More Together Spokane projects for parks, schools PAGE 8
HARVEST SEASON
Apples are here! PAGE 22
here’s an unmistakable fall chill in the air each morning, and soon the leaves will turn golden and flutter to the ground. Summer’s end is always bittersweet, but there are plenty of reasons to embrace the season’s change. One of them is a return to “indoor season” and the rich bevy of events and activities that we preview in our FALL ARTS issue each year.
From local community theater productions to big-impact shows direct from Broadway, concerts by our local symphony orchestras to touring bands making a one-night stopover and so much more, there’s something for everyone to look forward to between now and the end of the year. Art gallery receptions, author talks, live comedy, professional dance, open mic nights — it’s all here, whether you aim to attend and be inspired or are a participant yourself. The arts are for everyone, so how are you taking part?
— CHEY SCOTT, Editor
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WHAT ARTS EVENT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD
TO THIS FALL?
CHARLOTTE HARRINGTON
I’m really excited for Terrain, which is happening in just a couple of weeks. I’m looking forward to it because it feels like a really solid community event. I have friends that are involved in it, but also people I don’t know at all.
What’s your favorite part about it?
The people … I like watching people think. And when people look at art, they think.
KAITLIN CASTO
There was an event that I went to last year with my brother at the Flour Mill, in the basement, and it was a reading of Edgar Allan Poe. Part two is happening this October.
AMANDA PHILLIPS
The last couple of years I’ve been going to comedy shows for my birthday in October, and that’s been really fun, at Spokane Comedy Club.
JIM SULLIVAN
Well, it’s at the MAC, and I think it’s called “Raven and the Box of Daylight.” The artist is Preston Singletary from Seattle, and the medium is glass.
Have you seen it before?
Yeah, I saw it in Tacoma about five years ago. I couldn’t believe that the MAC was able to get it here.
RYAN RAY Terrain!
Why are you looking forward to Terrain? I just love all of the artists coming together and making art.
So you’ve been to it before? Every year.
9/12/25, SARANAC COMMONS INTERVIEWS BY SARAH HARRINGTON AND DORA SCOTT
524 W Main Ave, Downtown Spokane thepurgatory.com Sun-Thu 12pm-11pm Fri-Sat 12pm - 12:30am
– Tanisha Townsend, Cameron’s mom
Generous donations provided lifesaving equipment for baby Cameron, born 14 weeks early and weighing only 1 pound and 6 ounces. The Giraffe Omnibed helped him grow stronger until his mom could hold him for the first time.
“ It was the best feeling in the world to hold and touch my baby. Those who donated to make that technology available are absolute heroes.”
Help patients like baby Cameron: https://foundation.providence.org/wa/eastern
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Trouble in the Fields
Washington state farmers are surrounded by challenges to their way of life and the state’s economy
BY DONNA GORDON BLANKINSHIP WASHINGTON STATE STANDARD
When organic wheat farmer Joel Huesby was growing up in the 1960s and 1970s in southeast Washington, many teens sought jobs in the region’s vegetable canneries. He, his wife, his sister-in-law and many friends all worked in a cannery and then each June joined other teens around Walla Walla picking strawberries.
“It was kind of like a rite of passage,” recalls Huesby. But while he enjoys reminiscing, he also acknowledges that it would be impractical for today’s farmers to depend on teens and other amateurs to pick their crops.
It was nearly as impractical back in the 1960s when Congress canceled the guest worker program to make room for more American workers. The temporary worker program was established during World War I as a solution to labor shortages. The program closed in 1922 but was brought back in 1942, with a focus on Mexican farmworkers spending part of the year in the United States.
It continued to evolve until 1964, when foreign workers made up nearly half the American farm workforce. At that time, Congress shuttered the program and encouraged American youth to be patriotic and work in the fields. And those American teens were about as enthusiastic for ag work as the farmers were about hiring them.
“That’s not today’s agriculture,” says Huesby. “You need the people to come onto the big farms… and basically follow the seasons north.”
American agriculture has changed a lot since the mid-20th century. And the challenges farmers face today are different as well. The list is long. In addition to ongoing labor issues, there are stagnant commodity prices, rising equipment and transportation costs, tariffs, unevenly distributed government subsidies and federal programs that stop and start government distribution of surplus crops. Washington growers say the main challenges they face go back a lot further than the 2024 election.
Huesby, who identifies as conservative politically, says American farmers can’t succeed without guest workers and immigrants. He says Americans who grew up in this country are not raised for agricultural jobs.
“They don’t have the work ethic,” he says. Huesby doesn’t hire seasonal workers for his small organic wheat farm, but his neighbors do and they talk.
They worry about what might happen to the current guest worker program and whether farmworkers from Mexico and Central America will continue to come for seasonal work if they think they could be picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at a church or the grocery store, even though they are here legally.
Washington fruit growers lived with those fears this summer when, thanks to great weather, they saw one of the best cherry crops in years.
Mark Powers, president of the Northwest Horticultural Council, says the organization, which works with tree fruit growers, is concerned about the news coming out of the other Washington. But the industry’s No. 1 issue is labor, as it has been for years, he said. While trade and tariffs both get more attention, labor and regulatory issues have been haunting cherry, apple and pear growers for more than a decade.
Those include regulatory compliance, managing guest workers, OSHA and food safety. Escalation in wages and compliance issues at both the federal and state levels apply most of the pressure.
“Every year, the anxiety, the concerns, and now in some cases fear, ratchets up,” Powers says, adding that there’s no sign that rising costs will level off.
He notes that Washington farmworker wages have gone up at least 48% since 2017, but a glance at state income statistics shows that is true for all wages in the state, not just farm wages. While this is a challenge for all employers, most have increased their prices to keep up with rising costs. But Powers and others maintain that isn’t as simple with food and commodity prices.
Apple prices, for example, have not increased 48% since 2017. The Federal Research Bank of St. Louis reports that apple prices have risen about 20% during that same time period. Just for comparison,
Fruit trees on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge; this year’s cherry harvest was slowed by fear of ICE raids in the orchards. CHRISTOPHER BOSWELL PHOTO/ADOBE STOCK
the cost to rent an apartment in Seattle went up more than 90% during the past decade.
“People can manage around that to a certain degree for a limited amount of time. Our growers are running out of time,” Powers says.
Domestic labor shortages are adding complexity and cost. More fruit growers are now depending on the H-2A visa program, also known as the guest worker program, for seasonal farmworkers. Between 2017 and 2024, the number of H-2A workers brought into Washington state increased from approximately 18,800 workers to roughly 36,000. That increases farm labor costs — because farmers have to provide housing and transportation for them — and total labor expenses are getting out of reach for small family farms, Powers adds.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides money to farmers to keep them in business despite price and expense fluctuations, but the system is considered imperfect by some and unfair by others.
Huesby, the wheat farmer, is not a big fan of farm subsidies. He calls them “subsidized crop insurance” and notes that 10% of farms get 80% of the subsidies. Part of the reason for the disparity is how complex the government programs are. Only farms that afford someone to do all the extra paperwork can get their hands on this money, he says, noting, “I’m a farmer of the soil. I’m not a farmer of computer programs.”
Huesby says most lawmakers are reluctant to cut or reform because farm lobbies in Washington, D.C., are so strong. Powers believes both immigration reform and agriculture policy reform could provide some relief. He says both state leaders and central Washington’s representative in Congress, Rep. Dan Newhouse, are working toward solutions.
“If it had been up to the Northwest, we would have had a solution,” Powers says, noting this is a big country with diverse opinions on both topics and that’s one reason why these reforms are taking so long.
Newhouse has proposed several bills to protect American farms and is working with a bipartisan coalition on a proposal to modernize the guest worker program, to provide a steady immigrant workforce for American farms. Washington state lawmakers have been working with ag leaders to find a way to pay farmworkers a good wage while keeping farmers in business and their crops harvested.
A coalition of farmers and farmworkers are also working together on these challenges. Save Family Farming reported earlier this summer during the cherry harvest that the federal immigration crackdown was leaving some farms without the labor they needed to harvest their fruit.
While local workers were worried about being targeted by ICE agents, some migrant workers were also staying away, said Erik Zavala, director of field staff at Wenatchee-based Blue Bird, Inc., a cooperative of small family farms. They heard on social media that farmworkers were warning the migrants to avoid Washington because ICE was conducting raids at orchards. No actual raids were reported by Washington farmers, but the fear was enough to keep workers away.
Washington fruit growers export 25-30% of their crop and the threat of rising tariffs have also added to farmers’ uncertainty. Tariffs may eventually affect equipment costs and parts to repair equipment — one more thing to worry about.
Growers have started to leave the industry, Powers says.
According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service’s Census of Agriculture, Washington tree farms actively producing a crop decreased by 15% between 2017 and 2022. But Powers says that number has gone down since then. The USDA reports the number of Oregon apple farms decreased by 26.6%, pear farms by 27%, and sweet cherry farms by 28.9% between 2017 and 2022.
Huesby wraps up all the challenges facing farmers into six words: “You can’t do business with instability.” n
Donna Gordon Blankinship is a veteran Seattle journalist who has covered government, education and science for news organizations including the Associated Press, Cascade PBS and the Seattle Times. Her current focus is on voter education through a Substack newsletter, Civics for Adults (dgblankinship.substack. com), and learning how to cook and talk at the same time on TikTok. This commentary first appeared in the Washington State Standard
EDUCATION RENOVATION
The Together Spokane tax proposal would fund rebuilds of aging elementary schools and enhance ‘third spaces’ in northeast Spokane
BY COLTON RASANEN
With autumn just days away, students across the Inland Northwest have settled into the rhythm of the new, weeks-old school year. However, if the upcoming ballot measures called Together Spokane pass, some students — like those at century-old Adams Elementary School — will quickly pivot to a new routine as construction at their school begins immediately.
After nearly two years of collaborative planning between Spokane Public Schools and Spokane Parks & Recreation, city voters will find two initiatives on the ballot pertaining to a package of nearly 200 citywide parks and schools 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 and school district will begin to roll out these projects over the next two decades.
Among these projects are updates to Garry Middle School’s entrance, a focus on rebuilding Adams and Madison elementary schools, and creation and maintenance of “third spaces.”
To learn more about Together Spokane visit togetherspokane.org. You can also find previous stories about other projects that are included at Inlander.com.
OVERDUE INVESTMENTS
Even with all the construction and modernization in recent decades, Spokane Public Schools Superintendent Adam Swinyard says the district’s nearly 60 schools are about 40 years old on average. While that longevity speaks to a
historically strong education system in the city, it also means that the school district needs to come up with solutions to a handful of unique problems.
For example, Garry Middle School’s entryway is different from many other middle schools in the district because the building’s main entrance is not connected to a central office. The school’s visitors still need to be buzzed into the building by a secretary, but once they enter the building they’re thrust into a large open area.
A large sign points you down a hall to the office, but there is also access to the school’s gym if you turn the other way. While Swinyard says the school is safe as is, he thinks improving its entrance will be beneficial to student safety.
“We’re confident that the kids here at Garry are safe
Adams Elementary is one of a few schools that would get a full rebuild if Together Spokane’s measures pass in November. RENDERING COURTESY SPOKANE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
TOP: Garry Middle School’s office is currently down a long hall from the main entrance. COLTON RASANEN PHOTO
MIDDLE: If the two Together Spokane measures pass, Garry Middle School will get a new main entrance and office. BELOW: Madison Elementary School would be transformed into a sort of community center, with a multi-court field house.
RENDERINGS COURTESY SPOKANE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
“EDUCATION RENOVATION,” CONTINUED...
today, but we’re always looking to leverage the absolute best design. Safety isn’t about one strategy, it’s about layering multiple strategies to try to mitigate risk to the greatest extent possible,” Swinyard says. “Shortening that distance from the single point of entry to the greatest extent possible is really our goal.”
If Spokane voters approve both of the Together Spokane ballot measures, the school district will be able to build an addition onto the front of the middle school, effectively creating a new front office with a remodeled commons area. Additionally, if both the parks levy and school bond are passed, Nevada Park, which is adjacent to the middle school, would also get some improvements, including updated play equipment, sports fields and court upgrades.
Swinyard says every school in Spokane will see some type of improvement — painting, parking lot lighting, updated playground equipment — if the ballot measures pass in November. However, Spokane City Council member Michael Cathcart says he’s impressed with the number of projects that would come to often-forgotten northeast Spokane.
“I have been a huge advocate for this park levy that is going to just bring a ton of really positive things for northeast Spokane,” Cathcart said outside Garry Middle School on Sept. 9. “And I think that this package overall that has come together over this past year has created a number of efficiencies and additional benefits to the community that wouldn’t be realized otherwise.”
Cathcart, who represents northeast Spokane, has generally opposed raising taxes in the city during his tenure, so his support of the Together Spokane measures may come as a surprise.
“As somebody who has been very skeptical of tax increases in the past and has outright opposed some on the ballot, hopefully there is some weight to what I am advocating for, believing that this is a really good thing for my constituents,” Cathcart says. “We really desperately need these investments in the northeast, and I just hope that that is what folks are thinking about.”
The district also plans to establish a trades high school at Spokane Community College in northeast Spokane as part of the package of projects. Through a partnership with the college, students in grades 9-12 would have the opportunity to graduate with their high school diploma and an associate degree or other trades-based certificate that would allow students to hop right into a career or take their next educational step.
“There’s so many opportunities here for students, sometimes they just don’t understand all the opportunities that are here in our region, and this will allow them at high school to start exploring those options,” says Guillermo Espinosa, associate dean for K-12 Partnerships & Outreach at Spokane Community College. “We see that students actually flourish a lot when they’re doing what they wanna be doing, and learning the careers that they wanna be doing.”
REBUILDING ELEMENTARIES
In 2015, voters in Spokane’s school district approved a $145 million bond, which included funding to design a new Adams Elementary School. So, when the district’s previous $200 million bond request came to voters in February 2024, the elementary school was “shovel ready.”
But, the bond failed, even though it received 56% of the vote — school bonds need 60% of the vote to be approved. Adams Elementary School Principal Beth Nye says she was devastated. The school she leads was first built in 1909 and expanded in 1917. Since then, its only expansion was the addition of several portable buildings in the 1970s.
The three-story school is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, since there’s no elevator or appropriate ramp access for anyone needing accommodation. So even if a student using a wheelchair lives next to the school, they would need to attend a different school.
Now, Adams Elementary has a second chance with the district’s bond on the November ballot. If voters approve the ballot measure, construction on the school will start almost immediately, with students at the school moving to “Camp Adams” at the former Jefferson Elementary School on 37th Avenue and Grand Boulevard after winter break.
With construction starting in early 2026, the district estimates the project would be completed by summer 2027, allowing Adams students to return for the 2027-28 school year.
Many of the projects under the Together Spokane ballot measures are only possible through strategic partnerships with organizations in the
community. For example, the Boys & Girls Club of Spokane County has decided to invest financially in the facility’s construction, bringing down the total cost to taxpayers and adding after-school programming for those living in South Spokane.
In total, Inland Northwest organizations — including the Boys & Girls Club, Spokane Colleges, LaunchNW, the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, and a handful of others — have committed more than $11 million to Together Spokane projects, like Adams.
The local Boys & Girls Club, along with Spokane Hoopfest and Pacific Northwest Qualifier, also decided to invest in the rebuild of Madison Elementary School, which was built in 1949. Instead of just building a new school, the district aims to create a school with a large multi-court field house inside for basketball, volleyball, pickleball and other sports. Located near the school, Franklin Park will also see improvements if voters see fit.
“Rather than looking at a traditional elementary school model, it’s like a community center that has an elementary school within it,” Spokane Parks Director Garrett Jones says. “Creating that synergy around Franklin Park — I don’t know if you’re familiar with Franklin Park, but that north section between the school and the parking facility needs a lot of love — will be great for Madison.”
While the school and the recreation center will be usable by the school’s students, they’ll be built so they can be two fully separate spaces for the safety of students. This is something the district has done before with the co-location of Shaw Middle School and Spokane Public Library’s Hillyard branch.
The projects at Madison and Franklin, albeit on the outskirts of northeast Spokane, are ones that Cathcart finds particularly intriguing.
“I think that that is actually a really smart win-win opportunity — that sort of partnership [between] the public, the private, and utilizing all these different resources in a way that is going to really enhance that space,” Cathcart says. “We’ve had a lot of public safety issues in Franklin Park, so activating that is going to be really, really positive.”
‘THIRD SPACES’
In 2015, The ZONE Project, which operates out of the Northeast Community Center, formed in northeast Spokane to advocate for what residents and local organizations wanted for the region. Over the last decade, one thing the organization has heard time and time again is the need for more “third spaces.” These are places outside of homes, schools or workplaces that are free to use, like libraries or parks.
Jene Ray, the associate director of the Northeast Community Center and the director of The ZONE, says that Together Spokane’s emphasis on outdoor and indoor recreation in projects like at Madison Elementary and Franklin Park is exciting.
“We have students that are telling us that they have increased anxiety and depression, and they identify that being outside in safe spaces in the fresh air with trees and grass actually decreases their stress and anxiety,” Ray says. “This project is a direct answer to those student voices and endless families in our neighborhood councils … who just want to belong and be connected to each other.”
Ray also says she’s impressed with how each Together Spokane project seems to be targeted toward really unique needs. For example, she says that northeast Spokane lacks tree canopy compared to the rest of the city — so she asked that the play structures in the area have shade canopies so the ride down the slide isn’t a blistering time.
“Together Spokane has really thought about each part of town and what’s needed specifically for each part of town, so we’re very happy that we’re getting our neighborhood connectivity supported,” she says. “Our safety, our sense of belonging, is going to increase. Kids are going to have safe outdoor spaces for free activities with community partners … and their play structures and equipment, both at school and after school, are going to be more accessible for them.” n coltonr@inlander.com
THE Divas FROM BROADWAY
Songs from Wicked, The Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia!, Les Miserables, and many others performed by the Spokane Symphony and Broadway stars.
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 27, 2025 7:30PM JAMES
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 15, 2025 7:30PM
BUY TICKETS BUY TICKETS
The ‘80s with a symphonic twist. From Madonna to Tears for Fears and more.
BY: JOE WESSMAN AND DEBBIE MAURUS
SPONSORED
State of the County
As Spokane County faces another tough budget year, a privately led task force is taking shape to plan for public safety and behavioral health
BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL
Last week, hundreds gathered at the Spokane Convention Center for the annual “State of the County” address, presented by Mary Kuney, chair of the Board of County Commissioners.
Under the theme “Leading the Way,” Kuney highlighted several pieces of good news from the past year — the county’s investments in behavioral health are helping many community members get stabilized, the sheriff’s office is now fully staffed for the first time in nearly 20 years, multiple county parks received major renovations, and the county had its second-largest year of tax proceeds from new construction, with new projects valued at more than $1.45 billion in 2024.
“We are seeing growth from the state line to the West Plains,” Kuney told the crowd. “Every new business that starts or grows here brings good-paying jobs, attracts investments and strengthens Spokane County’s ability to deliver the services our residents expect and deserve.”
Kuney also highlighted some concerning news, including that the medical examiner’s latest data shows fatal drug overdoses countywide are now on track to reach a rate of one person per day in 2025.
“To address this crisis the board has invested in an additional threat analyst for the sheriff’s office, who is working closely with federal and state partners to aggressively combat drug trafficking,” Kuney said. “Right here in Spokane County, law enforcement seized more than 150,000 fentanyl pills in 2024, more than three times the amount recovered just two years earlier.”
The county has also continued to invest in Maddie’s Place, which provides care for babies born with neonatal
abstinence syndrome and their parents. Plus, in partnership with the city of Spokane, other funding has doubled the number of sobering beds offered by Spokane Treatment and Recovery Services, or STARS. This fall, the county also expects to break ground on a new 23-hour crisis relief and sobering center that is scheduled to open in 2027.
Kuney also noted the county is entering a period of “responsible budgeting” in the face of an estimated $20 million revenue shortfall. The county commissioners have already put a freeze on nonessential hires and are asking departments to reduce their budgets by 7% as the county plans for next year.
There are three major budget meetings planned in coming weeks. On Sept. 23, the commissioners will receive an update on expected revenue. On Oct. 14, they’ll discuss expenses, and then on Nov. 5 they plan to finalize the draft of the budget.
“We’re just starting to look through it, and we have until the first Monday of December to pass the budget, so until then we do have those budget roundtables that will be coming,” Kuney tells the Inlander. “It will be really important for people to come and state what are the services they really want to make sure we keep.”
REGIONAL TASK FORCE
In the next few weeks, it’s expected that more details will be released about a privately led effort to convene a regional task force to plan how the community should address the complex behavioral health and criminal justice needs that exist in Spokane County.
Five private groups are providing funding and conven-
ing the task force, including the Downtown Spokane Partnership, Avista, Greater Spokane Incorporated, the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Waters Meet Foundation (formerly Empire Health Foundation).
“It’s a community-led effort to recommend priority strategies to improve public safety and behavioral health, and improve system coordination across Spokane County,” says Emilie Cameron, president and CEO of the Downtown Spokane Partnership. “The goal is to develop a regional vision and plan to present to the jurisdictions across Spokane County.”
Invitations are still being sent out to potential members, and the goal is to start meeting in October. Cameron says the effort is not focused on convening elected officials, but bringing together people who’ve participated in or provide the many services that fall under behavioral health and public safety.
County Commissioner Chris Jordan says the task force will include nonprofit leaders, business owners, health care workers, those who have been incarcerated or received behavioral health services, and more.
The county has tried repeatedly (and failed) to pass a sales tax increase to build a new jail or expand the existing facility, which is overcrowded and has substandard conditions.
Under the most recent effort in 2023, the county suggested using at least half of the $1 billion it would’ve received over the course of 30 years to construct room for about 800 new jail beds and build a new community corrections center where offenders could access programming such as anger management, GED courses, parenting classes, addiction treatment, job training and more. The measure failed, receiving only 37% of the vote.
While the details of the task force are still being finalized, it appears the effort is intended to provide a better gameplan to take another tax request to voters, potentially next year.
Kuney says the goal is for the community group to craft its vision for improving behavioral health, treatment services and criminal justice facilities by May.
“Ultimately this information will come back to the county commissioners,” Kuney says. “We just want to make sure that we’ve got good information to make good decisions.”
Cameron says the task force has been in the works for more than a year. A Spokane group traveled to Whatcom County in northwest Washington in June 2024 to learn about that community’s success in passing a public safety sales tax measure in 2023, after convening its own community task force.
Whatcom similarly had previously tried and failed repeatedly to pass a sales tax to rebuild its jail. The community drafted a Justice Project Implementation Plan outlining 15 projects, including a new jail, a new 23-hour crisis relief center, and investments in behavioral health services, re-entry services, and other efforts to reduce recidivism and treat issues that often lead to incarceration. Following the release of that plan, the measure passed with 63% of the vote.
“We wanted to learn what was different about the measure that had passed, and they really took a step back and looked at the full system,” Cameron says. “That was something I think that was really intriguing.”
Consultants will help guide the Spokane effort, including Miami-based former Judge Steve Leifman, who has worked for decades on mental health criminal justice reform, Cameron says.
“We recognize that we have real public safety challenges and real public health challenges and we need solutions for better outcomes,” Cameron says. “The goal here is to create a regional vision and implementation plan that can be supported broadly across the region.” n samanthaw@inlander.com
Mary Kuney, chair of the Board of County Commissioners, presented big updates from the last year. SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL PHOTO
Continuing On
Spokane County appoints prosecutor. Plus, Spokane City Council considers new meeting day, and double-decker buses launch for EWU’s first home game
BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL
Last week, three nominees were considered to fill the remainder of the current term for Spokane County prosecutor, after the July retirement of Larry Haskell, who had been in the top legal role since first being elected in 2014. After interviewing all three candidates during the normal Tuesday afternoon commission meeting, the five Spokane County commissioners unanimously selected Preston McCollam as interim prosecuting attorney McCollam was already serving as the acting prosecuting attorney before he was officially sworn in after the vote on Tuesday, Sept. 9. He previously oversaw the office’s criminal division. One of the other nominees forwarded to the commissioners by the Spokane GOP was Steve Garvin, who worked in the prosecutor’s office for 15 years before moving to a job with the state Attorney General’s Office in 2022. Garvin plans to run against McCollam for the job when it comes up for election next year.
DAY-O, MONDAY NO-O-O-O?
The Spokane City Council is again considering changing its legislative meeting schedule, after first floating the idea late last year. The council has regularly met on Monday evenings since 1912, according to research by the SpokesmanReview. Now, the Spokane City Council is asking the community if it should change the day of its evening meetings, with a public survey out through Sept. 21. In addition to asking if the meeting day should change — respondents may select multiple choices for the preferred weekday for the evening meeting — the survey asks if the council should also consider meeting every other week instead of weekly. One reason cited for considering the day change is “numerous cancellations due to federal holidays,” though meeting every other week would reduce the number of meetings by even more. However, another reason cited was “stakeholders seeking more time for engagement.” Find the survey at bit.ly/46fcg76. The survey results will be discussed at the council’s Finance and Administration Committee on Sept. 22, and an ordinance to change the schedule could have its first reading on Oct. 6.
