ummer sure came in with a bang, didn’t it? As I write this, we’re experiencing what will undoubtedly be the hottest day of the year so far as the temps hit the mid-90s on Monday, prompting us all to dig out the tanks, sandals and shorts perhaps a bit earlier than planned.
Just in time, we’ve got the Inlander’s jampacked SUMMER GUIDE issue, filled with ideas for staying cool, but also stepping beyond the comforts of that AC to explore and experience all the Inland Northwest has to offer between now and midSeptember. Heading to the lake is a rite of passage around here, as are day trips to the park and visiting the farmers market for some freshly harvested produce to savor in the evening shade. Hit the road and explore somewhere a bit farther from home, pitch a tent, or even escape to a quiet art gallery.
Whatever you choose, don’t wait to start making — and living out — your summer plans. It always seems to be here and gone in an instant, and all that’s left are memories that fade as quickly as the leaves begin to change.
— CHEY SCOTT, Editor
Your choices shape the future. Installing energyefficient upgrades—like better doors and windows or added insulation—not only lowers energy use and costs but also supports a better future. Avista offers rebates to help you save.
Learn more at myavista.com/getrebates
COMMENT
STAFF DIRECTORY
PHONE: 509-325-0634
Ted S. McGregor Jr. (tedm@inlander.com) PUBLISHER
Jer McGregor (x224) GENERAL MANAGER EDITORIAL
Chey Scott (x225) EDITOR
Samantha Wohlfeil (x234) NEWS EDITOR
Seth Sommerfeld (x250) MUSIC & SCREEN EDITOR
Madison Pearson (x218)
LISTINGS EDITOR, DIGITAL LEAD
Eliza Billingham (x222), Colton Rasanen (x263), Victor Corral Martinez (x235), Dora Scott (x282) STAFF WRITERS
Chris Frisella COPY CHIEF
Young Kwak, Erick Doxey PHOTOGRAPHERS
Josh Bell, Lisa Brown, Chase Hutchinson, E.J. Iannelli, Bob Johnson, Will Maupin, Azaria Podplesky, Carrie Scozzaro CONTRIBUTORS
Anne McGregor INLANDER HEALTH & HOME EDITOR
Hannah Higens, Bee Reiswig, Marta Symanska INTERNS
Colleen Bell-Craig (x212), Raja Bejjani (x242) ADVERTISING COORDINATORS
PRODUCTION
Ali Blackwood (x228)
PRODUCTION TEAM MANAGER, CREATIVE, DIGITAL & MARKETING
Tom Stover (x265) PRINT PRODUCTION & IT MANAGER
Derrick King (x238)
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER, EDITORIAL DESIGN LEAD
Leslie Douglas (x231)
GRAPHIC DESIGNER OPERATIONS
Dee Ann Cook (x211) BUSINESS MANAGER
Amanda Bodie (x210)
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE SPECIALIST CIRCULATION
Frank DeCaro (x226) CIRCULATION MANAGER
Travis Beck (x237)
CIRCULATION SUPERVISOR
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE SUMMER VACATION?
SAMMY RICH
In 2023, a bunch of friends, my partner and I went camping at a music festival in Seattle. We got rained out the entire weekend, but it was such a blast.
What was your favorite band? King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard.
SETH ANDERSON
South Korea was my favorite summer vacation.
What was your favorite part?
Walking through the city at night when no one was around and seeing the cool buildings and crazy technology.
KIARA WHITE Rome.
What was the coolest thing you did? Hiking Mount Vesuvius.
ALLIE VU
One of my favorites was when I worked at Priest Lake because I got to go play with my friends all day in the lake and in the mountains.
ROGAN TINSLEY
One of my favorite summer vacations was the summer I spent in Borneo in Southeast Asia.
What were you doing in Borneo? I was living with the tribes there and learning about their traditional forms of music and art.
INTERVIEWS BY HANNAH HIGENS 06/5/2025, KENDALL YARDS NIGHT MARKET
524 W Main Ave, Downtown Spokane thepurgatory.com Sun-Thu 12pm-11pm Fri-Sat 12pm - 12:30am
Generous donations provided lifesaving equipment for baby Cameron, born 14 weeks early and weighing only 1 pound and 6 ounces. The Giraffe Omnibed helped him grow stronger until his mom could hold him for the first time.
“ It was the best feeling in the world to hold and touch my baby. Those who donated to make that technology available are absolute heroes.”
– Tanisha Townsend, Cameron’s mom
Help patients like baby Cameron: https://foundation.providence.org/wa/eastern
JOIN OUR WHISKEY CLUB
An ‘All of the Above’ Approach
Spokane’s H.O.M.E. Starts Here plan is helping people stay in or find housing by building local partnerships
BY MAYOR LISA BROWN
pokane was once known for its affordability. People moved here seeking a lower cost of living and the dream of homeownership. But like many communities across the country, Spokane has seen a sharp rise in housing costs and a growing homelessness crisis in recent years.
For too long, response to this complex and intertwined challenge was fragmented. Without a comprehensive plan, piecemeal efforts addressed symptoms, never root causes.
That is changing.
My administration recently announced H.O.M.E. Starts Here, a strategic plan rooted in four pillars: health care, outreach, multidisciplinary engagement and economic security. These pillars form the foundation of our “all of the above approach” to preventing and ending homelessness.
This approach acknowledges that no single solution can address a problem as multifaceted as homelessness. H.O.M.E. Starts Here not only outlines our priorities but guides how every city department contributes to housing stability. It allows us to go further upstream — identifying root causes, investing in long-term solutions and deploying our limited resources in smarter, more effective ways.
This plan also establishes clear indicators of success, including reducing the number of cost-burdened households, increasing median
household income and adding housing units across all income levels.
We have a strong framework for moving forward, and over the past year and a half we’ve launched a number of major initiatives to advance this vision.
In 2024 alone, housing and homelessness programs supported by the City of Spokane served more than 7,200 people. While many associate our efforts solely with shelter, a significant focus has been on prevention. We help people stay housed through eviction prevention, rent subsidies and housing support for youth aging out of foster care.
These programs are critical to keeping individuals and families from falling into homelessness. But for those who do lose housing, we work to ensure shelter is available, particularly during dangerous weather, and that the shelter system itself better serves those who rely on it.
During my first week as mayor, Spokane was hit by a severe cold snap. Despite freezing temperatures being a predictable event, there was no established plan to protect our most vulnerable. I immediately declared an emergency to allocate resources and open emergency beds to save lives.
That experience underscored the need for a more sustainable, proactive approach. Since then, we’ve overhauled our inclement weather response. Instead of scrambling to open new spaces and hire staff each time the weather turns dangerous, we now activate additional beds at existing shelters using existing staff — making the process faster, more efficient and far more costeffective. With the support of the City Council,
The Trent Shelter proved an expensive failure; now Spokane is referring individuals through a navigation center to smaller, specialized sites. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO
I advocated to triple our inclement weather funding to ensure we are ready to meet these needs every year and that beds are ready when we need them.
In addition to improving emergency response, we’ve fundamentally transformed how the city engages with those experiencing homelessness and how we provide shelter. Members of my team turned pre-existing relationships with nonprofits, other local municipalities and state agencies into solid partnerships.
We now coordinate funds and measure regional trends through a data dashboard with Spokane County, the City of Spokane Valley, and the Spokane Regional Health District. We’ve closed six (soon to be seven) encampments through our relationship with the Department of Commerce and their Encampment Resolution Program, which has an 80 percent success rate in navigating people to housing stability.
We’ve moved away from the outdated Trent Resource and Assistance Center model, which warehoused large numbers of people without adequate services and had a less than 10 percent success rate in moving people out of shelter. And we have adopted a new model focused on referring individuals through a navigation center to smaller, specialized shelter sites.
This new model is based on best practices from other communities and emphasizes intensive case management and populationspecific support. Our sites serve a variety of populations, including people in recovery, families and those who need medical respite care. Each site serves just 20 to 30 people, which provides a more dignified, tailored experience that leads to greater success. Through partnerships with faith communities, hospital systems
“…we’ve fundamentally transformed how the city engages with those experiencing homelessness….”
like Providence and nonprofits, we’ve been able to tap into existing infrastructure and deliver services through both subject-matter experts and individuals with lived experience.
Still, we know that shelter alone is not the solution. Reducing barriers and giving people the opportunity to reengage is critical in providing stability. This is why the City of Spokane “banned the address” and now partners with the PreEmployment Preparation Program and Dignified Workday to provide paths to employment for those ready to work.
While stable employment is a key factor in helping people regain independence, it must be paired with access to a safe, affordable place to live. The ultimate goal must be housing, and we must build more of it.
Spokane has taken bold steps to reform zoning and housing policies. We’ve streamlined our permitting processes, which last year led to a record number of housing permits issued. We’ve expanded incentives to convert underutilized office space to housing, and we’ve encouraged existing homeowners to be part of the solution by allowing accessory dwelling units on all residential lots. We’re laying the foundation for more housing choices that lead to better affordability. Spokane is emerging as a national leader in housing reform, and we’re already starting to see the benefits.
This moment demands a coordinated, sustained response that cuts across agencies, political lines and sectors. Homelessness is not one problem, it’s many. Solving it requires all of us working together to address the full spectrum of challenges.
H.O.M.E. Starts Here gives us the roadmap. Now, we keep moving forward. n
Lisa Brown is the mayor of Spokane. She previously served as the director of the Washington State Department of Commerce (2019-23), as majority leader of the Washington State Senate (2005-12), and taught economics at Eastern Washington State University (1981-2001).
HUMAN RIGHTS
New Washington laws strengthen protections for immigrant communities amid federal attacks
BY VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ
The legislative session in Olympia this year was dominated by a focus on the biennial budget. But between discussions of funding cuts and new taxes, many important policy changes were in play, including several bills aimed at strengthening protections for immigrants, which lawmakers passed and Gov. Bob Ferguson signed into law.
There are 1.2 million immigrants in Washington, including 619,000 noncitizens, of whom an estimated 325,000 are undocumented, according to the Washington State Budget and Policy Center, a nonpartisan research and policy organization. In an April report, the center estimated that people who were undocumented paid $997 million in Washington state and local taxes in 2022.
This session, lawmakers sought to protect immigrants who are vulnerable to exploitation because of their nonresident status, which exposes them to coercion in the workplace, potential court appearances that make them miss work, and detention at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities amid mass deportation efforts by the Trump administration.
HOUSE BILL 1232
The Northwest Detention Center, located in Tacoma and also known as the Northwest ICE Processing Center, was opened in 2004 as an immigrant detention facility. It’s privately owned and operated by the GEO Group, a multibillion-dollar international corporation specializing in the management of private prisons.
The GEO Group has faced lawsuits and criticism for its management of the Northwest Detention Center.
In May 2023, the Department of Homeland Security conducted an inspection and found that the facility didn’t
always provide a timely response to detainee grievances or respond in a language that detainees understood. An August 2022 inspection also found the facility didn’t follow proper food storage practices.
“We found boxes of canned pears that were dated September 2019 by the manufacturer as well as boxes containing frozen turkey breasts with a ‘pack date’ of September 2019,” the 2022 federal inspection stated.
The 2023 report states the facility provided compliant medical care; however, it found that medical staff vacancies led to inconsistent preventive screening practices and an inability to locate the emergency delivery kit, used for potential births within the facility, in a timely manner.
The University of Washington Center for Human Rights also investigated the detention center and found human rights issues such as 15-day solitary confinements — considered torture by the United Nations — that were believed to have resulted in the death of a detainee who suffered from medical and psychiatric issues. Another detainee committed suicide in 2018, and in October last year a detainee was believed to have died from fentanyl withdrawal with no medical attention.
GEO Group was also sued in 2017 for labor violations for paying Tacoma detainees $1 a day for work. In January, the company was ordered to pay $23.2 million in back pay to former detainees.
The facility has recently seen an uptick in detainees due to increased ICE activity. It is consistently holding 1,400 to 1,500 people, with a maximum capacity of 1,575, according to Malou Chávez, executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project. The organization advocates for immigrants through community education and by providing legal services, and regularly works with
detainees in the Tacoma facility.
Chávez says advocates are concerned about understaffing, client difficulties accessing medical care, limited interview rooms restricting the time detainees have to speak with legal counsel, and irregular meal times.
“We get to hear their stories,” Chávez says. “We get to see how people are impacted by conditions, by their [lack of] access to healthy meals or medication required by their own needs, religious needs, just everything that makes a person’s livelihood, even when detained in an immigration jail.”
Chávez says the detention center’s conditions are dire and require close scrutiny to protect the human rights of those detained. These concerns are shared by Spokane Democratic Reps. Timm Ormsby, who sponsored House Bill 1232, and Natasha Hill, who voted in favor of the bill, which passed the House 56-38 and the Senate 29-19.
The law allows the state’s Department of Health to inspect the detention center and enforce compliance with state and federal laws. It establishes standards for medical care, sanitation and ventilation and imposes fines and corrective actions for noncompliance.
“The ICE detention facility in Tacoma was refusing entry by the regulators, and this was our latest attempt to try and get them access, to see what the conditions are, speak to the people that were there, and see how they were being treated,” Ormsby says. “And it’s our hope that this finally gets access to state regulators for life, health and safety.”
HOUSE BILL 1875
After passing the House 58-39 and Senate 29-19, House Bill 1875 allows employees to take paid sick leave to participate
Immigrant farmworkers who are vulnerable to illegal working conditions received new protections. ADOBE STOCK PHOTO
“HUMAN RIGHTS,” CONTINUED...
in immigration proceedings. This includes applying for protected status, securing residency or attending deportation hearings.
Employers in Washington are required to provide workers one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked, and under the new law, this leave can now be used to attend immigration hearings. The law also allows independent contract workers, such as Uber or Lyft drivers, who have accumulated sick leave, to use it for purposes related to immigration court.
An employer may require a worker to provide advance notice for missing work if three days are missed and may ask the employee to submit documentation to verify the absence, without inquiring about a person’s residency status.
Hill sponsored the bill because she was aware of several instances where people needed to attend immigration court but weren’t covered by paid sick leave, which created uncertainty about their employment and financial concerns about missing work.
“We want to keep people working, we want to keep our economy strong, and we want to make sure that no matter what situation folks have to deal with in the temporary, they’re kept safe and their rights are protected,” Hill says.
Spokane, Yakima and Seattle are the only cities in the state with offices for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which administers the nation’s naturalization and immigration system.
Chávez says that many people often drive for hours each way to attend their hearings, which makes it difficult for them to work the same day and be present for their hearing. Before this law, people could’ve been fired for using paid sick leave to attend hearings.
“It’s impossible for someone to both be responsible at
work and then also be responsible in pursuing their hearing or their immigration case,” Chávez says. “We don’t want people missing work and then getting fired because they’ve missed work.”
SENATE BILL 5104
This law will penalize employers who coerce immigrant workers in violation of labor laws, including requiring unpaid work, subjecting them to unsafe labor conditions, or violating agricultural labor requirements. The penalty, imposed by the state’s Department of Labor and Industries, includes fines ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 per violation.
The law also requires the labor department to investigate complaints of coerced labor. When the department notifies an employer of a complaint, the personal information of the worker who complained will remain confidential to anyone outside the department.
The need for work equity across industries, particularly for Latino immigrants who perform intense agricultural labor, was top of mind for Hill, who voted for this bill. SB 5104 passed the House 59-38 and Senate 40-9.
“There’s too many violations, and that’s where the laws that we currently have on the books are intended to protect,” Rep. Hill says. “But people get creative, and so that calls for, sometimes, additional policy to be put in place so that there is an extra lens for folks who are vulnerable and being exploited because of immigration status.”
The law allows workers to seek help before retaliation occurs and provides protections against threats of being reported to ICE or being forced to work for less pay or under poor conditions, says Jean Hill, executive director of the Washington State Catholic Conference.
She says she testified in support of the bill because it strengthens anti-labor trafficking efforts and protects
Asparagus is one of the crops in Washington state that depends on immigrant labor. ADOBE STOCK PHOTO
vulnerable immigrant communities, which aligns with the work of the Catholic organization.
“Every human has basic rights, values and dignity, and we want to make sure that those values and dignity are upheld in our public policies and in our workforces, wherever people are,” she says. “We’re here to make sure that those who may not be able to raise their voice because of fears [know] there are people who are going to raise their voice on your behalf.”
However, some lawmakers have concerns about the new law, including Republican state Sen. Leonard Christian, who represents most of eastern Spokane County. Christian tells the Inlander via email that the legislation lacked bipartisan support (though nine of his 18 Republican colleagues in the Senate voted for it) and says the fines would cause more harm than good.
“That fine could put many small businesses out of business, leaving even fewer jobs in Washington state,” Christian writes. “This bill seems like a big hammer approach to an issue that would best be addressed with a ramped-up approach starting with education.”
SENATE BILL 5714
In late January, at a press conference local officials held in Sunnyside to address concerns about the presence of ICE agents in Yakima County, a man who identified himself as a bounty hunter (later determined to be false) claimed the federal government would deputize bail bond recovery agents and pay them $1,000 to recover undocumented immigrants.
In Missouri, Senate Bill 72 aimed to do just that and create the “Missouri Illegal Alien Certified Bounty Hunter Program,” offering $1,000 bounties for each undocumented immigrant found and detained in Missouri. (The bill failed this year due to concerns of racial profiling.)
Washington Senate Bill 5714, which was introduced and passed in response to such claims, makes it illegal for bail bond recovery agents to enforce civil immigration laws and prohibits sharing a defendant’s immigration status with anyone outside their business. Agents would face disciplinary action by the Department of Licensing for violations.
Christian says he supports legal immigration and has sponsored immigrants into the country, but he doesn’t support “illegal immigration.” He says bounty hunters aren’t helping enforce immigration laws.
“SB 5714, in my opinion, was introduced in an effort to pick a fight with the Trump administration, addressing an issue that does not really exist,” Christian states by email.
Rep. Hill says the need for this law also stems from what the state has seen since the George Floyd protests, namely the formation and patrolling of unlawful militias. She says defined rules are needed as vigilantes feel emboldened to patrol communities unlawfully.
“I think one of the things we wanted to address was what we’ve seen here in our state, which is militias that have kind of been empowered, or felt empowered, not legally, not lawfully, but to take up arms and patrol and police communities without authority, which has caused a lot of fear and terror in neighborhoods and businesses,” she says.
The Northwest Immigrant Rights Project didn’t testify, but supported the bill due to the increased number of ICE agents in plain clothes and the potential for the federal government to utilize private contractors to enforce civil immigration law. It’s illegal for Washington law enforcement officers to work with ICE under the Keep Washington Working Act.
“I’m so happy that this bill was supported and that it ultimately passed, because we’re seeing our community members disappear, and it’s very scary that people in plain clothes are showing up, even in immigration court,” Chávez says.
The Catholic Church has always acknowledged the rights of immigrants fleeing from violence and poverty, Jean Hill says.
“There’s no legal document that gives you human dignity — that is inherent,” Jean Hill says. “We need to treat every person as someone with that dignity, and not act as if someone’s actions make them anything less than human. n
victorc@inlander.com
THE PERFECT FATHER’S DAY GIFT
SYMPHONY SUBSCRIPTIONS MADE FOR ANY DAD
FOR THE CLASSY DADS: MASTERWORKS
9 CLASSICAL CONCERTS THAT THAT BRING TRADITION TO LIFE
FOR
THE
TRENDY DADS: POPS
5 SHOWS THAT FIT THE MUSICAL TRENDS OF YESTERDAY AND TODAY FOR THE THRIFTY DADS: 123 GO
PICK ANY 3 SYMPHONY SHOWS AT THE FOX THAT BEST FIT DAD FOR THE BEST PRICE POSSIBLE
FOR THE ADVENTUROUS DADS: FLEX 5
PICK ANY 5 SYMPHONY SHOWS AT THE FOX TO GIVE DAD A VARIETY OF EXPERIENCES
FOR THE PICKY DADS: FOX THEATER GIFT CERTIFICATE
LET HIM PICK HIS PACKAGEHE’S GOT PLENTY OF CHOICES
GRADCon ulations!
to the Spokane Community College and Spokane Falls Community College class of 2025.
KAITLYN KRAUSS
Age: 18 | GPA: 3.95
Field: International Business, SCC
KAITLYN KRAUSS always searches for ways to use her skills to incite change in her local communities and beyond. She is pursuing a transfer degree in International Business at SCC to ultimately help nonprofit organizations thrive. Her understanding of various humanitarian agency operations through personal and family travel gives Kaitlyn the opportunity to use this lived experience to help agencies find success in their efforts to help people.
ROSALIN LIVMORRE
Age: 41 | GPA: 3.7
Field: Information Technology and Cybersecurity, SFCC
ROSALIN LIVMORRE’s story includes escaping a community in which stereotypical gender roles were pushed. As a parent of five, survivor of abuse, and little to no support from the community in which they were raised, Rosalin was able to rebuild their life. Rosalin understands how life choices can positively impact those around us and is a role model for their children. Rosalin wants to work on ethical and security challenges that face our world by working in the cybersecurity field.
ERICA BUNDY
Age: 35 | GPA: 3.97
Field: Addiction Studies, SFCC
ERICA BUNDY has a passion to help others successfully navigate reentry from jail or prison with employment and mentorship resources. Erica does this by cultivating professional and leadership skills, as well as building a network of supportive peers in the community. Erica’s commitment to succeed is fueled by lived experience. Erica hopes to open a treatment center that focuses on trauma-informed care with a holistic approach to the recovery process.
KIM (DONG) NGUYEN
Age: 30 | GPA: 3.9
Field: Health Information Management, SCC
KIM (DONG) NGUYEN is a student at SCC pursuing a transfer degree in Pre-Nursing. Beyond academics, Kim enjoys volunteering in the emergency room at a local hospital. Upon completing her degree, Kim hopes to attend Washington State University to continue studies in healthcare and later gain acceptance into a master’s or doctorate level program to achieve her goal of growing as a healthcare professional.
Whether you’re graduating in Spokane or at one of our rural campuses, we can’t wait to see you take the next step toward your future!
In Transit
Idaho State Police plan to transport immigrants for ICE. Plus, Washington ramps up the search for a Leavenworth murder suspect; and U of I won’t buy University of Phoenix.
BY INLANDER STAFF
On June 5, Idaho Gov. Brad Little announced a partnership between Idaho State Police and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, utilizing the 287(g) program. Under the agreement, ICE will delegate authority to Idaho State Police to perform specific immigration officer functions. In a press release, Little says Idaho will transport “dangerous illegal alien criminals” from Idaho jails to ICE detention facilities, like the Jefferson County Detention Center in Rigby. “Idaho has taken many steps to increase our coordination with the Trump administration in the enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws, and I want to further strengthen our state’s partnership with President Trump to help address the national emergency posed by years of reckless border policies under the Biden-Harris administration,” Little states. The ACLU of Idaho argues that the partnership will cause real harm by intimidating immigrant communities and could lead to constitutional violations. “Immigrants make our communities stronger, and they deserve to be treated with dignity,” an ACLU of Idaho press release states. “Nothing will ever change the fact that immigrants belong in Idaho.” (VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ)
SEARCH FOR MURDER SUSPECT
Gov. Bob Ferguson has ordered the Washington National Guard to support the search for Travis Decker, 32, who is suspected of killing his three daughters, ages 9, 8 and 5. The bodies of the three girls were discovered June 2 near Rock Island Campground west of Leavenworth. Autopsies concluded that suffocation was the manner of death and ruled each a homicide. In a press release, Ferguson said he is committed to supporting law enforcement in their search for Decker and seeking justice for the girls’ family. “As a parent, my heart goes out to Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia’s mom, Whitney, and all those who love them,” Ferguson said. The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office noted that Decker is a military veteran with extensive training, capable of spending weeks in the wilderness. If spotted, the public should not approach Decker but call 911. Recreation areas closed near the scene have reopened, but the sheriff’s office warns residents to remain vigilant. (VCM)
ACTUALLY, LET’S NOT
Two years after the University of Idaho announced its plan to buy the mostly online University of Phoenix and merge the two schools, officials have announced that the $685 million deal is dead. “Although we continue to see great value in University of Phoenix, it has become cost prohibitive, and potentially distracting to our other work, to continue conversations,” U of I President C. Scott Green stated on June 3. The merger was originally announced in May 2023, but was criticized by legislators who sounded the alarm about acquiring a university that was being investigated for deceptive advertisements. Idaho lawmakers did not approve the now-abandoned merger during the 2024 legislative session, and the deal wasn’t brought back for consideration in 2025. In December 2019, the Federal Trade Commission announced that the University of Phoenix would have to pay $191 million, including $141 million in canceled student debt, “to resolve allegations that they used deceptive advertisements falsely touting their relationships and job opportunities with companies such as AT&T, Yahoo!, Microsoft, Twitter and The American Red Cross.” By September 2023, the FTC and the U.S. Department of Education had applied nearly $90 million more in loan forgiveness to impacted students. (COLTON RASANEN) n
Apply for Avista’s My Energy Discount today. Even if you didn’t qualify before, you probably can now! It’s easier than ever.
Call (800) 227-9187 or apply online at myavista.com/myenergydiscountWA
Filling the Gap
Eleven Spokane Falls Community College students are the first graduates of its new integrated behavioral health bachelor’s degree
BY COLTON RASANEN
“Iwant you to become the best version of yourself.”
About a decade ago, a nurse said this to Shanette King while she was in the hospital. At the time, King was in an abusive relationship and addicted to meth, but those words, that nurse’s kindness, are what finally convinced her to get sober.
“It was life changing. Going to the hospital was traumatizing, and it was an awful experience, and the staff treated me absolutely terrible because I was a drug addict coming in off the street,” King recalls. “I did have one nurse that kind of just saw something in me, and she was so amazing and treated me like a human. She helped me set up treatment and helped me with my kids to get them placed with my mom while I was at the hospital recovering. I will never forget her.”
Making it through her own drug addiction is what inspired King, now 40, to help others going through the same experience. In 2019, she graduated from Spokane Falls Community College, or SFCC, with an associate’s degree in social services. And on Friday, June 13, she’ll be
part of the first cohort of students to graduate from SFCC with a bachelor’s degree in integrated behavioral health.
Today, King is already using the same inspiring statement from that caring nurse with her own clients. Just two months before graduation, she was hired as a substance use disorder professional trainee at New Horizons Care Center. Last week, she submitted an application to Seattle University to pursue a master’s degree in mental health counseling.
“If you would have told me 10 years ago that I was going to even apply for my master’s, I would have laughed and said, ‘Yeah, right,’” King says. “So this program has opened up so much, and our program director Ursula [Heflick] is the most incredible human being I’ve ever met in my life. She really advocates for us and those dealing with mental health and substance abuse in our community.”
“It’s been clear for quite a long time that there aren’t enough workforce members in addiction treatment and in mental
Shanette King’s personal experience with addiction inspired her to help others.
ERICK DOXEY PHOTO
health treatment in Washington state,” says Ursula Heflick, the integrated behavioral health program lead at SFCC. “Since I started to work here in 2013, there have been many conversations about creating a bachelor’s degree that addresses that workforce need.”
In 2021, Heflick began researching the demand for this type of program in the Inland Northwest and what it might actually take to develop a bachelor’s degree at a community college.
These programs prepare students for work as mental health and substance abuse social workers, mental health counselors, community health workers, community service managers, and behavioral health support specialists.
Heflick’s work at the college, leading both the addiction studies program and the integrated community services programs, set her up perfectly for this research, she says.
“I knew that we had to create a bachelor’s that would address behavioral health needs with an eye toward the social conditions,” she explains. “So basically, students learn to understand what the social determinants of health are that lead to pretty bad health — physical and behavioral — outcomes.”
Heflick welcomed her first class in 2023, the same year Washington lawmakers unanimously passed Senate Bill 5189, which established new certification for behavioral health support specialists to improve access to behavioral health services. These professionals, with the supervision of a licensed clinical mental health counselor, psychologist or psychiatrist, can address mild to moderate mental health symptoms and provide basic clinical skills, including relationship-building, education and documentation, all with only a bachelor’s degree.
This first class mainly included students who had already graduated with a two-year degree in addiction studies or integrated community services from SFCC, but the twoyear program is open to anyone with a relevant degree and some experience in the field.
“As long as [applicants] have classes that show that they have an interest in social work, mental health, psychology, or if they have some experience in the social services and behavioral health treatment field, we’ll accept them,” Heflick says. “The program is a little selective because the bachelor’s is quite rigorous, and the students, when they enter it, are immediately tasked with a caseload. This is not a program for people who, for instance, are interested in clinical psychology and want to do research or want to provide assessments in private practice.”
Starting in either the fall or winter quarters, each class consists of up to 20 students. The program’s inaugural class has 11 students, who are graduating on Friday.
The integrated behavioral health program provides its students with hands-on instruction by introducing them to a host of fictional characters, played by faculty, other students or even an avatar on a Zoom call, who represent the real people that behavioral health support specialists work with every day. That experiential work is one of the most important things for those studying to work in behavioral health, Heflick says.
“I got my bachelor’s and my master’s at Eastern [Washington University], and we were exposed to a lot of theories and not a lot of case management and actual practical interventions,” she explains. “These interventions are what you do when somebody is suicidal. You know, this is learning the screening tool you use when you get the impression that somebody might be depressed, when maybe we should attempt something called behavior activation, meaning trying to crowd out the behaviors that sustain depression with more active behaviors that get the person doing those kinds of things.”
The tuition for the program’s first cohort of students was paid for by Spokane-based regional health organization Better Health Together. Heflick says more scholarships will be available for current and future students.
“We have not had to pay anything out of pocket,” King says, explaining that she dropped out of a similar bachelor’s program at Grand Canyon University because it was too expensive. “We were so lucky to have that opportunity.” n
coltonr@inlander.com
VISUAL ARTS
Beyond the Body
June T. Sanders explores abstract trans forms in the monthlong art show she curated at
Saranac Art Projects
BY COLTON RASANEN
Images of nude women project onto a white screen at the front of Saranac Art Projects’ East Gallery. Abigail Hanson uses a soundboard to produce dissonant and often eerie noises as a handsaw occasionally sounds off while June T. Sanders creates a wood sculpture. Both artists’ creations showcase how two trans women respond to these images portraying women in stereotypically erotic poses.
After an hour, the audience leaves and the sculpture Sanders created, “the residue of the performance,” stays at the gallery as its own art installation. It’s an abstract message about what exists beyond the bodily representations of gender — genitalia, body shape, face structure, hair length — that we’re familiar with.
“I’ve had shows in the past that are very trans-oriented, like this show, but I don’t use that language in the shows,” Sanders explains. “That’s not because I’m trying to hide what it is, but because I’m trying to see what still exists when we remove that language.”
Sanders, an assistant professor in the digital technology and culture program at Washington State University, curated the live performance on June 6 to launch her monthlong show “An Infinite Gesture” at Saranac Art Projects.
intimacy springs from,” Bennett says via text. “As a figurative sculptor, I am most interested in weighty, unspoken moments when unsayable things are conveyed with our whole bodies.”
about art in the same way that we do about other people’s bodies,” she explains. “What I want this show to do is ask people to strive more for understanding.”
Part of that understanding, she continues, requires humans to trudge through the uncomfortability that forming a community requires so as to find some common ground.
There are only four pieces of art in the show. Besides Sanders’ and Hanson’s “residue,” there’s a large grayscale photograph of a blurry landscape and building by Leor Miller, a small ceramic statue depicting two intertwined dancers by Elva Bennett, and an abstract multimedia piece by Eman Ahmed titled “Men 3enaya Elithnen.”
