Inlander 06/26/2025

With gravity-defying roller coasters, train robberies, magic shows and a dueling water slide, Silverwood has been a summer staple for nearly 40 years

Dizzyland

Photo Essay by Erick Doxey

NOTE

t’s a rite of passage for anyone growing up in the Inland Northwest to spend a hot summer day prowling the grounds of SILVERWOOD THEME PARK. Like many, I have countless memories of exploring the park’s grounds with family and friends. During an early visit, my cousin finally convinced me to ride the Timber Terror with her. It was a choice I fully regretted when, at the top of its first massive drop, the coaster paused for a microsecond before flinging us down in a cacophony of screams. Afterwards, we ran directly back to the line. And later on, during my senior class field trip, our chaperoning physics teacher demonstrated that if you hold a penny in your palm on the Panic Plunge it’ll “float” down in front of you. (I’m sure Silverwood staff were thrilled.)

These memories and so many more all came flooding back as we put together this week’s fantastically fun photo collection by Inlander photographer Erick Doxey, who spent a recent summer day at Silverwood with staff, actors and guests. Though I may need some persuasion to get back on the coasters these days, I’m sure it’ll be worth it.

— CHEY SCOTT, Editor

KICK OFF THE SUMMER

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JULY 11 · SPOKANE ARENA

GREAT OUTDOORS

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AUGUST 22 & 23 · ONE SPOKANE STADIUM

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SEPTEMBER 18 · SPOKANE ARENA

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WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE ROLLER COASTER OR FAIR RIDE?

BRUNO MCLAUGHLIN

I don’t have a favorite. I have one I dislike: the Zipper.

Can you tell me more about that?

When I was a kid, my mom and I went on it, and I was so scared and screaming so much the carnival ride operator actually stopped it and let us off.

BRIANNA FIELDS

Man, I’m gonna have to go way back … I mean, honestly, if I think of like anything that’s my favorite, I’m a big fan of a lazy river. But in terms of rides, like the giant swings that kind of go around, you know? Like go up in the air, and they just like swing you around for a little bit.

IJAH MOORE

Oh my gosh, favorite carnival ride or roller coaster, I don’t know. Zero gravity. It’s when you are pushed up against the wall because you’re going really, really fast in a circle, and then you start sliding up the wall, and it’s hilarious. I almost just told you a story that’s a little bit TMI, but it’s really fun.

I’m curious, can you tell me?

I got my nipples pierced, and it just came undone. And it was like, the day after I got my nipples pierced. So I had to go get it repierced, and it was the worst pain of my life, so I don’t recommend that.

KELLY STRONK

I don’t know that it would be a roller coaster, ’cause I’m kind of afraid of heights, but I really love the big [ferris] wheel in Seattle on the pier.

What brings you over to Seattle? The culture. You can eat so many different kinds of food … and I love that.

BETSY URQUHART

I would say — I don’t know the actual name of it — I would say the wooden roller coaster at Silverwood.

Timber Terror? Yeah, Timber Terror.

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One with the Ponderosas

Public ownership of vasts swaths of the nation’s lands is an American innovation and a foundation of our freedom

BY CMARIE FUHRMAN

he noonday sun is intense, so we move our packs and lunches under a pair of old, tall ponderosa pines and lean against their trunks. It’s Memorial Day weekend, and all year I have dreamed of the two weeks I’ll spend by the South Fork of the Salmon River at a camp that over the last 14 years has become so familiar to me that I can locate the smallest landmarks, predict the arrival of birds, walk to the place where I once found a square piece of red chert that had been the source of arrowheads I’d found and knew I could find again.

It’s the season, not the holiday, that brings me here. It’s the first time I can really get away from work — a time when the snowline has receded enough to make most trails accessible, when Balsamroot Arrowleaf will be wide-mouthed with one yellow howl across the slopes that my partner, dog and I will follow up and up, as if up is the only direction this part of Idaho affords. We have tugged along our little camper, hunkered in a dispersed site, completely surrounded by the 2.3 million-acre Payette National Forest. We are surrounded by public lands.

Ilove to dream with the mind of a tree. My back to this bark, I wonder if I, for a moment, might be able to know what this 150-foot being remembers. I can tell she was singed by a fire, kin beside her now heartwood of ash. And I know that she is old enough to have seen the logging road we walked to get here, cut into the side of the slope, meandering to the summit. But she was probably very young then, too young for harvest, so she watched as millions of board feet were cut, as loggers and families came and went. She was too young to truly understand the history of the big ponderosa on the flat below her, the one fire-scarred with a USFS brand etched into a cambium peel — a mark left by the first people to know her kind and the land. Yet, even then, she would have seen that tree as a snag, still standing. This ponderosa stands on land that has never been private, land that has never truly been owned. Like the Cassin’s vireo singing above me as I study a horizon so extensive that my eyes feel like they grow just to hold it, this land has belonged to different beings, in different ways. It has been protected, fought over and for, territorialized, but as far as I know, never private. There are nuances, of course. Technically, the U.S. Forest Service owns this ponderosa. Were I to cut her or if someone were to shoot the deer that walked through our camp without license or out of season, there would be consequences.

The Salmon River flows through the Payette National Forest in Central Idaho. HANJO HELLMAN PHOTO / ADOBE STOCK

Government agencies arose initially from a heart of conservation, seeking to ensure a future for places like this. It’s true that commodification may have changed some of that, but in this moment, under this tree whose only flag flying is evergreen and living, there is no paperwork or deed.

In fact, there is laughter. Coming up the trail, a family of four on mountain bikes. The children so small they must have only lost training wheels a year ago. A copper-colored dog runs unleashed as the breeze that sways the heads of Idaho fescue. They don’t see us, but I watch and wonder what memories these children will take home. What wildness they imagine. The richness they must feel without knowing what that word means. They are smiling beneath brightly colored helmets. In a few minutes they will lay down their bikes and have homemade sandwiches and the smell of Bitterbrush, buttery and tart, will imprint on their minds. When they are my age, that smell will remind them of this afternoon, and the unburdened joy will return, the memory of an afternoon in a place where they might experience freedom in a way that can only happen on lands that remain free as well.

Once gates and “No Trespassing” signs define landscapes, we become the species controlled…

It’s not just the family of mountain bikers or campers that form this connection. It’s the elk hunter walking a predawn trail, the weekend rockhound finding her first garnet. It’s the city couple camped between the river and the road, wanting to pull the sound of the South Fork over them as they sleep. Living on this land, too, are your memories. Perhaps it’s the feeling of fresh snow beneath your skis, the tug of a trout as he finds your lure, or the picnic enjoyed on a Forest Service road. These are the moments, the memories rooted deep within our personal narratives, the stories that can only live with the continued existence of these shared spaces.

And it is our responsibility to ensure that these kids, and all future generations, are afforded the same opportunity to have these experiences. To make memories. To bring their own children to this place and find that not much has changed. They’ll be able to sit where they sat 40 years earlier and, in the vireo’s song, hear a different question, or their mother’s laughter, or the richness they recognized as true wealth long before different definitions took hold.

I’m asking a lot of this ponderosa as I shoulder my pack for a walk to the point where a fire lookout once stood, where now only cement remains. I am asking that as a nation we are able to see that once a place is owned, we are forced into a curated, diminished experience. Once gates and “No Trespassing” signs define landscapes, we become the species controlled, our territories reduced.

I am asking that as this being inhales the carbon I’ve breathed out as prayer, she exhales something into the minds of others about the need for these shared spaces. Despite whatever party we claim to belong to, despite the ways we choose to be on the land, I ask that we can together understand its importance. And if not for us — as we might car camp along the edge of a wild and scenic river, or backpack into a lake that sees a visitor only once every few years — then for the vireo. And if not for wild beings, then for you, the one who reads this, the one who will always feel the least owned when out here. The one who can twirl around, arms spread as if receiving a hug, and not say, “Mine, all mine,” but say, “I am yours,” and truly know what it means to belong. n

CMarie Fuhrman is the author of Salmon Weather: Writing from the Land of No Return, Camped Beneath the Dam, and co-editor of two anthologies, Cascadia Field Guide and Native Voices: Indigenous Poetry, Craft, and Conversations. She is the associate director of the graduate program in creative writing at Western Colorado University, and resides in West Central Idaho.

IMMIGRATION

Family Reunited

An Afghan family separated during the chaos of the U.S. withdrawal has been reunited in Spokane

BY VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ

In August 2021, people around the world witnessed chaos unfold on the tarmac at Kabul International Airport. Afghans desperately fled for their lives, trying to board airplanes to safety as the U.S.-backed government collapsed and Taliban fighters swept into the capital.

For Sona and Mohammed Dilawar, 33 and 34, who lived in Kabul at the time, the events of that day — the confusion, fear and separation of their family — are memories they’ve tried to forget.

Nearly four years later, sitting down with the Inlander, Sona describes how she fled with her two younger brothers, a sister, and both of her and her husband’s sons, and how they got separated from Mohammed.

Sona and Mohammed grow emotional as interpreter Ali Moghaddasi helps translate the couple’s thoughts spoken in Dari, an Afghan dialect of Farsi. Sona, with the help of Moghaddasi, says that many in Kabul at the time saw the Taliban as the symbol of fear.

That fear prompted the family to leave their home, not knowing where they would go or how they would get there, but the Dilawars knew they had to leave. Hearing

about Taliban atrocities and destruction outside the capital made them decide to evacuate to the airport.

As tears well up, Sona dries her eyes and attempts to remain composed as she describes the chaos at the airport — there were so many people trying to escape that she was separated from some of her family as they boarded the planes. Mohammed was turned away from boarding a plane by guards who were prioritizing women and children. Frustrated as he recounts the events, he says he felt confused and distraught about his family’s whereabouts amid the chaos.

A few days later, Sona was able to reach Mohammed on WhatsApp to tell him that she and their sons were at a U.S. military base in Germany. The ability to communicate provided some relief and hope for Mohammed, who escaped to Pakistan.

The next step was to wait and see where Sona and her family would be placed in the United States. Through the work of World Relief, Sona was told her family would resettle in Spokane because other options in Virginia and Texas were overcrowded.

By Aug. 26, 2021, Sona, along with her sons, brothers and sister, had moved here and started to settle into a new community.

SPOKANE HOME

World Relief is a humanitarian organization dedicated to resettling refugees and other forcibly displaced immigrants in the United States. In the past three decades, World Relief has resettled more than 11,000 refugees in Spokane as part of a national effort that has helped more than 500,000 immigrants resettle in the country.

Spokane has been a well-known hub for refugee and asylum seeker resettlement for decades, says Sam Smith, director of immigrant legal aid at Manzanita House. World Relief asked Smith and his legal team to help Sona and her family navigate the legal system to become permanent residents.

Manzanita House is a nonprofit that provides low-cost, often state-funded legal services with a focus on family and humanitarian immigration. The organization takes its name

After nearly four years, Sona Dilawar, left, and her husband Mohammed Dilawar are able to live together again. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

NEWS | IMMIGRATION

“FAMILY REUNITED,” CONTINUED...

from manzanita trees, which are known for being hearty plants and resilient against extreme conditions.

“The name Manzanita House — while not actually a residence — is a nod to the same resilience we see in the remarkable people we serve,” the organization states on its website.

Smith and his legal team have helped a wide range of people navigate various legal pathways to U.S. residency. He says there are many options, such as residency adjustment, visa programs, asylum, and special immigrant juvenile status.

Asylum is the primary pathway that Smith has been helping individuals navigate. He says the program allows those who’ve been persecuted or are afraid of returning to their country of origin to remain in the United States.

“Realistically, every single Afghan who is here has a valid asylum claim, in my opinion,” Smith says. “First of all, it’s the Taliban. I don’t think I have to make much more of an argument besides that.”

The International Criminal Court has filed warrants for the Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani for their human rights violations, saying they bear responsibility for crimes against humanity including persecution based on gender.

Another legal pathway available to Afghan refugees is the Special Immigrant Visa program, which assists individuals who have worked with the U.S. government, allies or other organizations supporting the U.S. mission in Afghanistan.

Smith says that the visa process requires proof of employment and a letter of recommendation, which can often be difficult to obtain from the individuals who could vouch for someone and provide that documentation.

Sona was part of the initial evacuation, and Smith and Manzanita House helped with her asylum application. After her application was successful, Sona was able to pursue and obtain permanent residency in the United States.

In April, through a family reunification visa, Mohammed was finally able to reunite with Sona. This specific visa program allows foreign nationals to immigrate to the U.S. based on their relationship with a citizen or lawful permanent resident.

FEWER OPTIONS

For many Afghan asylum seekers, providing documentation of a birth certificate or marriage license can be difficult, which is only compounded by the fact that the Taliban controls the government, Smith says. Being displaced in Pakistan adds even more barriers.

Depending on the presidential administration, the slow process of receiving a visa or green card can be further delayed, with a pause on applications or the process taking more than three years. Applications, interviews and background checks are all part of the thorough vetting process for Afghan asylum applicants.

The current Trump administration has rolled back numerous immigration programs, including the termination of the Temporary Protected Status program for Afghans, which takes effect on July 14. On May 12, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem released a statement claiming Afghanistan is stable.

“Afghanistan has had an improved security situation, and its stabilizing economy no longer prevent (sic) them from returning to their home country,” Noem’s statement reads. “Additionally, the termination furthers the national interest as DHS records indicate that there are recipients who have been under investigation for fraud and threatening our public safety and national security.”

However, the international community reports that Afghanistan’s security situation remains precarious. The United Nations’ Assistance Mission in Afghanistan moni-

tors human rights there and released a report in May with the approval of the U.N. Security Council. The report details how women and girls are being denied education beyond sixth grade and their movements are restricted. Health clinics, shops, markets, government offices and taxi drivers are advised by the Taliban government to deny services to women not accompanied by a mahram, a male guardian.

The report also details attacks on former U.S. allies and members of the previous Western-backed government. There are also reports of attacks on members of minority faiths, who are being coerced into converting or threatened with severe punishment.

Sona says that her country was once friendly, with an abundance of natural beauty and rich culture. When the Taliban came back into power, the government changed everything. She says she knows that Afghans are still having their houses searched for things like cosmetic products and that many mysterious deaths are occurring.

Mohammed, visibly animated and gesturing with his hands as he talks about the injustices, says that the reports from the U.N. are all true, adding that he’s been told members of the Taliban government are seeking personal revenge and using force against citizens.

Mohammed recalls fearful moments while living in Afghanistan before the Taliban takeover. He says that one time as he, Sona and their sons were on their way home after visiting relatives, they saw members of the Taliban ambush the road they were traveling on. They witnessed the deaths of eight people at the hands of the Taliban.

Sona says it’s been a gift from God to finally have her family reunited and live with her husband after years of separation. She says she’s employed working as a housekeeper at a high-end hotel in Spokane.

Moghaddasi, the translator, explains that Sona believes in a saying that could be equated to “When in Rome” and says she has immersed herself in American culture, pursuing the dream she has wanted for her family. She enjoys connecting with the local community, and her boys love playing basketball.

For Sona, dining at restaurants has been a beautiful experience. When asked what her family likes to eat, she quickly says “pizza and pasta” are their favorite foods. Sona is now achieving her dream of living somewhere safe. She wants her family to pursue education and achieve success. When asked what it’s like to be finally reunited and have those shared dreams become a reality, Mohammed says that being with his wife and family is beautiful. He says they now feel they can live in peace, with no worries of people intervening in their lives. Mohammed says they appreciate the respect they’ve received and how polite Spokanites have been.

THE MISSION CONTINUES

Manzanita House and Smith are proud of their work to reunite families who have persevered through so much in their home countries. Their work seeks to help people live their American dream.

Smith says he’s aware of many nonprofit organizations facing funding cuts, but thankfully, Manzanita House receives both private and government funding. Their mission is to be as accessible as possible, and if they charge a fee to clients, it’s often a fraction of the cost of a private attorney — and they happily accept deferred payments.

“If someone is wanting to just see if they have options, then that’s no cost to anyone,” Smith says. “We have multiple grants, both government and private grants, that help us provide those services pro bono or at low cost.”

Manzanita House states that Eastern Washington is underserved in terms of immigration legal representation. The nonprofit has faced challenges with its program assisting people with the Special Immigrant Juvenile status. This program helps youth who were abandoned, abused and neglected by one or both parents.

Their work helps unaccompanied youths under age 21 receive a green card granting permanent legal status. Smith says they have helped youths from Europe, Africa and South America, with most of their clients coming from Central America.

Smith says one organization that’s sustained massive cuts under the Trump administration is the Immigrant Justice Corps, which helps place attorneys and funds other organizations that help unaccompanied children. As a result of those cuts, Manzanita House has needed to fundraise.

“We’re starting a fundraising push focusing on our work with unaccompanied youth, and just wanting to really make sure that the cases that we took on while we were working with the unaccompanied children’s program, that we’re able to maintain those services pro bono, free to the client, and still cover our cost of operating,” Smith says.

Manzanita House is looking for support in many areas and says there are numerous ways people can be involved in ensuring that immigrant families and children have the ability to live in peace, like the Dilawar family. (Find more information at manzanitahousespokane.org.)

“We’re also looking for other individuals with legal experience, even if it’s not immigration legal experience, to be able to offer their expertise, whether it’s in their field, or supporting our clinic-based services specifically for defensive asylum,” Smith says. “We’re continually trying to find more foundational funding, grant funding, private donations, that allow us to continue to subsidize those legal and operational costs.” n

Sona Dilawar, left, emotionally recounts how her family got separated from her husband Mohammed Dilawar while leaving Afghanistan in 2021. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Bureau of Landlords

The massive reconciliation bill could require the sale of public lands for housing. Plus, the U.S. strikes Iran, which strikes back

BY INLANDER STAFF

The reconciliation bill working through Congress has raised serious concerns over the potentially devastating cuts it would require from Medicaid. But the version of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” now working through the Senate contains another concerning provision: It would mandate the sale of 0.5% to 0.75% of public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the National Forest System to be used for housing or other “associated community needs.” The measure impacts public lands in the West, including in Washington, Idaho, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. On Friday, June 20, U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, said, “After reviewing the Senate Energy and Natural Resources reconciliation language, I do not support the proposed provision to sell public lands.” Environmental groups around the country are concerned. The Yaak Valley Forest Council, based in Troy, Montana, is urging voters to contact Congress members to speak out against the bill’s provisions to strip environmental regulations and sell public lands, though Montana is not an “eligible state” for public land sales. “The 3 million-plus acres of public land the bill proposes putting up for sale to the world’s richest barons … could be just the tip of the iceberg,” said Rick Bass, the forest council’s executive director, in a newsletter. (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)

THREE STRIKES AND WE’RE OUT?

After announcing Saturday that U.S. cruise missiles and B-2 bombers dropping 30,000-pound bunker buster bombs had “totally obliterated” three Iranian nuclear sites, President Donald Trump expressed hope that the U.S. military was done with Iran. But “if peace does not come quickly,” Trump warned, the U.S. would attack other Iranian targets. Sunday, senior U.S. officials conceded the fate of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile was unclear. And on the third day, Iran struck back, firing missiles at an American air base in Qatar. Still, there were signs of Iranian restraint and no reports of U.S. casualties. As of Tuesday morning, a fragile cease-fire between Iran and Israel was in place, but its long-term prospects remained unclear.

“We can all agree that Iran should never possess a nuclear weapon,” U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said in a statement Saturday. “But the American people do not want to begin a war with Iran, and Trump does not have the unilateral authority to start one.”

Murray called the attack “unconstitutional” and said Congress had not been given any evidence showing that the airstrikes were necessary.

Last month, U.S. Rep. Michael Baumgartner, of Washington’s 5th Congressional District, introduced a resolution emphasizing the need to dismantle Iran’s nuclear weapons program and for congressional oversight. “Deterrence against Iran’s nuclear ambitions requires leveraging our regional partnerships and affirming Congress’s critical oversight role, especially regarding the authorization of force,” the Spokane Republican said.

“I fully support President Trump’s decision to bomb Iran’s nuclear weapons program,” Baumgartner said in an email update on Monday. “We all pray for peace. No one wants this war to escalate or for more lives to be lost, but it would be suicidal to allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.” (CHRIS FRISELLA)

CORRECTIONS

In our June 12 music story about Live From Somewhere, we referenced the band Museum of Light three times, but wrote the group’s name as “Museum of Sound” on first reference. In our defense, the band does make sound.

In our June 5 music story about Steve Von Till, we mistakenly stated his new album Alone in a World of Wounds was called Alone in a World Full of Wounds. We apologize for making the album sound more emo. n

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Freeing Up Space

The MAC could house its permanent collection in a joint storage facility with the school district if November funding requests pass

BY MADISON PEARSON

After nearly two years of collaborative planning between Spokane Public Schools and Spokane Parks & Recreation, voters will find two initiatives on the November ballot pertaining to a package of citywide projects called Together Spokane.

If both pieces — including a 20-year $240 million levy from Spokane Parks & Recreation and a 20-year $200 million bond from Spokane Public Schools — are passed in November, the city will begin to roll out 200 projects over the next two decades including several school renovations, investments in neighborhood facilities and citywide park maintenance.

According to the Together Spokane website, the project emphasizes community partnerships and aims to make strategic, fiscally responsible investments that benefit every part of our city. That work began in January with the purchase

of the Riverpoint One building at 501 N. Riverpoint Blvd. If the bond and levy are passed, this building will hold the district’s central administrative office and the project-based learning high school called The Community School.