E-DOUBLE-DECKER-U
What’s better than attending the first home football game of the season? Arriving in style. Spokane Transit Authority will launch its new double-decker buses at noon on Saturday, Sept. 20, at Eagle Station, 850 Elm St. in Cheney. There will be a ribbon cutting and speeches from Eastern Washington University President Shari McMahan, Cheney Mayor Chris Grover (who also serves on the STA board) and STA CEO Karl Otterstrom. The buses on Route 6 will run special rapid service every 15 minutes that day from about 2 pm to 4 pm and 7 pm to 8 pm to provide rides to and from the EWU football game against Western Illinois. Those who head to Cheney by hopping on buses from the Jefferson Park & Ride, at 410 S. Jefferson St., or the West Plains Transit Center, 10810 Westbow Road, will get the chance to nab some EWU/STA swag (while supplies last). Bus fare is $2 for adults, free for youth 18 and younger. n
Preston McCollam (left) was sworn in as interim prosecutor. PHOTO COURTESY SPOKANE COUNTY
THEATER
‘A Joyful Romp’
Actor Devon Goffman has perfected the loveable bad guy act in Broadway’s Some Like It Hot, heading to Spokane next
BY COLTON RASANEN
In 1995, Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes and John Leguizamo were praised — and hated — for pushing the cultural boundary for popular actors at the time when they donned drag queen personas in To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar. However, nearly four decades earlier, established actors Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis did practically the same thing in Some Like it Hot
Set in Prohibition-era Chicago, Joe (Curtis) and his friend Jerry (Lemmon) are jazz musicians who work in a speakeasy run by mafia boss Spats (George Raft). When the pair witness a mob hit and are seen fleeing by Spats, they run away into the night desperately hoping to leave Chicago by any means necessary.
So when the opportunity to hop on a train to Miami presents itself, the guys disguise themselves as women — Joe as Josephine and Jerry as Daphne — to infiltrate an all-female band already making the trip. What ensues is an exciting adventure as the musicians fall head over heels in love with the band’s lead singer Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe) and must continue running from the mafia as Spats and his men close in on the gender-bending eyewitnesses.
In 2022 a musical adaptation of the 1959 movie opened on Broadway and in 2023 it received 13 Tony Award nominations, the most of any musical for that season. The show clinched wins in four categories, including best
actor, best costume design, best choreography and best orchestrations.
Beginning next week, a touring production brings the award-winning show to Spokane’s First Interstate Center for the Arts. Actors Matt Loehr and Tavis Kordell lead the show as the iconic cross-dressing characters Joe and Jerry, respectively, and Leandra Ellis-Gaston puts her brilliant vocals on display in the iconic role of Sugar Kane. And Devon Goffman is Spats, the mafia boss whose efforts to antagonize the main characters keeps the plot moving.
“This is one of the kindest companies I’ve ever worked with, and I think that bleeds in from the way the script is written. It’s a really kind show about being yourself and accepting who you are, and no matter what anybody tells you,” Goffman says, totally out of character. “I was drawn to the friend story of Joe and Jerry. There’s just something really special about two friends growing together and then accepting each other as they evolve and change through time.”
While the show tells the same story, there are some changes from the original script, for example, nonbinary performer Kordell will play Jerry/ Daphne as a nonbinary character.
“I always call it a joyful romp,” Goffman says. “It’s one of the most fun shows that I’ve ever been a part of. It’s really a treat for audiences every night, and it gives people that lift that they need.”
Devon Goffman, right, plays the villian Spats.
TYPE CASTING
For much of his theatrical acting career, Goffman has been stuck in the 1950s and ’60s. It’s not a bad time period to be in— he’s previously enjoyed the roles of Vince Fontaine in Grease and Tommy DeVito in Jersey Boys — but it’s one he’s grown all too familiar with.
“I haven’t gotten to do a lot of 1930s-era acting in my career, so this is a new, welcome twist for me,” he says.
What wasn’t a twist, however, was his role as the bad guy in the show.
“I’ve played a lot of wise guys or mob guys, so I want to say I think I was typecast by this,” he says. “But, Al Capone is a really interesting character — if you didn’t know, Spats Colombo is based on Al Capone. Doing Jersey Boys was kind of what brought me into that world of the tough guys.”
He’s also filled in as a detective in the TV series Law & Order: Organized Crime, so he’s familiar with the stoic strength necessary to convincingly play the leader of a crime ring. It’s the kind of strength that means he’s just as terrifying regardless of whether he’s carrying out a hit or just walking on stage with a slow clap for the performer.
“If you watch old movies, all the mobsters or the gangsters were always sitting in a very fancy suit, watching an upright bass play, or watching Sinatra sing, you know,” Goffman says, explaining that Spats is scary in the way someone like Simon Cowell is. “[Spats] thinks he’s scouting talent at all times for his club, even though he’s doing these mob hits and dealing with selling booze.”
Meanwhile, off the stage and the screen, Goffman is a purveyor of positivity in the theater world. During the pandemic, he worked to revamp the theater program in a Florida school district, and he currently hosts acting, singing and life coaching classes for young performers.
“The smartest thing that you can do is cast the kindest guy to play the meanest villain. I mean, you don’t really want a person who is actually a villain to be acting as a villain,” he says with a hearty laugh. “I still have to be scary for the part, but I just think I bring the loveable side of Spats to life.” n
Some Like It Hot • Sept. 23-28, Tue-Fri at 7:30 pm, Sat at 2 & 7:30 pm, Sun at 1 & 6:30 pm • $50-$127 • First Interstate Center for the Arts • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • broadwayspokane.com
Edward Juvier, center, plays Osgood in Some Like it Hot at the FIC this week.
Fall Fun & Harvest Activities
Stay connected with new classes, seasonal events, and what’s happening at the Market!
WEDNESDAYS
Game night at the quarry 3-7pm SEPTEMBER 11
Flowers & Focaccia
FAREWELL TO SUMMER EVENTS
Harvest Activities
Halloween Trunk or Treat + more!
For a full list of classes & events visit our website
SCALE HOUSE’S MARKET TABLE PROGRAM
In collaboration with all of our farmers and food entrepreneurs, we are committing to zero waste!
Every week we will have a rotation of grab and go meals, snacks and preserved foods coming to the Mercantile!
the region’s colorful relationship with trains
BY BOB JOHNSON
After having their credit card-sized golden tickets punched by conductor (and engineer) John Simanton, Inland Northwest Rail Museum visitors exit the main museum building just outside Reardan. Simanton leads them past three rail cars filled with memorabilia and several others in various stages of restoration. He then turns a corner and into view comes a 2-foot-gauge train dubbed the Reardan Rocket, on which a 1.5-mile ride is included with museum admission.
In the final stages of restoration is a Great Northern Railway baggage car that’s being converted into a space that will hold about 40 people for parties or meetings. Also planned is a locomotive that Swant says will let guests sit in the engineer’s seat.
VISIT THE MUSEUM
Inland Northwest Rail Museum 27300 Sprinkle Road N., Reardan Open Thu-Sun 10 am-5 pm; $7-$14 inlandnwrailmuseum.com, 509-796-3377
“We call it the Reardan Rocket because it’s the fastest passenger train ride in Lincoln County,” says Dale Swant, president of the Inland Empire Railway Historical Society. Swant is quick to acknowledge that it’s also the only passenger train in the county.
“It’s not the smoothest ride in the world, but neither were the old [full-sized] passenger trains,” he adds. It’s an assertion borne out during the Rocket’s two three-quarter-mile laps around the 30acre property, about 25 miles west of Spokane.
“It will be a simulator-type experience with video, so you’ll be able to feel like you’re rolling down the track,” he says. Swant suggests that visitors budget at least 90 minutes to ride the Reardan Rocket, walk through the museum rail cars and explore two levels of exhibits inside the main building, which includes a collection of depot signs from around the region, conductor hats, maintenance boards and manuals, framed pictures and drawings, airhorns, a working model train layout, and more.
Once visitors board one of three passenger cars and buckle up, Simanton takes a seat in the Rocket’s “locomotive.” To lend a sense of authenticity, he rings a bell and activates the train’s whistle. With that, the Rocket is off and clanking through the untamed sagebrush.
Back at “the station,” passengers disembark and begin poking their heads — or entire bodies — inside some of the seven cars currently available for viewing.
“At most railroad museums, you walk around the cars,” says Swant. “One of the unusual things about our museum is you can go inside cars, sit on the seats, and really get a feel for what rail travel was like 50 or a hundred years ago.”
At present, seven such cars are available for visitors to tour: a 1914 passenger car that was rebuilt into a café car during the 1930s, a buffet/lounge car with bedrooms for passengers who paid the extra fare, three cars housing a mix of artifacts and bric-a-brac, a circa-1893 baggage car, and a caboose.
There’s also what Swant believes is the “last Spokane streetcar,” which serviced Spokane United Railways’ Route 140 until trolley operations ceased in 1936.
Another centerpiece of the collection is a rarity for a rail museum: a railroad turntable used for turning railroad stock, primarily locomotives, back in the direction from which they came. It served as a functioning turntable for the Union Pacific Railroad for nearly half a century, located just off East Sprague Avenue in Spokane.
While many of the museum’s artifacts lack an explanatory card or text panel, there’s typically a docent looming nearby who can provide information and context.
Swant says learning about trains is important because they’ve played such an important role in American and Inland Northwest history.
“Hardly anyone outside a big city travels by train anymore,” Swant suggests. “Of the people under 40, probably 95 percent have never been on a train. There used to be five railroads in the area; now there are two. We’re the only place you can go to find out about the railroads that are gone.” Gone, but if Swant has his way, never forgotten. n
THE BUZZ BIN
NEW NAME, WHO DIS?
While most of us use shorthand names for well-known places and venues across the region, it’s good to know the full story behind these places’ lengthier titles. One of them is the Arena, which, starting this fall, has an official new name. Formerly the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, the venue is now the Numerica Veterans Arena partnership with Spokane Valley-based Numerica Credit Union. The 10-year naming rights deal between Numerica and the Spokane Public Facilities District includes a pledge by Numerica to invest $1 million over the next decade to support military programs, carrying on the venue’s commitment to supporting local military veterans and their families and further deepening Numerica’s community-focused mission. The first event celebrating the new moniker is the Spokane Chiefs Heroes Game on Friday, Nov. 7, which honors local veterans and active-duty military families with free tickets and a hosted pregame celebration. (CHEY SCOTT)
50 YEARS, 200 PAGES
In 1976, Gordon Wilson joined the faculty of Whitworth University, where he taught art classes of all levels until his retirement in 2022. To celebrate 50 years of Wilson’s Spokane art legacy, Marmot Art Space owner Marshall Peterson has compiled a new 200+ page art book titled Gordon Wilson: Painter, Professor Emeritus, featuring Wilson’s oil paintings and a selection of graphite drawings that represent his renowned career as an artist in the Inland Northwest. The book was funded via a Kickstarter campaign and independently published by Peterson, who has hosted multiple exhibitions of Wilson’s work at his gallery in Kendall Yards. (MADISON PEARSON)
THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST
Noteworthy new music arriving in stores and online on Sept. 19.
CARDI B, AM I THE DRAMA?
It seems impossible considering her cultural footprint that Cardi B has only put out one album. But the rap superstar finally follows up her 2018 debut Invasion of Privacy with a sophomore LP featuring already-bona fide No. 1 hits like “WAP” and “Up.”
MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK,
THE SAME OLD WASTED WONDERFUL WORLD
The premiere pop punk/emo band for pop culture-obsessed kids with ADHD and/or OCD returns with its first new album in a decade.
NINE INCH NAILS,
TRON: ARES (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK)
Nine Inch Nail members Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have crafted Oscar-winning scores under their own names, but have never been credited for a soundtrack as the band… until this Tron asked for? (SETH SOMMERFELD)
DARIUS
RUCKER WITH AUSTIN WILLIAMS
SEPT. 20
DASHA WELCOME DASHVILLE SEPT. 24
SHAQ’S BASS ALL-STARS
DJ DIESEL, BLANKE, VASTIVE & EMORFIK
SEPT. 25
BRET MICHAELS NOTHIN’ BUT A GOOD TIME OCT. 4
YING YANG TWINS WITH TWISTA, MIKE JONES & DJ SKRIBBLE OCT. 10
QUIET RIOT WITH BRITNY FOX OCT. 11
SCAN TO BUY TICKETS.
ostalgia has a tendency to color the past in a rosy tint. That’s why sometimes when we watch movies and TV shows that we loved years ago, it doesn’t hit quite the same. Maybe the characters feel a little off or those iconic moments you can still quote aren’t as impactful, but either way the unstoppable hands of time can ravage that which we cherish.
But sometimes, the things we enjoy are just as great as we remember. That’s certainly the case for Legally Blonde, the 2001 comedy following Elle Woods, who gets into law school to be with a man who totally doesn’t deserve her.
BY COLTON RASANEN
Played by early-career Reese Witherspoon, Woods is introduced as the stereotypical “dumb blonde” character who’s dressed all in pink, has a chihuahua (Bruiser Woods) in her purse and likes giggling about boys with her sorority sisters. However, the fashion merchandising major quickly dispels others’ notions about her perceived lack of intelligence when she’s accepted to Harvard Law School via sheer willpower.
Still, far from the traditional attorney archetype, Woods struggles to be respected by her peers and even some of her mentors. Yet, when she’s one of four students chosen to help a professor defend a murder suspect, her beauty insight — I mean, seriously, who doesn’t know the first cardinal rule of perm maintenance? — is what inevitably proves the defendant’s innocence.
“She takes those LSATs and she gets a 179 and I think some people think that’s like the fanciful part of the show. But to me, that’s the realest part of the show — the idea that when you push yourself,
Elizabeth Theriault plays Elle Woods, alongside Sugar Bear as Brusier Woods. CHRIS WOOLEY PHOTOS
you can do anything, regardless of how people might perceive you,” says Elizabeth Theriault, the actress playing Elle Woods in Spokane Civic Theatre’s upcoming Legally Blonde musical.
“I’m a young woman working in finance, so I really relate to the idea of being so conscious of how you’re being perceived, both physically, and the way you speak or articulate. And it’s not just that she wears pink. It’s also that she struggles to get people to take her seriously.
The Civic begins its 78th season in Spokane on Sept. 19 with the fun, high-energy Legally Blonde musical, which debuted in 2007. The show tells practically the same story as the film, only through new ear-catching songs, such as “Omigod You Guys,” “Bend and Snap,” and “There! Right There!”
“I actually think that’s the reason the Legally Blonde musical has lasted so long,” Theriault says. “It’s one of the best movieto-musical adaptations that there ever has been because it’s 99% the same and I actually will die on that hill.”
Theriault has been performing since she was 4 years old and, like most younger siblings, she did it to follow her older sister’s footsteps. Once she realized she loved the stage, and not just whatever her sister was doing, she threw herself into the craft. When Theriault was 17, she starred in a local adaptation of Tim Rice’s Jesus Christ Superstar and two years later at the Civic she led the angsty teen drama Spring Awakening as Wendla.
“I think what’s kept me going in the theater is humanity. There’s always something so human and so relatable about the shows that I’ve chosen to do,” she says. “I know my life path now, you know I work in finance, so it’s a very different lifestyle. I live kind of a Hannah Montana double life.”
In the last few years, Theriault has really popped off in the Inland Northwest’s theater scene, particularly in some more serious shows. In 2023, she played the titular character in Bright Comet Theatre’s Lizzie, a rock musical retelling of the 1892 Borden murders.
“To me, that’s the realest part of the show — the idea that when you push yourself, you can do anything.”
Afterwards she landed a “longtime dream role” in the Civic’s 2024 Carousel. And to kick off 2025, she starred in Rent at Coeur d’Alene’s Lake City Playhouse. Theriault was Maureen, one of the show’s main characters, played in the original Broadway production by vocal powerhouse Idina Menzel.
“I’ve had the pleasure of having done some really amazing provocative shows, and that’s more my lane, so Legally Blonde is just so much fun,” she says. “It’s nostalgic for me. I grew up watching that movie with my older sisters, but it’s still so prevalent in pop culture. I mean, it seems like every other day a Tiktok is going viral from it.”
With so many iconic lines — “You look like the Fourth of July,” “What, like it’s hard?,” or “Courtney, take your break” — the source material’s permanent spot in the cultural zeitgeist is undeniable.
“I think every girl in the world has probably dreamed of being Elle Woods at some point,” Theriault says.
Beyond the movie’s virality, Theriault was drawn to the show for the powerful message that it sends to women, especially young women. After Woods realizes that she doesn’t need to bend her own life around that of a man who wouldn’t do the same for her, Theriault says the message is clear:
“You have to be on your own side and you have to always choose yourself. It can’t always just be about a boy.” n
Legally Blonde • Sept. 19-Oct. 12, Wed-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm • $20-$45 • Spokane Civic Theatre • 1020 N. Howard St. • spokanecivitheatre.com
Move Over, Big Cities
Spokane gets it owns major food and wine festival, courtesy of Davenport Hotels
BY BOB JOHNSON
Lavish festivals celebrating great cuisine and the gifts of the grape tend to be the realm primarily of big cities. Gotham has the New York City Wine & Food Festival. Beantown has the Boston Wine & Food Festival. The City by the Bay has the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Public Tasting. Even Seattle takes time off from being the “Coffee Capital of the World” to host Taste Washington each spring.
This fall, Melissa Green, vice president and area managing director of Davenport Hotels, is working with her staff chefs, plus several James Beard-nominated guest chefs, 30 wineries and a handful of downtown businesses to give those big-city festivals a run for their money. The inaugural Pacific Northwest Food & Wine Festival is set for Sept. 26-28, with the downtown Davenport properties — five hotels with a total of 1,787 guest rooms — popping corks for locals and out-of-town visitors.
The festival grew out of a desire to transform Spokane from an under-the-radar city to a must-see destination.
“Before moving here, I had no idea what Spokane has to offer from a food and wine standpoint,” explains Green, whose career in the hospitality industry has included stops in South Jersey, Memphis, Providence, Tampa, Boston, Denver and Richmond, Virginia. “Not one of those areas is located near a major wine-growing region. That’s one advantage Spokane has. The other is that it’s a very drivable market — it’s easy for a lot of people to get here. So, the question became, how do we do a better job of getting it on the map?”
There are any number of ways to drive traffic to hotel properties, but Green’s interest in using food and wine as the “carrot” stems from the time she spent at the Johnson & Wales culinary school in Providence, Rhode Island. Back then, she had her eye on one day opening a restaurant, and one of her senior projects involved creating a development plan and menu for it. But she ultimately followed a career path in hospitality that led her to Spokane with her husband (who also attended Johnson & Wales) in 2024.
In planning the festival with her Davenport team, Green adopted what could be called a “go big or go home” mindset. She says the organizational meetings revolved around festivals that she and other hotel staff had attended and how their experiences could have been improved. Ultimately, a schedule of a dozen events (including a cabernet sauvignon panel and an afternoon tea) was settled upon, built around three signature events: a grand wine tasting on Friday night, a six-course wine dinner on Saturday night and brunch on Sunday.
Late September was selected because, Green says, “the weather should be perfect.” Historically, according to the National Weather Service, temperatures in the low 70s and high 60s can be expected as summer transitions into autumn.
The cooperation of Mother Nature will be particularly important for the Saturday dinner, which is scheduled to take place outdoors, on Post Street between Sprague and First.
“We’re really excited about giving our ...continued after Fall Arts
The inaugural Pacific Northwest Food and Wine festival offers regional eats and sips via a wide variety of events. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
Our arts15-weekcalendar starts on page 56!
Celebrate the region's creative talent this season: music, poetry, comedy, theater, literature, dance, visual arts and more!
At STCU, we support causes that matter, the arts that shape our culture, the athletes who inspire greatness, the mentors who transform students into leaders, and the local events that give our communities their unique flavor. stcu.org/hereforgood
ART ABOUNDS
With fall comes harvest, a chill in the air and respite from long, hot summer days. But, along with freshly rolled hay bales and vibrant vegetables, our region’s creative community enters autumn with a bounty of its own.
The air fills with music from symphony orchestras, actors take the stage, artists fill local galleries with paintings and authors flock to local bookstores to spread their love of literature.
Of course, the Inland Northwest is ripe with creativity all year long; however, our annual Fall Arts issue sets out to highlight the best of what’s still to come. Inside, you’ll find profiles on well-known creative movers and shakers, along with up-and-coming groups looking to make their impact on the arts scene.
This year’s bounty of arts-related events is plentiful as always, and we’re happy to share them with our creatively inclined and communityfocused readers. Have a wonderful fall season full of art, performance, literature, music and more!
— MADISON PEARSON, FALL ARTS CALENDAR EDITOR
CONTRIBUTORS
EDITOR
Chey Scott
CALENDAR
EDITOR
Madison Pearson
EDITORIAL LAYOUT
Derrick King
Ali Blackwood
ART COORDINATION
Ali Blackwood
Leslie Douglas
COVER ARTISTS
Karli Fairbanks
Rook Haug
Rose Honey
Ethan McCracken
Emma Noyes
Tif Patterson
Freddy Throne
Caleb Walsh
OCTOBER 4 • 2:30PM
BING CROSBY THEATER SCAN FOR 10% OFF TICKETS
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Erick Doxey
Young Kwak
WRITERS
Ellis Benson
E.J. Iannelli
Colton Rasanen
Dora Scott
Carrie Scozzaro
Seth Sommerfeld
Samantha Wohlfeil
Dancers with Vytal Movement Dance, Spokane’s contemporary company. MARTA BERK PHOTO
FALL BROADWAY DEBUTS IN SPOKANE
SEPTEMBER 23-28, 2025
“A SUPER-SIZED, ALL-OUT SONG-ANDDANCE SPECTACULAR!” THE NEW YORK TIMES
NOVEMBER 19-23, 2025
“YES, THEY CAN-CAN! MOULIN ROUGE! HAS A BATTERY LIFE THAT NEVER RUNS DOWN.”
VARIETY
OCTOBER 14-15, 2025
“… ONE OF THE MOST EXHILARATING MOMENTS I’VE EXPERIENCED IN A THEATER ...”
THE NEW YORK MAGAZINE
DECEMBER 16-17, 2025
“... SWEETLY, VIVACIOUSLY, IRRESISTIBLY GOOD.”
THE WASHINGTON POST
Photo by Matthew Murphy
Photo by Matthew Murphy
Photo by Julieta Cervantes
Photo by Matthew Murphy
FALL ARTS • THE COVER
MEET THIS YEAR’S COVER ARTISTS!
For the cover of this year’s Fall Arts issue, the Inlander invited eight local artists to showcase their individual styles in each letter of the issue’s title, and via elements spread throughout the section. Keep up with their creative endeavors by following them on Instagram; their online handles are all listed below.
ETHAN MCCRACKEN (F)
Ethan McCracken (pictured here with Rusty the cat) is an aspiring cartoonist, gig poster-maker and occasional graphic designer. He also plays electric guitar in a band called Itchy Kitty. He lives in Spokane with his girlfriend and two cats. You can (and should) hire him for any of the aforementioned services. @bigsuit
ROOK HAUG (A)
Rook Haug is the multidisciplinary artist behind Hasty Faun, an ever-evolving body of work that aims to nourish everyone’s inner child, regardless of their age. They primarily bring their playful creations and characters to life through colorfully tufted tapestries, handmade wearables, and imaginative illustrations. @hastyfaun
CALEB WALSH (L)
From whimsical animations to delightfully macabre and surreal paintings, Caleb Walsh and his streetwear brand 7 Hawks bring playful graphics and hand-dyed, ethically sourced fabrics to From Here in River Park Square. See the premiere of Caleb’s new animated short and a selection of paintings at Terrain 16 on Oct. 3. @calebwalsh.art
FREDDY THRONE (L)
Freddy Throne is a Spokane artist and U.S. Air Force veteran blending pop art, Native heritage, street culture and surrealism. His work satirizes modern life with bold humor and vibrant imagery. Through comics, zines and fine art, Freddy creates worlds that inspire reflection, laughter, and imagination. @freddy_throne
TIF ANDER PATTERSON (A)
Tif Ander Patterson is a prolific Spokane-based multidisciplinary artist, arts educator and designer. They have a long history as a muralist/painter, with pottery and tattooing being their current hyper-fixation. Tif’s work is queer and quirky, and they often enjoy pairing dark subject matter with bright candy colors. @cursewordsandbirds
KARLI FAIRBANKS (R)
Karli Fairbanks is a Spokane-based, full-time multidisciplinary artist working in visual art, poetry, murals, ceramics and music. Her recent projects include two new murals at Grant Elementary in the South Perry District and a fulllength album of original music titled, Stay Radiant @karlifairbanks
ROSE HONEY (T)
Rose Honey is an illustrator, designer and artist who celebrates the joy of food, nostalgia and the vibrant spirit of her city. Working across physical and digital media, she creates playful, captivating pieces inspired by her surroundings. As an educator and advocate, she is dedicated to fostering creativity in her community. @inkandhoney.co
EMMA NOYES (S)
Emma Noyes (Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation) is an artist and author committed to expanding the visual and written universe of tribal plateau indigeneity and painting for collective liberation. She also painted letter S in Spokane’s Black Lives Matter mural, one of the largest signs in Spokane County. @expertink
MUSIC
This Must Be The Place
PLACEHOLDER STUDIOS HAS BECOME A SLIGHTLY SECRETIVE SPOKANE MUSIC AND ARTS HUB IN ITS FIRST YEAR
BY SETH SOMMERFELD
When people call something a hidden gem, they usually mean the subject in question is great but underappreciated so not many folks know about it. They much more seldomly mean it’s actually hidden, like you have to know where to look to find it.
Placeholder Studios is a hidden gem in both senses of the phrase.
If you don’t know which hotel parking lot to cut through or which alley to duck down (if the gate is open), you might be out of luck finding the door to the multimedia creative space that music video director Justin Frick opened last Halloween on the same downtown block as Stage Left Theater.
“People come by and they’re like, ‘This is so crazy that this is here.’ Because it’s a hole in the wall,” Frick says. “You feel like you’re gonna get murdered walking in, and then you are in this playground.”
Placeholder is a creatively malleable space with high ceilings and some big moveable box sets Frick and his crew have built. One they designed is covered in colorful rugs to make it look like a fuzzy fur room. Frick uses it for his music videos, but really it’s up to whoever is renting the space to make it their own.