“The Dancers represent an ease of intimacy in trans friendships and the resistance to categorization that
While that may seem like a small showing for a monthlong exhibit, Sanders says that sparsity is intentional. In a crowded gallery viewers are more inclined to make snap judgments about the art, but Sanders argues that viewing art in a sparse or solitary space allows attendees to think more deeply about the work in front of them.
“We are always quick to form opinions and judgments
“People are really scared about getting something wrong, and people are also really scared about being misread at the same time. Trying to figure out how we’re going to relate to each other, looks different if we give each other the space and time to do that, and we become less reactionary because of it.”
Sanders sees “An Infinite Gesture” as a departure from the artistic tropes of queer representation — the androgynous portraits, the glitter and rainbows, the hormone vials and needles — that are often expected of queer artists.
“It’s hard because that art is what gets rewarded,” Sanders says. “I think we do see gender as this very porous and socially created thing, but I also think, especially in the age of heightened representation, we also see it in a very small way.”
Sanders’ Saranac show envisions new ways of seeing and creating trans forms that aren’t meant to be explicit to those who aren’t queer. It’s an intentional statement that art concerned with nontraditional genders and sexualities does not need to be understandable or even legible for cisgender and straight people.
The thought, she says, is inspired by American theorist and poet Fred Moten’s The Undercommons, which
Artist/curator June T. Sanders, right, performs on the show’s opening night.
Elva Bennett’s “The Dancers” YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS
explores the underground connections between marginalized communities that allow them to gesture toward each other openly, but to communicate privately.
“That’s why the show is called ‘An Infinite Gesture,’ because it’s asking ‘How do we gesture towards each other outside of visibility?’ Abstraction is one of those ways that we can do that,” Sanders explains. “It’s like, how do we communicate while other people are listening? How do we communicate with each other during the fear of violence, where we don’t know if rights are going to come back, or we don’t know if being out and open and visible is going to provide more safety or more harm?”
Finding ways to communicate and think deeply about gender means pushing past visibility just for visibility’s sake. “An Infinite Gesture” asks its viewers a lot of questions in search of more thoughtful communication about gender, but answers aren’t likely to be found.
“What I want this show to do is ask people to strive more for understanding.”
“We’ve known for a bit that visibility can be sort of a trap. We know that visibility isn’t freedom, it’s not liberation, and visibility often can cause danger,” Sanders says. “I don’t know if art should be trying to provide answers for things, but I think the questions we’re posing are like, ‘How do we think about gender?’ and ‘How do we think about transsexuality, beyond bodily representations of that?’”
Pushing past obvious, outward notions of queerness allows Sanders to explore those identities in an abstract way.
“When you’re first trying to figure things out with your own gender or expression, or even just sexuality, I think we look at very concrete things to use as references,” Sanders says. “Once you get past that, you start to look at more abstract things, or less human things, as these representations of what you’re trying to find. So if we’re looking at something like a bench, we can think of what the trans version of that bench might look like, or what it might do, or what it might not do, and I think that’s when things start to get really interesting.” n
June T. Sanders: An Infinite Gesture • Through June 28, open Fri-Sat from 12-8 pm • Free • Saranac Art Projects • 25 W. Main Ave. • sapgallery.com
“An Infinite Gesture” intentionally features just four pieces of art.
QUEER TV CHEER
LGBTQ+ dramas get the critical glory, but the comedies shouldn’t be overlooked BY BILL FROST
Groundbreaking and genre-defining LGBTQ+
TV dramas like Queer as Folk, The L Word, Pose, I May Destroy You, Looking and many more have been rightfully praised over the decades, but what about comedies? In honor of Pride Month, here are eight gay and gay-adjacent series that bring the funny.
MID-CENTURY MODERN (2025; HULU)
TV critics were skeptical about a Golden Girls throwback sitcom with tiny sets and canned laughter (guilty), but Mid-Century Modern proved us wrong. The halfhour comedy centers on three older gay men (Nathan Lane, Nathan Lee Graham, and Matt Bomer) living together in Palm Springs, where wackiness does, indeed, ensue. While Bomer’s comedy chops are no match for Lane’s and Graham’s, he more than makes up for it with his character’s Mormon backstory. Mid-Century Modern’s rapid-fire laughs don’t obscure its found-family sentiment, the show’s true heart.
SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE (2022-2024; HBO MAX)
The idea of found family runs through all of the series here, especially Somebody Somewhere. Fortysomething Sam (Bridget Everett) moves back home to Nowheresville, Kansas, to care for her dying sister, then ends up stuck there after she passes — so far, not so funny. The comedy is small and relatable, and the show’s gay characters, like Sam’s BFF Joel (Jeff Hiller), blend into the rural fabric as regular folk, not targets. Somebody Somewhere may be a red state fantasy, but it’s a nice one to aspire to.
A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN (2022; PRIME VIDEO)
The 1992 movie hinted at queerness, but the 2022 TV adaptation of A League of Their Own went all in on lesbian, bisexual and transmasculine characters, and even featured some who aren’t white — such “woke” TV. Since it’s 1943, the world is none too hospitable for any of them, certainly not the Rockford Peaches, a women’s team daring to play the all-American game of pro baseball. Unfortunately, a home-run cast, including Broad City’s Abbi Jacobson and The Good Place’s D’Arcy Carden, and shutout reviews couldn’t save the League.
STEVEN UNIVERSE (2013-2020; HULU)
It’s been referred to as “the gayest kids’ cartoon ever” for
years by adults who were smart enough to watch it with (or without) their children, but Steven Universe is more than just that. Rebecca Sugar’s five-season Cartoon Network series is fantastical and dazzling, but also rooted in the reality that loving relationships aren’t tethered to gender or sexual orientation. The Crystal Gem aliens of Beach City split their time between everyday activities and saving Earth while half-human/half-Gem boy Steven Universe takes it all in. Oh, and it’s also musical AF.
HARLEY QUINN (2019-PRESENT; HBO MAX)
Where Steven Universe was kid-friendly, DC Universe animated series Harley Quinn goes out of its way to be a raunchy, adults-only affair. After being dumped by the Joker, Harley (voiced with manic glee by Kaley Cuoco) sets out to rule the criminal underworld of Gotham City and assembles a crew that includes her bestie, Poison Ivy (Lake Bell, all measured cool). Harley and Ivy eventually become a power couple, “Harlivy,” trading cute romantic asides and occasionally having city-shaking sex — literally. Harley Quinn also drops more F-bombs than Deadwood
LOS ESPOOKYS (2019-2022; HBO MAX)
The weird and wonderful Los Espookys, about a group of young friends who stage supernatural illusions for hire in a mysterious Latin American country, has a subliminal queer underbelly that’s never fussed about. Andrés (show co-creator Julio Torres) is Los Espookys’ most outwardly gay member, Úrsula (Cassandra Ciangherotti) prefers women, and her sister Tati (Ana Fabrega) marries Andrés’ obviously non-straight ex (“No one likes men, but everybody needs a husband,” she notes).
THE NEW NORMAL (2012-2013; YOUTUBE)
Between Will & Grace’s two terms, NBC tried out The New Normal, a Ryan Murphy comedy that answered the unasked question, “What if Modern Family was all about just Cam and Mitchell?” The series centered on a wealthy gay L.A. couple (Andrew Rannels and Justin Bartha) adopting a baby from brash Midwestern surrogate Goldie, much to the chagrin of Goldie’s homophobic Republican mother. Identifying with mom, a Utah NBC affiliate refused to run The New Normal, even though it aired all 11 seasons of Will & Grace. Huh? n
THE BUZZ BIN
NUMBER ONE VAN
Despite there being no indoor concerts, summer is an exciting time for classical music lovers in the Inland Northwest. Once the sun begins to shine, the Spokane Symphony ventures outside, playing music in local parks, at wineries and on patios across the region. Now, the symphony will be on the move even more with the help of its new BeethoVAN, a mobile concert stage that travels with the musicians and makes playing music in the wild a bit easier. Catch the Spokane Symphony and its new BeethoVAN on Thursday, June 12, at the Perry Street Market or at the Summer Solstice Concert at Mirabeau Meadows Park on Friday, June 20.
(MADISON PEARSON)
THE NB-ZAG FINALS
While Gonzaga got over the hump of college basketball relevance decades ago, it took much longer for Mark Few-era Gonzaga players to make a real impact in the NBA. The Bulldogs didn’t really have a consistent alumni contributor until Kelly Olynyk and didn’t have a full-time starter until Domantas Sabonis. But nothing says the Zags are a force on the professional level quite like this year’s NBA Finals. Both of the last two teams remaining start a Zag, with Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (right) and Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard both being vital contributors to their teams making the title. After splitting the first two games, fans can tune into ABC to watch (at least) Games 4 and 5 on June 13 and 16. No matter which team wins, a Zag will be getting a championship ring. (SETH SOMMERFELD)
THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST
Noteworthy new music arriving in stores and online on June 13.
NEIL YOUNG AND THE CHROME HEARTS, TALKIN TO THE TREES
Before heading to The Gorge on Sept. 5 with his new band, The Chrome Hearts, the legendary singer-songwriter unveils more biting and ramshackle rock on his 48th studio album.
BABY METAL, METAL FORTH
The creators of the genre kawaii metal (which blends heavy metal with J-Pop) return to keep shredding on the band’s fourth LP, getting a little help in that with features by Poppy and Tom Morello.
MISTER ROMANTIC, WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE?
While he’s already made a musical impact via his Oscar-nominated turn in Chicago, John C. Reilly’s musical path continues as his vaudevillian alter ego Mister Romantic releases his first album, a collection of pop standards and swooning ballads. (SETH SOMMERFELD)
Mid-Century Modern
SCALING UP
The Scale House Market brings the region’s first year-round farmers market to Spokane Valley
BY DORA SCOTT
What was once a 50-acre rock quarry in Spokane Valley decades ago and more recently an asphalt plant has gained a new life as a permanent, year-round farmers market called The Scale House Market.
During the market’s grand opening on May 31, gone were the trucks weighing their asphalt loads at the long “scale house” building. Instead, the 165-foot-long renovated structure was bustling with vendors and farmers marketgoers filling their baskets with local produce and goods.
The Scale House Market’s indoor space — dubbed the “Mercantile” — features original concrete walls from its former use as a weigh station, but its industrial foundations have been dramatically revamped. Ribbed sheetmetal siding covers the outside, where the words “Scale House Market” greet visitors in bold red signage. Native plants flourish out front in small ecology ponds, from which frog songs emanate in chorus.
“[The Scale House] building got left here as one of the remnants, and we had the opportunity to have it torn down, but I always say as good conservationists we find a second purpose with everything,” says Vicki Carter, director of the Spokane Conservation District, which oversaw the project and is now based at the site.
While most farmers markets are seasonal and require vendors to set up and take down their stalls each day, the Mercantile has space for 35 vendors, a commercial and demonstration kitchen, and dry and refrigerated storage.
“[The Mercantile provides] that permanency and that stability for both you, the consumer, and for the farmer,” says Carter, explaining how vendors can sell their goods in the indoor space via publicly accessible fridges even if they’re not working on site that day.
Inside, the long walkway where vendors set up shop is enlivened by 11 murals by Michael Che Romero, who grew up in Spokane. Some pay homage to Romero’s grandfather who farmed in Idaho and others to local Indigenous food and culture.
Meanwhile, an outdoor market space was built as an extension of the Mercantile, connected by an atrium with large glass roll-up doors, which features space for 20 more vendors and a stage in the light wooden “cubbies” shielded from the weather.
Outside, to the right of the building, visitors can find tables to eat fresh finds, a solar “flower” structure to charge phones and food trucks for more dining options. Currently, Surge Coffee and Madfire Kitchen & Catering are in rotation as food trucks.
The Scale House has been long in the making. When Carter first drove past a “For Sale” sign at 4422 E. Eighth Ave. in 2016, she saw beyond the messy environmental scars of blasted rockfaces and asphalt piles. Instead, she envisioned a new home for the Spokane Conservation District as well as a place that could be re-natured and repurposed for the community.
Conservation districts like it were first established following the 1930s Dust Bowl era with the purpose of promoting sustainable use of natural resources, primarily with one-on-one assistance and education for landowners. The Spokane Conservation District formed in 1941, and in the decades since expanded its efforts to be more public facing with bigger projects like the farmers market.
“Unfortunately, I think we’ve been kept as what I call America’s best-kept secret for too long,” she says. “And one of my goals in taking over as director was to help change that at least regionally and in Washington state.”
Once a front desk employee, Carter rose to the rank of director after working in various roles during her 35 years with the district. Its headquarters had been located at the fairgrounds for decades before Spokane County took back use of the building.
...continued on next page
Spokane Conservation District Director Vicki Carter, left, and Scale House Market Director Brittany Tyler. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO OPENING
“One day I decided to stop by, and I drove in here and I just went, ‘Oh my gosh, what is this place?’” Carter says of the 50-acre site that, besides the market and conservation district’s office, also includes the Washington State Small Business Development Center.
When Spokane Conservation District bought the property in 2017, it didn’t have a clear plan for how to use the long concrete structure, yet the former weigh station was earmarked as a potential business incubator. During the pandemic, resulting food insecurity issues sparked the idea for a more permanent farmers market.
“So we set forth on doing a feasibility study in 2022 to try to prove that out or find out, ‘Is this the right thing for Spokane?’ And it really came back with a resounding ‘Yes,’” Carter says.
The $4.4 million project for the market was carried out through a public-private partnership between the conservation district, the Upper Columbia Resource Conservation and Development Council, Vets on the Farm, and Four Roots, a local food resiliency business which also oversees the market under the direction of its CEO, Brittany Tyler.
The project received widespread public and private support, including $1 million in funding allocated by the Washington Legislature in 2023 and large sponsorships from BECU, STCU and Avista, to name a few.
Carter enlisted Spokane architect Chris Olson and Halme Cascade construction company for the project, noting how Olson was excited about the “quirkiness” of the original scale house structure.
Bsome sellers are hyper local, others are more regional and located within a 100-mile radius. Carter notes how there is also a focus on including minority and first-time vendors.
The high number of applications is also attributed to the business support and benefits that vendors receive. Next door to the Scale House, the Washington Small Business Development Center pairs each vendor and small farmer with a certified business adviser.
In addition to having space to store their products, vendors can reserve the commercial kitchen for cooking and food preparation. If there’s a product a vendor wasn’t able to sell and that will go bad before the next market day, they can also use the kitchen to extend its viability. For example, turning strawberries into smoothies, fruit leather or jam.
The market operates on a single point-of-sale system, allowing vendors to keep a detailed record of sales and build their bookkeeping system. It’s also cashless, but customers can visit the help desk to load a market payment card using cash.
SCALE HOUSE MARKET HOURS (MAY-OCT.)
Mercantile (indoors): Sun from 11 am-4
pm; Wed-Thu from 11 am-7 pm; Fri from 11 am-8 pm and Sat from 8 am-2 pm
To make healthy eating more accessible, the market also accepts EBT/SNAP cards and is piloting a Snap Produce Rewards program where EBT/SNAP participants are reimbursed up to $50 a month when they buy produce from a participating vendor. Eligible shoppers can visit an information booth or main register to set up their EBT/SNAP card for market purchases.
Outdoor Market: Wed from 3-7 pm; Fri from 3-8 pm, Sat from 8 am-2 pm
efore its debut last month, the Scale House Market received over 237 vendor applications vying for 65 total slots to sell produce, protein, dairy, baked goods, mead, spirits, tea, juice and much more.
“That doesn’t mean we can only have 65 vendors, because not every person is going to be here on every day,” Carter explains. There are vendors who sell typical farmers market fare, but all must offer something related to food, like a craftsman who repurposes local wood into charcuterie boards, for example. While
In an era when food systems seem more fragile than ever, with prices for staples like eggs soaring and other products becoming harder to find, connecting to local supply chains is ever important.
“Food resiliency is about not being dependent on our food coming from so far away,” Carter says.
Winter or summer, rain or shine, The Scale House Market is an agricultural hub where people can not only reliably find ingredients for dinner, but also support local businesses in the process. n
The Scale House Market • 4422 E. Eighth Ave., Spokane Valley • thescalehousemarket.com
Locals turned out in large numbers to check out the Scale House Market’s grand opening on May 31. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
TONS OF FUN IN THE SUN FOR COOL CATS
Guide
At STCU, we support causes that matter, the arts that shape our culture, the athletes who inspire greatness, the mentors who transform students into leaders, and the local events that give our communities their unique flavor. stcu.org/hereforgood
Have A Sensational Summer!
A Sensational Summer! Sensational Summer!
The world treats us to a beautiful array of sensory delights, and they’re especially heightened in the summertime.
The warm air stirs with the gentle hum of bees, fluttering dance of butterflies and the welcome scent of budding flowers. With the sun radiating off your back, it’s hard not to feel overcome with joy every time you step outside.
As a lifelong resident of the Inland Northwest, I’ve seen over and over how this place comes alive in the summer. We survived the dull grayness of winter and the rainy days of spring. There’s no better time to capitalize on everything our region has to offer. Lucky for you, we’ve got just the thing.
Inside our annual Summer Guide, you’ll find countless ways to make this summer sensational. From live music, plenty of local art, bodies of water to enjoy, ways to stay active even in the summer heat — and ways to avoid it if you so choose — this year’s Summer Guide has everything right at your fingertips.
No matter how you choose to spend your summer,
CONTENTS
56
ROAD TRIPS 72
KIDS & FAMILIES 78
THE GREAT INDOORS 84
THEATER 92
WHEELS 100
SPORTS & RECREATION 106
14-WEEK CALENDAR 116
INLANDER EDITOR
Chey Scott
COVER & LAYOUT DESIGN
Derrick King
COPY EDITOR
Chris Frisella
LISTINGS EDITOR
Madison Pearson
CONTRIBUTORS
Eliza Billingham
E.J. Iannelli
Bob Johnson
Victor Corral Martinez
Will Maupin
Madison Pearson
Azaria Podplesky
Colton Rasanen
Dora Scott
Carrie Scozzaro
Seth Sommerfeld
ARTS
Let art be your companion as you make, see and experience this summer
BY CARRIE SCOZZARO
Art is a part of what makes us human. We have, since even before the beginning of what we call civilization, been making images (and objects). And looking at them. And pondering their meaning. Pretty powerful, right? So whether you’re sliding a brush across a canvas or standing back and contemplating why someone else did so, you are part of an epic adventure. This summer, let art be your guide.
PICTURE YOURSELF IN PULLMAN
Like many college towns, Pullman looks different during the summer without the majority of the more than 16,000 Washington State University students who call it home most of the year. Plentiful parking, fewer pedestrians and yet loads of art to experience. Pack a picnic — or peruse the Inlander’s online restaurant guide for the Pullman-Moscow region — and enjoy a self-guided arts walking tour. Start at WSU, which is home to nearly four dozen artworks inside campus buildings and on campus grounds. Visit arts.wa.gov for specific locations, including sculptures by Jim Dine and John Buck or paintings by Ric Gendron (Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Arrow Lakes Band).
Head downtown to view murals courtesy of the Pullman Arts Foundation, including at the Hotel McCoy (455 S.E. Paradise St.) or the 100-foot-long Riverside mural in the 400 block of East Main Street. While you’re downtown, visit the newly opened Greystone Grand Gallery & Gifts for local and regional art (greystonegrandgallery.com).
If you’re planning your trip around specific dates, the university’s Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU closes on June 28, but reopens later this summer on Aug. 19 with two powerful exhibitions.
Anish Kapoor is internationally known for his sculpture, yet “Dissolving Margins” is the first solo exhibition of the artist’s five decades in printmaking. Additionally, “Color Outside the Lines” explores how artists like Kapoor, Andy Warhol, Jenny Holzer, Faith Ringgold and others use color “to question institutions, beliefs, and expectations,” according to the museum website: museum. wsu.edu.
And since you’re already in the Palouse area, what’s a few more miles? Nearby art venues include the nonprofit cultural hub known as Artisans at the Dahmen Barn (artisanbarn.org) in Uniontown. Across the state line, Moscow Contemporary (moscowcontemporary.org) is featuring a rad exhibition about skateboard culture that’s on display June 20-Aug. 9.
South of Pullman in the small town of Uniontown, find art and more at the Dahmen Barn. COURTESY PHOTO
MUSIC. BEER. STARS.
ARTS
FAIRLY FINE ART
This might finally be the year you do it: submit your art to the fair. Acrylic painting, charcoal drawing, photography, but also sewing and needlework, jewelry making, woodworking, welding, and yard art are just a few of the categories accepted.
No, you’re not going to get rich even if you win the coveted blue ribbon, maybe just enough to cover your materials, but just entering has its benefits. Not only do you have the added motivation of meeting a deadline, being accepted is sure to boost your confidence
Participating will also boost your reach. Over the course of 10 days, for example, the North Idaho State Fair (Aug. 15-24) can see upwards of 170,000 visitors. Visit nisfair.fun for details.
Even if you don’t enter your artwork, local fairs offer plenty of art to look at and be inspired by. This year, the Spokane Interstate Fair (Sept. 5-14) is hosting an art walk on opening day with a spray paint art contest and artists painting en plein air. Visit thespokanefair.com to learn more.
SAY ‘HEY!’ TO CLAY (AND MORE!)
You can try artmaking at any age and pursue it with any level of seriousness (or not). However, to learn new techniques or improve existing ones, taking a class helps shorten the learning curve and expands your artistic vision simultaneously. That’s especially true when expensive or specialized equipment is required like with ceramics. Learn to throw on the wheel at The Clay Connection (clayconnectionspokane. com), which offers a regular lineup of classes for $220 per session. For that you get two hours of weekly instruction across five weeks, 25 pounds of clay, plus firing and glazing of your magnificent creations.
In Coeur d’Alene, Emerge also offers adult classes (emergecda.com), including one less focused on finishing a piece and more focused on fun. On June 20, Emerge offers its spin on paint-and-sip nights with Sip and Spin for $35 (glass of wine included).
And if you’re interested in finishing your artwork but don’t want to wait for it to be fired, Covered With Art (pictured left) offers a two-part air-dry clay workshop at its Spokane Valley studio for $56. Visit coveredwithart.com to schedule a workshop in clay, painting and other media.
JOURNEY CLOSER TO HOME
Stay in Spokane and experience a different kind of trip this summer — time travel! Head to Spokane’s Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture for a multisensory journey into the Tlingit origin mythology when Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight opens June 28. The nationally traveling exhibition combines visual projections, original music, and soundscapes from the Pacific Coastal region from which Singletary (American Tlingit) hails. The exhibition also features Singletary’s extraordinary cast, carved and blown glass works, which serve as guide pieces for the immersive experience. Visit northwestmuseum.org for more info.
TAKE FLIGHT
Performance art is part visual art, part physical activity on behalf of the artist, audience or both. While it might be a stretch to call University of Idaho’s Professor Stephen Cook an artist (he’s actually head of the entomology, plant pathology and nematology department) a June 24 evening event he’s leading will certainly look like performance art.
Cook is supplying painted lady butterflies for the Community Memorial Butterfly Release, a free event being held from 5:30-7 pm at Coeur d’Alene’s Share Hope Memorial Garden. Formerly the Bestland Cemetery, the garden at East Gilbert Avenue and North Eighth Streets was so named for Iva Mae Best, who died in 1893 at the heartbreakingly tender age of 5.
Thus the butterfly release, which Auburn Crest Hospice created in 2022, is meant to do just that: offer release to those grieving. Whether that’s the loss of a lover, a friend, a family member or a four-legged companion, participants will be encouraged to write him/her/it/them a message on a piece of dissolvable paper for the butterflies to carry up, up and away. Visit facebook.com/ auburncrest for more information
SAY ‘YES!’ TO ART
Whether you’re interested in making art or appreciating it from afar, you clearly value art. What’s more, you understand that support for the arts takes many forms. Buying art, of course, but also just attending events and using your voice to advocate for the arts, from kindergarten to college, in both private and public forums, and both locally and nationally.
An upcoming annual event in Sandpoint, for example, benefits Pend Oreille Arts Council, including its local school district outreach. This year the Sandpoint Art Party is June 27 at the Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center — a gorgeous North Idaho venue surrounded by orchards! — and catered by local legacy, Ivano’s. Tickets are $75; visit artinsandpoint.org/art-party to register. You can also make an impact on a broader level. Write to your legislative representative. Submit a letter to local media. Let recently targeted organizations like the National Endowment for the Arts (arts.gov) know you appreciate them. Connect with a credible arts advocacy group like National Art Education Association (arteducators.org) or Americans for the Arts (americansforthearts.org) that can walk you through how to find and contact your legislator.
And never underestimate the impact even one person can have when they say yes to art. n
Sensational Summer
Summer
A Feast for the Senses
Coeur d’Alene’s Art on the Green offers abundant sights, sounds and even tastes
BY CARRIE SCOZZARO
Idoubt my parents realized the impact they had, cramming my little brain with as much education as possible during my formative years. Living near New York City meant trips to such venerable institutions as the American Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art — trips that illuminated the path that future-me would take as an artist and a teacher. (Thanks, mom and dad!)
To their credit, however, my parents also acquiesced to my and my brother’s yearning for “fun” experiences,
where we could cut loose (and eat fried and sugary foods not allowed at home). So in addition to art and history outings, we also went to street festivals like Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy and occasionally indulged in the frivolity of such places as Six Flags over Georgia and Palace Amusements, better known as Asbury Park.
Since then, I’ve been to some of the country’s foremost museums and galleries, gone to art school, and generally immersed myself in all things art related. And although I’m less inclined to amusement parks, something about the unfettered festival atmosphere still appeals.
Coeur d’Alene’s Art on the Green is the perfect synthesis of these two inclinations, combining top-notch artwork and the cut-loose atmosphere of a county fair in a single, three-day event (held the first full weekend every August). Art on the Green has both a juried art exhibit and a juried roster of exemplary exhibitors. It’s a visual smorgasbord of art media and an equally diverse buffet of price points, although you don’t have to spend anything to enter or to look.
But Art on the Green is also kettle corn wafting on the breeze from the lake and the steady murmuration of the crowd ambling across North Idaho College’s sundappled campus. It’s marimba and Scottish Highland dance and students of all ages singing their hearts out in the venues’ numerous performance areas.
It’s the one event I try to go to every year.
With its 57-year history, Art on the Green (this year Aug. 1-3) appeals to one more sense I value: community. Created in 1968 by a group of artists coming together to celebrate art — the late Harold Balazs was one of them — Art on the Green is an institution you can count on. It’s a reminder that when people come together for a common cause, like art, and to build something everyone can enjoy, we all benefit. n
Spokane Pediatrics New Location!
Spokane Pediatrics is now located at 601 W. 5th Ave., Suite 200. Our new location provides expanded space and enhanced service, including behavioral health.
The new clinic is behind Lewis and Clark High School. Patients have access to free parking in the building’s parking garage, accessible from S. Wall Street.
It’s not too early to get ready for the next school year. Make sure your student receives their well-child exam, sports physical, and immunizations before the first day of school. Call 509.960.8894 for an appointment • SpokanePediatrics.org
Art on the Green returns Aug. 1-3. COURTESY PHOTO
FOOD
Sizzling summer ideas, fresh off the grill
BY DORA SCOTT
Out with hot soup and winter-weather cozy cravings and in with all the finger-licking foods that make it worth our while to get out in the sun. There are summer staples that can’t be denied, regardless if you’re a Spokanite or visitor — like food festivals, seasonal ice cream and barbecue haunts — but there are also ways to spice up your summer by finding food in nature. Dig in!
AN INLAND NORTHWEST PLATTER
Pick and choose which foodie fests pique your interest this summer. Find a variety of food trucks at Riverfront Eats (Tuesdays from 11 am-2 pm through Aug. 19) and a perfect spot for your weekly lunch, or visit the 44th Annual Pig Out in the Park (Aug. 28-Sep. 1, daily from 11 am-10 pm) which boats 65 booths and over 250 menu items. Both take place in the heart of Spokane: Riverfront Park.
Putting Inland Northwest chefs to the test, Crave! Northwest (July 11-13, $49-$179, 21+) draws foodies to Spokane Valley’s CenterPlace Regional Center. Taste how regional chefs utilize fresh ingredients from fresh seafood to meats grilled over an open flame to vegetarian options and more. Get tickets at cravenw.com.
Munch your way through all of Sandpoint’s tastiest offerings at the Sandpoint Sampler (June 26, 5-8 pm). The event brings local restaurants and caterers to Farmin Park, along with libations, live music and family-friendly fun.
Pop on over to the Majestic Park in Rathdrum for the Taste of Rathdrum (Aug. 9, 11 am-9 pm). Make sure to bring your appetite for some good food and a fun time with several food vendors, a
beer garden, a cornhole tournament, a car show and live music.
Early summer means strawberry season for the Inland Northwest and Siemers Farm’s Strawberry Festival (June 14-29, Sat-Sun from 10 am-4 pm) is making its return. Catered to families, a wristband purchase ($6) gives access to fun rides and play areas. If you go just to pick strawberries entry is free, with times also offered outside festival hours on July 5, 6, 12 and 13 from 10 am-4 pm.
When it comes to fruit, it wouldn’t be a true Inland Northwest summer sampler without huckleberries. The Wallace Huckleberry Festival (Aug. 15-17) is a one-stop shop for all things huckleberry. Start your day with a huckleberry pancake breakfast before exploring the town, filled with food and craft vendors.
Calling all lentil lovers! The National Lentil Festival (Sat, Aug. 16, 7:30 am-10 pm) returns to Reaney Park in Pullman, celebrating the agricultural feats of the region in producing some of the highest quality lentils. Kicking off with the Tase T. Lentil 5K, the day is packed with various events from a parade to live music to a bowl of free lentil chili.
Get to know local farmers this summer with a pair of farm-to-table events. Facilitated by Food As Farmacy Events (foodasfarmacy.com) and spearheaded by Dr. Casey Carr, attendees embark on a trip to Castle Rock Ranch (June 28, $35/kids, $80/adults) to learn more — and taste — the bounties of regenerative agriculture with a meal featuring beef from the ranch. Or, close out your summer food adventures with a trip to Quillisascut Farm (Sept. 21, $87) in Rice, Washington, where you’ll learn how to make cottage cheese and chèvre as well as enjoy a seasonal lunch.
Get ready for huckleberry season! CHEY
FIND YOUR ROOTS
Connecting with your food doesn’t get much deeper than plucking it yourself. Foraging can be daunting to get into for obvious reasons, and knowing how to do it safely (and legally) is important. Luckily, there are local resources and clubs to make it more beginner friendly.
The Spokane Area Mushrooms, Mycology and Foraging club on Facebook is a great place to meet fellow foragers. You can also identify your finds with the Pacific Northwest Mushroom Identification Forum on Facebook. Yet another Facebook group, called Inland Northwest Foraging, offers more general food-foraging knowledge and community.
It’s recommended to go with an expert your first time, but books like Pacific Northwest Edible Plant Foraging and Mushroom Guide by Stephen Fleming and The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants, Mushrooms, Fruits, and Nuts by Katie Letcher Lyle are good places to start.
If you want to get your hands dirty, but not too far out in the weeds, U-Pick farms can be another good option for locally sourced produce. Green Bluff just north of the city center is known for its abundance of orchards and farms, where you can pick fresh strawberries, rhubarb, garlic, melons, peaches and more. You can find more niche produce here, too, like tayberries at Knapp’s U-Pick Farm — a cross between a raspberry and blackberry.