The relocation of The Community School, which now operates out of an old elementary school on North Monroe Street, and the district office in another part of downtown is part of a multiphase plan to sell or lease up to six district properties and combine district spaces with public agencies to reduce operational costs and improve services for the public.

As part of this consolidation plan, the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture is partnering with Together Spokane to free up space in the museum’s Browne’s Addition hub by moving its permanent collection storage to an off-site facility.

The MAC could potentially have three times as much space to host exhibits if it can store its permanent collection elsewhere. LESLIE DOUGLAS PHOTO

“As part of the study we conducted between Spokane Public Schools and the Parks and Recreation department, we met with various community partners to talk about their mission and current areas of focus as well as potential opportunities for partnership both programmatically and from an infrastructure perspective,” says Spokane Public Schools Superintendent Adam Swinyard. “When we met with Wes [Jessup, executive director of the MAC], he shared that they’re focused on transitioning more of their current location to exhibit space.”

“We only have 13,000 square feet of gallery space,” says Jessup. “So, really, that only accommodates changing, temporary exhibitions.”

NEARLY TRIPLED EXHIBIT SPACE

At any point in time, the MAC’s five galleries boast anything from exhibitions about our region’s history to large-scale traveling shows about pop culture or featuring art from big-name artists. Pieces from the museum’s permanent collection occasionally get pulled for display, but it’s not often — if at all — that more than a few pieces are on display at any given time. Thousands of items, including paintings, sculptures, historical artifacts and more, are currently stored on the museum’s campus.

Most recently, a printing press from the 1800s was pulled out of permanent collection storage and displayed in the exhibition titled “Fire: Rebirth and Resilience.” It’s a large item that had never previously been displayed despite residing in the collection for years.

“For any museum, it’s critical that you’re going to collect and you’re going to have a substantial collection around your mission,” Jessup says. “It’s important to have some of that collection on display in a way that’s permanent. It’s the backbone of any museum and, sadly, we’re missing it.”

By partnering with Together Spokane, the MAC will be able to free up approximately 25,000 square feet of space in one of its buildings and convert it to gallery space that staff plan to dedicate to educational programming, regular exhibitions and display space for some of the items in the permanent collection.

“In order for the partnership to work, the bond and the levy would need to pass,” Swinyard says. “A portion of the construction cost will come from the sales of the six properties that we’re going to sell.”

The location of the off-site storage facility — dubbed a “joint operations and storage center” — is yet to be determined and relies heavily on whether the bond and levy are passed. But the plan is the facility would store various items from the school district, the parks department and the MAC’s permanent collection. The MAC would also raise funds for the plan.

Swinyard says that pending design and capacity needs, the current projected cost for the storage facility is $4 million to $5 million.

“We’re a little different from the two other organizations,” Jessup says. “And even though the storage would be under the same roof, it would be a discrete space. It would have separate entries and all of the requirements of museum storage.”

To keep the permanent collection secure and to preserve sensitive items, the off-site storage facility would be climatecontrolled and have a heightened level of security.

“We are a very small piece of this very vast initiative,” Jessup says. “But the impact on the museum would be significant.”

Along with storage, the facility would also house administrative offices for museum staff and, though it wouldn’t be open to the public, it would include a viewing room for scholars, tribal members and other visitors to view items from the permanent collection for research or other purposes.

“It’s a really cool partnership,” Swinyard says. “It’s also a model that has been leveraged in other parts of the country, and it’s something that we want to explore here in Spokane. It’s a shared need and also a need that we are about to really support each other around in a way that we wouldn’t if we were doing it by ourselves.” n

madisonp@inlander.com

than ever.

Darkness and Light

BY E.J. IANNELLI

There’s a story behind Preston Singletary’s “Raven and the Box of Daylight,” his nationally touring exhibition of glasswork and illumination that opens today at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture.

Actually, make that multiple stories.

It’s not just the biographical narrative of how the Seattle-based artist came to work in this medium and later began incorporating the themes of the Indigenous Tlingit people that would become his hallmark. There’s also an ancient tale here, one that goes back to the very origins of the universe.

“Raven is known to everybody as kind of a mischievous and conniving character, always driven by food and hunger. He’s the central character in a lot of the mythologies of the Tlingit. And his actions have created order in the world,” Singletary explains.

Initially, the story goes, everything was in darkness. Although not Raven himself. At the beginnings of time, Raven — known as Yéil — was still the supernatural white bird of Native lore.

Being a curious sort, Raven wondered where the daylight was. When he asked the Fishermen of the Night on the Naas River, they pointed him upstream toward Naas Shaak Aank-áawu, the wealthy old man who hoarded treasures in his clan house. Among those treasures were ornately carved boxes that held the sun, the moon and the stars.

To retrieve those boxes and release the light, Raven would need to get inside the tightly secured clan house. He realized that the nobleman’s daughter might offer a surreptitious way in.

At first, as one version of the story holds, the crafty bird tried transforming himself into a speck of dirt floating in the natural spring where the young woman drank. But before she could take a sip, her attendants tested the purity of the water and cast out the dirt.

“So he reformulates his plan,” Singletary says, and instead Raven changed into a hemlock needle resting invisibly on the rim of her cup.

“She scoops him up and swallows water with the hemlock needle. Now Raven’s in her stomach. And so he transforms inside of her into this human child. Then she gives birth to Raven in the form of a human child.”

The miserly old man couldn’t help but spoil his grandchild, ultimately giving him everything he demanded — right up to the most precious box of all, the one containing the sun.

However, as Raven returned to his bird form and escaped up the chimney with the sun, the shocked and angry nobleman tried to thwart him by having pitch thrown on the fire. The rest of the world was instantly illuminated by Raven’s stolen gift, but its bearer was turned forever black.

“The people of the world had been living in darkness, and they’re shocked and surprised by this flash of

light,” Singletary says.

“Some of them are startled. They run off into the woods and become the forest animals. Some of them jumped into the sky. They became the birds. Some of them jumped into the water. They became the sea life. And then the people who stood up strong and proud became the Tlingit people.”

These are among the mythologies that are captured and retold in “Raven and the Box of Daylight.”

Visitors to the exhibition will see, among other things, neosculptural, translucent representations of Naas Shaak Aank-áawu, his daughter, the various Tlingit clans, the carved light-containing boxes and, of course, Yéil himself crafted out of the blown and sand-carved glass that has made Singletary such a soughtafter artist — even outside of galleries. Earlier this year his scenic design set the entire visual tone for the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s production of Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty

For Singletary, who cut his teeth at the now famous Pilchuck Glass School in the 1980s, reconnecting with his mother’s Tlingit roots through his work during the early to mid-1990s was akin to a “genetic memory that was being sort of awakened,” he says.

He soon began a shift from a decidedly more modernist vein to one that incorporated formline, the name for the distinctive expanding and contracting curvilinear

Opposite page: Preston Singletary (American Tlingit, born 1963)

Gagaan Awutáawu Yéil (Raven Steals the Sun), Made at the Museum in 2008 Blown, hot-sculpted, and sand-carved glass

9 1/2 x 26 x 9 1/2 inches

Collection of Museum of Glass, Tacoma, Washington, gift of the artist (VA.2009.28)

OF MUSEUM OF GLASS

shapes that characterize the Indigenous art of the Pacific Northwest.

“It’s well known that Picasso was inspired by African masks along with, you know, Max Ernst and so forth. A lot of these modernists have this infatuation with Native art, African art, Oceanic art. So when I came to that place, that crossroads, I understood [...] that there was a lot to think about there.”

It then became something of a personal creative challenge to render in his preferred medium objects that might once have been carved out of wood or stone. It started with simpler shapes like cylinders that might, say, serve as the basis for a totem pole.

“Then I figured out how to render a traditional style of dish or a bowl, all the while working on my chops and how to illustrate these animal symbols. As my skills evolved, I was able to really change it up and work in a more sculptural style,” the artist says.

“Raven and the Box of Daylight” is in many ways the consummation of that style and the techniques that make it possible. But it’s also more than the objects themselves. Singletary describes it as a “theatrical installation” that embodies the narrative of Raven’s exploits and the world’s transition from darkness to light.

“The whole exhibition is enhanced by video projections, and then there’s a soundscape, and there’s Tlingit language that is kind of in the background as well. So it’s meant to be a multisensory experience.”

The exhibition also quietly speaks to mythologies far beyond the coastal people of the Pacific Northwest. The idea of a powerful being bringing light to a darkened world or of a woman bearing a child without the act of physical conception has echoes in Christian theology as well.

“There are parallels in the symbolism that is hidden within the Raven story that talks about more of a universal nature of connectivity,” Singletary says. “So we’re really basically saying that we have the same human experience.” n

Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight • June 26Jan. 4, 2026; open Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm • $15 • Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture • 2316 W. First Ave. • northwestmuseum.org • 509-456-3931

PHOTO BY RUSSELL JOHNSON, COURTESY

Singletary employs carved glass to tell Raven’s story. JOVELLE TAMAYO PHOTO

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• How to prep a meal using ingredients from the Market

• Tips for food preparation and preservation

• Garden-based activities for all ages

• Insights from real farmers and food makers

Whether you’re 9 or 90, these lively, interactive sessions will teach you something new — and

Holding Court

Hoopfest’s legacy lasts for longer than a weekend thanks to public courts around the Inland Northwest

BY WILL MAUPIN

For one weekend every June, Hoopfest takes over downtown Spokane.

While the event may span just three days each year, the organization’s impact on the community is year-round. Since 1990, Hoopfest has helped build over 30 basketball courts around the Inland Northwest. They’re in Spokane, at parks like Comstock and Corbin, but also all around the region, from Reardan to Lewiston.

It’s on these courts that Hoopfest makes its presence known 365 days of the year.

identify high-need areas within neighborhoods and parks that either do not have a sports-courtslash-basketball court, or there is a basketball court that is in high need of replacement,” says Garrett Jones, director of Spokane Parks and Recreation.

The most recent example opened this year.

“I do take pride in this fact, and our organization should take pride in this fact, that you go out about any day from when the weather gets nice … so let’s just call it June 1 through Hoopfest, and there are people on the courts,” says Riley Stockton, executive director of the Spokane Hoopfest Association.

HOOPFEST 2025

Sat, June 28 and Sun, June 29

The cement at Underhill Park is now dry, but it still feels fresh on the two brand new basketball courts. Part of a $628,000 renovation that included not only the two basketball courts but also a pickleball area and updates to the sidewalk and crosswalks, the newest Hoopfest court brings a level of modernity to a park that has long been a focal point for Spokane’s grassroots basketball scene.

(Special events also on Fri, June 27 in Riverfront Park) Downtown Spokane spokanehoopfest.net

Not every basketball court around the region was developed by Hoopfest, but many of the best ones were. On the west side of the city for example, Grandview Park has a decent basketball court. About a mile away at Whittier Park, you’ll find a Hoopfest court, and it’s even better.

“We’ve been able to work with Hoopfest to

The Spokane Eastside Reunion Association puts on a youth basketball camp at the park every summer. Construction of the new courts was scheduled around it.

“We waited until the camp was done last year to start on it, and then they just finished [the court] up a few days ago,” Stockton says.

The camp used to take place on asphalt, but now, smooth cement. Previously the courts were oriented east-to-west, meaning in the afternoons and evenings one team was playing directly into

Players get some practice in on the new courts at Underhill Park in East Central Spokane. YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS

the sun. Now, the new courts run north-to-south. It’s a small change, but one that really matters.

“As we looked at activating the East Central neighborhood and then this location, we worked with the neighborhood and Hoopfest and Parks [and Recreation] and our state grant officers over in Olympia to look at opportunities to be able to invest back in that facility,” Jones says.

The changes at Underhill are the most recent example of work Hoopfest has done to improve basketball courts around the region. Years ago, the focus landed on Grant Park in Spokane’s South Perry District.

On a mildly rainy weekday, when you would think a basketball court would be empty, I find a man playing on the Grant Park court.

“This seems to be like a well, well-maintained court,” says Jake Vincent, who was shooting around on the court while his family enjoyed the play structure just across the lawn.

“I’m just kind of getting back into the game after taking 15, 20 years off. So for me it’s just a fun place to shoot. My kids can play at the playground, and I can get some shots off,” Vincent says.

Hoopfest not only builds these courts around the region, but also plays a role in maintaining them.

“Every year we bring fresh nets around, and if there’s stuff broken, we try to fix it on each of these courts. So hopefully we’re trying to do a good job of maintaining them as well with the parks department,” Stockton says.

As Stockton mentions, while the Hoopfest name adorns these courts, they are, like the namesake event this weekend, a collaborative effort.

“It is all about partnerships. When we look at the opportunities of what we can provide in parks and recreation, of giving these assets to the community that get the community outside, gets them engaged with each other, gets them moving, gets them out of their house, off their screens, providing that positive atmosphere is a huge win for us,” Jones says. “And I know that’s a huge mission for Hoopfest.”

After literally bringing traffic to a halt through downtown Spokane this weekend, Hoopfest’s impact doesn’t end once hundreds of hoops are taken down, tape peeled off, and the asphalt returned to cars.

Basketball will continue to be played. And at more than 30 locations around the Inland Northwest, it will be played on public courts that would not be there were it not for the event this weekend and the partnerships Hoopfest has helped to create. n

Peaceful Valley’s courts under the Maple Street Bridge are popular for pickup games.

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST THERAPY

Five comedic podcast suggestions to ease a depressive brain

BY SETH SOMMERFELD

We all need to turn off our brains sometimes to ease the onslaught of chaos that is the modern world. That’s even more true for those of us who wrestle with depression, and often the only thing that can temporarily ease this burden is by distracting it with pop culture entertainment. While many folks choose to distract themselves in this manner with TV, I’ve doubled down on an entertainment outlet that had already been bringing me consistent bursts of mirth for years: comedy podcasts. So during depressive dips my go-to soothing distraction has become throwing on one of my favorite funny pods while playing a video game. Whether improv madness, playful buddy hangs, or humorous pop cultural or historical dissections, I’ve found a wealth of relief in podcasts that celebrate (mostly) kind-hearted silliness. If you’re also looking for an absurdist escape from the real world, here are a few podcasts that might be worth a listen.

COMEDY BANG! BANG!

THE NEIGHBORHOOD LISTEN

Hosted by Comedy Bang! Bang! legend Paul F. Tompkins and Nicole Parker, this comforting listen finds the pair playing friends who host a podcast about their bizarre fictional town of Dignity Falls. Each episode, a guest comes on and improvs a character based on a real-life crazy post from the Nextdoor app. With crackling chemistry and an abundance of silliness, The Neighborhood Listen might be the comedy pod that consistently goes down the smoothest.

OFF BOOK: THE IMPROVISED MUSICAL

The Rosetta stone that can open up the world of comedy podcasts, Scott Aukerman’s weekly weirdo extravaganza still hits after over 16 years. Most weeks Auckerman interviews a celebrity at the top and follows it up with interviews by improvisers playing wild characters, ranging from arch impressions of folks like Andrew Lloyd Webber to stabby orphans, dirty Halloween songwriters, murderous cowboy poets and more. It’s pure madcap comedic mania. The pod has even spawned its own (totally worth it) subscription service, Comedy Bang Bang World, where CBB favorites get their own hilarious shows (highest recs for Hey Randy! and WHO ME? An Extremely True Crime Podcast with The Batmin!).

OMNIBUS

If you’ve never done improv comedy, it’s hard to explain how much harder doing musical improv is than just making up scenes. It’s brain-breakingly hard, and it’s borderline magical when people can pull it off. That makes Off Book hosts Jessica McKenna and Zach Reinto sorcerers supreme. Each episode, the pair, a crew of musicians, and sometimes a guest makes up an entire musical off the top of their heads. It’s nuts. The duo’s peppy and endearingly dorky music theater kid energy shines in stories about doggy Christmas concerts, Spider-Man going to therapy, rivers that suck and more.

THE RINGER FANTASY FOOTBALL SHOW

At its core, Omnibus is a history podcast about fascinating things or events we’ve collectively memoryholed or totally misinterpreted. And while it totally delivers on that premise, it’s also frequently very funny thanks to the banter dynamic between co-host Ken Jennings (yes, the Jeopardy one) and Seattle indie rocker and raconteur John Roderick. Jennings’ whipsmart nerdy quips (and awful puns) play well with Roderick’s endearingly mild blowhard tendencies, making topics ranging from defenestrations and theoretical math concepts to military bears and The Noid into humorous romps throughout humanity’s odd arc of existence.

While certainly the outlier of the bunch as it’s primarily a football podcast, humor is the selling point of the The Ringer Fantasy Football Show because hosts Danny Kelly, Craig Horlbeck and Danny Heifetz make each episode feel like a jokefilled parasocial hangout with your buddies. The guys take creative approaches to dry sports topics — such as shows explaining the football season through Happy Gilmore or Arrested Development quotes — but the real fun comes when they reach the mailbag at the end of each episode and go on deep dives about crazy old-timey football (like Cloyce Box or the Dayton Triangles), have extremely long fights about Heifetz’s inability to pronounce words, elicit wild stories from listeners and more. It feels like chopping it up with your friends even when listening alone. n

THE BUZZ BIN

STICKER SHOCK

When Anna Brust, a local graphic designer and artist who creates under the name Anna Liz Heart, went looking for Spokane Pride stickers last year, she couldn’t find any. So, she decided to design her own. “I love stickers,” says Brust, who’s created many playful designs sharing encouraging affirmations and words of wisdom, which she also aimed for with her Pride design. “People are having a hard time right now,” she says. “I wanted to make something beautiful and inspiring to make people feel included, especially in Spokane.” Brust has two Spokane Pride sticker designs available at eight local shops, including Miss Bipps Handmade & Vintage near Kendall Yards. The stickers are also available in her Etsy shop, alongside other Pride-themed merch. Find the artist on Instagram and Etsy as annalizheart. (CARRIE SHRIVER)

A NEW HIGH SCORE?

Anyone who’s spent time manning the flippers, mashing the buttons and maneuvering the joysticks on the 155+ machines at Spokane’s Jedi Alliance knows it’s an elite-tier arcade. Now the rest of the country is discovering one of our city’s hidden gems. Newsweek just named Jedi Alliance as one of the 16 “Best Arcades” in the nation, and local supporters can now try to help it claim the top spot. Voting for the Readers’ Choice award is open through July 17 at newsweek.com/readerschoice, and folks can cast one vote every day. The Force may be strong with Jedi Alliance, but even Rebels needed legions of supporters to achieve victory. (SETH SOMMERFELD)

THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST

Noteworthy new music arriving in stores and online on June 27.

LORDE, VIRGIN

After the disappointing Solar Power, the Kiwi pop superstar is finally free from Jack Antonoff’s production and looks to bounce back with a welcome return to her twitchy electropop roots.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, TRACKS II: THE LOST ALBUMS

Before a biopic about The Boss comes out later this year, the iconic rocker reaches into the vault to deliver this collection of seven (!) unreleased albums he wrote and at least partially recorded between 1983 and 2018.

FRANKIE COSMOS, DIFFERENT TALKING

When the world seems overwhelming, escaping to some new soft-as-a-fuzzy-blanket indie twee from singer-songwriter Greta Kline and Co. is always a good call. (SETH SOMMERFELD)

You, Me and Barbecue

Seng’s Asian Barbecue introduces the self-grilling restaurant experience to Spokane

BY DORA SCOTT

“Have you ever had Korean or Asian barbecue before?”

It’s the first question a hostess at Seng’s Asian Barbecue asks as she seats guests in booths outfitted with built-in tabletop grills and retractable exhaust hoods.

While four years in South Korea for university prepared me for this, for many in Spokane, Seng’s — which opened May 23 on Monroe Street, just blocks north of the bridge — offers diners their first experience with allyou-can-eat, self-grill dining.

“If they say no, then we take the time to explain the process of how everything goes and what they’re anticipating so that they don’t feel uncomfortable,” says Patty Seng, who co-owns the restaurant with her husband, Joe. Once seated, a 90-minute time limit for the meal starts, and seven banchan (side dishes) are laid out across the table including japchae (a Korean glass noodles dish), spicy cucumber, macaroni salad, kimchi, blanched and

seasoned spinach, and spicy daikon radish.

The barbecue requires a party of at least two. Guests can choose from 19 standard meats ($35.95/person) and 22 housemade side dishes to tailor the meal.

Additional sides my coworker and I requested included cheese corn, fish cake, garlic, pickled radish and lettuce wraps, and ssamjang, a Korean paste of red chili pepper and fermented soy beans. For our first round, we go with the beef bulgogi, garlic chicken and spicy pork belly — some of the restaurant’s most popular cuts.

“The brisket, I go through about 50 pounds a night, and the bulgogi about 40 pounds a night. And all the chicken is about 60 pounds a night,” Joe says.

A premium option ($45.95/person) adds 10 more protein options like beef tongue, pork jowl, shrimp and marinated baby octopus.

To accompany these meats, each table gets a tray of sesame oil, brisket sauce and salt, along with two metal tongs. Guests use onion slices dipped in oil to season the

grill. (Word of advice: Don’t use your wooden chopsticks for grilling — they’ll burn.)

After grilling, use kitchen-grade scissors to cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. Diners are encouraged to get creative with wrap combinations, like stuffing a lettuce leaf with pickled daikon radish, grilled meat, ssamjang, garlic and more — all eaten in a single bite.

