boise Brewing is having an open house to preview its new catering menu for private events. Free food tastes & live music!
Juniper is doing 2 for $12 Juniper Tonic & Gin and House Moscow Mules from 3pm-close.
Mixed Greens has a bunch of local vendors, beer tastings & more.
Record Exchange is doing a gift card sale & sales on rare vinyl. Lots of good lil stocking stuffers in there.
Stein Luminary at BSU is doing Luminary After Dark from 5-7pm. You can see Art vs. Science in 3D, Fractal Forest Trees, Space Lenses, and much more. Read my story about the Stein Luminary here - it's super cool.
Encore Theatre Company will be roaming downtown singing Christmas carols.
Plus lots more, check it out here.

Cascadia Music Summit tomorrow

The Cascadia Music Summit is happening in Boise tomorrow, Friday, December 8, from 9am-5:15pm at The Egyptian Theatre.

It's a one day music policy conference for music advocates, artists, policy makers, and other leading music stakeholders. The focus is about creating a more connected and vibrant music corridor across the Pacific Northwest (Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho).

I'll be attending the conference tomorrow and working on a story about what this means in Boise. I talk more about this on today's podcast episode too.

You can attend The Cascadia Music Summit, too! Anyone is welcome, you don't have to be a policy maker or artist to be interested and attend. Tickets are $25 and there's an in-person or virtual option. Here's the schedule.

Holiday things

TONIGHT: Latinas Mercadito is happening at Hap Hap Lounge from 5-9pm. 14 local Latina vendors with great xmas gifts! 21+
TONIGHT: Holiday Pop-Up Market at Barbarian Brewing from 5-8pm. There's all kind of vendors with food, jewelry, pet treats, art, and more. Plus live music, food truck and beer!
TONIGHT: Ada Community Library is doing a Planting Presents event tonight at the Lake Hazel Branch from 6:30-7:30pm. They supply plant starts of holiday cactus and more. You can bring your own starts too. Fun! It's free! 18+
TONIGHT: Boise State Music Department's annual Holiday Concert is tonight at 7:30pm at Morrison Center. Tix are $11.
Fri Dec 8: Join the Yule Ball, a Harry Potter holiday ball, at The Lounge at the End of the Universe. Come dressed in your finest wizarding robes. Tix are $45/person or $75/couple. 21+
Sat Dec 9: Kuna Down Home Country Christmas is happening all day. There's a market and photos with Santa starting at 10am and a parade at 6pm.
Sat Dec 9: Holiday Pops, a Christmas concert with Boise Philharmonic and Curtis Stigers, is happening at 1pm & 7:30pm at the Morrison Center. Get there early for the pre-concert talk!
Sat Dec 9: Idaho Krampus Con's Bizarre Bazaar is happening at ABU Games at 10am. There's lots of artists, vendors, games, costume contests and Krampus himself will be there too. It's fam-friendly.
Sat-Sun Dec 9-10: Christmas At The Cathedral at Cathedral of the Rockies. Performances on Sat Dec 9 at 2pm and 6pm, and Sun Dec 10 at 4pm.
Sun Dec 10: Holiday Bazaar at Belmont Barbershop with fun local vendors. 10am-3pm at Belmont Barbershop from 1024 W Main Street.
Sun Dec 10: Winter Market at Lost Grove from 12-5pm. There's food items, coffee, artwork, and more, plus beer & pizza! It's at the South La Pointe Street location.
Tue-Wed Dec 12-13: Boise Chordsmen Christmas Concert is happening at Cloverdale Church of God.
Wed Dec 13: Bingo + Holiday Karaoke is happening at at Shrine Social Club (Basement). All ages, starts at 6pm. Cool prizes & festive drinks!

Holiday goodies at Lark & Larder. Credit Lark & Larder.

Sponsored by Idaho State Historical Society

Join the Idaho State Museum on Sunday, December 10 from 1-3pm for a heartwarming holiday tradition – the screening of the beloved 1947 classic, Miracle on 34th Street!

Step into the world of Kris Kringle and Susan Walker as they embark on a festive journey that has warmed hearts for decades. Throughout December, enjoy the museum’s Maureen O’Hara pop-up exhibit in the Canyon gallery, celebrating the timeless charm of the iconic actress.

Tickets are only $5 for non-members and ISHS Members get to enjoy this cinematic treat for free! Concessions will be available for purchase to enhance your movie-watching experience. Museum admission is not included.

Don't miss out on the holiday cheer! Doors open at 12:30pm, and the movie will start at 1pm. Secure your tickets now for a magical afternoon that brings generations together. Click here to purchase your tickets for Movies at the Museum: Miracle on 34th Street on December 10!