Don’t have the time to get out to a farm? Fret not, you can get fresh farm produce right to your door with CSA boxes. LINC Foods is a yearround CSA (which stands for community-supported agriculture) that works with local farmers operating with sustainable growing practices. Alongside seasonal goodies, you’ll find recipes and other helpful tidbits with your weekly box (lincfoods.com, pickup locations are offered throughout the region). Courage to Grow (couragetogrowfarms.com) is another CSA subscription that runs from July 16 to Dec. 24, delivering over 60 veggie and over 40 fruit varieties.
NOW OPEN!
LOCAL FARM- FRESH PRODUCTS
LOCALLY MADE GOODS
ROTATING VENDORS
FOOD TRUCKS
LIVE MUSIC
SEASONAL EVENTS
STATE-OF-THEART COMMERCIAL KITCHEN
VOLUNTEER & MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS
SCOTT PHOTO
FOOD
YOU SCREAM, WE SCREAM
A favorite annual fundraiser benefiting Spokane’s Urban Art Coop, Scoops and Bowls (July 12), returns to Manito Park. Attendees buy a handmade bowl (starting at $15) and receive free ice cream in the bowl.
Craving something new? Hop on some other ice cream trends this summer! Rolled ice cream originated in Thailand, but can be found locally at Poke King with aesthetic and delicious toppings. Or, a more recent Asian ice cream trend overtaking the U.S. is the Tao Qi Peach Ice Cream, which is shaped and flavored like a peach. Though demand is high, you can often find it at Hot Pot Ramen House in Rathdrum and at Asian World Food Market in Spokane when stocked.
SIZZLIN’ EATS
If you’re looking to barbecue this summer but don’t own a grill, there are plenty of options to turn up the heat and get something sizzling. Many of the area’s public parks have barbecue pits, including Shadle, Manito and Comstock among Spokane’s city parks (spokaneparks.org), as well as Camelot Park (spokanecounty.gov) in the Wandermere area. In North Idaho, Q’emiln Park (postfalls.gov) in Post Falls and Riverstone Park (cdaid.org) in Coeur d’Alene have barbeque pits and grills. Check if reservations are required for picnic shelters and barbeque areas, as some are first-come, first-serve.
Find other innovative local flavors and concepts at local ice cream shops, like watermelon Dole soft serve at The Scoop and an ice cream flight at Panhandle Cone & Coffee, which has locations in North Idaho.
PICNIC PICKIN’S
If you want an indoor, restaurant-style barbecue experience, head on over to the newly opened Seng’s Asian Barbecue in Spokane. In true Korean barbecue style, for a fixed price you can grill an all-you-can-eat amount of meat and pair it with some tasty sides. If you don’t want to grill but want the reward, Outlaw BBQ, Bulldog’s Famous BBQ & Brews and Betty Jean’s BBQ all offer classic American brisket barbecue.
Shake out your picnic blankets and plop down on a shady patch of grass. If you’re looking for a bite to eat on your picnic escapade, head to Manito’s seasonal Park Bench Cafe, which sells ice cream cones, sandwiches, coffee and more. If you’re at Riverfront Park, swing by the Riverfront Park Cafe located inside the Numerica Skate Ribbon and Skyride building. And right across the street from Audubon Park in northwest Spokane, hop in Little Garden Cafe for all the classic cafe fare.
A TASTE BUD TRIP
If you don’t have any vacations in the books this summer, you can still satisfy your cravings for international cuisine with the Taste of Asia & Filipino-American Friendship Cultural Festival (June 21, 10 am-4 pm) at Riverfront Park and the Global Food & Art Market (Tuesdays from 3-7 pm through July 29) in the Garland District. Sample new dishes and immerse yourself in other cultures right at home in the Inland Northwest. n
Handmade bowls made even better with a scoop of ice cream. COURTESY PHOTO
FOOD
INLAND NORTHWEST FARMERS MARKETS
Perry’s longtime market happens every Thursday through October, from 3-7 pm.
A guide to finding the best produce, food products and more during the 2025 season
COMPILED BY MADISON PEARSON AND DORA SCOTT
MONDAY
HILLYARD FARMER’S MARKET, 3-6 pm, early June to late Oct. Northeast Community Center, 4001 N. Cook St., Spokane. hillyardfarmersmarket.org
TUESDAY
FAIRWOOD FARMERS MARKET, 3-7 pm, midMay to early Oct. Fairwood Shopping Center, 319 W. Hastings Road, Spokane. fairwoodfarmersmarket.org
GLOBAL FOOD & ART MARKET, 3-7 pm, earlyMay to late July. The Gathering House, 733 W. Garland Ave. instagram.com/globalfoodandartmarket
MOSCOW TUESDAYS MARKET, 4-7 pm, early June to mid-Oct. Latah County Fairgrounds, 1021 Harold St. fb.com/tuesdaycommunitymarket
WEDNESDAY
5TH STREET FARMERS MARKET, 4-7 pm, midMay to late Sept. Fifth and Front Ave., Coeur d’Alene. cdadowntown.com
MOONSHINE ARTISAN NIGHT MARKET, 5:308:30 pm, early June to late Aug. Commellini Estate, 14715 N. Dartford Dr., Spokane. commellini.com/moonshine
KENDALL YARDS NIGHT MARKET, 5-8 pm, late May to mid-Sept. West Summit Parkway between Cedar and Adams Alley, Spokane. kendallnightmarket.org
KOOTENAI FARMERS MARKET, 4-7 pm, midMay to late Sept. Riverstone, 2151 N. Main St., Coeur d’Alene. kootenaifarmersmarkets.org
MILLWOOD FARMERS MARKET, 3-7 pm, late May to early Oct. Millwood City Park, 9103 E. Frederick Ave. farmersmarket.millwoodnow.org
N.E.W. FARMERS MARKET, 9 am-1 pm, May to late Oct. 121 E. Astor St., Colville. newfarmersmarket.org
RIVER CITY MARKET, 5-8 pm, mid-July to midAug. The Landing, 305 W. Fourth Ave., Post Falls. fb.com/rivercitymarketandmusic
SANDPOINT FARMERS MARKET, 3-5:30 pm, early May to mid-Oct. Farmin Park, Third and Main. sandpointfarmersmarket.com
SPOKANE FARMERS MARKET, 8 am-noon, early July to late Oct. Coeur d’Alene Park, 300 S. Chestnut St. spokanefarmersmarket.org
THURSDAY
PERRY STREET
THURSDAY MARKET, 3-7 pm, May to Oct. Perry and Tenth, Spokane. thursdaymarket.org
FRIDAY
ATHOL FARMERS MARKET, 2-6 pm, early May to late Sept. 30230 Second St. atholfarmersmarketidaho.com
CHEWELAH FARMERS MARKET, 11 am-3:30 pm, mid-May to mid-Oct. Chewelah City Park. chewelahfarmersmarket.com
EMERSON-GARFIELD FARMERS MARKET, 3-7 pm, June to late Sept. Emerson Park, 1120 W. Alice Ave., Spokane. market.emersongarfield.org
THE WAVY BUNCH NIGHT MARKET & STREET FAIR, Second Fridays from 5-9 pm, May to Oct. Catalyst Building, 508 E Riverside Ave., Spokane. thewavybunch.com
SPOKANE VALLEY FARMERS MARKET, 4-8 pm, mid-May to late-Sept. Spokane Valley CenterPlace, 2426 N. Discovery Place. spokanevalleyfarmersmarket.org
SATURDAY
BONNERS FERRY FARMERS MARKET, 8 am-1 pm, late April to early Oct. Highway 95 and Kootenai St. bonnersferryfarmersmarket.org
THE DEER PARK MARKET, First Saturdays from 9 am-3 pm, May to early Oct. Perrins Field, 14 Arnim Ave. thedeerparkmarket.com
KOOTENAI FARMERS MARKET, 9 am-1:30 pm, mid-May to late Oct. Highway 95 and Prairie, Hayden. kootenaifarmersmarkets.org
LIBERTY LAKE FARMERS MARKET, 9 am-1 pm, mid-May to mid-Oct. Town Square Park, 1421 N. Meadowwood Ln. llfarmersmarket.com
MEDICAL LAKE FARMERS MARKET, First/third Saturdays from 9 am-1 pm, June to early Oct. Lake St. between Jefferson and Lefevre Streets. instagram.com/medicallakefarmersmarket
MOSCOW FARMERS MARKET, 8 am-1 pm, May to Oct. Friendship Square, Fourth and Main. fb.com/MoscowFarmersMarket
N.E.W. FARMERS MARKET, 9 am-1 pm, May to Oct. 121 E. Astor St., Colville. newfarmersmarket.org
NEWPORT FARMERS MARKET, 9 am-1 pm, early May to Oct. 236 S. Union Ave. Facebook: Newport Farmers Market
RATHDRUM FARMERS MARKET, 9 am-2 pm, late April to Sept. Rathdrum Lions Club, 16114 N. Meyer Rd. fb.com/rathdrumcraftandfarmersmarket
SANDPOINT FARMERS MARKET, 9 am-1 pm, early May to mid-Oct. Farmin Park, Third and Main. sandpointfarmersmarket.com
SPOKANE FARMERS MARKET, 8 am-1 pm, mid-May to late Nov. Coeur d’Alene Park, 300 S. Chestnut St. spokanefarmersmarket.org
SUNDAY
CLAYTON FARMERS MARKET, 11 am-4 pm, June to Sept. (except during county fair). Clayton Fairgrounds, 4616 Wallbridge Rd. Facebook: Clayton Farmers Market and Small Farm Animals
MULTI-DAY
THE SCALE HOUSE MARKET Outdoor market season runs May-Oct. Wednesdays from 3-7 pm, Fridays from 3-8 pm, Saturdays from 8 am-2 pm, 4422 E. Eighth Ave., Spokane Valley, thescalehousemarket.com n
South
YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
Sensational Summer
Sensational Summer
My Summer Palette
Color-coding my core summer memories
BY DORA SCOTT
On sweltering summer days, my sisters and I would brave the heat of the garage and make our way to the extra freezer, rifling through a bag of off-brand Otter Pops for our favorite colors.
There was an understanding that blue was the best, but my favorite runner-ups were pink and red. Orange was often the last color left… Who even likes artificial orange taste?
When I sift through what summer is to me informed by basic colors, I don’t have a clear favorite. Like layers of paint, each builds to a bigger picture.
Red are the days when a wildfire pumps the air with smoke, turning the sun a rosy hue. Or, it’s the lifeguard floaty that I clung to during junior lifeguard summer camp. Or, perhaps, it’s the flesh of watermelon, turned into the countless watermelon smoothies I drank to withstand Korea’s humid months during university.
Yellow are the flowers of the invasive Scotch broom plant that blooms in early summer. Or, it’s the Country Time Lemonade that fueled my friends and I after playing and basking in the sun. Or, the ripe squash in my mom’s garden, ready to be cut from the vine.
Green is the color of my favorite ice cream — pistachio saffron rose — from Treats ice cream shop in my hometown Nevada City, California. Or, the emerald green waters of the Yuba River that was my childhood go-to spot for summer swimming. Or, the dark green bottle of aloe vera gel I apply to my inevitable sunburns.
Light brown is a bowl of naengmyeon, a Korean dish of chewy buckwheat noodles served in an icy cold, vinegary broth. Or, it’s the perfect golden outer layer of marshmallows roasted at a campfire.
Blue is the color I saw before I pinched my nose and jumped from the diving board into community pools. Or, it’s the most perfect batch of blueberries bought from the public market in Vancouver, Canada, on my last summer vacation before university.
Dark purple is the color of the sky once the Fourth of July finale has finished and gunpowder smoke burns nostrils.
My palette has more room for summer memories, ones I look forward to adding each year. Now it’s your turn — what colors do you choose?
DRINKS
Beating the summer heat, one (or more) beverage at a time
BY BOB JOHNSON
If savoring an occasional (or frequent) beverage is an essential part of summertime, you’re in luck. We live in a region where summer sipping is a fun experience that’s taken seriously.
Part of that equation involves inclusivity. There’s a growing trend among bars, cideries and other purveyors of adult beverages to offer N/A (nonalcoholic) options. Mocktails and other N/A drinks can make being the designated driver of the group a rewarding and satisfying experience.
And because summer equates with the great outdoors, there are numerous ways to satisfy one’s thirst while breathing in fresh air and enjoying the scenery.
FLIGHT PATHS
While most winery tasting rooms offer flights of their current releases, opportunities to sample multiple beverages and flavors in a single sitting are not limited to destinations of the vinous persuasion. Nor are they devoted exclusively to alcoholic beverages.
Revival Tea Company, which recently opened a new store in Coeur d’Alene to complement its original in Spokane, allows patrons to create their own flights of three teas ($10) from a menu of 36, and even will assist in assembling a flight that offers a benefit (such as calm, immunity, digestion and so on).
If calm is not desired, Coeur d’Alene’s Vault Coffee is offering iced latte flights, consisting of five imaginatively concocted sample-size drinks ($14). Pro tip: When ordering, ask for “no ice” to better taste the flavors.
Traditional mimosas marry chilled sparkling wine and orange juice, but as two local restaurants are demonstrating, they need not be limited to OJ. At 1898 Public House, part
of the Kalispel Golf and Country Club, the popular brunch menu features a mimosa flight ($14) that enables diners to choose from among four juices (orange, grapefruit, pineapple and cranberry) and six purées (piña colada, huckleberry, strawberry, raspberry, mango and peach). Old European also has four mimosa flavors on its beverage menu to complement its Danish-inspired fare, and offers a flight of four ($17) that includes one rotating flavor. For a real palate-awakening experience, pair a mimosa flight with a combo plate of aebleskivers (two each of three flavors for $12).
That’s not all. No-Li Brewhouse offers flights of its locally made brews in its riverside Bier Hall. Whiskey aficionados can sample flights at Purgatory Whiskey and Craft Beer, curated from a 600-bottle collection. And the three DeLeon’s Taco and Bar restaurants in Spokane offer both tequila and margarita flights, drawing from a stock of around 50 tequilas on hand. Prices vary based on the selections.
Take a flight without ever leaving town at Revival Tea Co. and other local beverage purveyors.
YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
THE ROSÉ WAY
What better way to get the thirst quenching going than by sampling six rosé-style wines? That’s what the historic Steam Plant Restaurant has in store on June 18 when it hosts Rosé on the Rooftop ($35). A chefcurated grazing board accompanies the wine while DJ Snuggs provides the soundtrack. Bonus: A portion of ticket sales goes to Giving Back Spokane.
BLUE AGAVE ADVENTURES
The Tacos y Tequila Festival is back for a fifth year, Aug. 23-24, adjacent to Spokane’s Central Library. Hosted by and benefiting Nuestras Raices Centro Comunitario (Our Roots Community Center), the event celebrates local Latino cultures through food, drinks, music and activities. Food trucks and restaurants provide tacos and other food, which guests can wash down with tequila, cerveza and other beverages. Rather not wait until August for your blue agave fix? Coeur d’Alene Cruises has scheduled back-to-back Tequila Tides Dinner Cruises ($85) on June 20. Each cruise includes live music, a buffet catered by the Coeur d’Alene Resort and a specialty margarita.
STRETCHING & SIPPING
Need another reason to get out on Lake Coeur d’Alene? Most Thursdays in July and August, Yoga and Mimosa Cruises ($31) will set sail, each spanning two hours with a 45-minute yoga class (led by Yoga Kim and Company) and a mimosa included.
For those wishing to cultivate a connection among body, mind and breath on dry land, Yoga Uncorked has scheduled numerous “Yoga + Beer” and “Yoga + Wine” sessions ($25; beverages purchased separately) this summer: June 21, July 26 and Aug. 23 at Liberty Lake Wine Cellars; June 28 and Aug. 23 at Sauvage ZSA; July 5 and Aug. 2 at Big Barn Brewing; and July 12 and Aug. 9 at Genus Brewing.
Roots Run Deep
EThere’s
astern Washington University holds a special place in the Bryant family’s — and therefore No-Li Brewhouse’s — heart.
John Bryant’s mother and father both attended school there in the 1950s. His father Bill enrolled rst, thanks to a football scholarship that helped expand his horizons beyond his tiny hometown of Mossyrock, Washington (population 356 back then).
John’s mother ElWanda followed Bill to EWU a year later, where they married and lived together in the unheated, unplumbed attic of a three-story house can still be found on the campus today. ey also had the rst of ve children there. And with the education and quali cations he received from Eastern, Bill went on to enjoy a ful lling teaching and coaching career.
“We owe so much to that football scholarship opportunity and the life’s break that EWU gave to my family,” John Bryant says.
rough No-Li, Bryant has aimed to show his gratitude by giving back to EWU in a way that
SQUATCH SEZ!
With No-Li being a proud familyowned and -operated brewery, you can often spot the Bryants — John, Cindy and their son Jack — at sporting events all across the region. But No-Li’s presence at EWU tailgating parties is really next level. You just can’t miss the No-Li Brewhouse RV or the crowd of Eagles supporters who flock to it. See you at a pregame this fall!
a good reason that No-Li is the Official Craft Beer of EWU Athletics
enriches its students and its wider community.
One way is through the craft brewing certi cation program that No-Li helped establish at EWU in 2022. at program quickly produced E Dubbel U, a double Belgium ale named in honor of the EWU Eagle mascot. E Dubbel U netted the partners a rst-ever joint international bronze brewing medal at the Asia International Beer Competition the following year.
In 2024, No-Li launched EagAle, a hazy IPA that was partly inspired by the vibrant EWU tailgating scene. As sports (and especially football) fans, John and his wife Cindy have long been familiar faces at those gameday festivities.
“ at tailgating tradition is really helping to grow EWU’s brand, and when you have partners like No-Li at the tailgate, it just legitimizes it,” says EWU Athletic Director Tim Collins. “ at’s just one more example of strengthening our brand a nity and brand alignment.”
In fact, EagAle was almost too successful. When the limited-edition beer went on sale the morning of November 9, 2024, all 400 six-packs had sold out by the time Collins mentioned EagAle during a pregame interview at 11:30 am.
But those successes, Bryant says, started with EWU o ering a football scholarship to a promising small-town teenager.
“I would not be here if my Dad didn’t get that break. at’s why it makes our whole family proud to think that, 70 years later, No-Li is now the O cial Craft Beer of EWU Athletics.”
Bill and ElWanda Bryant started their family as students in this house at Eastern Washington State College in the 1950s.
Urban views + wine = a great summer night. COURTESY PHOTO
Tacos y Tequila is festive, fun and tasty. LUIS TORRES MULTIMEDIA PHOTO
DRINKS
BREW CITY
Coeur d’Alene’s nickname may be the “Lake City,” but during the summer it transforms into Brew City, USA with not one, not two, but three festivals devoted to ice-cold beer. The downtown merchants’ association conducts both Brewfest ($35-$55, this year on July 12) and Oktoberfest (Sept. 19-20). Brewfest is held in McEuen Park, featuring 30 beers and ciders, food and music, while Oktoberfest (prices to be announced) is hosted by participating downtown businesses, offering German-style beer and food.
In between, Ales for the Trails ($35-$60) takes over Coeur d’Alene’s City Park on Aug. 16, raising funds for the upkeep of the North Idaho Centennial Trail.
Not to be outdone, the Post Falls Lions host their 3rd annual Brewfest ($30) at Post Falls’ American Legion post.
‘HIGH COUNTRY’ QUAFFING
It normally requires an appointment to visit High Country Cider, and the ciders made in the “high country” of Rathdrum aren’t available outside North Idaho. That’s why the cidery has a presence at the Post Falls Market & Music on Wednesdays and will be on hand at Timber Days in Priest River on July 26. But on Aug. 23, High Country hosts its own Cider Fest, spotlighting its ciders on tap and in cans, accompanied by small local vendors and live music. Learn more at highcountrycider.com.
LIBATIONS AND LEARNING
The late science-fiction writer Frank Herbert (Dune and its sequels) once observed: “One learns from books and example only that certain things can be done. Actual learning requires that you do those things.”
In that spirit, Hogwash Whiskey Den and Raising the Bar bring back their series of Camp Cocktail classes ($85 per class) this summer, each providing “students” with a solid historical grounding in mixology, access to a bartending station, three drinks and appetizers. Camp 1 on June 15 covers cocktails of the 1960s and ’70s, Camp 2 on July 20 focuses on the 1980s and ’90s, while Camp 3 on Aug. 17 covers the cocktail renaissance of the 2000s. Register at raisingthebarnw.com.
Dry Fly Distilling is also offering a trio of cocktail classes ($40 per class) on June 19, July 24 and Aug. 14. Each includes a tour of the distillery, step-by-step tutorials on three cocktails, plus appetizers. For those whose desire to learn extends beyond the cocktail to making actual alcohol, Dry Fly is also hosting a Make Your Own Gin Class ($125 per person or $150 per couple) on July 10. The experience includes two signature cocktails and a take-home bottle of the one-of-a-kind gin created by the group. Sign up at dryflydistilling.com.
UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
Think of it as privileged access. Latah Creek Winery is introducing a series of events tentatively dubbed “The Pour by Natalie,” enabling guests to sit down with winemaker Natalie Barnes as she speaks about six wines selected for tasting. Notes on each wine will be provided, and questions are encouraged to promote an interactive experience. Planned themes include summer wines (with suggestions for food pairings), blends (with insight into how the varietals and percentages are determined) and others being developed. Each group will be limited to 30 to maintain intimacy, and the cost is $20 (refundable with a $40 wine purchase). Call the winery for dates, times and topics.
Wine shops and wine bars also occasionally spotlight wineries and/or bring in winemakers for guest appearances and pourings. Stylus Wine and Vinyl Bar in Coeur d’Alene, for instance, is hosting Walla Walla vintners on back-to-back Thursdays later this month. On June 19, it will be Steve Wells of Time & Direction Wines, and on the 26th, Brandon Moss of Gramercy Cellars is on hand. Owner Krista Spencer-French says the five-wine flights typically cost around $25.
WEDNESDAY WINING
Nectar Catering and Events begins its second quarter-century of providing foodies with fusions of flavors from seemingly disparate regions with its Wine Wednesday Dinner Series. Cuban and Chinese, anyone? That’s the mash-up on July 23, with six other multicourse meals ($30 each) scheduled July 9 through Aug. 20. Nectar owners Josh and Katie Wade also select three wines to accompany each dinner. Head to nectarcateringandevents.com for more.
Prefer to get away from the hustle and bustle of downtown? Also from July 9 through Aug. 20, Beck’s Harvest House in Green Bluff is hosting its Wine Wednesdays Music Series on the drink deck. Beer from the Beck’s Beer Shed and food from Beck’s Country Kitchen also will be available.
On a budget? The new 1919 Wine Cellar in East Spokane’s Sprague Union District just inaugurated Half-Price Wine Wednesdays, an offer available on all full-glass pours.
At Nectar, Beck’s and 1919, Wednesday is the new Friday this summer. n
Sip a cold brew in McEuen Park during Coeur d’Alene’s Brewfest. COURTESY PHOTO
Latah Creek’s Natalie Barnes YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
Sensational Summer Sensational Summer
A Life Informed by a Porchside Bush
AReflections on living life to the fullest during our first summer in the Inland Northwest
BY BOB JOHNSON
small bush alongside our apartment’s porch door serves as a symbol of the seasons for me. We met when it was awash in color last fall, encountered each other occasionally once the winter’s white snow arrived, and renewed acquaintances when it came out of its slumber with a green greeting this spring.
What does the summer hold in store? With each passing day, the bush fills in a little more, as if to tell us that we need to live life to the fullest.
For my wife and me, that means setting aside time each weekend (damn these things called jobs) to seek out something that makes the Inland Northwest unique and special. To natives, these may be experiences that are
taken for granted. For us, they are sights (and sites) and sounds and aromas and flavors to be savored.
The moment we find ourselves on a road where forests of tall trees provide the backdrop, it’s a good bet I will say, “Don’t ever take this for granted.” (I have even uttered those words when all alone.) Having lived in urban sprawl, a skyscraper city and an oppressively hot desert, I am more qualified than most to appreciate what the Inland Northwest has to offer.
So, this summer, we will visit wineries that craft varieties and blends not commonly found in the Napa Valley. We will visit every “historic downtown” district we happen upon. We will eat breakfast at ma-and-pa din-
ers and always ask about the specialty of the house before ordering.
We will seek out local coffee houses, especially ones with patios. We will skip over the bakery section in the supermarket and try a different purveyor of sweet treats each week. Then we’ll find a nearby trail to walk off some of the calories.
We will visit local and regional museums so we can better understand what makes this special place tick. We’ll stop at historic markers along the sides of the roads (as long as we aren’t being tailgated by someone from one of those “other” places).
We will visit farmers’ markets, large and small, a different one each week — and we’ll still have so many left over for next summer. At each one, we’ll ask someone who looks as if they should know: “What’s the best thing to eat?” If the answer is, “The mini donuts,” who are we to argue?
We will seek out musical performances wherever we can since music is cheap therapy. We will get out of bed early enough to see the sun rise, and later watch it set with a glass of local wine and a feeling of gratitude.
And we will keep a close eye on that porch-side bush. We will watch as its leaves fill in and its color intensifies, keeping pace with our resolve to live life to the fullest. And we will watch it as the first hints of red and gold appear, signaling the beginning of a magnificent autumn and the end of a sensational summer. n
MUSIC
Get in the groove this summer with a host
of must-see concerts across Spokane
BY SETH SOMMERFELD
Live music never stops in Spokane, yet it certainly slows down a bit in the colder months. But when summer rolls around? There are legitimately too many great shows to even cover in the space. Whether catching massive acts on outdoor stages or checking out album release shows for some of Spokane’s best local acts, here are some of the best options to make your summer more sonically invigorating.
THE SOUND OF NEVER SETTLING
There are certain bands that you cannot properly tell Washington’s rock history without mentioning. There are the gunge titans like Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. There are the fierce females: from Heart to the riot grrrls like Bikini Kill and SleaterKinney to the always-under-heralded, grunge-starting Bam Bam. But there’s a strong case to be made that behind only Nirvana, the band that best encapsulates our state’s musical identity is Death Cab for Cutie
While there were scores of underground independent bands making amazing music well before Death Cab’s formation in Bellingham back in 1997, Ben Gibbard and Co. were the ones who helped make “indie rock” a household name with their seminal early-2000s albums Transatlanticism and Plans. The group’s gentler brand of alternative rock and canny heartfelt lyricism found a massive audience, and the band has never really looked back. Edging in on three decades of existence, DCFC has entered
the status of revered and wildly influential veterans. They’ve incidentally spawned more indie rock bands desperate for a glowing Pitchfork review than you could shake a literal pitchfork at (despite the band never receiving raves there themselves). The group has compiled an array of meticulously crafted and stupifyingly melodic singles: “Soul Meets Body,” “Title and Registration,” “Cath,” “I Will Possess Your Heart,” “The Sound of Settling” and “I Will Follow You Into the Dark,” just to name a few. They’re earworms that hit listeners directly in the heart.
The day before Death Cab returns home to Seattle to play a concert celebrating the 20th anniversary of Plans, the Washington legends make a pit stop in Lilac City on July 30 to rock out at the Spokane Pavilion. We will eventually shed what’s left of our summer skin, but Washingtonians won’t shed Death Cab for Cutie anytime soon.
THAT SPOKANE SOUND
While touring acts swinging through Spokane dominate most summer concert conversation, it’s vital to not overlook the locals standouts who are putting out new albums this summer.
Inlander Artist to Watch Vika & the Velvets start things off on the shores of Liberty Lake when the band heads to the Zephyr Lounge on June 22 for a night of retro-infused psychedelic indie rock to celebrate the arrival of its new album, Like a Spade. (They also open for Kansas at the Festival at Sandpoint on Aug. 1.)
For those seeking something a tad more rambunctious, local pop punk mainstays The Pink Socks will whip folks into a frenzy with an album release show for their new EP, Hurts Less Than Heartache, at The Big Dipper on July 12.
Spokane scene staple Karli Fairbanks has also cooked up a new batch of folky Americana tunes in the form of Stay Radiant. The singer-songwriter will unveil the new tunes via an album release show at Placeholder Studios on July 11.
Diehard DCFC fans would definitely follow the beloved indie band into the dark.
FERRELL ANIMAL
Sierra Ferrell is making a strong case to be the new queen of Americana music. The colorful West Virginian with a charming Appalachian twang combines various roots influences from folk and bluegrass to gypsy jazz and throwback alt-country to create a whirlwind sound capable of getting any hootenanny popping. Her acclaimed 2024 album Trail of Flowers earned her four Grammys, including Best American Album. You can see what all the fuss is about when Ferrell plays the Festival at Sandpoint on July 25.
GORGE-OUS ELECTRONIC SOUNDS
Gather your sunscreen, water bottles and wildest outfits, because EDM fans will once again experience the dance party of the summer when Beyond Wonderland returns to the Gorge Amphitheatre June 21 and 22. In addition to elite-tier people watching, expect banging sets by big names in the electronic music world like Illenium and Subtronics. Just remember to drink water or the beat won’t be the only thing dropping!
THE MON COMES AROUND
There’s no separating the gorgeous Afro Appalachian songs Mon Rovîa creates from the Chattanooga-based singer-songwriter’s life story. A refugee from war-torn Liberia, Rovîa bounced around various locales in the U.S. in his early years. Eventually, some of his foster brothers introduced him to artists like Vampire Weekend and Fleet Foxes, which helped inspire the gentle tenderness found in his blend of West African and American folk music. After finding an audience via TikTok, he now treks across the states — including a July 5 visit to the Bing Crosby Theater — for work rather than survival. Rovîa serves as a reminder that people who don’t think refugees add value to American culture are disingenuous (or dumb) bigots.
BARRY, THE LEAD
After 60 years of crooning, Barry Manilow is embarking on his final arena tour this summer. Lucky for us, one of those stops will bring him to Spokane Arena on July 11. It’s almost assuredly the last chance you’ll have to catch the 81-year-old icon singing soft hits like “Mandy,” “Can’t Smile Without You,” and “Copacabana (At the Copa)” in the Lilac City. Get ready for your heart to melt under the weight of Mr. Manilow’s barrage of power ballads.
PRIMAL WIPES
Americana’s new sweetheart, Sierra Ferrell. BOBBI RICH PHOTO
Barry! The king of power ballads! STILETTO ENTERTAINMENT PHOTO
MUSIC
PUNK ROCK PARADISE
While punk rock is an entry point for many teen musicians, respect must be paid to the punk lifers who still bring their A-game every night after decades on the road. Two of the best grizzled veteran punk bands will bring the fury to our neck of the woods when Dropkick Murphys and Bad Religion head to Northern Quest Resort & Casino on July 22. Dropkick’s working-class Celtic edge is still sharp (and decidedly anti-MAGA) when busting out pub punk anthems like “I’m Shipping Up to Boston,” while Bad Religion has been one of the best SoCal punk bands since its formation in 1980. The combo should make for some generation-spanning mosh pits.
SKATE OR DIE
While Washington’s west side churns out an abnormally high quantity of great alternative rock bands, most of those emanate from the Emerald City. But Tacoma’s Skating Polly proves there’s good stuff to be found south of Seattle’s city limits. Turning out great records since their teenage days in Oklahoma before relocating to the PNW, the sibling trio has put out some of the best Washington state-made records in recent memory, including 2018’s The Make It All Show and 2023’s Chaos County Line. If you’re seeking some more intimate all-ages rock energy this summer, make sure to mark Skating Polly’s July 24 show at The Big Dipper on your calendar.