The first thing to emanate from Placeholder was a pop-up Halloween concert in 2024 featuring Vika & the Velvets, The Bed Heads, Tristan Hart Pierce and Timeworm that was put together by Bed Heads frontman
Landon Spencer. While some other shows followed, such as Karli Fairbanks’ album release for Stay Radiant in July, Frick emphasizes Placeholder isn’t going to be a regular stop for showgoers.
“We’re not a venue,” Frick says. “For certain specialty events, we do little pop-up shows, but I’m not trying to turn this into a venue.”
Instead Frick enjoys bringing various mediums to the space. Local visual artist Hazel Miller put on an exhibit at Placeholder, and there’s also been happenings ranging from a breakdance event to a wedding.
Frick actually kind of stumbled onto Placholder. “I did not seek this out or plan for it, which is kind of the cool part and the scary part,” he says. “I was not searching for it, it really just landed on my lap.”
Being a music video director who knows the hassle of having to rent spaces, having your own is wildly useful. When local soul star Allen Stone was moving out of his former studio in the attic of Liberty Lake’s
Allen Stone and his band record a music video. PHOTOS COURTESY PLACEHOLDER STUDIOS
Zephyr Lodge, he mentioned to Frick that the space would be available and he could chat with the land lord. But when they got on the phone, the landlord instead directed Frick to the former home of Commu nity-Minded Television, which became Placholder.
At the time, Frick was in a bit of a creative rut and feeling pretty low as video productions increasingly began conforming to a slapdash TikTok look. To get himself out of it, he took over Placeholder and worked through those anxieties by keeping his head down and building things for the then-empty space.
Inspired by online live music series like KEXP Sessions, Tiny Desk Concerts, and Colors, Frick created the Placeholder Sessions series. The videos drop performers into those colorful fuzzy rug sets and let them showcase their live performance in a simple yet eye-catching manner (the vids can be found on YouTube at @PlaceholderSessions). So far Placeholder Sessions have included mostly local standouts like Truehoods, Karli Fairbanks, Rosie CQ, The Bed Heads and Itchy Kitty, with a few out-of-towners like Oblé Reed and Amelia Day thrown into the mix.
Placeholder Sessions are where Frick feels most at home creatively, and offer more of a routine. It allows him to pump out a couple videos a week thanks to the streamlined shooting and lighting setups. Basically, the videos look very cool without being a huge lift.
His dream is for Placeholder Sessions to not only uplift local musical talents, but reach the point where artists are stopping in Spokane because of the series.
“I don’t charge artists for them. The whole model is that we are a random stop on tour for a band that they leave saying, ‘Dang, Spokane is really cool,’” Frick says. “Even if a band is not scheduled for a show [here], maybe they’re headed from Seattle to Boise, and [Placeholder Sessions] can help actually get people to stop through and hopefully play [a show].”
Beyond the Sessions, Frick marvels at what other people can create in the studio. While most of the business early on was via word of mouth, it’s now listed for rental on the site Peerspace (think: Airbnb for creative project spaces). Rentals are currently $150 per hour with a minimum of two hours.
Frick ideally wants Placeholder to become a spot where creatives might drop in to help out on other people’s projects and learn new skills outside of their primary mediums.
“That’s the cool part for me. It’s like the community comes [together]. It just can be a completely Neapolitan mix of anybody’s ideas,” he says. “I did not want this to be mine. It would be sad if it was just my stuff, because I’m not as busy to keep it going. But when people come in, their eyes light up with ideas of theirs that are completely separate from what I was thinking. And that’s the main thing: People running with their ideas. I’m excited to see what they do.” n
21st Annual
IN PERSON 10 AM - 5 PM FRIDAY, SATURDAY & SUNDAY SEPT 26-28 & OCT 3-5
This free, can’t-miss event is your chance to walk through some of the most beautifully built, newly constructed homes in the Spokane area. Whether you’re dreaming of building your own home, remodeling, or just love great design, the Fall Festival of Homes is the perfect way to spend a fall weekend.
From Prairie-style to Contemporary stunners, from cozy nooks to open-concept living, the 2025 Fall Festival of Homes is where Spokane’s home dreams come to life.
SCAN HERE FOR 3D VIRTUAL TOURS
Photo: Paras Homes
THANK YOU TO OUR PRESENTING SPONSORS:
Photo: Brytech
Photo: Grit & Timber
Photo: Lennar
FALL ARTS • MUSIC
SEPT. 26
BUFFALO JONES
While the guys in Buffalo Jones might be veterans of the Spokane music scene, they sound fresh as ever on their new album, Celebrate. The band’s alt-country roots sometimes call to mind groups like Old 97’s and Wilco, but there’s also a dose of power pop melodicism undergirding the songs and helping them go down extra smooth. Hear the slick tunes from one of the best local albums of the year when Buffalo Jones celebrates Celebrate alongside Silver Treason, Betsy Rogue, and Raj Saint Paul with an album release show in The Chameleon’s cozy confines. The Chameleon, 7:30 pm, $15-$20, 21+, chameleonspokane.com (SS)
OCT. 2
CHEVELLE
When most people think of family bands that break big, their mind may first considers the melodic pop rock realm of bands ranging from The Beach Boys to Oasis to The Jonas Brothers. Chevelle is one exception to the rule. Starting to play around Chicago when they were only teenagers, the Loeffler brothers (singer/guitarist Pete, drummer Sam and bassist Joe) developed a thumping hard alternative rock sound that broke through with the release of Chevelle’s sophomore album, 2002’s Wonder What’s Next, thanks to hit singles like “The Red” and “Send the Pain Below.” While it’s just Pete and Sam holding down the for these days, the band still knows how to create heavy beautiful chaos live. Northern Quest Resort & Casino, 7 pm, $49-$302, northernquest.com (SS)
SEPT. 20 DARIUS RUCKER
Few big-time musicians in our modern era can boast two distinctly different and wildly successful chapters… but Darius Rucker can. First gaining massive fame in the ’90s as the frontman for Hootie & the Blowfish, the singer then reinvented himself as a chart-topping country solo act in the 2000s with songs like “Alright,” “Come Back Song” and a cover of “Wagon Wheel” that’s one of the best-selling country songs of all-time. While his southerntinged country remains the focus of his solo shows, old fans will be relieved to know Rucker still mixes in some Hootie classics live (after all, the Dolphins are still making him cry). Spokane Tribe Resort and Casino, 8 pm, $99, spokanetribecasino.com (SS)
OCT. 4-5
SYMPHONY MASTERWORKS 2: LANDSCAPES
Hamish MacCunn’s “The Land of the Mountain and the Flood” — an alternatingly wistful, folksy, soaring and cinematic overture — sets the mood for this exploration- and adventure-themed Spokane Symphony concert. The delicate flute intro to Debussy’s “Prélude à ’L’aprèsmidi d’un faune,” a dreamlike piece that conjures images of a sleepy woodland full of mythological creatures, gives way to the equally idyllic “Morning Mood” and the slow, ominous build of “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” two of the selections from Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt The Spokane Symphony also treks to the snowy tundra with Cantus Arcticus, Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara’s ode to the Arctic, which is suffused with recorded birdsong. The Fox Theater, Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 3 pm, $24-$83, spokanesymphony.org (EJI)
OCT. 11
BABES IN CANYON
Set the fall tone with Babes In Canyon’s moody folk and synth-heavy pop sound when the Seattle band comes to perform its new album, The New Loud, at The Chameleon. Nathan Hamer (also the founding member of Kuinka) and his wife Sophia started Babes In Canyon in 2023 while stranded in a remote cabin during a winter storm, and nature has been the couple’s biggest muse ever since. The newest album was recorded at their rural Washington farmhouse, tastefully weaving in soundbites of a tractor engine revving, a chorus of tree frogs, splashes in a pond and more. To top it off, the vocals are rich with harmonies that carry catchy melodies abundant with introspection like in the single “Strange” that was inspired by long, phone-free walks. The Chameleon, 8 pm, $10$15, 21+, chameleonspokane.com (DS)
OCT. 8
IN THIS MOMENT
If Greta Gerwig were an edgier director, her hit 2023 blockbuster Barbie might have included In This Moment’s “Sex Metal Barbie” in its soundtrack and featured a quick cameo from the band’s lead singer Maria Brink as, well, Sex Metal Barbie. Since the heavy metal band’s formation in 2005, Brink has been its frontwoman, showcasing an interesting duality between her highly feminine and put-together look and the guttural vocals she kills it with in songs like “Whore,” “GODMODE” and “Adrenalize.” Although Brink is often the band’s focal point, In This Moment’s discography wouldn’t be as popular as it is today without lead guitarist Chris Howorth, bassist Travis Johnson, and guitarists Randy Weitzel and Kent Diimmel backing her up. So don your darkest clothes — maybe a sultry habit or a gothic vestment — because Spokane’s about to get unholy when the band’s Black Mass tour stops here. The Podium, 6:30 pm, $64-$476, thepodiumusa.com (CR)
OCT. 23 & 24
CELTIC THUNDER
Anything that has “thunder” in its title is bound to be a good time. As its name suggests, Celtic Thunder was first formed in Dublin, Ireland, in 2007. Known for its theatrical performances which often involve Celtic motifs and allusions, Celtic Thunder is well acquainted with how to entertain an audience. The Irish singing group is known for its genre mixing, creating a sound unique to them. Returning to Northern Quest Resort & Casino this fall, the men of Celtic Thunder revisit their greatest hits with an electrifying performance. Northern Quest Resort and Casino, 7:30 pm, $28-$49, northernquest.com (EB)
OCT. 24
CHOIR! CHOIR! CHOIR!
You probably wouldn’t have “choir director” high up on a list of innately cool jobs, but the way that Canadian’s Daveed Goldman and Nobu Adilman carry out the gig via their touring Choir! Choir! Choir! shows might change that. Their trick? Everybody is in the choir. Audience participation is the show, as they simply and energetically teach the crowd parts of popular songs that quickly become beautiful rousing when sung en masse. Choir! Choir! Choir!’s stop at the Bing will be “an epic Queen sing-along” featuring hits by the British rock titans. This is the real life, but when belting in unison, things start to just feel like fantasy. Theater, 8 pm, $39-$51, bingcrosbytheater.com (SS)
NOV. 9
MAGOO
OCT.
22
MARC REBILLET
What do Buffalo, Little Rock, Cleveland, Boise, Sioux Falls, Tampa, Reno, Eugene, Salt Lake City and Spokane all have in common? Well, for sassy-ass loop-heavy funk/hip-hop/electronic musician Marc Rebillet, they’re all “Places I’ve never played and will never play again.” So, I guess we better get the f— out of bed, bitch, and go, cause it might be our only chance to see the “one-man improvised meltdown.” The rowdy, robed (sometimes unrobed) singer will stop by the Knit on a Wednesday, which seems totally appropriate for a place he doesn’t give a shit about. Lemme say though: Having seen Rebillet at Austin City Limits music festival, he puts on a delightfully goofy and dance-worthy set, liable to feature any number of whackadoodle on-stage guests and underwear antics. Worth it. Knitting Factory, 8 pm, $44+, sp.knittingfactory.com (SW)
NOV. 15
KEVIN GATES
Being a complicated individual can sometimes offer fertile grounds. That’s certainly the case with rapper Kevin Gates. He’s the type who’s had multiple prison stints and a master’s degree in psychology. At times he can be an emotionally raw MC, spitting earnestly about dealing with depression, but then next moment he might be spitting out extremely raunchy bars. A host of platinum hits like “2 Phones,” “Really Really” and “Broken Love” should have The Podium rocking at the biggest hip-hop show of the season. The Podium, 8 pm, $45-$80, thepodiumusa.com (SS)
Most bluegrass acts feature nifty musicians who can throw down and hoedown, but there’s usually a reserved aspect to their instrumental flairs. Magoo shreds. The Colorado progressive bluegrass quartet still boast the genre’s home-spun harmonizing songwriting, but aren’t afraid to let things absolutely rip on songs like “This Road’s Been Good to Me” (the band’s cover of Foo Fighter’s “Everlong” is also a marvel). If you’ve avoided bluegrass shows because they seem a bit musty, Magoo’s youthful energized zeal might be a good modernized entry point to the genre. The District Bar, 8 pm, $21, 21+, sp.knittingfactory.com (SS)
DEC.
5
THE MOUNTAIN GOATS
The Mountain Goats are an acquired taste, but once you get acquainted, it’s hard to go back to any other band. What makes the prolific band so sonically addicting is frontman John Darnielle’s lyrics — he could write a grocery list worth of a Pulitzer. Whether Darnielle is detailing tumultuous relationships that end in divorce via songs like “No Children” or trying his hand at concept albums like Beat The Champ, The Mountain Goats’ 15th studio album all about professional wrestling, the words he uses flow into stories that can twist your heart into knots, make you break down in tears from laughing, or change your outlook on life forever. So, whether you know every word to “Hast Thou Considered the Tetrapod” or you’re going in blind, you’ll leave the Knitting Factory a changed person when the band tours in support of its new album, Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan Knitting Factory, 8 pm, $59-$111, sp.knittingfactory.com (MP)
DEC.
13
SPOKANE JAZZ ORCHESTRA: A MOTOWN CHRISTMAS
While many of us joyfully await the classic Christmas tunes that winter brings, there’s nothing wrong with mixing things up. That’s exactly what the Spokane Jazz Orchestra, joined by jazz musician Kate Skinner, is doing in December with “A Motown Christmas.” The orchestra aims to reinvigorate the magic of the holiday by focusing on the bluesy, soulful and R&B stylings of Motown. Skinner, also an assistant professor of jazz piano at the University of Idaho, has performed with small and large jazz ensembles across the country. And while she’s a talented pianist, her captivating vocals are what will be on display at this festive concert. Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, 7:30 pm, $34-$44, gonzaga.edu/mwpac (CR) n
FALL ARTS • VISUAL ARTS
In the Flesh
BY DORA SCOTT
One by one, five artists file into a small studio space on the second floor of a multitenant building at 707 N. Cedar St. on the edge of Kendall Yards. Each carries their preferred art medium: sketchbooks, graphite pencils, watercolors, charcoal pastels, clay and more. They take a seat facing model Mel Schuhler, dressed in a lilac-colored robe and waiting on a black couch.
Daron Brunke, founder of Inland Northwest Figure Drawing, starts a timer for three minutes. Schuhler derobes and strikes her first pose. Scrawling sounds ensue as the artists hastily capture her form; the process repeats with the model’s pose time growing longer as the evening wears on.
Brunke started the figure drawing group a decade ago to provide the local art community with accessible and consistent open sessions, held weekly on Wednesday evenings from 5 to 8 pm for a $20 drop-in fee. Welcome to artists of all levels and mediums, the group has easels and some materials available for use, but recommends participants bring their own supplies.
An art model himself, Brunke recognizes the importance of figure drawing not only as a foundational skill for artists but also for how it benefits models.
“When I was nine years old I was burned pretty badly in a gasoline fire, so I have some extensive scars,” Brunke says. “And just, you know, grew up with a lot of insecurities and body image issues because of that.”
He was then presented with the opportunity to model in his mid thirties for a figure drawing group in Hayden.
“It was really a pivotal moment for me, you know, a very life-changing decision,” Brunke, now 52, says. “Pretty much from that point forward, I decided this is what I wanted to do.”
On the artists’ side, attendees comment how drawing from a live model teaches a lot more about body proportions, shading and lighting than a two-dimensional reference.
“That makes a big difference because you see the bones and you see things that clothes hide,” says artist Patricia Kabasa.
The group has met at various locations throughout
the years, starting out at the now-closed East Sprague Art Gallery and even operating out of a tattoo studio temporarily until finding its current spot inside the Pelican Building two years ago.
The timer on Brunke’s phone chimes, breaking the artists’ focus and allowing Schuler, the model, to relax, put on her robe and take a quick break. She says she started figure art modeling about a year ago, and was inspired after attending art school.
“I went to a super-conservative art school where we weren’t allowed to have nude models,” Schuhler says. “I think it’s just a really important thing to know how to draw every aspect of the body, but also as an artist to be able to objectively look at a form and not sexualize it.”
After the break the session concludes with three 30-minute long poses, which are more relaxed than the shorter ones to allow the model to be able to sit still.
“When you’re modeling for artists, it kind of removes some of your humanity, in a sense, because artists aren’t looking at you like you’re a person,” Brunke says. “You’re
ABOVE: Mark Terrano uses walnut ink to paint model Mel Schuhler (detail shown top right).
more of a tool that they are using to practice their art.”
For one of the long poses, Schuhler lays on her side on the couch with her back facing the artists and a book in hand serving the dual function of a prop but also to help the time fly.
Working with oil pastels and charcoal that Brunke has lent me, her body translates to a series of shapes and shadows on my sketchpad, the extra time allowing me to add splashes of color like the pale blue of her headband, the blush on her cheeks and the gold of her jewelry.
Like it did for Schuhler, the local figure drawing group has provided other individuals the opportunity to try nude art modeling for the first time.
“Essentially the two requirements to do this, to model for art, are to be comfortable in your own skin and be able to remain still for extended periods of time,” Brunke explains, adding that it doesn’t matter your gender, age, body type or anything else.
Model safety and comfort is a priority for Brunke, too. The group operates from a private Facebook group, called INW Figure Drawing, to protect models’ identities and as an attendee vetting process.
“I ask people not to engage directly with the models unless the models have engaged with them directly first,” Brunke says. “Everything is basically on a permission or consent basis when it comes to the model.”
As the session closes, Brunke meanders around the room and asks to take pictures of everyone’s art. One person has molded brown clay to capture poses and body parts, another’s sketch in graphite pencil hones in on the model’s face. Another artist’s watercolor depictions are spread out on the floor to dry.
A fun part about modeling, Brunke explains, is getting to see all the work after.
“When we look at ourselves in the mirror, we tend to see the things that we may not necessarily like about ourselves or that we see as not good enough,” he says. “So what I want for people to take away from what I do is that the things that you may see as flaws or imperfections may be the very things that make you strong and unique.” n
FALL INTO THE SYMPHONY
POPS 1 THE DIVAS FROM BROADWAY
SEPTEMBER 27
MASTERWORKS 2
LANDSCAPES
OCTOBER 4-5
THE MUSIC OF HARRY POTTER
OCTOBER 25
OCTOBER 26 (SENSORY-FRIENDLY)
POPS 2
MASTERWORKS 3 DARKO
NOVEMBER 8-9
DECADES: BACK TO THE 80’s
NOVEMBER 15
HANDEL’S MESSIAH NOVEMBER 20-22
FALL ARTS • VISUAL ARTS
THROUGH MARCH 14, 2026
THROUGH OCT. 30
SIMULA: THE ART OF SARAH BARNETT
ANISH KAPOOR: DISSOLVING MARGINS / COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES
Fall means back to school time for students and for supporters of Washington State University’s Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, where two dynamic art exhibits await. Get lost in “Dissolving Margins,” featuring the cerebral, ethereal works of Anish Kapoor, an internationally celebrated sculptor and mixed media artist. Sate your visual thirst for color in the multi-artist showcase “Color Outside the Lines.” And gain the insider’s view into both exhibits on Thursday, Sept. 25, with a free curatorial tour (noon-1 pm), an artist lecture (3-4 pm) from one of the participating artists, Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds, from 3-4 pm, followed by a joint opening reception (4-6 pm). Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU; open Tue-Sat 10 am-4 pm; free; museum.wsu.edu (CSz)
Evocative. Luscious. Discomfiting. Paradoxical. From her first locally shown images of people who seemed to be self-suffocating in plastic — albeit gorgeously, sensuously painted — Sarah Barnett struck a chord with viewers. She lures you in with her exceptional paint handling and intense color palette, yet the imagery knocks you back. Bodies cut open, glistening medical equipment, embryonic orbs, and all the things you feel you shouldn’t be allowed to see … but you can’t tear your eyes away because the apparent reverence for her subject matter borders on the sublime. In her artist statement, Barnett notes her current show explores “the uncanny space between the organic and the synthetic — where the human body, scientific progress, and spiritual inquiry intersect.” Fortunately, if you missed this show’s First Friday opening in September, there is a second reception on Friday, Oct. 3, from 5-7:30 pm. Chase Gallery, open Mon-Fri from 9 am-5 pm, free, spokanearts.org (CSz)
THROUGH DEC. 20
THROUGH KILN & PRESS
Spokane is filled with talented artists looking to express their unique visions, but few in that pool have as much of a footprint on the city’s art scene as Gina Freuen and Mary Farrell. Freuen, a ceramic artist, has spent more than five decades working in the region. Meanwhile, Farrell, a print artist, led Gonzaga University’s printmaking program for more than 20 years before retiring in 2020. In addition to their long careers, both artists find inspiration in organic forms and the laborious process of creation, so it’s not surprising to see the pair collaborating for “Through Kiln & Press” at Gonzaga’s Jundt. Jundt Art Museum, open Mon-Sat from 10 am-4 pm, Free, gonzaga.edu/ jundt (CR)
OCT. 14
INDIGENOUS ARTIST RESIDENCY LECTURE: EPIPHANY COUCH
Portland-based interdisciplinary artist Epiphany Couch seeks to examine generational knowledge, our relationships with both the natural and spiritual world, and storytelling. As part of Whitworth University’s Carlson Commemoration Indigenous Artist Residency, Couch will both showcase their art at the school this fall and present a lecture. Couch (spuyaləpabš [Puyallup], Yakama, and Scandinavian/mixed European descent) focuses on generational and cultural knowledge in her multimedia artwork, including weaving, beadwork, photography, installations, sculptural works and collage. Using art as a method to sustain memory and culture, Couch’s art tells a story that is cross-generational and ever-evolving. Lied Center for the Visual Arts, 5:30-6:30pm, free, whitworth.edu (EB)
Fall Events at Barrister
NOV. 3-DEC. 4
SASHA BARRETT: PTYCHKA (BIRDIE)
Born and raised in Sumy, Ukraine, ceramicist Sasha Barrett has since 2022 focused his art on the heartbreaking reality of his war-torn home. Using clay to create sculptural wall panels that are kiln fired in a process that creates a “violent, sooty presence,” etchings on the surface depict scenes of bombedout buildings, sand-bagged doorways and soldiers on the march. Rough scratches and indentations on the panels evoke shrapnel blasts and bullet scars that mar building facades across Ukraine’s hardest-hit cities. “Peering through this atmospheric surface are drawings etched into the clay by hand, sourced from photographs and film stills from a recent visit to the country,” Barrett writes. “I am inspired, saddened and moved by a society that has adapted and endured these new and awful realities. ... I aim to spread awareness, to share stories, be of service, and help deter the ever-so-common war fatigue.” Barrett presents as part of the show’s opening reception on Mon, Nov. 3, from 11:30 am-2:30 pm. Open Mon-Fri 8:30 am-3:30 pm, free admission, SFCC Fine Art Gallery, sfcc.spokane.edu (CS)
NOW REGISTERING 2025/2026 SEASON
Ballet, Acrobatic Arts, Modern Dance, Contemporary Dance, Traditional Character Dance & Emerging Artists Program
(509) 869-5573 • companyballetspokane.com
FALL ARTS • VISUAL ARTS
NOV. 14-DEC. 6
MEGAN E. FINCH
Head to Coeur d’Alene to catch a short but powerful exhibition by Spokane-based artist Megan Finch, who recently completed a residency at The Hive and has also exhibited locally at Terrain. In her as-yet-untitled show, Finch includes a variety of handsewn textile collages, and both mixed-media and found object paintings. “Thematically the show centers around the American landscape, specifically the Northwest, and the dissonance between the reality of the land and our idealized versions of it,” Finch says via email. “As climate change and giant corporate interests chip away at our natural environment, places and animals we remember from as recently as our own childhoods are simply no longer here.” Originally from Montana, Finch is both documentarian and provocateur through her work. The images, she writes, “also challenge the viewer to do more than just remember.” Emerge, open Tue-Sat from 10 am-6pm, emergecda.com (CSz)
DEC. 5-27
NOV. 4-JAN. 23
JOSH HOBSON
Josh Hobson, who considers himself a lens-based artist, has been working with a camera for more than two decades now. The Eastern Washington University photography lecturer has two degrees in creative photography and has shown in galleries across Spokane, such as the Chase Gallery and Saranac Art Projects; he’s also the Terrain gallery’s featured artist for September. Hobson attempts to push the medium of photography as far as it will possibly go, even incorporating “camera-less concrete processes” in his work. Lately, his focus has been on topics that impact every community, including climate change, pollution and resource extraction. In November, Hobson’s show at Whitworth University opens to display this photographic talent, and runs until Jan. 23. Bryan Oliver Gallery, open Mon-Fri from 10 am-4:30 pm, free admission, whitworth.edu/art (CR)
JON MERRELL & LINDSEY
MERRELL: TIME DILATION
Back when Spokane artist couple Jon and Lindsey Merrell applied for a collaborative showcase inside Terrain’s North Monroe gallery, their plan was for the show to explore and reflect upon Jon’s recovery from a serious cycling accident after being struck by a car four years ago — his healing and the passage of time, says family friend Emily Gwinn. But in a heartbreaking turn of events, the show is now expected to be Jon Merrell’s last after receiving, in August 2024, a terminal diagnosis of degenerative nerve disorder ALS. Though he can no longer create art due to losing motor control of his arms, the heartwrenching gallery showcase will feature past artworks created by Jon and Lindsey, both individually and collaboratively. Jon Merrell’s distinct graphic art has been widely featured in the Spokane arts scene, on local advertisements and branding, band posters, and multiple past Inlander covers. Open Thu-Sat 4-7 pm, free admission, Terrain Gallery, terrainspokane.org (CS)
DEC. 5-27
LAUREN
URLACHER: FLEURON
Summer is winding down and soon enough the flowers and eyefuls of blooming beauty we’ve enjoyed for many months will wither. By December, we’ll be more than ready for the oversized floral imagery of local artist Lauren Urlacher. Dahlias are her primary obsession, which Urlacher paints in both realistic and invented colors, occasionally in black and white and ranging from the showy “dinner plate” variety to ones that more closely resemble water lilies. “Her flowers remind me of portraits, and I told her that they kind of remind me of floral Chuck Close paintings,” says D2 co-owner and artist Michael Dinning, who launched the gallery with his wife, Stephanie, inside the historic Lorraine Building at 310 W. First Ave. in May 2025. Mark your calendar for this First Friday opening on Dec. 5 from 5-8 pm. D2 Gallery & Studio, open Wed-Thu 11 am-5:30 pm, Fri-Sat 11 am-6 pm; free; d2gallerystudio.com (CSz)
DEC. 6
MAC HOLIDAY
ARTIST STUDIO TOUR
Go behind the scenes with some of your favorite local artists during the MAC’s 9th Annual Holiday Artist Studio Tour. Although tickets are available through the museum, it’s not held there; this is a DIY experience where $20 gets you the map to seven artist’s studios ($25 tickets include a post-tour reception). See what artists are working on now and maybe get a jump on your holiday shopping. Will Alexander Dayne be throwing pottery on the wheel? Which one of her wildly patterned wearable artworks will Barbara Safranek be sporting? Additional participating artists include Andrew Parker, Christy Branson, Deb Sheldon, Dylan Lipsker and Emma Sheldon. The tour runs from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm, followed by the Barrister Winery reception from 3-5 pm. $20-$25, northwestmuseum.org (CSz) n
• WORDS FALL ARTS
A Creative Array
FORAY FOR THE ARTS INVITES SPOKANE CREATIVES TO REVEL IN COMMUNITY AND PERFORMANCE
BY MADISON PEARSON
Sarah Rooney had extreme stage fright. For a writer, that doesn’t pose too much of a problem, but when Rooney felt moved to participate in Spokane’s open mic scene, they had to address it head-on.