Seng’s ala carte appetizer options include dumplings in chili sauce ($15), egg rolls ($8) and crispy fried chicken wings ($17).

The drink menu also has an Asian flair. Signature cocktails include the smoked mushroom old fashioned ($14), which features mushroom-infused soju, and the Seng’s 75 ($14), a squid ink-blackened gin cocktail topped with hibiscus candy that matches the restaurant’s red-andblack color scheme.

There’s also hot or cold house sake ($10), and bottles of special varieties like pear, plum, coconut and sparkling sake ($21-$57 per bottle). Beer selections include Brick

West Brewing’s Helping Hand IPA ($9), Sapporo ($8), and bottled options like Tsing Tao ($5), Asahi ($7) and Kirin ($6).

During its first few days after opening, Seng’s had lines out the door and servers scrambling to meet demand while still learning the ins and outs of its service model. Many of the eatery’s 32 employees had little to no experience with Asian barbecue before being hired.

“It’s not like a normal restaurant when you order and you get your meal brought to you — you have one dish, you finish your dish and maybe you’ll order dessert,” Patty says. “Every table could have upwards of 20 plates, to 30, 40 plates, at any given time, going back and forth. And so you’re constantly moving in all different directions to keep up with the pace and the demand.”

Servers not only deliver food and drinks but also monitor grill usage. When the grill plate becomes blackened, it needs to be swapped to avoid burnt marinades or fire hazards.

“We didn’t realize how demanding the grills were going to be,” Patty says.

They’ve since purchased more than 150 additional grill plates, costing around $40 each.

“We have 17 tables, we have 258 grill plates, and it’s still not enough,” Joe adds.

While service may have been understandably rocky at first, by the time I tried out the restaurant for dinner service on a weekday nearly two weeks after its opening, servers attended our table as soon as plates were empty and glasses needed filled.

The Sengs intentionally classify their restaurant as serving Asian barbecue instead of Korean.

“We knew that we wanted to do a Korean barbecue, but we didn’t want the Korean community to be upset because obviously we’re not Korean,” Patty says. “And I told my husband, ‘You’re Laotian, it would be cool if we just came up with an Asian barbecue so you can incorporate all different kinds of Asian food into the mix and create something that’s very unique.”

About half the restaurant’s marinades and sides are Korean-inspired, but Joe also draws

from Japanese, Thai, Filipino, Laos and Vietnamese cuisines.

“One of the biggest things that we get complimented on is the diversity of the menu, of having different options,” Patty says. “But what we also get ridiculed for is that it’s not traditional. And that’s one thing that we want to really get out to Spokane is that we’re not trying to be put in the Korean barbecue box.”

While each day has had its challenges, and with Patty and Joe working around the clock, Seng’s is a dream long in the making.

After Joe retired from the Defense Department, the couple moved from San Diego to Spokane in 2020. They spent a year evaluating Spokane’s food scene and opened a Hawaiian fusion food truck called Sengsational Cuisine, which they operated until 2023.

In June 2024, the previous occupants of their current space, Charley’s Catering & Event Center, closed. The Sengs jumped on the opportunity to secure the building.

They’d initially considered downtown, but needed a one-story building in order to install proper ceiling ventilation for the tabletop grills. Aside from a walk-in freezer and the bar area, the Sengs completely gutted the space. Construction took seven months, which included removing three layers of ceiling for asbestos remediation.

The Sengs worked with HDG Architecture for the remodel. Local artist Desire McGinn of Riveting Paint & Pearl designed the cherry blossom murals adorning the walls.

Day to day, Patty takes charge of the front of house, while Joe heads the kitchen.

“He’s the cook, I don’t ever question anything that he says that goes on in the kitchen, and I’m the business aspect, so it’s always been really good, we’ve worked together very well,” Patty says.

Phones ring almost nonstop for reservations, which are required for dinner service, showing that a longtime craving has been fulfilled for many Spokanites. After the restaurant is more settled, diners can watch for a second location slated for Liberty Lake. n

Seng’s Asian Barbecue • 801 N. Monroe St. • Open Sun, Tue-Thurs 11 am-9 pm; Fri-Sat 11 am-10 pm • sengsasianbbq.com • 509-816-2825

Owners Patty and Joe Seng opened the Asian barbecue spot in the old Charley’s building on North Monroe after a full remodel.

Alex has a fever but doesn’t know he has measles.

This is Alex. He lives in Spokane and just got back from a trip to Seattle. He wasn’t vaccinated for measles.

Just 2 doses protect about 97% of people from getting measles.

Even without a rash, Alex is already very contagious. The measles virus can hang in the air for up to 2 hours.

a room of 10 unvaccinated kids, 9 will get measles.

The MMR Vaccine is super strong!

A Sliver of

Silver(wood)

It takes a village to run the largest theme park in the Pacific Northwest — take a peek at just one day

Story and Photos by Erick

Doxey

Managing any city presents its own challenges, but Silverwood, the largest theme park in the Pacific Northwest, elevates this endeavor to new heights.

Spanning 413 acres and employing a seasonal workforce of over 1,200 employees, Silverwood, in a way, becomes its own small, Wild Westthemed city each summer, welcoming as many as 11,000 guests on any given Saturday. The park boasts over 70 attractions, including Boulder Beach’s recent award-winning, 925-foot-long water coaster, Eagle Hunt — the longest dueling water coaster in the United States.

But while conventional cities might aim to provide their services with as little thrill as possible, Silverwood’s family-owned atmosphere thrives on it. The staff’s attention to detail and customer experience easily sets it apart from other theme parks, let alone a typical roller coaster-less city.

On June 11, I spent the day at Silverwood meeting some of the folks who keep the park running and capturing the joy that their efforts bring to visitors.

...continued on next page

Silverwood’s SpinCycle, left, and Tremors roller coasters offer thrills to riders of all ages — as long as they meet the height requirements.

“A SLIVER OF SILVER(WOOD),” CONTINUED...

One of the detail-oriented experiences that greets visitors the moment they walk into the park is also the very reason Silverwood — operating since June 1988 — became a theme park: the steam engine train. With the addition of stunts and pyrotechnics, the now iconic 30-minute train ride around the park has evolved into a full-fledged theater show with profes sional actors.

Using various online casting companies to recruit actors nationwide, Silverwood’s marketing and entertainment staff review recorded auditions to help round out their cast each season.

Among this year’s group is Abby Sexton, a 29-year-old actor originally from Missouri. Three weeks after auditioning virtually, Sexton found herself on her way from her recent home in Pennsylvania to Idaho just in time for the first round of rehearsals in early April.

She’s no stranger to working at theme parks (Silverwood is her fifth), so a five-month gig at Silverwood sounded like a great experience, especially considering that the park pays for each actor’s relocation, a portion of their lodging, onsite meals and an hourly wage. One of Sexton’s castmates, Samantha Miley, a 23-year-old actor from the suburbs outside New York City, feels the same enthusiasm for theme park acting.

...continued after Hoopfest Guide

ABOVE (clockwise from top): Actor Abby Sexton prepares for her role as “Notorious Big Joe.” Actor Samantha Miley performs aboard Silverwood’s classic Wild West-themed steam engine train, while fellow actor Anthony Recine finds himself in a bit of a pickle along the tracks.

LEFT: Steam engine train conductors Dave Otis, left, and Mike Roberts.

ABOVE: Riders soar through the air on the Stunt Pilot, a single-rail coaster that debuted in 2021.

BELOW: Corkscrew has been thrilling riders with its titular inversion at Silverwood since 1990.

140 years of expanding access to quality local care

For 140 years, we’ve been partnering locally to support communities in the ways they need it most. Because healthy communities need more than health care.

WELCOME TO HOOPTOWN USA!

Welcome back to Hoopfest 2025 and the Best Basketball Weekend on Earth! We’re excited to report that we’ve increased our numbers for the third consecutive year. Hoopfest may seem like just a basketball tournament to some, but to many people, including myself, Hoopfest is something bigger and more impactful — it’s a way to connect with family and friends who have a common bond through sports and Spokane, allowing everyone to create memories that will last a lifetime.

Over the last 35 years, Hoopfest has changed, but our goal of putting on the best 3-on-3 basketball tournament has never wavered. This is impossible to do without the players, volunteers and spectators who make Hoopfest what it is. We are so grateful for you and everybody who participates in Hoopfest. Thank you for allowing us to create this incredible event, and we hope your experience in Hooptown USA is one to remember! Here is to the next 35 years of Hoopfest magic!

Riley Stockton Hoopfest Executive Director

MAP IT OUT

Plan your Hoopfest weekend by checking out where your team will play on the Hoopfest court maps, along with where you can find something to eat and the entire schedule of events.

STARTING ON PAGE 13

ON THE COVER

Mark Few, the legendary coach at Gonzaga and for the 2024 US Olympic Team is the star of the 2025 Hoopfest poster. Learn how Few made Spokane into Hooptown (page 4) — and meet his fellow inductees into Hooptown USA’s newest Hall of Fame class (page 8).

Poster design by

HOOPFEST OFFICIAL EVENT GUIDE SPONSOR

ICCU is excited to be part of the Spokane community, and we are here to serve you no matter what your financial needs are. Stop by one of your local Spokane branches to see for yourself how we can help you achieve your financial success or visit us online at iccu.com.

ICCU, a credit union looking after your daily balance.

QUICK DOWNLOAD

TEN CAPITAL TEAM CHECK-IN

Ten Capital Team Check-In will again be in the Central Plaza, just west of the Gesa Credit Union Pavilion inside Riverfront Park. Ten Capital Team Check-In will be available during the following times: Thursday, June 26: 3 pm – 7 pm; Friday, June 27: 11 am- 7 pm.

LOG YOUR WINS

Mobile scoring is available, allowing you to drop off your score sheets at any of the Avista Scoring Kiosks located at: 1) Riverside and Post; 2) Main and Washington; 3) the Visit Spokane Information Center in Riverfront Park; 4) The Plaza in Riverfront Park (next to the Gesa Credit Union Pavilion); and 5) the North Channel Bridge near the north entrance to Riverfront Park.

SPOKANE HOOPFEST STORE

Visit the Spokane Hoopfest Store, presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods, located in the Gesa Credit Union Pavilion Lobby, next to Northern Quest Center Court. Explore the Local Corner, featuring exclusive Hoopfest and Great PNW gear for the whole family. (To learn more, go to page 18.)

NORTHERN QUEST CENTER COURT

Hoopfest is thrilled to welcome back Northern Quest Center Court to the heart of the city, located under the Gesa Credit Union Pavilion in Riverfront Park. Northern Quest Resort & Casino is owned and operated by the Kalispel Tribe of Indians and has served the Inland Northwest as a community partner for more than two decades. Northern Quest Center Court will be the epicenter of excitement, featuring former college stars, local legends, national champions and slam dunk extraordinaires. (To learn more, go to page 6.)

TEST YOUR SKILLS

You can win a 2025 Tacoma with your half-court shot at the Toyota Shootoff, or try free throws and three-pointers in the Rodda-Miller Paint Contest Zone (to learn more, go to page 22). And new for 2025, check out the World’s Largest Game of Knockout powered by Baden (details on page 19).

COMMUNITY CELEBRATION 202 5 The Way to Justice and SERA Present

SATURDAY AUGUST 9TH, 2025

UNDERHILL PARK  10 AM TO 6 PM BIKE RAFFLE, CONTESTS, & PRIZES

FREE SHOES, BACKPACKS & SCHOOL SUPPLIES FREE FOOD & DRINKS

They’ve followed parallel paths to success, and for the first time Mark Few and Hoopfest are meeting on the Hoopfest Poster

While John Stockton has been called the godfather of Spokane basketball, Mark Few is certainly the face of the sport in our city, aka Hooptown USA. So it’s fitting that this year he’s the face we see on the Hoopfest Poster.

“Mark Few is arguably the most important person in making this Hooptown USA,” says Riley Stockton, executive director at Hoopfest and John Stockton’s nephew.

Much like the story of Hoopfest itself, Mark Few’s rise from obscurity to a name known around the world of sports is both unexpected and inspirational. The timelines of Hoopfest and Few also share many parallels.

HELP US GEAR UP FOR SUCCESS!

We’re excited to host this incredible day of fun, food, and giving—but we can’t do it without you. To make sure every student starts the school year strong, we’re collecting:  Monetary donations  New backpacks

 New brand name shoes Every donation helps a child walk into the school year with confidence.

A native of Creswell, Oregon, Few arrived at Gonzaga as a graduate assistant coach for the 1989-1990 season. Hoopfest got its start just a handful of months later in June 1990, making it only fitting that it’s Few who is featured on the 35th anniversary poster.

Few, like the Zags of those early ’90s and those first few years of Hoopfest, had to earn his way onto the stage of the game’s elite. Hoopfest wasn’t always the largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament in the world, and Few wasn’t always a household name, even here in Spokane. After a decade as an assistant, but still in his 30s, Few was promoted to head coach.

“What they were able to do with that program over the last 25, 30 years has definitely sparked the love for basketball in this area,” Stockton says.

In the eyes of many, Gonzaga was nothing more than a Cinderella team back in 1999 when Few took over. Those teams — small schools

who become darlings of March — tend to fade back into obscurity. Not Gonzaga.

Under Few, the Zags have reached the NCAA Tournament every single season, and he owns the best winning percentage among Division I coaches.

It’s been his consistent success that has vaulted him not just into the elite among college coaches, but onto the world stage as well.

Last summer at the Paris Olympics, Few was on staff as an assistant with Team USA, coaching the biggest names in the sport — names that can stand alone like LeBron, Steph and KD.

The team took home the gold.

Once again, Few and Hoopfest found their timelines aligning. Who better to grace the poster in the first Hoopfest after an Olympic Gold than the guy who returned to Spokane after helping lead Team USA to that ultimate goal?

“The Olympics definitely came into play for it,” Stockton says of Hoopfest selecting Few for the poster this year. “It’s hard to argue that there’s anybody more deserving to be on that poster.”

Beyond the poster, Few is also entering this year’s Hooptown Hall of Fame class.

Not only is it the longevity of Few’s success, but it’s that just like Hoopfest, Few has remained committed to the sport of basketball right here in Spokane.

The poster nails it with the tagline of “Few do it better.” At the college level, and more recently at the Olympics, that’s been Mark Few. For 35 years, that’s been Hoopfest, too.

Spokane Hoopfest

THE CENTER OF IT ALL

Hoopfest is adding even more fun at Northern Quest Center Court, with events kicking off on Friday

Located in Riverfront Park’s iconic Gesa Credit Union Pavilion, Northern Quest Center Court will be even more of a focal point for Hoopfest weekend than it has been in years past. Hoopfest has worked to expand the event programming at center court this year, specifically focusing on Friday during the busiest hours of the team check-in process.

“We want to definitely make it when people come down Thursday and Friday to pick up their packets that they can come down and do cool stuff as well,” says Hoopfest Executive Director Riley Stockton. Northern Quest Center Court’s expanded programming gets underway bright and early, 8 am Friday, with the Women’s Professional 3XBA Tournament presented by Delta Air Lines. They’ll be back again Saturday at 4 pm; for details, check out the story on page 24. The fun continues Friday afternoon starting at 2 with the World’s Largest Game of Knockout powered by Baden. More information on this world record attempt that is open to all, go to page 19.

Don’t worry, longtime crowd favorites like the MultiCare Slam Dunk Competition (Saturday at 2 pm, with the finals on Sunday at 3) and the Men’s Elite Semifinal and Championship Games to cap off the weekend Sunday after 3:30 pm aren’t going anywhere, they’ll just be mixed in with an expanded offering for spectators.

Also under the Pavilion next to Northern Quest Center Court is the Hoopfest Store presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods, which will be open from Thursday afternoon until the end of the event on Sunday evening.

EVENTS

FRIDAY, JUNE 27

8am-1pm: Women’s Professional 3XBA Tournament presented by Delta Air Lines

While most of the landscape of Hoopfest extends across miles of asphalt and pavement, the setting of Northern Quest Center Court with its grass lawns in the middle of the relatively cooler Havermale Island — especially in the potentially sweltering afternoons of a late-June weekend — is a welcome change of pace for many spectators. More than just a centerpiece venue surrounded by basketball, Northern Quest Center Court is an oasis featuring a great show.

2-5pm: World’s Largest Game of Knockout powered by Baden

SATURDAY, JUNE 28

2-2:55pm: MultiCare Slam Dunk Competition

4-7pm: Women’s Professional 3XBA Tournament Finals presented by Delta Air Lines

SUNDAY, JUNE 29

3-3:30pm: MultiCare Slam Dunk Competition (finals) Championship Games (Sunday after 3:30pm)

Men’s 6-Foot-And-Over Elite Semifinals (2 games)

Men’s 6-Foot-And-Under Elite Championship

Men’s Open Elite Championship

SPONSORED CONTENT

A longtime sponsor of Hoopfest, Northern Quest values its role in helping support this celebration of basketball. By sponsoring Northern Quest Center Court, that support is put literally at the center of the event. This year, they’re going above and beyond by hosting activities even earlier than normal.

THE BEST OF THE BEST

One of coaching’s brightest lights, a legendary Native American baller, two of the best local women to ever lace ’em up and a scrappy bunch of Vandals — the Hooptown Hall of Fame 2025 class is overflowing with excellence

MARK FEW

Gonzaga Men’s Basketball head coach

No one could be a more fitting inductee into the Hooptown Hall of Fame than Mark Few, because no one did more heavy lifting in turning Spokane into Hooptown USA. And this year, you can even see him on the official Hoopfest 2025 poster. In 26 years as Gonzaga’s head coach, Few was first a key figure in one of the truly fun comets in the history of college basketball, and then the maestro of a story that’s simply unprecedented. The Zags have reached the NCAAs 25 times under his direction — and qualified for a 26th before the pandemic wiped out the tournament. In that time, they’ve played into the second weekend 14 times and reached the Final Four (and championship game) twice.

This at a school that didn’t play in its first NCAA tournament until 1995, and waited until 2001 to get a national TV appearance in the regular season. Until the turn of the century, Gonzaga was a mom-and-pop store in the college basketball marketplace. Now it’s a worldwide brand, thanks to Few’s vision.

“It is one of the greatest success stories, I think, in American sports history,” ESPN analyst Jay Bilas has said.

“At some point he decided it could be done at Gonzaga,” said Matt Santangelo, Few’s first point guard. “It was, ‘Why can’t we do it from Spokane?’ That conviction and belief system stayed true no matter what the obstacles were.”

“He’s one of the best coaches our game has ever seen,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson once commented. “Mark is a Hall of Famer.”

The Hoopfest Hall of Fame dedication ceremony will be at the Hooptown USA court complex on the North Bank of Riverfront Park on Wednesday, June 25, from 6-9 pm. hooptownusa.com

JR CAMEL

Hellgate High School, University of Montana, Hoopfest Elite Champ

ANGIE BJORKLUND

University High School, University of Tennessee

There was always something a little otherworldly about Angie Bjorklund’s journey. McDonald’s All-American. State Gatorade Player of the Year. Recruited by legendary coach Pat Summitt to play at the University of Tennessee. Won a national championship and 124 college games. Even now, retired from a professional career overseas, she considers it a gift to carry on as a coach at her own youth basketball academy in Spain.

That’s a lot of peaks reached from a base camp in Spokane Valley presided over, more or less, by her older sister, Jami.

“We would go in the backyard and play one-on-one, and I could never beat her until a certain age,” Bjorklund recalled. “Jami taught me the work it takes to become great.”

It was truly an all-family endeavor, with the girls coached at various times by father Jim, grandfather Duane, their uncle Steve, by NBC camps, the Spokane Stars AAU program and eventually at U-Hi under coach Mark Stinson. When Angie was a sophomore and Tennessee came to play against Jami’s team, Gonzaga, the sisters got to face off on the biggest stage.

Bjorklund’s choice of Tennessee was no shocker — it had been her obsession going back to grade school when she watched the Lady Vols win three straight national championships. So it was a dream come true when she cracked a starting lineup led by one of the game’s all-time greats, Candace Parker, on a team driven to greatness by Coach Summitt.

“She’d always say, ‘Find a way’ and that’s something I’ve always carried with me,” said Bjorklund, who left Tennessee as the program’s all-time leader in 3-pointers. “Don’t complain. Find a way. There’s always something you can do to get better.”

JR Camel will be 51 years old when he pulls on a jersey for Hoopfest 2025, dusting off a legend cemented a decade ago when his Desert Horse team was putting together a threepeat in the men’s elite 6-feet-andunder division.

His father, Henry, steered his sons toward boxing, but when Camel moved to the Flathead Indian Reservation in the sixth grade, there was no boxing outlet. There was, however, plenty of basketball.

“But I couldn’t figure it out,” Camel said, “and spent a lot of time on the bench.”

Not for long. He put in long summer days on the outdoor courts in St. Ignatius and open gyms at the University of Montana where his brother was enrolled.

For his senior year in 1993, Camel transferred to Hellgate High School in Missoula and led them to a 23-0 season and the state title, earning the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year award. At Montana, he was twice All-Big Sky and part of an NCAA tournament team; caravans of Native fans made the hour drive from the reservation on game nights.

“He had the whole weight of a nation on his back when he was out there playing,” said his nephew Zach Camel, “and still does wherever he goes. He’s been under that spotlight his whole life, and he rises up to meet it.”

Camel’s first brush with Hoopfest followed a three-year pro career in Kosovo, and he’s had it circled on his calendar every June since.