MILLENNIAL NOSTALGIA
Are you nostalgic for days sitting around the TV watching MTV’s Total Request Live and hoping your favorite boy band will top the charts? Well then do I have a concert for you. On Aug. 22, Spokane Tribe Casino presents the Pop 2000 Tour. Hosted by *NSYNC’s Chris Kirkpatrick, the night features a barrage of turn-of-the-millenium hitmakers like Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath, O-Town, LFO and Ryan Cabrera. If you like girls that wear Abercrombie and Fitch who have a halo on their four-post bed, you know where to go.
DO THE ‘DEW
Summer evokes a lot of feelings, but “coziness” isn’t typically one (that’s reserved more for seasons that require warm drinks and fuzzy blankets). But for at least one night that won’t be the case, as First Interstate Center for the Arts hosts Stardew Valley: Symphony of the Seasons on Sept. 3. A 35-piece orchestra performs the delightfully twee music from the king of cozy video games, the ever-popular farm life simulator Stardew Valley. As scenes from the game play out on a big screen, patrons are treated to game creator Eric Barone’s wonderfully calming compositions fleshed out in their full grandeur. n
THROUGH AUGUST 1st Info & Registration: Call ( 509) 233-2511 or visit campgifford.com
COMMUNITY CELEBRATION
FARM FRESH SCHEDULE
Garlic Tomatoes
Saturday June 21
8am - 3pm
5602 W. Sunset Hwy 509-747-9376 storewithdiamond.com/spokane
Sensational Summer Sensational Summer Breaking the Silence
Reflections on a live music road trip to celebrate concerts returning
after peak COVID
BY SETH SOMMERFELD
The sensory loss most associated with the COVID-19 pandemic was the loss of taste, as that was one of the easy-to-gauge symptoms of the virus for many folks. But for music junkies like myself, memories of a metaphorical loss of hearing were a much less serious, but still disheartening side effect.
Before the pandemic hit, I was living in Seattle and going to well over 100 concerts every year. Then suddenly the world of live music went silent almost overnight.
Sure, there were still great albums being released and musicians livestreaming concerts from home, but the communal spirit that can truly only be experienced at concerts was snuffed out for almost a year and a half.
Windy City, and Pitchfork did not disappoint. I caught sets from some of my most cherished acts including Waxahatchee, St. Vincent, Hop Along and Angel Olsen. After years of no live music discoveries, I stumbled across great new artists like Horsegirl, Dogleg and Tomberlin. But the highlight of the three-days of tuneage was catching Phoebe Bridgers — a personal favorite ever since I caught a barely attended church set of hers years prior at South By Southwest — who’d skyrocketed from indie darling to superstardom during the COVID shutdown after the release of Punisher and its beautifully bummer songs. Seeing throngs of new fans sing along with Bridgers as a festival headliner made it seem like the world was actually beginning to creep forward after such a long period of stagnation.
5602 W. Sunset Hwy storewithdiamond.com/spokane
So despite typically being horrendous when it comes to planning summer trips for myself, I decided that as the world slowly started reopening in the summer of 2021, I needed a musical road trip to act as a sonic dose of adrenaline to kickstart my rock and rollin’ heart.
I plotted out a route that would take me from my hometown of Billings, Montana to Chicago for Pitchfork Music Festival and then swoop west across the upper middle of the country to finally check off a bucket list item of catching a show at the world-famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre outside of Denver.
After 18 hours of driving, I arrived in the
After departing Chicago, another 15 hours on the road got me to Denver. There I was set to see EDM standout Alison Wonderland headline Red Rocks. I’d weirdly digitally met the star DJ/ producer during the pandemic on her Animal Crossing: New Horizons island as part of a series I wrote for The Washington Post, so even though EDM is far from my genre wheelhouse, catching her live felt like a fitting way to wrap up this musical journey. Seeing the majesty of Red Rocks as a venue alone was worth the trip (though The Gorge still is the far superior spot to catch a show), and Alison Wonderland completely delivered with a spectacle of a live show that incorporated the best visuals I’d ever seen at a concert, frenetic DJ action, and even a live band with a choir. It was a blissful sensory overload.
And while I certainly didn’t fit in with most of the EDM crowd, their collective spirit provided a fitting end to this summer road trip. Not only had a sense of hearing returned, but so had a capacity for communal joy. n
Scenes from Red Rocks and Pitchfork. SETH SOMMERFELD PHOTOS
SCREEN
Beat the heat with some popcorn, and make 2025 a cinematic summer
BY SETH SOMMERFELD
While summer is largely defined by outdoor activities, there’s an undeniable lure of escaping the heat to duck into a movie theater and catch a new blockbuster film. Even in the streaming era, summer movie season still carries weight. From throwback shark-infested waters to new releases to outdoor movie screenings, here are some of the Inland Northwest's best big screen options for the summer of 2025.
JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE TO GO BACK
The history of cinema can reasonably be divided into two eras: before Jaws and after Jaws. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Steven Spielberg’s shark-based classic that made everyone substantially more afraid to swim in the ocean. Crucially, Jaws was the first summer blockbuster. The massive buzz led filmgoers to turn out in droves and come back to see the film again and again, laying the groundwork for Star Wars and all the big budget action films that followed over the next five decades.
Spokanites will have a chance to see the film in its original format when the Garland Theater hosts a special 35mm screening of Jaws on June 20. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at garlandtheater.org.
For Garland co-owner Tyler Arnold, there’s an analog magic to watching movies on 35mm that just isn’t the same as modern digital projection. It’s kind of like comparing listening to the warmth of a vinyl record versus the precision of a CD.
IN THE WATER…
“As [35mm films] get played more and more and as time goes on, the film starts to fade. It picks up scratches. It has a feel to it. Every reel is different,” Arnold says. “You could have 20 versions of Jaws on 35, and every one’s going to have little imperfections in different places.”
The screening at the Garland came about thanks to the theater’s partnership with Eastern Washington University’s film department, which has an in with Universal Pictures thanks to a high-ranking EWU alumnus. The Garland has already hosted successful 35mm screenings of films like The Thing and Batman There are also plans for a 40th anniversary 35mm Back to the Future showing this fall, but first Jaws in 35mm presents a different sort of cinematic time travel.
“When you’re watching a movie that’s 50 years old, this is the way it was presented 50 years ago,” Arnold says. “I wasn’t alive 50 years ago, so it’s pretty exciting to be able to kind of step back into the past and live that moment.”
BOX OFFICE CONTENDERS
Of course there are plenty of new films headed to theaters soon to try to follow in Jaws’ finsteps and become new blockbuster classics.
While superhero movie fatigue is a real phenomenon, there’s reason to be excited about the summer’s two big comic book entries. For starters, writer/director James Gunn now is in charge of the DC Extended Universe and is rebooting things in a much more colorful direction (hopefully capturing some of his Guardians of the Galaxy magic) starting with a new version of Superman (July 11). Marvel will counter later in the month with a retro reboot via The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25), featuring a 1960s retro-futurist aesthetic and Pedro Pascal as Mr. Fantastic (because he’s legally required to be in every-other movie or TV show).
The two other movies clearly designed to be megahits are the Scarlett Johannson-led dinosaur adventures of Jurassic World Rebirth (July 2) and racing spectacle of F1 (June 25), helmed by the director of Top Gun: Maverick and starring Brad Pitt.
More summer releases to keep an eye on include the Pixar alien feature Elio (June 20), the zombie frights of 28 Years Later (June 20), Ari Aster’s Eddington (July 18), a reboot of The Naked Gun starring Liam Neeson (Aug. 1), Lindsay Lohan’s return in Freakier Friday (Aug. 8) and the Darren Aronofsky crime thriller Caught Stealing (Aug. 29).
SCREEN
SHINING UNDER THE MOONLIGHT
North Spokane event space Commellini Estate becomes a bustling cultural hotspot with its free Moonshine Artisan Night Market and Moonlit Movies series. Tucked away among the towering trees the pre-film festivities include art vendors, crafts for kids, live music, plenty of food and drink to purchase, and more. When it gets dark enough (usually 8:30-9 pm) the cinema begins. The schedule for 2025 includes animated features — Cars (June 18), Moana (July 9), Elemental (July 30) — plus The Proposal (July 16), Hook (Aug. 20) and an array of classics: Hoosiers (June 25), Top Gun (July 2), Casablanca (July 23), E.T. (Aug. 6), Charade (Aug. 13) and Grease (Aug. 27). Find details at commelliniestate.com.
’WORTHY FAMILY FLICKS
The shining cultural gem that is Moscow’s Kenworthy Performing Arts Center schedules intriguing cinematic experiences all year-round, but the theater really leans into family entertainment when summer hits. The free Farmer’s Market Cartoons programming features classic animation on the big screen every Saturday from 9 am to noon. Those seeking free features can enjoy Kenworthy’s Summer Family Matinees (largely drawing from the Warner Bros. catalog) which begin at 1 pm every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from June 17 to Aug. 21. Finally, Kenworthy teams up with University of Idaho’s Habib Institute for Asian Studies to bring anime the whole family can enjoy via a Studio Ghibli Fest on Aug. 26 and Sept. 2. Learn more at kenworthy.org.
BIG PARK, BIG SCREEN
Many people forget Spokane’s Pavilion started as a movie theater, showing a nature documentary in the then-revolutionary IMAX format as part of Expo ’74. While that may no longer be the recently rebranded Gesa Credit Union Pavilion’s primary function, it’s still a blast to occasionally catch a free summer screening there. This year’s slate at
the iconic landmark kicks off on July 9 with a screening of 2016’s live action The Jungle Book. The lineup also includes two recent megahits — Wicked (July 19) and The Minecraft Movie (Aug. 9) — and a few nostalgic childhood standbys: Free Willy (July 16), The Lion King (Aug. 6) and E.T. (Aug. 20).
LET’S ALL DRIVE TO THE MOVIES
Most of the time driving an hour and a half to go see a movie you could just see at a local cineplex would be a horrible waste of time. But that’s certainly not the case when trekking up to Colville to watch new flicks at the Auto-Vue Drive-In Theatre
The Inland Northwest’s only remaining drive-in theater showcases why it’s still a great way to watch the latest cinematic offerings and not merely a nostalgic trip. Each weekend Auto-Vue rolls out a different double feature with wildly affordable ticket prices ($8 adults, $4 children, $10 for a whole car on Sundays), making it a delightful family outing. The double features so far in 2025 have included films like The Minecraft Movie, Thunderbolts*, Final Destination: Bloodlines and the new Lilo & Stitch. Check out Auto-Vue’s Facebook page to see what’s playing on a given week and then embark on a little movie lovers road trip.
PARKS & RECOMMENDED VIEWINGS
If there weren’t already enough reasons to enjoy our public green spaces in the summertime, Spokane Valley Parks & Recreation offers up even more with its Outdoor Movies in the Park series (pictured above). This year’s free film offerings begin with a trio crowd-pleasers at Balfour Park: Moana 2 (July 11), Monsters Inc. (July 18) and Top Gun (July 25). The following month, things move over to Mirabeau Park to showcase two 2024 Academy Award-nominated animated features: Inside Out 2 (Aug. 1) and The Wild Robot (Aug. 8). n
Watch a summer flick under the stars at Balfour and Mirabeau parks.
KENDALL YARDS
GUIDING YOU THROUGH
Mike
509-609-5065
Sensational
Sensational Summer
Summer Barking for adventure
Taking on summer and exploring with my adopted puppy this summer
BY VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ
I’m not a fan of hot, sticky summers. I deeply dislike the intensity of the sun shining down on me and burning my face, and the itchy feeling of a bug bite consumes my focus, making me scratch or seek immediate relief.
It’s these common discomforts of summer that prompt me to focus my time mainly on indoor activities with air conditioning and easy access to a cold beverage to quench my thirst. But this summer is different! I have a new companion who won’t let me stay inside. Her name is Athena, a Belgian Malinois-shepherd puppy I adopted this spring from the Spokane Humane Society.
As you can immediately discern by Athena’s breed, she’s a high-energy puppy who needs an outlet. So I’m ready this summer to set my dislikes aside to explore the Inland Northwest with my puppy-in-crime.
I want Athena to live her best life, so taking her on hikes to smell the wildflowers that grow along the hiking trails of beautiful peaks is essential — not to mention a great photo op for social media. It’s also an opportunity to improve my own health by logging more steps while hiking.
Athena also quickly discovered a love of playing in the water while splashing with her paws. I’ll also be on a mission to take her to nearby rivers and lakes so she can dive in and cool off.
In the meantime, I’ll need to find solutions to ease my aversion to going outside by investing in some good bug spray, and buying a quality water bottle to stay hydrated with a cold beverage.
I hope my summer is filled with memorable moments with a puppy who feels she needs to sniff every questionable bush, pick up random sticks and pine cones, and chase butterflies down the trails.
I’m looking forward to this new motivation to be outdoors, and finding a cozy patch of grass under a tree where I can take a rest with my best friend. There’s a special feeling after spending a few hours exploring a state park, national forest, or traversing rough terrain and, on the drive home, glancing at a tired, sleeping puppy in your truck. n
Athena stops to smell some arrowleaf balsamroot blooms.
VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ PHOTO
WATER
Find your way to the lake, river or pool when you need a way to beat the heat
BY WILL MAUPIN
Compared to the other side of the Cascades, the Inland Northwest is certainly the dry side, but that’s not to say our region is lacking in water. Not even close. From the large glacial lakes of North Idaho’s temperate inland rainforest to the mighty Columbia River cutting through the basalt plateaus of Central Washington, the Inland Northwest is a water lover’s paradise (just without much rain). On our hot and dry summer days, any of these ways to get out on the water would serve as a good way to cool off.
CALM WATER, CLOSE TO HOME
Look at a map of the Inland Northwest, and it’s impossible to miss the region’s big swaths of blue. Coeur d’Alene, Pend Oreille, Priest, Roosevelt, Hayden… there are some seriously sizable lakes around the area. While those dominate the map and draw crowds, it’s important to remember that the Inland Northwest is home to dozens of smaller lakes that are equally worth visiting. And unlike some of those larger lakes, there are small ones just minutes outside town.
Of the dozens of lakes in the immediate Spokane and Coeur d’Alene area, most of the smaller ones are either largely left to nature or lined with private property. Not all, however, are strictly the domain of anglers or cabin-dwellers.
These smaller lakes provide calmer waters undisturbed by speeding boats, which makes them ideal for sunbathing on the beach, childhood swimming lessons, or a leisurely paddle in a boat or on a board.
Public beaches on Medical Lake and Fish Lake are only about 20 minutes from downtown Spokane. Medical Lake’s loop trail encircles the lake while allowing visitors access to a mile of shoreline with beaches in the south, while nearby cliffs are popular with adventurous jumpers. Tiny and shallow Fish Lake is family-focused and perfect for wading.
To the north of Spokane, Bear Lake near Chattaroy combines the appeal of the water with the amenities of a fully functional county park. Located directly next to Highway 2, the lake is easily accessible just 20 miles from downtown Spokane.
In North Idaho, Hauser Lake’s public beach provides a much less crowded option than the bustling beaches of Coeur d’Alene. The small, maintained beach area on the southern shore is enclosed by a floating dock. This keeps the swimming area calm and free from boaters and gives kids of all ages plenty of spots to jump in and make a splash.
Pack up your paddleboard and hit the water at one of the region’s smaller, calmer lakes. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
LOOP AROUND THE RIVER
The city of Spokane may have abandoned its “near nature, near perfect” slogan years ago, but that doesn’t mean it’s not true. In fact, it’s more true now than ever since the Gorge Loop Trail opened last summer. The three-and-a-half mile loop runs from the Post Street Bridge, under the Monroe Street Bridge and through Peaceful Valley, before crossing the river and following the crest of the gorge through Kendall Yards. Along the way, walkers are treated to views of the falls from almost every angle possible, the city skyline and the river’s deep gorge.
Paved along the entire length, the trail is an easy way to get out in nature without leaving the city center. On a hot summer day, descending from the concrete jungle of downtown to near the water’s edge at the Sandifur Bridge brings a refreshing breeze of cool river air. There are even a few places to go for a quick dip along the walk, especially on the south bank of the river.
LEISURELY PADDLE
Meandering and calm, the Little Spokane River is the perfect stream for an easy, relaxing paddle in a canoe, kayak or paddleboard. Throughout the Little Spokane Natural Area along the lower reaches of the stream, inflatable rafts and tubes are banned, leaving the river to the paddlers only. Spokane Parks and Recreation provides a shuttle service on weekends starting July 12 to ferry paddlers and their vessel of choice from the Nine Mile takeout back to the put-in at Saint George’s School. It’s approximately 7 miles downriver between those two spots, allowing for a relaxing morning or afternoon on the water.
MAKE A SPLASH
When I was a young child, the wading pools at parks around Spokane were a must-visit on a hot summer day. Thankfully, times have changed and those tepid pools with water of questionable quality, not to mention the overall lack of excitement, have gone the way of the dodo bird. In their place, splash pads have popped up all over the city. The city of Spokane alone features 19 public splash pads, from the iconic Rotary Fountain in Riverfront Park to complex, interactive facilities at larger parks like Shadle and Manito. There are even simpler splash zones at small neighborhood parks like Grandview and Friendship. All city splash pads are set to open by June 16, operating through Sept. 2. Visit spokaneparks.org for a complete list.
Urban life meets nature along the Gorge Loop. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
The Little Spokane is much calmer than its “big” sibling.
WATER
CRUISE WITH FOOD
Dinner and a show is a classic way to do date night. Expand your definition of “show” this summer by allowing Mother Nature to take the stage. Daily sunset dinner cruises from Lake Coeur d’Alene Cruises feature an expansive menu including roast beef, Northwest salmon, baked potatoes, salads, veggies and dessert options. Diners are treated to glistening lake vistas as the sun slowly drops toward the majestic mountains of North Idaho. The two-hour cruises depart nightly at 7:30 pm through Sept. 1 before moving up to 6 pm for the rest of the season. Adult tickets cost $83.75; youth and senior discounts are available, while kids five and under get in for free. Visit cdacruises.com to book.
LAZY RIVER
Spokane’s establishment way back in 1873 was largely due to the powerful potential of the roaring river flowing through what’s now the heart of the city. Over the length of the Spokane River’s 11-mile course, however, it’s not just rapids and falls. Areas of calm water with relatively safe (it’s still a flowing river, so always take care on the water) swimming holes and paddleboarding stretches can be found. Boulder Beach by Camp Sekani, “the islands” near Plante’s Ferry and Gateway Regional Park at Stateline are all popular places to take a dip. Downstream of downtown, the aptly named Plese Flats in Riverside State Park is a destination for paddleboarders of all skill levels.
HOME ON THE WATER
Washington’s largest lake, Lake Roosevelt, stretches along the Columbia River from Grand Coulee Dam almost all the way to Canada. It even includes the farthest downstream section of the Spokane River. One of the best ways to experience those 150 miles of water is from a houseboat.
Multiple companies offer houseboat rentals on Lake Roosevelt at Kettle Falls, Keller Marina and Seven Bays. Larger houseboats can sleep up to 14 people, making them an excellent choice for getaways with extended family. Smaller ones in the sixbed range are more suited for a weekend adventure with friends.
Unsurprisingly, renting a houseboat isn’t the most affordable way to get out on the water. Multiday rentals quickly climb into the multi-thousand dollar range. Fortunately, they’re meant to host large groups which makes splitting the expense much more affordable. Don’t wait too long to book one if this is something you want to experience this summer as rentals are already unavailable some weeks.
SLIDE ON IN
Combining the thrill of an amusement park with the cool refreshment of a pool, water parks are a surefire hit on a hot summer day. Each of the City of Spokane’s six aquatic centers now feature water slides, as do both of the Spokane County-run aquatic centers, as well as one in the City of Spokane Valley. For kids of all ages, privately owned facilities like Splash Down in the Valley, Triple Play in Hayden, Silver Mountain in Kellogg and of course Silverwood Theme Park’s Boulder Beach offer more of an adrenaline-pumping experience. Almost all of our regional water parks are outdoors, but Triple Play and Silver Mountain are year-round, indoor facilities. During the summer months that may not seem like a perk, but you’ll want to remember them when you’re looking for a cool activity on one of those nearly inevitable smoke-choked days. n
Enjoy dinner on the water at sunset during a cruise around Lake Coeur d’Alene. COURTESY PHOTO
KICK OFF THE SUMMER
BRIT FLOYD
JULY 26 · FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER
BARRY MANILOW
JULY 11 · SPOKANE ARENA
THOMAS RHETT
SEPTEMBER 18 · SPOKANE ARENA
GREAT OUTDOOR COMEDY FESTIVAL
AUGUST 22 & 23 · ONE SPOKANE STADIUM
A Swim-sational Season Sensational
Summertime is always better when you’re in the water
BY COLTON RASANEN
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had an annoying love-hate relationship with the summer. Really, it’s a comical cycle of me basking in the glorious sunshine until I’m drenched in sweat and bitter because of it.
That’s not to say I hate being wet, in fact, I love being wet. (Get your mind out of the gutter.) Swimming is one of the best reprieves from the intense heat, and it’s something that I’ve done a lot in my life.
For years, my family camped out at Lake Nahwatzel, south of Olympic National Forest, for the Fourth of July weekend, and each morning I would wake up bright and early with my swim trunks on, ready to jump into the water and stay there most of the day. And when I stayed a week at my grandparents’ house during summer break, I’d wake up as early as I could each morning to go to the YMCA with my Papa. Those mornings were a lawless time where I could play around much more than I swam.
Once I was a teen, my best friend Krystal and I frequented the Lewisville Regional Park and swam in the East Fork Lewis River from April to September. One time we even braved the frigid rapids in October. (It was not a great time, but it’s fun to write about now!)
It’s not just that I love swimming, I’ve always felt this
innate pull toward the water. One of my favorite Disney channel movies growing up was The Thirteenth Year, a coming-of-age story about a boy who’s really a mermaid. And whenever I watched shows like H2O: Just Add Water or Avatar: The Last Airbender, I imagined that I, too, could control this life-giving element.
There’s even family lore about a 3-year-old Colton, who yearned for the sea so much he bolted from his family and raced down the Ocean Shores beach before being apprehended by one of his uncles.
However, I can’t be that surprised. This liquid longing is clearly something that’s been etched into my bones. Both of my parents, and their parents before them, grew up in Grays Harbor County, braving the icy waves of the Pacific Ocean and the swift currents of the Wynoochee and Satsop rivers that flow into the Chehalis.
Despite all that, by the time I moved to Spokane in the summer of 2023, I hadn’t been swimming in more than a year. It was a sad realization, but last summer, I was lucky enough to find a few places to get wet in the Spokane River. (None of which I will name here to ensure I can continue to find parking.) n
Make Waves This Summer
Breathe in the view, dine by the water, and unwind—your summer escape is closer than you think.
Nestled right on the river, our beautiful hotel offers:
• Stunning river views
• Private guest beach
• Exceptional riverside dining
• Pet-friendly accommodations
• Elegant wedding & party venue
• Spacious banquet & meeting rooms
Whether you’re planning a weekend escape, hosting an event, or just soaking up the sun on our scenic patio — this is where unforgettable memories are made.
Stay close to nature. Stay close to everything.
JOIN US FOR SUMMER FUN AT MARINA 33!
Every Thursday evening from 6pm - 9pm
Sammy Eubanks- Live
Beachfront Bar featuring expertly crafted cocktails
Outcasts Food truck / Fire-roasted pizzas
Family friendly atmosphere!
Sip, Savor and Soak up the Sunshine!
NOW! 24’-100’. Water, power, and covered slips. Choose your slip and explore the lake’s 600 miles of shoreline this summer.
Two Rivers Marina on beautiful Lake Roosevelt has boat moorage available
Lake
• Lake Pend Oreille is the largest lake in Idaho at 43 miles long, and up to 1,150 feet deep — making it the fifth-deepest in the nation.
Sandpoint City Dock Saturday, July 12 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Pend Oreille
• The southern tip is home to Farragut State Park, formerly the Farragut Naval Training Station during World War II, of which a small part is still active and conducts U.S. Navy acoustic underwater submarine research.
So many events, so little time. This summer, be sure to carve out time for the amazing events happening in beautiful Sandpoint, Idaho. Our town’s arts and entertainment calendar reaches full bloom in the sunny months. The Festival at Sandpoint, pictured, features eight mainstage concerts with nationally renowned touring musicians playing under the stars alongside
POAC Art Walk - June 13-30
Sandpoint Renaissance Faire - June 28-29
Antique & Classic Boat Show - July 11 NW Wine Fest at Schweitzer - July 19-20
Festival at Sandpoint - July 24-Aug 3
Bonner County Rodeo - Aug 1-2
POAC Arts & Crafts Fair - Aug 9-10 Fall Fest at Schweitzer - Aug 29-Sept 1
Lake Pend Oreille. Other big events happen weekly, June through August, both in town and on Schweitzer mountain. Pair an event (or two!) with our stellar hiking, biking, lake play, fine dining and craft winery and breweries for a truly memorable getaway. Get all the complete event calendars and information at VisitSandpoint.com. We’ll see you here!
Photo by Racheal Baker
Priest Lake
• Huckleberry picking is a favorite pastime for both humans and the local bear population.
Huckleberries
Ripe huckleberries can be found starting in June. — Priest Lake is the perfect location for a camping/picking excursion!
Huckleberry
ROAD TRIPS
There’s tons to explore around the region this summer that’s only a drive away
BY AZARIA PODPLESKY
Perhaps one of the best things about road trips is how customizable they are. You choose the destination, the duration, the tunes, the snacks — everything. While there’s plenty to do within an hour or two of Spokane, we’re lucky to have just about every locale imaginable in the Inland Northwest, from big cities to small towns, farms to forests, and mountains to waterfalls. With this in mind, don’t be afraid to set your sights, and GPS, a little farther from home as you begin planning your summer road trips. Now buckle up, and hit the road!
PERUSE THE PALOUSE
Sometimes the journey really is the destination, especially when the journey includes multiple potential pit stops along the way. With the Palouse Scenic Byway, you can plan day trips throughout the summer or make a grand adventure of it as you stop by the towns that make the Palouse the Palouse: Colfax, Colton, Dusty, Fairfield, Garfield, LaCrosse, Latah, Oakesdale, Palouse, Pullman, Rockford, Rosalia, Tekoa and Uniontown.
In Colfax, see the Codger Pole, a 65-foot-tall chainsaw sculpture by Jonathan LaBenne that commemorates the 1988 rematch between the Colfax Bulldogs and St. John’s Eagles football players who played in a highly contested 1938 game. Or there’s St. Gall Catholic Church, which was built in 1905 and features original stained glass windows, in Colton.
Admire the views while passing through the small farming communities of Dusty and Fairfield before stopping by the McCroskey House in Garfield, once the home of R.C. McCroskey, who served in the Washington Senate in the late 1800s.
Fish for rainbow trout in Pampa Pond near LaCrosse, or admire the views from the top of Steptoe Butte. Help raise funds for the McCoy Museum in Oakesdale during Old Mills Day (July 11-12) with bingo, a pancake feed, fun run, parade and more.
Hike Kamiak Butte near Palouse, and experience the Wazzu spirit in Pullman. Learn a little something at the Pioneer, Military and Farm museums in Rockford, or at the Steptoe Battlefield State Park Heritage Site in Rosalia.
Finally, catch a concert, play or community event in Tekoa at the restored art deco Empire Theatre, which originally opened in 1940, or get artsy yourself while taking a class at the Artisans at the Dahmen Barn in Uniontown.
The Palouse is a dreamy place to drive through, especially when the sun hits those rolling hills just right, but it can become even more magical when you take the time to get off the road and into the communities.
The rolling Palouse hills transform in the golden glow of a summer sunset.
NORTH TO NELSON
For a road trip that feels like a true getaway but doesn’t require a ton of planning and booking airfare months in advance, head north to Nelson, British Columbia, about three-and-a-half hours from Spokane.
If you’re the type to hit the ground running as soon as you get to your vacation spot, there are recreational opportunities galore in Nelson, including day hikes and multiday excursions, tennis and pickleball, fishing and paddleboarding on Kootenay Lake, and both indoor and outdoor climbing.
Those looking to stay a little closer to the city can spend their trip browsing Nelson’s art galleries and museums, including the Nelson Museum, Archives and Gallery and the Nelson International Mural Festival (Aug. 8-10). There are also shops selling everything from toys and books to antiques, clothing and home goods as well as outdoor markets throughout the summer.
You can also take a leisurely stroll around town, admiring more than 350 heritage buildings or visiting iconic locations from Roxanne, the 1987 movie starring Steve Martin and Daryl Hannah, which was filmed in Nelson.
At the end of your stay, tack on a 40-minute drive to Ainsworth Hot Springs, the perfect place to relax those sore muscles after making the most of your time in Nelson.
SOLSTICE AT STONEHENGE
Three miles from the Maryhill Museum of Art in Goldendale, just under four hours from Spokane, stands a full-scale replica of Stonehenge built by museum founder Sam Hill in dedication to the servicemen of Klickitat County who died during World War I. Overlooking the Columbia River, the Stonehenge Memorial is a worthy destination any time of year, but Maryhill Museum’s Solstice at Stonehenge makes the trip extra special.
On June 20, campers ($95-$120 for a campsite of up to four people) can spend time in the museum — which houses an impressive collection of Rodin works alongside art and personal items from Queen Marie of Romania — after it closes to the public. Then they’ll craft their own luminarias, participate in breathwork, movement and meditation, and enjoy music and storytelling.
After a night camping on the museum’s Great Lawn, attendees travel to the Stonehenge Memorial at sunrise for a ceremony with a self-described druid priest and a chance to set intentions and give thanks for the day. The museum’s cafe will be open for breakfast, and campers will have another opportunity to explore the museum.
THURSDAY & SUNDAYEVENINGS
Nelson is a great weekend trip destination from Spokane.
Explore the mini Stonehenge replica at Maryhill Museum in Goldendale.
ROAD TRIPS
CHASING WATERFALLS
I love a themed road trip, and one with beautiful sites along the way is even better. If you feel the same, consider chasing waterfalls around the Pacific Northwest. Perhaps the most obvious — after our very own Spokane Falls, that is — is Palouse Falls, a 200-foot waterfall in LaCrosse. (Note: All trails into the canyons and base of the falls are permanently closed.)
If your summer plans take you west to Mount Rainier National Park, Comet Falls, a 300-foot waterfall, awaits. A National Park Pass is needed for entry.
It only takes about a half-mile trek to get to Bridal Veil Falls, a short drive east of Portland, making it perfect for those looking for a light adventure. Just down the road, hikers can check Multnomah Falls, a 620-foot beauty, off their list. A timed use permit is required for Multnomah Falls.
In Idaho, travel the Pend Oreille Scenic Byway to the 50-foot Char Falls in the Kaniksu National Forest, or take in Copper Falls, just 2 miles shy of the Canadian border. Along the route to the 225-foot waterfall are 15 nature trail stations that discuss local flora and fauna. Finally, Myrtle Falls and Snow Creek Falls are just 14 minutes apart, outside Bonners Ferry. Stop by on the way to or from Copper Falls for a full-day adventure.
‘LANDING’ IN UMATILLA
On Oct. 24, 1864, Umatilla, two-and-a-half hours from Spokane, was incorporated in Oregon. More than 150 years later, Umatilla Landing Days celebrates the oldest Eastern Oregon community still in existence. The day (June 28) begins with a parade at 10 am before the festival opens at 11 am, offering a car show, a kids carnival and entertainment, including live music, martial arts, Big Top the Clown, a salsa contest (the food, not the dance) and the Miss Landing Days Pageant, on two stages. Umatilla Landing Days ends with a fireworks show at 10 pm. Parking and admission are free. Head to umatillalandingdays.org for details.