“I attended [Neato Burrito’s] Broken Mic, but I couldn’t always make it on Wednesdays,” Rooney says. “So I figured I would make my own as a way to push myself into regularly getting up in front of people to perform.”
Rooney started hosting an open mic called Speakeasy at Bijou on Spokane’s South Hill. The event (and that location of the bar, which still operates in Browne’s Addition) is now defunct, but Rooney says the camaraderie that came out of Speakeasy was the catalyst for bigger things to come.
Through local author Sharma Shields, Rooney was connected with another writer, Greg Bem, and it turned out the two had very similar ideas for an open-mic-style event that included more than just poetry.
“I have a background in not only writing but also photography, videography, sound design and performance art,” Bem says. “My goal was to see how we could elevate multiple disciplines in one space.”
Rooney and Bem began compiling a list of creatives in the area to fill out their first roster of performers for the duo’s new brainchild, Foray for the Arts.
The series’ debut was held in January 2024 at Lumberbeard Brewing and featured comedian Anthony Singleton, spoken word performer Marcus Shoffner, poets Jessie Vasquez, Kathryn Smith and Mark Anderson, and singer-songwriter Madriea.
Since then, the Foray team has held 27 other events at various venues around Spokane and has expanded to include saxophonists, hula hoop performers, multimedia presentations, fire dancers and performers of many other disciplines.
Usually, the events are open-ended, but occasionally are themed to serve as a slight challenge for each month’s lineup. There’s been a Foray dedicated to only dance, one titled “Sound” and another just for poetry readings.
While Bem and Rooney reach out to performers to ask them to participate, there are sign-up sheets at each event, which helps them gauge interest in potential future Foray performers, no matter a person’s skill or comfort level.
“We want to make art accessible,” Rooney says. “We
Foray for the Arts co-founder Sarah Rooney. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
“We want to make art accessible.”
want to make it more welcoming and I want all entry-level performers to feel comfortable getting up there and being themselves.”
When Bem and Rooney were creating Foray, they wanted the monthly events to be free but also to focus on giving back to the community, so each Foray is hosted at a local business where attendees are able to buy food, drinks or other goods while also listening to the performers.
Past Forays have been held at Patera Temperance Lounge, Emma Rue’s, Lunarium, Jupiter’s Eye Book Cafe and The Bad Seed. On occasion, Foray is hosted outdoors or in a public space that complements the performance or the theme of that month’s bill.
“It’s interesting to explore the idea of a venue radically,” Bem says. “How can space change audience engagement? How can it change artists’ work and how they present their work? And how can a series really connect to the fabric of a city?”
As Foray now approaches its two-year anniversary, Bem and Rooney are excited for the future.
They’ve just created a new website (www.foray4thearts.org) with a database of past performers and an interest form, and plan on fleshing it out more as the year goes on. They’re also looking forward to meeting new people and trading ideas
back and forth. Rooney says connections to the community have been vital to Foray’s success.
“We’re always looking for fresh, radical ideas,” Bem says. “We want to say ‘yes’ to more of them and explore what’s possible in Spokane.”
The pair has seen firsthand performers gain confidence at Foray, and Bem says it wouldn’t be possible without the support of Spokane’s creative community.
“It’s been amazing getting to know just how many people are active and passionate about sharing their work in this city,” he says. “Supporting voices from across the city has been a joyous thing for me.”
While Rooney was once riddled with stage fright, now they jump into Foray sets whenever they can, cherishing every moment in front of the mic thanks to the camaraderie that’s bloomed from Foray.
“I believe that cultivating a space where people can get up and express themselves is so important,” Rooney says. “Once you get out there and you do it, so many people connect with that vulnerability and I think we all need that right now because it’s really hard for us all to connect when we’re so afraid.”
“If we can all have that moment of shared experience and vulnerability and allow for connection, the world will be that much better.” n
Foray for the Arts performs at locations around the area, like this recent session at (and in) the Spokane River. COURTESY PHOTOS
FALL ARTS • WORDS
SEPT. 27
CELEBRATE FORTHCOMING BOOKS BY ESTEEMED LOCAL WRITERS
As part of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association’s fall tradeshow, local authors Travis Baldree, Kelly Milner Halls, Sarah Mackenzie and Maya Jewell Zeller gather to chat about their soonto-be-published books. Baldree discusses Brigands & Breadknives, set in the same fantasy world as his bestselling Legends & Lattes Milner showcases her newest wacky book, Cryptid Sea Monsters: A Field Guide to 50 Fascinating Beasts, while Mackenzie discusses her upcoming children’s book titled Flora and the Jazzers and Zeller showcases her newly-published The Wonder of Mushrooms: The Mysterious World of Fungi. While this event is free and open to the public, registration for the rest of the four-day conference requires industry affiliation. Central Library, 4:30 pm, free, spokanelibrary.org (MP)
OCT. 1
WONDERFUL, WEIRD AND WORRISOME OBJECTS IN WASHINGTON STATE MUSEUMS
Every time you step inside a museum, you’re embarking on a journey through history. With hundreds of artifacts and artworks in each institution’s collection, it’s impossible to see every single thing within the walls of any given museum. Most don’t even showcase 10% of their collections, which is what makes this talk by Seattle-based author Harriet Baskas so interesting. Listen as Baskas explores a wide range of unusual objects found in the archives of museums around Washington state. In her talk she reveals a Spokane institution that keeps a selection of Bing Crosby’s toupées and a museum in Lynden that’s home to a 150-year-old pickle, among other wacky objects mostly hidden from the public view. Cheney Library, 6:30 pm, free, humanities.org (MP)
OCT.
7
NORTHWEST
PASSAGES: SHANN RAY
Shann Ray is one of Spokane’s most interesting residents. Not only does he teach leadership and forgiveness studies at Gonzaga University, but he also played professional basketball in Germany, taught poetry at Stanford University and is a prolific author, having penned 14 books over the course of his writing career. So, this Northwest Passages event about his newest book, Where Blackbirds Fly, should be just as interesting as the man himself. Moderated by Spokesman-Review managing editor Lindsey Treffry, the event features Ray talking about the power of empathy, the wisdom of wilderness and the mysteries echoed in the recurring appearances of blackbirds in the novel. Bing Crosby Theater, 7 pm, $10-$60, spokesman.com/northwest-passages (MP)
OCT. 16
POET
LAUREATES OF THE INLAND NORTHWEST
When most people think about poetry, they probably remember being forced to read and analyze “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe and various Robert Frost poems in high school. But poetry is so much more than that. Our region is chock-full of talented poets who are passionate about their craft and dedicated to making a difference. At this event, the poet laureates of Ellensburg (Marie Marchand), Spokane (Mery Smith) and Coeur d’Alene (Jennifer Passaro) gather to celebrate the release of Marchand’s newest collection, Mostly Sweet, Lovely, Human Things. Along with Marchand reading from the new collection, Smith and Passaro share snippets of their work and talk about what it means to be a poet laureate. Liberty Park Library, 5:30 pm, free, spokanelibrary.org (MP)
OCT. 16
SPOKANE AIA LECTURE: MATRINLINEAL KINSHIP IN AEGEAN PREHISTORY
In this lecture hosted by the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, Dr. Sabina Cveček, a socio-cultural anthropologist, examines the interplay of women and power in prehistoric Greece. Cveček’s talk is part of a national lecture series sponsored by the Archaeological Institute of America, for which she’ll explore many questions regarding whether or not prehistoric Greece was matrilineal, matriarchal, or centered on women in some capacity. While matrilineal family structures don’t necessarily mean women were in power, archaeological evidence provides important insight into the social organization of prehistoric Greece. Investigating available evidence, such as how settlements were organized, Cveček offers a nuanced look into the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age Aegean society. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 6:30 pm, free, northwestmusuem.org (EB)
OCT. 21 AND NOV. 18
POETRY FOR EVERYONE
Poetry can feel a little… stuffy sometimes, and can often make people feel uncomfortable due to its earnestness, but local writer Sarah Rooney is breaking down these barriers with a monthly poetry workshop. Rooney is one half of the team behind Spokane’s curated multidisciplinary open mic, Foray for the Arts (read more on page 40), and has seen firsthand that poetry is for everyone through the many readings at each Foray event. At these workshops, Rooney invites community members to bring in newly completed works, works in progress and even just ideas for poems. From there, the group will collaborate, provide feedback, and offer support to their fellow poets in order for everyone to create something they’re proud to share with the world. Shadle Park Library, 1 pm, free, spokanelibrary.org (MP)
OCT. 23
SPOKANE IS READING
For the past two decades, Spokane is Reading has built a community of readers one book at a time. Each year the event, created through a partnership between the city and county library systems and Auntie’s Bookstore, tasks the region’s readers with a book reading assignment followed by live events in the fall with the author. This year, Spokanites are reading The Reformatory, a haunting historical fiction that shines a light on the decades of abuse and torture at Florida’s Dozier School for Boys, where more than 80 boys are known to have died. The novel was written by Tananarive Due, a UCLA professor of Afrofuturism and Black horror who’s received the American Book Award and an NAACP Image Award for her novels. Spokane Valley Library at 1 pm, Central Library at 7 pm, free, spokaneisreading.org (CR)
Spokane Poet Laureate Mery Smith ERICK DOXEY PHOTO
OCT. 29
PHILIPPA GREGORY: COURTLY INTRIGUE & WHISPERS AS WEAPONS
While many fans of Philippa Gregory — celebrated author and “queen of British historical fiction” — may have thought she was done writing books centered on the lives of women in the infamous Tudor court (her last installment, after all, was 2017’s The Last Tudor), she’s back with a brand new title this fall: Boleyn Traitor. Reimagining the life of Jane Boleyn, sister-in-law to the ill-fated Anne, Gregory’s latest returns readers to the intrigue-filled court of the tyrant king Henry VIII. “Seeing Jane as a survivor, acting in her own interests, restores to her the independence and will that I believe all Tudor women had and a woman at court could not have succeeded without,” Gregory writes on her website. Local fans have a chance to hear from the author and even submit their questions for consideration as part of the Spokane County Library District’s fall online author series. Boleyn Traitor releases Oct. 14, so there’s even time to read it before the event. Online, 11 am-noon, free, scld.org (CS)
NOV. 4-7
EVERYBODY READS
You never expect to go viral. Spokane author Travis Baldree certainly didn’t, but that’s exactly what happened to his independently published fantasy book in 2022. Legends & Lattes revolves around Viv, an orc adventurer who retires from her career to open a tranquil coffee shop. The “cozy fantasy” book took off on TikTok and other platforms; soon enough, it was being talked about on all corners of the internet’s bookish communities. Now, Legends & Lattes has been chosen as 2025’s Everybody Reads book, a community reading program similar to Spokane is Reading that features events around the Palouse region. Locals have eight chances to attend a special event featuring Baldree, where he’ll discuss the book and answer burning questions readers might have about the wondrous, fantastical world he’s created, which is revisited in two followups: 2023’s Bookshops & Bonedust and the forthcoming (Nov. 11) Brigands & Breadknives. Locations and times vary, free, everybody-reads.org (MP)
NOV. 13
AN EVENING WITH DAVID SEDARIS
When we think of the people on stage telling jokes, we’re often inclined to call them comedians, but when we’re talking about those who write the punchlines, it’s better to call them humorists. And then there are funny people, such as David Sedaris, who consider himself both. Known for his comedic essays and books, Sedaris became a household name in the years after he first appeared on NPR in the early 1990s. Soon after he began writing essays for Esquire and the New Yorker, and gained fame for his endearing sense of humor that often relies on self-deprecation and satire. When Sedaris takes the stage at the Fox, he’ll bring that same hilarious vibe as he talks about his most recent book of short stories, Happy Go Lucky, and his first-ever children’s book, Pretty Ugly The Fox Theater, 7:30 pm, $52-$82, foxtheaterspokane.org (CR) n
YOUTH ARTS LEADERSHIP
YOUTH ARTS LEADERSHIP
Sindhu Surapaneni
Sindhu Surapaneni
INCLUSION
INCLUSION
Sarah Dahmen
Sarah Dahmen
COLLABORATION
COLLABORATION
Michael Smith
Michael Smith
ARTS ADVOCACY
ARTS ADVOCACY
Stephen Cummins
Stephen Cummins
IMAGINATION
IMAGINATION
Patty Dewitt-Garegnani
Patty Dewitt-Garegnani
LEADERSHIP
LEADERSHIP
Rebecca Cook
Rebecca Cook
LIFETIME ACHEIVEMENT AWARD – KEN SPIERING to find out more about spokane arts, the saga grant program, and art events in our region, visit us at SPOKANEARTS.ORG
LIFETIME ACHEIVEMENT AWARD – KEN SPIERING to find out more about spokane arts, the saga grant program, and art events in our region, visit us at SPOKANEARTS.ORG
saturday • january 31 • 2026
saturday • january 31 • 2026
20172025
ONE MILLION DOLLARS TO
SPOKANE
• THEATER FALL ARTS
In Search of Shakespeare
WHEN SHAKESPEARE APPEARED TO BE MISSING IN COEUR D’ALENE, MARY BOWERS RALLIED THE COMMUNITY TO FIND HIM
BY E.J. IANNELLI
Following her retirement from a long career as a high-school English teacher, Mary Bowers thought she had a good fix on what life would be like upon moving from northern California to North Idaho.
After all, her niece, Maggie Johnson, had lived in Coeur d’Alene for a few years, and Bowers herself had visited several times — enough to fall in love with the area. But when the two of them went looking for Shakespeare, he proved a little harder to find than they expected.
“I just assumed there would be a theater company that was doing Shakespeare already in a place like Coeur d’Alene that so embraces the arts,” Bowers says. “And we were stunned to find there wasn’t one.”
Instead of feeling disappointed, she was energized by the idea of founding a local troupe that would focus on Shakespeare’s work. With Johnson as the organization’s business-savvy executive director and Bowers as its Bardadoring artistic and education director, the two of them officially launched Shakespeare Coeur d’Alene two years ago almost to the day.
Bowers is more than a hobbyist when it comes to the English language’s most famous playwright. She has a master’s degree in Shakespeare studies, and she studied at the University of Birmingham’s renowned Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon, the Bard’s birthplace and home to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
As a self-described lifelong “minor-league Shakespeare scholar,” she spent much of her teaching career getting high-school students familiar with and excited about his work through classes, performances and camps.
More than anything, it was the timelessness and the universality of his plays that she wanted to impart on anyone who might have questioned what all the fuss was about.
“The great scholar Harold Bloom said that Shakespeare invented the human. What he meant by that is he kind of invented the idea of exploring the psychological nature of human existence. And nobody’s ever done that like Shakespeare. It’s just so rich and the language is so beautiful,” she says.
In its early months, the Shakespeare Coeur d’Alene event calendar was mostly table readings and casual discussion groups around some of the lesser-staged plays. Coriolanus. The Two Gentlemen of Verona. The Winter’s Tale. That was an effort to gauge interest and build a network of support among the local community. When it came time for the group’s inaugural production in the summer of 2024, Bowers had a few parameters in mind. It should be something fun and well-known like the fantastical comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream She wanted it to be staged outdoors so as to open it up to a large audience. And she wanted it to be free for the same reason.
The overarching goal was “to show our community what we had to offer,” she says.
“It was standing room only at the [Riverstone] Amphitheater. We only had three performances, but we probably had 300 people at each. It was just overflowing. There were families and little kids. I mean, it was such a mix of people. It was wonderful.”
Shakespeare Coeur d’Alene’s recent productions include Macbeth (above, top right) and a 1940s reimagining of Much Ado About Nothing (right).
STEPHEN MARTINEZ PHOTOS
Just a few months later, their next production, Macbeth, moved indoors to the Salvation Army Kroc Center.
“We loved working at the Kroc Center, having control over everything, which we did not have outdoors, especially when our dress rehearsal got completely rained out,” Bowers says. “We ran two weekends and we did well. People came to see it, some more than once.”
The Scottish play was so well-received that it earned second place for Best Play in the Inlander’s 2025 Best Of Readers Poll. That’s no small feat for an organization still in its formative stage. What was more impressive to both the venue and the Shakespeare Coeur d’Alene executive team was the ticketing data, which indicated that many in the audience were first-time playgoers.
This year, with a World War II-themed summertime run of Much Ado About Nothing already under its belt, Shakespeare Coeur d’Alene is gearing up for its fourth full production, Hamlet. A good number of actors — including Seth Weddle, Amanda Moore, Amelia Polocz, Roger Huntman and Maria Stromberg — are returning for it. Bowers is once again sitting in the director’s chair.
But while the company’s momentum and the consistency among its cast and crew should have her feeling confident, she admits to some hesitation over this particular play.
“I was resisting Hamlet,” she says. “Because Hamlet’s intimidating as hell.”
Among other things, Hamlet is the play that gave us famous soliloquies (“To be, or not to be”) and idioms (“Neither a borrower nor a lender be”) that have long since transcended the stage. It’s responsible for the iconic image of an actor holding a skull aloft. It’s teeming with ambiguity and intrigue and the nuances of human behavior.
Having reflected on that legacy, Bowers chose to delve into the play’s core and arrange the style of the production around it.
“Hamlet’s a bleak play. It is so raw and so dark
about the emotional and psychological journey of this broken man. And I kind of wanted the setting to reflect that. I knew I wanted Hamlet to be fairly minimalistic and modern. So it’s kind of an indeterminate place, though it’s still Denmark,” she says.
Ben Schulzke, who’s playing the tormented title character, feels the weight of his role.
And that’s a deliberate choice. The software developer and longtime Shakespeare buff found that he could best channel Hamlet by pushing aside all the other interpretations — famous performances by the likes of Kenneth Branagh, Andrew Scott, Richard Burton and David Tennant — and attempting to physically inhabit the character.
It’s something that just “clicked,” he says, right before a rehearsal of the famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy.
“I was trying to find the place in my body where the words resonate. That’s a weird way of putting it, but people carry their emotions and especially their stress and trauma and pain in certain places in their body,” Schulzke explains.
“It was like I could feel it as a pressure on my chest — where it’s like you can’t even get a full breath. He feels a bit like Frodo in Lord of the Rings, carrying this enormous burden that is weighing him down and also corrupting him and twisting him.”
The resulting production, which opens on Oct. 17 for a two-weekend run at the Kroc Center, is one that Bowers hopes will appeal to those who are brand new to Shakespeare — or even theater altogether — as well as Shakespeare die-hards who’ve seen umpteen productions.
“I love the thought of how Shakespeare has developed and morphed over the 400 years as society changes, as mores change, as technology changes,” she says.
“And I love that you can see Hamlet five different times directed by five different people and with five different casts — and you don’t ever see the same play twice.” n
FALL ARTS • THEATER
SEPT. 26-OCT. 12
THE SOUND OF MUSIC
Starting off Lake City Playhouse’s 61st season with a bang, the Coeur d’Alene theater presents The Sound of Music, based on the enduring story of the real Von Trapp family and filled with unforgettable musical numbers. Set in Nazioccupied Austria, The Sound of Music tells a story of unlikely romance, resistance to occupation, and bravery. Opening in 1959, the Broadway adaption of Maria von Trapp’s 1949 memoir was an instant award-winning success. Eventually, the hit Broadway musical was adapted into the iconic 1965 musical film starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. For an undoubtedly entertaining time, attend Lake City Playhouse’s take on a classic. Lake City Playhouse, times vary, $25.75-$30.75, lakecityplayhouse.org (EB)
OCT. 14-15
STEREOPHONIC
Rock bands are inherent pressure cookers for interpersonal drama. Striving for musical stardom fosters creative clashes, record label pressures, inflated egos and sometimes even romantic tensions. That all comes to the forefront in David Adjmi’s wildly acclaimed play Stereophonic, which won the 2024 Tony for Best Play and set the record as the most Tony-nominated play of all time. The show follows an unnamed fictional rock band in 1976 as it heads into the studio to record its second album, only to encounter plenty of hurdles and Fleetwood Mac-esque intrigue. Featuring songs by former Arcade Fire member Will Butler, Steophonic — on its first U.S. tour — is a can’t miss gig. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 7 pm, $56-$121, firstinterstatecenter.org (SS)
KRISTEN GALLEGOS
OCT. 10-NOV. 2
FRANKENSTEIN
Opening the downstairs season in the Spokane Civic Theatre’s Firth J. Chew Studio is Nick Dear’s recent stage adaptation of Mary Shelley’s famed Gothic novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, directed by Preston Loomer. Yet this isn’t the pop culture Universal Monster take on Frankenstein. Instead it’s a semi-faithful rendering of Shelly’s dark tale of a creature who’s brought to life and, just like the world around him, proves capable of both good and evil. One key departure from the novel is that Dear’s version is told from the creature’s point of view. A word of warning: There are some mature themes and graphic depictions that aren’t suitable for all ages. Spokane Civic Theatre, Wed-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm, $35, spokanecivictheatre.com (EJI)
OCT. 17-19
WHITE RABBIT, RED RABBIT
There’s certain expectations we bring with us whenever we see a play. We expect the actors to have pored the script over and over, perfecting each intonation and slight movement. We expect a set with plenty of props and for the only surprises to be those relating to plot. The play White Rabbit, Red Rabbit, however, subverts these expectations and introduces a new way of enjoying live theater. With no director, no set, no costumes, and no rehearsals, the actors in White Rabbit, Red Rabbit are completely unaware of the script and story. Written by acclaimed playwright Nassim Soleimanpour, the play explores Soleimanpour’s relationship with his home country of Iran and contemporary power dynamics both there and abroad. Stage Left Theatre, Fri-Sat at 7 pm, Sun at 2 pm, $35, stagelefttheater.org (EB)
OCT.
26
ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECTACULAR
Hard to believe that it’s been half a century since The Rocky Horror Picture Show first brought the Time Warp and risqué antici... pation to cinemas, but here we are. This one-night-only screening of the unedited film commemorates that milestone with plenty of opportunities for audience participation, including a costume contest. Spokane’s own Absolute Pleasure shadow cast will be there to lead viewers in all the interactive rituals that have earned the movie such a cult following. The special guest for this event is Nell Campbell, who played Columbia in both the 1975 movie and the original stage play. Diehards can upgrade to a VIP ticket that includes a meet-and-greet with Campbell along with top-notch seats and other perks. First Interstate Center for the Arts, Sun at 6 pm, $57-$196, broadwayspokane.com (EJI)
Spokane artist Karli Fairbanks created the Spokane Civic Theatre’s 2025-26 season poster art. COURTESY SPOKANE CIVIC THEATRE
URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL
Gonzaga’s Theatre, Dance and Music departments use their combined facilities for this satirical musical comedy about a town where prolonged drought has led to privately controlled toilet access. The townsfolk already feel like this arrangement has got to go, but then the news leaks that a greedy CEO is out to show he’s No. 1 by hiking the existing rates. Whiz kids and wee brains alike will be relieved to find that nothing is sacred — not even the glitzy tinkle of Broadway itself — in this irreverent, song-filled send-up of capitalism, populism and local politics, which is why they might feel the urge to answer nature’s call and spend a penny to see it. Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts
CHIANA MCINELLY PHOTO
NOV. 14-23
WITCH
Kicking off the 2025-26 season for Spokane Falls Community College’s drama department is this dark retelling of a 1621 Jacobean drama by contemporary playwright Jen Silverman. Witch sees the residents of a small town visited by a scheming devil that promises to fulfill their deepest desires in exchange for their souls. One of its targets is a young woman named Elizabeth, who’s been branded a witch and thus seems like an easy pawn in the devil’s plan. Yet the conniving monster’s bargain with Elizabeth isn’t so easily made, and she proves to be just as cunning. While this premise seems straightforward, lying beneath the main plot thread — and some welcome comedic lines — is a darker examination of a timeless truth: society’s deeply ingrained rules about a woman’s place in the world. SFCC Spartan Theatre, Fri-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2:30 pm, sfcc.spokane.edu/drama (CS)
NOV. 18-DEC. 21
SCROOGE!
