Can you believe the start of September is this week?! Not to be dramatic but Happy Halloween! Juuuust kidding :) but really, happy festival month in the Treasure Valley! There are soo many events that happen in September and today's story is highlighting some of my faves. I will, of course, keep you up to date on all of these events in the Thursday newsletters.

Before we get into it, here's a new September event:

Some Must-See September Events

I'm pretty sure that September is the busiest month in the Boise area. It’s the month of several beloved Boise events, the start of Boise State football games, fall colors are starting to pop, and pumpkin patches are getting going. There's a lot of stuff going on and I'm here to tell you about it.

Here’s a few must-attend September events to put on your calendar:

Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic

The Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic is happening this week/weekend, August 28-September 1.

It’s one of Boise’s most iconic annual events and it’s easy to see why everyone loves it so much. There is something so magical about seeing a bunch of hot air balloons floating over the city for a few hours on a sunny morning. And it’s free - we love that!

Hot air balloons launch from Ann Morrison Park Thursday through Sunday, but you can see them from multiple places throughout the city (more on that below). Also with it being a five-day event you have plenty of opportunities to experience it. Note that all balloon launches are weather permitting.

The 2024 Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic event starts tomorrow! Here’s the schedule and a few tips:

Wednesday, August 28 is Kids Day. Balloons will be inflated and tethered in the park to give kids an opportunity to see the balloons up close and learn about how they work. Kids can also take a free tethered ride!

Balloons will be at the park at 7am on Wednesday and blowing up by 7:40am.

Thursday, August 29 is Media Day, which basically just means it's the day when people who work in media can go for a hot air balloon ride. Balloons begin launching as early as 6:45am. Note that not all balloons will launch on this day, but many do. Also it may be called Media Day but it’s a great day for anyone to check out the balloons. Also if you are going somewhere for Labor Day, this is a great day to see the balloons!

Friday, August 30 is a big day because there’s two events! One in the morning and at night!

Friday morning has a mandatory launch, meaning that all the balloons will be in the air at 7:20am. Pilots arrive at the park by 6:45am, so if you want to see the balloons blow up and take off from the ground, be in the park around 7am.

Friday evening is the “Nite Glow Spectacular” which is when balloons stay on the ground, but inflate and light up after dark. There’s also food, vendors, and live music to enjoy. It’s a really fun way to spend a Friday night.

Saturday, August 31 is a morning launch and all balloons will be taking off by 7:20am. Again, if you want to see the balloons blow up and take off, be at the park around 7am. There’s no other special events happening on Saturday.

Sunday, September 1 is the final day of the Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic and it’s also the earliest launch of the week. On Sunday, “Dawn Patrol” happens at 6am, where you can see balloons floating about as the sun is coming up. There is another launch at 7:20am, so if you don’t want to get up at the crack of dawn, you can catch that one.

A few tips:

Parking is kind of tricky because they close down Ann Morrison Park. If you can bike/walk/scoot to the park via the Greenbelt, do that. If you can take the bus or a Uber/Lyft, do that. If you have to or want to drive, park in a public parking lot or garage and then walk the Greenbelt into the park. A few nearby parking garages are: The Car Park at 906 W Lee Street, the parking garage at 10th & Front Street, or the parking garage at Capitol & Myrtle. You can also try street parking of course. ADA parking is available on Royal Street in the Ann Morrison Admin Parking Lot.

No dogs should be brought to the park. This is because, according to the festival website, “the burners that power our balloons make a sound that is inaudible to humans, but when experienced up close by your pet, actually hurts his/her sensitive ears.” Sad :( Also side note: Dog Island is open for the entire week while the festival is happening, however the parking lot is closed on Friday night.

No drones. That's what they said so don’t be that guy/gal.

Bring a chair if you want. Lawn chairs are allowed!

Dress for a chilly morning. It can be a lil cold down there in the park near the river in the morning. Honestly it’s quite nice but bring a sweater or something.

Nearby coffee is kind of a must if you are going to be at an event that early, ya know? Some nearby places to grab a cup of something warm and a bite are Roast at Dawson Taylor (the one on Lusk Street - there’s also one of 8th Street), Push & Pour on Latah Street, Push & Pour on Ash Street, and Primal Coffee on Latah. I love all of these coffee shops and they all serve small food things if you need a lil breakfast.

There’s other places to watch, in case you don’t want to go to the park. Honestly this is my preference because I like to look out and watch vs looking up once they are launched. For an up close but not underneath view, bring a chair and set up on Crescent Rim Drive which overlooks Ann Morrison Park. Mountain View Drive is another place on the Bench a little further west that overlooks the city and has a great view once the balloons are high. The foothills will give you another angle and the best viewpoints are probably from Camel’s Back, Table Rock, Quarry Trail/Eagle Rock Loop trails, Military Reserve, and Hillside to Hollow trails. Quinn’s Pond/Whitewater Park is another good spot. It’s not as high up, but you have a view of the foothills and will definitely see balloons from there!

You can find more info on the Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic here.

Art in the Park

Art in the Park is September 6-8 in Julia Davis Park. This open-air art festival has been going for 70 years!