SOUNDS OF SUMMER
You might not have the time or money to follow your favorite band on tour this summer, but you can still make a musical road trip happen thanks to the Artisans at the Dahmen Barn’s Summer Concert Series in Uniontown, an hour and a half from Spokane. This summer’s lineup features country and classic rock, country barn dance, folk, bluegrass and covers from The Lukenbills (July 12), Bridges Home (Aug. 16), Homebrew String Band (Aug. 17), Cowboy Justice (July 18), The Senders (Aug. 29) and Paradox (Sept. 6). Concerts will be held outside, weather permitting. Shows are $15; start times vary. Visit artisanbarn.org for the complete schedule.
LIONS & TIGERS & BISON… OH MY!
You don’t have to drive far for a big adventure, especially if there’s an animal lover in your family or friend group. At Win-tur Bison Farm, about an hour northwest of Spokane in Springdale, sign up for a guided tour of the farm, which includes a chance to meet and feed the bison. Tours run Saturdays and Sundays through July 27 by reservation only; book at winturbisonfarm.com.
A little closer to Spokane in Mead, Cat Tales Wildlife Center (above) is home to black bears, tigers, wolfdogs and more “wild ambassadors” — a perfect day trip for the aspiring zookeeper in your life. Cat Tales (cattales.org) is open Tuesdays through Sundays through Oct. 31.
WINGS OVER WENATCHEE
Celebrate Wenatchee’s place in aviation history with more than 60 airplanes, exhibitors, food trucks and Japanese cultural activities during Pangborn’s Festival of Flight on June 21. The festival is named for Clyde Pangborn, who, with Hugh Herndon on Oct. 3, 1931, left Misawa, Japan, to fly Miss Veedol across the ocean in the first nonstop, trans-Pacific flight. Forty-one hours later, the duo made it to Wenatchee, two and a half hours from Spokane. If you’re in town June 20, you can catch the festival kick event, a screening of The Goonies at the airport ramp. Learn more at flywenatchee.com. n
Palouse Falls offers majestic views.
Sensational Summer Sensational Summer
Don’t Knock Day Trips
Small adventures can make for big summer memories
BY AZARIA PODPLESKY
For last year’s Summer Guide, I wrote an essay about having, and appreciating, a simple summer as work and grad school kept me close to home. I spent a few days visiting my sister in Seattle during my short spring and summer breaks, but otherwise spent my limited free time reading and being out and about in my neighborhood.
Earlier this year, with grad school behind me, I started thinking about what this summer would look like. I knew budget-wise a big trip was out of the question, but I still wanted to make up for my lack of adventures last year.
This was in the back of my mind when, in May, a freelance assignment took me to the Maryhill Museum of Art in Goldendale for the first time (read more on the museum’s Solstice at Stonehenge event
drive to the museum, I realized I was having the kind of adventure I hoped I would have this summer, one that brought new sights and experiences my way, all without leaving the state.
I had the chance to admire the patchwork of browns and greens that make up most of Eastern Washington’s landscape, as well as a few new-to-me towns the trip took me through, plus I got to have the Columbia River and the Washington-Oregon border as travel companions for the last hour of the trip.
Once I arrived at the museum’s campus, I stared in awe at the snow-capped Mount Hood in the distance and at a bald eagle that soared overhead just minutes after I stepped out of my car. All that beauty before I had even set foot into the museum, itself a destination more than worthy of the lengthy trip down.
Stonehenge Memorial, I couldn’t help but think it was serendipitous to be assigned to write the Road Trips section of this year’s Summer Guide. I had been looking for just that — a guide for how I could make the most of my summer with little more than a craving for an adventure and a full tank of gas — and, through my research for the section, I ended up with a list of ideas for trips that would satisfy my desire to explore without breaking the bank or, if I’m being honest, taking me away from my cats for too long.
It’s easy to put pressure on yourself to have the perfect summer, but “perfect” doesn’t have to mean extravagant. Getting back from Goldendale made me realize that even small adventures can be sensational, and I’m already looking forward to the next time I can head off in a new direction and see where the road
Summer Calendar of Events
JUNE
JUNE
JULY
JULY 3 Independence Night with Fireworks, Stateline Speedway
JULY 12-14 Post Falls Festival & Parade
JULY 16 River City Market & Music with Royale
JULY 23 River City Market and Music with the Last Chance Band
JULY 25 Idaho 200, Stateline Speedway
JULY 29 Stage Takeover: Jessie Leigh
JULY 31 Block Party, Up North Distillery
AUG 1 Monster Truck Summer Nationals, Stateline Speedway
AUG 3 Post Falls Triathlon, Q’emiln Park
AUG 5 Chase Rice, Stateline Speedway
AUG 6 River City Market & Music with Nu Jack City
AUG 12 Stage Takeover: Evan Denlinger, The Club at Prairie Falls
AUG 13 River City Market and Music with Payton Rae
AUG 15-24 North Idaho State Fair
AUG 19 Stage Takeover: Devon Wade Band, The Club at Prairie Falls
AUG 20 River City Market and Music with Rhythm Dawgs
AUG 23
AUG
SEP
SEP
SEP
FALLS IDAHO
& SURROUNDING AREA
Wednesday Nights
July 16-Aug 20
Post Falls Landing 305 W 4th Ave
Post Falls
7/16 Royale Multi-genre
7/23 Last Chance Band Country Rock
7/30 The Spins Multi-genre
8/6 Nu Jack City Soul RnB
8/13 Payton Rae Country
8/20 Rhythm Dawgs Dance Band
SATURDAY
kids & Families
Find fun for the entire family across the Inland Northwest this summer break
BY COLTON RASANEN
As adults, most of us have realized that the summer is just that hot part of the year that we’ve still got to work through. For kids, however, the few months of vacation they get between school years is brimming with potential.
Yet, when the possibilities are endless, filling summer break with fun for your family can feel like a tall order. Don’t fret, we here at the Inlander have some ideas to make this summer memorable.
DAY* AT THE MUSEUM
While it’s inadvisable to reenact the popular Night at the Museum movie franchise with your kids, we do recommend making a visit to any Inland Northwest museum during the operating hours. It’s a fun time filled with lots of local history, and it supports these institutions in a time when the Trump administration is clawing back already-allocated funding for the humanities and the arts.
Last month, Idaho Humanities Council Executive Director David Pettyjohn told the Inlander that aside from voicing support for the arts and humanities to lawmakers, the best way to show support is just to show up.
“Visit your local library, visit your local museum, visit your local historical society,” Pettyjohn said.
There are a bunch of museums in the region, each with different specialties and stories to tell.
If you’re looking for a traditional museum experience that gets at the history of the surrounding region, you might try the Museum of North Idaho in Coeur d’Alene. Its main gallery details the Panhandle’s history, including information on the Missoula Floods, Fort Sherman, and the region’s formational logging and mining industries. Or drive west for about an
hour, and you’ll find more historical information and artifacts documenting Eastern Washington’s history at the Lincoln County Museum in Davenport.
There are also a bunch of museums that focus on science and technology. Mobius Discovery Center, which is next door to Spokane City Hall, is a place to spark curiosity about science through hands-on exhibits, such as its annual Shark Day (July 30) where attendees can watch the dissection of a real shark. Learn all about trains at the Inland Northwest Rail Museum in Reardan, or take a deep dive into planes at the Bird Aviation Museum & Invention Center in Hayden.
And if your family is more interested in the arts, the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture is where you need to go. Tucked away inside Spokane’s Browne’s Addition neighborhood, the MAC has been around for more than a century. Its current exhibition “Fire: Rebirth and Resilience,” which tells the story of the fire that destroyed most of downtown Spokane in 1889 and the way fire has continued to shape the region, shows through the entire summer. Read more on page 26 about the MAC’s marquee summer art exhibition, Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight.
Summer learning is disguised by fun at Mobius Discovery Center.
PHOTO COURTESY MOBIUS
EXPLORE NORTH IDAHO
Looking for the perfect place for a day trip (or even a weekend getaway) with the family? Consider exploring North Idaho. Between the small towns filled with charm, the picturesque landscape of the Selkirk Mountains surrounding the state’s largest body of water, Lake Pend Oreille, and a beloved amusement park practically in the middle of nowhere, it’s easy to find something to enjoy in Idaho’s Panhandle.
Take advantage of Lake Pend Oreille Cruises’ summer offerings, including a daily afternoon trip around the lake filled with regional history and a sunset cruise that brings attendees to an area where bald eagles and their eaglets can be seen in nests.
If you’d rather view the scenery on land, make your way west of Bonner’s Ferry to see the Myrtle Creek Falls. The hike to the viewpoint is less than a mile, so it won’t be too rigorous for younger kids.
But if you’d rather see buildings and businesses and people instead of landscapes, a day trip to Sandpoint would be ideal. (Note: You’ll still see some landscapes.) Grab a quick bite at the Marigold Bistro for breakfast, and then spend the rest of the morning enjoying the sights from Sandpoint City Beach Park. Then lunch at Burger Dock before exploring the locally owned shops and art galleries downtown to finish the afternoon.
When everything else fails to impress the family, a trip to Silverwood Theme Park is always a safe bet.
USE YOUR IMAGINATION
Once August hits and kids have done everything they dreamed about in those final school days of June, summer break can begin to feel like a bore. However, when the boredom kicks in and you’re not quite sure what to do, just impart this age-old wisdom: “Use your imagination.”
Technically this can be done at home, but if you’re hoping to get the kids out of the house the Spokane County Library District is hosting an in-person and virtual RPG Adventures session on Aug. 5 geared towards the older kids (age 13-17) in your family. Adventurers will trudge through oneshot campaigns in a variety of RPG systems, such as Critical Core, Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set, or Magical Kitties. No experience is required for this free event.
BASEBALL HAT GIVEAWAY NIGHT!
Tuesday, June 17th at 6:35pm vs.
Arrive early for this one! Gates open at 5:35pm. The first 1,000 fans and all STCU Gold Glove Members in attendance will receive a FREE Spokane Indians Baseball hat courtesy of Pepsi and The Inlander!
Presented
by:
kids & Families
TAKE A DIP
When the day is just too hot to think about anything else, a trip to the local pool might be the best option. Luckily there are many public options in the Spokane area. Spokane County Parks, Recreation & Golf operates two aquatic centers, one on the upper South Hill and the other in Colbert, with daily open swim hours. Reserve pool time for less than $10 at spokanecounty.gov/1644/Aquatics.
Spokane Parks & Recreation also operates six of its own pools across the city, each offering daily hours of open swim time for those who’ve signed up for a free SplashPass. Sign up for one at spokaneparks.org.
Both city and county pools open for the season on June 16 and offer private and group swim lessons starting at $58 per session.
GET CREATIVE
It’s never too early to teach kids about art and the summer break might just be the best time to do it. Lots of local organizations host monthly and weekly art clubs and classes for youth. In Coeur d’Alene, Emerge gallery hosts a whole bunch of youth and teen pottery classes. Starting on June 16, teens and pretreens (ages 12-15) will meet each Monday for four weeks to learn about the slab-building pottery technique. And beginning June 17, kids (ages 8-11) meet each Tuesday for a similar four-week course where they’ll learn to work with clay and make pinch pots.
In Spokane and surrounding Eastern Washington there are a lot of free options for art. For those with little tykes, Create Arts Center in Newport hosts Tots Messy Art classes for children age 7 and under each Wednesday from 10 am-noon. Make sure to sign up in advance for these classes. Each Friday, youth and their families meet at Kendall Yards’ Spark Central for Art Club from 4-6 pm. And on the second Thursday of each month, Art Salvage Spokane teaches kids about art basics in its Hands On: Workshop for Little Makers. This event requires a $10 entry fee.
BALLPARK BLAST
Attending a Spokane Indians game is a staple for summers in the Inland Northwest. Beyond the fun of watching America’s favorite pastime in action, the Indians host exciting events and promotions at each home game — many of which are perfect for youth. On July 5, travel through time as prehistoric creatures come to life on the field for Jurassic Ballpark Night; and on July 12, Avista Stadium turns into a royal kingdom where fairytale princesses roam freely. Little princes and princesses are encouraged to wear their own elegant regalia. Then on Aug. 2, beloved icon Bluey, the cute blue heeler from the eponymous cartoon greets and takes photos with interested kiddos. Head to milb.com/spokane for the complete schedule and to purchase tickets. n
Otto and friends make family night at the ballpark super fun! ERICK DOXEY PHOTO
Learn pottery skills and more at Emerge in Coeur d’Alene. PHOTO COURTESY EMERGE Public pools are easy to find around the Spokane area.
JULY 24
NEON TREES
JULY 25
SIERRA FERRELL
WITH THE BRUDI BROTHERS
JULY 26
TOAD THE WET SPROCKET
WITH THE JAYHAWKS & SIXPENCE NONE THE RICHER
JULY 27
THIRD EYE BLIND
WITH SNACKS AT MIDNIGHT
JULY 31
BROTHERS OSBORNE
AUGUST 1 KANSAS
WITH VIKA & THE VELVETS
AUGUST 2 DISPATCH
W/ JOHN BUTLER (WITH BAND)
G. LOVE & SPECIAL SAUCE DONAVON FRANKENREITER
AUGUST 3
GRAND FINALE
SOUNDS OF SUMMER
Gather. Relax. Explore.
From restaurants to live music, trails to stunning sunsets, there are plenty of ways to enjoy company with others.
Local-based businesses that provide the day-today convenient services for our community.
For over 150 years, Liberty Lake has been a place for people to gather. As our community continues to grow, we want to provide both residents and visitors with an array of homegrown businesses which source local food, offer local products and support local families.
SCAN HERE TO LEARN MORE
As Liberty Lake’s newest retail corridor, NoLL is taking shape with restaurants, services and shops, now open and more on the way, to support the community and beyond.
Trails, parks and open spaces only steps away from popular amenites.
SERVICES
DINING & DRINKS
3 Ninjas
Emrys Fermentation Brewery & Meadery
New Love Coffee
Sweet Annie’s Artisan Creamery
Tamale Box COMING SOON
The Grain Shed COMING SOON
Versalia Pizza
Avanta Dental
Liberty Lake Children’s Academy
Liberty Lake Fitness
Maverick’s Mens Hair
Red Rock Property Management
Rockwood Property Management
Spokane Business Attorneys
The Design Studio by Greenstone
Tried & True Loft
WELCOME TO ENRICHED LIVING & LASTING VALUE
River District residents enjoy walking access to miles of trail and open spaces, parks, schools and local businesses in Noll Business District. To foster an economically and socially diverse community of residents, our new homes and apartments come in all shapes and sizes to suit your unique lifestyle.
The Great INDOORS The Great INDOORS
Beat the summer heat with these cool indoor activities across the region
BY MADISON PEARSON
In 1902, an American engineer named Willis Carrier invented the modern-day electric air conditioner. He created it for a publishing company in Brooklyn, New York, so its paper dimensions and ink alignment would be consistent throughout the seasons.
Now, air conditioning is in nearly every modern building, providing much-needed respite for those among us who prefer to stay out of the sun and in the chilly, air-conditioned comfort of the indoors during the summer months. We should all say, “Thank you, Mr. Carrier,” for without him, there may not be properly aligned text on Inlander pages or a way to escape the pervasive summer heat.
CHECK IT OUT
The Inland Northwest’s hottest club is your local library. This place has everything: books, exercise classes, educational workshops, clubs to join, opportunities for people of all ages to express themselves. No matter your summer goal, it’s almost guaranteed that one of the region’s many local library systems will have an activity on its calendar for you.
While summer is often viewed as a break from school or education, it’s also the perfect time to gain knowledge and feed your passions. Hone your writing skills with local author and library education specialist Sharma Shields at her monthly Write Together workshops at Spokane Public Library branches, during which she offers expert advice to budding writers.
Or head to the North Spokane Library for Maker Open Hours in The Lab every Friday from 10 am to 5 pm to use any of the library’s equipment like the Glowforge laser printer,
a sewing machine, a Cricut and tons of other stuff at your disposal all for the low, low price of $0.
Looking to achieve some fitness goals this summer, but don’t want to worry about sunburns or heat stroke? Local library branches offer tons of fun indoor workout classes throughout the year. The Coeur d’Alene Public Library offers tai chi and qi gong classes every Tuesday at 9:30 am and yoga classes every Monday and Friday at 9:30 am.
If you want to have some fun while also breaking a sweat, the Shadle Park Library offers a weekly line dancing class every Saturday at 10:30 am, designed for all ages and fitness levels.
Or, go the traditional route by using your magical library card to check out books from your closest library branch, or digitally through the Libby app, to expand your knowledge the old-fashioned way.
Our public libraries offer so much more than books to read this summer! COURTESY SPOKANE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Level Up
Level Up at These Engaging Events
FOR KIDS & TEENS
• Science & Play: Bubblemania
• Build Your Own Board Game
• Hebocon 2025: The Junky Robot Competition
• LEGO Stop-Motion Studio
• RPG Adventures FOR ADULTS
• Tree Identification Walks
• Wilderness & Urban Survival Sessions
• Outdoor Painting Meetups
Check out all our summer programs at ww w.scld.org/engage
Online Summer Reading Challenge
FOR ALL AGES
This reading challenge is for everyone—adults, families, teens, kids, and even infants!
Track your summer reading and complete activities to earn badges.
Kids and teens can choose a new book to keep when they sign up and can read for 300 minutes to earn a ticket to a professional soccer match, both while supplies last.
Sign up at scld.beanstack.org/reader365
The Great INDOORS The Great INDOORS
NERD OUT
No need to book a plane ticket if you want to embark on an adventure this summer — the fantasy world is right at your fingertips.
Local establishments like Bear Totem, Sage’s Portal, Merlyn’s, The Gamer’s Haven, Natural 20 Brewing Co., Uncle’s Games, The Comic Book Shop and even regional libraries offer Dungeons & Dragons leagues and tables for players of all skill levels. Don’t worry if you don’t have a regular group to play with — just hop in a game and befriend some fellow D&D enthusiasts this summer.
Along with D&D fun, game shops often host board game nights, trivia competitions, Pokémon and other TCG (trading card games, that is) nights, so keep an eye out on websites and social media for special events hosted by these awesome local places as well. You never know what will happen in the nerd world.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
You never know what treasures the thrift has in store...
BOARD, NOT BORED
Ever wandered into a thrift store and seen the mountains upon mountains of board games stacked in a far corner? The sheer amount is typically staggering, but the fun part comes when you look closer.
You’ll most likely find several regular editions of Monopoly, but thrift stores often have the most esoteric editions of board games that you’ve never seen before. Seinfeld Monopoly, One Direction Monopoly, the Clue version of Guess Who. Nothing is off the table.
The best finds are board games you couldn’t conjure if you tried. For example, there’s Guts of Glory, in which players have survived an apocalypse and are having an eating contest. Each player has a board representing their mouth and must “eat” the most spectacular foods to win. Huh
Check local thrift stores like Global Neighborhood, Value Village, Goodwill and others to see what you can find. Just make sure you check that all of the pieces are there before purchasing. Save your board game find for a record-breaking day of heat or a night in with friends and family this summer.
ARTIN’ AROUND
Spokane is known for basketball, yes, but our region’s creative community is something to be extremely proud of.
Along with the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture and Gonzaga’s Jundt Museum, Spokane is home to a plethora of smaller art galleries that consistently showcase the city’s incredible cache of visual artists. Terrain Gallery’s summer lineup includes a group exhibition featuring Krista Brand, Bradd Skubinna, Val Wahl and Cyn Short in July, abstract mixed media paintings by Emily Somoskey in August, and new photographic work by Josh Hobson in September to round out the summer shows.
Entropy Gallery’s unique circular space in the Parkade building always makes for a fun display. Catch Margaret Mount’s mixed media work on the walls through June. You can also view art from tons of local artists at dozens of local venues like Indaba Coffee Roasters, Barrister Winery, Helix Wines, the Symons Block and more during Spokane’s monthly First Friday celebrations. Dates this summer are July 4, Aug. 1 and Sept. 5. See firstfridayspokane.org for a full monthly schedule.
Coeur d’Aleners will be thrilled to hear about the opening of the new J. Rome Gallery on Sherman Avenue’s main drag. Local oil painter Jaime Rome Crain’s gallery grand opening on June 20 from 5-8 pm will give art lovers a taste of her unique, warm style and a look into what’s to come from the new space. Learn more at jromegallery.com.
SCORE!
Though most sports take place outdoors this time of year, it’s nice to beat the heat every once in a while by finding a way to stay active while also keeping cool.
Pattison’s North and Roller Valley are the go-to local spots for anyone looking to tear up the hardwood on roller skates this summer. Both establishments have adult skate nights, family nights and sessions for homeschooled kids.
If you picked up a golf habit recently, you’ll be happy to know that there’s never been a better time to catch the golf bug. Head to one of Spokane’s many indoor golf lounges to feed your need to swing.
Golf District in Five Mile has 10 premium simulators and a killer food menu. Plus, they’re always playing the current tournament on TV. With locations in downtown Spokane and Spokane Valley, Swing Lounge is the perfect place to practice, take a lesson and swing out of your shoes for the hell of it.
The Wonder Building’s newest addition comes in the form of the Wonderground Golf Lounge & Liquor Bar, which combines the classiness of a swanky bar with the rowdy fun of the 19th hole with its three aboutGOLF simulators. Golf Island has locations in both the Country Homes area of North Spokane as well as Coeur d’Alene, so you can play games on coveted courses on their simulators no matter where you live. You can also work on your putting at Flatstick Pub while enjoying a brew or two to get that authentic golf experience without the greens fees.
If you’re not ready to tackle a real crag, our region has a few indoor climbing gyms like Wild Walls, Bloc Yard and Coeur Climbing Company Most offer day passes, but if you have a friend who’s a member, ask to use their free guest pass!
Finally, head to Flight 509 if you’re looking for a multi-activity, fun-filled day burning some energy. They’ve got it all: a ropes course, mini bowling, laser tag, an arcade, a ball pit and even a Ninja Warrior obstacle course. Kiddos will probably remember it as the best day of their lives. n
YOU JUST WIN HERE
From exciting slot play and table games to upscale hotel rooms, fine dining, and live enertainment at Spokane Live, every moment here is built around you. You just win here, and we can’t wait to show you why.
Flight 509 in Spokane Valley will keep anyone busy for hours. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO
GALLERY HOURS 11:30am-5:30pm Wed-Sat 204 E Main Ave Chewelah • 509.936.9181 • trailsendgallery@yahoo.com Custom Jewelry & Repair by Appointment
Sensational Summer Sensational Summer
Revived Radiance
Summers as an adult look different, but child-like joy is still there if you search for it
BY MADISON PEARSON
My hometown doesn’t have a stoplight. There are no fast food restaurants or chain grocery stores — just open fields, a lake and plenty of time to kill.
As soon as the final bell rang on the last day of school, the town was immediately overrun with sticky, overexcited children looking to make the most of summer vacation. We ran out of the school’s front doors with the ferocity of lions.
We biked around Medical Lake daily, walked the length of the town four times over and stayed out past our bedtimes trying to squeeze every last second of the seemingly never-setting summer sun’s warmth out of the day.
The allure of summer quickly faded once I graduated high school. Gone were the days of running around town with friends, our feet hitting miles of hot pavement and our shoulders blushing red by day’s end.
Instead of promising relaxation and time away from life’s stressors, summer now came with newfound responsibility and chasing the perfect start to adulthood.
Rather than reading a book a day, playing four square in the driveway or playing with Pokémon cards on my front porch, I was taking rigorous college classes and working long hours at an exhausting job. The sun had set on carefree summers.
The heat was overwhelming, the sun was
too bright, and my love for summer had vanished — now just another season in life.
I spent time indoors, reveling in the respite from the heat and cherishing my alone time, but felt like I was letting down my childhood self by wasting precious time. I searched for ways to rekindle my love for my past passions. I picked up golf again. Long gone were the days of high school tournaments and posting halfway decent scores, but as an adult, I was able to appreciate being out in nature. Every errant shot was an excuse to take a short walk, admire the beauty of verdant grass, native plants and the fresh Inland Northwest air.
Instead of reading a book on the couch, I drove to Finch Arboretum and sat under the shade of the ginkgo trees while I flipped pages. The hum of the air conditioner was replaced by rustling leaves and a babbling creek. The trees’ fan-shaped leaves would often fall onto the pages of my open book, a reminder that I was alone, yes, but in the right place at the right time.
Summer as an adult still comes with responsibility, but it also comes with new priorities. It took me a few years to figure it out, but I no longer dread the warm breeze that comes in early May, signaling the changing of the seasons. In fact, I now dread the changing of the leaves in late September, signaling the end of my summer well-spent. n
THEATER
Enjoy blockbuster musicals, one-act plays, Shakespeare under the skies and plenty more live theater
BY E.J. IANNELLI
Summer is often seen as a time for escape. You might take the day off work to hike a local trail or leave town altogether on a weeklong vacation. Theater’s live performances can give us that sense of escape, too, transporting us not only to different places but to entirely different eras and experiences. For two or three hours we can carouse with pirates in Cornwall, battle the outsized French army at Agincourt or rub shoulders with Greek gods in the underworld. Now if only they sold postcards in the lobby.
SVST TURNS 10
Spokane Valley Summer Theatre is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year — a milestone that might very well prompt a double take. The organization has become such a force in seasonal theater that it’s hard to remember a time before it existed.
Interestingly, the 2025 season opens not with a modern Broadway blockbuster but a celebrated forerunner of the musical that premiered all the way back in 1879: Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance (June 20 to July 6). Directed by Yvonne A.K. Johnson, this comic opera recounts the adventures of the orphan Frederic, who’s disappointed to find that his leap-year birthday has indentured him to a hapless pirate clan until he’s an old man. It’s a lighthearted take on themes of duty, love and forgiveness, augmented by memorable songs like “Pour, oh pour the pirate sherry” and the tongue-twisting “I am the very model of a modern Major-General.”
Pirates’ choreographer, Andrea Olsen, will then hop into the director’s chair for the regional premiere of A Grand Night
for Singing (July 11-19), a nonstop hit parade of songs from Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals like Oklahoma!, The Sound of Music, South Pacific, Carousel and The King & I. But it’s not just about revisiting the familiar favorites. There are also tunes from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s lesser-known shows like Allegro, Pipe Dream and State Fair that deserve to be better known.
SVST wraps up a season of shows by dynamic creative duos with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Aug. 1-17), an epic sung-though musical by yet another powerhouse theatrical pairing, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Drawing on the biblical book of Genesis and its story of Joseph, a favorite son who’s sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, the musical is as famous for its earworms (“Any Dream Will Do,” “Go Go Joseph”) as the sartorial splendor of the titular coat. Collin J. Pittmann, who oversaw Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story last year, directs. Tickets and showtimes are at svsummertheatre.com along with info on SVST’s annual Rising Stars revue (June 28-29) that showcases up-and-coming talent.
The house will be packed again for Spokane Valley Summer Theatre’s 10th season.
PHOTO COURTESY SPOKANE VALLEY SUMMER THEATRE
GOOD THINGS COME IN THREES
On the Idaho side of the state border, Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre is also featuring three crowd-pleasers of its own. It starts by exclaiming Hello, Dolly! (June 27-July 6) with the massively popular musical adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s farce The Matchmaker. This perennial Broadway hit sees the charismatic Dolly Gallagher Levi — a self-professed meddler — arriving in Yonkers, New York, with a view to finding a mate for Horace Vandergelder, a well-known but curmudgeonly “half-a-millionaire.”
Anastasia the Musical (July 18-27) follows yet another strong female lead, one who might very well be an amnesiac Russian duchess who managed to escape the Bolsheviks’ execution of her family. Anya — or is she Anastasia? — joins forces with some colorful rogues to rediscover her past. The show is based on the eponymous 1997 film that was praised by critics for its charm and engaging characters. Likewise, you might know She Loves Me (Aug. 8-17) as the classic holiday film The Shop Around the Corner starring Jimmy Stewart. But each adaptation is actually inspired by the same Hungarian play, Parfumerie. It’s an atypical love story in which the central couple, Amalia and Georg, are bickering coworkers who think they’ve fallen for other people. Head to cstidaho.com for tickets and show info.
SIBLING RIVALRY
Directed by Malcolm Pelles, who previously helmed Stage Left Theater’s multiple-award-winning production of Pass Over, Topdog/Underdog is — not unlike Pass Over — a dark comedy that tackles themes like racism, poverty and existential searching through the dynamic between two young Black men. Here, it’s the portentously named brothers Lincoln and Booth. Abandoned by their parents and feeling increasingly marginalized by society, they start to direct their frustration and resentment inward. Topdog/Underdog won playwright Suzan-Lori Parks the Pulitzer for Drama in 2002. It runs June 13 to 29; details and tickets are available at stagelefttheater.org.
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
Also at Stage Left — but produced by Bright Comet Theatre — is Carrie (July 18-27). Based on the original Stephen King thriller as well as the subsequent film adaptation, this gives the musical treatment to a story about a shy, bullied young teenager who has the dubious gift of telekinesis. The events build to what has become an iconic scene of retribution and redemption. Part revenge fantasy, part high school soap opera, this is what happens when a comingof-age tale is processed through a horror writer’s imagination. Celeste Bidwell Williams stars. Visit brightcomettheatre.com or, better yet, Bright Comet’s social media for details.
ONE-ACT WONDERS
The Bryan Harnetiaux Playwrights’ Forum Festival (June 19-22) at the Spokane Civic Theatre has been shining a spotlight on new and noteworthy one-act plays from around the region since 1983. The format groups the 12 winning plays into two rotations (A and B) that run alternately over the festival’s four-day span, so you don’t have to try to catch every single offering in one marathon sitting.
This year, rotation A includes Intro to Greek Theater by Burcu Şeyben of Twin Falls, Idaho; Sex in the Middle Ages by Barbara Lindsay of Shoreline; and Goodbye Cecile by Spokane’s own Molly Allen and Steven Wylie. Among Rotation B’s lineup are Bryan Harnetiaux’s playwright-in-residence entry The Note, along with local Abby Burlingame’s Brain by Committee, and TEOTWAWKI (an apocalyptic acronym) by Aleks Merilo of Tacoma.
In both rotations it’s safe to expect a mix of laughout-loud comedy and poignant drama, all in the succinct format of one-acters that are directed and performed by homegrown talent. Best of all, perhaps, there are talkback sessions where you can offer feedback and even speak directly with the playwrights themselves. The Civic’s website at spokanecivictheatre.com has details on the plays, writers, rotation times and more.
Local playwright Bryan Harnetiaux YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
The ’80s thriller heads to stage courtesy of Bright Comet.
THEATER
CARRYING THE TORCH
Theater on the Verge is relatively new to the regional scene, but its creative team brings decades of experience to its productions. Following an enthusiastically received debut with Every Brilliant Thing back in February, the troupe returns to Hamilton Studio with Torch Song (July 17-Aug. 2) under the direction of Troy Nickerson. This condensed two-act revival of Harvey Fierstein’s acclaimed Torch Song Trilogy centers on Arnold Beckoff, a drag queen and torch singer who’s looking for contentment in 1970s New York. Just the staging alone is significant, as this marks the very first time that Torch Song has been performed in Spokane. Check out theaterontheverge.com for info.
ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE
Seeing a play or musical in an air-conditioned theater certainly has its advantages, yet there’s something special about experiencing a show outdoors — especially when that show happens to be one of Shakespeare’s timeless works. And free to boot. Montana Shakespeare in the Parks will bring the Bard’s comedy As You Like It to Sandpoint’s Lakeview Park (Aug. 19) and Liberty Lake’s Pavillion Park (Aug. 20), giving you the chance to hear the famous “All the world’s a stage” speech in the pastoral setting where it was meant to be heard. Lakeview Park will get the further bonus of Henry V on Aug. 17. That historically informed play has the titular King of England fighting the French with the odds stacked against him. The full touring schedule and more is at shakespeareintheparks.org.