Scrooge: the man, the myth, the legend — a redemption story of triumph over bitterness. Ebenezer Scrooge, blight to the working man and all things Christmas, is a story that many of us are already familiar with. Adapted from Charles Dickens’ 1843 novel A Christmas Carol, Scrooge! is a musical version of the familiar story about a miserly businessman lacking empathy who goes on a redemption arc journey with three ghosts: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come. After learning the true depth of his actions, Scrooge turns a new leaf in his life. An evergreen tale that we can all relate to in some sense, Scrooge! is a cozy treat for the Christmas season. Spokane Children’s Theatre, Fri at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm, $12-$20, spokanechildrenstheatre.org (EB)
NOV. 19-23
MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL
Based on the film directed by Baz Luhrmann (of Romeo + Juliet fame), this adaptation took home 10 Tony Awards when it came to Broadway in 2019. It centers largely on Christian, a young and hot-blooded American composer, who arrives at Paris’ Moulin Rouge cabaret club during the Belle Époque with a story to tell and a passion for his art. Unfortunately, the messier aspects of love, life and creativity collide in the ensuing production of Bohemian Rhapsody, on which the club’s future depends. The quirky thing about Moulin Rouge! is that it’s a jukebox musical, so its score incorporates unique riffs on pop and rock hits by The Rolling Stones, Beyoncé, David Bowie, Katy Perry and more. First Interstate Center for the Arts, Wed-Fri at 7:30 pm, Thu and Sun at 2 pm, $50-$126, broadwayspokane.com (EJI) n
October 4th 9am–3pm Southside Community Center 3151 E 27th Ave, Spokane, WA
From Muster Rolls to Family Roles: Discovering Civil War Histories This event brings together three dynamic experts to help genealogists of all levels uncover the rich stories of their Civil War-era relatives.
Researching Your Civil War Ancestor Presented by Craig R. Scott Oh Yes, I Went to the Front! Women in the Civil War Presented by Melanie McComb
Refugees, Claims, and Pardons: Reconciliation during the Reconstruction Era Presented by Michael L. Strauss
$50 for non-members : Includes seminars, lunch and snacks Registration required: DEADLINE SEPT 26th. - https://ewgsi.org/store
THE GUARDIAN IN NORTH CENTRAL SPOKANE HOSTS UNEXPECTED EVENTS INSIDE A HISTORIC FORMER CHURCH
BY ELLIS BENSON
It’s safe to say that there’s no other venue around like The Guardian Spokane: Church of Arts and Expression.
Built in 1890, making it one of the oldest stillstanding churches in the city, instead of Sunday sermons and weekly worship, the 135-year-old white clapboard building with its towering, classic steeple regularly hosts less-typical gatherings.
Building owner Ashley Werner re-envisioned the historic church in 2023 as a space to host aerial arts, a type of acrobatic performance done on suspended silks, classes and practices. In addition to owning and managing The Guardian, Werner has also managed the local performance troupe Vertical Elements Entertainment for 11 years.
“We’ve always been really looking for a home base and a place to practice, and a friend of mine, her dad owned this building,” Werner says. “So I reached out to her and I was like, ‘What’s going on with that church? Can we practice in there? Can we use the space?’”
After discussing the matter further, the owner was willing to sell the building to Werner.
“It happened so fast. I didn’t really have time to stop and think. It was just like this is a great opportunity, too good to be true, let’s just go for it.”
The previous owner had used the building as a sort of family “clubhouse,” according to Werner. At one point before that it was known as the Gretna Green Wedding Chapel. And while buildings a century or older often present a multitude of issues, luckily for Wer-
ner, its recent stewards made substantial renovations.
The same week Werner was offered the chance to buy the church happened to be the same week she’d received her late mother’s inheritance. She describes the opportunity as “divine timing,” and feels as though her mother was acting as her guardian angel, so she named the venue The Guardian in her mother’s honor.
Initially used primarily as a place to practice and learn aerial arts, Werner soon branched out to hosting events. She’s since rented the space for acting classes, DJ shows, live theater productions and even some weddings. The midsized and centrally located venue has proven it can do it all.
With 23-foot ceilings, the church is an ideal spot to learn and practice aerial arts. The floor of the main
Ashley Werner has turned a former church into a space for personal expression.
YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS
THE GUARDIAN SPOKANE
1403 N. Washington St.
theguardianspokane.com
Instagram: @theguardianspokane
hall is slightly sloped, an original design feature to ensure everyone in the pews could easily see the preacher. This unique element now ensures all event attendees have a clear view of the stage. The large, spacious main room also offers one-ofa-kind acoustics, enhancing musical and theatrical performances.
Werner’s willingness to host a diverse array of creative events reflects the mission statement she crafted for The Guardian: “We, the members of the Church of Arts and Expression, come together to embrace the power of creativity, inspiration, and self-expression. We believe in fostering a community that celebrates the diverse forms of artistic expression and recognizes the inherent beauty and potential of every individual.”
“To me it’s like really putting into fruition your creative ideas and putting something in the world that doesn’t already exist,” she says. “Or if it’s something that does exist, make your own version of it.”
For those with religious trauma, the venue can serve as a space to make new associations with a church environment, Werner believes. She says she’s had a lot of friends come through the space and remark how the experience was healing.
Fall and winter tend to be the busiest seasons for The Guardian. This fall is no exception, and many weekends are packed
with shows, markets and galas.
On Sept. 27, the Bloom House Academy burlesque school is presenting a student showcase. On Oct. 18, The Guardian hosts Entice, Spokane’s erotic ball. To kickstart November the Fairy Festa fantasy-themed festival brings magic and fairies into the space. For those interested in supporting local businesses, there’s a fall marketplace on Nov. 8.
Werner enjoys and embraces the variety of events she’s able to host. Not only does having a wide range of activities help fulfill her mission statement, it offers personal satisfaction.
“Honestly I get bored with jobs really easily, so I really like that everything’s different,” she says. “There’s so much creativity in planning the events.”
The future for The Guardian looks bright, and Werner is full of ideas for creative events and to continually build upon a community that’s been supportive of her efforts. She’s currently working on getting a liquor license for the venue to open up even more possibilities. For example, she envisions hosting dinner-theater shows, but also hopes to have all-ages shows with local bands.
“We’re not just your cookie-cutter event space,” Werner says. “We want to do all the fun things that you’d see in a big city, like you’d see in Portland or Seattle, that we don’t really have here in Spokane yet.” n
FALL ARTS • CULTURE
SEPT. 18-21
SEPT. 26-28, OCT. 3-5
WITH LOVE FROM
Founded in 2016, Vytal Movement Dance has always been about championing and creating space for the dancers who call the Inland Northwest home. However, the opening show in the dance troupe’s 10th season, “With Love From,” is its first ever dedicated to showcasing the work of guest artists. The show features choreography from former Gonzaga University guest dance teacher Lexi Dysart and Belle Baggs, the co-director of the University of Idaho’s dance studio. Additionally, Vytal’s Artistic Director Lexie Powell revives one of her decade-old performances to accompany the guests’ artistic vision. Vytal Movement Dance Theatre, Fri-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2pm, $16-$37, vytalmovement.com (CR)
OCT. 3
TERRAIN 16
It’s the tradition of all steadfast local arts supporters: The first Friday of October shall be reserved for Terrain. Filling multiple floors of an evolving and cavernous downtown building hovering between decay and modernity, the annual flagship event of the eponymous arts nonprofit draws thousands of attendees each year. For more shoulder room and a better chance to meet and chat up artists — and get first dibs on buying your favorite piece — consider attending Thursday’s ticketed preview night (Oct. 2 from 6-9 pm, $25). For the full experience, including numerous performances around the venue like live music, poetry, dance, film and more, be sure to carve out several hours to take it all in on Friday night. Meander through the space to view hundreds of pieces of original, locally made art, grab some snacks from a food truck and drinks from the bar; hit up the always-popular photobooth and, of course, hang with friends. 314 W. Riverside Ave., 5 pm-midnight, all ages, free, terrainspokane.com (CS)
DAVE ATTELL
While many younger stand-up comics build their whole identity around false grievances about “free speech” and “cancel culture” stifling their artform, the fact is they’re almost all just hacks who want to punch down and couldn’t write a good joke if their life depended on it. For a counterpoint, just look at Dave Attell. The grizzled 60-year-old New Yorker is a beloved comic’s comic who has been crafting edgy jokes that pack a punch for decades without whining about it because he’s a skillful f—ing pro. Balancing observational wit, underbelly grit and silly absurdity, the former host of the Comedy Central cult classic late-night travel show Isomniac is the plutonic ideal of a club comedian and is worth the trip to see at Spokane Comedy Club after having to reschedule tour dates set for this past February. Spokane Comedy Club, times vary, $46-$57 (some shows already sold out), spokanecomedyclub.com (SS)
OCT. 16
LILAC CITY LIVE!
OCT. 3
DEMETRI MARTIN
Existing in a delightful space between deadpan stand-up one-liner masters like Stephen Wright and witty cartoonists like The Far Side’s Gary Larson, Demetri Martin is a comedic force unto himself. On stage he might be delivering sharp comedic observations one moment, adding some musical accompaniment to his humor the next, and then following that by live drawing visual jokes on his easel. With this skillset, it’s not shocking that he’s been a New York Times bestselling author, a contributor to The Daily Show and a main voice actor on the cartoon We Bare Bears while putting out a host of stand-up specials. There are plenty of stand-up shows coming to Spokane this fall, but none will be quite like Martin’s The Quick Draw Tour. Bing Crosby Theater, 8 pm, $51-$62, bingcrosbytheater.com (SS)
OCT. 10
CAPITOL FOOLS
In an era of political turmoil and uncertainty, we all need a little more laughter in our lives — even better if that laughter is directed at the politicians responsible for it all. The Capitol Fools comedy troupe based out of the D.C. area is bringing its biting political satire to Spokane this fall. Chock full of all-too-realistic political impersonations and parody songs, the Capitol Fools can help lighten the mood of America’s current tense political climate, even if it’s just for a couple of hours. If you’re among the many who desperately need to laugh at the absurdity of 2020s politics, plan to see Capitol Fools when they swing through Spokane. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 7:30 pm, $42-$66.50, capitolfools.com (EB)
OCT. 16-18
JOSH WOLF
Long before Josh Wolf had three decades of comedy experience under his belt — gaining nationwide traction for his presence on Chelsea Lately and After Lately, hosting The Josh Wolf Show and co-hosting a podcast with his son — he got his start at a stand-up comedy open mic as a high schooler talking about his parents’ farts. Wolf’s style has evolved over the years, mixing in music with jokes like on his “The Campfire Tour,” but his sets have remained lighthearted and relatable. He often delves into stories about family dynamics, which feature his comedian son, Jacob Wolf, touching on themes of single parenthood. Spokane Comedy Club, show times vary, $32.29-$43.29, spokanecomedyclub.com (DS)
Every third Thursday of the month, the Central Library’s stage transforms into a live film set and local, familiar faces become celebrities as Spokane Public Library hosts its once-monthly late-night talk show, Lilac City Live! Along with your typical latenight-style interviews, the show features comedy sketches and usually some live music. With a rotating carousel of guests, you never know who could show up next Maybe your favorite local comedian will drop by for an impromptu stand-up set, or perhaps that local band you’ve been meaning to check out will play a few songs. At the time of print, the guests for October’s Lilac City Live! were yet to be announced, but previous October shows have been themed around the spooky season. It’s pure comedy and purely Spokane — what more could you ask for on a Thursday night? Central Library, 8-10 pm, all ages, free, spokanelibrary.org (MP)
OPENS OCT. 18 THE DAVENPORT LEGACY
The Historic Davenport Hotel is such a fixture of downtown Spokane that it might be difficult to imagine a time without it. But there was a formative period in the city’s history when a luxury restaurant occupied that spot — the same restaurant, incidentally, that purportedly invented the recipe for Crab Louis salad (perhaps in tribute to Louis Davenport himself). The hotel that now stands there was originally designed by renowned architect Kirtland Cutter and constructed in 1914 with next-generation amenities like air conditioning, yet its past and current grandeur bookends a phase of decline and restoration. This exhibition (which runs through spring 2026) looks at the hotel’s evolution into a local landmark as well as Cutter’s lasting architectural imprint on Spokane. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, open Tue-Sun from 10 am to 5 pm, $15, northwestmuseum.org (EJI)
OCT. 18
THE GREAT PUMPKIN FESTIVAL
Nothing says autumn like pumpkins and Peanuts! This festive event, intended for kids, teens and their families, combines crafts with the iconic cartoon characters from Peanuts, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Attendees are invited to dress up as their favorite character for the event — it’ll be tough to pick just one character from the comic’s iconic cast. First debuted as a comic strip by Charles M. Schulz in 1950, Peanuts has since become synonymous with fall due to its beloved celebration of everything autumn, as seen in films It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Featuring Peanuts-themed crafts, activity stations and games, this event offers tons of indoor fun for all ages. Central Library, 11 am-12:30 pm, free, spokanelibrary.org (EB)
YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
OCT. 24-25 JUBILEE FAIR TRADE MARKETPLACE
Travel the world from inside Spokane’s First Presbyterian Church at the annual Jubilee Fair Trade Marketplace, featuring fairly traded items by over 20 local vendors working with artisans in Guatemala, Nepal, Thailand, Ethiopia and other countries around the world. Since the event’s inception 36 years ago, sales have totaled over a million dollars as it’s helped raise awareness of fair wages for artisans in developing countries. Feast World Kitchen will be serving up globally inspired food, and other vendors include Maya Earth Coffee, Resilient Threads and Ganesh Himal Trading Co. No need to dig out your passport or deal with jetlag! First Presbyterian Church, Fri from 11 am-7 pm, Sat from 10 am-3:30 pm, free, spokanefpc.org (DS)
OCT.
25
GHOSTLIGHT
Last year, Kindling Dance Productions hosted Ghostlight, an immersive theatrical experience at the opulent Glover Mansion, a 12,000-square-foot Victorian manor on the lower South Hill. Kindling co-founders Monica Mota and CarliAnn Forthun Bruner, along with a few other Spokane choreographers, created unique performances for each room of the mansion, pulling inspiration from the history of its first owner, James Glover. This year, the haunted house dance recital is back, taking place in the possibly haunted Montvale Event Center. Performers from Quiero Flamenco, Stage Left Theater and Coil Aerialists bring the spooky vibes to life as attendees spend about an hour traversing the Montvale’s three upper floors. Montvale Event Center, 6-10 pm, $40, kindlingdanceproductions.com (CR)
NOV. 6
I LUMINATE
When the lights go off at First Interstate Center for the Arts for the iLuminate show, don’t be alarmed. From this pitch-black setting, audiences are transported to a high-energy, multi-sensory experience created by dancer and software engineer Miral Kotb. Both the show’s set and dancers are outfitted with customized LED suits for stunning visual effects reminiscent of Just Dance videogame characters. The group first performed on America’s Got Talent in 2011 and has since toured the world, been featured on other TV shows and shared the stage with artists like Black Eyed Peas, Chris Brown and Christina Aguilera. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 7:30 pm, $36.25-$77.75, firstinterstatecenter.org (DS)
NOV. 8-9
SPOKANE FALL FOLK FESTIVAL
There’s truly nothing else in the region like the Fall Folk Festival. Sure, there are other folk, bluegrass, and cultural music festivals and shows throughout the year, but no festival covers as many genres, cultures and traditions as the annual Fall Folk Festival. Hosted by the Spokane Folklore Society, the yearly celebration features a variety of traditional music and dance performances. In past years, it’s included workshops on Japanese taiko drumming, a bagpipes demonstration, contra dancing and much more. This year, come and celebrate 30 years of the Fall Folk Festival, and show your support for the free community event by buying buttons, trinkets and shirts commemorating the occasion. Spokane Community College, Sat from 11 am-8 pm and Sun from 11 am-5 pm, free, spokanefolkfestival.org (EB)
NOV. 14 THE GREAT GATSBY BALLET
Now here’s some source material that should pique interest. How does the nearly ubiquitously-assigned-reading title The Great Gatsby translate from page to stage? Head to the FIC to find out when the renowned World Ballet Company reinterprets F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Roaring ’20s-set novel, with all its Jazz Age glitz and glam, in choreographed form. Described as a Broadway-style ballet, the show incorporates an original jazz score (plus a live singer), multimedia set pieces and sparkling handsewn costumes. Even if you’re familiar with Fitzgerald’s tale of forbidden love between writer Nick Carraway and the glamorous Daisy Buchanan, this production puts it in a new light via the talent of 40 world-class dancers. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 7 pm, $50-$120, firstinterstatecenter.org (CS)
NOV. 22
LESLIE JONES: LIVE
Though most widely known for her five-season stint as a Saturday Night Live! cast member as well as feature film roles in Ghostbusters and Coming 2 America, Leslie Jones has been doing stand-up since at least 1987 when a college friend encouraged her to take the stage. That comedy career has taken her from coast to coast and everywhere in between, including spots as the featured performer at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal and the Aspen Comedy Festival. She’s got several TV comedy specials to her name, too, including Problem Child (Showtime) and Time Machine (Netflix). When she brings her act to the Bing, expect material that’s nothing less than totally outspoken and completely unfiltered. Bing Crosby Theater, Sat at 8 pm, $62-$94, bingcrosbytheater.com (EJI) n
fall arts calendar
SEPTEMBER 18-24
COMEDY
9/18-21 Dave Attell, Spokane Comedy Club
9/19 Genre Roulette, Blue Door Theatre
9/19 J CONNORSversations, The Chameleon
9/20 Alex Velluto, Kroc Center
9/20 Expedition, Blue Door Theatre
9/20 J Dungeons and Drag Queens
Spokane: The Chameleon Quest!, The Chameleon
9/20 J An Evening with Phil Rosenthal, The Fox Theater
9/21 Doug Stanhope, Andy Andrist, Spokane Comedy Club
9/24 Ben Brainard, Spokane Comedy Club
CULTURE
9/18 Putts on the Patio Classic, Parkside Event Center
9/18-21 J Odessa Deutschesfest
9/18-19 The Great Pumpkin Fest, Brick West Brewing Co.
9/18-24 Fire: Rebirth and Resilience, The MAC
9/18-24 Adventure Awaits: Recreation in North Idaho, Museum of North Idaho
9/18-24 Summerfest, Old Trolley Barn
9/18-24 Venardos Circus: Decade of Dreams, Spokane Valley Mall
10/2 Northwest Passages: Dr. Francis S. Collins, The Fox Theater
10/3 J 3 Minute Mic, Auntie’s Bookstore 10/8 J History Hour Lecture: The Search for Rare and Heritage Apples in the Pacific Northwest, Coeur d’Alene Public Library
AT RIVERFRONT PARK & RIVER PARK SQUARE MALL
MARKET
FAIR
PATCH
PHOTO STATION
HORSE & CARRIAGE RIDES
GARDEN & MORE! FEATURED ACTIVITIES
Spokane Symphony’s Masterworks 2 concert (10/4-5) features four musical landscapes.
OCTOBER 9-15
COMEDY
10/9-11 Christopher Titus, Spokane Comedy Club
10/10 J No Clue, Blue Door Theatre
10/10 J Capitol Fools, First Interstate Center for the Arts
10/12 Uncle Lazer, Spokane Comedy Club
110/15 James McCann, Spokane Comedy Club
CULTURE
10/9-15 Siemers Fall Festival, Siemers Farm
10/9 Dream Interpretations Basics, Coeur d’Alene Public Library
10/10-12 J Fall Festival, New Leaf Nursery
10/10-12 Home Idea Show, Spokane County Fair & Expo Center
10/10 J The Wavy Bunch Night Market & Street Fair, Catalyst Building
10/11 Holistic Festival, CenterPlace Regional Event Center
10/11-12 Beck’s Harvest House Harvest Festival, Beck’s Harvest House
10/11 J Great Pumpkin Race & Family Carnival, Spokane Pavilion
10/11 J Our Stories: Behind the Uniform, The MAC
10/11 Clues for a Cause: A Scavenger Hunt, Looff Carrousel
10/11 J Ignite the Light, Spark Central
10/14 Drop In & Zine, Spark Central
10/15 J Drop-in and Draw, Paint, Knit, Stitch..., The Hive
MUSIC
10/9 The Motet, The District Bar
10/9 J The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Morning In May, The Big Dipper
10/10 Leather Strip, Cervello Elettronico, Skull Cultist, Mortal Realm, The Big Dipper
10/10 J Matt Maeson, Knitting Factory
10/10 Ying Yang Twins, Twista, Mike Jones, DJ Skribble, Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino
10/9 J Leigh Bardugo: 10 Years of Daring Heists and Lovable Outcasts, scld.org 10/10 Friday Night Frights Horror Book Club, The Well-Read Moose 10/11 J The Criminalization of Rural Disadvantage, North Spokane Library
10/14 J WSU Visiting Writers Series: Alexandra Teague, Michael McGriff and Thomas Dai, Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU
Get lost in the corn maze at Beck’s Harvest House. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO
OCTOBER 16-22
COMEDY
10/16-18 J Josh Wolf, Spokane Comedy Club
10/17 J No Clue, Blue Door Theatre
10/18 Mick Foley, Spokane Comedy Club
10/19 Francisco Ramos, Spokane Comedy Club
CULTURE
10/16-16 J American Girl of the Month Club, Coeur d’Alene Public Library
10/17-19 J Wallace Paranormal Festival
10/17-19 Kaleidoscope of Colors Quilt Show, Spokane County Fair & Expo Center
10/17 J Puzzles & Pours: A Jigsaw Puzzle Showdown, Liberty Ciderworks
10/18-22 J The Davenport Legacy, Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture
10/18 Harvest Market & Apple Palooza, Downtown Coeur d’Alene
10/18-19 J Halloween X-Spo, Spokane Convention Center
10/18 The Pumpkin Ball, Davenport Grand Hotel
10/18 J The Great Pumpkin Festival: A Peanuts 75th Anniversary Event, Central Library
10/22 J Colville National Forest: Forest Health, Diversity and Productivity, Gonzaga Hemmingson Center
MUSIC
10/16 J Gonzaga Fall Jazz Sampler Concert, Myrtle Woldson PAC
4.55” wide by 5.4” high
10/16 Blackbird: Music of The Beatles, The Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center
10/18 J Jugalbandhi: A North Indian Classical Concert, Unity Spiritual Center
10/18 J Garbage, Starcrawler, Knitting Factory
10/18 Crowdsource Choir, Hamilton Studio
10/18 J The Witcher in Concert, First Interstate Center for the Arts
10/18 Luminia, Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center
10/18 Andre Feriante: String Stories, The Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center
10/18 J Journey Escape, Frampton Comes Alive, Bing Crosby Theater
10/18 Liam St. John, Haley Johnsen, The District Bar
10/19 J Lord Huron, Kevin Morby, Spokane Pavilion
10/19 Fox Lake, Kaonashi, fr3ak, The Big Dipper
10/21 J Yung Gravy, Knitting Factory
10/22 J Marc Rebillet, Knitting Factory
FILM
10/16 Pressure Drop, Bing Crosby Theater
10/17 J Finding Lucinda, Panida Theater
10/18 Farmers Market Cartoons, The Kenworthy
10/19 J Stage to Screen: Inter Alia, Bing Crosby Theater
THEATER & DANCE
10/16-19 J Man of La Mancha, Regional
Theatre of the Palouse
10/16 Tap Grandmas, Cutter Theatre
10/16-22 J Frankenstein, Spokane Civic Theatre
10/17-19 The SpongeBob Musical, Spokane Children’s Theatre
10/17-19 The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Pullman Civic Theatre
10/17-19 J White Rabbit Red Rabbit, Stage Left Theater
10/17-19 J Hamlet, Kroc Center
10/17 J Opera Scenes, University of Idaho Haddock Performance Hall
10/17-19 J Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Whitworth Cowles Auditorium
10/18 J The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Panida Theater
10/22 J Spokane Folklore Society Contra Dance, Woman’s Club of Spokane
10/24 Artist Playground: Paper Try-Outs, Hillyard Library
WORDS
10/23 Coffee & Conversation, Central Library
10/23 J Spokane is Reading: Tananarive Due, Spokane Valley Library (1 pm)
10/23 J Spokane Is Reading: Tananarive Due, Central Library (7 pm)
10/24 Autumn Family Storyfest, Coeur d’Alene Public Library
10/24 J Leyna Krow Reading & Q&A, 1912 Center
10/25 Inland Northwest Book Arts Society Meeting, Liberty Park Library
110/28 Re-Cast: Invoking the Past in Contemporary Expression, The Hive 10/29 J Philippa Gregory: Courtly Intrigue and Whispers as Weapons with Historical Fiction, scld.org
Quireo Flamenco dancers and Coil Aerialists perform at Ghostlight on Oct. 24. JENN MARQUIS PHOTO
OCT. 30-NOV. 6
COMEDY
10/31 No Clue, Blue Door Theatre
11/2 Rodney Norman, Spokane Comedy Club
11/5 J Openly Mic: A Queer Comedy Open Mic, The Q Lounge
11/5 Open Mic Stand-up, Spokane Comedy Club
COMMUNITY
10/30-11/2 Davenport After Dark, Historic Davenport Hotel
10/30-11/6 J The Davenport Legacy, Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture
10/30-11/6 Dream Interpretations Basics, Coeur d’Alene Public Library
10/31-11/1 The Official Halloween Bar Crawl, Fast Eddie’s
10/31 River Park Scare, River Park Square
10/31 High Society Vintage Movie Night, Fox Theater
11/1 J Winter Market, 1912 Center
11/2 J Inland Northwest Toy Show, Spokane County Fair & Expo Center
11/2 J Spokane Preservation Advocates Autumn Tour of Historic Homes
11/2-2 Turkey Bingo, Cutter Theatre
11/5 Sit-n-Stitch, Coeur d’Alene Public Library
11/5 Monthly Astrology Forecast, South Hill Library
11/6 Tarot & Divination Meetup, Lunarium
MUSIC
10/30 The Buttertones, The District Bar
10/30 J Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics, Riverside Place
10/30 Spokane Symphony Chamber Soirèe, Historic Davenport Hotel
10/31-11/1 Whitworth Jazz Orchestra, Whitworth University
10/31 Daft Disko Halloween Party, The Chameleon
10/31 Tubaween, University of Idaho Haddock Performance Hall
11/1 Black Jacket Symphony: AC/DC’s ‘Back in Black’, The Fox Theater
11/1 The Oh Hellos, Small Fools, Knitting Factory
11/1 Madman Across The Water, Starcourt, The Chameleon
11/14 Clearwater Writers Fall Women’s Retreat, Spirit Center at the Monastery of St. Gertrude 11/16 Coming Home: How the Nez Perce Tribe Regained Their Cultural Heritage, (online; humanities.org) 11/19 J Broken Mic, Neato Burrito
The Davenport Legacy show opens Oct. 18 at the MAC and runs through spring of 2026. LIBBY COLLECTION PHOTO/THE MAC
NOV. 20-26
COMEDY
11/20 Maddy Smith, Spokane Comedy Club
11/20 J Nurse Blake, The Fox Theater
11/21-23 DL Hughley, Spokane Comedy Club
11/21 J Family Dinner, Blue Door Theatre
11/22 J Leslie Jones, Bing Crosby Theater
11/26 Openly Mic: A Queer Comedy Open Mic, The Q Lounge
CULTURE
11/20-26 J The Davenport Legacy, Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture
11/20-20 J American Girl of the Month Club, Coeur d’Alene Public Library
11/20 Minecraft Club, Spark Central
11/20 Dream Interpretations Basics, Coeur d’Alene Public Library
11/20 Disney Lorcana Thursdays, Comic Book Shop (NorthTown)
11/21-23 J Custer’s Christmas Arts & Crafts Show, Spokane County Fair & Expo Center
11/21 Forest Cemetery Walking Tour, Museum of North Idaho
11/22 J Santa’s Arrival, River Park Square
11/22 Dungeons & Dragons Guild, Coeur d’Alene Public Library
11/25 Drop In & Zine, Spark Central
11/26 Coffee & Conversation, Central Library
11/26 Sit-n-Stitch, Coeur d’Alene Public Library
11/26 J MAC After Hours, Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture
MUSIC
11/20 J Broadway’s Rock of Ages, Coeur d’Alene Casino
11/20 J Gonzaga Wind Ensemble: Echoes of Earth and Sky, Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center
11/29-12/3 Elf on the Shelf, Downtown Coeur d’Alene
11/29 J 33 Artists Market, Woman’s Club of Spokane
11/29 J Small Business Saturday Shop Hop, Mulberry Market Co.
