You’re invited to Shade City 💌

A garden disco party. A spring tradition. A sustainable beer fest and Earth Day celebration rolled into one big, community-fueled bash. Shade City Brewfest is back on Saturday, April 26th from 11am-7pm. In less than two weeks, the Idaho Botanical Garden will transform into a sun-kissed daydream where people who love beer, community, and sustainability can come together.

Dreamed up by local changemakers like Lost Grove Brewing, the Idaho Botanical Garden, and the Treasure Valley Canopy Network, Shade City is a festival that feels like Boise: friendly, fun, and full of intention. It’s funky, and that’s what makes it so cool!

This year’s event is shifting to a single-day format with longer hours (yay!). Last year, more than 3,500 people showed up for the Saturday party alone, and this year promises the same high energy, all packed into one gorgeous day. If you’ve been before, you know the drill. If you haven’t, this is your year.

Here’s what you can look forward to for Shade City 2025!!

How it works:

You bike, shuttle, walk, or run (if you’re feeling athletic) over to the Idaho Botanical Garden. Wind in your hair, stainless steel cup clanking against your side. Likely wearing something outrageous… because so is literally everyone else. I’m talking technicolor jumpsuits. Maybe some wings. Possibly a handmade crochet vest with zero structural integrity.

As you make your way through the Garden, you weave through tons of breweries pouring their favorite funky lagers and crispy ciders. Between sips, you can grab a bite at Bochi Bochi, Coned Pizza, She's Smokin BBQ, or Eva's Famous Ice Cream Bars.

There’s music. There’s dancing. There’s a guy in a cape. Someone with fairy makeup and a fanny pack hands you a free sticker. A cool stranger just complimented your energy. And there’s beer. So. Much. Beer.

Suddenly you’re standing in the middle of a real-life fever dream: a garden full of funky people and an overflow of cold drinks. All vibing in perfect harmony like it’s 1970 and the city just rediscovered joy.

Along the way, you'll pass booths filled with local vendors like the Boise Farmers Market, Fluff Hardware, Boise Beer Buddies, Crypt of Opulence, and Lindsay Rae Art. There will also be live music from Hudson Powder Co + Payette.

As you move along, snap a photo at the 360-degree photo booth, try your luck in corn hole & beer pong, play some yard games, and maybe even trade style tips with someone in glitter bell bottoms.

Fill your cup with groove

At Shade City, it’s not just about what’s in your cup. Every element of Shade City is geared toward waste reduction.

All the flatware and plates from food vendors are fully sustainable and low waste. There will be a dishwashing station for cleaning plates for reuse managed by our friends at Roots Zero Waste Market.​ Even the event posters will be printed on the back of old posters or on recycled paper. ​

Shade City has partnered with ClimateHound to calculate their total carbon footprint, implement emissions reduction initiatives, and maintain carbon neutral certification for the event since 2023.

So you’ll have fun, drink good beer, and feel even better about it all :)

Brace your buds!

There’s over 35 breweries and cideries in on the fun(ction):

• Lost Grove Brewing
• Meriwether Cider Co
• Woodland Empire
• Bauman’s Century Farm Cider
• Bend Cider Co
• Uinta Brewing
• Sockeye Brewing
• Mad Swede Brewing Co
• Boise Booch Brewery
• Payette Brewing Co
• Bert’s Brewing
• Sawtooth Brewery
• Fort George
• Loose Screw Beer Co
• Hopworks Brewery
• Alliteration Ales
• Bear Island Brewing Co
• Grand Teton Brewing
• Mother Earth Brew Co
• Seltzi Cocktail Co
• Sierra Nevada
• White Dog Brewing Co
• Clairvoyant Brewing
• Matchless Brewing
• Buoy Beer Co

+ more to come!!

To bring or not to bring?

You don’t need much to have a great weekend! Here’s what to bring along…

• Your own cup! Bring a steel pint glass, cup from other beer fests, or even an old coffee mug. Anything goes as long as it’s not glass :)
• A water bottle! They’ll have water stations around the fest for refills. Please bring your water bottle empty and fill it at the water station whenever you get thirsty.
• Respect for the Garden (aka no trampling sleepy plants and stay on the paths!)
• Your best 70’s-inspired outfit! They are keeping things groovy in honor of the first Earth Day which took place on April 22, 1970. Dress up in your finest and funkiest ‘70s attire. Don’t be afraid to show off!!
• NO chairs. They will have seating available or you can find a nice grassy spot to sprawl out on. There is limited space in the Garden, so plan on getting to know your neighbors!
• NO children or dogs (babies, you too!). This party is 21+. Only service animals are allowed.​
• ​NO outside food or drinks. They literally have TONS of vendors for you to enjoy beer from! And not just beer… there’s also cider, non-alcoholic beverages, and a variety of food available for purchase.
• NO weapons of any kind. No pointy objects. Bubble guns are acceptable. You could also bring a helmet.

You’ve got options…

An alternative transportation plan! Ride your bike, walk, run, scooter, skate, or ride a bus to Shade City and raise a glass to reducing your carbon footprint… one day at a time. They will provide other options including: enhanced bus routes, bike parking, Lime scooter and bike discounts, and more! But, seriously, the Greenbelt is the best way to get out there.

The Wagon will be doing drop-offs from the Garden to Hyde Park, Downtown, and the Bench, leaving the Garden at 6:30pm and 7pm. One bus will go to Lost Grove in Hyde Park, one in front of Shrine Social Club, and one at Push and Pour on the Boise Bench. No other stops will be made. If driving is a must, here’s the address:

Idaho Botanical Garden, 2355 Old Penitentiary Road Boise, Idaho 83712

It’s the only place you want to be for Earth Day weekend! Dust off your moms old denim, channel your inner flower child, and let's toast to blooming gardens and darn good beer.

​Get your tix here →​

We can't wait to see you in the Garden! 🌿✨

With love and lager,

Carly, Ari, & Marissa

(P.S. Be sure to enter our giveaway for the chance to win a pair of tix!! Two lucky winners will be announced Wednesday, April 23 at 1pm 🎟️)

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