“I’m 51 and I’m in dogfights with kids who are in shape and feisty,” he said. “They don’t take it easy on me, and I go as hard as I can.”

Photos provided by Hoopfest

ERICK DOXEY PHOTO

HEATHER BOWMAN

Lewis and Clark High School, Gonzaga University

It all started at Lewis and Clark High School, where coach Jim Redmon was trying to revive the women’s team that hadn’t been to the state tournament in more than a decade. Once Heather Bowman walked through the doors to join Briann January and a special core group, they wouldn’t miss for nearly another decade.

“It was a collection of people who just wanted to win,” Bowman said, “and really without ego. It was organic and natural, but with an understanding that you have to work at it, too.”

Bowman’s work left her as the Greater Spokane League’s all-time scoring leader with 1,564 points — a brief distinction, as fellow Hooptown Hall of Famer and her AAU teammate Angie Bjorklund claimed it the next year.

With recruiters from Oregon, Washington and Notre Dame calling, Gonzaga coach Kelly Graves put on a full-court press — Zags men’s stars Ronny Turiaf and J.P. Batista were dispatched to LC to ferry her to a campus visit, and Graves sold a vision of building a program that would be nationally relevant.

She also got to play with Courtney Vandersloot: “I was incredibly fortunate to play with her.”

Bowman would finish her career in 2010 as the school’s and WCC’s most prolific scorer with 2,165 points — a record that stood until just this year. But in the big picture, her impact could be seen in a more significant stat: attendance at McCarthey Athletic Center increased 100 percent in her four years and continues to be one of the best-attended women’s college basketball venues in America.

Fuel Up and Chill Out

Cool down, eat up, and take a break from the crowds

• Grab & go snacks and drinks

• Full deli, salads, sandwiches & poke bar

• Fresh made smoothies

• Indoor seating with A/C

• Patio seating

1982 UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO VANDALS

Not only were the 1982 Idaho Vandals the talk of the Palouse, they were the talk of all of college basketball.

“I don’t mean to overstate this,” coach Don Monson told Sports Illustrated that season, “but I guess this is as big a thing athletically as has ever happened.”

They did it with an undersized rotation of players, almost all passed over by “name” programs. None stood taller than 6-foot-6, shots were divvied up like cards at the poker table and defense was played in confounding fashion out of Monson’s pet matchup zone.

Gordie Herbert grew up in Canadian hockey country before a detour to North Idaho College. Bullet-train point guard Kenny Owens and lithe shot-blocker Kelvin Smith also arrived via junior college. Phil Hopson — both the “fill” and “hops” parts fit — came from Portland, shunned by Oregon State. Richland’s Brian Kellerman once drew the highest compliment from Portland coach Jack Avina as “the best ugly player I’ve ever seen.” Sixth man Pete Prigge contented himself with screening, boarding and playing D.

Romps on the road at Washington and Washington State got the ball rolling, but the eye of the hurricane was blitzing through the Far West Classic in Portland, crushing Iowa State (88-68), 15thranked Oregon State (71-49) and Oregon (81-62) in the championship game.

Up went the signs in Moscow: Idaho 4, Pac-10 0.

They came tantalizingly close to an undefeated regular season. At Montana they lost at the buzzer. Two days later at Notre Dame — after three canceled flights and seven hours on the highway — UI lost by a bucket in overtime.

And yet the thrills kept coming, capped by an OT victory over Iowa eight miles down the road in Pullman in the first round of the NCAAs. That Kellerman’s winning shot bounced three times on the iron before falling only underscored the magic.

Oregon State — by this time ranked No. 4 — would exact some revenge four days later, making for a bitter end to the season, but not to the good times. Idaho would eventually win 43 in a row at home, and crowds swelled to as large as 11,000 the next season.

“I always felt the one thing I left behind at Idaho,” said Monson, whose son Dan coached Gonzaga and now coaches at EWU, “was the idea they could compete on the national level.”

Large selection of fresh, highquality, value-conscious products and specialty items, in addition to everyday grocery essentials.

“ YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO PLAY IN THE STREETS ”

Hoopfest: A Timeline

1990 Homer Simpson and George Costanza made their TV debuts. A little band by the name of Pearl Jam formed over in Seattle, and Nike dropped the fifth edition of its Air Jordan. The year was 1990, and another bit of awesomeness was taking root in Spokane — Hoopfest.

Co-founders Rick Betts and Jerry Schmidt came to the light-bulb moment from different places — Schmidt was looking for a cool, citywide fundraiser, while Betts had just witnessed the brand-new, NBA-sponsored Hoop It Up three-onthree basketball tournament on the streets of Washington, D.C. Like chocolate and peanut butter, they were just meant to collide.

The next thing they knew, Betts, Schmidt, freshly minted event director Rick Steltenpohl and a team of local gym rats were scrambling to get permission to shut down the streets of Spokane.

Soon enough, they were sketching out brackets by hand, throwing up makeshift hoops, hand-taping lines to create courts across downtown (“we were there through the night and saw sunrise,” Betts recalls) and then quickly lacing up their high-tops to play.

On June 30 and July 1 of 1990, they mustered 36 courts, filled with 512 teams and 2,009 players. The score has just kept going higher — some 3,000 volunteers per year, hundreds of thousands of hoopers who have played over the decades, more than $2.5 million donated, along with more than 30 community basketball courts built.

“We think it’s cool to play in the streets,” Steltenpohl told whoever would listen back in 1990, “because you’re not supposed to play in the streets.”

Now, in 2025, not only is it cooler than ever to play in the streets, for one weekend a year, that’s just the way we do it.

1991 For Year II, Mother Nature seemed intent on nipping this upstart event in the bud with the worst weather of any Hoopfest. Along with thunderstorms rolling through all weekend, the high on Saturday only hit 65 degrees.

1994 By Year V, Hoopfest was rolling, with 3,086 teams — six times the number the event started with. Hoopfest’s charitable side started kicking in this year, as Harmon Park in Hillyard was given the first of scores of basketball courts Hoopfest would fund and build over the years.

1996 Worried the event was growing too fast, Hoopfest had to cap the number of teams at 3,900. Year VII was also the year Hoopfest became the largest three-on-three tournament in the nation. Hollywood superstar and Spokane native Craig T. Nelson was featured on the poster (right).

1999 For Year X, Hoopfest honchos wanted to do something really epic with the poster. They had seen the cool photomosaic image Hollywood created for The Truman Show poster. So they collected 2,200 images and sent them off to the MIT grad who developed the technology, resulting in arguably the coolest of all Hoopfest posters.

2000 Still growing! Hoopfest hit 5,426 teams, and the Nike Center Court made its debut.

2003 With the help of OneEighty Networks and others, Hoopfest installed something called WiFi across the streets of downtown Spokane for Hoopfest weekend.

2004 The first-ever neutral-site WNBA game was played at the Spokane Arena the night before Hoopfest, with the New York Liberty taking down our own Seattle Storm. Meanwhile, North by Northwest’s documentary 3 on 3, aka the Hoopfest movie, played all weekend long at AMC River Park Square.

2006

An independent study found that Hoopfest was generating $39 million in economic benefit to Spokane. That’s a lot of Powerade!

2009 NBA royalty Kareem Abdul Jabbar came to Spokane to promote his book On the Shoulders of Giants at the Fox during Hoopfest weekend.

2010 After 2009’s 6,700-team turnout, The Guinness Book of World Records officially recognized Hoopfest as the biggest three-on-three basketball tournament in the world.

2012 The hoop stars kept coming, as Seattle studs Jamal Crawford, Nate Robinson and Isaiah Thomas were hosting events; meanwhile, Klay Thompson and John Wall played in the charity game. Hoopfest turnout surpassed 7,000 teams.

Founders Rick Betts (left) and Jerry Schmidt

2014

After serving as executive director for almost every year since its inception, Rick Steltenpohl stepped aside for Matt Santangelo, the former Gonzaga standout. “I’m a basketball junkie,” Santangelo said at the time, “that’s how my mind works.” You’re hired!

2015 None other than ESPN set up shop to present live coverage of Hoopfest weekend, exposing the nation to this only-in-Spokane phenomenon. We welcomed them with the hottest Hoopfest ever, part of the hottest June weather ever recorded in Spokane, hitting 102 degrees on Saturday and 105 on Sunday.

2017 The buzz started spreading across the blacktop on Saturday, with rumors confirmed on Sunday — NBA Finals MVP and first-round draft pick of our sorely missed Sonics, Kevin Durant (above), was in the ’Kan! Fans jammed Center Court, KD played some pickup with local kids and Santangelo asked him to philosophize about the sport. “It’s always about the game,” Durant told the crowd. “We’re all going to come and go, but the game is forever!”

2018

A high school hoops star from Minnesota joined a bunch of other future stars and won the women’s elite division: Her name is Paige Bueckers. Seven years later, in 2025, she’d lead her UConn Huskies through the Spokane bracket of the NCAA tournament on the way to a national championship.

2020 Despite best efforts to somehow stage Hoopfest, the COVID-19 pandemic caused both the 2020 and 2021 events to be cancelled. Hoopfest was able to refund anyone who paid to participate, although many just turned their fee into a donation.

2021 Despite no Hoopfest event, the inaugural Hooptown Hall of Fame class was named — led by the likes of John Stockton, George Raveling and the Gonzaga men’s 1999 basketball team.

2022 The tradition roared back to life for the first time since 2019, with about 3,500 teams — down from the 7,000plus from back in 2012. Nephew of Gonzaga and NBA legend John Stockton, Riley Stockton, who first played Hoopfest as a Kindergartener, then starred at Ferris, Seattle Pacific University and in Spain as a professional, started his tenure as Hoopfest’s executive director.

2024 Seattle Supersonics legend Gary Payton (right) stopped by to help judge the dunk contest and marvel at how much the event had grown since he first visited back in its fledgling days.

Companies near and far have joined in Hoopfest’s mission, including Guardian Life Insurance

One of the overlooked ways that Hoopfest shines as a world-class event is on the list of all those who support it. Sure there are local and regional businesses, and those in the sports industry, but it’s also captured the attention of some prominent supporters with a national footprint, like also Guardian Life Insurance.

So, what brings them back to Spokane year after year?

“Hoopfest is more than a basketball tournament — it’s a celebration of inclusion, resilience, and community,” says Francine Chew, Guardian’s Head of Corporate Impact. “For 10 years, Guardian has proudly supported Hoopfest, along with

LIFE WELL PLAYED

the Special Olympics. This partnership reflects our belief that well-being should be accessible to everyone, regardless of ability.”

Guardian’s partnership with Hoopfest shows that everyone, from the local level to a Fortune 500 company, can play an active role in building community.

“Guardian’s corporate impact work is where social good and business priorities meet — it’s our purpose in action,” Chew adds. “Whether it’s supporting adaptive athletes, funding disaster relief or empowering underserved communities, we believe that helping others thrive is the most meaningful way to fulfill our purpose to inspire well-being.”

MEET THE HOOPFEST TEAM

Chad Smith Director of Staffing and Volunteering

Stephen Opland Site Director

Leslie Cogley Sponsors and Partnerships Manager

Jamie Copeland Marketing and Inventory Manager

Riley Stockton Executive Director

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Downtown North Of The River

HOOPFEST APP

TAKE US WITH YOU!

MONROE

BROADWAY

Maximize your weekend with the FREE Hoopfest App! We want to make sure you can keep an eye on as many games as possible with our Team Tracker. Look up players, find courts and have all event details right at your fingertips. Download or update it FREE today from the App Store or Google Play.

FOOD VENDORS

Ali’i Hawaiian Shaved Ice

Azars

Beamae’s

Seafood Gumbo & Sweet Treats

Ben & Jerry’s

Berry KaBob

Best Buzz Coffee

CDA Licorice Ropes

Chubby Hot Dogs

Dippin’ Dots

El Camaron

El Charro Birrieria

Flathead Bubbles & Boba

Gourmet Soul

BBQ

Houston TX Hot Chicken

Kettle Krazy

Kona Ice

Krispy Kreme

La Pica Chica

Lemonade Guy & Cliff’s Corndogs

Longhorn Barbecue

Lonnie Bill’s Lemonade

Lylo’s Teriyaki MacDaddys Pina Coladas Acapulco

Pizza Rita

Puget Sound BBQ

Puget Sound Pizza

Raspados & Hotdogs Del Sur

Sno Pros Concessions

Spud-Tenders

Sweet Mama’s

Sweet Snack Attack

Sweet Summer Sno

Tacos Camargo Tea’s Company

Teriyaki Grill and Orange Chicken Express

The Bibby Booth

The Churro Hut

The Cuban Way Food Truck

The Licorice Guy Wake Up Call Coffee

WHOLE LOTTA HOOPIN’

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25

6-9pm: Hoopfest Hall of Fame ceremony at the Hooptown USA court complex, North Bank of Riverfront Park

THURSDAY, JUNE 26

2-6pm: Hoopfest Store presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods in the Gesa Credit Union Pavilion Building, next to Northern Quest Center Court

3-7pm: TEN Capital Team Check-In in Riverfront Park Central Plaza next to the Pavilion

3-7pm: Toyota Shootoff in Riverfront Park, just north of the Orange Bridge (prequalification round)

FRIDAY, JUNE 27

7am-midnight: Embrace Hoopfest 24 Hour Charity Game at the Hooptown USA court complex, North Bank of Riverfront Park

8am-1pm: Women’s Professional 3XBA Tournament presented by Delta Air Lines at Northern Quest Center Court, under the Pavilion

11am-6pm: Hoopfest Store presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods in the Pavilion Building, next to Northern Quest Center Court

11am-7pm: TEN Capital Team Check-In in Riverfront Park Central Plaza next to the Pavilion

11am-7pm: Toyota Shootoff in Riverfront Park, just north of the Orange Bridge (prequalification round)

12-1pm: Join current Vandal players for a skills clinic on Gesa High School Center Court, located next to the Pavilion. Open to grades 1-6.

1-1:30pm: Mascot showdown, see Joe Vandal in action as he takes on other mascots in 3-on-3 at Gesa High School Center Court

2-5pm: World’s Largest Game of Knockout powered by Baden, at Northern Quest Center Court

4-4:30pm: Guardian Showcase at Gesa High School Center Court

6pm: Hoopfest Streets close for the night

SATURDAY, JUNE 28

midnight-7am: Embrace Hoopfest 24 Hour Game at the Hooptown USA court complex, North Bank of Riverfront Park

6am-8pm: STA Hoop Loop

7:30am-7pm: Hoopfest Store presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods in the Pavilion Building, next to Northern Quest Center Court

7:50am: Opening Ceremonies and National Anthem at Northern Quest Center Court

8am: Tip-Off (site-wide)

9am-6pm: Rodda-Miller Paint Contest Zone in the Bennett Block Parking Lot, corner of Spokane Falls Blvd and Stevens

9am-6pm: Toyota Shootoff in Riverfront Park, just north of the Orange Bridge (prequalification round)

2-2:55pm: MultiCare Slam Dunk Competition at Northern Quest Center Court

3-6pm: Women’s 3XBA Tournament Finals presented by Delta Air Lines at Northern Quest Center Court, under the Gesa Credit Union Pavilion

SUNDAY, JUNE 29

7am-6pm: STA Hoop Loop

7:30am-4pm: Hoopfest Store presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods in the Pavilion Building, next to Northern Quest Center Court

8am: Tip-Off (site-wide)

9am-1pm: Rodda-Miller Paint Contest Zone in the Bennett Block Parking Lot, corner of Spokane Falls Blvd and Stevens

9am-1pm: Toyota Shootoff in Riverfront Park, just north of the Orange Bridge (prequalification round)

1-4pm: Toyota Shootoff in Riverfront Park, just north of the Orange Bridge (quarters, semifinals and finals)

3-3:30pm: MultiCare Slam Dunk Competition (finals) at Northern Quest Center Court

CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES (Sunday after 3:30pm)

Men’s 6-Foot-And-Over Elite Semifinals (2 games) at Northern Quest Center Court

Men’s 6-Foot-And-Under Elite Championship at Northern Quest Center Court

Men’s Open Elite Championship at Northern Quest Center Court

JUNE 27-28, 2026

Hoopfest Returns to the Streets of Spokane!

GRAB YOUR HOOPFEST GEAR V

isit the SPOKANE HOOPFEST STORE, presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods, at our location in the Gesa Credit Union Pavilion Lobby, next to Northern Quest Center Court. Explore our Local Corner, featuring exclusive Hoopfest and Great PNW gear for the whole family. Don’t miss this year’s Hoopfest poster, created by Propaganda Creative, featuring Gonzaga Men’s Basketball Coach Mark Few. We’ve also got the official 2025 Baden Sports basketballs, celebrating Hoopfest’s 35th anniversary, with special anniversary logos and three distinct colorways: size 5 (27.5”) in red, size 6 (28.5”) in blue, and size 7 (29.5”) in yellow.

KNOCKING OUT A WORLD RECORD

Already the world record holder for the largest streetball tournament on Earth, Hoopfest is looking to put its name into the record books once again — this time for the world’s largest game of knockout, also known as bump.

THE WORLD’S LARGEST GAME OF KNOCKOUT powered by Baden will go down from 2 to 5 pm on Friday at Northern Quest Center Court. Players are encouraged to sign up online in advance at spokanehoopfest.net/events, but walkups are welcome as well; it’s $5 to sign up and open to ages 8 and up.

Currently the record, defined by the number of players to actively take a shot in the game, is 728 and owned by students at Grand Canyon University. That school is known for its passionate basketball fans, but Hoopfest is a different beast entirely.

“Our hope is to get in the eight hundreds,” Hoopfest’s Riley Stockton says.

And unlike regular games of knockout played on basketball courts around the world, there won’t just be one winner — all participants will have bragging rights.

HOOPIN’ AROUND THE CLOCK

When most players take to the court with fresh legs on Saturday morning, a small group of basketball diehards will have already logged a full day of playing time — and “full day” is not an exaggeration. Starting at 7 am Friday and continuing all the way until 7 am Saturday, the EMBRACE HOOPFEST GAME will be a 24-hour marathon of five-on-five action at the Hooptown USA court complex on the North Bank of Riverfront Park.

The charity event is a partnership between Hooptown USA and Embrace Washington, a Spokane-based nonprofit working with youth in foster care (embracewa.org).

“Half of the money we raise will go toward our Hooptown Youth League, and then half will go to Embrace Washington and all their great causes with the underserved

game with very limited breaks for the entire duration of the 24 hours. It’s a great way to get the basketball energy going while also supporting two great youth-focused organizations.

“I think people are really going to enjoy not only the 24-hour game and the people doing it, but also the cause it benefits,” Stockton says.

You can get involved by sponsoring a player or a team at go.eventgroovefundraising.com/embracehoopfest. Or when you stop by to cheer them on, make a donation right there

THE FESTIVAL AT SANDPOINT 2025 SUMMER SERIES

PARKING

All parking garages are open during Hoopfest, with access provided to entrances and exits. Street parking where available is paid until 7 pm Saturday, but free all-day on Sunday. The Parkade is offering day and weekend passes; more information

Visit ewu.edu/runningstart

NOTHING BUT NET

Winning Wordplay

TOYOTA SHOOTOFF

The annual half-court shooting contest runs Thursday through Sunday in Riverfront Park, north of the Orange Bridge. You can attempt three half-court shots for just $10; sinking one shot qualifies you for the quarterfinals. Surviving finalists reconvene at 3:30 pm Sunday for a chance to win by dropping a half-court shot. The last man or woman standing drives home this year’s completely Hooped Out 2025 Toyota Tacoma.

RODDA-MILLER PAINT CONTEST ZONE

Show off your skills at the Rodda-Miller Paint Contest Zone in the Bennett Block Parking lot, near Spokane Falls Blvd. and Stevens. Test your long-range game at the 3-Point contest, your clutch shooting in the Free Throw Contest or your ability to hit from all over the court in the Hot Shot Contest. Entry is $5.

MULTICARE SLAM DUNK CONTEST

Watch as Hoopfest’s best athletes defy gravity at Northern Quest Center Court in the Gesa Credit Union Pavilion! The qualifying round is Saturday, June 28, at 2 pm; the finals are Sunday, June 29, at 3 pm. It’s $10 to participate.

Clever team names from the 2025 Hoopfest field

Air Ball Express

Alley Oopers

Annual Exercise

Apostles of LeBron Baconator Bros

Ballin’ and Fallin’

Baskets and Gravy

Can I Get a Sub?

Chicken Noodle Hoops

Dino Nuggies

Flying Pickles

Frito Lay

Holy Cross Up

Honey Buckets

Hoops I Did It Again

Kobe wan Kenobi

Lava Chickens

Lord of the Rims

Meme Team

Middy Committee

Pink Pony Club

Quad Fathers

Silly Gooses

Slayups

SplashTown USA

XFINITY ELITE DIVISION

The Elite division showcases teams composed of top-tier players at Hoopfest, with many having competed at the highest levels of the game. Catch the action at the Xfinity Elite Division located along Spokane Falls Boulevard. Finals start at Northern Quest Center Court on Sunday after the Multicare Slam Dunk Contest finals.

ELITE SKILLS ON DISPLAY

3XBA, a professional 3x3 league for women, is bringing its international version of the game to Northern Quest Center Court. The WOMEN’S PROFESSIONAL 3XBA TOURNAMENT presented by Delta Air Lines will go down from 8 am to 1 pm on Friday, with the final rounds taking place on Saturday from 3 to 6 pm.