A DEEP DIVE
If you missed Bright Comet Theatre’s recent production of Hadestown: Teen Edition, you have another opportunity to catch the show, thanks to the Waldorf-inspired Nova High School. Their staging runs at Sandpoint’s historic Panida Theater from June 13 to 15. This is the pared-down version of Anaïs Mitchell’s modern musical retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, which has racked up a mantel’s worth of Broadway awards. The two lovers end up separated by circumstance and must contend with the fickle will of the gods as well as their own self-doubt to escape the depths of the underworld. Happy ending not guaranteed. For more info, visit panida.org.
BLAME IT ON THE BOOGIE
MJ (July 8-13) is a jukebox musical that imagines Michael Jackson prepping for the massive world tour to promote his 1991 album, Dangerous. This nationally touring Broadway show at the First Interstate Center for the Performing Arts is therefore a behind-thescenes look at King of Pop’s creative process and an homage to the complex and troubled superstar who seemed to effortlessly knock out hits like “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” “Thriller,” “Smooth Criminal” and “Man in the Mirror” — all of which (and many more besides) make an appearance, paired with the kind of choreography for which Jackson was renowned. Still, one question remains: Will we ever learn the true meaning of shamone? The Best of Broadway website at broadwayspokane.com has showtimes and ticket info. n
A scene from Theater on the Verge’s last production at Hamilton Studio.
YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
Watch Shakespeare, en plein air. COURTESY MONTANA SHAKESPEARE
WHEELS
How to roll through summer and explore the Inland Northwest on two, three or four wheels
BY VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ
Most of us use wheeled vehicles daily to get from one place to another without truly appreciating the interesting places we live. Chasing to get to our destination but not enjoying the journey, an experience made worse when we’re boxed inside cars with the windows closed, unable to fully appreciate the smells or sights because we’re focused on traffic.
So take some time this summer to roll along and explore nature and the city alike via scooters, bikes and skateboards while appreciating all the Inland Northwest region has to offer.
GOING DOWNHILL FAST
When you mention Schweitzer Mountain Resort, the first thing that comes to mind for many is winter recreational sports, such as skiing, snowboarding or snowshoeing. Yet the fun doesn’t stop when the snow melts. The pure joy of clear skies and magnificent views makes Schweitzer a destination unto itself, but add in some mountain biking and you’re set up for a memorable summer.
The resort features 16 marked downhill mountain biking trails and over 30 multiuse trails. Sean Mirus, Schweitzer’s vice president of marketing, says the resort encourages visitors to enjoy the lift-serviced biking with spectacular views and challenging trails. For the intense biker, the track has an elevation change of 4,000 feet from top to bottom, spread across the 12 miles, to enjoy.
“On Schweitzer, there is over 40 miles of trails, and that
does not even include the trails below the resort in what we consider the lower basin, or the Little Sand Creek watershed trail network,” Mirus says.
Whether you have a mountain bike or nothing at all, the resort’s ski and ride center offers everything from rental equipment to bike repair needs. The shop offers bikes and safety equipment for kids, as well as full-suspension or crosscountry bikes for serious enthusiasts.
And after enjoying a long day on the trails, there are numerous restaurants to refuel at before getting back onto the bike. If spending the summer on Schweitzer via a mountain bike sounds fun, unlimited access passes are $249, which lets you take unlimited scenic lift rides and includes two free days each at partnering resorts like Mount Bachelor, Timberline, Grand Targhee and Whitefish.
Ski runs give way to beautiful mountain trails come summer. PHOTO COURTESY SCHWEITZER
Thrift Vintage &
Bikes & WHEELS
Splash into summer.
CRUISIN’ THE CLASSICS
It’s hard to miss — mostly audibly — the sheer number of classic cars and motorcycles that hit the pavement around the region every summer, which is also the best time to see a custom paint job shine in the sun’s brightness. The Car d’Lane Classic Car Weekend June 13-14 in downtown Coeur d’Alene features over 400 vehicles on display by local enthusiasts. If you’re itching for more classic cars to check out and learn about, head up north for the annual Coaster Classic at Silverwood over Labor Day Weekend. Park admission includes access to the car show, featuring hundreds of muscle and vintage cars on view.
Feel like checking out some Harley-Davidson hogs or want to chat with some local bikers? Head to Cruisers Bar & Grill in Stateline, Idaho. The bar is a favorite among local bikers who find it a great watering hole to check out live music, showcase their bikes and participate in friendly games. Cruisers is well-known for the driveway that runs directly through it, allowing everything from motorcycles to muscle cars to pass by while wowing patrons. Head to 1cruisersboulevard.place for an event schedule and more.
SHRED SPOKANE
Skateboarding has become a staple sport in America and beyond, with recognition in the 2024 Olympics as an official sport. And skateboarding or longboarding is a great way to explore a city. To celebrate the love of skateboarding, visit a local skatepark on the longest day of the year, June 21, for Go Skateboarding Day and shred.
Check with your local skatepark, such as Coeur d’Alene Skatepark and Millennium Skate Park in Kootenai County, and Hillyard Skateboard Park, Joe Albi Skatepark and Riverfront Skate & Wheels Park for local celebrations. Skate shops are also a great source to find out what festivities may be planned around the “holiday” in your neighborhood. It’s also a good reason to visit your local board shop, such as Pistole Boardshop or Broke SK8, both in Spokane, for boarding essentials like new wheels or griptape.
Admire rides of all kinds at Car d’Lane. COURTESY PHOTO
Get a grip on Go Skateboarding Day, June 21.
JOURNEY TO DESTROY THE ONE RING
No, there was never a bicycle in The Lord of the Rings or in The Hobbit. The fellowship and Thorin’s company mostly walked, with the occasional ride on the back of a Great Eagle of Middle-Earth. There are no eagles for us to ride here, but we can ride a bike and get lost in Middle-Earth with the Conqueror Virtual Challenges
If you’re like me and have plenty of imagination but lack motivation to get in cardio exercise, then this is perfect for you. Fortunately, those of us in the Inland Northwest have access to plenty of places with nature reminiscent of the books’ or films’ settings. Utilizing a custom app with a Middle-Earth map, the challenge enables riders to follow along with Frodo and the Fellowship as they complete their own quest.
Log your biking (or walking) distance with a smartwatch or exercise tracker app by linking it to the virtual challenge app. There are five different options that vary by distance, starting with the Shire Challenge (145 miles) and ultimately leading to the Mordor Challenge (282 miles).
The best thing about the virtual challenge may be the medal you’ll receive after completing it — an apt reward for the effort you logged to destroy the One Ring. The Shire medal is a beautifully designed metal die-cast depiction of Frodo Baggins’ home, and on the back is an envelope for storing the One Ring. The Mordor medal depicts the Sammath Naur, the fiery chambers where Frodo took the ring to be destroyed, and allows you to place the One Ring on that medal, signifying the completion of your journey. For more information, head to theconqueror. events/lotr8.
TRAILING THROUGH NORTH IDAHO
Since running isn’t for me, I enjoy a bike ride with views, and there are so many trails to choose from in the region, like the Hiawatha Trail and Centennial Trail. But here, we’re going to talk a bit more about the stunning Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes. It’s perfect for a few hours or a full day of bike riding, set against the stunning backdrop of North Idaho’s natural views. The 72-mile paved trail takes riders along a former Union Pacific railroad route, which begins in the Silver Valley and concludes in the town of Plummer.
MORE THAN JUST A THRIFT STORE
By bike or scooter, enjoy views of Lake Coeur d’Alene and ride across the Chatcolet Bridge. The well-maintained trail features numerous resting areas, including picnic shelters, restrooms and parking locations. The scenery is so magnificent, you’ll definitely want to stop and smell the flowers. n
Always supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families in the Inland Northwest.
Spokane 11008 N. Newport Hwy
Spokane, WA 99218 (509) 822-7748
Spokane Valley 1441 N. Argonne Rd. Spokane Valley, WA 99212 (509) 960-7777
The 1-mile Chatcolet Bridge offers stunning views of Lake Coeur d’Alene.
Sensational Summer Sensational Summer
Feel the Heat
BY WILL MAUPIN
Nothing defines summer more to me than the feeling of afternoon heat. With the scope of the Inlander’s Summer Guide issue running from midJune through to the official final day of summer in late-September, we’ll run the gamut of what it means to feel the heat. As I write this on a patio chair on an early-June afternoon, it’s not quite warm enough to say it’s hot — the sun is behind a cloud, and the breeze is pushing me back inside.
A quick glance at the forecast shows that summer is indeed just around the corner, with highs in the 80s before this issue is even set to hit the newsstands. For mid-June, as the transition from spring into summer takes place in earnest, an afternoon in the 80s will feel almost oppressively hot. It’s a sensation I’ll enjoy, even if I’m not fully prepared for it.
By July and August, when my body is acclimated to the heat and we’re slogging through a triple-digit heat wave, temperatures in the 80s would be a welcome relief. Last year saw a record-setting, three-day run of triple digits in early July. In 2023, a triple-digit run came in mid-August, and 2022’s landed between the two, at the end
of July.
It’s on those days, when overnight lows bottom out above 70, that I wonder: What was I thinking just a few weeks prior, calling it “hot” when the mercury barely rose into the low-80s?
For many, Labor Day marks the end of summer. It’s when schools around the region begin welcoming students back to class and the days begin growing noticeably shorter at a disconcerting pace. It’s those final weeks, after Labor Day but before the start of autumn, that the heat once again feels right. After a few months of living through it, hot afternoons have become routine. The new outlier of cold then starts to creep back.
On the last official day of summer last year, Sept. 21, the low fell to the mid-40s. A week later, it was down almost to freezing. When it starts to cool and the afternoon heat no longer lasts long into the evening, those final few days of hot summer weather are as welcome as ever.
It’s almost enough to make me miss feeling midsummer’s triple-digit heat. n
When you make a gift to Providence Inland Northwest Foundation, 100% of your donation goes directly to support patient programs and services in Spokane and Stevens counties.
Generous donors to Providence Inland Northwest Foundation can:
• Provide treatment related costs, such as gas cards and hotel stays for out-of-town patients
• Support training and education for care teams
• Fund state-of-the-art equipment to maintain the highest level of excellence in care
Learn more here: https://foundation.providence.org/wa/eastern
Getting outside is good for you, full stop. And thankfully for us in the Inland Northwest, the great outdoors is pretty great here. No matter your pace, vibe or skill, there are plenty of ways to get some fresh air and fresh perspective this summer. Whether you’re looking for a challenge, a chance to make new friends or a moment of quiet for yourself, here are some ways to take full advantage of the coming months of sunshine. Your body, mind and soul will thank you all year round.
Running is for crazy people, you say? Just wait. You might be surprised at the crazy person lurking inside you, waiting to be discovered. Why not set a new goal for yourself this summer and see what happens?
Try out a mile or your first 5k in Spokane’s Manito Park at Dad’s Day Dash (June 14), which benefits Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners. Or head to Moses Lake that same day to help support local police K9 units at Columbia Basin K9 Run for the Paws. If you want a little more time to train, aim for the U-District Summer Fun Run (July 15) for a super low-stress Tuesday evening race. Run for the Berries in Priest River (July 26) supports the local high school volleyball team. Spokane’s chapter of Clubhouse International, which supports adults with mental illness, is putting on its Evergreen Club 5k Fun Run for the third time (Aug. 23). That afternoon, North Idaho College hosts its NIC Color Fun Run, and that evening, Run the Night Glow 5k fills the Spokane Interstate Fairgrounds with athletes, light shows and plenty of foam. Tunnel to Towers (Sept. 13) in Coeur d’Alene honors Stephen
Siller and other 9/11 heroes. Walk, Run, Read North Idaho (Sept. 20) encourages runners to dress like their favorite comic book heroes to support adult literacy programs, and the ValleyFest River Run is that Saturday, too.
If you’re feeling good after a 5k race or two, try stretching yourself to 4 miles at Spokane’s Boulevard Race (Sept. 21). Celebrate the end of summer by fighting cancer with every step. Or, if you’re trying to get a bit more distance in these next few months, check out The Kan (June 14) for 10k, 25k or 50k options on Mount Spokane. The Mountain Magic Trail Run (June 29) offers 5k, 10k and 25k distances on the mountain, as does the Mt. Spokane Trail Run (Sept. 7).
Spokane’s only 7k, SpoKenya, raises money for clean water in Kenya (July 19). But if you want to get in the water, try a triathlon — like Medical Lake Founder’s Day Trailblazer Triathlon (June 21), the Coeur d’Alene Triathlon (Aug. 9) or the Diamond Tri Your Best (Sept. 6). Each offers various distances and some include options to split up the events between partners. And the Coeur d’Alene IronMan 70.3 is always fun to watch (June 22).
GET A MOVE ON
Let’s face it, exercise classes can cost a pretty penny and going to the gym isn’t for everyone, especially when the sun is shining and being inside just feels wrong. If you want to get outside and support local businesses while you’re at it, the Riverfront Moves series presented by Providence is for you. Featuring barre, pilates, hula-hooping and several different styles of yoga classes, this series is completely free and takes place in various locations around Spokane’s Riverfront Park. Do pilates under the Pavilion with River City Pilates or barre on the bright orange Howard Street bridge with Barre3 — however you choose to move your body, you’ll be surrounded by educated instructors from local fitness establishments, fellow hard-workers and you’ll feel good about what you’ve accomplished. There’s no registration necessary, just show up with a smile on your face and be prepared to move! (MADISON PEARSON)
Are you active and social? Maybe hoping to learn a new sport or find the next competitor to beat? Join a club! Social media, parks departments and neighborhoods across the Inland Northwest have almost as many niche clubs as there are niche sports. (I see you, Spokane Lawn Bowling Club I may or may not have bookmarked spokanelawnbowlingclub.weebly.com.)
Search Facebook groups like Spokane/North Idaho Hikers or Hikerbabes Community to link up with new trail buddies. Read previous Inlander coverage to learn more about Spokane Women on the Fly, a female fly fishing group, or AmtgardDuchy of Stormhaven, a live-action role playing (LARP) club that meets up in Manito Park.
Check out the Lilac City Kendo Club or free Tai Chi and Qi Dong lessons at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library (every week on Tuesday).
For a little more competition, head to HUB Sports Center for open-play pickleball on Mondays and Thursdays. Then, if you’re really feeling good, take your racket and your A-game to the second annual Panhandle Pickleball Tournament in Coeur d’Alene (June 27-29). Obviously, pickleballisgreat.com has all the info you’ll need.
LIVE LOVE BIRD
There are very few addictions that I would wholeheartedly recommend. But birding is one of them (maybe the only one). Technically, all you need are your eyes, your ears and some kind of reference material (might I suggest the Merlin app). But to really get hooked, join one of the many birding tours from the Spokane Audubon Society this summer. Check out audubonspokane.org to see when you can visit wetlands, forests, mountain or riparian habitats with an expert guide.
The Doris Morrison Learning Center also offers a bird walk through the Saltese Flats on the first Wednesday of every month. Visit the center’s page on spokanecounty.gov for more information. No matter what, birding with a group will quickly establish your enthusiasm, hone your skills, and firmly set you on a lifelong path of avian adoration.
KNOW YOUR PLACE
Maybe you just moved to the Inland Northwest. Maybe you’ve been here your whole life. Regardless, how well do you actually know your home? Join the Greater Spokane Parks Challenge this summer, and make it your quest to visit as much public land as you can before Sept. 30. Play, explore, take photos and win free prizes — it’s really as simple as that, as long as you sign up at sccu.net/parks-challenge. It’s a great way to motivate yourself to get out of the house when your kids (or you) are complaining that you don’t know what else to do.
If you’re not in Spokane, set yourself your own parks challenge. You won’t be eligible for prizes from Spokane City Credit Union, but no one’s stopping you from buying yourself an ice cream cone or just giving yourself a nice pat on the back.
GONE FISHIN’
Wanna get away from the world? Get out on the water? Chillax to the max or compete for glory? Go fishing this summer, and see what rewards you can catch. You can always just stick a pole in the nearest lake (if you have your license, of course). But if you want expert advice, consider a guided fly fishing tour. Learn from master anglers from Fly Fish Spokane or Silver Bow Fly Shop in Spokane, ROW Adventure Center in Spokane or Coeur d’Alene, or Orvis Northwest Outfitters, Fins and Feathers, or Coeur d’Alene Adventures in North Idaho.
If you want to test your own expertise, take part in the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Trout Derby, which started on April 26 and runs through Oct. 31. Anyone with a valid fishing license can try to hook tagged trout in any of the 100+ participating lakes. No entry fee required. Check out wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/contests/trout-derby for more information.
You might be lucky enough to spot a white pelican like this one at the Cheney Wetlands. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
Coeur d’Alene hosts the Panhandle Pickleball Tournament in late June. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
The fishin’s good, even in the heart of the city. COURTESY SILVER BOW FLY SHOP
Running Warm Keeping Kids Safe in Spokane’s Summer Temperatures
The National Weather Service predicts we’ll likely see higher-than-normal temperatures in Spokane this summer. That can be dangerous or even deadly for children and teens.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, children and teens are among the most vulnerable to heat-related illness. Children produce more heat than adults, sweat less and adjust more slowly to warm weather due to lessdeveloped circulatory systems.
The good news? Prevention can help families beat the heat. Dr. David Ward, a family physician at Kaiser Permanente in Spokane, helped coach youth flag football at the Dwight Merkel Sports Complex. Even on 100-degree days, the coaches found safe ways to continue the game. The young athletes took breaks in the shade, drank water every five minutes, wore hats and loose-fitting clothing and cooled down with wet cloths. “All the kids did well,” says Ward.
Know the Signs
Caregivers should watch for symptoms of heat exhaustion, notably if temperatures have recently jumped or remained over 90 degrees for more than two days. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include dizziness, thirst, sweating, fatigue, muscle cramps, diarrhea, headache and nausea.
Some children may be more sensitive to the sun and heat due to medications, dehydration, preexisting chronic conditions such as asthma, or other specific situations. He says these children could require a more aggressive prevention strategy — taking breaks in an air-conditioned car while at the park for example.
For all children, Ward cautions, “Spring into action if you’re seeing signs of heat exhaustion.” Children may not directly complain about the heat or symptoms,
particularly if they’re having fun on the field or the playground. “Stay vigilant, and intervene on your child’s behalf,” he says.
“Bring your child inside to a cooler environment or find shade,” Ward says. “Rehydrate by getting more fluids on board and use a mister or a damp cloth against the forehead, armpits, back, chest or other places where children sweat.”
You should see your child become cooler in 15 to 30 minutes. If a child doesn’t cool down, that could mean your child has a fever from a virus or other illness, or it could mean they are developing heatstroke. “If you suspect possible heatstroke, you will want to seek immediate medical care,” Ward cautions. Signs of heatstroke include confusion; disorientation; unconsciousness; little sweating; rapid heart rate; dry, hot, red skin; and seizures. If your child shows signs of heatstroke, call 911 immediately.
The Dangers of a Hot Car
Sadly, more than 1,000 children have died from car-related heatstroke since 1998. Inside a vehicle, temperatures can rise a deadly 20 degrees in 10 minutes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Meanwhile, a child’s body warms up to five times faster than an adult’s. So even on a 60-degree day, cracking the windows or parking in the shade won’t prevent potential death for a child left alone. “Parents might leave the child in the car and plan to run in just for a minute or crack the window,” Ward says, not realizing the dire consequences. “You need to figure something else out, because it’s too dangerous.”
Many of us look forward to warmer weather. Knowing what to watch for and taking precautions in the heat can help kids stay healthy and safe this summer.
FAN ZONE
Are you more of a cheerleader than a play maker? Fan-tastic. Your local sports teams love you! Snag a ticket and bust out your clear bag for an evening where you can down beers while yelling at elite athletes to do better.
Even though the Spokane Zephyr, the city’s women’s soccer club and only top-tier professional team, just concluded their inaugural season, you can still check out men’s pro soccer at one of Spokane Velocity’s home games at ONE Stadium. Check schedules and ticket prices at uslspokane.com.
For peak summer vibes, good hot dogs, and the best mascots, head to a Spokane Indians game. Minor leagues mean major fun and lots of chances for fireworks. See what other fin-tastic promotions are happening all summer at milb.com/spokane.
Or, if you’d rather cheer on your friends, make sure they’re balling out for Hoopfest (June 28-29). From the championship court to the bottom of the loser bracket, everyone needs some sideline support. You can also sign up to volunteer or referee at spokanehoopfest.net. n
Cheer on local athletes this summer at a Spokane Indians or Velocity game, and during Hoopfest! ERICK DOXEY PHOTOS
Sensational Summer
Summer
Tan Lines and Bad Times
Sometimes, the only sense missing from summer is common sense
BY ELIZA BILLINGHAM
Do it. Just do it. Just take your shorts off. I stare at my legs in the full-length mirror in my bedroom. The only thing keeping my sticky, sweaty body away from the reincarnation of a cool shower is a pair of tight, black bike shorts.
They’re so tight that they’ve stayed perfectly in place for the last 80-ish miles of riding. My first ride of the summer was an ambitious one: Browne’s Addition to Coeur d’Alene and back in one glorious May day. Memorial Day, actually. The official start to summer in my mind, but also an epilogue to spring, still cool enough for crocuses and daffodils, nothing like a blazing Fourth of July or a sweltering August afternoon.
I’ve always been averse to sunscreen. It’s perverse, really, that someone as pasty as me should be so arrogant. You’d think I would have learned my lesson after spring break in Cocoa Beach or high-altitude mountain lakes in Vietnam. Or after my dad got skin cancer — twice.
But it’s still May. It’s not that hot out. It’s partly cloudy, too. I’m embarking on my longest-ever ride, and I’m more concerned about my fitness than my skin
care. I don’t think I own sunscreen, anyway — I spent my last grocery store run perusing gummies instead.
The ride started off great, and I reached Coeur d’Alene by lunch. Between munches of a croissant, I noticed a strange ache across my quads. Part of me suspected it wasn’t muscular. It felt more like cellophane stretched too tightly across the top of my legs.
But hubris, stupidity or exhaustion kept me from seeking out a pharmacy. I just put my sore butt back in the saddle to make sure I got home before sunset. Which I did, barely.
Now, it’s dark outside and my bedroom lamp is dim. But that doesn’t soften the pain or the radiance. Stop sign, lobster, sinful neon light — pick your metaphor. The lower halves of my quads are so red they look like they’ve been painted with blood. My legs hurt more from the burn than from the bike. And that’s saying something.
But if I peel back the edge of my bike shorts, a crisp white line appears. My shorts performed heroically, which means this is no ombre situation. I am officially a candy cane. A perfect line separating winter from
summer is seared deep into my thighs.
Now comes the worst part: ripping the grippy spandex off my legs. Just do it. Rip off the Band-Aid. The “smooth” and “buttery” Lycra scrapes down my legs like steel wool.
Then, the soft shower water pelts my legs with arrows. The fluffy towel is woven from barbed wire. My worn cotton sheets are like the flaming lips of a demon from hell.
Now, maybe now, I’ve learned my lesson.
Update: It’s been over a year, and I still have visible tan lines on my legs from that ride. People comment on them almost every time I wear shorts that are shorter than bike shorts, which is pretty much all the other shorts I own.
I have not learned my lesson. A few weeks ago, I got a bizarrely shaped burn on my neck and chest from a fancy shirt, a daylong river cruise, and a stubborn refusal of sunscreen. I don’t think these lines will last as long as the ones on my legs, which I pretty much accept as tattoos now. But check in with me next year to find out. n
•
SUMMER CALENDAR
When I think of summer, I think of a poem by my favorite poet, Mary Oliver, titled “The Summer Day.” It ends with the simple sentence: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
She poses a good question that I myself am hoping to answer in the next few months while I bask in the summer sun.
If you’re still searching for the answer, the next several pages contain hundreds of local events happening in the Inland Northwest this summer. Whether you’re an outdoor enthusiast and want to spend your days kayaking the Spokane River or you’re a foodie looking to indulge in the best grub the region has to offer, there’s an event for you in our 14-week Summer Guide calendar.
Life is wild and very, very precious, like Oliver said, so how will you spend it this summer?
- MADISON PEARSON, SUMMER GUIDE CALENDAR EDITOR
live music (like Trombone Shorty, above)
tasty eats (such as at Crave! NW, right), find hundreds of events and activities to make the most of summer 2025.
SUMMER CALENDAR
JUNE 12-18
COMEDY
6/12-17 New Talent Tuesdays, Spokane Comedy Club (ongoing)
6/12-18 Open Mic Stand-up, Spokane Comedy Club (ongoing)
6/13 J HoopProv, Blue Door Theatre
6/13 Late Laughs, Blue Door Theatre (ongoing)
6/14 Expedition, Blue Door Theatre (ongoing)
6/12-14 Beth Stelling, Spokane Comedy Club
6/14-15 J Father’s Day Dad Joke Contest, Natural 20 Brewing Company
6/16-18 Chelcie Lynn, Spokane Comedy Club
COMMUNITY
6/12-18 Fire: Rebirth and Resilience, The MAC
6/12-18 J Pride History & Remembrance Exhibit, Central Library
6/13 Wheatland Bank Horse & Carriage Rides, Riverfront Park
6/13-15 All Wheels Weekend, Dayton
6/13-14 Friday the 13th Tattoo Event, Heartbreaker Tattoo
6/13 J Spokane Pride, Riverfront Park
6/13 The Wavy Bunch Night Market &
Street Fair, Catalyst Building
6/13 Spokane Pride Kickoff Show, Riverfront Park
6/13-14 J Car d’Lane, Downtown Coeur d’Alene
6/13 J Queer Prom, The Chameleon
6/14-15 J Siemers Farm Strawberry Festival
6/14 Brownes Addition Walking Tour: Then & Now, The MAC
6/15 Queer Blood Drive, Human Rights Education Institute
6/18 Drop-in and Draw, Paint, Knit, Stitch..., The Hive (ongoing)
7/13 Sundays at the Crosby House, Crosby House Museum
7/16 J Moonshine: Artisan Night Market, Commellini Estate
FILM
7/11 Outdoor Movies in the Park: Moana 2, Balfour Park
7/11 J Summer Moonlight Movies: Rookie of the Year, Sunset Park
7/12 Movies in the Park: Sonic 3, Pavillion Park
7/12 Sensory Relaxed Movie Screenings, Garland Theater
7/16 Moonlit Movies: The Proposal, Commellini Estate
FOOD & DRINK
7/10 J Pairings in the Pines, Kaniksu Ranch
7/10-16 Sunset Dinner Cruises, The Coeur d’Alene Resort
7/11 Ride & Dine Series, Silver Mountain Resort
7/12 J Coeur d’Alene Brewfest, McEuen Park
7/13 J Wine 101, Cellar & Scholar
7/13 Sunday Brunch Cruises, The Coeur d’Alene Resort
7/13 Dusk & Dine Dinner Series, The Coeur d’Alene Resort
7/15 J Riverfront Eats, Riverfront Park
7/15 J Global Food & Art Market, The Gathering House
7/16 Wine Wednesday Dinner Series, Fete - A Nectar Co.
MUSIC
7/10 Ron Greene, Arbor Crest Wine Cellars
7/10 Dues Band, Coeur d’Alene Park
7/10 Kevin Shay Band, Timber Run Reserve
7/10 Billy Currington, Kip Moore, Marlon Funaki, Northern Quest
7/11-12 J Wallace Music Fest, Wallace
7/11 J Barry Manilow, Spokane Arena
7/11 Rock the Stage: Teen Concert, Central Library
7/12 J The Pink Socks: ‘Hurts Less Than Heartache’ EP Release Show with The Emergency Exit, Pulling 4 Victory, Thundergun Express, Southbound, The Big Dipper
7/12 Nolan Rasmussen, Noah’s Canteen
7/12 Randall King, Knitting Factory
7/13 Lake City Blues, Arbor Crest Wine Cellars
7/13 Ryan Schneider, Whispers Lounge
7/13 Lanie Gardner, Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino
7/15-16 Osprey Patio Concert Series,
Osprey Restaurant & Bar
7/15 Live Music Tuesdays, Swing Lounge
7/16 J Paper Flowers, McEuen Park
7/16 J Age of Nephilim, Snacks at Midnight, Jaeda, Jacob Rountree, The MAC
7/16 Izzy Burns and The Hippocrats, Jaguar Room at The Chameleon SPORTS & OUTDOORS
7/10 Hiawatha Full Moon Night Ride, Lookout Pass
7/10-16 Open Play Pickleball, HUB Sports Center
7/10 Riverfront Moves: Eclipse Power Yoga, Riverfront Park
7/11 J Tree Identification Walk: Indian Painted Rocks, Indian Painted Rocks Trailhead
7/11 Yoga Class, John A. Finch Arboretum
7/11-13 Summer Slam Basketball 2025, HUB Sports Center
7/12-12 Historic Walking Tours, Riverfront Park
7/12 J Walking Qigong, John A. Finch Arboretum
7/13 J Wildflower Walk, Wildland Cooperative
7/15 Riverfront Moves: Hot Yoga, Spokane Pavilion
7/16 Citizen Science, Pine Street Woods
THEATER & DANCE
7/10-13 MJ, First Interstate Center for the Arts
7/11-13 J Laura Ingalls Wilder: Voice of the Prairie, Rex Theater
7/11-16 Rodgers & Hammerstein’s A Grand Night for Singing,
University High School
7/13 Broadway Dance Workshop, North Idaho College
VISUAL ARTS
7/10-16 J Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight, The MAC
7/10-16 Natural Focus, Liberty Building
7/10-16 Marcia McDonald, Pottery Place Plus
7/10 Adventures in Alcohol Ink, Spokane Art School
7/10-12 J Krista Brand, Bradd Skubinna, Val Wahl and Cyn Short: Found, Terrain Gallery
7/11 Slow Light Workshop: Photographic Histories and Place-Based Storytelling, WSU Art Building
7/11 J Second Friday Artwalk, Downtown Coeur d’Alene
8/7 Riverfront Moves: Eclipse Power Yoga, Riverfront Park
8/8 Tree Identification Walk: GlenroseDishman Hills Natural Area
8/8 J Rafting the Clark Fork River, Clark Fork
8/8 Yoga Class, John A. Finch Arboretum
8/8-11 Yoga For You, Coeur d’Alene Public Library.