11/29 Holiday Craft Fair, Coeur d’Alene Public Library
11/30 J MAC Holiday Kick-Off Celebration, The MAC
12/1 Native Cultural Craft Nights, American Indian Community Center
12/1 Monthly Astrology Forecast, South Hill Library
12/2-3 J Christmas Tree Elegance, River Park Square
12/2 Drop In & Zine, Spark Central
12/3 Sit-n-Stitch, Coeur d’Alene Public Library
FILM
12/1-2 Video Studio Drop-In, Central Library
12/2 J I Am Legend, Garland Theater
THEATER & DANCE
11/27-30 J Little Women, Lake City Playhouse
11/28-30 Scrooge!, Spokane Children’s Theatre
11/28-30 J Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Spokane Civic Theatre
11/29-29 Australia’s Thunder from Down Under, Northern Quest Casino
12/3 J The Nutcracker, Panida Theater
12/3 Spokane Folklore Society Contra Dance, Woman’s Club of Spokane
VISUAL ARTS
11/27-30 J Tom Froese, Kolva-Sullivan Gallery
11/27-12/3 J April Werle, Chase Gallery
11/27-12/3 Sasha Barrett: Ptychka, SFCC Fine Arts Gallery
11/27-29 J Megan Finch, Emerge
11/27-12/3 EWU Art Faculty Exhibition, EWU Gallery of Art
11/27-12/3 J Josh Hobson, Bryan Oliver Gallery
11/27-12/3 J Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight, The MAC
11/27-12/3 Casey Doyle, Boswell Corner Gallery at NIC
11/27-12/3 J Anish Kapoor: Dissolving Margins, Schnitzer Museum of Art
11/27-12/3 Color Outside the Lines, Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU
11/27-12/3 30th Annual Small Works Invitational, The Art Spirit Gallery
11/27-28 J Coasters, Trackside Studio
11/27-30 Kevin Haas, Entropy 11/27-29 J Karen Mobley, D2 Gallery and Studio
11/27-12/3 J Ornament and Small Works Show, Spokane Art School
11/27-12/3 J Through Kiln & Press, Jundt Art Museum
11/27-30 Jeannine Marx, Barrister Winery
11/28 Art Club, Spark Central
11/28 J The Lilac Menace Zine Swap, Lunarium
11/29 J Slightly West of Spokane Studio Tour
12/2 Tuesday Painting with Friends, Spokane Art Supply
12/2 Tuesday Gallery Talks, The MAC 12/2 J Heartistry: Artistic Wellbeing, Spark Central
WORDS
111/27 Harmony Writers Group, Liberty Park Library
11/27 Drop In & Write, Spark Central 11/29 Story and Craft, The MAC 11/29 J Poetry After Dark, Spark Central 12/2 There is No Justice Without Environmental Justice, Online 12/2 Sandpoint StoryMakers, Sandpoint Library. (ongoing)
Kick off the holidays with a timeless performance of The Nutcracker Ballet, with two productions in Spokane and a third in Sandpoint.
DECEMBER 4-31
COMEDY
12/4 Scuffed Realtor, Spokane Comedy Club
12/5-6 Craig Conant, Spokane Comedy Club
12/5-26 J Ha!!mark, Blue Door Theatre
12/5 J Paula Poundstone, Bing Crosby Theater
12/7 Matthew Broussard, Spokane Comedy Club
12/11 J Charlie Berens, The Fox Theater
12/19-20 Ian Bagg, Spokane Comedy Club
12/31-31 Sarah Colonna, Spokane Comedy Club
COMMUNITY
12/4-21 Elf on the Shelf, Downtown Coeur d’Alene
12/4-14 Christmas Tree Elegance, River Park Square
112/5-7 Deck the Falls, Cutter Theatre
12/5-7 J Jurassic Quest, Spokane Convention Center
12/6-13 Winter Market, 1912 Center
12/10 Alternative Giving Market of the Palouse, 1912 Center
12/13 J BrrrZAAR, River Park Square
12/13 HO HO HOmicide: Murder Mystery, Crime Scene Entertainment
12/28 A Christmas Labyrinth: Walk in Wonder, Chewelah Center for the Arts
MUSIC
112/4 J Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw’s
Christmas Tour, Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino
12/5 J The Mountain Goats, Knitting Factory
12/6 Christmas with the Gothard Sisters, Panida Theater
12/6-7 J Gonzaga Candlelight Christmas, Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center
12/12 J Amelia Day, Vika & the Velvets, Pancho, The Chameleon
12/13 J Spokane Jazz Orchestra: A Motown Christmas, Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center
12/13-14 J Spokane Symphony Pops 3: Home for the Holidays, The Fox Theater
12/14 CDA Brass Holiday Concert, The Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center
12/21 A Very Merry Chew’lah Christmas Carol Sing-Song-Sing-A-Long, Chewelah Center for the Arts
12/26 J RAIN: A Beatles Christmas Tribute, First Interstate Center for the Arts
12/31 J Spokane Symphony New Year’s Eve: Beethoven’s Ninth, The Fox
FILM
12/6 J Bing Crosby Holiday Film Festival, Bing Crosby Theater
12/9-13 Sensory Relaxed Movie Screenings, Garland Theater
12/19 J Friday Night Movie: What’s Up Doc?, The MAC
12/20 J White Christmas, The MAC
THEATER & DANCE
12/4-7 J The Nutcracker Ballet, The Fox Theater
12/4-21 J Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Spokane Civic Theatre
12/4-14 No Exit, University of Idaho
12/5-14 Christmas Shorts, Pend Oreille Playhouse
12/5 Scrooge!, Spokane Children’s Theatre
12/5-14 Elf the Musical Jr., TAC at the Lake
12/5 J Haunting Holidays, Spartan Theater at SFCC
12/5-21 All is Calm, Spokane Civic Theatre
12/5-13 One Magic Night at the Manger, Northwoods Performing Arts Center
12/6 Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland, First Interstate Center for the Arts
12/12-14 J Seussical Jr., Chewelah Center for the Arts
12/12 A Very Diva Christmas!, The Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center
12/13 J Gabby’s Dollhouse Live!, First Interstate Center for the Arts
12/14 The Clairvoyants, Northern Quest Resort & Casino
12/16-17 J Kinky Boots, First Interstate Center for the Arts
12/20 J Snow White Ballet, First Interstate Center for the Arts
12/20 Campana Sobre Campana, Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center
12/29 J A Charlie Brown Christmas Live on Stage, First Interstate Center for the Arts
VISUAL ARTS
12/5 J First Friday, Spokane
12/5-31 J Ara Lyman, Kolva-Sullivan
12/5-31 J Minis Exhibit, Emerge
12/5-31 Nan Drye, Pottery Place Plus
12/5-31 Cup of Joy, Trackside Studio
12/5-31 Jaiden Haley, Entropy
12/5-31 J Lauren Urlacher, D2 Gallery and Studio
12/5-31 Hannah Fountain, Liberty Building
12/5-31 Patty Murphy, Barrister Winery
12/5-27 Saranac Members Presents, Saranac Art Projects
12/5-27 Ann Porter, Saranac Art Projects
12/5-27 J Jon Merrell & Lindsey Merrell: Time Dilation, Terrain Gallery
12/6 J 9th Annual MAC Holiday Artists Studio Tour, The MAC
WORDS
112/5 Write Together: A Community Writing Session, South Hill Library
12/5 J 3 Minute Mic, Auntie’s Bookstore
12/6 Story Time with LaLa, Wishing Tree Books
12/6-27 Poetry After Dark, Spark Central
12/10 History Hour Lecture, Coeur d’Alene Public Library
12/10-31 J Broken Mic, Neato Burrito
12/16 New and Noteworthy Book Club, Wishing Tree Books
12/18 Black Liturgies for Staying Human: Joy & Wonder, Liberty Park Library
12/20 J Cozy Reads & Bakery Treats, North Spokane Library
12/23 Cheney Library Book Club, Cheney Library. (ongoing)
Find unique holiday gifts at Terrain’s BrrrZAAR art market on Dec. 13. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO
Crafts Show
NOVEMBER 9 - 12
DECEMBER 7 - 10 & 18 | 9AM - 6PM | 9AM - 6PM
“MOVE OVER, BIG CITIES,” CONTINUED...
guests an opportunity to enjoy an upscale dining experience under the lights,” Green says. “If we are fortunate and get a clear night, it will be ‘September under the stars.’ It’s a chance to showcase what our chefs and our guest James Beard chefs can do, and each of the six courses will be paired with an appropriate wine.”
And if Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate?
“We have a plan B to move the event inside,” Green says, “and it will still be an amazing experience.”
The weekend’s first signature event, Friday’s grand tasting, features an A-to-Z list of wineries — literally. The lineup ranges from Walla Walla’s Abeja (known for its Flagship Collection Cabernet Sauvignon) to the Willamette Valley’s Zena Crown (which makes world-class pinot noir from its estate vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills growing area).
While there also will be selections from Idaho and California’s North Coast, most of the wines to be poured hail from Washington.
Green admits that signing wineries was somewhat challenging because the festival falls right in the middle of harvest season at many estates.
“But we’re very happy with the lineup we have,” she’s quick to add. “Several have selections on our restaurant wine lists and are great partners.”
The third and final signature event of the weekend will be a blast from the past for longtime residents who once made the Historic Davenport Hotel a regular Sunday destination for its Signature Brunch. The pandemic disrupted that tradition, but the hotel brought the brunch back in March and now hosts it once per month. For the festival, the brunch features the same James Beard-recognized chefs (including Melissa Miranda of Musang Seattle and Adam Hegsted of locally based Eat Good Group) and Davenport chefs (including executive pastry chef Alicia
A GRAND STRATEGY
Tips for getting the most out of the Grand Wine Tasting With 30 wineries pouring multiple vintages at the Friday night grand tasting, there’s no way for a guest to be able to sample everything. (Nor would it be a good idea to try.)
For a couple attending with another couple or a group of friends going together, a strategy can be employed to ensure that everyone gets to taste all the “best” wines:
• Assign each couple or a few friends to a single category of wine — for instance, reds, whites, cabernets, merlots, rosés, etc.
• Take notes in the provided guidebook using whatever system works best for you — a 100-point grading scale, an A-to-F scale or even a simple “plus” or “minus” notation.
• At the half-way point of the tasting, meet to compare notes. This will provide everyone in the group with “best-of” lists so they can seek out others’ highly rated wines during the second half of the tasting.
— BOB JOHNSON
Armour) from the Saturday dinner. The meal is accompanied by live jazz.
While the festival will be large in terms of the number of events shoehorned into barely more than two days, Green says attendance is purposely being capped. A downtown walking tour of several restaurants, organized by Wander Spokane, was the first event to sell out. It’s part of what Green calls a “choose-your-own-adventure Saturday” that also includes an interactive cooking demonstration and cooking class; a tour, tasting and cocktail experience at Dry Fly Distilling, and a cocktailmaking class with a master mixologist.
“We’re limiting the number of people so we’ll be able to work through any hiccups that may come up,” she explains. “Our team will not only be serving as hosts but also monitoring how smoothly things go so we can make any needed changes next year.”
Next year?
“We’re hoping to make this an annual event, and we already have the dates selected for 2026,” says Green, adding that this information will be announced at Saturday night’s dinner on Post Street. “We’re really excited to bring this event to Spokane and bring more awareness to downtown.”
“There are so many amazing restaurants and chefs here,” she adds. “There’s so much talent and passion. It’s not just about the Davenport; it’s about the full restaurant community.”
A community that, Green is convinced, would shine in even the biggest of American cities. n
Pacific Northwest Food & Wine Festival • Fri, Sept. 26-Sun, Sept. 28, times vary • $35$232 per event; $395-$510 weekend pass • 21+ • Davenport Hotels, locations vary • davenporthotelcollection.com
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The “Night Cap” dessert, created by Davenport executive pastry chef Alicia Armour. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
No Bluff, it’s Apple Season
Tips to enjoy the bounty of Green Bluff orchards’ fall apple harvest and much more
BY BELLA ANGELOS
When the temperature drops, the kids go back to school, and the leaves turn from green to a wash of orange and brown, that can only mean one thing: Fall in the Inland Northwest has officially arrived. The season’s final peaches are currently waving hello to ripe apples in the trees of Green Bluff’s farms and orchards, and they’re calling locals to visit.
As you plan an upcoming weekend that includes sipping apple cider, munching on pumpkin donuts and getting lost in the orchards, here are three local farms to visit for a taste of apples and the fall harvest season. For even more farms to consider (which we couldn’t include due to space) head to greenbluffgrowers.com.
BECK’S HARVEST HOUSE
9919 E. Greenbluff Road, becksharvesthouse.com, 509-238-6970
Open Wed-Mon from 10 am-5 pm
At Beck’s Harvest House, find 15 different apple varieties and the option to either buy a box from the farm’s produce stand, or hop on board the “Country Limo” for a U-pick adventure while wandering through the orchards. Honeycrisp is Beck’s most popular apple, but the list goes on and includes Ginger Gold, McIntosh, Courtland and Liberty.
Whether you choose to pick yourself or grab a box, apples are priced at $2.49/lb. (there’s a 50-cent discount per pound when you purchase 20 or more). Other fall favorites at Beck’s include pumpkins, squash and pears.
The smell of Beck’s “World-Famous” fresh pumpkin donuts ($13/dozen, $2/each) may have your tummy rum-
bling the moment you step out of your car. Brandon Marrow, who’s worked at Becks for 10 years, recommends pairing pumpkin donuts with a fresh cup of cider.
If you’re looking for a more substantial meal, the orchard also offers breakfast and lunch. Try a specialty Belgian waffle ($12) alongside the caramel apple mimosa ($7-$8). Lunch offers a variety of sandwiches ($10-$15), burgers ($12), hot dogs ($8), sausages ($11) and more. A kid’s menu is also available.
HIDDEN ACRES ORCHARDS
16802 N. Applewood Lane, hiddenacreswa.com, 509-238-2830
Open daily 9 am-5 pm
This four-generation family-owned farm spreads across 65 scenic acres. Hidden Acres is sustainably farmed, solar and bio-diesel powered, and offers a variety of about 20 apples including Criterion, Gala, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, and more. From tart to sweet and everything in between, all are priced at $3/lb.
Of course, apples aren’t the only produce grown at Hidden Acres. Save time to wander through 25 acres of pumpkins (69 cents/lb.) and find the perfect one to carve.
After working up an appetite, grab a freshly baked hand pie ($8), with choices of both sweet and savory fillings. The best part is you don’t need a fork — or even a plate — which also means no sharing. Caramel apples ($5) are also available on weekends in October, as well as fresh-baked sourdough bread loaves ($10).
Hidden Acre’s U-Press apple cider ($30/gallon) allows visitors to turn their freshly picked apples into a cider blend. You’ll even be able to say you made it all yourself, from start to finish.
For more info on seasonal activities like tours and even on-site camping, head to Hidden Orchard’s website.
MOST WANTED: LOST APPLES
As peak apple season arrives, a regional effort to rediscover ‘lost’ varieties asks for help
Stumbled into an overgrown, long-forgotten orchard lately? You may have hit on a bigger find than you expected, and the Lost Apple Project wants to know about it.
After spending over a decade tracking down 30 heritage apple cultivars previously thought to have gone extinct, regional “apple detective” and project founder David Benscoter is hoping the public can aid his quest.
Just as apples are ripening on trees all over the Pacific Northwest, a new website — LostApples.wiki — has launched so that community members can not only learn about the Lost Apple Project, but also share any unusual findings they’ve come across. The website was developed in collaboration with Sandpoint’s Keokee Books, which published Benscoter’s 2024 book, Lost Apples: The Search for Rare and Heritage Apples in the Pacific Northwest.
“The goal of the website and the book and the project are all the same,” Benscoter said in a press release announcing the site. “We want everyone who will be out and about the old farmsteads or agricultural areas of the Northwest this fall to let us know if they come across possible heritage apple trees from the pioneer days.”
Visitors to the site can find more information on the (so far) 30 “found” apples, and a list of 10 “most wanted” varieties that Benscoter believes are still out there, including the elusive Walbridge, an apple documented as once being grown in Whitman County.
— CHEY SCOTT
WALTERS FRUIT RANCH
9807 E. Day Road, waltersfruitranch.com, 509-238-4709
Open daily 9 am-5 pm
This 50-acre, third-generation family farm grows over 20 different apple varieties starting with Early Golden, Paula Red, and many others as they ripen throughout the season. If you’re looking to pick your favorite, chances are that Walters has it.
With this wide selection, it’s hard to leave without trying something new. If you haven’t experienced the UPick fun yet, catch a ride out to the orchard via the The Fruitloop Express where you can pick your own for $2/lb.
Walters’ Orchard Café offers breakfast, lunch and dinner and plenty of treats, including Mary Lou’s homemade ice cream and pumpkin donuts. The farm’s Press Plate Bar serves beer, wine and hard cider.
Keep in mind that during Fall Harvest Festival, held every Saturday and Sunday in October, Walters gets busy and parking reservations ($5/car), which can be made online, are required. Harvest Fest activities include guest food vendors, caramel apples, a corn maze, pumpkin picking and more.
BONUS STOP: GREEN BLUFF CANDY COMPANY
17909 N. Dunn Road, greenbluffcandy.com, 509-795-4604
Pay Richard Halbig and his family a visit next time you’re up at Green Bluff. Their candy shop is located conveniently near all the aforementioned farms. Everything is made in-house, and there are many treats to choose from, yet caramel is their specialty and comes in more than 30 flavors. Build your own box of 10 for $14 — the pumpkin spice is a seasonal delicacy. n
Jonagold apples are one variety grown at Walters Fruit Ranch. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
You Oughta Know About These Movies We Saw at TIFF
A roundup of the best films we saw at Toronto International Film Festival to prep you for the fall movie season
BY CHASE HUTCHINSON
Wake up movie lovers, I once again made my way up north to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) where I watched more films than many do in a year in the span of approximately one and a half weeks. Thus, there were some major disappointments (namely, Spokane-born Sydney Sweeney’s boxing biopic Christy as well as the buzzy upcoming awards contenders Hamnet and Frankenstein) though there were also plenty of exciting discoveries to be found.
There’s so much I saw that I liked and didn’t have space for, so shout out to the following films you should also keep your eyes peeled for: A Poet, Bad Apples, Dead Lover, Forastera, Hedda, Maddie’s Secret, Mile End Kicks, Normal, The Christophers, The Fence, The Furious, and The Smashing Machine. Now, without further ado, let’s get to the best that one of the premiere film fests had to offer this year.
BLUE HERON
Kicking things off is Sophy Romvari’s feature directorial debut Blue Heron, which is not just the undisputed best narrative film of this year’s TIFF but one of the absolute best of recent memory. A profoundly personal film about a Hungarian-Canadian family seen through the eyes of their young daughter before leaping forward years as she reflects on whether there was anything she could’ve done to support her struggling brother, it’s a delicate, detailed portrait that reminds you why we go to the movies. From the sublime opening frames all the way through to a clos-
ing needle drop that ties everything together perfectly, it’s a work of quietly monumental artistry. The film is seeking distribution, but expected to be released in 2025.
NO OTHER CHOICE
The latest from Park Chan-wook, the mind behind many magnificent movies such as the classic family film Oldboy and the electrifying experience that is The Handmaiden, is a searing satire about the perils of modern capitalism. Starring an excellent Lee Byung-hun as an unemployed man who decides to kill off anyone else who could be his competition for a job, it’s a grim joy of a film from start to finish. While it’s been favorably yet reductively compared to Parasite, it boasts countless bleakly hilarious, visually sharp and haunting moments all its own. When it lands one final dark joke to end all dark jokes, you can only laugh to stop from throwing up.
Releasing in select theaters on Dec. 25 before expanding in January.
POWWOW PEOPLE
Shifting to documentaries, the Washington-born filmmaker Sky Hopinka’s latest stunner of a film was shot entirely in Seattle and immerses us in a modern-day powwow. Though far more straightforward than his past experimental works, Hopinka sidesteps the more tiresome tropes of talking head-heavy documentary filmmaking to become more intimately in conversation with what the past, present and future of the powwow means to all of those taking part in it. The result is an enrapturing, essential film with plenty of sly humor bound up in its reflections on history that culminates in a flooring final dance that plays out over several unbroken minutes. It makes what was already a significant work into the best, most exciting discovery of the festival. The film is currently seeking distribution.
RENTAL FAMILY
A film that could easily prove maudlin if not in the right hands, writer/director Hikari’s superb Rental Family is much more than meets the eye. Starring Oscar-winner (and
Seattle’s Cornish College of the Arts graduate) Brendan Fraser as a struggling actor living in Tokyo who begins taking on work as a stand-in in other people’s lives, it’s sweet yet also more messy at key points. Though ultimately built to be an earnest crowdpleaser, there are many intriguing and thorny moments where it’s as if a fantastic Fraser is playing the chaotic good version of Nathan Fielder from The Rehearsal. It’s this that ensures it cuts a bit deeper. One particular reveal may even put Fielder himself to shame.
Releasing in theaters on Nov. 21.
TRAIN DREAMS
Clint Bentley’s transcendent Washington-shot and set film is one I’ll revisit every year until the day I die and that still might not be enough. Adapting the novella of the same name by the late, great Denis Johnson about a logger helping build an America that’s quickly leaving him behind, it has astounding cinematography by Adolpho Veloso and a career-best performance from Joel Edgerton. It’s a work of art from the moment the first tree comes crashing down in the opening to the shattering finale that takes us right into the heart of Spokane and America itself.
Releasing in select theaters on Nov. 7 and coming to Netflix on Nov. 21.
WAKE UP DEAD MAN:
A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY
Last but definitely not least is the latest Rian Johnson murder mystery romp that also proves to be the best Knives Out movie yet. Starring the delightful duo of Josh O’Connor and Daniel Craig, it’s a surprisingly spiritual film that confronts the way hate can consume institutions of faith while also being one of the most gloriously funny films of the year. No spoilers, but everything from the way Johnson takes shots at its streaming home of Netflix and the Star Wars franchise (his previous employer) to the deliriously elaborate murder mystery itself makes it a damn miracle of a movie. Releasing in select theaters on Nov. 26 and coming to Netflix on Dec. 12. n
TIFF Picks: Train Dreams, No Other Choice, Blue Heron, Powwow People, Wake Up Dead Man.
REVIEW
Love and Folk Songs
The History of Sound offers an uneven mix of music and melancholy
BY JOSH BELL
When music students Lionel Worthing (Paul Mescal) and David White (Josh O’Connor) first meet in a Boston bar in 1917, everything else falls away. The place literally goes quiet as David insists on silence so that he can hear Lionel sing a traditional song from his Kentucky hometown. After Lionel finishes, everyone else blithely returns to their conversations, but the two students don’t even notice, because they’re completely wrapped up in each other.
That swooning romantic chemistry is the cornerstone of The History of Sound, which is elegant and engaging when Lionel and David are together, and much less compelling when they’re apart. “Happiness isn’t a story,” Lionel says during his intermittent narration, quoting his grandfather, but the story of Lionel and David is at its best when they’re happy, traversing the backwoods of Maine to collect folk songs from rural communities. They’re as passionate about the music as they are about each other, and the trip is an idyllic period for them to spend together, free from outside pressures or influences.
