’ve always loved the holiday season. Some of my earliest memories involve watching my mom string colorful lights around our house, yard and Christmas tree, as well as night drives through the city while staring out the window in wonder from my car seat at the bedecked homes. Cute smiling snowmen are another of my lifetime loves — I have a whole army of the little guys filling my own tree, which was set up weeks ago. (Some of my favorite vintage snowmen are making their public debut on the cover of this issue!)
Since starting at the Inlander over a dozen years ago, working on our HOLIDAY GUIDE has been a favorite project, too, as we focus our efforts on highlighting all the loveliest parts of this winter season of reflection, giving and togetherness. From Christmas concerts and plays to plenty of opportunities to shop for one-of-a-kind, locally made gifts and lots of chances to marvel at the twinkling lights, this year’s guide has plenty of chances to make meaningful memories. Happy holidays!
— CHEY SCOTT, Editor
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WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE
LOCAL HOLIDAY EVENT?
AMIE MCCALL
Santa’s arrival, obviously.
Is there any particular part of it that you really like?
I just love the kids’ smiles, and I love the community involvement and the community awareness it brings to our lovely mall that we have here downtown. And bringing that to the loveliness of downtown.
GEO ROSAS
The [Terrain] holiday bazaar [Brrrzaar] here. I think it’s Dec. 14.
Any particular reason?
I just like all the vendors that are there and seeing all the creativity that they bring.
JACKSON STOPA
I enjoy more of the home-vibes of Christmas, like doing things at home with your family. But definitely if there’s any type of jazz Christmas concert going on, I always enjoy those.
SUSAN GIMMESTAD
The Custer’s Christmas bazaar.
Is that why you’re here in Spokane? Yes.
Where are you from?
Twisp, Washington. In the Methow Valley.
JESSICA ANDERSON
To go on the Christmas cruise on Lake Coeur d’Alene.
Do you do it every year? I try.
Is there anything that you especially like about the Christmas cruise?
Just looking at the lights.
INTERVIEWS BY JOHN BERGIN 11/22/2024, RIVER PARK SQUARE
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JOIN US
As the way we talk to each other keeps spiraling, we need to find ways to put our shared humanity front and center
BY TARA ROBERTS
My friend M’s mother is embroiled in an ideological war of words — via sidewalk chalk. M’s mom lives in a small Pacific Northwest city with a lovely walking path. Someone has been leaving political and religious messages along the path, and M’s mom has started writing replies. Sometimes she argues. Sometimes she’s snarky. Once, when the other writer suggested visiting a website, she just responded, “NO.”
I was totally charmed when I heard this story, imagining this affable, somewhat gruff retired grandma popping a piece of chalk in her pocket before her morning walk, prepared for battle.
Like a few million other folks, I recently aban-
doned the sinking ship of Twitter. (Ugh, X.)
I’d been on the platform for more than a decade after being sucked in at a science writing conference, and for a long time it was a meaningful place. I connected with fellow writers and Idahoans, met people who shared the uncommon jobs I’ve had over the years, built networks where we traded real ideas, insights, and jokes. I made actual friends there, including several I’ve met in person.
But it had become a place riddled with junk, where most of the “interactions” were with trolls, scammers and spambots — as on so much of the internet. According to the 2024 Imperva Bad Bot Report, almost half of global internet traffic is now automated bots, with more charging in as generative AI explodes.
What I love most about the story of M’s mom and the sidewalk messages is what I miss about pre-Elon Musk Twitter: the humanity of it.
M’s mom’s rival is definitely a real person. I imagine her as a woman, maybe also a retiree, maybe a young mom with a toddler in a stroller. She might be influenced by bot-spread disinformation online — but at some point in the day, she puts down her phone, picks up her chalk, and heads out to the walking path.
The mindless hordes online are built by people, and real humans absorb, believe and amplify their insidious messages. Plenty of times, the worst of online discourse involves no bots at all, just humans being nasty, cruel and violent. The common factor is that none of these people ever have to see the people they hurt, which makes it much easier to dehumanize them.
M’s mom and her rival have to chalk out their messages while other people walk by. When they dust off their hands and leave, they know that other living, breathing humans will see what they wrote.
