What a beautiful day in Boise! There's a ton of things going on this weekend - including one of my favorite Boise events, the Boise Indian Food Festival. You can listen to me talk about a few fun things to do this weekend on the podcast. Have fun out there!
Yee haw
Thursday, August 15 - Saturday, August 17
Caldwell Night Rodeo is in full swing. It’s the 100th year! There’s events happening all day including a Buckaroo Breakfast from 6:30-9:30am, Cowboy Up Mercantile shopping hour at 4:30pm, a VIP dinner experience at 5pm, arena gates open at 5:30pm, the Jr Rodeo begins at 6:30pm and Pro Rodeo begins at 7:45pm. See the schedule here, parking info here, and ticket info here.
Friday, August 16 - Sunday, August 25
Western Idaho Fair kicks off on Friday, August 15 and goes through next Sunday, August 25. It’s at Expo Idaho aka the fairgrounds (5610 N Glenwood Street). Lots of events and things to do out there. 4H stuff, animals to see, kids activities, fair vendors, fair food (I need a corndog), carnival rides, live music, entertainers, swing dance competitions, a grill off, and so much more. You can see the schedule here. Tix are $8+ depending on how many days, ages, etc.
credit Western Idaho Fair
Markets this weekend
Saturday, August 17
Juniper Market is happening at the Village at Meridian from 12-8pm. Shop local artisans and small businesses. It’s located on the street in between Jensen Jewelers and Chicos.
Boise Farmers Market is happening from 9am-1pm at 1500 Shoreline Drive in Boise. This one is a food-focused market with local farmers, ranchers, and producers, plus a few food trucks. Also fyi no dogs allowed.
Capital City Public Market is happening from 9:30am-1:30pm on the Grove Plaza in downtown Boise. Art, baked goods, produce, herbs and spices, clothing, jewelry, and more.
Meridian Main Street Market is happening from 9am-2pm at City Hall Plaza & next to Meridian City Hall. Find fresh produce, artisan goods, crafts, and more.
Nampa Farmers Market is happening from 9am-1:30pm in Lloyd Square Park in Nampa. Tons of vendors to shop!
Eagle Saturday Market is going on from 9am-2pm at Eagle City Hall Campus. There’s food and craft vendors, and live music.
Tuesday, August 18
Caldwell's Farm to Fork Farmers Market is happening at Indian Creek Plaza from 5-8pm. Find tons of local producers, plus live music, local restaurants and more.
Get a reservation for dinner at Chandler's. Start with a 10 minute martini (delish) or the Dr Feel Good mocktail (so good), then feast on steak, seafood, soups & salad. Finish up dinner just in time to catch some live music at The Olympic. When the show wraps up, walk around the corner for a nightcap atAtlas Bar. The lime coconut cocktail at Atlas is one of my all-time favorites. Don’t want to drive home? Book a room at the newly renovated Hotel 43!
PS - Don't stress about construction. Just park on a nearby street and enjoy a lil walk through our beautiful downtown. Chandler’s also offers complimentary valet parking!
The Improv Games are happening at the Lounge at the End of the Universe. It’s a comedy competition that allows improvisers from all over the Treasure Valley to compete in duos for fun, glory, and cold, hard cash! Each week, the audience decides who lives or “dies,” in this love letter to The Hunger Games. Tix are $25 and it goes 7-9pm.
Funny Feud Adult Comedy is happening at Watson's Cafe. Local comedians will go head-to-head in a bracket-style competition, debating audience-suggested topics. Show starts at 8:30pm and tix are $15-$50.
Sunday, August 18
BCT’s Summer Reading Series is happening at Bogus Basin. The play is The Body's Midnight by Tira Palmquist and directed by Jodeen Revere. Goes 7-9pm.
Tuesday, August 20 - Sunday, August 25
Waiting For Godot, live theater that masterfully blends poetry and humor, at BSU Special Events Center. It’s happening Tuesday, August 20-Sunday, August 25 at 7pm each night. Tix are $25.
credit Boise Contemporary Theater
Food finds & things to drink
Thursday, August 15
Back to the 80s Cocktail Experience is happening at Watson's Cafe. Tix are $30-$45 and includes music, trivia, 2 cocktails, costume contest, and more.