“3XBA athletes have consistently represented the U.S. at the highest levels, including the Olympic Games, World Cup, AmeriCup, Pan American Games and U23 World Cups,” says league co-founder and President Alanna McDonald.

3x3, a slightly different variation of the game that will take over the streets of Downtown Spokane over the weekend, made its Olympic debut at the 2020 games in Tokyo.

Featuring some of the best women’s basketball players in the United States, ballers of all ages are encouraged to stop by and pick up some moves from the game’s elite. 3x3 is one of the fastest-growing sports around the world, and 3XBA now provides a professional path for the game on the women’s side.

“3XBA addresses a significant gap in opportunities in the American market for female basketball athletes by expanding professional pathways beyond the limited roster spots in traditional leagues like the WNBA,” McDonald says.

Thanks To All Our Sponsors and Volunteers!

So much support is the only way an event this massive can work. Along with everyone listed on this page, a special thanks to all of our area administrators, marshals and court monitors, as well as the dedicated individuals serving in our subcommittees and volunteer roles. You help us create magic, enrich lives and foster community spirit year after year. And to all you Hoopfest court sponsors seen on our backboards, your support is invaluable. Please help us thank everyone who is part of this community-wide effort!

— THE HOOPFEST TEAM

MAJOR SPONSORS

MEDIA SPONSORS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Brandon Haugen Board President/ Chairman

Rick Betts Vice President/ Founder/Chairman

Rob Hartman Board Secretary

Hubert Langenhorst Board Treasurer

Mike Nilson

OPERATING COMMITTEE

Awards

Jennifer Chaparro

Communications & Security

Jim Dibble

Court Monitor Group Coordinator

Christina Ridenbaugh

Communications & Security

Nathan Mulkey, Jason Hartman, Tom Michaud

Computer Applications

Mike Busby, Pat Dever

Contest Activities

Arianne Johnson

Court Monitor Headquarters

Gina Scott

Court Taping

RJ Del Mese

Electrical Services

Jim DeStefano

Elite Division

Jim Jacobson, August Weile

High School Center Court

Daniel Swartz

Information

Charlotte Finnegan

IT Connectivity

Don Hartzog

Adam Swinyard

Tom Psomas

Shelbie Rabe

OFFICIAL SPONSORS

1-Stop Media

SUPPORTING SPONSORS

Maintenance Engineering

Dave Jackson

Merchandise

Claire Soulek

Northern Quest Center Court

Holly Elmer

Recycling/Clean-Up

Matt Littrel

Retail Beverages

Darcy Markham

Master Scoreboard

Paige Houston, Sarah Olson

Site Team Organization

Blake Jones, Scott Jones

Special Projects

John Koenig, Jim Olson, Bev Stamper

Sponsor Garden

Kari Kostelecky

Team Check-In

Kathleen Sullivan Garman

Tip-Off Party/Hospitality

Kari Kostelecky

Traffic Safety

Adam Jackson, Ben Sevigny

Volunteer Coordination

Stacey Stockton

Volunteer Lunches

Julie Laird

YOUR FINANCIAL SUCCESS FAN CLUB

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“A SLIVER OF SILVER(WOOD),” CONTINUED...

“Theme park work is definitely super fun, rewarding and artistically fulfilling,” Miley says. “Theme park work and cruise contracts are actually very similar. I’m hoping to also have the opportunity to perform on a cruise ship, and working at a theme park such as Silverwood would be a great stepping stone in doing so.”

While the work itself is quite fulfilling for the actors, I asked them if they’ve had any time off to explore the area.

“With a rigorous schedule, it’s hard to explore the Northwest as I wanted, such as areas like Seattle or Bozeman,” Miley says. “Since we only have two days off a week, it’s hard to plan trips like that, but I have been able to explore closer areas like Coeur d’Alene. I love going on walks by the water and checking out the shops.”

...continued on next page

ABOVE (from top): The Panic Plunge drop tower; Pit cook supervisor Will Kadrmas preps hot dogs outside the Chuckwagon; visitors (left to right) Ashlae Cherry, Shantara Ranalla and Nehum Johnson enjoy a Funfetti funnel cake; Silverwood’s classic carousel.

RIGHT: The Timber Terror was Silverwood’s first wooden coaster, opening in 1996.

“A SLIVER OF SILVER(WOOD),” CONTINUED...

“There’s much to do! A few of us also took a three-day trip to Banff, which was a blast,” Sexton adds. “I definitely plan on taking a few day trips to Spokane and hopefully out to Seattle.”

It’s not just the actors who are dedicated to their craft at Silverwood.

Pit cook supervisor Will Kadrmas arrives hours before the park opens every day to chop wood and get the fire pit ready for the day’s meat selections.

Meanwhile, the maintenance technicians start their rounds at 4 am to make sure every ride runs smoothly. Tremors, the 26-year-old wooden coaster with four tunnels, recently had its track and all its cars completely redone. After the repairs were complete, it took 300 perfect test rides before Silverwood gave the green light for Tremors to reopen to the public. That attention to detail is truly impressive for any city. n

ABOVE: SpinCycle tops out at 104 feet and swings like a pendulum while also rotating. BOTTOM LEFT: The classic Tilt-A-Whirl isn’t as intense as its counterparts, but still moves fast. BELOW: Beverage steward Atlas King showcases new dry ice drinks at the Cosmos Cantina. BOTTOM RIGHT: Silverwood magician Nick Norton relaxes with his Catalina macaw, Gypsy.

Summer at Silverwood

Open daily through Sept. 1 (times vary); weekends only Sept. 6-28

Single-day admission: $47-$74/person

(See website for price details, including for season passes, multiday admission, and discounts for admission after 4 pm.)

27843 US-95, Athol, Idaho silverwoodthemepark.com, 208-683-3400

ABOVE, BELOW, TOP RIGHT: The award-winning Eagle Hunt, a two-lane “dueling” water slide, debuted at Silverwood’s Boulder Beach water park in summer 2024.

BOTTOM RIGHT: A classic view of the Timber Terror from outside the park.

ALSO OPENING

HOT MILK

An ailing wheelchair-bound mother (Fiona Shaw) and her caring daughter (Emma Mackey) travel to the Spanish coast seeking a cure. But tensions flair as the daughter begins venturing out more, much to the dismay of her controlling mother. Rated R

M3GAN 2.0

In this sequel of extreme escalation, in order to stop a new military AI robot intent on destroying all humans, Gemma (Allison Williams) must resurrect M3GAN, a robot who only revels in killing some humans. Rated PG-13

WE ARE GUARDIANS

This acclaimed documentary follows forest guardian Marçal Guajajara and activist Puyr Tembé as they attempt to fight back against the continued destructive logging in the Amazon rainforest. Not rated At the Magic Lantern

PITT, STOP

Brad Pitt lends his charm to feature-length car-racing commercial F1

BY JOSH BELL

It’s appropriate that race cars are covered in corporate logos, because recent car-racing movies seem to exist primarily as vehicles for product placement. That was the case with 2023’s Gran Turismo, and it’s even more blatant in F1, a movie named after the multibillion-dollar racing promotion it depicts. F1 is a Formula One commercial first, and a narrative film somewhere in distant second, with every story beat and character designed to showcase the supposed grandeur of Formula One racing — and all of those corporate logos.

It’s certainly possible to make an entertaining and even artistically ambitious movie out of a brand name, as the creators behind films like Barbie and The Lego Movie have proved. But director and co-writer Joseph Kosinski seems far too awed by Formula One to interrogate it in any meaningful way. Kosinski translated that awe into more engaging drama with 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick, and F1 is clearly meant to evoke some of the same excitement and wonder. Kosinski even casts one of the only actors who could be considered Tom Cruise’s peer in his leading role.

Brad Pitt plays the Maverick-like Sonny Hayes, a once-promising hotshot Formula One driver who never lived up to his potential. Following a nasty crash early in his career, he’s spent the last 30 years bumming around from one racing circuit to another, never staying put long enough to establish himself in any particular league or team. He drives for the pure love of it, which is essentially his only character trait. That’s one more character trait than is afforded to

Sonny’s old friend and former rival Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), who tracks down Sonny in a laundromat and makes him an offer to return to Formula One as a driver for Ruben’s perpetually losing Apex Grand Prix team. Ruben is the least sympathetic kind of figure — a rich guy in danger of being slightly less rich — and the screenplay by Ehren Kruger fails to capture the requisite sports underdog energy. If Apex can’t win one of the races left in the current season, Ruben will be forced to sell the team, and he wants Sonny to join forces with Apex’s rookie driver Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris).

So the seasoned veteran clashes with the hotheaded newcomer, the team keeps losing until it starts almost winning, sudden injuries threaten to take out key players, and Pitt still looks good. There’s nothing about F1 that isn’t predictable, including the rote romance between Sonny and Apex’s outspoken technical director Kate McKenna (Kerry Condon). Pitt is as charming as ever, making Sonny into a combination between his savvy Moneyball sports strategist Billy Beane and his Ocean’s franchise heist mastermind Rusty Ryan. Sonny is a great driver, but his main contribution to Apex is a series of questionably legal plays that throw off other drivers and give Apex a chance to make up lost ground.

It’s all a bit too

“ain’t no rule that says a dog can’t play basketball,” and it eventually becomes just as repetitive as the races themselves, which Kosinski filmed at real-life Formula One events around the world. As he did in Maverick, Kosinski gives the action a visceral realism by placing the camera in actual cars racing on

actual tracks, but the Formula One races aren’t nearly as exciting as the dogfights in Maverick. There are only so many ways to show the same cars going round and round, and onscreen title cards that say things like “Lap 66” don’t do much to dispel the monotony.

Maybe die-hard Formula One fans will find the movie more compelling, but despite reams of exposition, the parameters of the competition remain opaque for outsiders. Even worse, there isn’t a single other competitor with any onscreen presence, so there’s no one to root for Apex to defeat in the races. Sonny would be perfectly happy to go back to small-time racing, making Ruben’s wallet the only thing truly at stake.

That’s an inadvertent reflection of the values of both Formula One and F1, which is a cynical advertisement masquerading as a feature film. Pitt and Idris go through the motions of the conflict between Sonny and Joshua, who will obviously learn to respect and support each other by the time the final big race comes around. Pitt and Condon do the same with the perfunctory love story, although they have slightly better chemistry. Bardem fades into the background after Ruben’s initial recruitment of Sonny, and Tobias Menzies looks lost as a vaguely scheming member of Apex’s board of directors.

The meager story drags out for 156 minutes, so that the movie can showcase as many of Formula One’s flashy races as possible, in places like Dubai and Las Vegas. F1 is equally flashy, and it’s tempting to get distracted by the vrooming cars and Hans Zimmer’s booming score. Take a moment to slow down, though, and it’s easy to see that there’s nothing under the hood. n

Much like Formula One itself, F1 has glitz but not much else.

For Emma, Whatever Ago

Amy Heckerling’s Clueless remains fun, but it also has more on its mind even when its characters do not

BY CHASE HUTCHINSON

There have been several cinematic adaptations of Jane Austen’s classic 1815 novel Emma, but none are as good as writer/director Amy Heckerling’s all-time great 1995 comedy Clueless

While the least period accurate, there are many reasons to make the case for it being the rendition that best captures the story’s biting heart. It’s as quick-witted and clever as it is unashamedly absurd, proving that the absolute dumbest of jokes can also be quite smart, while also being an astute modernizing of Austen’s story and the pinnacle of the ’90s teen comedies. However, more than all of that, it deserves more credit for being a consistently withering satire in ways big and small.

Though its lead character, Alicia Silverstone’s Cher, would likely scoff at the film’s satirical bona fides with her standard “Ugh, as if!” dismissal, it’s precisely this detachment Heckerling uses to create an effective portrait of the uniquely vacuous face of modern American wealth. It’s heightened and silly yet slyly astute satire, managing to both cut into the state of obliviousness that wealth can create while also capturing the terrors of dating in high school and the endless horrors of Los Angeles traffic

(especially with a “virgin who can’t drive” like Cher behind the wheel).

Right from the very opening moments — with The Muffs’ great cover of Kim Wilde’s “Kids in America” serving as an upbeat yet fitting sonic entry point — we see that the life of Cher is completely removed from any real struggles. Her world is a fantasy of endless shopping sprees, a closet that is bigger than some apartments, a mansion that is always there to provide for her every need and a school that seemingly bends to her will. In everything that follows, we see that there is nothing she can’t overconfidently argue her way out of (another thing she inherits from her hilarious and hard-nosed litigator father) in ways that always teeter on the edge of becoming utterly ridiculous. Of course, this is the point: Wealth ensures you can play by your own set of rules no matter what.

You laugh at the chaos that is Cher’s ability to get everything she wants, with each momentary setback being forgotten about as soon as it passes. This is something that keeps the film fairly light and fun to the point where it’s become a comfort movie for some viewers, though it’s comfortable because of just how low stakes everything is for Cher. Even when she is robbed at gunpoint, she

cares only about having to lie down on the ground and what could happen to her designer dress. Her anonymous robber then is put in the tragicomic position of having to deal with her whining before awkwardly thanking her and taking off running. Even in a robbery, Cher is always above it all. Like Austen’s source text, outside these fleeing moment of faux precarity, she treats others like her playthings so that she can be entertained by their dramas and ultimately feel good about herself. Whatever light conflicts the film has come from the ones that Cher creates for herself as she begins to realize that maybe (gasp) not everyone wants to be her or live life as she does.

The charm that Silverstone brings to the role and the clear affection that Heckerling has for the character make this shattering of Cher’s ego an entertaining one just as the film does let her down a bit easily. This ends up tempering the film’s bite, and Clueless does drag a bit in the conclusion as it contorts itself in order to give Cher a rather contrived redemption arc. However, where this felt out of place when first watching the film decades ago, it actually is rather fitting.

Cher, ever the manipulator, was essentially able to delude herself into thinking she was a good person just because she gives away random possessions she won’t ever miss to provide disaster relief for a calamity invented for the movie. This relatively inconsequential act allows her to continue going about her life with nothing else substantively changing. How could we expect anything different? You think there could be a believable film about an absurdly wealthy person surrendering the money that they’ve built their own identity and value around? Ugh, as if! Now that would truly be a fantasy. n

Clueless screens at Regal Cinemas for its 30th anniversary on June 29 and 30.

Clueless’ satirical style remains chic.

VINTAGE COVERS

Putting Another Nickel in the Jukebox

From YouTube to the stage, Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox reimagines modern hits with throwback sounds

BY DORA SCOTT

While Radiohead’s debut single “Creep” evokes a seedy, underground British music venue that might leave your shoes with a sticky residue of too many drinks spilt, Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox’s 2015 cover of the tune transports viewers to a smoky, dimly lit jazz club of the 1920s.

Thom Yorke’s angst-filled, haunting voice is replaced with Haley Reinhart’s honey-dripping vocals, and Jonny Greenwood’s signature guitar crunch before the chorus is transferred to Postmodern Jukebox’s horn section.

Led by pianist Scott Bradlee, Postmodern Jukebox has similarly remade over 300 pop hits into throwback ditties since it formed out of his basement in Astoria, New York, back in 2010. As a collective of musicians, around 12 of the Postmodern Jukebox touring members can shuffle depending on the song, which creates the versatility needed to dive into the bygone 20th

century — from the speakeasies of the roaring ’20s to the roller discos of the ’70s.

The seeds for Postmodern Jukebox were planted during Bradlee’s high school years. While he was an old soul who preferred jazz, ragtime and Motown, his friends listened to modern pop music.

“I was a piano player, so to kind of try to get my friends into what I was doing, I would learn the songs that they liked — the pop songs — and I would play them,” Bradlee says. “So I would take a band like Red Hot Chili Peppers, but I played as ragtime or something. And it was always like a fun party trick for me.”

Fast forward to when Bradlee was trying to make it in New York City as a jazz pianist, and YouTube became the platform for his musical experiments. Bradlee pulled out his old party trick, and his medley of ’80s songs in the style of ragtime soon went viral.

Realizing this retro-modernist twist was something

people were interested in, Bradlee reached out to musician friends from college to record a casual jazz rendition of “Paparazzi” by Lady Gaga in 2010. Shot in his basement apartment, the video features each musician holding a frozen pose before they start playing, a showmanship that has become integral to any of Postmodern Jukebox’s performances.

While the Gaga cover garnered a few thousand views initially, the 1930s jazz cover of Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop” in 2013 became the first of the group’s videos to reach over 1 million views. Postmodern Jukebox soon graduated from performing in Bradlee’s living room — where he gave falafel sandwiches to featured musicians as payment — to touring worldwide and selling out shows.

“Our first show [was in 2014], and it was in Toronto,” Bradlee says. “And I just remember thinking — they said it was a sold-out show or something

Postmodern Jukebox shows are a vintage dream. MA2LA PHOTO

— but I couldn’t really believe that because up to that point we hadn’t really met Postmodern Jukebox fans in real life because we’d been on YouTube.”

In its earlier years, Postmodern Jukebox mostly covered songs on the charts, but it has since evolved to rearrange familiar songs from more recent eras.

“So it might be a big ’80s hit or a big hit from the ’70s, but flipping them into different styles and kind of bringing them to life with different performers,” Bradlee says. “And that’s just been kind of a result of doing the live tours. We wanted to make a show where somebody could go in… and know all the songs we’re covering because they’re some of the biggest hits of the last 30 or 40 years.”

While Postmodern Jukebox is understandably appealing to an older audience — making pop into digestible oldies — Bradlee notes that there’s been an uptick in younger fans.

“Gen Z in particular that’s been really getting into older music and in these styles,” he says. “Something about these old songs just seems simple. When you listen to a great standard, like an old Ella Fitzgerald song or a Frank Sinatra song or something, there’s something that’s so timeless about the way the songs were written.”

Much like how vinyl, film cameras and camcorders have made a resurgence, Postmodern Jukebox also plays into that nostalgia for a simpler time.

When deciding which songs to cover and how to rewind them, one of Bradlee’s approaches is to strip away the production.

Take, for instance, Postmodern Jukebox’s 2014 cover of “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses. According to Bradlee, once the heavily distorted guitars and Axl Rose’s wailing vocals are taken out, “it’s an old folk blues song in the way that it’s written — the way that the lyrics flow. So I had the idea to kind of take it back to 1920s New Orleans, make it something like a great blues singer like Bessie Smith would sing.”

Covers are also inspired by if something in a song’s lyrics has a parallel to an older era, or if one of Postmodern Jukebox’s singers has an idea for a song.

“It’s a collaborative process and that’s, I think, what makes it so fun and so special,” Bradlee says.

There are songs that come from fan suggestions (requested at postmodernjukebox.com) like Postmodern Jukebox’s more recent cover of My Chemical Romance’s “The Ghost of You.”

“Somebody in one of our comments suggested doing like a 1940s song because the music video that My Chemical Romance did was set in 1944 and then kind of like taking place at a USO dance,” Bradlee says.

Featuring vocalist Effie Passero, the rendition is orchestral and haunting — bringing viewers to World War II with the palpable fear of losing a loved one in war.

The experience of seeing a Postmodern Jukebox live — as Spokanites have a chance to do at the Bing Crosby Theater on July 2 — is not too different from watching one of the group’s videos, according to Bradlee. Since the beginning, each video has been treated like a live performance with many shot in a single take.

“We want the person that’s watching on their laptop or their phone or whatever to feel like they’re sitting in the audience and watching us perform for them,” he says.

In each video, the entire cast dresses in theme of the time period they’re covering, something Postmodern Jukebox fans have run with by wearing vintage attire for the concerts. For Bradlee, it’s all about capturing music’s timeless appeal.

“When we bring a whole bunch of performers, people that can do different styles and the right amount of instrumentalists and singers, then we’re able to kind of create this world for our fans where you go to it and you’re gonna hear basically 100 years of popular music styles in 100 minutes.” n

Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox • Wed, July 2 at 8 pm • $129-$381 • All ages • Bing Crosby Theater • 901 W. Sprague Ave. • bingcrosbytheater.com

WALKING IN OBSCURITY

40 Watt Sun’s Patrick Walker brings vulnerability to doom metal

BY TAYLOR D. WARING

There’s an awkward moment at the end of a relationship where you both realize you have nothing left to say to each other. This is where you might resort to talking about the weather or, worse, start asking questions with cruel intentions, just to get some sort of emotional response. If you’re interviewing a musician, you might ask them to describe their music, or ask what it means.

“Oh my god, what a cruel question to ask me,” says 40 Watt Sun’s Patrick Walker. “Ask me something else.”

The British singer-songwriter is in a dimly lit practice studio, shifting back and forth on a couch in the loft during day seven of rehearsals with his drummer. After asking a version of the dreaded “describe your music” question, it’s like we’re going through a breakup.

“It’s not you so much, it’s me,” he says.

I don’t blame him really, I even agree that it’s a relatively awful question, but in this rare case I’m legitimately asking the question for myself, too. From Walker’s early days to his current work as the creative force behind the self-described dirge-rock outfit 40 Watt Sun — who play The Chameleon on June 29 — his sonic creations cast an enigmatic fog.