8/8 Sunset Kayaking, Spokane River
8/9 Coeur d’Alene Triathlon, Coeur d’Alene
8/9 Washington State Discover Pass Free Days
8/9 J Hiawatha Full Moon Night Ride, Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area
8/9 Walking Qigong, John A. Finch Arboretum
8/9 March to the Match, Riverfront Park
8/9 Riverfront Moves: Hula Hooping, Riverfront Park
8/9 J Spokane Velocity vs. AV Alta FC, ONE Spokane Stadium
8/12 Riverfront Moves: Barre on the Bridge, Riverfront Park
8/12 Brick West Run Club, Brick West
8/13 Citizen Science, Pine Street Woods
THEATER & DANCE
8/7 Teen Dance Class: Jazz/Hip Hop, Shadle Library
8/7 Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Raincoat, University High School
8/7-10 J Catch Me If You Can, Aspire Community Theatre
8/8-10 J She Loves Me, Schuler Performing Arts Center
8/8-10 J Peter and the Starcatcher, Spokane Civic Theatre
VISUAL ARTS
8/7-13 J Trackside Annual Studio Sale, Trackside Studio
8/7-8 J Pet Portraits with Personality, Spokane Art School
8/7-13 City of Moscow Portable Collection, Third Street Gallery
8/7-13 Lauren Urlacher: Dahlia Days of Summer, Liberty Building
8/7-13 Katie Frey, Pottery Place Plus 8/7-13 Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight, The MAC 8/7-9 J Emily Somoskey: Constants, Terrain Gallery
8/8 J Acrylic Assemblage, Spokane Art School
8/8 Second Friday Artwalk, Downtown Coeur d’Alene
8/9-10 J Arts & Crafts Fair, Downtown Sandpoint
8/13 J Youth Art-a-Palooza: A Live Art & Creativity Festival, The Hive 8/13 Open Studio, The Hive 8/13 Drop In & Draw, Spark Central 8/13 Collage Workshop, Lunarium
WORDS
8/7 Page 42 Summer Reading Program
8/7-13 SCLD Summer Reading Challenge
8/7 Alphabits Storytime, Moscow Library
8/7 Drop In & Write, Spark Central
8/9 BookPeople Storytime, Kenworthy 8/9 Story and Craft, The MAC 8/9 Poetry After Dark, Spark Central 8/10 Book Club with a Beverage, MAC 8/11 Summer Storytime, Comstock Park 8/12 Sandpoint StoryMakers, Sandpoint
AUG. 14-20
COMEDY
8/14-16 J John Caparulo, Spokane Comedy Club
8/15 Cage Match, Blue Door Theatre
8/16 Expedition, Blue Door Theatre
8/17 Jeff Allen, Spokane Comedy Club
8/19 New Talent Tuesdays, Spokane Comedy Club
8/20 Openly Mic: A Queer Comedy Open Mic, The Q Lounge
8/20 Open Mic Stand-up, Spokane Comedy Club
COMMUNITY
8/14-16 J Bonner County Fair
8/14-17 J Pend Oreille County Fair & Rodeo
8/14-20 Fire: Rebirth and Resilience, The MAC
8/14 Bitch ‘n’ Stitch, Lunarium
8/15-20 J North Idaho State Fair, Kootenai County Fairgrounds.
8/15-17 J Wallace Huckleberry Festival
8/15-17 Scenic Chairlift Rides, Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area
8/15 Forest Cemetery Walking Tour, Museum of North Idaho
8/16 J Unity in the Community, Riverfront Park
8/16 4th Annual LocalMotion Car Show, Lone Wolf Harley-Davidson
8/16 Museum of North Idaho Walking Tours, Coeur d’Alene
8/19 J Drop In & Zine, Spark Central
8/19 Pokémon Standard Tuesdays, Comic Book Shop NorthTown
8/20 J Moonshine: Artisan Night Market, Commellini Estate
FILM
8/15 Summer Moonlight Movies: If, Sunset Park
8/16 Farmers Market Cartoons, The Kenworthy
8/20 J Moonlit Movies: Hook, Commellini Estate
FOOD & DRINK
8/14-20 Sunset Dinner Cruises, The Coeur d’Alene Resort
8/15 Ride & Dine Series, Silver Mountain
8/16 J National Lentil Festival, Reaney Park, Pullman
8/17 Sunday Brunch Cruise, CdA Resort
8/17 J Chardonnay Sip & Learn, Cellar & Scholar
8/17 Dusk & Dine Dinner, The CdA Resort
MUSIC
8/14 J Black Happy, Light in Mirrors, Knitting Factory
8/14 Carli Osika, Arbor Crest
8/14 J Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Medium Build, Spokane Pavilion
9/7 Flower Pounding with Hand Embroidery, Spokane Art School 9/18 J Palouse Plein Air, Third Street Gallery
WORDS
9/4-18 Harmony Writers Group, Liberty Park Library
9/4-18 Drop In & Write, Spark Central 9/5 J 3 Minute Mic, Auntie’s Bookstore
9/6 Story Time with LaLa, Wishing Tree Books
9/8 Scribbler’s Society Writing Club, Coeur d’Alene Public Library
9/6-13 Story and Craft, The MAC
9/12 Poetry After Dark, Spark Central 9/17 J Broken Mic, Neato Burrito 9/12-13 J Friends of the Deer Park Library Summer Book Sale, Reilly Family Storage
9/17 Masked Weekly Writers Group, Great Harvest Bread Co. 9/16 New and Noteworthy Book Club, Wishing Tree Books
SUMMER CALENDAR
Airway Heights Parks & Rec airwayheightsparksandrec.org
All Wheels Weekend allwheelsweekend.com
Arbor Crest Wine Cellars arborcrest.com
509-927-9463
Art on the Green artonthegreen.org
208-667-9346
Auntie's Bookstore auntiesbooks.com
509-838-0206
Bing Crosby Theater bingcrosbytheater.com
509-227-7638
Blue Door Theatre bluedoortheatre.com
509-747-7045
Bonner County Fairgrounds bonnercountyfair.com
208-263-8414
BookPeople of Moscow bookpeopleofmoscow.com
208-882-2669
Car d'Lane / CdA Street Fair cdadowntown.com
208-667-5986
CDA Art Association coeurdaleneartassoc.org City of Palouse visitpalouse.com
Coeur d'Alene Arts Commission artsandculturecda.org
Spokane County Fair & Expo Center spokanecounty.org
509-477-1766
Spokane Highland Games spokanehighlandgames.net
Riverfront Park spokaneriverfrontpark.com
509-625-6600
Riverside State Park Foundation riversidestateparkfoundation.org
Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce sandpointchamber.org
Sandpoint Pride sandpointpride.com
Schweitzer schweitzer.com 208-263-9555
Spokane Humane Society spokanehumanesociety.org
Spokane Indians spokaneindians.com
Spokane Midnight Century midnightcentury.com
Spokane Parks & Rec spokanerec.org
509-625-6200
Spokane Pride spokanepride.org
Spokane Symphony spokanesymphony.org
Spokane Valley Parks & Rec spokanevalley.org/parksandrec
Spokane Valley Summer Theatre svsummertheatre.com
Spokatopia Outdoor Adventure Festival spokatopia.com
Square Dance Spokane squaredancespokane.org
Street Music Week streetmusicweek.com
Summer Parkways summerparkways.com
Terrain terrainspokane.org
The Chameleon chameleonspokane.com
The Comic Book Shop thecomicbookshop.net
Unity in the Community nwunity.org
Wallace Chamber of Commerce wallaceid.fun
Zola zolainspokane.com
509-624-2416
Trackside Studio tracksidestudio.net
Third Street Gallery ci.moscow.id.us/203/third-streetgallery
Coeur d'Alene Public Library cdalibrary.org
Spokane County Libraries scld.org
Spokane Public Libraries spokanelibrary.org
Stage Left Theater stagelefttheater.org
Aspire Theater aspirecda.com
Kenworthy Performing Arts Center kenworthy.org
Sandpoint Library ebonnerlibrary.org
Inland Northwest Juneteenth Coalition inwjc.org
Valleyfest valleyfest.org
Cellar & Scholar cellarandscholar.com
Liberty Gallery potteryplaceplus.com
Spokane Valley Movies in the Park spokanevalley.org/outdoormovies
Downtown Coeur d'Alene cdadowntown.com
First Interstate Center for the Arts firstinterstatecenter.org
The Literacy Project of North Idaho theliteracyprojectni.org
Reimagine Medical Lake medicallake.org
Catch a movie under the Pavilion and the stars at Riverfront Park this summer. COURTESY PHOTO
Fortune Feimster is at the Great Outdoors Comedy Fest Aug. 22-23. TODD ROSENBERG PHOTO
Buckets of… Coffee?
Local businesses hop on “bucket” beverage trend, Hangry’s hit by fire, Father’s Day eats
BY DORA SCOTT
Do you ever have a morning when your iced coffee is gone too fast? Or, maybe you’re one of those conspiracists who questions the liquid-to-ice ratio. Well, now you can skip past the usual 12-, 16-, and 20-once cup choices straight to a 30-plus-ounce…bucket?
One of the latest drink trends to spawn out of the TikTok algorithms, the viral bucket beverages are being taken up by coffee stands across the U.S., with Spokane as no exception. True to the trend’s name, the drinks are served in clear, plastic containers with a single large straw and a handle for easier, um, handling.
At 23 N. Freya St., Mudslingers was at the helm of the trend with its owner ordering a supply of the buckets in the spring. In midMay, Mudslingers started slinging the 33-ounce buckets ($10 on average), for any iced or blended beverages. Within the first week, over 1,000 buckets were sold, and the demand hasn’t ebbed. To accommodate those who still want the cute bucket, but can’t stomach the size, the coffee stand also offers a 14-ounce “baby bucket.” The sizes will be offered as long as supplies are available, and handwashed buckets can be reused for future drink orders.
Roll through The Blvd Coffee Company’s stand at 1127 W. Northwest Blvd. to get a 34-ounce bucket ($9-$13) of any ice or blended beverage. The coffee shop also saw the trend online and introduced it as a summer special on June 2. Lotus energy drink-based orders have been the most popular for the new large size — Blvd Coffee staff recommend the mango passion Lotus with a dragonfruit cold foam ($11).
You’re also in luck at the recently opened Lucky Bistro, 325 S. Sullivan Road in Spokane Valley, which is bringing on the buckets as a
limited special for iced and blended beverages. In one week of offering the 34-ounce drinks ($9), the bistro sold more than 100, with energy drinkbased concoctions being a front-runner. There are 16 ounces of Red Bull in a bucket order, for instance, for those who need more than an average caffeine boost.
SUPPORT HANGRY’S
On the morning of Wednesday, June 4, a grease fire broke out at Hangry’s Spokane Valley location at 11923 E. Trent Ave. Starting on the restaurant’s stove top, the grease fire spread to the ceiling and caused roughly $75,000 of damage. The restaurant is temporarily closed, but Hangry’s North Spokane location at 6325 N. Wall St. remains open.
FATHER’S DAY FEASTS
Considering the holiday’s Spokane origins, local businesses are making sure fathers are treated right this Father’s Day, June 15, by offering discounts, specials, barbeque and more.
Dine at Clinkerdagger with your dad on June 12 and enjoy a three-course menu ($62) with a choice of salad, a main dish like prime rib, and a dessert. Or, head on over to Lone Wolf Harley-Davidson in the Spokane Valley, where SmokeRidge BBQ is serving up smoked and grilled favorites on June 12 from 11 am to 4 pm.
For dessert, check to see if Birdie’s Pie (with locations in Spokane and North Idaho) still has some of their Father’s Day specials. If your dad has a mammoth appetite, order him a pie ($30) with a variety of flavors and gluten-free options, or get the Dad Bod Quad ($21.50) of four smaller pies. n
Annual Manual
Why order a cup when you could get a bucket? COURTESY PHOTOS
WAY OFF PAR
Apple TV+’s new sports comedy Stick is no Ted Lasso
BY JOSH BELL
There’s only one Ted Lasso. The massive Apple TV+ hit about an American football coach hired to run an English soccer team captured a specific moment in time when its blend of earnest compassion and gentle comedy was exactly what audiences were looking for. Even the show’s own balance didn’t last long, as it quickly slid into sentimentality in later seasons. So the way that Apple TV+ has touted its new golf comedy, Stick, as coming “from the home of Ted Lasso” is disingenuous at best. There’s no recapturing the initial magic of Ted Lasso, especially not as a calculated effort.
That wouldn’t be a problem if Stick stood on its own as a successful show, but it’s resolutely mediocre, playing out the tired beats of an inspirational sports movie over the course of 10 sluggish episodes. There’s none of the goofy energy of early Ted Lasso, which started with an amusingly ridiculous high concept. Owen Wilson’s protagonist — Pryce “Stick” Cahill — is a familiar archetype, the washed-up has-been who sees a promising young athlete as his potential ticket to recapturing some of his former glory.
After suffering a breakdown on live TV during a professional golf tournament, Pryce has spent the past decade-plus working at a local golf club in Fort Wayne, Indiana, making sales pitches to bored businessmen
and helping old ladies with their swings. He’s still living in the house that he promised his ex-wife Amber-Linn (Judy Greer) they’d sell two years earlier, driving a yellow Corvette that would look flashy if it weren’t so beat up. When he’s hard up for cash, he enlists his best friend and former caddy Mitts (Marc Maron) to help him hustle bar patrons willing to bet on his once-legendary skills.
Everything changes when Pryce spots 17-year-old Santi Wheeler (Peter Dager) absolutely walloping golf balls at the driving range, and he decides that he’s going to help this unfocused kid turn pro. Santi isn’t a complete outsider — he’s a former amateur champion who gave up golf after his father (and coach) walked out on him and his mother, Elena (Mariana Treviño). Stick is set up like an underdog sports story, but Santi isn’t much of an underdog. He’s a prodigy who needs only minimal guidance from Pryce, and his bid to break into the big leagues is heavily financed by the sale of Pryce’s house.
Santi’s also kind of an annoying brat, which is understandable for a teenage star athlete but doesn’t make him especially appealing to root for. It doesn’t help that a few episodes in, he hooks up with the equally annoying Zero (Lilli Kay), a snarky genderfluid wanderer whose dialogue sounds like the writers stuck a bunch of Gen Z buzzwords in a blender, without regard for meaning
or perspective. Stick isn’t primarily Santi’s story, but he’s a significant enough presence to be a drag whenever he acts like an entitled jerk.
Pryce gets by on Wilson’s inherent charm, but creator Jason Keller saddles him with a tragic backstory that piles on the heavy emotional baggage with no rewarding payoff. He already has plenty to overcome thanks to his career meltdown, without adding in a dead child. A lateseason sequence in which Pryce has visions of experiencing milestones that his son never reached is Stick at its maudlin worst.
By far the best episode of the season takes the opposite tonal approach, with lively humor as the core quintet work together to hustle Pryce’s smarmy former rival Clark Ross (Timothy Olyphant), who’s turned his middling golf career into a mini-empire of steakhouses and insurance-company endorsements. Olyphant plays up Clark’s unctuous charm, and the main characters feel like genuine scrappy outsiders as they scheme to get Santi a place in a PGA tournament that Clark sponsors.
By the time Clark shows up, though, Stick has meandered through seven mediocre episodes stuffed with filler, delaying the progression of the basic, linear narrative. Pryce’s road to redemption is clear and obvious, as is Santi’s similar path to glory, and the minor conflicts that arise along the way are strained and perfunctory. Only the slow-burning romantic tension between Mitts and Elena feels slightly fresh, and Maron’s performance mostly evokes memories of his last turn as a cranky sports mentor on the far superior GLOW
As much as Ted Lasso became a victim of its own success, it was still filled with memorable characters, clever jokes and a sense of pure enthusiasm. Stick delivers stock players in a stock scenario, with no excitement to its competitive highs and lows. As the characters listlessly hang out in Mitts’ RV, traveling from one tournament to another, they aren’t even particularly good company. n
Stick
Created by Jason Keller
Starring Owen Wilson, Peter Dager, Marc Maron Streaming on Apple TV+
Stick is less a hole-in-one and more a shank into the water.
Dragon Things Out
DreamWorks jumps on the unnecessary live-action remake bandwagon with How to Train Your Dragon
BY JOSH BELL
Blame Disney. The massive success of that company’s ongoing project to remake its classic animated movies in live action has obviously inspired rival animation studio DreamWorks to follow suit, starting with a live-action remake of 2010 hit How to Train Your Dragon. Artistic considerations were left behind long ago, and it’s tough to see this new version of a film that isn’t even 20 years old as anything other than calculated and cynical. With the original film’s co-writer and co-director, Dean DeBlois, on board to write and direct, it’s clear that DreamWorks is merely looking for a copy-and-paste job that can bring in fans who are comforted by a slight variation on the familiar.
In that sense, How to Train Your Dragon is a success. DeBlois’ slavishly faithful recreation of his own movie takes no chances and offers nothing that might challenge or upset the franchise’s devoted following. In many instances, it’s an exact shot-for-shot replica of the original, making an effective case for its own pointlessness. There isn’t a single thing that DeBlois does better here than he did the first time, and even when he comes close to matching what came before, the strain shows through. It’s like a washed-up rock star fronting a tribute band of his own material.
Not that the original How to Train Your Dragon is a masterpiece. It’s a mildly engaging story with some striking animation and amusing voice performances. The expressive,
cartoony animation has been replaced with stone-faced actors and grittier CG effects, making both the human characters and the dragons less lively. The vibrant colors have been toned down, and even many of the jokes that get repeated verbatim land with a thud.
It makes sense that the adult comedic actors who voiced the teenage animated characters couldn’t reprise their roles, but their successors are mostly disappointing.
for both species.
How to Train
Your Dragon
Rated PG
Mason Thames replaces Jay Baruchel’s goofiness with a bland earnestness as Hiccup, the scrawny son of Viking chieftain Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler, the only actor returning). Everyone in Hiccup’s remote village is devoted to fighting the fearsome dragons that mount frequent attacks to steal livestock and burn down buildings, but Hiccup is too timid and clumsy to join them.
Directed by Dean DeBlois
Starring Mason Thames, Gerard Butler, Nico Parker
Even viewers who’ve never seen the original movie (adapted loosely from a book series by Cressida Cowell) can see where the story is going, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Both versions of Hiccup are easy to root for, although Thames is a bit more petulant, and the cat-like Toothless is endearing in both incarnations. DeBlois makes only slight adjustments to Toothless’ look. While most of the other dragons now appear much more ferocious, Toothless is still cute and cuddly.
ALSO OPENING
THE LIFE OF CHUCK
Based on a Stephen King novella, this genre-bending, feel-good apocalyptic story follows the life of an ordinary guy named Chuck (Tom Hiddleston). It won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, which is noteworthy because 15 of the last 16 movies to take home that prize also earned an Academy Awards Best Picture nomination. Rated R
MATERIALISTS
Writer/director Celine Song’s follow-up to Past Lives finds a New York City matchmaker (Dakota Johnson) whose heart is torn between a successful dreamboat (Pedro Pascal) and her more messy but endearing ex (Chris Evans). Rated R
THE UNHOLY TRINITY
This Western finds a man trying to avenge his father’s death (Brandon Lessard) caught between an outlaw (Samuel L. Jackson), a sheriff (Pierce Brosnan), and a hidden cache of gold. Rated R
He’s an ingenious craftsman, though, and one of his contraptions ensnares a supposedly deadly dragon known as a Night Fury. Instead of killing the dragon, Hiccup befriends it, naming it Toothless and discovering that dragons aren’t such lethal threats after all. They’re simply misunderstood, and they’re just as terrified of humans as humans are of them. Hiccup has to find a way to convince his fellow Vikings to change their view of dragons, which may be the key to salvation
The problem is that making the dragons look more “realistic” takes away much of the lighthearted tone. This shouldn’t be a fantasy epic like Game of Thrones or The Lord of the Rings — it’s a silly, heartwarming cartoon, and DeBlois seems to have lost sight of that. The minor additions include expanded character development for Hiccup’s fellow dragon-fighting trainee and potential love interest Astrid (Nico Parker), but they just serve to make her more judgmental and rude.
DeBlois dutifully presents the same story in a slightly new package, and that’s probably all he was expected to do. This How to Train Your Dragon is watchable enough, but all it does is take a pleasant viewing experience and make it moderately worse. n
The new version of How to Train Your Dragon is... (deep sigh)... toothless.
Somewhere That Feels Like Home
Boutique concert video series Live From Somewhere expands with a new season, screenings at the Garland and summer shows at the MAC
BY SETH SOMMERFELD
It’s a gorgeous sight watching the light refract through stained glass windows on a sunny April day. In a serene, early spring moment inside these hushed cathedral halls, one could easily contemplate the unknown mysteries of the universe. But soon a wall of sound will envelop the few scattered souls in attendance.
Most of the time I don’t have to bust out my earplugs while in a place of worship.
A Live From Somewhere shoot is not “most of the time.”
The loud outburst of sound emanates from Museum of Sound, a post rock band from Seattle that’s crossed the Cascades to shoot an upcoming episode for Live From Somewhere at St. John’s Cathedral on Spokane’s lower South Hill. Crew members run at least six cameras, plus sound, dollies and more, as the band rips through an uninterrupted set. It’s certainly much harsher than a chorus belting out liturgical music, but there’s something poetic about the clashing aesthetics as these much-noisier hymns ascend to the heavens.
Now in its fourth season, Live From Somewhere has grown leaps and bounds between its COVID-era origins. When stages shut down due the pandemic, three friends — Jon Kuritz, Ryan Stocks and Tyler Poole — decided to try to keep the pulse of the Spokane music scene beating
by shooting local acts performing at atypical venues and posting them to their YouTube channel (@LiveFromSomewhereNW).
That first year they put together 16 episodes with scene standouts like Snacks at Midnight, ExZac Change & Matisse, T.S the Solution and BaLonely playing spots ranging from the Spokane Pavilion and Resurrection Records to the woods and living rooms. So far, 2025’s fourth season has included local artists like IAMTOPP, Hayes Noble, and Jaeda performing at spots like NorthTown Mall and the former Uncle Rusty’s Diner.
After five years, the team behind Live From Somewhere (LFS) finally feels like they’re locking in and finding their groove. Co-founder Poole left in 2023 to open Poole’s Clubhouse, but things kept humming along. Live From Somewhere became an official arts nonprofit and has taken many steps to make the endeavor much more organized; something that can hopefully sustain itself, lock in a more consistent schedule, branch out further — both in the community and beyond — and ideally help elevate the Spokane music scene as a whole.
“The first few years we were definitely just figuring out what we were doing,” says Stocks, the series’
executive producer. “There were growing pains. Making sure that people on the team are seeing the vision and the team is cohesive and communicates and works well together and executes.”
“I think this season’s definitely our best season to date,” says Creative Producer Nik Michaels. “We took a little bit of time off, but when we started coming back, it’s like it never really left. We’ve learned so much in the past few years. With every single episode, there’s a lesson, and it’s like we’re keeping them in our tool belts.”
There’s certainly more of a sense of calm among the LFS team despite the often chaotic nature of bringing live music to odd locales. While in the past, the amount of feedback among the team could sometimes lead to indecision, they’ve now got the confidence of experience. As Michaels puts it, they can now just “think it, see it, do it.”
“The biggest change is the consistency and intentionality. We know what we’re doing, everybody has their roles,” says Kuritz, who serves as director and director of photography. “Because it’s so easy to just be like, ‘Yeah, we can go shoot this band right now at whatever location. We can do a one-off thing and if it works, it works. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.’ So this season we were able to shoot seven episodes in the span of three-and-a-half months, so they were all consistent.”
LOCAL SCENE
The Live From Somewhere crew at St. John’s Cathedral. OUTLIER IMAGERY PHOTO
Perhaps the most obvious change to the series in season four is Stocks also taking over hosting duties, which include interstitial interviews with the bands.
“It’s all just been about stepping the quality up,” he says. “We try to find ways to incorporate interviews to break it up a little bit, just to kind of keep people interested throughout the episode, even if they’re not necessarily into the genre. Try to dig into the psyche a little bit when possible.”
Changing things up, after all, has always been Live From Somewhere’s modus operandi.
“Our whole thing we had to adapt. There were no stages. There was nothing happening. And the local music scene was just kind of stagnant. So the birth of Live From Somewhere was adaptation,” Kuritz says. “So I think that’s been something we’ve been kind of battling: How do we take this product and adapt to bring people to it?”
Abig step toward achieving their long-term goals to bolster Spokane’s music landscape meant Live From Somewhere could no longer merely be a nebulous organization that existed online. To build a true community, one must physically exist in the same space.
To that end, there are two major additions to LFS offerings in 2025. For starters, LFS decided to try to make its season four premieres an event. Starting in March, the org began premiering each new episode on the big screen at the Garland Theater on the second Wednesday of the month, continuing through October (tickets are $15). The upcoming premiere slate features RCA & The Radicals (July 9), Age of Nephilim (Aug. 13), Nothing Shameful (Sept. 10) and the aforementioned church set by Museum of Light (Oct. 8).
These LFS Garland premieres somewhat blur the line between concert and night at the movies (there’s even a merch table in the lobby), with the LFS guys and the night’s featured artist doing a prescreening Q&A panel. The sharp cinematography combined with the artists’ presence makes for quite a unique big-screen experience.
Live From Somewhere is also now getting into the attendable concert business. This month, they’re teaming up with the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture to launch the Curators of Sound Concert Series. Held at the museum’s amphitheater on the third Wednesday in June, July and August, the new addition to the outdoor music calendar brings together genre-spanning LFS alums that might not otherwise share the same stage to present a sonic cross-section of the Spokane scene.
“Our whole brand has been taking the venue out of live music. So how do we stay true to that while adapting and creating a new way to experience live music?” Kuritz says. “So the theatrical premieres were [one way]. And if we are going to do a show, let’s bring our line up that’s super diverse — like, get hip-hop and metal and various genres on a show and throw our style on.”
Expanding Live From Somewhere’s outreach has also included boosting its production. The organization teamed up this season with Eastern Washington filmmaking nonprofit We F.E.W. to get additional crew, gear, lighting, and location assistance. Additionally, Taylor Wordell added a new element by filming behind-thescenes footage of each shoot.
There’s also been an effort to have a larger Pacific Northwest reach this season, which kicked off with an episode featuring Portland psych rock band Hippie Death Cult and closes with Seattle’s Museum of Light. While it’s good to widen the spectrum of musicloving folks who can discover Live From Somewhere, the Spokane music scene will still be its heartbeat.
“We got through the growing pains, and now we’re able to execute our vision. So this season will be like the truest to our vision that we’ve ever produced,” Kuritz says. “It’s five years in, so it’s a big year for us. And I think things are kind of falling in place for us to be where we’ve been trying to be for the last two or three years. It’s the best stuff we’ve produced as a team. And I hope they resonate with people.” n
Curator of Sounds Series: Fat Lady, Nothing Shameful, T.S the Solution, RCA & The Radicals • Wed, June 18 from 5:30-10 pm (additional shows July 16 & Aug. 20) • $34 • All ages • NW Museum of Arts & Culture • 2316 W. First • lfs-nw.com/events
Cheers to Dad!
JAZZ FUNK TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE
PUNK SOCIAL DISTORTION
Thursday, 6/12
ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Current Flow
J THE BIG DIPPER, Loin Hammer, Goblet, Toxic Vengeance, Cult of Suffering
J BRICK WEST BREWING CO., Lucas Brown & Friends
GARLAND DRINKERY, Speak Easy: Open Mic Night
J QQ SUSHI & KITCHEN, Just Plain Darin
RED ROOM LOUNGE, Thurrsdays EDM Night
J STELLA’S ON THE HILL, Kosta La Vista ZOLA, X24, Frances Browne
Friday, 6/13
AK ASIAN RESTAURANT, Gil Rivas
J THE BIG DIPPER, No Living Witness, Xenoplasm, False Visions, Elephant Graveyard
J THE GRAIN SHED, Haywire
GREEN CITY SALOON, DJ KJ
J HAMILTON STUDIO, Wolfchild, Lucas Brookbank Brown
J NEATO BURRITO, Hell Motel, Worms in Dirt, Atomsk NIGHT OWL, Four On The Floor Fridays
J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Jake Robin
J PUEBLA MEXICAN RESTAURANT, Latin Dance Party
J SOUTH HILL GRILL, Just Plain Darin
THE YARD BIRD TAVERN, Austin Carruthers
J TOMBSTONE RANCH, Better Daze Festival
WHISPERS LOUNGE, Kyle Richards
ZOLA, Stares of Vega, Some Directions
Saturday, 6/14
BECK’S HARVEST HOUSE, Prairie Fire Duo BERSERK, Nausoleum: Pride Edition
J THE BIG DIPPER, Blighted Eye, Xingaia, Absent Cardinal
THE CHAMELEON, Eulogy of Giants, Ovrlk, Concrete Grip, InComing Days, Midnight Drive, Ironworks, Nathan Chartrey
J THE GRAIN SHED TAP HOUSE, Sidetrack
J HAMILTON STUDIO, Pierre Bensusan
J INDABA FLAGSHIP CAFÉ, Rosethrow & Spro
J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Ian Newbill
J BEARDED GINGER BAR & GRILL, The Ronaldos
THE GOODY BAR AND GRILL, Midnight Open Mic
J TOMBSTONE RANCH, Better Daze Festival
WHISPERS LOUNGE, Faron Gilbert
ZOLA, Blake Braley, Melissa Wonder
Sunday, 6/15
There aren’t a ton of musicians who could get a large crowd of people who’ve never heard their music before immediately get on their feet and start dancing, but there’s no doubt that Trombone Shorty is one of them. The bandleader, trombonist (duh) and singer is an absolutely electric live performer, mixing New Orleans jazz, funk and rock to create a dynamic sound. Trombone Shorty & Orlean’s Avenue’s shows are like a mini trip Mardi Gras, and anyone who attended the band’s 2023 show at the Pavilion won’t soon forget the musicians second line marching their way up to the venue’s catwalk. So clear your schedule for Trombone Shorty’s concert at Northern Quest Resort & Casino or you might just be missing out on one of the best parties of the summer.
— SETH SOMMERFELD
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, JJ Grey & Mofro, Dumpstaphunk • Sun, June 15 at 7 pm • $30-$159 • All ages • Northern Quest Resort & Casino • 100 N. Hayford Rd., Airway Heights • northernquest.com
One unusual but effective way to judge a punk band’s legacy is if the group has become a commonplace patch stitched to the jackets of punk kids. Obvious elite-tier patches include The Ramones presidential seal, Circle Jerks’ skank kid, Operation Ivy’s ska man, Dead Kennedys’ DK logo, The Misfits’ skull, Black Flag’s four black bars and last (but not least) Social Distortion’s drinking and smoking skeleton. Formed in 1978, Social Distortion earned that fashion rank as one of the most influential Southern California punk bands. While the group led by frontman Mike Ness started as a traditional hardcore punk act, SD found more of an identity when it began folding in country and blues notes to create a cowpunk sound. Tunes like “Story of My Life” and “Ball and Chain” are first-ballot punk hall of famers, and Inland Northwest punks can hear them live when Social Distortion swings by Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino. — SETH SOMMERFELD
Social Distortion, Plague Vendor • Thu, June 19 at 8 pm • $75-$380 • All ages • Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino • 14300 W. SR Hwy 2, Airway Heights • spokanetribecasino.com
J THE BIG DIPPER, Inferi, Vitriol, Greylotus, Demon King
THE COEUR D’ALENE RESORT, Jerry Lee Raines
J JAGUAR ROOM AT CHAMELEON, Goldpine, Nicole Lewis
Did you know that classic car cruises are a thing — or that Car d’Lane hosts the largest such cruise in North Idaho? Check it out this Friday and watch more than 1,000 old-timey cars in action driving through the picturesque downtown. Then, get up close and personal with the same classics you watched cruise the city streets during Saturday’s car showcase. Walk around, look under the hood, and perhaps picture yourself like Audrey Hepburn in the passenger seat: scarf around your hair, sunglasses on and speaking in a transatlantic accent. Or, if playing cards is more your speed, sign up for the Poker Walk. Kids can even pretend to take a spin in the “Cars 4 Kids Car Club” section.
— BEE REISWIG
Car d’Lane • Fri, June 13 from 6-8:30 pm and Sat, June 14 from 8 am-4 pm • Free • Downtown Coeur d’Alene • Sherman Ave. • cdadowntown.com • 208-667-5986
COMMUNITY PARTY LIKE IT’S…
Prom night is seen as one of high school’s most cherished traditions, but it doesn’t have to be like that. You could attend Queer Prom at The Chameleon on Friday and have one of the most exciting nights in your entire life. Put on your best clothes and dance the night away to exciting drag performances, queer anthems played by DJs Saffron City and Abyss and the live musical stylings of Spokane ’80s cover band Starcourt. There will even be live tattoos if you wanna dance to the hum of those artsy machines. Asher St. Mars (or DJ Abyss) hosts the entire adults-only event, so prepare for some high-energy fun. Don’t forget to commemorate the night with a killer photoset by Electric Photoland.