Bourbon & Blues Night is happening at Maddie’s Wine & Whiskey in Meridian. There’s specialty cocktails, assorted tastings, and live music. Goes 7-10pm. 21+
Saturday, August 18
Boise Indian Food Festival is happening at Julia Davis Park from 5-7:30pm. Highly recommend ordering food tokens online ahead of time because things sell out quickly. You can see the menu and purchase tokens here. They also serve beer, wine & NA drinks. In addition to food there’s Bollywood music and Henna artists.
Chill Out Party happening at Payette Brewing. Soak up the last of summer with yard games, local vendors, food trucks, frozen treats, drinks, live music, and more. Goes 1-9pm.
Things to do
Thursday, August 15
Hops n’ Homes First Time Homebuyers Class is happening at Payette Brewing from 6-7:30pm. Learn all the ins and outs of buying a home in the Treasure Valley, ask your newbie questions & enjoy a free drink. This class changed my life. It’s free!
Third Thursday Street Festival is happening in downtown Nampa from 6-9pm. There’s food trucks, live music at 6p, a car show, activities, and more. It’s free!
Face Foundrié, a new "focused facial bar," is opening today at 2325 E Fairview Ave in Meridian. They offer focused and mini services, like 30-60 minute facials, lashes, and eyebrows, so you can pop in for pampering and then get on with your day. Check it out here.
Friday, August 16
MOTHER, A Modern Epic in Two Acts, is happening at Visual Arts Collective. It’s a variety show that weaves together the all-encompassing experiences of motherhood, womanhood, girlhood, and what it means to be feminine at heart. Tix are $20. There’s also a pay what you can preview on Thursday night. 21+
Movies Under the Stars is showing Kung Fu Panda 4 on the Bandshell at Julia Davis Park at 9pm. This is the last one of the season. It’s free!
City Steps: Tracing Boise's Eco-History Tour has two sessions happening on Saturday at 9am and 11am. It’s a tour of Boise's environmental history, including the many community efforts to clean up and conserve many of our local treasures. Both tours start at the Rotary Grand Plaza at Julia Davis Park (700 S Capitol Blvd.) and last 90 min. It’s free!
City Steps: Public Art Cultural District Tour has two sessions happening on Saturday at 9am and 11am. It’s a tour of Boise's cultural facilities and public artworks located in Boise's Cultural District located along South 8th Street corridor and River Street. Both tours begin at the Erma Hayman House and last 90 min. It’s free!
Cornhole Tournament happening at Cactus Bar. It’s $15 to compete and includes 2 drink tix. Starts at 12:30pm.
32 Cells Art Show is happening at the Old Idaho Penitentiary. The annual art shows features works from local artists and this year’s theme is “All in a Day’s Work,” featuring stories of the “day jobs” and occupations of the men and women that served time there. Artwork will hang on prison cell doors for viewing. All pieces are available for purchase. There’s also a no-host bar and food trucks on-site. Starts at 6pm and tix are $12.
The inaugural Art & Wine Festival is happening at Tamarack Resort. There’s an opening yoga ceremony, live music, Idaho wineries, art, and kids activities. Goes 12-7pm.
Sunday, August 18
Learn about The Evolution of Early Mammals at the Idaho Museum of Mining and Geology. Listen to the fascinating paleontological discoveries that will help you understand where our earliest fuzzy, warm-blooded ancestors came from. Tix are $5.
Telaya Clothing Swap is happening from 12-3pm at Telaya Wine Co in Garden City. If you have pre-loved clothes to include, drop them off between 1-5pm on Saturday. Shopping happens 12-3pm on Sunday. Each item costs either 1 ticket or $2.
Wednesday, August 21
Pressed Floral Workshop with Lindsay Rae Art is happening at Scenic. The Storied Home from 6-8pm. Tix are $85 and includes hands-on instruction, materials, plus a 8” x 10” brass frame with velvet ribbon for displaying your creation.
Silent Book Club is hosting a meetup at Hap Hap Lounge from 7-8:30pm. It's a book club where you bring your own book, settle in & read for an hour or so with other people around. It's free! 21+ because of the venue.
Every Tuesday, read a story about a person, place, piece of Boise history, or local happening. Every Thursday, get a huge list of things to do over the weekend. No news, no politics - just the fun stuff.