There’s something ineffable about Walker’s music. His first band Warning is, in theory, a doom metal band. If you throw on Warning’s first record, 1999’s The Strength to Dream, you think you’re listening to Orthodox Candlemas worship for the first half of the album opener, “The Return.” On the altar: slow, crushing riffs; operatic, funerary vocals; lyrics — a la Poe and Shelley — about a bereft scientist resurrecting his dearly deceased. Just after the halfway mark of “The Return” — about six minutes and 30 seconds — there’s a key change, and, like Victor Frankenstein’s Monster, some strange Romantic creature comes briefly to life. This haunted, yearning-for-the-beloved, architecture would become the blueprint for the holy Gothic cathedral that is Warning’s

second record: Watching from a Distance

In the grand scheme of things, the album is relatively obscure — if you’re not into doom metal, you probably haven’t heard it. But if you are into doom metal, especially more into the escapist, riff fantasia of bands Sleep and Electric Wizard, this record is worth unearthing. Watching from a Distance, and Warning, in that way are true cult classics.

Those seeking something by way of a dark initiation, I’d recommend starting with the album’s second-track, “Footprints.” The seven-minute dirge is filled with tragically slow riffs, surreal, dark fantasy imagery (“I am not feeling the green burning flame as I gaze back along the footprints you have made”), and Walker’s, iconic, vulnerable vocals. The lyrical tale is told from the perspective of a medieval knight, a “broken soldier,” who after surviving countless battles, struggles in his battle to behold the Beloved.

Walker would disband Warning in 2009, reemerging under the moniker 40 Watt Sun. A sort of deconstruction of Warning, 40 Watt Sun puts a somehow more vulnerable Walker on full display, as though picking up where the broken soldier had laid down his armor in footprint — naked, devoid of the dark fantasy accoutrements.

When asked, Walker remains elusive about the core of his sonic vocabulary. The conversation reminded me of the old story about The Cure, when their record label, Elektra, accused Robert Smith of being “willfully obscure” in response to hearing Disintegration for the first time.

Perhaps some things are better undefined.

“It’s not any particular band, but qualities that I look for and try to express,” Walker says of his influences. “I suppose, whether it’s ‘The Spaces Between’ or something like ‘Footprints,’ I think they sound like my songs. And

I like to think I’ve got a voice in that way, but I feel very uncomfortable talking about that stuff.”

A few threads of sonic etymology could be parsed from the passing reference Walker throws out during our conversation.

“You know, [I could be listening to] R.E.M. or Paul McCartney, and I can’t work out what they’re playing, or it does something unexpected, or it expresses something inexpressible — those are the qualities I’m looking for.”

Later, I would ask him about the transcendental nature of his work, which often feels both esoteric and intimate.

“Most great songs are drawn from personal experience. Something like ‘Hallelujah’ by Leonard Cohen, right?” said Walker. “I have no doubt that’s based on a very personal experience, but it also transcends that, doesn’t it? I’ve never written about anything that’s not particular.”

By way of departure, I asked Walker what he looked forward to most about his upcoming U.S. tour.

“I used to hate touring. I dreaded it. But as I’ve grown more relaxed as a performer, I look forward to meeting people I’ve never met.” Walker says. “The shows just feel like conversations, and it’s a different conversation every night. Songs begin to reinterpret themselves.”

While I wouldn’t say 40 Watt Sun is “for fans of” R.E.M., The Cure or Leonard Cohen, I do hear why these artists were mentioned — maybe it’s Smith’s willful obscurity, maybe it’s Cohen’s secret chord, or maybe it’s the distance in Stipe’s lovers’ eyes. Or maybe you should just take a listen to 40 Watt Sun and find out for yourself. n

40 Watt Sun, Serpentent, Fossil Fire Fossil Blood  •  Sun, June 29 at 7 pm • $12-$18 • 21+ • The Chameleon • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd • chameleonspokane.com

40 Watt Sun thrives

JULY 18TH — 21ST

Lucky 7 Bingo

JULY 11TH — 14TH

Raptor Reef Bingo Drawings

Matinee Session

Regular Session

Lucky 7 Bingo

$7

Bingo Backyard BBQ Monitor Bingo

JULY 25TH — 28TH

Regular Session

Raptor Reef

Bingo Drawings 5

Lucky 7 Bingo

Monday Night Bingo

Matinee Session

Regular Session

Regular Session

Lucky 7 Bingo

$7

Monday Night Bingo

FOLK GILLIAN WELCH & DAVID RAWLINGS

COWPUNK VANDOLIERS

Thursday, 6/26

ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Ed Shaw

BERSERK, Disease, Resin Cough, Poise

J COEUR D’ALENE PARK, Free Whisky

GARLAND DRINKERY, Speak Easy: Open Mic Night

J JAGUAR ROOM (CHAMELEON), Vibe Vortex with DJ Moon Wild and DJ Unifest

J MATCHWOOD BREWING CO., Cam Morris

J SACRED HEART HEALING GARDEN, Todd Milne and Jackie Sandberg

J QQ SUSHI & KITCHEN, Just Plain Darin

RED DRAGON (THIRD AVENUE), Thursday Night Jam

RED ROOM LOUNGE, ThuRRsday: PORCELAIN ROBOT

J REPUBLIC BREWING CO., Jamie Lynn Wilson

J STELLA’S ON THE HILL, Jason Lucas Band

J TRUE LEGENDS GRILL, Jerry Lee Raines ZOLA, X24, Frances Browne

Friday, 6/27

AK ASIAN RESTAURANT, Pamela Jean

J BERSERK, Jenny Don’t and The Spurs, Automatic Shoes, Tyler Aker

J THE BIG DIPPER, Saintbreaker, Lack of Respect, Casketcvlt, POTUS

BIG SKY DRINKERY, Joel Astley and Alison Joy Williams

THE CHAMELEON, Grapevine Groove with DJ Exodus

J THE GRAIN SHED, Haywire

GREEN CITY SALOON, DJ KJ

J JAGUAR ROOM (CHAMELEON), Prodsynesthete, Bambii, Jack Savage, K!d Judo, Brant Demetri, Nate Synonymous

J MATCHWOOD BREWING CO., Waterhouse

J NEATO BURRITO, Ghost Divorce, Sex with Seneca, Jumbotron NIGHT OWL, Four On The Floor Fridays

J PARK BENCH CAFE, Under the Trees: Nick Grow

J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Bright Moments

J PUEBLA MEXICAN RESTAURANT, Latin Dance Party

RED DRAGON (THIRD AVENUE),Bay 7

RED ROOM LOUNGE, Zuba, Twopercent, Miiko b2b Jojo, Fatal

J STELLA’S ON THE HILL, Tamarack Ridge Band

J J THE FOX THEATER, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings

THE GOODY BAR AND GRILL, Midnight Open Mic

J TRUE LEGENDS GRILL, Nate Ostrander

TRVST, KosMos The Afronaut

WHISPERS LOUNGE, Ryan Schneider

ZOLA, Jason Perry Band, Rōnin

Saturday, 6/28

ALBERTINI’S GEM BAR, Son of Brad

BECK’S HARVEST HOUSE, James Berkely

J THE BIG DIPPER, Silvertongue, Trashy Annie, Stares of Vega [Matinee Show]

J THE BIG DIPPER, Daylily Dreams: I Think I’m Sad

Again Album Release Show with Black Pontiac, Flyborne

It’s hard to totally express, but Gillian Welch & David Rawlings’ country-tinged folk music makes you feel safe. There’s a gentle touch to Welch’s vocals and Rawlings’ never-pretentious guitar work that make the world’s problems seemingly melt away for a moment when their sweet notes hit your ear. Even after nine collaborative albums, America’s premiere folk duo never seems to misstep, as evidenced by the abundance of beautiful moments on the pair’s Grammywinning 2024 album Woodland — from the sonic sundress sway of “Empty Trainload of Sky” to the haunting harmonics of “The Bells and the Birds”. Summer may be full of hot nights, but it’ll be hard to find one that makes you feel as warm on the inside as the evening when Welch & Rawlings swing by The Fox.

— SETH SOMMERFELD

Gillian Welch & David Rawlings • Fri, June 27 at 7:30 pm • $47-$226 • All ages • The Fox Theater • 1001 W. Sprague Ave. • foxtheaterspokane.org

While the Vandoliers’ sharp cowpunk sound — blending an alternative country core with a punk rock edge — has made the Texas band a force for a decade, the group finds an entirely new level of vulnerability on their new album, Life Behind Bars. And it’s not difficult to figure out why. In April, the Vandoliers’ singer/songwriter/guitarist Jenni Rose publicly came out as a trans woman after a long struggle with gender dysphoria. Songs like “Evergreen” and the album-opening “Dead Canary” wrestle with those feelings head on, while the rest of the album finds a band feeling reenergized and still wanting to start a raucous honky-tonk party. Sometimes the realest punk and outlaw country move one can make is just being their true self.

— SETH SOMMERFELD

Vandoliers, Adeem the Artist • Wed, July 2 at 8 pm • $28 • 21+ • The District Bar • 916 W. First Ave. • sp.knittingfactory.com

CENTRAL LIBRARY, Get Loud in the Library Concert

THE CHAMELEON, Queer Country

J HUCKLEBERRY’S MARKET, Kori Ailene

J INDABA FLAGSHIP CAFÉ, Rosethrow & Spro

J J J BONES MUSICLAND, BaLonely, Automatic Shoes, Scott Ryan Ingersoll

J KNITTING FACTORY, Kurt Vile and The Violators, Dean Johnson

NOAH’S CANTEEN, Jason Lucas

J ONE SHOT CHARLIE’S, Karma’s Circle

J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Andru Gomez

J POST FALLS BREWING COMPANY, Just Plain Darin

RED DRAGON (THIRD AVENUE), ManeyAxe

RED ROOM LOUNGE, AfroSounds with KosMos the Afronaut

J BEARDED GINGER BAR & GRILL, Gil Rivas

THE GOODY BAR AND GRILL, Midnight Open Mic

TRVST,

Sirens: GOODGOODRUM, Imposter Sindrum, Zoozy, Saffron City, Saratonix, Big K, SAV WHISPERS LOUNGE, Ryan Schneider

ZOLA, Blake Braley, The Ronaldos

Sunday, 6/29

ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Superchrome, KŌSH

BECK’S HARVEST HOUSE, Daniel Hall

J THE BIG DIPPER, Igor & The Red Elvises, Old Souls & Antiques

J CRAFT & GATHER, Just Plain Darin

ALYSSE GAFKJEN PHOTO

VINCENT MONSAINT PHOTO

J J JAGUAR ROOM (CHAMELEON), 40 Watt Sun, Serpentent

J MIKEY’S GYROS, Disease, Resin Cough, Lich, Pulbic Aplogy

J ONE SHOT CHARLIE’S, Gil Rivas

WHISPERS LOUNGE, JoJo Dodge

Monday, 6/30

J THE BIG DIPPER, Desert Liminal, Stares of Vega, The Neolithics, Magic by Merlin Brando, Landon Spencer RED ROOM LOUNGE, Red Room Open Mic

J STELLA’S ON THE HILL, Branded Heart

Tuesday, 7/1

J THE BIG DIPPER, Flesh Produce, Blacktracks, Spooky, Bapeface THE DISTRICT BAR, New Constellations, Night Heron

GARDEN GATE, KosMos The Afronaut

J KNITTING FACTORY, Amigo the Devil

J OSPREY RESTAURANT & BAR, Osprey Patio Series: Kosta La Vista RED ROOM LOUNGE, Turn Up Tuesdays with Scozzari

SWING LOUNGE, Swing Lounge Live Music Tuesdays ZOLA, The Zola All Star Jam

Wednesday, 7/2

J J BING CROSBY THEATER, Postmodern Jukebox

J THE DISTRICT BAR, Vandoliers, Adeem the Artist THE DRAFT ZONE, The Draft Zone Open Mic

J MATCHWOOD BREWING CO., John Firshi

J OSPREY RESTAURANT & BAR, Osprey Patio Series: Kosta La Vista

J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Dwayne Parsons RED ROOM LOUNGE, Crawdad Sniper, Chez, Sqonk, J.Lang, Flyspec

J TIMBERS ROADHOUSE, Cary Beare Presents TRVST, The TRVST Open Decks ZOLA, Akifumi Kato

Just Announced...

J JAGUAR ROOM (CHAMELEON), Jacob Roundtree, July 10. THE DISTRICT BAR, Laney Jones & the Spirits, July 17.

J J JAGUAR ROOM (CHAMELEON), Black Belt Eagle Scout, Sept. 18.

J KNITTING FACOTRY, Trevor Hall, Oct. 2.

J THE BIG DIPPER, The Browning, Oct. 11.

J NORTHERN QUEST CASINO, The Marshall Tucker Band, Oct. 12.

J KNITTING FACTORY, Fit for a King, Nov. 6.

J THE BIG DIPPER, Entheos, Nov. 13.

J J COEUR D’ALENE PARK, Hot Mulligan, Drug Church, Nov. 24.

J THE PODIUM, Trivium, Nov. 28.

MUSIC | VENUES

219 LOUNGE • 219 N. First Ave., Sandpoint • 208-263-5673

ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS • 4705 N. Fruit Hill Rd., Spokane Valley • 509-927-9463

BARRISTER WINERY • 1213 W. Railroad Ave. • 509-465-3591

BEE’S KNEES WHISKY BAR • 1324 W. Lancaster Rd.., Hayden • 208-758-0558

BERSERK • 125 S. Stevens St. • 509-315-5101

THE BIG DIPPER • 171 S. Washington St. • 509-863-8098

BIGFOOT PUB • 9115 N. Division St. • 509-467-9638

BING CROSBY THEATER • 901 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-227-7638

BOLO’S BAR & GRILL • 116 S. Best Rd., Spokane Valley • 509-891-8995

BUCER’S COFFEEHOUSE PUB • 201 S. Main St., Moscow • 208-596-0887

THE BULL HEAD • 10211 S. Electric St., Four Lakes • 509-838-9717

CHAN’S RED DRAGON • 1406 W. Third Ave. • 509-838-6688

THE CHAMELEON • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd.

COEUR D’ALENE CASINO • 37914 S. Nukwalqw St., Worley • 800-523-2464

COEUR D’ALENE CELLARS • 3890 N. Schreiber Way, Coeur d’Alene • 208-664-2336

CRUISERS BAR & GRILL • 6105 W Seltice Way, Post Falls • 208-446-7154

THE DISTRICT BAR • 916 W. 1st Ave. • 509-244-3279

EICHARDT’S PUB • 212 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208-263-4005

FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER FOR THE ARTS • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • 509-279-7000

FOX THEATER • 1001 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-624-1200

GARDEN PARTY • 107 S. Madison St. • 509-389-5009

THE GRAIN SHED • 1026 E. Newark Ave. • 509-241-3853

HAMILTON STUDIO • 1427 W. Dean Ave.. • 509-327-9501

IRON HORSE (CDA) • 407 E. Sherman, Coeur d’Alene • 208-667-7314

IRON HORSE (VALLEY) • 11105 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley • 509-926-8411

JOHN’S ALLEY • 114 E. Sixth St., Moscow • 208-883-7662

KENWORTHY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE • 508 S. Main St., Moscow • 208-882-4127

KNITTING FACTORY • 911 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-244-3279

MARYHILL WINERY • 1303 W. Summit Pkwy. • 509-443-3832

MIKEY’S GYROS • 527 S. Main St., Moscow • 208-882-0780

MILLIE’S • 28441 Hwy 57, Priest Lake • 208-443-0510

MOOSE LOUNGE • 401 E. Sherman Ave., Coeur d’Alene • 208-664-7901

MOOSE LOUNGE NORTH • 10325 N. Government Wy, Hayden • 208-518-1145

NASHVILLE NORTH • 6361 W. Seltice Way, Post Falls • 208-457-9128

NEATO BURRITO • 827 W. First Ave. • 509-847-1234

NITE OWL • 223 N. Division St., 509-309-2183

NORTHERN QUEST RESORT & CASINO • 100 N. Hayford Rd., Airway Heights • 877-871-6772

NYNE BAR & BISTRO • 232 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-474-1621

PACIFIC PIZZA • 2001 W. Pacific Ave • 509-440-5467

PANIDA THEATER • 300 N First Ave., Sandpoint • 208-263-9191

PEND D’OREILLE WINERY • 301 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208-265-8545

POST FALLS BREWING CO. • 112 N. Spokane St., Post Falls • 208-773-7301

RED ROOM LOUNGE • 521 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-838-7613

THE RIDLER PIANO BAR • 718 W. Riverside Ave. • 509-822-7938

SEASONS OF COEUR D’ALENE • 1004 S. Perry St. • 208-664-8008

SPOKANE ARENA • 720 W. Mallon Ave. • 509-279-7000

SPOKANE TRIBE RESORT & CASINO • 14300 US-2, Airway Heights • 877-786-9467

TRVST • 120 N. Wall St.

ZOLA • 22 W. Main Ave. • 509-624-2416

SPORTS DINK RESPONSIBLY

It makes sense that pickleball has become popular around these parts — heck, it was invented on Bainbridge Island and became Washington’s official state sport in 2021! If you’ve hopped on the bandwagon and want to try your hand at a little bit of competition, head over to Coeur d’Alene this weekend for the Panhandle Pickleball Tournament. Now in its second year, the tournament is a fundraiser for Specialized Needs Recreation, a nonprofit providing recreation opportunities for youth and adults who have developmental and physical disabilities. Sign up for your preferred division (women’s doubles, men’s singles, mixed doubles, men’s doubles or women’s singles) and have fun playing to win some metal!

— MADISON PEARSON

2nd Annual Panhandle Pickleball Tournament • June 27-29; times vary • $65 entry, plus $15 per event • Cherry Hill Park • 1525 E. Hazel Ave., Coeur d’Alene • pickleballisgreat.com

COMMUNITY SAY IT IN JOUST

Hear ye, hear ye! A festival of merriment is coming to Sandpoint, and herein lies thine invitation. More than 50 merchants abound, of which there includes vendors of turkey legs and ale. Only 21 or over in the Ale House! Live events will also take place throughout the weekend, so enjoy jousting, belly dancing, juggling and music. Or, if you’re looking for a little more heat, see Vertical Elements perform a fire show. Meanwhile, Knightly Ventures allows you to try on real armor, and Kootenai Austringers feature their hawks Elvis and Aslan to demonstrate falconry equipment. Come hither, revel and be merry.

— BEE REISWIG

Sandpoint Renaissance Faire • Sat, June 28 and Sun, June 29 from 10 am-6 pm • $14-$32 • All ages • Bonner County Fairgrounds • 4203 N. Boyer Road • sandpointrenfaire.com

COMMUNITY ALL ABUZZ

Don’t be scared to show off your green thumb during Coeur d’Alene’s 27th annual garden tour, “Journey to the Gardens.” Bees and garden enthusiasts alike will have something to buzz about inside this year’s six unique gardens, shared with the public by members of Coeur d’Alene’s Garden Club. Ranging from smaller, creative gardens to huge 5-acre landscapes, the tour features gardens in Coeur d’Alene, Dalton Gardens, Rathdrum and Athol. The self-guided tour highlights different journeys and perspectives on cultivated places through the eyes of gardeners, visitors and even pollinators. The club’s volunteer-maintained garden also hosts local vendors and live music as part of the tour.

-MARTA SZYMANSKA

Coeur d’Alene Garden Tour: Journey to the Gardens • Sun, June 29 from 10 am-4 pm • $20 • Locations vary • cdagardenclub.com

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.

THEATER HERE COMES DOLLY!

A musical adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s play The Matchmaker, Hello, Dolly! features the charming adventures of Dolly Gallagher Levi as she earns her living through matchmaking and misadventures in meddling. From helping the gruff millionaire Horace Vandergelder with his love life to teaching impromptu dancing lessons, Dolly does it all. With witty jokes, lively dance numbers and iconic songs, Hello, Dolly! is sure to please any audience member. This New York City-set musical comedy brings Dolly’s early 1900s mishaps to the contemporary stage and a slice of Broadway to the Inland Northwest courtesy of the award-winning team at Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre.

— ELLIS BENSON

Hello, Dolly! • June 27-July 6; times vary • $50-$192 • Schuler Performing Arts Center • 880 W. Garden Ave., Coeur d’Alene • cstidaho.com

COMMUNITY CROSBY & CO.

Spokane has its celebrities. Euphoria’s Sydney Sweeney called Spokane home for most of her youth, and sitcom sweetheart Craig T. Nelson hails from the Lilac City. But, there’s one name that sticks out among the bunch: Bing Crosby. Crosby’s lasting legacy can be felt in downtown Spokane while walking past the Bing Crosby Theater and on Gonzaga University’s campus, where Crosby went to school, also near the neighborhood where he spent most of childhood. Learn all about it on select Sundays throughout the summer, as local Bing enthusiasts host presentations at the Bing Crosby House Museum detailing Crosby’s pre-Hollywood Spokane life. This Sunday, Crosby House guide Brad Rovanpera discusses the private side of the blue-eyed crooner we all know and love.

— MADISON PEARSON

Sundays at the Crosby House • Sun, June 29 at 3:30 pm (additional dates through summer) • Free • Bing Crosby House Museum • 508 E. Sharp Ave. • gonzaga.edu/student-life/arts-culture/crosby-museum

I SAW YOU

A THANK YOU Sarah it was nice to meet the lady who helped my son with his lunch box. I found you to be very interesting and would like to get to know you. Can I take you for coffee or lunch? I would love to get to know you more.