A huge amount of conversation right now, at least in my bubble, is about how, or whether, to engage with fellow Americans when you deeply disagree. I tend to fall on the side of maintaining relationships within boundaries, knowing that honoring the humanity of another person doesn’t require agreeing with them (and can involve actively disagreeing), and that the thing most likely to change someone’s mind on an issue is trusting someone who believes differently.
“There are people who make a ton of money off of hate and fear.”
But that, like most things, is a lot easier to philosophize about than actually do.
I remind myself that part of what makes conversation in polarized America so difficult is that there are a few powerful people who very deliberately set out to sow mistrust among the rest of us.
As New Yorker writer Jill Lepore put it in her excellent recent essay, “The Artificial State”: “In the virtual political reality of the twenty-first century, much of public discourse is controlled by private corporations that manufacture, and profit from, political extremism.”
In other words: There are people who make a ton of money off of hate and fear. And the inhumanity of the internet makes it the perfect place to do it.
When I used to advise student journalists, I encouraged them to be mindful of what they said online by asking them to imagine announcing it from a stage in our school football stadium. I wanted them to remember how many people could be affected by their words.
But I think a better analogy is M’s mom and the sidewalk chalk. Would you be willing to go out and put this message physically into the world? Would you be willing to write it to one other person, a person you might stand in line with at the grocery store, or who might take care of you in the emergency room, or whose grandkids might play with yours?
Maybe the answer is still yes. After all, the original chalker is going strong, with M’s mom gleefully writing back.
But I like to think that if M’s mom was walking on the path someday and caught her rival in the act, she would see someone trying to connect — to share a message she thinks is important for real people, even if M’s mom thinks it’s absurd.
And if M’s mom held up her own piece of chalk, her rival might see someone who’s arguing with her not because she’s a faceless object, but because she’s someone whose life might actually intersect with her own.
I don’t imagine them suddenly becoming besties, heading out for coffee and resolving all their differences. But I like to imagine them smiling, recognizing each other as neighbors. n
Tara Roberts is a writer who lives in Moscow with her husband and sons. Her novel Wild and Distant Seas was published in January. Follow her on Blue Sky and Instagram @tarabethidaho.
MARKETING THE FUTURE
EWU
rebrands as “the region’s polytechnic” amid its multiyear effort to cut or modify academic programs and university services
BY COLTON RASANEN
More than a year ago, Eastern Washington University’s Board of Trustees tasked University President Shari McMahan with defining the college’s identity. In response, she created an identity and marketing work group composed of faculty and staff to delve into the question.
After eight months of work, the group recommended that the university become a polytechnic.
“For me, we just named what we already do. Our job is to help students level up their knowledge and hopefully get a job,” says Travis Masingale, a professor in the design department and a member of the president’s marketing work group.
“When someone first brought up polytechnic, I thought, ‘Probably not,’ though I found after more research, that’s exactly what we do,” he continues. “What we call it is not so much the problem, but this offers us a way forward.”
Although the term polytechnic is generally thought of as a school focusing on science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM — and is defined as such by MerriamWebster — administrators believe the term fits.
“There is no formal definition of polytechnic, nor any set requirements for becoming a polytechnic university,” a statement on Eastern’s website says. “EWU will be able to define polytechnic in our own way, which will include an emphasis on applied learning. We want all programs to feature career-connected learning whether that is research,
internships, teacher training, etc.”
One university that the marketing work group looked at for inspiration was California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, which became California’s third polytechnic school in 2022. There, too, the intent was to focus on hands-on opportunities for students. Unlike Eastern though, the California polytechnic received more than $450 million in one-time funding from the state’s Legislature to help with that change, which included adding new programs.
In May, Eastern’s Board of Trustees approved the work group’s recommendation, marking the start of a new era as “Eastern Washington University: The Region’s Polytechnic.” With that decision, Eastern became the only polytechnic in Washington state.
“This is really something to differentiate ourselves from the rest of the pack,” Masingale says. “Nobody knows what a regional comprehensive university is. No one would know what we’re talking about if we tried to market that.”