Rated R
director Oliver Hermanus gives them plenty of tender and joyous moments together, both during their student days in Boston and on their Maine trip. Mescal and O’Connor have a relaxed, playful dynamic that makes it easy to invest in the characters’ relationship.
At the halfway point, though, the story takes a turn, and O’Connor essentially disappears for the rest of the movie. The History of Sound is based on a short story by Ben Shattuck (who also wrote the screenplay), and the first hour has the concise, lyrical impact of great short fiction, ending with a quiet, restrained farewell.
The History of Sound
Directed by Oliver Hermanus
Starring Paul Mescal, Josh O’Connor
That trip occurs in 1919, after Lionel and David have already parted once, when David is drafted to serve in World War I. Lionel avoids the draft thanks to his poor eyesight, and David prefers not to talk about his wartime experiences, which clearly took a toll on him. He’s much more interested in the traditional songs that he and Lionel will preserve on the new recording technology of wax cylinders, thanks to a grant from the Maine college where David now teaches. Lionel has spent the intervening years back on the family farm in Kentucky, but he doesn’t hesitate to drop everything when he hears from his former classmate and lover.
It’s easy to expect a gay romance set in the 1910s to end in tragedy, but The History of Sound isn’t a story about homophobia or repression. Lionel and David know when they need to be careful, but that doesn’t keep them from the full experience of their love, and
The second half then awkwardly leap-frogs ahead in time and around the globe, as Lionel furthers his music career in Italy, England and Boston, with detours back to Kentucky and Maine.
Just as Hermanus and Shattuck seem to be settling on a new direction for the narrative, The History of Sound jumps ahead again, leaving potentially rewarding storylines behind. By the time it gets to Chris Cooper as the older Lionel in 1980 in the final act, it’s completely lost the thread of what made it worth watching to begin with. Cooper does his best to convey Lionel’s decades of accumulated emotion, but he seems to be imported from a different movie entirely.
Hermanus sprinkles in occasional flashbacks as the movie progresses, revealing more details about the couple’s meaningful 1919 trip. He holds onto the music as well, with lovely renditions of songs that have been passed down for generations, which deserve every bit of the reverence that Lionel and David give them. The earthiness of the music matches the muted, earthy color palette of those sequences, along with the rugged but sensuous bond between Lionel and David.
The power of the music and the bond fade as the movie progresses, leaving only a faint impression by the end. The promise of the initial moment when David is mesmerized by Lionel’s talent and beauty in that bar is never quite fulfilled. n
ALSO OPENING
AFTERBURN
After a massive sun flare takes out the Eastern hemisphere and sends the world into apocalyptic chaos, a mercenary treasure hunter (Dave Bautista) is hired to recover the Mona Lisa. Explosive action ensues. Rated R
APOLLO 13
Ron Howard’s Tom Hanks-led Oscarwinning drama about the harrowing 1970 NASA lunar mission gone awry returns to the big screen for its 30th anniversary. Rated PG
A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY
Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell star in this romantic fantasy film as single strangers who start encountering doors that, when opened, lead to memories from their pasts. Rated R
HIM
A rising young quarterback is invited to train at a legendary QB’s compound only for things to take incredibly dark turns in this supernatural psychological horror film. Rated R
IN WHOSE NAME?
Starting in 2019, documentarian Nico Ballesteros was by Kanye West/Ye’s side for six years, capturing thousands of hours of footage from an incredibly tumultuous period in the superstar rapper’s personal and professional life. In Whose Name? is the distilled result. Rated R
MEGADOC
This documentary takes viewers behind the scenes as Frances Ford Coppola made his (disastrous) self-financed dream film, 2024’s Megalopolis. Not rated
THE SENIOR
Based on a true story, this sports drama recounts the journey of Mike Flynt (Michael Chiklis), a 59-year-old who returned to the gridiron to play D-III college football. Rated PG
XENO
This sci-fi adventure film finds a teen girl stumbling across a ghoulish-looking alien (a Henson Company creation), befriending the creature and then trying to protect it from government agents. Rated PG-13
The History of Sound rings dissonant when its lovers are separated.
BOOMSHAKALAKA
Boomjam Music Festival returns for a second year in a new location
BY SETH SOMMERFELD
Putting together a music festival is an endeavor
Putting one on in a city that isn’t exactly a music festival hot spot only ups the difficulty. But if you’ve ever run into Boomjam Music Festival founder/ director Tucker Miller at a local concert and got him talking about the fest he founded last year, it’s pretty easy to see he’s got the sort of energetically determined, alwayson-the-grind mentality needed to give putting on an event like this any chance of succeeding.
After the first edition of the all-ages fest went down in a parking lot near Gonzaga in September 2024, Boomjam’s sophomore campaign takes place this Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Riverside Lawn & Terrace (the strip of land near Riverfront Park on the Centennial Trail, between the back of the Spokane Convention Center and the Spokane River).
Twelve acts will spread across two stages — the main Boom Stage on the lawn and the secondary Upper Decker stage on the property’s deck that overlooks the river — starting at 1 pm and going into the dark of night. The lineup boasts a mix of headlining rising out-of-town sounds like BLK ODYSSY’s R&B/hip-hop fusion and Oxis’ indie electronica pop, plus a host of local favorites.
Additionally, Boomjam will feature world cuisine by the always-stellar Feast World Kitchen, a pop-up vintage shop curated by Teleport Vintage, a record store bus, on-site tattoos and permanent jewelry via Mom’s Custom Tattoo & Body Piercing, art installations and various other diversions (sidewalk chalk, pingpong tables, etc.). Tickets cost $35 ($40 day of), children 12 and under get in free, and there is re-entry so you can bop around downtown for a bit and still return.
According to Miller, this year’s change of location is partly to try to connect the fest to the downtown hub while also creating “a more mellow space.”
“We decided to pivot to something that is more central and more picturesque, just so that it is a little bit more palatable for a wider audience,” he says. “We love the DIY punk, grungy aesthetic of the old parking lot that we were in, but also we want to make music as widely available for the entire Spokane community as possible.”
Miller’s most stoked about the lineup he’s curated, which focuses on acts he knows can deliver interesting and engaging live performances no matter what their genre.
“There were thousands of talented bands and individuals who reached out, and we had to narrow that
down to 12,” Miller says. “And that is extremely exciting for me, because we feel like we picked the 12 that I am most excited to share with the Spokane community that we think are going to be able to reach furthest, as far as a multi-genre festival goes. … These bands are dope!”
With that in mind, here are a few of the dopest acts playing Boomjam that may be worth scoping out.
PANCHO
Upper Decker Stage, 1 pm
Folks who arrive early will be treated to a dose of Pancho as Boomjam’s sonic kickoff. The Gonzaga-formed quintet playfully blurs the line between indie, alt-rock and jam music in a polished way that belies its members’ ages.
DAIRYBABY
Boom Stage, 1:30 pm
You might recognize local teen Everett Noble as the bass player in his brother Hayes Noble’s terrific band, but when playing his own material as Dairybaby he taps into a much different sonic space than his sibling. A breezy blend of indie lo-fi pop rock, Dairybaby offers a soft landing to open up the Boom Stage.
SAINT AUGUSTINE
Boom Stage, 4:30 pm
Saint Augustine (aka Jackie Giroux) only has one song on streaming, but Miller specifically pointed the Austin genre-mashing pop artist out as a hidden Boomjam gem. “She is incredible. There are very, very few people in the world who have seen this before, and it is going to explode,” he says.
VIKA & THE VELVETS
Boom Stage, 6 pm
We’ve poured out plenty of praising words about Vika & the Velvets into the Inlander, but the band’s retro-pop-meets-smokeyindie-rock sound has probably never sounded tighter. After a busy August filled with touring in support of the group’s new album Like a Spade, Vika & the Velvets sounded extra sharp while winning over a crowd at Seattle’s Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival a few weeks ago.
DE LUX
Upper Decker Stage, 6:45 pm
Wanna dance? Well then get up those stairs to catch De Lux. The Los Angeles band provides a nonstop flow of pulsating sounds rooted in ’80s new wave pop and ’00s post-disco dance rock with a dash of Talking Heads-y art pop irreverence. Watching De Lux motionless would just feel wrong.
OXIS
Boom Stage, 7:30 pm
Indie electronica artist Oxis is essentially a one-person band. A looping maestro, she stacks layers of vocals, guitar lines, and electronic bleeps and beats to create oceans of sound that beg you to dive in and explore their deepest depths.
BLK ODYSSY
Boom Stage, 9 pm
BLK ODYSSY has one of those sounds that just feels fresh each listen. The Austin artist blends hip-hop and R&B with a dash of silky smooth ’90s jazz rap. Performing with a live band (which has been documented via both a Tiny Desk Concert and KEXP Session), he should make for a great headlining capper to the second edition of Boomjam. n
Boomjam Music Festival • Sat, Sept. 20 at 1 pm • $35-$40 • All ages • Riverside Lawn & Terrace • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • boomjamfest.com
Myrtle Woldson Center
Presents
Lyyra
Presenting Partner: Gonzaga Music
September 24, 2025
Complexions
Contemporary Ballet
Presenting Partner: Gonzaga Dance
October 10, 2025
Gonzaga University Performance Highlights
GONZAGA DANCE
60x60
October 3, 2025
GONZAGA MUSIC
Fall Family Weekend Choir
Concert
October 4, 2025
GONZAGA MUSIC
Gonzaga Symphony Orchestra
Virtuoso Violinist, Maria Loudenitch
October 13, 2025
Vika & the Velvets return home for Boomjam.
Let the Sunshine In
Sunny Day Real Estate’s Dan Hoerner talks about suddenly having a younger audience and playing a hometown gig
BY SETH SOMMERFELD
It’s said absence makes the heart grow fonder. That’s certainly true in the modern rock landscape, where reunion tours and album anniversary concerts for even marginal bands become hot tickets for nostalgic Gen Xers and Millennials looking for a taste of that feeling those sonic vibrations gave them in their more youthful days.
A much rarer feat is absence making new hearts grow fond. Not often do artists just go away for a while and come back to an audience that now includes tons of fresh faces. But according to Spokane’s own Dan Hoerner, the guitarist for Seattle’s seminal ’90s emo band, Sunny Day Real Estate, that’s what his band has encountered since returning to the road in 2022 after the group took a hiatus for over a decade.
“It’s so weird to see that seemingly 75% of the crowd wasn’t even born when our last record [2000’s The Rising Tide] came out,” Hoerner says. “At first, you know, it was shocking, and then you kind of settle into it and you just sort of expect it. But I think all of us are looking at each other like... how? Why? It’s kind of unfathomable.”
Coming up at the same time grunge was all the rage in Seattle, Sunny Deal Real Estate — despite its post-hardcore instrumental intensity — comparatively felt like the quiet, introspective kid writing poems in the corner of class compared to the rock stars the scene was pumping out at the time. Rooted in singer/guitarist Jeremy Enigk’s emotionally raw lyricism and sonically punctuated with precision by Hoerner, drummer William Goldsmith and bassist Nate Mendel (the future Foo Fighter who was eventually replaced by Chris Jordan), the band made a true touchstone emo album with its 1994 debut LP Diary. But it wasn’t a massive deal at the time of its release, and Sunny Day disbanded for the first time before 1995’s self-titled follow-up (often called The Pink Album or just Pink) hit stores.
But even when the band wasn’t active, its music was still resonating deeply with a very important subset of kids — the artists who would eventually bring emo to the masses in the early 2000s. Bands like My Chemical Romance, Dashboard Confessional and Thursday don’t hesitate to cite Sunny Day Real Estate as a major influence for the third wave emo music that finally brought the loosely defined genre out of the underground and into the rock mainstream.
After the initial break for the band, Sunny Day Real
In
Estate popped up again for a few years. There was a 1997-2001 stint that saw the release of two more LPs, How It Feels To Be Something On and The Rising Tide, then a spell of just touring in 2009 and 2010.
But neither of those rounds has felt quite like the one that the band started up with a super intimate Spokane show at The Big Dipper (a venue which Hoerner owned for many years) in September 2022. As the band returns to Spokane to play the Knitting Factory on Sept. 23, trying to pinpoint why the audience has gotten so much younger for a band composed of fiftysomethings has been something Hoerner has been attempting to figure out himself.
“It’s actually something I have asked the fans as well, because we’ll talk to fans after pretty much every show,” he says. “And the one thing that I’m hearing back a lot is that they are resonating with the honesty that is obvious in the music. Pop songs have existed forever, and people have been making simple, silly love songs forever. And those are great, and I love them, but I do think that Sunny Day definitely tried to be — even embarrassingly — honest about our feelings and our struggles. And I think that’s the thing that’s resonating the most with young people. They have a bullshit meter that has been trained from the get-go on A.I. slop and garbage pop and the most surface, superficial ‘tonight’s the night’ bullshit songs. They can tell that we meant it.”
“They’re super passionate about it. I can tell that they’re bringing a lot of emotion to the shows,” Hoerner continues. “They know every word of every song — it’s f---ing mindblowing. We released a new song just last year called ‘Novum Vetus,’ and they know every word to that one! They’re definitely bringing the entire discography with them to the show, and, and that’s just really, really such an honor. It’s so humbling.”
Sonically, Hoerner thinks one key is Enigk’s blend of songwriting melody and unvarnished emoting that digs deeper than simply dwelling on relationship drama.
“I think the thing about Sunny Day, and I think we were even conscious of it early on, is that we have a lot of love elements in our music, but by no means is that kind of the exclusive place where we’re trying to talk about stuff and examine ourselves. I think we’re looking at everything: fear of death, the fear of failure, the strug-
gle to find meaning in life and failing to find meaning in life, and hope and destruction. I think we intentionally wanted to examine the entire canvas.”
After getting great responses overseas, Sunny Day’s current main goal is trying to build up its UK and European fanbases in the near future. And while Hoerner says to some degree Sunny Day works on new music every time the guys get together to practice, they’ve consciously removed themselves from the music industry rat race and will only release new material if it feels just right. He also stresses that the outside perception of Sunny Day never feels like it totally fits the band’s internal narrative.
“Sunny Day is a band that’s never broken up,” Hoerner says. “Obviously in the public eye, when you stop doing something, the natural thing is to say ‘they broke up,’ but Sunny Day is just bound by these ties that are ineffable and inexhaustible. We don’t really see our timeline the way other people see it. We see it as a kind of a fluid, permanent connection. We will never break up — but we might stop doing stuff for a decade or whatever, that’s totally within our purview. From here on out, we are only going to do the things we want to do when we want to do it, and damn the consequences.”
The immediate next thing Hoerner wants to do is get home for a show. And even if it’s a little odd that Sunny Day is way bigger outside of his hometown, he’s always stoked to return.
“This might sound a little negative, but Sunny Day is not super popular in Spokane,” Hoerner says with a laugh. “I think the thing I’m most excited about is how many millions of friends and family I’m going to have there. Half the crowd I’m going to be related to and the other half are going to be on my guest list. I think it’s gonna be a big old love fest. I love Spokane. It’s literally my hometown. I currently live there. My mom was born there. Spokane is in my DNA, and I couldn’t love it anymore. And as I travel around the world and visit every city everywhere, I am more and more grateful for the people and for the life I’ve had in Spokane. It’s truly a magical, wonderful place. I mean, not to be all John Cougar Mellencamp, but I’m probably gonna die in Spokane.” n
Sunny Day Real Estate, Cursive • Tue, Sept. 23 at 8 pm • $50-$97 • All ages • Knitting Factory • 919 W. Sprague Ave. • sp.knittingfactory.com
Sunny Day Real Estate has come a long way since those early days. PHOTO COURTESY SUB POP
Fall Feelings Managing school-year stress and symptoms of SAD
As the days grow shorter, many kids, teens and adults are headed into classrooms. While your family may be physically ready for the school year — backpacks and all — it’s wise to consider how to prepare mentally, too.
Simple routines can ease the transition, says Dr. David Ward, a family medicine physician with Kaiser Permanente in Spokane. Laying out clothing the night before and pre-packing lunches helps mornings go more smoothly.
Bedtime habits also make a difference. “Aim to go to bed earlier, stop drinking coffee or having any caffeine at least six to seven hours before bed. Don’t look at your phone, but pick up a book or meditate,” Ward suggests.
Some young people — and their adults — may face an additional challenge with seasonal shifts. “Changing light exposure causes a change in brain chemistry and sleep patterns, although not everyone is impacted the same way,” Ward says. For some, it can lead to increased fatigue, irritability and sadness in a way that mimics major depression. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can impact all ages.
Luckily, many steps that counteract SAD can also provide more energy for everyone in fall and winter, and decrease school-year stress.
1. Ramp up healthy habits. Eat a balanced diet and exercise outdoors in autumn or winter sun, even briefly.
2. Let in the light. Consider a light therapy box to mimic daylight on low-light days, Ward suggests. It’s an evidence-based way to supply our brain’s chemical cravings for light. Many therapeutic lights can be used in normal living spaces.
3. Get professional help. “Cognitivebehavioral therapy can be an evidence-based prescription for SAD,” Ward says. In addition, a doctor can prescribe an antidepressant for use in winter.
4. Sleep when tired. Feeling extra tired in fall and winter can be normal. “It’s OK to listen to your body, and get a nice extra dose of sleep every night,” Ward says.
5. Escape if you can. If possible, schedule a winter trip to a sunnier destination like Phoenix or San Diego. If cost is a barrier, consider local options such as Lake Chelan or mountain getaways where sunshine is more consistent.
Finally, if your child seems consistently glum or loses interest in activities, ensure open communication so your child can express any SAD-like feelings in a supportive environment.
Transitions, fading light and new routines can be tough for adults, too. Ward encourages parents to model calm and peaceful behavior, since kids often mirror these emotions. Adults can also normalize that returning to school — or any new experience — may feel stressful, exciting, scary or wonderful, sometimes all at once.
“It’s normal to realize you have to adjust to a new situation,” Ward says. “Move toward a positive growth mindset versus a fear of transition.”
EDM SHAQ’S BASS ALL-STARS
Sports fans might know that one of NBA legend Shaq’s nicknames was “Big Diesel.” Music aficionados might even know he had a rap album in 1993 called Shaq Diesel. But few people outside of the electronic dance music scene seem to be aware that for years now he’s been creating delightful mayhem at EDM festivals and venues performing as DJ Diesel. With a voice so deep it practically shakes the ground, it only makes sense he’s become a bass music big shot, befriending plenty of all-stars in the scene, from Sullivan King to Alison Wonderland. Now, he’s bringing his personally curated Shaq’s Bass All-Stars tour through to Spokane Live. Spokane’s lineup includes Blanke, Vastive and Emorfik, artists who like to mix hard-hitting bass, dubstep, metal and emotionally melodic tunes.
— SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL
Shaq’s Bass All-Stars • Thu, Sept. 25 at 8 pm • $70 • All ages • Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino • 14300 W. SR-2 Highway, Airway Heights • spokanetribecasino.com
HARDCORE PUNK COFFIN BREAK
Thursday, 9/18
ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Pamela Benton Band
BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Bolo’s Blues & Brews
J CUTTER THEATRE, Hannah King
J INDABA FLAGSHIP CAFÉ, Open Mic Night
J J JAGUAR ROOM (CHAMELEON), Black Belt Eagle Scout
J LUNARIUM, Starlite Open Mic
PJ’S PUB, The Dirty Champions
J QQ SUSHI & KITCHEN, Just Plain Darin
RED DRAGON (THIRD AVENUE), Thursday Night Jam RED ROOM LOUNGE, Thurrsdays EDM Night
J SPOKANE ARENA, Thomas Rhett, Tucker Wetmore, The Castellows ZOLA, B Radicals, Frances Browne
Friday, 9/19
BERSERK, Dancing Plauge, Iron Chain
J J THE BIG DIPPER, Coffin Break, Scatterbox, The Dilrods, Toledo Panic Button
J CREATE ARTS CENTER, Terry Robb
EATS ON SPOKANE STREET, Kosh
J THE GRAIN SHED, Haywire
GREEN CITY SALOON, DJ KJ
KNITTING FACTORY, Shrek Rave
J NEATO BURRITO, Sunbather Die, Jumbotron, Index, Tea NIGHT OWL, Four On The Floor Fridays
PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Maya Goldblum, Arthur Goldblum, and Peter Lucht
J PUEBLA MEXICAN RESTAURANT, Latin Dance Party
THE GOODY BAR AND GRILL, Midnight Open Mic
ZOLA, Starcourt, The Ronaldos
Saturday, 9/20
BECK’S HARVEST HOUSE, Flipside
J THE BIG DIPPER, New Anomalies: Prodsynesthete, BRADEN ALL CAPS, Bambii, DJ Trizzle, Nate Synonymous, K!dJudd & Bryant Demetri
J BLACK LODGE BREWING, Eric Tollefson, Ethan J Perry, Monarch
J INDABA FLAGSHIP CAFÉ, Rosethrow & Spro
J KNITTING FACTORY, Noah Cyrus
MIRABEAU POINT PARK, Slap Shot
PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Stephanie and Doug Hawkins
J J RIVERSIDE LAWN & TERRACE, Boomjam Music Festival
J J SPOKANE TRIBE CASINO, Darius Rucker
J BEARDED GINGER BAR & GRILL, Steve Schennum
THE GOODY BAR AND GRILL, Midnight Open Mic ZOLA, Jason Evans’ Cosmic Fantasy
Sunday, 9/21
ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, The Rising BECK’S HARVEST HOUSE, Kevin Shay Band
BERSERK, Hong Kong F--- You, Bonemass, Poise
What we all now think of as grunge music really was just relabeling of Seattle’s late ’80s/early ’90s punk and hard rock scene. While eventually drawing the grunge label, Coffin Break was really just a punk band from Seattle that started up in 1987. Cited by Kurt Cobain as one of the rock legend’s favorite bands, the group’s no-nonsense punk approach can be heard on both early albums and the ones put out by Epitaph Records in 1991 and ’92 (Crawl and Thirteen). After disbanding in the mid-’90s, Coffin Break has returned to action. This July the Seattle punk vets put out a ripping new LP entitled Revival, the band’s first new album in 33 years. If you’re seeking a throwback that still throws down, Coffin Break might be just the solution.
— SETH SOMMERFELD
Coffin Break, Scatterbox, The Dilrods, Toledo Panic Button • Fri, Sept. 19 at 7:30 pm • $18 • All ages • The Big Dipper • 171 S. Washington St. • thebigdipperspokane.com
J THE BIG DIPPER, It’s A Setup, Violent Abuse, Willing Hands, X-Reality THE DISTRICT BAR, The Halluci Nation
J MIRABEAU POINT PARK, Soul Proprietor and Robert Vaughn
J SOUTH HILL GRILL, Just Plain Darin
Monday, 9/22
RED ROOM LOUNGE, Red Room Open Mic ZOLA, Standard Deviation
Tuesday, 9/23
J J KNITTING FACTORY, Sunny Day Real Estate, Cursive
ADULTS $25 SENIORS $20 UNDER 18 AND STUDENTS WITH ID FREE
COMMUNITY STEP RIGHT UP!
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages — prepare yourself for the arrival of the traveling Venardos Circus, coming to the Spokane Valley Mall for its 10th anniversary tour dubbed a “Decade of Dreams.” The Broadway-style circus is free of animals and features acrobatics, aerial silks, clowns, juggling, dancing and much more, all taking place within a custom Italian-made, red-and-white striped tent. While the circus plays homage to traditions, the 90-minute show does so through a modern lens for a high-quality viewing experience. Swing by the concession stand for fresh popcorn, cotton candy and other classic snacks.
— DORA SCOTT
Venardos Circus • Thu, Sept. 18-Sun, Sept. 28, show times vary • $18-$30 • Spokane Valley Mall • 14700 E. Indiana Ave. • venardoscircus.com
COMMUNITY HOWDY, PURR-TNER
Grab yer cowboy hat, pull on yer boots and scoot on over to the Kootenai County Fairgrounds for a fluff of a good time this weekend. The newly formed Kootenai Kat Club is hosting its first international cat show — with a Wild West theme — that’s open to both pedigreed (i.e., papered purebreds) and household cats. The two-day event for cat lovers of all ages offers more than just competitive judging, with educational sessions focusing on specific breeds — Maine Coon, Oriental/Siamese, Bengal, Scottish Fold, Norwegian Forest Cat and more — plus family activities, including the “Show and Tell Stuffies Youth Roundup” for kids, and tons of cat-related vendors. SpokAnimal will also be on-site with rescued kitties seeking their furever homes.
— CHEY SCOTT
Kootenai Kats: Wild Wild West Cat Show • Sat, Sept. 20 and Sun, Sept. 21 from 9 am-5 pm • $8-$25 • Kootenai County Fairgrounds, Jacklin Building • 4056 N. Government Way, Coeur d’Alene • kootenaikats.com
COMMUNITY INTO THE VALLEY
Spokane Valley’s biggest community celebration returns this weekend with three days chock-full of family-friendly fun spread out across three locations. Valleyfest kicks off on Friday with the Hearts of Gold Parade along Sprague Avenue, followed by a festival filled with live entertainment, plus hundreds of local vendors and activities for people of all ages. Be an astronomer for a day with the Spokane Astronomical Society, fish at the falls or bring your furry friend to Pawfest. After three decades, Valleyfest remains proudly volunteer-run and supported by local donations. With free admission to most activities, it’s the perfect way to welcome fall and celebrate all things Spokane Valley!
— SARAH HARRINGTON
Valleyfest • Fri, Sept. 19-Sun, Sept. 21; times vary • Free • Spokane Valley; locations vary, see website for details • valleyfest.org
GET LISTED!
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DANCE MOVEMENT & MOTHER EARTH
Artists are often at the forefront of cultural issues, exploring the complexities of the world around them through their craft. For Karin Stevens, dance is a way to talk about environmental issues facing Washington state, such as water use and climate change. To open the 2025-26 school year at Gonzaga, Stevens’ dance company, Karin Stevens Dance, performs “Sea Change Within Us” to “celebrate the power of movement as connection to ourselves, each other, and the environment.” Gonzaga Dance students have spent this week working with Stevens and on Friday, they’ll join her dance company on stage to demonstrate what they’ve learned.