More than 200 artists have booths set up throughout the park. You will find all kinds of art from painting to ceramics to textiles to jewelry and everything in between. The booths are set up in long rows, so you can kinda meander through the entire festival.

In addition to artist booths, there’s a children’s art tent located near the Rose Garden which will have activities happening from 11am-5pm on Saturday, Sept 7 and 11am-4pm on Sunday, Sept 8. There is also live entertainment happening on the Gene Harris Bandshell over the three-day festival. You can catch live music and dance performances from 5-7:30pm on Friday, Sept 6, from 3-7pm on Saturday, Sept 7, and from 1:30-4:30pm on Sunday, Sept 8.

With all that walking and shopping, you’ll need to fuel up. There’s a bunch of food trucks set up along the road near the Greenbelt, near the Bandshell, and a few other locations in the park.

One thing to note: there’s no parking in Julia Davis Park. You can park in the parking garages in downtown Boise or park in the Brady Garage on Boise State’s campus and then take the Friendship Bridge over to the park. Also there are shuttles running from the park to BoDo, throughout downtown Boise, to Boise State/Ann Morrison, and to Boise Towne Square Mall. You can see parking garage locations and prices, and the shuttle info here. There’s also 3 bike parking stations.

If you want to check out the participating artists and see the 2024 event layout, here’s a map. And you can find more info about Art in the Park here.

PS - if you are going to miss Art in the Park or if you want more art, Kuna’s Art Attack Festival is happening September 21! It’s like a mini version of Art in the Park.

Art in the Park, credit Julian Jenkins/www.jenkinsphoto.com via Boise State Public Radio

Hyde Park Street Fair

Hyde Park Street Fair is happening September 13-15 in Camel’s Back Park in Boise’s North End.

Also known as the “Hyde Park Hippie Fair,” Hyde Park Street Fair is an arts & music festival that has been going on since 1979. They haven’t released full details for this year’s event but I’ll tell you what I know from year’s past and from digging around online.

Typically the event has a bunch of vendors/booths in the middle of the park with stages at either end, which is where live music happens. In the past there has also been an area (most recently a big dome thing) where other entertainment and events happen like belly dancing, soundbaths, yoga classes, and stuff like that. It looks like those events are happening on the Community Stage this year, but I don’t know for sure. You can check out the Main Stage Schedule here and the Community Stage Schedule here.

As for the vendors, there is a huge variety of things to see and buy. I will say the vendors here tend to be more like hippie-ish but you can find all kinds of art, local businesses, clothing, etc.

There are also food trucks at the park all weekend. You can find those in the Camel’s Back Park parking lot which is right by the Main Stage (usually).

Parking for Hyde Park Street Fair is in the neighborhood around the park, just be mindful of where you park ya know? Also this is typically a very good weekend for garage sales around the North End :)

Find more info about Hyde Park Street Fair here.

Eagle Jazz & Blues Fest

Eagle Jazz & Blues Fest is happening on September 20-21 at multiple locations in Eagle.

The two-day event brings together local musicians for a variety of shows. It’s a fun way to explore the city of Eagle as well! Here’s the schedule:

Friday, September 20 is the festival kick off. There’s a free kick off concert at Gem State Brewing (293 E State St, Eagle) from 6-8pm. In addition to the tunes there’s food and drinks available. There’s also a Club Night: Downtown Walking Tour that includes 4 performances at 4 different locations.

Saturday, September 21 starts with free jazz performances at the Eagle Saturday Market – those start at 10am. On Saturday evening, enjoy Jazz, R&B, Funk Night at 6pm, which includes three different performances at three different locations. Joni's Jazz Journey, an evening of live jazz performances celebrating the timeless repertoire of Joni Mitchell, will also be happening at Rembrandt’s. There’s an early session from 6-7:30pm or a late session from 8:30-10pm.

Tickets are a la carte for each event:

Club Night: Downtown Walking Tour is $20 online or $25 at the door
Jazz, R&B, Funk Night is $20 online or $25 at the door
Joni's Jazz Journey is $25 for open bar seating, $62 or $82 for a table for two, or $124 or $164 for a table for four.

You can find more info on Eagle Jazz & Blues Fest here.

World Village Festival

World Village Festival is happening September 27-28 in Cecil D Andrus Park and at Treefort Music Hall in downtown Boise.

World Village Festival is put on by Global Lounge, a local nonprofit that promotes diversity through cultural activities across all genres of creative arts and entertainment, exhibitions, workshops, mentorships, and networking. Global Lounge hosts a lot of different events throughout the year but World Village is their largest event.

The schedule of events is not out yet but I’ll tell you what I know from year’s past. World Village is a festival that brings together and represents the many communities that exist in Boise, including Mexican, Basque, Native Americans, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Indonesia, Bosnian, African, Lao, North, and South America, Middle Eastern, Indian and Greek communities.

The fest typically has multiple live music and dance performances happening over the two days, with a few touring/headlining acts and mostly local performances. Food is also a big attraction at World Village and many of the different ethnic communities will have food stations where you can try different cuisines. That is one of my favorite parts! There’s also a handful of vendors, artists, and booths for local nonprofits and cultural organizations.

World Village is a really fun and laid back event. It’s a great one to bring the family to and enjoy a day of music, food, art, and culture. You can find more info on World Village Fest here.