WHAT’S GETTING CUT?
Amid this major marketing shift, Eastern is still working to discontinue or modify some of the university’s services and academic programs to save money.
This effort, called the “strategic resource allocation” process, began two years ago when two committees were created to rank everything Eastern offers into five categories: invest, maintain, streamline, transform or disinvest.
Last year, that process was completed when the committees submitted reports recommending cuts to 175 of Eastern’s academic programs.
Now, Eastern has progressed to a multiyear implementation stage.
“The changes underway are not about diminishing opportunities but about sharpening our focus and creating pathways that serve our students and the community,” Provost Jonathan Anderson tells the Inlander. “While some programs are being downsized or may be phased out, it is equally important to highlight the many investments we are making to enhance existing programs and launch new, innovative ones.”
An action plan released on Sept. 26 by EWU leaders, including Anderson, four vice presidents and the athletics director, outlines how certain university services will be affected.
For things like dining services and the handful of fast food spots on campus, which were placed in the “disinvest” category, Eastern plans to outsource them to third-party providers. But for football, which has been losing money for years and was placed in the “transform” category, administrators plan to pump more money into the program in hopes of creating additional revenue.
The action plan states the school will work “with ALSC Architects to develop more refined estimates for stadium renovation and construction that, in partnership with the EWU Foundation and the comprehensive campaign,
Graduate Student Assistant
Samantha Agather teaches Digital Forensics and Cybercrimes at EWU’s Catalyst Building in Spokane.
YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
JOHN MATEER
would generate additional revenue for EWU Athletics Department and increase stadium usability for campus and external events.”
During the strategic resource allocation process, Eastern’s student-led newspaper, the Easterner, was placed in the transformation category, with the university services committee noting that “student journalism is a vital service for the university and The Easterner needs to continue to serve our community.”
The action plan, however, advocates for the “transition from The Easterner to strategic partnerships with local news outlets like the Spokesman-Review or Inlander.” (The school has not discussed such a plan with the Inlander.)
For those curious about how other university services might be impacted, the 140-page action plan can be found at inside.ewu.edu/sra.
The path ahead for academic programs is less straightforward.
Currently, each department is working to review the provost’s recommendations for their programs. Those that may be revised must submit their planned revisions to the provost, who will review them further.
Faculty Senate President Carlos Castillo-Garsow says the “program review and discontinuance” process will take the rest of the school year.
The 20 programs currently on the chopping block — including all five physics majors and minors, a few foreign language minors, and education programs in Eastern’s College of Professional Programs — must make their case to the Faculty Senate by Dec. 9, Castillo-Garsow says.
“The [Faculty] Senate ratifies those recommendations, and that can either be to keep the program as is, transform it in some way or discontinue it,” he explains. “It’s important to remember we are a recommending body and the decision that we make isn’t binding.”
The Faculty Senate will then submit recommendations to President McMahan. Castillo-Garsow hopes to do so by the end of January. Another recommendation on those academic programs will come to McMahan’s office from the provost. Anderson says his recommendation will be sent after reviewing the Faculty Senate’s report.
“The Faculty Senate’s recommendations, expected by the end of January, will be an essential part of the shared governance process, guiding the next steps,” Anderson says via email. “This ensures that decisions are influenced and informed by our shared governance process.”
After weighing those sets of recommendations, she’ll draft her own opinion — which still isn’t a binding decision — and send it to the Board of Trustees, which gets the final say.
Though the timeline is still unclear, a Sept. 26 letter from McMahan states that she hopes the Board of Trustees will “take final action on discontinuance recommendations in February 2025,” more than a year after the strategic resource allocation reports were released.
“It’s a long process by design,” Castillo-Garsow says. “The purpose of having these various layers is to make sure there are eyes on this, because discontinuing a program is a huge deal.”
NEW NAME, SAME FACE
Steve Simmons has been deeply connected with Eastern for the last 55 years and says he feels that the recent rebrand aligns with how he’s typically seen the university.
“To me, [polytechnic] just means they’re back in tune with their historic nature,” he says. “We’ve always been dedicated to applied learning and career prep here at Eastern.”