— COLTON RASANEN
COMMUNITY WALK THROUGH HISTORY
This summer, the Northwest Museum of Art and Culture is hosting a 1-mile walking tour through one of Spokane’s most historic neighborhoods. The 50-minute tour begins at the museum’s historic carriage house, where archival photos of Browne’s Addition showcase how much the neighborhood has changed since the region’s mining magnate boom of the late 1800s. Along the guided tour, historical facts about the Campbell family, who once lived in the museum campus’ stately mansion, and relevant historical locations are shared with participants as they follow in the footsteps of the neighborhood’s previous inhabitants. The tour loops back to the museum and ends at the Campbell House’s front door.
— MARTA SZYMANSKA
Browne’s Addition Walking Tour: Then and Now • Sat, June 14 (sold out), Sat, June 28 and Sat, July 19 at 11 am • $12-$15 • The MAC • 2316 W. First Ave. • northwestmuseum.org
GET LISTED!
Submit events online at Inlander.com/getlisted or email relevant details to getlisted@inlander.com. We need the details one week prior to our publication date.
OUTDOORS FITNESS FRENZY
With a focus on recreation, fitness and community, Spokane’s Summer Parkways event puts a local spin on a “good health” inspired event that originated in Bogota, Colombia, known as Ciclovia, which means “bike path” in Spanish. Every summer for one evening, the South Hill streets of the Manito and Comstock neighborhoods are closed to cars and open solely for cyclists, pedestrians, skaters and all kinds of human-powered transportation. This family-oriented event also offers a variety of physical fitness activities like yoga, fencing, hula hooping, dancing and more. Participants are also encouraged to bring along their own hobbies like chalk art, juggling or anything else. Folks of all ages and athletic abilities are invited to participate, just be sure to only bring nonmotorized transportation devices.
— HANNAH HIGENS
Summer Parkways • Tue, June 17 from 6-9 pm • Free • All ages • Manito and Comstock Neighborhoods • Spokane’s South Hill • summerparkways.com
COMMUNITY WORST JOKES, BEST DADS
Dad jokes. No matter how many eyerolls they garner, we all love ’em deep down. This Father’s Day weekend, test your dad joke skills at both Natural 20 Brewing Co. locations. The process is simple: Submit your best (or worst!) dad joke at the bar anytime on Saturday or Sunday, and receive $5 off your first beer for your courageous efforts while waiting for the contest results to be posted on Sunday evening. The grand prize includes a $25 gift card to Natural 20, an honorary “Dad Bod” badge, and eternal respect. Fatherhood is not required to participate, as long as you have dad vibes and a willingness to embarrass yourself in public, you’re good to go. After your win, you’ll be on the same level as the guy who won the knock-knock joke contest. I heard he got a no-bell prize…
— MADISON PEARSON
Father’s Day Dad Joke Contest • June 14-15, all day • Free • Natural 20 Brewing Co. • 13216 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley and 1303 N. Washington St. • natural20brewing.com
I SAW YOU
GOOSE CONCERT AT PAVILION I was working merch at the Goose show at the Pavilion on May 31. You came up to try on a T-shirt and asked what I thought. Your two friends told you to size up. You needed a hand getting the concert shirt off, so I held the back of your shirt down while you changed — and for a brief moment, it felt like more than just helping a stranger. I don’t know if you felt it too, but I haven’t stopped wondering since. If this sounds familiar, I’d love to reconnect.
CHEERS
BRAVO SFCC DRAMA PROGRAM! While Spokane Falls Community College’s production of Reefer Madness was a more toned down version of the original adaptation, which was, in turn, more restrained than its propaganda film source material — it was still a sharp, satirical romp that turned 1930s anti-marijuana paranoia into musical theater mayhem with tongue planted firmly in cheek. The performance was brilliant! The vocals were SPECTACULAR! The pit orchestra was amazing! SFCC’s drama program may be one of the Inland Northwest’s best-kept secrets, but trust me — after this show, it won’t stay that way for long. If a smaller Washington community college helped shape the legendary Sam Elliott, then surely SFCC is THE hidden stage where the next stars are already waiting in the wings. Bravo, indeed!
DEAR DOWNRIVER GRILL, Please please PLEASE bring the spicy chicken katsu wrap back to your menu. Spokane hasn’t been as tasty without it. Thank you. Sincerely, Katsu Crazed
CHEER SUPREMACY This Cheer goes out to the jaunty and jubilant JoAnne B. for leading a group of hikers as a docent with the Inland Northwest Land Conservancy recently. As hike discussion turned to our mutual love of the Inlander, Jo described her personal mission to make sure there are always more cheers than jeers to get us through the week. This is for the indomitable bright ray of Spokane sunshine also known as JoAnne. You’re empirically the best, Jo! <3
THE BRAINCHILD OF THE SCALE HOUSE
Thank you to the person or persons behind Spokane’s first year-round farmers market. You should run this town! What a beautiful setting in the former rock quarry. Everything about this property and project is top shelf. This is such a feather in Spokane’s cap. Thank you again and cannot wait to revisit the Scale House.
JUST, THANK YOU! To the drivers who don’t pull into my lane so close after passing that the stone they just threw up doesn’t crack my windshield. Those few extra car lengths make a lot of difference! Thank you.
JEERS
I SEE YOU I saw you be the perfect example of the worst human to ever exist with all of your entitlement and self righteousness... How could you be ignored? I have never... ever come across a heartless ice chest like the one you have in place of a heart. WHO DO YOU THINK YOU are? Placing value above children and human life battling CANCER all while struggling to make ends meet and purchase the meds that are barely helping in addition to making ill...on the oh so vital VEHICLE TABS!!! How ironic that we pay these fees and have potholes?? And so I hope you fall in one and can’t get up. You already know you don’t have anyone to help you as you are a POS!!!I hope to see you again.
RE: ROAD CONDITIONS Not only do I disagree that we should re-allocate funding that attempts to help “drug-soaked bums” to fix our roads, but doing so wouldn’t even make a dent. Our car infrastructure is astronomically expensive and in no way sustainable. The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, which kicked off the construction
of over 40,000 miles of interstates, was the largest taxpayer-funded infrastructure project in history. The fossil fuel industry, which relies on our expensive infrastructure
DON’T HATE THE DUCK HATER Listen up, Sloth: Live your own life. Don’t covet mine because I don’t have your malignant cancer of attention. The ducks are a symptom of
that requires constant repair, is the most heavily taxpayer subsidized industry in the history of the world. But go ahead and blame the most powerless and marginalized people in our society, who occasionally get some help when we’re feeling generous.
DUCT TAPE, BALING WIRE AND TOASTERS. OH MY! Without the ability to import automobile parts, I’m afraid that we will have to resort to toaster parts to keep our automobiles running. Soon we will be repairing our cars with used toaster parts because we can’t import new toasters. I’ve recently learned that 99% of the toasters in United States come from China. Now I’m afraid that if we have no strategic reserve of toasters in the United States, we will only be able to hold our cars together for so long with the reserves we have...of used toaster parts. Without the ability to import automobile parts, strategic reserves of oil will do us no good if we don’t get those toaster parts to keep our cars running. I’m not sure if we have the ingenuity to pull this off. We are going to have to rely on the inventiveness of our mechanics to use duct tape and baling wire.
OUT OF THE TACO PLAYBOOK Pathetic losers is something the orange one would say. I submitted a jeers awhile back regarding why I couldn’t pay my car tabs, which led to being called pathetic. Yes, I’m 65 and on a fixed income. Last summer I had back surgery, and with Medicare and private insurance, I still had to pay $10,000 out of pocket. When my tabs came due in the fall, I had a choice. Rent, food, a payment plan for the medical bill, etc., or outrageous car tabs. I decided to put off paying for my car tabs until the spring. Pathetic loser? Like so many, I made the choice to get my budget in order before paying car tabs with all the fees and taxes. I’m far from pathetic and I don’t live my life putting other people down just to make myself feel better. Kindness goes a long way. Not everyone is a pathetic loser.
your disease. You’re not special. You’re just like everyone else.
CAN’T PICK AND CHOOSE I hear those saying with the cost of everyday items rising, they cannot afford to pay for license tabs due to these increases. They argue that it impacts nobody so quit complaining. I am going to guess these same people, who cannot make an annual payment for new tabs also are not paying a monthly premium for auto insurance, so YES this does impact me and others. If you by chance have a collision with me and are uninsured that falls back on me. I am also guessing a number of those that cannot afford tabs/ insurance are still buying expensive coffee drinks everyday, cigarettes, nails done, hair extensions, alcohol, fast food instead of cooking at home. What ever your excuse, you are still breaking the law and is this the example you choose for your kids: pick and choose which laws to follow and which not? Then complain that your child gets in trouble with the law for picking to not follow the laws. Don’t like the laws, work to get them changed, do not break them!
BRING BACK THE SWINGS! Jeers to the removal of swings at Comstock Park. What gives? Please bring them back asap.
SUBPAR BEHAVIOR ON GOLF COURSE To the group of five golfers that teed off just before noon on June 4 at Indian Canyon Golf Course, why did one guy in your group think it was ok to hit into us? We were part of an intermediate golf class, just learning the game, out there with our coach from the course. We paid for our round of golf and were keeping pace. If you’re a good golfer, you should have known your ball would reach us, and you should have waited. You were in a hurry. You were told to not hit into us again, and you responded by yelling at the coach. You were so rude! Then you hit into our group again. What a jerk. You
told our coach, “You’ll never make it here, buddy.” Actually YOU will never PLAY there again because you’ve been 86’d from that course. Perhaps you are a good golfer, but you are a subpar human. Kudos to ICGC staff and course marshals for the way they dealt with the issue.
SPOKANE CITY’S RESPONSIBILITY? The havoc caused by the small pieces of junk called hot rods has taken over downtown like they do every spring & summer. Those of us who live downtown cover our ears with our palms, to soften the gutwrenching roar of these deeply destructive noises. At 9 pm Wednesday one of them consistently driving back & forth in front of Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral, stood for at least 30 seconds drilling the noise as loud as it could get. Spokane City authorities just ignore this anxiety driven noise; why, I don’t know. People in my building are feeling physically sick & some are having nerve problems. We have contacted the Spokane Police downtown & believe this, they told us to give them the times & places that it occurs. Really! If that’s not neglecting your duty, I don’t know what is, because you know that they have to hear it too. We are pleading with you to save our sanity.
TIRED RHETORIC Jeers to you who speak and write predictions of “The Sky is Falling” since the Trump administration began its task. In one day, my collection of phrases (all quoted) included such gems as: could be cut, will definitely impact, questionable revenue forecast, higher prices inevitable, officials are worried, could drastically impact, could lose and potentially negative economy. No wonder people are upset. Maybe the best question is how have these projections changed your lives to date? Other than the upset over the “might happens,” how have your lives been changed for the worst in the past 5 months? n
NOTE: I Saw You/Cheers & Jeers is for adults
or
The Inlander reserves the right to edit or reject any posting at any time at its sole discretion and assumes no responsibility for the content.
EVENTS | CALENDAR BENEFIT
FRIENDS OF THE DEER PARK LIBRARY BOOK SALE Peruse thousands of gentlyused books of all genres including mystery, sci-fi, romance, non-fiction, biography and more. Plus, tables full of movies, music, puzzles and games. All proceeds support Deer Park Library and community events. The second Friday and Saturday of each month 9 am-4 pm through Sept. 14. Reilly Family Storage, 2405 E. Crawford St. scld.org
BIG GAY DANCE PARTY This annual pride-themed dance party features dancing, drag performances, prizes, swag, giveaways and more. Proceeds support the Spokane AIDS Network. June 20, 8-11 pm. $5. nYne Bar & Bistro, 232 W. Sprague Ave. sannw.org (509-474-1621)
WASTED GENIUS Wasted Genius performs a benefit concert for the Ferris HS Jazz Trip to New Orleans, LA for the National Jazz Education Network (JEN) Conference in January 2026. June 20, 6-9 pm. $25. Overbluff Cellars, 304 W. Pacific. ferrismusicparents.org
COMEDY
BETH STELLING Stelling is a comedian, writer and actress best known for writing on Rick and Morty, Strange Planet, Another Period and other comedy show. June 12-14, 7 pm, June 13-14, 9:45 pm. $25-$32. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com
HOOPPROV This improv show celebrates the camaraderie, competition and sheer joy of the biggest 3-on-3 basketball tournament on the planet. Every Friday in June at 7:30 pm. $9. Blue Door Theatre, 319 S. Cedar St. bluedoortheatre.org
FATHER’S DAY DAD JOKE CONTEST
Submit your best (or worst) dad joke at the bar anytime Saturday or Sunday. Each person who enters a joke bets $5 off their first beer. Finalists will be selected and the champion announced on Sunday evening. June 14-15; Sat from noon-10 pm, Sun from noon-7 pm. June 14, 12-10 pm and June 15, 12-7 pm. Free. Natural 20 Brewing Company, 1303 N. Washington St. natural20brewing.com
COMMUNITY
PRIDE HISTORY & REMEMBRANCE EX-
HIBIT An exhibit featuring gowns, archival photographs and rarely seen artifacts from the LGBTQIA2S+ community, showcasing the rich and diverse culture of Spokane over the decades. Daily from 10 am-5 pm through June 30. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main. spokanelibrary.org
CAR D’LANE The largest classic car cruise in North Idaho (June 13) accompanied by a car show (June 14) where you can get up close and personal with the classic cars. June 13-14; Fri from 6-8:30 pm, Sat from 8 am-4 pm. Free. Downtown Coeur d’Alene, Sherman. cdadowntown.com
FOREST CEMETERY WALKING TOUR
These guided tours through Forest Cemetery offer an immersive journey through time, highlighting the stories of notable figures and local legends. Every Friday at 8:30 pm. Museum of North Idaho, 115 Northwest Blvd. museumni.org
QUEER PROM A prom for the queer community featuring DJ Asher St Mars, live tattoos, an Electric Photoland photobooth, drag performances and live music from Starcourt, Saffron City and Abyss. June 13, 9 pm. $20-$25. The Chameleon, 1801 W. Sunset. chameleonspokane.com
SPOKANE PRIDE Spokane’s annual celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community features five stages with various performances, 100+ vendors, activities and more. This year’s theme is “Here To Stay.” June 13, 12-9 pm. Free. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. spokanepride.org
MOONSHINE: ARTISAN NIGHT MARKET
A vendor showcase of many local businesses selling food, drinks, art and immersive crafts. A different film is shown each night following the market. Wed from 5:30-10 pm through Aug. 27. Free. Commellini Estate, 14715 N. Dartford Dr. commelliniestate.com (509-466-0667)
2025 WALLACE GYRO DAYS A community even featuring a carnival, kids activities, the annual Lead Creek derby and more. June 19, June 20 and June 21. Free. Wallace, Idaho. wallaceid.fun
SPOKANE JUNETEENTH CELEBRA-
TION An event honoring the history and significance of Juneteenth featuring child-friendly activities, vendors, food, entertainment and more. June 19, 12-4 pm. Free. Grant Park, 1015 S. Arthur St. INWJC.org
INLAND NORTHWEST JUNETEENTH
COALITION PILLAR AWARDS A black carpet event that aims to acknowledge and celebrate those who uplift the local African-American community. June 20, 6 pm. Free. The Fox Theater, 1001 W. Sprague Ave. inwjc.org (509-624-1200)
VINTAGE MARKET DAYS An upscale, open air market featuring vintage and collections from various vendors. June 20-22, Fri & Sun from 11 am-4 pm, Sat from 10 am-5 pm. $10-$15. Kootenai County Fairgrounds, 4056 N. Government Way. vintagemarketdays.com
FILM
ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW A newly-engaged couple have a breakdown in an isolated area and must seek shelter at the bizarre residence of Dr. Frank-n-Furter. Performed with a live shadow cast. June 14, 11:30 pm. $10. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org (509-327-1050)
MOONLIT MOVIES: CARS A screening of Cars under the stars. Film begins at sunset. June 18. Free. Commellini Estate, 14715 N. Dartford Dr. commellini.com
SUMMER MOVIES IN THE PARK A screening of Singin’ in the Rain n Colfax’s Schmuck Park. First Thurs. of every month at 8 pm through Aug. 21. Free. Colfax. explorecolfaxwa.com
FRIDAY NIGHT MOVIE: FIRE Two women, Radha and Sita, are isolated in their marriages with neglectful husbands while sharing a house in New Delhi. Radha and Sita comfort each other and form a relationship where they find companionship and love. June 20, 6:30 pm. $8. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org
SUMMER MOONLIGHT MOVIES: THE WILD ROBOT A free screening of The Wild Robot in Airway Heights’ Sunset Park. Bring lawn chairs, blankets and snacks. Movie begins at dusk. June 20. Free. Sunset Park, 924 S. Lawson St. ariwayheightsparksandrec.org
FOOD & DRINK
STEAMED BAO BUNS CULINARY EXPERIENCE Learn how to make bao buns from scratch in addition to zucchini salad
and sauces to complement the flavorful buns. June 12, 5:45-8 pm. $85. The Kitchen Engine, 621 W. Mallon Ave. thekitchenengine.com (509-328-3335)
SUNSET DINNER CRUISES A buffet featuring baked salmon, roasted beef, summer salads and more. Cruise length is two hours. Daily at 7:30 pm through Sep. 1. $57-$84. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdacruises.com (208-765-4000)
WINEMAKER’S DINNER: SAGEMOOR
Seven chef paired-course featuring special guest Aryn Morell, Director of Winemaking for Sagemoor. Ages 18+. June 12, 5-7 am. $199. Lorèn, 908 N. Howard St. lorenbistro.com (509-315-8902)
GERMAN-AMERICAN SOCIETY FATHER’S DAY DINNER A dinner of pork schitzel mit spätzle prepared by Trevor from Das Stein Haus. Doors open at 5:30pm with dinner at 6 pm. For reservations, call 509-954-6964. June 14, 5:3011 pm. $25. German American Hall, 25 W. Third Ave. germanamericansocietyspokane.org (509-954-6964)
CAMP COCKTAIL: DRINKS OF THE 1960S AND 70S Dive into the cocktail culture of the 1960s and shake and stir the drinks that ushered in the disco fever of the 70s. Discover the stories behind the drinks as you sip and taste. Ages 21+. June 15, 5-7 pm. $84. Hogwash Whiskey Den, 304 W. Pacific Ave. raisingthebarNW.com (509-464-6541)
FATHER’S DAY BBQ A Father’s Day bbq featuring food, music, discussions about fatherhood, giveaways, games and more. June 15, 2-5 pm. Free. Blessings and Beyond, 12928 E. Mansfield Ave. inwjc.org
MUSIC & CONCERTS
SPOKANE STRING QUARTET The Spokane String Quartet performs a program of three centuries of chamber music, including the original setting of Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings.” June 16, 3-4:45 pm. $20-$25. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. spokanestringquartet.org (509-998-2261)
SPOKANE SYMPHONY AT ARBOR
CREST Enjoy food, beverages and classical music performed by Spokane Symphony Musicians. June 18, 7:30 pm. $30$70. Arbor Crest Wine Cellars, 4705 N. Fruit Hill Rd. foxtheaterspokane.org
SUMMER SOLSTICE SUNSET CONCERT
Watch the sunset in a beautiful outdoor setting while a small ensemble performs from the BeethoVan, the Spokane Symphony’s mobile concert stage. June 20, 8:20 pm. Free. Mirabeau Park Meadows, 13500 Mirabeau Parkway. foxtheaterspokane.org (509-688-0300)
SPORTS & OUTDOORS
DAD’S DAY DASH A family-friendly 5k and 1-mile run/walk that celebrates Father’s Day while supporting Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners. June 14, 9 am-noon. $32 -$35. Manito Park, 1800 S. Grand Blvd. snapwa.org/ddd5k
INDIAN TRAIL GARDEN OPEN HOUSE
Learn all about the bird garden and pollinator meadow at Indian Trail Library with the creator Juan Juan Moses. June 14, 11 am-2 pm. Free. Indian Trail Library, 4909 W. Barnes Rd. spokanelibrary.org
THE KAN Available at 50k, 25k and 10k options, The Kan provides a mountain
race feel on a fast course full of alpine meadows, huckleberries and old pine forests June 14, 7 am-5 pm. $49-$129. Mt. Spokane State Park, 26107 N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr. ponderosaracing.com
SPOKANE VELOCITY VS. FORWARD
MADISON Regular season game. June 14, 7 pm. $17-$95. ONE Spokane Stadium, 501 W. Gardner Ave. uslspokane.com
SPOKANE INDIANS VS. EVERETT
AQUASO Regular season home games. Promotional schedule includes: Baseball Hat Giveaway Night (June 17), Pink Goes Good with Green Night + Pride Celebration (June 18), King Carl Night (June 19), Educator Appreciation & Fireworks Night (June 20), Star Wars & Fireworks Night (June 21) and Native Culture Day Game (June 22). June 17-19, 6:35 pm, June 2021, 7:05 pm and June 22, 1:05 pm. $11$30. Avista Stadium, 602 N. Havana St. spokaneindians.com (509-535-2922)
SUMMER PARKWAYS SPOKANE During this annual summer event, South Hill streets are closed to motorized vehicles and opened up to pedestrians, cyclists, runners, skaters and other recreation. The event also includes activities and vendors along the designated 4 mile carfree route through the picturesque treelined streets of Manito and Comstock neighborhoods. June 17, 6-9 pm. Free. South Hill. summerparkways.com
THEATER & DANCE
WAITRESS Jenna, a waitress and expert pie maker, is stuck in a small town and a loveless marriage. Faced with an unexpected pregnancy, Jenna fears she may have to abandon the dream of opening her own pie shop until a baking contest in a nearby county and the town’s new doctor offer her a recipe for happiness. Wed-Fri at 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm through June 15. $15 - 42. Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard St. spokanecivictheatre.com
LAVENDER MENACE: A PRIDE BURLESQUE AND CABARET A burlesque show featuring drag performances by local performers. June 13, 9-11:30 pm. $27. Berserk, 125 S. Stevens St. facebook.com/ AVaudeVillainsProduction
TOPDOG/UNDERDOG This play tells the story of Lincoln and Booth, two brothers whose names were given as a joke, foretelling a lifetime of rivalry and resentment. June 13-29; Fri-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $25-$30. Stage Left Theater, 108 W. Third. stagelefttheater.org
50 SHADES OF GOTH: A SAPPHIC BURLESQUE SHOW Join six sapphic burlesque dancers in celebrating Pride at this burlesque show with six queer performers bringing their own takes to the theme, “50 Shades of Goth.” June 14, 8 & 9 pm. $15. TRVST, 120 N. Wall St. facebook.com/AVaudeVillainsProduction
SPOKANE YOUTH BALLET: HANSEL & GRETEL AND SLEEPING ROSA Spokane Youth Ballet’s 2025 Summer Concert features two colorful tales of family and friendship. June 14, 2 & 7 pm. $10-$14. Ridgeline High School, 20150 E. Country Vista Dr. spokaneyouthballet.ludus.com
MAMMA MIA! This musical tells the tale of a daughter’s quest to discover the father she’s never known by bringing three men from her mother’s past to the island. June 17-22; Tue-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sat also at 2 pm, Sun at 1 pm and 6:30 pm. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls. broadwayspokane.com
VISUAL ARTS
J. CASEY DOYLE: MANY Sculptural and functional work by J. Casey Doyle, a professor of art and design at the University of Idaho. Wed-Fri from 11 am-5 pm through June 27. Free. Trackside Studio, 115 S. Adams St. tracksidestudio.net
BERNADETTE BEEMAN & CHARLES AYARS Bernadette Beeman showcases watercolor, pencil and arylic artworks while Charles Ayars displays photographs of natural landscapes. Daily from 11 am-7 pm through June 29, 11 am-7 pm. Free. Pottery Place Plus, 203 N. Washington St. potteryplaceplus.com
MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE PRINTS A display from the museum’s permanent collection featuring a selection of thirty mid- to late 20th century Japanese prints. Mon-Sat from 10 am-4 pm through Aug. 30. Free. Jundt Art Museum, 200 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu/jundt (509-313-6843)
THOM CARAWAY & KAT SMITH: IN PRINT, OUT OF PRINT Working at the intersection of visual art and the written word, Thom Caraway and Kat Smith explore de- and re-constructing printed material into genre-blurring collages, prints, sculptures and other mixed-media works. Thu-Sat from 4-7 pm through June 28. Free. Terrain Gallery, 628 N. Monroe St. terrainspokane.com
JUNE T. SANDERS: AN INFINITE GESTURE & EM JACKSON: LOOK! A show curated by June T Sanders including artists Leor Miller, Eman Ahmed, and Elva Bennett. Look! is the latest in several series of drawings in which Em Jackson uses imagery from 1950s magazines to make ironic statements about contemporary social issues. Fri-Sat from 12-8 pm through June 28. Free. Saranac Art Projects, 25 W. Main Ave. sapgallery.com
WORDS
PETER BACHO: THE ART AND CRAFT OF MEMOIR Award-winning author Peter Bacho discusses the art of writing a memoir. This workshop emphasizes the tools (dialogue, action, plot, climax, etc.) that can help a memoirist produce a satisfying work. Register to attend. June 12, 1-3 pm. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5300)
MARGARET ALBAUGH: ARTIST BOOK RELEASE PARTY Margaret Albaugh lauches her artist book Where I End, and You Begin which examines her experiences of motherhood and generational patterns through photography and poetry. Featuring guest readings from Kate Lebo and Sharma Shields. June 12, 5-6 pm. Free. Wishing Tree Books, 1410 E. 11th Ave. wishingtreebookstore.com
BOOKPEOPLE OF MOSCOW STORYTIME A storytime at the Kenworthy Theater present by BookPeople of Moscow. Titles include and The Crayon Stub. Every Saturday at 9 am through Aug. 30. Free. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. bookpeopleofmoscow.com (208-882-4127)
SPOKANE PRIDE MINI BOOK FAIR Auntie’s provides books from queer voices across genres at the Spokane Pride Festival. June 14, 1 pm. Free. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. auntiesbooks.com
SUMMER READING CLUB KICK-OFF PARTY Kick off the Summer Reading Club by designing a book bag, decorating your own bookmark and more. June 18, 4:30-6 pm. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org n
HEALTH
Gloom and Doom
National media ran wild with a story on negative health impacts of cannabis consumption
BY WILL MAUPIN
It might not be “if it bleeds, it leads” — the saying in the news industry that brutally negative stories draw the most eyeballs — but when it comes to cannabis, if it’s bad, it’s big. That unfortunate reality was on display once again late last month when the results of a study linking cannabis use to heart disease made the rounds. Not just in cannabis-focused publications, but everywhere from the sensationalist New York Post to more even-keeled outlets like CNN and USA Today, even making it into less news-focused magazines like People and Men’s Journal.
The study results — which CNN rightfully described as “small” in the body of their story, though not the headline — are indeed concerning.
A group of researchers, largely from the University of California, San Francisco, looked at 55 participants and found that vascular function was impaired in otherwise healthy individuals who were chronic cannabis consumers, both for those who inhale the plant and those who ingest it in an edible form.
Perhaps more concerning than the study itself, however, is how the study has been presented in the media.
The unfortunate fact is that cannabis research remains difficult. More than a decade into recreational legalization, studies on the impacts of cannabis consumption continue to come out as a trickle rather than a torrent.
The Inlander reported on this in its 2024 Cannabis Issue. Despite promises to make the research process easier, going all the way up to the top of the Biden administration, researchers at local institutions were blunt when asked if cannabis research had become any easier.
“Not one little teeny tiny bit, no,” Washington State University psychology professor Carrie Cuttler said at the time.
This is not to say that studies finding negative health impacts of cannabis consumption should be overlooked. Far from it. But studies across the cannabis spectrum are too few and far between. We simply still don’t know as much as we should about cannabis and its impacts on human health.
For every study finding a problematic correlation, like the UC San Francisco study, there’s at least one finding a positive correlation, sometimes on the same issue. A 2021 review available through the National Library of Medicine found multiple positive impacts of cannabis consumption on the cardiovascular system — it also found negative impacts as well.
Studies with results that can be sensationalized will grab the headlines, but they’re the outliers, whether good or bad. The fact is, humans are still learning about how cannabis affects us. Bold headlines don’t make any one study more valid than another. n
After a study pointed to bad health impacts, is the takeaway that we need to promote more cannabis research?
NOTE TO READERS
Be aware of the differences in the law between Idaho and Washington. It is illegal to possess, sell or transport cannabis in the State of Idaho. Possessing up to an ounce is a misdemeanor and can get you a year in jail and up to a $1,000 fine; more than three ounces is a felony that can carry a five-year sentence and fine of up to $10,000. Transporting marijuana across state lines, like from Washington into Idaho, is a felony under federal law.
NOW HIRING!
Electrical Engineer at BarryWehmiller Companies, Inc. in Spokane. Install and commission new proprietary Alliance equipment at customer facilities, conduct calibrations and updates to system components, resolve mechanical malfunctions and oversee optimization projects by means of predetermined mechanical, electrical, pneumatic and/or software adjustments.
Salary: $128,233 Benefits: Med., Dent., Vis., 401k. Position allows for telecommuting from anywhere in the continental U.S. but required to report to Spokane office when not assigned to a specific jobsite or project. Position requires up to 40% domestic travel and up to 60% int’l travel, including to Mex. and LATAM, to visit customer facilities to install, relocate, rebuild, retrofit and integrate existing product lines w/ Alliance equipment. Requires a Bachelor’s degree (EE or related engineering discipline), or foreign degree equiv., 5 yrs. technical work exp. and Spanish fluency to liaise with customers in Mex. And LATAM. Apply: barrywehmiller. com/careers (Req. R018448)
Beats by ___ (audio brand)
53. “Psych” cable network
54. Cerumen site
55. Add carbonation to
“___ Be in Love” (song by Kate Bush)
59. Japanese publisher of the “Final Fantasy” series
62. “Aqua ___ Hunger Force”
63. “Boyhood” actor Ethan
64. Peak near Palermo
65. Latin for “to be”
Sargasso, e.g. 67. Game side
1. Semi-protector? 2. Leave alone 3. Enthusiast
Help sections on some websites
Chicken ___
Gold, in Granada
“Stormy” sea bird 8. Beast of burden 9. Interrupt, as a dancing couple
Galena, e.g. 11. Composition’s original form
Intelligent, fun, witty, handsome, hopeless romantic male, seeks gentle, loving, permanent, lifetime female companion. I love traveling, concerts and music, RV camping, history, movies, laughter and lovedid I say laughter and love?! Yes! I am honest, loyal, and passionate. Oh, where-o-where are you? Please come forth. I want an incredibly loving, magnetic relationship, where we can’t wait to see each other, always and completely. Literally, jump into each other’s arms. I’m 6’1”, so you can jump into my arms! Please reply to: Leskinen, PO Box 123, Spokane Valley, 99037 P.S. Pick up the pen and write to me, as this could be the best thing we have for the rest of eternity. Enclose your phone number, as I’d prefer to talk to you sooner than later, and meet you even sooner than that :)
June 26, 2025–January 4, 2026
Public artist reception at MAC After Hours, June 25, 5-8pm