— COLTON RASANEN
Sea Change Within Us • Fri, Sept. 19 at 7:30 • $8-$10 • Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center • 211 E. Desmet Ave. • gonzaga.edu/mwpac
WORDS HANFORD & HEALTH
About 160 miles southwest of Spokane sits the Hanford Nuclear Site, a 600-square-mile former nuclear production facility that produced plutonium for the Manhattan Project during World War II. While the site is now inactive, it remains the nation’s largest Superfund site and nuclear waste repository. Land and groundwater surrounding the area have since been polluted with substantial amounts of radioactive and chemical waste. At this Spokane Central Library event, authors and activists Trisha Pritikin, Kay-Smith Blum, James Patrick Thomas and investigative journalist Karen Dorn Steele, who first reported on Hanford’s toxic legacy for the Spokesman-Review in the 1980s, come together to have a conversation about radioactive pollution, community health and the social battles that persist more than 80 years after the Hanford Nuclear Site’s activation.
— MADISON PEARSON
Hanford’s Leaks, Legends, and Legacies • Sat, Sept. 20 at 3 pm • Free • Central Library • 906 W. Main Ave. • spokanelibrary.org
I SAW YOU
MY MOTOR NEEDS A TUNE UP I really miss the tiger who moved to the great north, the land of the midnight sunshine, I’m not so sunny anymore. He always knew how to make my motor purrrr. I so hope your life is going well.
CAP’N I more than likely won’t be back in your place of work for a while just because it’s a last resort type of thing. However I still think bout our interaction daily. Insta is SlugsandAnts
CHEERS
CONGRATS, NEW MOM & DAD To my grandson/daughter, congrats on that new baby girl! Remember that each day is a gift with her that's why they call it the present, and in the end all we have are memories. Live each day to the fullest and ask for help when you are tired and need some alone time, that is what family is for. Teach her to be grateful and be respectful, and how to play board games not video games. Let her play in the dirt, that's why they make laundry detergent. Don't worry time will fly by fast and then one day, she's got a boyfriend...yikes! Make your memories while you can, we'll help too. I Love you.... Nana
THANK YOU I.C.E., LE AND FBI for enforcing President TRUMP and the laws of his administration. To the imbeciles protesting law and order, thank you, it gives us Republicans confidence in the
upcoming elections. Thank you to the 80 million Republicans (THAT DON'T REGRET THEIR VOTE)... We got this!
ROUTE 7 is a new route that combines the old Routes 60 and 74. Thank you for adding Sunday service. I got pretty tired of getting stranded in Downtown Spokane after work.
CONSENSUS REALITY At its core, consensus reality is built on a mutual agreement because of a shared understanding of something. This understanding occurs from the characteristic differences in an individual’s perspective. Consensus reality is not static, but it can change over time as societal views and beliefs evolve. Many aspects of consensus reality are not scientific facts but rather cultural norms and social rules. Consensus reality serves as a practical guide to provide a framework for people to interact and live together by offering a common ground of understanding. Because the term carries both positive and negative connotations, artists and thinkers have always challenged consensus reality and questioned the authenticity of the world's reality, leading to uncertainties about what is real.
JEERS
I HEAR TOO MUCH HATE Mr. Trump and the GOP are contributors to the violence that killed Charlie Kirk. They and their Christian Right supporters need to read Matthew 26:52. Mr. Trump and the GOP spew hateful comments about people frequently. What is your excuse for the hate you support? Remember hate begets hate and violence begets violence.
as it should. Rebelling a bit? Reminiscing and revisiting your stint in support of “revolutionary communism” are you? Don’t add confusion to those of us walking the path to legal immigration. We are supported by the majority of Spokane’s citizens. Why invite the criminal element?? Ex: Breaching a bouncer & cover charge at
a club is trespassing & theft. Dine ‘n’ Dash is a crime. (Civics: 101) Rebel, elsewhere. Go dance naked in Comstock after dark. Feed the ducks at Cannon Hill. Brodies in Duncan Gardens. Speed in a school zone! Bad ideas, right? Right!! YOU don’t dictate law, here.
I HAVEN’T SEEN THEM! I love the fact that you are calling them out for reducing the car lanes on Sprague. Have you tried looking for them at Mike’s doughnuts?? Ha! Ha!
SPOKANE COUNTY SEWER BILLING Jeers to Spokane County Sewer Billing for not having more options for paying the bill. For people who live outside of the city of Spokane, it’s inconvenient to make a trip to the Courthouse to try and find someone to take your money. Using the USPS is risky since mail is lost. Using the online services incurs greater costs (how is that equitable?). Why can’t you use the same model as Avista? You can send a check through the mail or pay online. But you can also pay at the grocery store or drop off a check at Avista if so inclined. Why does it have to be more difficult to
a drop box that is (I don’t know) closer to where residents live. Spokane sure is dumb.
SPOKANE PD DO BETTER There is a new restaurant past the Y on division. This particular establishment is making traffic unsafe and a nightmare to move around
N.I.C.E . ...try, Mayor Brown. Your “Ordinance” is your opinion, not an option! Your “take” on Border Patrol and enforcement of border law is just that. YOU don’t decide for this city, nor state. Remember S. Carolina and Alabama in the ‘60s? Federal law, STILL Trumps state,
pay a bill for service that is necessary? Please, please, please, try and figure out another option for people who don’t live in Spokane City. One option would be to allow grocery stores to process the payment. Another option for residents outside of Spokane would be to provide
even with 3 lanes. Someone needs to be there to observe drivers being stupid blocking intersections and the local hospital entry way that is roughly a half mile from the business causing the problem. Please kindly help the citizens make better choices. Thank you
LAWN MORONS Is that ridiculous lawn you fools water all day every day and mow to the ground every other day really worth it? Suppose that’s the reason my well went dry? Our wells aren’t that far apart. I do my best to conserve water. Trees and important plants come first. Screw grass! It’ll gladly go dormant. This is our fourth drought year in a row, but that doesn’t mean crap to you!
STA DO BETTER You guys are too expensive and are rude to people, the city line is a joke, nothing is accurate.
ARTICULATE ADVOCATE? I received an email from my United States Representative Michael Baumgartner this past week mentioning: “Charlie Kirk was an articulate advocate for his values and faith. I appreciated his willingness to give others a platform to present their views, whether or not they agreed with him. I hope young people across Eastern Washington will be inspired by his example — to speak with conviction about their beliefs, and to be open to opposing points of view.” I am curious which specific comments made by this “articulate advocate for his values and faith” over the years that the Congressman agreed and disagreed with regarding Mr. Kirk. Obviously there are hundreds of Kirk’s quotes online. I found several in just a few seconds.
WASHINGTON EDUCATION Our whole educational system, from the elementary schools to the universities, is increasingly
turning out people who have never heard enough conflicting arguments to develop the skills and discipline required to produce a coherent analysis, based on logic and evidence.
POLITICS If what you want from politicians are quick and easy answers, someone is
sure to supply them regardless of which party you follow. History can tell you where quick and easy answers lead. But if you don’t want to bother reading history you can just wait and relive its catastrophes.
DAMN THOSE LUNATIC LIBERALS! Damn all the Democrats that always vote blue no matter what! They just want too much! Democracy, The Constitution, honest Presidents that follow the law, judges, freedom of speech, jobs, civil rights and liberties, affordable healthcare, clothing and groceries. Social Security, Medicaid, Snap. Let them work! They even want to feed the starving in Gaza! They want gun control! They want the CDC, FEMA, and 43 other agencies we can do without. Who needs immigrants, deport them all. It will only cost us our humanity and 979 billion dollars over ten years. There is just SO much they want I can’t list them all!! All we need is Trump in his gold leafed palace selling his golden bible. He deserves to give himself the Nobel Peace Prize. He deserves all the money he is making off the American people. And the lies they tell about him being a felon and crook and pedophile!! How DARE they!! DAMN LIBERALS!!
EVENTS | CALENDAR
BENEFIT
COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN X-SPO
A precursor to the Halloween X-SPO featuring a screening of a family friendly spooky movie. Donate five non-perishable food items or $5 to be entered into raffles. Proceeds benefit Meals on Wheels Spokane. Sep. 19, 6:30-9 pm. Free. Magic Lantern Theatre, 25 W. Main Ave. magiclanternonmain.com (509-209-2383)
HOEDOWN FOR HOPE A fundraising event benefiting Spokane HOPE, an early intervention program in Eastern Washington dedicated to teaching children who are deaf and hard of hearing to listen and speak. The evening includes a silent and live auction, a photo booth, paddle raise and dinner. Sep. 20, 5:30-9:30 pm. $100. Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. spokanehope.org
COMEDY
DAVE ATTELL David Attell is a stand-up comedian, actor and writer, best known as the host of Comedy Central’s Insomniac. Sep. 18-20, 7 pm, Sep. 19-20, 9:45 and Sep. 21, 4 pm. $40-$50. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (509-318-9998)
CONNORSVERSATIONS A late-nightstyle talk show hosted by Riley Connors featuring special guests Paul Dillon, Luke Baumgarten and musical guest The Bed Heads. Sep. 19, 8 pm. $12-$15. The Chameleon, 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. chameleonspokane.com
GENRE ROULETTE An improv show based on an audience member’s occupation that gets turning into an epic tale by spinning the genre week to determine what happens. Fri from 7:30-8:35 pm through Sep. 26. $9. Blue Door Theatre, 319 S. Cedar St. bluedoortheatre.org
AARON FOSTER Aaron Foster’s set was named “Best Solo Show” at the Tucson Fringe Festival in January. Sep. 20, 8-9:30 pm. $20. Magic Lantern Theatre, 25 W. Main Ave. aaronfoster.com
ALEX VELLUTO Comedian Alex Velluto has racked up millions of views online and recently appeared on Nate Bargatze’s stand-up series, “The Showcase.” Sep. 20, 6 am-7:30 pm. $20-$35. Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. merlinscomedyclub.com (208-443-5041)
DUNGEONS AND DRAG QUEENS SPOKANE: THE CHAMELEON QUEST: Three drag queens play an improvised game of Dungeons & Dragons. Sep. 20, 8-10 pm. $25. The Chameleon, 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. chameleonspokane.com
SPOKANE FAMOUS COMEDY TOUR:
HOMECOMING A night of comedy featuring Spokane comics Jon Hodge, Vaughn Eaglebear and Anthony Singleton. Sep. 20, 7-10:01 pm. $15. Hill House Event Center, 3023 E. Diamond Ave. spokanehillhouse.com (509-514-4276)
BEN BRAINARD Brainard found viral success producing “The Table,” a sketch comedy series about how the various states of the US are handling current events. Sep. 24, 7:30 pm. $25-$34. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (509-318-9998)
FELIPE ESPARZA Felipe Esparza is a stand-up comedian and actor whose career has continued to skyrocket since winning NBC’s Last Comic Standing in 2010. Sep. 26, 7 pm. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague. bingcrosbytheater.com
COMMUNITY
ODESSA DEUTSCHESFEST An annual celebration of all things German in Odessa featuring a biergarten, traditional German food, live music, a street fair and other activities. Sept. 19-21. Free. Odessa, Hwy 21 and Hwy 28. deutschesfest.net
VENARDOS CIRCUS: DECADE OF DREAMS A Broadway-style animal-free circus featuring traditional circus artistry along with fresh and immersive acts. Sept. 18-28; hours vary. $20-$68. Spokane Valley Mall, 14700 E. Indiana Ave. venardoscircus.com (509-926-5575)
VALLEYFEST Valleyfest celebrates three decades of bringing fun, entertainment and a vibrant community spirit to Spokane Valley. Events include the Step UP for Down Syndrome walk, Fishing at the Falls, a pancake breakfast, a car show and much more. Sept. 19-21, daily beginning at 8 am. Free. Mirabeau Point Park, 2426 N. Discovery Place. valleyfest.org
BODY AND SOUL HEALTH FAIR A resource fair that promotes healthcare access and awareness for underserved communities with access to free physical and mental health screenings, resource tables and more. Sep. 20, 10 am-noon. Free. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 500 S. Stone. wsu.edu
AN EVENING WITH PHIL ROSENTHAL
Join Phil Rosenthal in a moderated conversation followed by an audience Q&A. Phil will be telling all the funny and true stories of his life, his television career, food, travel, friends and family. Sep. 20, 7 pm. $52-$201. The Fox Theater, 1001 W. Sprague Ave. foxtheaterspokane.org
KOOTENAI KATS SHOW A cat show featuring various competitive categories to enter. Sep. 20, 9 am-5 pm and Sep. 21, 9 am-5 pm. $8-$25. Kootenai County Fairgrounds, 4056 N. Government Way. kootenaikats.com (208-765-4969)
SPOKANE DAHLIA FESTIVAL Explore over 30 local artisan and food vendors, attend engaging classes and talks and enjoy looking at flowers. Sept. 20-21, daily from 10 am-5 pm. Free. Rosarium Garden Center, 9405 S. Williams Ln. rosariumgardencenter.com (509-448-4968)
FALL VENDOR FAIR A local vendor fair featuring free food and family activities. Sep. 21, 12-4 pm. Free. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 5720 S. Perry St. ststephens-spokane.com (509-448-2255)
SPOKANE SOCIETY OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF AMERICA LECTURE This lecture focuses on underwater archeology that reveals details about ancient landscapes and past human occupations. Sep. 23, 6 pm. Free. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org
SPOKANE SALISH CULTURAL DAY An engaging night of educational presentations and cultural experiences that highlight the rich history of the Spokane Salish people. Sep. 25, 6 pm. Free. Chewelah Center for the Arts, 405 N. Third St. chewelahcenterforthearts.com
FILM
FRIDAY NIGHT MOVIE: AFIRE Aspiring young writer Leon joins his friends to stay in a summer house by the Baltic Sea. Focusing on his upcoming manuscript, he meets Nadja, who encourages him to break out of his shell. Forrest fires surround the house and tensions flare. Sep. 19, 6:30 pm. $8. The MAC, 2316 W. First. northwestmuseum.org
BACK TO THE FUTURE 40TH ANNIVER-
SARY Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown. Sep. 20, 5 & 8 pm. $10. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org
CARLA THE RESCUER The courageous story of 101-year-old Carla Peperzak, who shares her heartbreaking Holocaust experiences to speak out against injustice and deliver a message of hope. Carla will host a Q&A session afterward. Sep. 21, 2-4 pm. $20. Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. kroccda.org (208-667-1865)
MARQUEE CELEBRATION: SUNSET
BOULEVARD The Kenworthy celebrates the restoration of its historic marquee with a free screening of Sunset Boulevard and a ribbon-cutting ceremony and community photo under the lights. Sep. 21, 7 pm. Free. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-882-4127)
NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE: A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE As Blanche’s fragile world crumbles, she turns to her sister Stella for solace – but her downward spiral brings her face to face with the brutal Stanley Kowalski. Sep. 21, 1 pm. $10. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main. kenworthy.org
NO-LI OKTOBERFEST A celebration of beer and Bavarian activities featuring a live oompah band, small batch German lagers, live music, games and more. Sept. 20 and 27 from noon-3 pm. $20. No-Li Brewhouse, 1003 E. Trent Ave. nolibrewhouse.com (509-242-2739)
OKTOBERFEST 2025 A two-day walkaround beer festival featuring Oktoberfest-themed brews from Iron Goat Brewing, Humble Abode Brewing, Whistle Punk Brewing and Brick West Brewing. Guests receive a collectible 2025 Oktoberfest mug, redeemable for $4 specialty pours at all locations. Sep. 20, noon-midnight and Sep. 21, noon-midnight. $25. Brick West Brewing Co., 1318 W. First Ave. westendbeerfest.com (509-279-2982)
89TH ANNUAL GREEK FOOD FESTIVAL
This annual celebration includes traditional greek food items such as gyros and baklava. The event also features live music, dancing, a Greek marketplace and more. Church tours are available. Sept. 25-27, 11 am-8 pm daily. Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 1703 N. Washington St. holytrinityspokane.org/festival
MUSIC
BHARATHAM: CLASSICAL MUSIC AND DANCE FROM SOUTH INDIA An exploration of the nuances of classical music and dance from South India, with live orchestra of musicians led by Natyacharya Jayanthi Raman. Sep. 19, 6:30-8 pm. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5300)
LYYRA The all-women vocal ensemble performs classical, jazz, pop and folk selections. Sep. 24. 7:30pm. Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, 211 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu/mwpac
AUTUMN ECHOES CHAMBER MUSIC
FESTIVAL A collection of concerts featuring students, faculty and guest artists performing autumnal music. Sept. 25-27; times and locations vary. Free. Washington State University, 2000 NE Stadium Way. music.wsu.edu (509-335-3564)
SPORTS & OUTDOORS
FAMILY FUN FESTIVAL An open gym event with sports, games and more activities for families. Sep. 19, 4-7 pm. Free. HUB Sports Center, 19619 E. Cataldo Ave. hubsportscenter.org (509-927-0602)
SPORTING CLAY TOURNAMENT 2025
A fundraising tournament dedicated to supporting Scouting America through access to 15 diverse shooting stations with targets tailored for all skill levels. Sep. 19, 7:30 am-3 pm. $300-$1500. Landt Farms Sporting Clays, 11829 North Landt Farms Ln. scouting.org (509-242-8235)
VALLEYFEST RIVER RUN This annual race starts and finishes at the Plante’s Ferry picnic shelter. Choose from a 5k or 10k loop. Sep. 20, 8 am-8 pm. $25. Plantes Ferry Sports Complex, 12308 E. Upriver Dr. valleyfest.org (509-922-3299)
THEATER & DANCE
LEGALLY BLONDE A fabulously fun, award-winning musical based on the adored movie, Legally Blonde follows the transformation of Elle Woods as she tackles stereotypes and scandal in pursuit of her dreams. Sept. 19-Oct. 12; WedSat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $20-$45. Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard St. spokanecivictheatre.com
SEA CHANGE WITHIN US A sixty-minute performance addressing local Washington state water concerns and climate change consequences through the voices of real people. Sep. 19, 7:30 pm. Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, 211 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu
GRAND KYIV BALLET: GISELLE A classical ballet that tells the story of a peasant girl who falls in love with a nobleman disguised as a commoner. Tragically, the girl dies of a broken heart when she discovers the truth about her lover’s identity. Sep. 21, 4 pm. $46-$104. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. firstinterstatecenter.org
SOME LIKE IT HOT Set in Chicago when Prohibition has everyone thirsty for a little excitement, this musical tells the story of two musicians forced to flee the Windy City after witnessing a mob hit. With gangsters on their heels, they catch a cross-country train for the life-chasing, life-changing trip of a lifetime. Sept. 2328; Tue-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sat also at 2 pm, Sun at 6:30 pm and 1 pm. $50-$127. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls. firstinterstatecenter.org
VISUAL ARTS
SYNERGISTIC INTERPLAY: ROB MCKIRDIE An exhibition featuring sculptures by Rob McKirdie. Mon-Fri from 10 am-4:30 pm through Oct. 23. Free. Bryan Oliver Gallery, Whitworth, 300 W. Hawthorne Ave. whitworth.edu (509-777-3258)
THIRD THURSDAYS: ART WALK & HILLYARD CREATIVE DISTRICT LAUNCH Celebrate the launch of the Hillyard Creative District during September’s Third
Thursdays with remarks at Heritage Museum Park, then a self-guided art walk with 20+ stops plus fine-art pop-ups, live music and more. Sep. 18, 4-8 pm. Free. Hillyard Market District, 5000 E. Market St. hillyardspokane.org/launch THROUGH KILN & PRESS This special exhibition combines the ceramic work of Gina Freuen and the printed work of Mary Farrell centered on their shared interest in organic forms and in the process of creating. Mon-Sat from 11 am-4 pm through Dec. 20. Free. Jundt Art Museum, 200 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu GENERATIONS IN COLOR This exhibition unites the art of surrealist painter and sculptor Roch Fautch and his daughter, Amberle. Fri from 1-7 pm, Sat from 1-4 pm through Sep. 26. Free. Shotgun Studios, 1625 W. Water Ave. shotgunstudiosspokane.com (509-688-3757)
JIM ZIMPEL: CURB FINDS, SHOP BOTS AND OTHER OSB WORKS Sculptural works by Jim Zimpel using everyday objects. Sept. 22-Oct. 22, Mon-Fri from 8:30 am-3:30 pm. Free. SFCC Fine Arts Gallery, 3410 W. Whistalks Way, Bldg. 6. sfcc.spokane.edu (509-533-3710)
WORDS
FORAY FOR THE ARTS This multidisciplinary performance event features Anne McCaslin, Micah Bournes, Nolan Christensen, Patrick Piper, Stevie Doll, Trent Cruz, Wilma, and more. Ages 21+. Sep. 18, 6-8 pm. Free. The Yard Bird Tavern, 5209 N. Market St. for4thearts.org
BUD WITHERS: TOO GOOD TO BE THROUGH Bud Wither discusses his book about the Apple Cup, the college football game between rivals the University of Washington Huskies and the Washington State University Cougars. Sep. 19, 12-2 pm. Free. Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main Ave. auntiesbooks.com
HANFORD’S LEAKS, LEGENDS AND LEGACIES Four renowned writer-activists converge to discuss their work and the Hanford Nuclear Site’s troubled impact on our region. Sep. 20, 3-4:30 pm. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5300)
POETRY SLAM Come watch poets compete in a high-energy poetry competition. Poets have three minutes to perform their original material. Sign-ups at the event. Free to attend, $5 to compete. Top two poets represent Spokane at the Salish Sea Poetry Festival. Sep. 21, 3:30 pm. Jupiter’s Eye Book Cafe, 411 W. First Ave. facebook.com/share/16u1zVFtW3/ “FOREVER CHEMICALS” IN OUR DAILY LIFE Learn about PFAS found in outdoor gear, cosmetics, and more—and understand their impact on health and the environment. Sep. 23, 5:30-6:30 pm. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley. spokanelibrary.org
WSU ARTIST LECTURE: HOCK E AYE VI EDGAR HEAP OF BIRDS Heap of Birds’ decades-long contributions to contemporary art and Native cultural discourse often juxtapose past atrocities against Indigenous communities with contemporary issues like gun violence and environmental devastation. Sep. 25, 3 pm. Free. Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU, 1535 NE Wilson Rd. museum.wsu.edu
LEANN BJERKEN: ORDINARY OMENS
LeAnn Bjerken celebrates the release of her poetry collection alongside local poets Laura Read and Maya Jewell Zeller. Sep. 26, 6-7:30 pm. Free. Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main. auntiesbooks.com n
PRODUCTS
Sensory and Seasonal
Find the flavors and aromas of autumn through cannabis
BY WILL MAUPIN
Earlier sunsets, cooler days and colder nights, football on TV… if those haven’t been enough to remind you that autumn is just around the corner, then let the calendar make it clear. Autumn of ficially begins this Monday, Sept. 22.
Using your senses, cannabis can help you lean into autumn by embrac ing the taste and smell of the changing of the seasons.
FLAVOR OF FALL
Starbucks, step aside. The iconic seasonal latte isn’t the only way to get your pumpkin spice fix anymore. Local dispensaries offer a couple of options for consumers hoping to get festive with their fall flavor.
Dispensaries Primo Cannabis and Greenhand both offer a cannabis-infused take on the season’s popular beverage. Tacoma producer Agro Couture is known for its large line of infused beverages. This time of year, its pumpkin spice flavor should be on many consumers’ shopping lists. The little bottles, at just under 2 fluid ounces, pack a whopping 100 milligrams of THC.
If you’re seeking something a little less intense, Cinder’s three locations around town have a seasonal take on peanut butter cups. These pumpkin spice flavored peanut butter and chocolate candies from Swifts Edibles come in
packs of 10, with each piece containing 10 milligrams of THC.
SEASONAL SCENTS
Ask any knowledgeable budtender and they’ll tell you there is a lot more to a strain than simply where it falls on the indica-sativa spectrum. Terpenes — organic compounds produced by plants of all kinds, not just cannabis — provide scent and flavor elements while helping to round out the overall effect profile.
To look deeper, turn to the terpene profile. Some of the more common ones, like limonene with its bright citrus aroma or linalool with a strong floral scent, evoke the feeling of spring and summer.
For autumn, humulene and myrcene are two terpenes to focus on. Strains high in those two are commonly regarded as calming and sedating. Humulene’s earthy aroma — think the scent of hops, the plant from which it was first derived — pairs well with the smell of falling leaves. Myrcene brings musky and peppery notes that will pair well with the aroma of a slow-cooking stew — consider throwing a dash of thyme into the stew, as the herb is high in myrcene as well.
Strains contain different mixes of multiple terpenes, so ask your budtender to direct you to some high in humulene, myrcene, or both. n
SECOND CHANCE SUNDAY 20% OFF 1 ITEM SUPERSAVER SATURDAY 25% OFF 1 ITEM
NOTE TO READERS
Be aware of the differences in the law between Idaho and Washington. It is illegal to possess, sell or transport cannabis in the State of Idaho. Possessing up to an ounce is a misdemeanor and can get you a year in jail and up to a $1,000 fine; more than three ounces is a felony that can carry a five-year sentence and fine of up to $10,000. Transporting marijuana across state lines, like from Washington into Idaho, is a felony under federal law.
Pumpkin spice isn’t limited to pies and coffee.
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 habitforming. 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.
COZY UP WITH A CAMPFIRE & SAVINGS ON SELECT BRANDS
___ Can’t Tell” (recurring “Late Night” segment)
62. Cartoon canine
63. Bubbly Nestle bars sold in England
64. Took a break
Lightning zigzag
Flue residue 2. Mai ___ (rum drink) 3. Hockey player Bobby