DURKINS LIQUOR BAR DAY OF PRIDE We looked at each other a few times on the street. You in your apron stepping out to talk to your friends, check out the parade and then back inside. I think you are very handsome. I came in later for lunch later and sat at the counter. I hoped to say hello, find out about that carrot tattoo and learn your name, but you were busy and probably not interested anyway. I also wanted to be respectful of your workplace and your personal space. I’ll stop in again sometime and hopefully you will be working that day. I’ll say hello, pass you my contact info, and you can use it or toss it, handsome.

WALKING IN THE PARK DURING PRIDE You were so handsome and sexy in your light flowing beach wrap (for lack of a better way to describe it). We locked eyes walking under the overpass from the Red Wagon and back across the bridge into the park. You went one way and I went the other. I wanted to follow you. To ask you your name. To find out more about you. Instead I missed my chance. I had on a green shirt and khaki jeans. Know that I’m still kicking myself for not talking to you when I had the chance! Here’s hoping this brings a smile to your handsome face...if you see this posting.

YOU CAME TO MY HOUSE You came to my house in Hillyard, saying that you had grown up in this house. I missed you, but I know this because you also talked to the neighbor, although you did not leave any contact info. I would love to hear about your experiences growing up here. I have questions! :) Please come back and leave a note if I’m not home!

OK AT ARBY’S Saw you at Arby’s and asked if you were ok. You told me a little about your troubles. I wish we had talked a little more than we did. Let’s meet up again at Arby’s for a smoked brisket sandwich.

AT PANERA BREAD Sat eve June 22… blonde with micro braids…You, came in after I was sitting, you were with a bearded man…Me, gray zip up with short hair, reading a book on my phone…. If glances indicated Interest, it was mutual. Ping me at lovelydarkanddeep@outlook.com.

THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE I’ve seen you at the Sprague Walmart several times. You are somewhat employed by Walmart, not on a full-time basis though. I believe you work for Walmart on your days off from your regular job. You’re a LEO and you work for the county. I am a female and you’re a male. I’m not sure if you’re married or spoken for, but I’m definitely not trying to step on someone’s toes. I just think you’re very handsome. I catch you staring at me often, but you look away as soon as I notice. I’m there often because of the service I provide. I do not officially work for them, but I am there for hours at a time. I will leave it at that! You’re on the taller side, and you work that second shift. You’re usually there until closing. Just wanted to say, that I notice you noticing me.

CHEERS

UPSCALE SALE VOLUNTEERS! You all are terrific! I had so much fun at the upscale sale this year, thank you for all your hard work. Hope you all made lots of money! Just missing sacred rubble....

CHEERY SONGS Thank you to all the bird lovers of Spokane who have fed, cared for and enjoyed our feathered friends this year. These are the last few days to appreciate their lovely morning songs and musical day calls. The Chinese discovered, when they declared the sparrow a pest to their grains, fireworks are an effective way to rid themselves of local birds. Once dispersed they will not return. They also discovered the plague of flies, locusts, mosquitoes, wasps and other pests the former birds so graciously kept in

balance. A few family firecrackers and bottle rockets never had this effect in the past, but the citywide urban warfare now does. Listen for your cheery friends July 5th morning. Quiet as a tomb. Enjoy these last days, say goodbye to the delightful birds and hello to all the pests that will celebrate their freedom to annoy us all for the rest of the summer.

WEST VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT Firing a teacher for reading To Kill a Mockingbird is cowardly and disgraceful. Banning reading of literature to avoid uncomfortable words is not education, it’s censorship. Context matters, and erasing history only ensures we repeat it. Everyone involved in this decision should be fired. This may be a violation of

BIKE COPS ARE HOT Cheers to the cops on bikes downtown keeping an eye on the No Kings demonstration. I was at the ICE demonstration on Wednesday, and the SWAT vehicles were not nearly as hot.

... TO THE END. Thank you to Dr. Leese and the staff at Mountain Empire Veterinary Services for taking care of my best friend’s health needs...

TO FRESH FOOD & COMMUNITY! A big Thank You to the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) for helping local seniors enjoy fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables straight from our region’s farmers! Your support fills more than just grocery bags, it fills lives with flavor, nutrition, and connection. To all participants: Don’t forget to use your benefits before October 31st! Support your health and your local growers, it’s a win-win! Seniors will be receiving their benefit cards in early July. Learn more about the SFMNP: www.altcew.org/ senior-farmers-market-nutrition-program

JEERS

BEACH NAZI Jeers to whoever lives in the giant house on the east side of Sanders Beach in Coeur d Alene. This year you decided to start playing the sound of dogs barking loudly coming from the p.a. system on your dock. Obviously trying to dissuade people from utilizing the PUBLIC beach in front of your house. It’s pretty sad you have nothing better to do but harass the “commoners.” I hope people reading this might make an effort to visit that area of the beach more often to show his tactics don’t work.

civil rights, and you deserve to be sued for it. You have no business running a school.

RE: MAYBE 5% OF YOUR BRAIN You hit the nail on the head with your opening line. “Was completely uninformed” Whatever KoolAid you drink re: our “wanna be” king in the white house, the MAJORITY of the people at the walk were tax paying, news reading, critical thinking human beings who are saddened by the state of our Union. When you only get your thoughts (and opinions), because surely you can’t generate your own, from Truth Social or Fox, you would be far better served to read the Inlander (which is exactly what it says, an alternate source of news that mostly impacts the Inland NW.). If you were really concerned about the 5% supporting those that don’t, does that mean that the huge amount of taxes paid by states like California and NY shouldnt have to pay for the Alabamas and West Virginias, and Idahos etc that have a far bigger inflow of tax dollars than what they pay. PLEASE, look outside your box.

RE: MAYBE 5% There really ain’t nothing like a good ol’ ragebait submission in jeers. First, sorry your peaceful walk was disrupted by the terrifying sight of people using their First Amendment rights. Second, you asked why people who “actually pay for this country” have to cover those who don’t — but I think you’ve got it backward. The folks in the park are the ones paying for this country. They’re the ones working two jobs, paying rent that eats half their paycheck, getting taxed on every dime — all while billionaires dodge taxes, hoard wealth, and blame the country’s financial problems on those at the bottom. It’s not the protesters draining the system — it’s the people at the top reaping record profits

while everyday Americans struggle to keep the lights on. Glad your pup got some fresh air. Hope she didn’t catch empathy — it’s been going around.

SPOKANE FALLS BLVD It is time to close this street to car traffic. It is ridiculous that it was built right up against a massive public park and shopping district. Cars kill cities, people, and businesses. We have people complaining about car tabs and parking when they could just WALK TO THE PARK. Closing Spokane Falls between Bernard and the Monroe Bridge would significantly improve walkability, increase business, and lower construction costs and duration. On a similar note, they chose to rebuild Stevens with four lanes. What a waste.

RE: LICENSE TABS How very “Old man yells at cloud” of you.

KUDOS TO ALL the JEERS submissions on lack of police, lack of ticketing, lack of street repair Spokane has DANGEROUS driving conditions that are totally ignored, speeding, licensing, wreckless driving road rage, Spokane isn’t boomtown, hoop town it’s neglected SKID ROW!

DOG PARK DESERT It’s shameful Spokane hasn’t a dog park north of the river. We have to drive 8 miles to the ones on the South Hill or west of town. The proposed park near Camp Sekani would have been great, but the NIMBY neighbors said NO. Instead, the funds were allocated to the High Bridge park for upgrades. Except for needed flight of stairs, the project was a waste. The hillside was cleared of trees, and what remains are weeds, cheatgrass and thistles — A painful experience for my dogs and me. n

EVENTS | CALENDAR

BENEFIT

POST FALLS LIONS BREWFEST A day of sampling beers from local and regional breweries such as Matchwood Brewing Company, Outpost Brewing, Trails End Brewery, Paragon Brewing and many more. Benefits the Post Falls Lions Club’s service projects in the Post Falls area. June 28, 2-5 pm. $30. American Legion Post 143, 1138 E. Poleline Ave. facebook.com/PostFallsLionsClub

RYAN SANDVIG MEMORIAL GOLF

TOURNAMENT A 36 team, four-man scramble golf tournament raising money for aspiring pilots in the name of Ryan Sandvig who was killed in an aviation accident in 2024. Side games such as KP, longest drive and mulligans will raise additional money. June 28, 1-5:30 pm. $150-$600. MeadowWood Golf Course, 24501 E. Valleyway Ave. ryansandviggolftournament.my.canva. site (509-638-9028)

COMEDY

RYAN MCCOMB Spokane native Ryan McComb comes home for a special set of stand up comedy. June 26, 7 pm. $20-$25. 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 (509-747-7045)

PATRICK WARBURTON Patrick Warburton has come to stand up comedy as one of TV’s most beloved actors having played Puddy on Seinfeld. June 27, 7 pm and June 28, 7 & 9:45 pm. $30-$35. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com

EXPEDITION A family-friendly improv show featuring the Blue Door Theatre players playing a variety of improv games with audience suggestions. Every Saturday at 7:30 pm. $9. Blue Door Theatre, 319 S. Cedar St. bluedoortheatre.org (509-747-7045)

IAN FIDANCE Ian Fidance is an offbeat yet upbeat New York City comic, actor, and writer originally from Wilmington, Delaware. June 29, 7 pm. $22-$32. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com

NEW TALENT TUESDAYS Watch comedians of all skill levels work out jokes together. Tuesdays at 7 pm (doors at 6 pm). Free. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com

OPEN MIC STAND-UP Wednesdays at 7:30 pm. See website for sign-up details. Free. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com

LISA WALLEN Lisa Wallen is an LAbased stand up comedian, Twitch partner, and all around professional nerd. July 3, 7 pm. $22-$30. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (509-318-9998)

LATE LAUGHS Each show features a rotating lineup of performers from independent troupes to new voices performing 20-minute sets that push boundaries, test new formats and take creative risks. Every First Friday of the month at 9:30 pm. $6. Blue Door Theatre, 319 S. Cedar. bluedoortheatre.org

MIKE CRONIN In addition to headlining clubs all over, Mike also regularly opens for the likes of Tom Segura and

Chad Daniels. July 5, 7 pm and July 6, 7 & 9:45 pm. $15-$22. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (509-318-9998)

COMMUNITY

BITCH ‘N’ STITCH Grab your crochet, knitting, embroidery, weaving, cross stitch, felting, looming, macrame, friendship bracelets and craft casually in the company of others. Every second and last Thursday at 6:30 pm. Free. Lunarium, 1925 N. Monroe St. facebook. com/Lunarium.Spokane

POWER & PRIDE BLACK LITURGIES FOR STAYING HUMAN This community gathering invites nonviolent, intersectional and interfaith meditation and reflection practice. The program adapts Cole Arthur Riley’s Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human into a type of spiritual liturgy. June 26, 5:30-6:30 pm. Free. Liberty Park Library, 402 S. Pittsburgh St. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5300)

FIRE: REBIRTH AND RESILIENCE An exhibition exploring the catastrophic 1889 fire that destroyed more of Spokane’s downtown core. The exhibit features information on historic and contemporary fires, illustrating how destruction is a catalyst for rebirth and resilience. Tue-Sun from 11 am-5 pm through Sep. 28. $9-$15. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org

SHIBARI AND FLOW: PRIDE NIGHT Local performers put on a pride-themed shibari show featuring aerialists, drag shows and more. June 26, 7 pm. $35. The Chameleon, 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. chameleonspokane.com

SUMMER BLOCK PARTY SCAVENGER

HUNT SERIES A scavenger hunt run between local businesses in which runners collect tickets and enter to win prizes. Last Thursday of each month at 6 pm through Aug. 28. Free. Kendall Yards, Summit Parkway. fleetfeet.com

FOREST CEMETERY WALKING TOUR

These guided tours through Forest Cemetery offer an immersive journey through time, highlighting the stories of notable figures and legends. Every Friday at 8:30 pm. Museum of North Idaho, 115 Northwest Blvd. museumni.org

OUR STORIES: BLACK FAMILIES IN SPOKANE Celebrate the stories that shape Spokane’s history and community. Our Stories is an engaging and educational program designed to celebrate the rich tapestry of communities in our region. June 27, 11 am-3 pm. $7-$12. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First. northwestmuseum.org

TOUCH-A-TRUCK Visit a recycling truck, a water truck and more in the Hillyard Library parking lot, courtesy of the City of Spokane and partnering agencies. June 27, 9:30-11:30 am. Free. Hillyard Library, 4110 N. Cook St. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5300)

SIEMERS FARM STRAWBERRY FESTI -

VAL This annual festival features U-pick strawberries, local craft and food vendors, rides, attractions and more. SatSun from 10 am-4 pm through June 29. $6-$8. Siemers Farm, 11125 E. Day-Mt. Spokane Rd. siemersfarm.com

AUDUBON-DOWNRIVER SUMMER KICKOFF BBQ Kick off summer with good food, live music and fun for all ages! This event hosted by the Aududon-Downriver neighborhood includes kids activities, free burgers

and hot dogs and local bands NilssonSchmillsson and Fall of Conscience. June 28, 4-8 pm. Free. Audubon Park, 3405 N. Milton St. audubondownriver. spokaneneighborhoods.org

BROWNES ADDITION WALKING

TOUR: THEN & NOW Take a stroll and look at the changes our corner of Browne’s Addition has undergone for more than a century. Use actual locations and historic photos to highlight key aspects that are important to the neighborhood and the Campbell House family. June 28, 11-11:50 am. $12-$15. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First. northwestmuseum.org

COEUR D’ALENE AVIATION AIR SHOW & EXPO An airshow featuring aerobatic displays, exhibits and static displays. Also features family-friendly activities. June 28, 10 am-4 pm. Free. Coeur d’Alene Aviation, 11101 N. Airport Dr. flycoe.com (208-635-0805)

INLAND NORTHWEST BOOK ARTS SOCIETY MEET-UP INWBAS meets monthly to practice and learn different aspects of book arts. Each meeting of the Inland Northwest Book Art Society features a different technique. June 28, 10-11:30 am. Free. The Hive, 2904 E. Sprague Ave. spokanelibrary.org

PRIDE IN PERRY 2025 A pride celebration taking place in Spokane’s Perry District featuring local vendors, entertainment, art, food specials and more. June 28. Free. South Perry Business District. odysseyyouth.org/prideinperry

SANDPOINT RENAISSANCE FAIRE A family-friendly event that brings history to life through immersive experiences, performances, and entertainment inspired by the Medieval and Renaissance eras. Includes live performances, artisan vendors, games, demonstrations and a variety of food and drink. June 28-29, 10 am-6 pm. $14-$18. Bonner County Fairgrounds, 4203 N. Boyer Rd. sandpointrenfaire.com (208-263-8414)

COEUR D’ALENE GARDEN CLUB GAR-

DEN TOUR The 27th annual garden tour titled “Journey to the Gardens” highlights the journey of pollinators, gardeners and visitors as they each experience the gardens in their own way. The tour features six unique gardens, all diverse with inspirational ideas to take home. Map revealed once tickets are purchased. June 29, 10 am-4 pm. $20. cdagardenclub.com

SUNDAYS AT THE CROSBY HOUSE A series of educational workshops featuring local authors, historians and various experts who share information about Bing Crosby and his hometown. June 29, 3:30 pm. Free. Crosby House Museum, 508 E. Sharp Ave. gonzaga.edu

DROP IN & ZINE Drop in and learn how to make your very own eight-page mini-zine using a single piece of paper and Spark’s art supplies. Every Tuesday from 5-7 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org

MONTHLY ASTROLOGY FORECAST

Join Astrologer Jessica Martin the first Monday of the month for an overview of the planetary transits for the month and what they mean. July 1, 5:30-6:30 pm. Free. South Hill Library, 3324 S. Perry St. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5331)

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. Every Wednesday from 5:30-10 pm through Aug. 27. Free. Commellini

Estate, 14715 N. Dartford Dr. commelliniestate.com (509-466-0667)

RIVERFRONT SUMMER CARNIVAL

Celebrate Independence Day with five days of carnival rides, games and treats in Riverfront Park. July 2-6; times vary. Free. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. riverfrontspokane.org (509-625-6600)

LIBERTY LAKE FEST A two-day celebration for Independence Day featuring a boat parade, a community parade, a fireworks display and live music. July 3 and July 4. Free. Pavillion Park, 727 N. Molter Rd. libertylakewa.gov

4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS A fireworks display to cap off 4th of July celebrations on the mountain. July 4, 10 pm. Free. Silver Mountain Resort, 610 Bunker Ave. silvermt.com (208-783-1111)

ADVENTURE AWAITS: RECREATION IN NORTH IDAHO This exhibit celebrates the diverse ways people have enjoyed the great outdoors in North Idaho—from kayaking and fishing on Lake Coeur d’Alene, hiking the Bitterroot range, to skiing the slopes of Silver Mountain. July 4-Sept. 29, daily from 11 am-5 pm. Free. Museum of North Idaho, 115 Northwest Blvd. museumni.org

COEUR D’ALENE 4TH FEST A familyfriendly event that includes a dinner buffet, live entertainment and a fireworks display. July 4, 6-10 pm. $45$125. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdaresort.com

RIVERFRONT PARK 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION A day of fun and music leading up to the annual 4th of July fireworks display in Riverfront Park. Features music by Atari Ferrari and Masterclass Big Band, a beer garden and more. July 4, 12-10 pm. Free. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. riverfrontspokane.org

RIVERFRONT PARK 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS Riverfront Park’s annual fireworks display from the park. July 4, 10 pm. Free. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. riverfrontspokane.org

ROOTED & RISING: THE REALITIES OF INDIGENOUS AMERICA An evening of art and community featuring Matthew Platero, Olivia Evans and Titus Capoeman. The event also features live performance by Tyler Alai and free food from Indigenous Eats. July 4, 4-6 pm. Free. Kress Gallery, 808 W. Main Ave. bit.ly/4k7cqlI (509-456-3413)

FILM

EVIL DEAD 2 Ash Williams, the lone survivor of an earlier onslaught of fleshpossessing spirits, holes up in a cabin with a group of strangers while the demons continue their attack. June 26, 8 pm. $8. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-882-4127)

SUMMER FAMILY MATINEE: SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS When a backwoodsman in 1850s Oregon brings a wife home to his farm, his six brothers decide that they want to get married too. June 26, 1-3 pm. Free. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main. kenworthy.org

THE WILD ROBOT A screening of The Wild Robot as part of the Garland’s free kids movies series. June 26, 11 am and June 27, 11 am. Free. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org

HAYDEN MOVIE-IN-THE-PARK KICKOFF A showing of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 with concessions and free popcorn. June 27, 8:30-10:30 pm. Free. McIntire Family Park, 8930 N. Government Way. cityofhaydenid.us (208-209-1080)

EVENTS | CALENDAR

THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME Wealthy businessman Zsa-zsa Korda appoints his only daughter, a nun, as sole heir to his estate. As Korda embarks on a new enterprise, they soon become the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists, and determined assassins. June 27,-28 7 pm, June 29, 4 pm, July 4-5, 7 pm and July 6, 4 pm. $8. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-882-4127)

VIDEO STUDIO DROP-IN Stop by the library’s media center for an video questions or help with a project. Every Monday and Tuesday from 10 am-noon. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5336)

ACTION!: TWEEN FILM WORKSHOP A two-day, hands-on workshop for tweens to learn the basics of filmmaking including storyboarding, scriptwriting, filming and editing. July 2, 10 am-noon and July 3, 10 am-noon. Free. Spokane Valley Library, 22 N. Herald Rd. scld.org

MOONLIT MOVIES: TOP GUN A screening of Top Gun under the stars. Film begins at sunset. July 2. Free. Commellini Estate, 14715 N. Dartford. commellini.com

MOVIES IN THE PARK: MOANA 2 A screening of Moana 2 in Pavilion Park. Movie begins at dusk. July 3. Free. Pavillion Park, 727 N. Molter Rd. libertylakewa. gov (509-755-6726)

SUMMER OF STUDIO GHIBLI: THE CAT RETURNS After helping a cat, a seventeen-year-old girl finds herself involuntarily engaged to a cat Prince in a magical world where her only hope of freedom lies with a dapper cat statuette come to life. July 4, 5 pm and July 6, 2 pm. $5. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org (509-327-1050)

FOOD & DRINK

CUPCAKE DECORATING Learn basic techniques for cupcake decorating and practice your skills on three cupcakes that you can take home. Registration is required. Ages 10-14. June 26, 3:30-4:30 pm. Free. Spokane Valley Library, 22 N. Herald Rd. scld.org (509-893-8400)

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, 7:30 pm. $57-$84. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdacruises.com

RIDE & DINE SERIES Enjoy a scenic gondola ride, live music and a barbecue meal. Fri from 3-7:30 pm through Aug. 29. $9-$46. Silver Mountain Resort, 610 Bunker Ave. silvermt.com (208-783-1111)

AFTERNOON TEA A celebration of culinary artistry and the finest teas, curated to provide a sensory journey for guests and inspired by Spokane’s nickname, the Lilac City. Every Saturday and Sunday from 1-3 pm. $54-$64. Historic Davenport Hotel, 10 S. Post St. davenporthotelcollection.com (800-899-1482)

DUSK & DINE DINNER SERIES A dinner series featuring BBQ-inspired cuisine like tender smoked meats, housemade sauces and favorite fixings served up with lakefront views. Sun at 6 pm through Sep. 14. $40. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdaresort.com

SUNDAY BRUNCH CRUISES A buffet crafted by the Coeur d’Alene Resort culinary team and a full-service, no-host bar featuring brunch favorites like mimosas, bloody marys, spiked coffee and more. Sun at 11 am. 11 am through Aug. 31. $60-