Simmons, now an emeritus professor, began teaching math at the university in 1969. Then in 1984, he helped found Eastern’s computer science department, now located
in the Catalyst Building and recently celebrated its 40th anniversary.
The small computer science department was housed within the mathematics department until 1990, when the department became its own entity, led by Simmons. There he worked on communications, which he says helped him drift into the English department at one point in his career.
In all three of the departments he worked in, Simmons says he saw some form of applied, experiential learning, which is part of why he’s so supportive of the polytechnic title as Eastern has defined it.
“Eastern was in trouble with not having an identity, and if you know anything about higher education we really need an identity,” Simmons says. “The polytechnic title focuses in on all the good work we’ve been doing for years, especially in high-demand fields like computer science and cybersecurity.”
Stu Steiner, an associate professor in computer science and the director of Eastern’s Cybersecurity Institute, agrees with Simmons, adding that the polytechnic title supports high-demand jobs such as those in the cybersecurity sector. After the rebrand in May, Steiner saw a rapid increase in interest for the program. At the end of the 2023-24 school year in June, he says there were only 26 declared majors. Now, there are 85 students seeking a degree in cybersecurity at Eastern.
Steiner doesn’t see that slowing down anytime soon either, especially with how much work his students can do locally.
“We’re going out to small businesses in Spokane, and really, across the state, doing cybersecurity assessments for these places,” Steiner explains. “We always give them tools to improve their cybersecurity hygiene and because ransomware is always changing to do the most damage possible.”
That experience, he says, is at the core of what a polytechnic should be.
UNNECESSARY CHANGES?
Some faculty believe that the new branding was an unnecessary and confusing change.
“We’ve consistently heard that we’re going to define what a polytechnic means, but I don’t understand how that’s a good marketing strategy, using a word that means one thing but saying it’s something else,” says David Syphers, associate physics professor. “If you’re selling a bicycle and say it’s a car, people will know.”
Though Syphers agrees that applied learning can be helpful for many of the programs at Eastern, he was confused by the rebrand because the university was already providing applied learning opportunities. This change, he argues, negatively impacts programs that can’t be taught in an applied or hands-on way.
“We have students who want to be theoretical physicists, which is not applied at all,” he says.
One might think that physics, the science of matter, motion and energy, is a perfect fit for a polytechnic school, but at Eastern every single physics program is at risk of being cut. While it’s still not clear if the programs will actually be axed, Syphers worries about what might happen to the five-person department.
“Most of what we teach are service courses to other programs, like chemistry and biology. We serve a lot of the larger majors on campus,” he explains.
Syphers and the other physics professors would likely not lose their jobs, he says. Instead, they’d be teaching 100-level physics courses as precursors for other majors.
“I’ll still be tenured, but, I wouldn’t get to advise students, and I wouldn’t teach any larger courses,” he says. “I think we should have remained a regional comprehensive instead of just announcing this rebrand at a meeting.”
Judy Rohrer, the director of Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies, agrees. She says the change was unnecessary and even damaging to enrollment, as she argues students seeking a liberal arts education might not apply to a polytechnic school.
“Applied learning is absolutely what many programs engage in, but that’s not the same as being a polytechnic, those are different things, so [concerned faculty] kept trying to have that conversation, but those conversations never seem to go anywhere,” she says. “Whatever you say, polytechnic doesn’t signal a strong liberal arts program, it supports tech and tech is not people-centered. Those of us in the social sciences and humanities were worried about what that means for our programs.”
She feels that if there would have been more collaboration between faculty and administration in the rebranding, they could have figured out how to showcase the college without adding a self-defined descriptor.
“We could actually be lifting our people-centered programs up as a beacon in the region to attract students,” she says. “Being a polytechnic just doesn’t make sense to a lot of our students.” n
coltonr@inlander.com
Students Christopher Davisson, left, and Kyle Costlow look at a memory dump during a cybersecurity class. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
Fresh on the Floor
Marcus Riccelli voted Senate majority floor leader. Plus, Family Promise of Spokane gets a massive donation; and U of I to build more student housing.