Tunes & shows

TONIGHT: Turtle Poppers + High Pine Whiskey Yell at Shrine Social Club (Basement)
TONIGHT: Must Die! + Tisoki + Doctor Chubs at 9th St Parallel
TONIGHT: Spectre Jones + Mylo Bybee at The Olympic
TONIGHT: The Mystics at The Sapphire Room
Fri Dec 8: Jeff Rosenstock + Small Crush + Georgia Maq at Treefort Music Hall
Fri Dec 8: Hand Me The Knife + Crimson Divide + Karin Comes Killing + Dyssonance + Basement at Knitting Factory
Fri Dec 8: Essential Jazz at The Sapphire Room
Sat Dec 9: Filth Hound + We Are You + Buried Faith + Dumpster Fire at Treefort Music Hall
Sat Dec 9: We are Young – A Hipster House Party at Shrine Social Club (Basement)
Sat Dec 9: DJ Bodie at Neurolux
Sat Dec 9: Fox Medicine + Dirt Russell + Besmrcher at Realms Arcade
Sun Dec 10: Anuhea + Kimié Miner + E.N Young at Treefort Music Hall
Sun Dec 10: West Abbey Road: A Beatles Christmas at The Sapphire Room
Mon Dec 11: Rhodes Hull's Magic Band + Jesus Christ Taxi Driver + Captain Snafu at Neurolux
Tue Dec 12: Guilty Pleasure at The Sapphire Room
Wed Dec 13: Toys for Tots Fundraiser with Brooke Nicole and the Jake Leg Band at The Sapphire Room

Comedy & storytelling

Fri Dec 8: Lectures by Lushes is happening at The Balcony. It's Ted Talks meets Drunk history. This month learn about Christmas Eve Club, Ru Paul’s Drag Race, Modern Day Panopticons, The “X” in X-mas, and Holiday Plants. Tix are $15. 21+
Fri Dec 8: The Riff, a monthly improv show, is happening at Mad Swede Brew Hall. Featuring comedians Vanessa Dawn, Breanna Kelley, Parker Krawn, Tyson Gusman, and Austin Von Johnson, and hosted by Tyler Wolf. Tix are $20 and it starts at 6pm.
Fri Dec 8: Comedians Nate Ford + Andrew Kent + Norelle Bond + Olek Szewczyk are at Karuna Kava from 7-9pm. It's free!
Sat Dec 9: Femme Fatale Comedy Show is happening at Mad Swede Brew Hall from 8:30-11pm. It's a monthly feminist comedy show. Tix are $20.
Sat Dec 9: Midwestern comedian John Caparulo is doing two sets at the Lounge at the End of the Universe, at 7pm & 9pm. Tix are $25.
Sat Dec 9: Christmas Improv Comedy Show is happening a Recycled Minds Comedy at 8pm. Tix are $5-$15.
Weekly comedy open mics: Mondays at Mad Swede (Cole Road), sign ups 7:30pm/start 8pm. Tuesdays at Hops & Bottles at 6:30pm. Wednesdays at The Handlebar at 8pm. Thursdays at Mad Swede (Downtown), online sign ups, starts at 8pm. Saturday at Mad Swede (Downtown), sign ups 10:30pm, start 11pm.

Food finds & things to drink

Sun Dec 10: Holiday Drag Brunch with SERVED! and Waffle Love is happening at The Balcony. Enjoy a waffle buffet & festive drag show. Tix start at $35. 21+
Tue Dec 19: Get your tix for Holiday Telaya Bites with Whitney Fredin at Telaya Wine Co. Taste five 2oz wine pours paired with five bit-sized holiday snacks. Tix are $45 and going fast!

Things to do

TONIGHT: Tis the season to sleep. Join the Sleep & Mindfulness Workshop with Dagny Deutchman at Vervain Collective. It's from 5:30-6:45pm and tix are $15-$45 (sliding scale).
Fri-Sun Dec 8-10: Take the kids to Jurassic Quest at Ford Idaho Center. It's a realistic traveling dinosaur experience. Rawr!
Sat Dec 9: Go Birding at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival Grounds from 9-10am. It's free!
Sat Dec 9: Check out Inside the Studio with James Castle House Resident Christian Patterson. He's a multidisciplinary artist and photographer and creates visually layered work that often deals with themes of the archive, authorship, memory, place, and time. Visit him from 11am-1pm.
Sat Dec 9: Join the Mini Woven Tapestries workshop at Surel's Place. Boise artist Amy Wood is leading the workshop. It's $45.
Sat Dec 9: Nordic Fest is happening up at Bogus Basin. This is. agreat time to try out cross-country skiing & snowshoeing. There's $5 trail passes, free gear rentals, free clinics and snowshoe tours, food and drinks and other specials. It's 12-4pm at the Frontier Nordic Lodge up at Bogus Basin.
Sun Dec 10: Check out the Ethereal Arts Bazaar at The Lounge at the End of the Universe. Local artists, makers, physic readers & more. It goes 1-7pm, fam-friendly, and it's free!
Tue Dec 19: Get your tix for the DIY Jewelry Design Party at Barbarian Brewing. This is a great DIY gift idea! It's from 6-8pm and tix are $49, includes all materials.