$75. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdacruises.com (208-765-4000)

PAD KEE MAO CULINARY EXPERIENCE In this immersive class, you’ll will make traditional wide rice noodles from scratch, practice the stir-fry technique and work with fresh ingredients/seasonings. July 1, 5:45-8 pm. $90. The Kitchen Engine, 621 W. Mallon Ave. thekitchenengine.com (509-328-3335)

TACO TUESDAY An evening filled with south-of-the-border flavors, unlimited handcrafted tacos, zesty sides and festive flair set against the glow of a Lake Coeur d’Alene sunset. Tue at 6 pm through Sep. 16. $30. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdaresort.com (208-765-4000)

4TH OF JULY BBQ ON THE RIVER Celebrate the 4th of July with a bbq dinner, drinks and a view of the fireworks. July 4, 6-10 pm. $40. Ruby River Hotel, 700 N. Division St. rubyriverhotelspokane.com

SANDPOINT BEERFEST Enjoy unlimited 7 0z. tastes of over 20 craft beers from regional breweries, live music and more. Takes place at the Best Western Edgewater Resort. July 5, 12-5 pm. $45-$55. Downtown Sandpoint. schweitzer.com

SUMMER PARTY Celebrate summer on Lake Roosevelt with wine sampling, arts & craft vendors and live music from The Planetary Refugees and Murphy’s Legacy Band. July 5, 12-7 pm. $10. China Bend Winery, 3751 Vineyard. chinabend.com

MUSIC & CONCERTS

LEAVENWORTH INTERNATIONAL ACCORDION CELEBRATION A celebration of all things accordion featuring competitions, workshops, concerts, free lessons, an accordion parade, vendors and jam sessions. June 26, 12-9 pm, June 27, 9 am-9 pm and June 28, 9 am-9 pm. Free. Leavenworth, Wash. accordioncelebration.org (206-622-4786)

SPOKANE SYMPHONY AT BRICK WEST Enjoy beer and food and enjoy this small ensemble concert crafted by Spokane Symphony musicians like Mateusz Wolski and more. June 26, 7 pm. Free. Brick West Brewing Co., 1318 W. First Ave. foxtheaterspokane.org (509-279-2982)

IN A LANDSCAPE Classical pianist Hunter Noack performs piano selections on a 1912 Steinway Model D concert grand piano travels on a flatbed trailer. Ticket includes a chairlift ride to the venue and headphones. Bring your own chair. July 1, 3-4:30 pm. $85. Schweitzer, 10,000 Schweitzer Mountain Road. schweitzer.com

CDA BRASS Coeur d’Alene Brass performs popular songs and marches. July 6, 2:30 pm. Free. The Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center, 405 N. William St. thejacklincenter.org (208-457-8950)

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

GREATER SPOKANE PARKS CHALLENGE Visit as many parks in the Spokane area as you can by Sept. 30. Prizes are given to monthly and challenge winners. Register to play and to access challenges. Through Sep. 30. Free. sccu.net

LILAC CITY KENDO CLUB Classes for beginner and long-time kendo practicers. Every Monday and Thursday from 6:30-8:30 pm. West Valley City School, 8920 E. Valleyway Ave. lilaccitykendo.org (509-921-2836)

OPEN PLAY PICKLEBALL Play pickleball at the HUB. Every week Mon-Thu from 10 am-noon or 1-3 pm. $5.50-$7. HUB Sports Center, 19619 E. Cataldo Ave. hubsportscenter.org (509-927-0602)

2ND ANNUAL PANHANDLE PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT A three-day, round robin pickleball tournament in support of specialized needs recreation. June 27-29, 8 am-5 pm. $45-$75. Cherry Hill Park, 1718 N. 15th St. pickleballisgreat.com

YOGA FOR YOU A yoga class blending stretching, strength and balance instructed by Gerry Bryak. Bring a mat. Ages 18+. Mondays and Fridays at 9:30 am. Free. Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave. cdalibrary.org (208-769-2315)

HOOPFEST The largest three-on-three basketball tournament in the world played annually in downtown Spokane. June 28-29; all day. $100-$205; free to spectate. Downtown Spokane. spokanehoopfest.net

SPOKANE KENDO CLUB The Spokane Kendo club meets every Saturday from 11:45 am-12:45 pm and every Monday and Wednesday from 6-7 pm. Free. PARKFIT Athletic Club, 8121 N. Division St. SpokaneKendo.com (509-714-3081)

WILDFLOWER WALK Take a guided hike with area experts to look for various wildflowers in nature. Meet at Yoke’s Fresh Market on Market. June 28, 9 am-4 pm. $67. Yoke’s Fresh Market, 14202 N. Market St. my.spokanecity.org

BRICK WEST RUN CLUB A run club for runners of all skill levels. Every Tuesday at 6 pm through Nov. 25. Free. Brick West Brewing Co., 1318 W. First Ave. brickwestbrewingco.com (509-279-2982)

TAI CHI & QI GONG Improve strength, balance, coordination, focus, breathwork and relaxation, all while exploring different movements from Tai Chi and Qi Gong styles. Tuesdays at 10 am. Free. Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave. cdalibrary.org (208-769-2315)

CITIZEN SCIENCE Stop by and visit the library’s mobile science center at Pine Street Woods. Field guides, microscopes, and binoculars are available to explore the wild ecosystem in your backyard. Collect data and report back to the science center which will help Kaniksu Land Trust gauge the health of the Pine Street Woods. Every other Wed from 10 am-1 pm through Aug. 27. Free. Pine Street Woods, 11915 W. Pine. ebonnerlibrary.org

MONTHLY BIRD WALK Join a birding expert on a bird walk around Saltese Flats. These walks are aimed at identifying birds, teaching basic birding skills and taking a census of what is present at Saltese Flats. First Wed. of every month, 8 am-noon. Free. Doris Morrison Learning Center, 1330 S. Henry Rd. spokanecounty. org/5360/Doris-Morrison-LearningCenter-DMLC

MARCH TO THE MATCH March to a Spokane soccer home match with The 509 Syndicate supporters group. Begins just north of the Rotary Fountain in Riverfront Park. July 2, 6-6:30 pm. Free. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. the509syndicate. com (509-625-6600)

PRACTICAL CENTERING YOGA Experience the benefits of yoga and pilates movements through these weekly exercise sessions led by instructor Larkin Barnett. Every Wed from 1:30-2:30 pm. $18-$20. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org (509-456-3931)

SPOKANE VELOCITY VS. TEXOMA FC Regular season game. July 2, 7 pm. $17-

$95. ONE Spokane Stadium, 501 W. Gardner Ave. uslspokane.com

NORTHWEST TANDEM RALLY This event invites tanem riders and single bike riders to enjoy riding in the Spokane Valley with two days of supported rides. July 4-6, 7:30 am-6 pm. $212. CenterPlace Regional Event Center, 2426 N. Discovery Pl. cyclecelebration.com (509-922-3299)

HISTORIC WALKING TOURS Join local historian Chet Caskey for a free walking tour of Riverfront Park. Learn the rich history of the Spokane Falls, Expo ‘74, the U.S. Pavilion, the Clock Tower, the Looff Carrousel and more. Tours will begin at the Visitor Center located next to the Rotary Fountain.July 5, 10 am & noon. Free. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. riverfrontspokane.org (509-625-6600)

THEATER & DANCE

THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE Young Frederic, an orphan, has mistakenly been apprenticed to an ineffectual but merry band of pirates. Wed-Sun at 7:30 pm through July 6. $25-$48. University High School, 12320 E. 32nd Ave. svsummertheatre.com (509-368-7897)

FOURTH FRIDAY CONTRA DANCE All of the dances are clearly taught and called by Susan Dankovich. The event features live music from Reel Friends. No experience is required. Fourth Fri of every month from 7-10 pm. $6. Sinto Activity Center, 1124 W. Sinto Ave. sintocenter.org

HELLO, DOLLY! This musical follows the romantic and comic exploits of Dolly Gallagher Levi, turn-of-the-century matchmaker and “woman who arranges things.” June 27-July 6; times vary. $50$192. Schuler Performing Arts Center, 880 W. Garden Ave. cstidaho.com

TOPDOG/UNDERDOG This play tells the story of Lincoln and Booth, two brothers whose names were given to them as a joke, foretelling a lifetime of sibling rivalry and resentment. Fri-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm through June 29. $25$30. Stage Left Theater, 108 W. Third Ave. stagelefttheater.org

LINE DANCE A weekly exercise class designed for all ages and fitness levels, offering a fun and welcoming atmosphere. Presented by the Filipino American Association of the Inland Empire. 10:30-11:30 am. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING Misunderstandings, wit, hilarity, and a touch of treachery all come together in Shakespeare’s best-loved comedy. July 5-6; Sat at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm. $10-$33. Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. shakespearecda.org (208-242-2067)

SPOKANE FOLKLORE SOCIETY CONTRA DANCE A community dance starting with a beginner workshop 15 minutes before each dance. No partner needed. Every Wednesday at 7:15 pm. $7-$10. Woman’s Club of Spokane, 1428 W. Ninth. spokanefolklore.org (509-838-5667)

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

BEN FRANK MOSS: PRESENCE AND ABSENCE A collection of paintings and drawings by Ben Frank Moss, a Whitworth University graduate and instructor at Gonzaga University. Mon-Sat from 10 am-4 pm through Aug. 30. Free. Jundt Art Museum, 200 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu/jundt (509-313-6843)

2025 SPOKANE WATERCOLOR SOCIETY SIGNATURE MEMBERS SHOW A collection of paintings from the Signature Members of the Spokane Watercolor Society. These senior members have a strong grasp of the medium and the ability to express themselves through it. Daily from 11 am-7 pm through June 28, 11 am-7 pm. Free. Liberty Building, 203 N. Washington St. spokanelibertybuilding. com (509-327-6920)

INTRO TO OIL PAINT This is a beginner friendly course designed to introduce techniques and creative possibilities of oil paint. Over the course of the class, students will explore essential color theory, learn how to mix and apply paint and develop a strong understanding of light shadow and form with instructor Carly Ellis. Thu from 5:30-7:30 pm through July 24. $213. Spokane Art School, 503 E. Second Ave., Ste. B. spokaneartschool.net

JAMES DHILLON: PAST IS PRESENT: James Dhillon presents immersive and expressive work in this new exhibit. Daily, times vary through June 30. Free. D2 Gallery and Studio, 310 W. First Ave. D2gallerystudio.com (509-309-6754)

MASTER OF FINE ARTS THESIS EXHIBITION A collection of work from current WSU Master of Fine Arts candidates Cameron Kester, Anna Le, Abigail Nnaji and Sara St. Clair. Tue-Fri from 11 am-2 pm, Sat from 10 am-4 pm through June 28. Free. Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU, 1535 NE Wilson Rd. museum.wsu. edu (509-335-1910)

MEET YOUR MAKER Meet the artists behind all of the items in From Here. Daily from 11 am-6 pm. See website for artist schedule. Free. From Here, 808 W. Main Ave. fromherespokane.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)

JENENE GRANDE AND KELSEA ROTHAUS: NATURE’S DANCE Painter Janene Grende explores a variety of techniques in her artwork. Kelsea Rothaus specializes in ink wash techniques that celebrate nature and the complexities of life and death. Wed-Sat from 11 am-5 pm through June 28. Free. New Moon Art Gallery, 1326 E. Sprague Ave. manicmoonandmore.com (509-413-9101)

MARGARET MOUNT: NAVIGATING CURRENTS New textile works by artist Margaret Mount comprised on handstitched quilts made from recycled materials found at thrift stores. Daily from 11 am-6 pm. through June 30. Free. Entropy, 101 N. Stevens St. instagram.com/ entropygalleryspokane (503-913-3124)

PORTRAITS FROM WITHIN: 4 EMERGING SPOKANE ARTISTS A showcase of works by Elsa Oxford, Lily Henderson, Carly Ellis and Emily Flynn-Delay curated

by Kelly Baker that explores the various experiences of young woman artists in Spokane. Mon-Fri from 8 am-5 pm through June 27. Free. Chase Gallery, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. spokanearts.org (509-321-9416)

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 works. Thu-Sat from 4-7 pm through June 28. Free. Terrain Gallery, 628 N. Monroe. terrainspokane.com

YOUR COLLECTION: FACULTY REMIX

EXHIBITION This unique showcase brings together works by WSU studio art faculty and highlights their creative dialogue with the museum’s permanent collection. Through thoughtful curation, faculty artworks are placed alongside pieces from the permanent collection, sparking conversations across time, space and artistic expression. Tue-Fri from 11 am-2 pm, Sat from 10 am-4 pm through June 28. $0. Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU, 1535 NE Wilson Rd. museum.wsu.edu

ART CLUB Youth and families are invited to create together and explore the world of art. Use everything Spark Central has to offer to craft, write or build a piece of art for yourself. Every Friday from 4-6 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. sparkcentral.org (509-279-0299)

THE LILAC MENACE ZINE SWAP A monthly get-together for zine-makers, readers and collectors. Fourth Friday of each month from 6:30-9:30 pm. Free. Lunarium, 1925 N. Monroe St. lunariumspokane.com

MIXED MEDIA PORTRAITS Students will use mirrors and each other to work on the skill of drawing from observation using a variety of media. Learn about facial expressions and proportions to create colorful self-portraits with personality. Instructor Gwyn Pevonka. June 27, 10 am-1 pm. $42. Spokane Art School, 503 E. Second Ave., Ste. B. spokaneartschool.net

ECO-PRINTED ACCORDION JOURNAL In this class students will be provided all materials and supplies to make one accordion style journal using the eco print process instructed by Nan Drye. June 28, 1-4 pm. $70. Spokane Art School, 503 E. Second Ave., Ste. B. spokaneartschool.net (509-325-1500)

PRESTON SINGLETARY: RAVEN AND THE BOX OF DAYLIGHT An immersive exhibition that tells the Tlingit story of Raven and his transformation of the world. Featuring works from internationally acclaimed artist Preston Singletary (Tlingit American, b. 1963), the exhibition takes visitors on a multisensory odyssey through the transformation of darkness into light, brought to life through narration, original music, coastal Pacific Northwest soundscapes and projected images. June 28-Jan. 4, Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm. $9-$12. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org (509-456-3931)

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE BLOCKED WORKSHOP Explore ways to get “unstuck” through exercises and generative prompts with instructor Karen Mobley. June 28, 1-4 pm. $52. Spokane Art School, 503 E. Second Ave., Ste. B. spokaneartschool.net

NATURAL FOCUS Eight local photographers showcase photographs of the natural world. June 30-July 26, daily from 10 am-7 pm. Free. Liberty Building, 203 N. Washington St. potterplaceplus.com/liberty-gallery

MARCIA MCDONALD Local painter

Marcia McDonald showcases landscape and abstract paintings. July 1-30, daily from 10 am-7 pm. Free. Pottery Place Plus, 203 N. Washington St. potteryplaceplus.com (509-327-6920)

SPOKANE ART SCHOOL FACULTY & STUDENT SHOW Faculty and students from Spokane Art School display artwork. July 4-31, Mon-Fri from 10 am-5 pm. Free. Spokane Art School, 503 E. Second Ave.. spokaneartschool.net

KRISTA BRAND, BRADD SKUBINNA, VAL WAHL AND CYN SHORT: FOUND

Artists Krista Brand, Bradd Skubinna, Val Wahl and Cyn Short explore the use of common, sometimes discarded materials to compose installations or create new objects. July 5-27, Thu-Sat from 4-7 pm. Free. Terrain Gallery, 628 N. Monroe St. terrainspokane.com

WORDS

DROP IN & WRITE Aspiring writers are invited to be a part of a supportive writers’ community. Bring works in progress to share, get inspired with creative prompts and spend some focused time writing. Hosted by local writers Jenny Davis and Hannah Engel. Thursdays from 5:30-7 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. sparkcentral.org (509-279-0299)

NEW OWNER & RETIREMENT CEL-

EBRATION PARTY A party celebrating Katelyn Foutch, the new owner of BookPeople, as well as the retirement of Carol Price, the former owner of the bookstore. The event features activities, treats, giveaways and more. June 26, 4-8 pm. Free. BookPeople of Moscow, 521 S. Main St. bookpeopleofmoscow.com (208-882-2669)

AUNTIE’S BOOK CLUB: MYSTERY/ THRILLER (VIRUTAL) Discuss A Cold, Cold World by Elena Taylor at the June meeting on Zoom. June 26, 12-1 pm. Free. auntiesbooks.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

PRESCHOOL FANDOM STORYTIME: PEPPA PIG Fans will enjoy stories, songs, themed activities, and fun surprises featuring Peppa, George, Mummy, Daddy and friends. June 28, 10:3011:30 am. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org

WRITE OWLS A casual writing workshop focusing on fiction and poetry. What’s covered in each session is entirely up to the people who attend, but you can expect to start an excerpt of fiction or poetry and a writing prompt. Every second Wednesday from 3-5:30 pm and every last Saturday from 9 pm-midnight. Free. Lunarium, 1925 N. Monroe St. lunariumspokane.com

QUEER BOOK CLUB Join bookseller Beth this month to talk about the book Family Meal by Bryan Washington. Last Mon. of every month, 6-7 pm. Free. Wishing Tree Books, 1410 E. 11th Ave. wishingtreebookstore.com n

10th ANNIVERSARY SEASON

SCHWEITZER MOUNTAIN

TUESDAY, JULY 1

SCAN QR FOR TICKETS OR LEARN MORE AT INALANDSCAPE.ORG

MEDIA

Hi Again

High Times makes its return, and cannabis discourse is better off for it

BY WILL MAUPIN

The Inlander’s Green Zone section likes to stand alone, but to say it doesn’t have inspiration would be a lie.

This section of the paper, at least as long as I’ve been writing it, is in some ways inspired by a magazine that made its name, quite literally, about getting high.

Since 1974, High Times has arguably been the New York Times of cannabis.

OK, maybe it isn’t “The Gray Lady,” but High Times is, without question, the green lady. It’s all the news — about cannabis at least — that is fit to print.

It was the biggest name in weed until 2017. High Times fell on hard times. The magazine was purchased by a private equity group and never maintained its position on newsstands. By the end of 2024, it was as good as dead.

Last week, however, brought new life to the venerated brand. High Times lit up once again when it was purchased by Josh Kesselman, founder of Raw, a brand of rolling papers.

For years, High Times was the go-to news source for cannabis. It existed as an outlet that was unabashedly pro-cannabis for decades prior to legalization. Green Zone has been providing cannabis news for over a decade (after Wash-

ington legalized recreational cannabis), but High Times is old enough to be this section’s dad.

After the 2017 purchase of the magazine by outside investors, things quickly fell apart. By late last year, the magazine came out only infrequently. It was no longer the bulwark of cannabis policy upon which it had built its name.

Now, though, it has new ownership. Ownership within the cannabis space.

That raises ethical questions about how the magazine can cover the industry when it is owned by someone who works within the industry. But I’m willing to say at least the magazine is alive.

In 1974, when High Times first went to print, cannabis was illegal everywhere. I’m not sure what this new version of the publication will look like, but it is a vanguard and I’m glad it lives on.

Green Zone might be a play on words, but it’s not as silly of a saying as High Times. This is just a section in a paper, it’s not a full blown magazine. But this section could not exist without High Times paving the way. You wouldn’t be reading these words if High Times hadn’t put cannabis into print decades ago. Welcome back, green lady. n

The OG of cannabis coverage is back.

GREEN ZONE

BE AWARE: Marijuana is legal for adults 21 and older under Washington State law (e.g., RCW 69.50, RCW 69.51A, HB0001 Initiative 502 and Senate Bill 5052). State law does not preempt federal law; possessing, using, distributing and selling marijuana remains illegal under federal law. In Washington state, consuming marijuana in public, driving while under the influence of marijuana and transporting marijuana across state lines are all illegal. Marijuana has intoxicating effects; there may be health risks associated with its consumption, and it may be habit-forming. It can also impair concentration, coordination and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. Keep out of reach of children. For more information, consult the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board at www.liq.wa.gov.

Born a year apart on the same day clearly, you two were destined to keep life fun, loud and never dull! Watching you grow into such smart, hilarious, independent, and wildly unique ladies is one of the the best parts of our world. We love you to the moon, back, and probably to Target too. June 25th will always be a monumental celebration.

Madison Sunny

We love you!

(yes your parents did this)

Recorded Memories Rockin’ Spokane & Beyond Since ‘87! 35+ Years Under Present Ownership! A Plethora of Aural Delights! LPs - Tapes - CDs - VHS & DVDs Posters - Stickers - Shirts - Accessories Music & Movie Memorabilia

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59. Ocean full of pink flowers? (yeah, there aren’t many options)

61. Author of “A Court of Thorns and Roses”

French city with Interpol’s headquarters

V makeup

Pharaoh’s serpents

Streaming delays

67. Baby that stays up at night?

68. Rest (on)

1. Sculpture and such 2. Snowman’s eyes, traditionally

3. Colorful Hindu celebration

4. Redundant abbreviation for “and the rest” 5. He’s a real Wiz 6. Word after “Neither a borrower”

7. How some audiobooks are presented

___ d’Ivoire (Ghana neighbor)

Skater Yamaguchi

Like shady paths full of trees

Actress Lenska

Poison’s

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 :)

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June 27-28

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