BY INLANDER STAFF
Though he’ll be in his first year in the Washington state Senate, Marcus Riccelli was elected by the Senate Democratic Caucus to serve as the Senate majority floor leader in the upcoming legislative session. In that role, he’ll be the main voice representing Democrats in floor debates. Riccelli was first elected as a state representative from Spokane in 2012, and after his recent victory in the general election, he’s moving to the upper chamber. He previously served as the state House majority whip from 2016 to 2022. “I’m honored my colleagues have placed their confidence in me to fill this vital leadership role particularly as a member new to the Senate,” Riccelli said after the vote last week. “Eastern Washington needs strong voices for growing and protecting good, living-wage jobs, increasing housing access and affordability, and improving our health care system. … I’m energized and ready to get to work.” (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)
VITAL FUNDING
In 1997, Family Promise of Spokane opened in Eastern Washington to help homeless families get housing and keep it. Now, the organization has received a $2.5 million grant from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund, which works to fund nonprofits that help families who are homeless. The money will help the nonprofit expand its offerings. “Receiving this $2.5 million grant … is transformative for Family Promise of Spokane and, more importantly, for the families we serve,” says Joe Ader, CEO of Family Promise of Spokane. “This award empowers us to expand our innovative housing solutions, offering families a secure pathway back into stable homes. With these resources, we can deepen our impact and drive lasting change, helping break the cycle of homelessness for countless children and parents in Spokane.” Family Promise’s grant is one of 40 from the Day 1 Families Fund that went out across the country totaling $110.5 million. (COLTON RASANEN)
VANDAL HOUSING
On Nov. 21, the Idaho State Board of Education approved $162.82 million for the University of Idaho to renovate 50-year-old campus residence housing and develop new housing at its Moscow campus. This year, the university reported 2,025 enrolled first-time freshmen, an 8.3% enrollment increase from last year, with 1,390 first-time freshmen living on campus (up more than 6% from last year). The newly approved project will demolish 431 existing beds at the apartment complex and develop 251 new single-student beds and 150 married/ family beds for graduate students and staff. The project will also renovate 1,416 beds at the Wallace Residential Center, Theophilus Tower, and Elmwood Apartments. According to a press release, U of I expects to increase bed capacity by 150 beds after the buildings are completed. The university has a 2,075-bed resident hall capacity with 200 overflow student beds at a leased motel. The project will upgrade infrastructure for underground sanitation, domestic water systems and electrical replacements. Total costs are estimated at $195 million, and the university will seek development partner financing or debt financing. The project will take up to three years, with the first housing opening in August 2025 and the completion of all construction by 2027.
(VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ)
Room for Justice
Kootenai County uses ARPA funding for new justice building to address growing needs
BY VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ
The Kootenai County Board of Commissioners hopes a new $36 million expansion to the county’s justice building will provide more room for county employees and make it easier for community members to find the proper courtroom. The four-level, 60,000-square-foot expansion, which started construction in September 2023, is expected to be finished by May.
The expansion will add three courtrooms with additional jury and side chamber spaces. The Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office, which is currently spread across four buildings, will also be housed on the third level. Plus, there will be space for some District Court, sheriff’s office and other county employees.
The commissioners initially approved the Justice Center expansion in 2020 with a $22 million price tag. In June 2022, the commissioners allocated $24 million in American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA funds for the project.
In August 2022, the county hired Bouten Construction, a company that builds hospitals, schools and research facilities around the Pacific Northwest. The price tag quickly grew to $36 million in 2023, and the county is expected to use its own funds for the cost difference.
Bouten presented commissioners with an option to remove the third level to reduce costs, eliminating the space for the Prosecutor’s Office, but the commissioners ultimately moved forward with the original design.
Kootenai County Commissioner Leslie Duncan blamed inflation, citing increases in the cost of construction materials and labor between the time of the design’s first approval and when Bouten started construction and subcontracted work to third-party builders.
“We only allocated about $22 million in the beginning, and that didn’t turn out to be enough because of the hyperinflation that we went through and the labor shortage, along with materials costing more, and the supply chain issues,” Duncan says. “So that was not nearly enough to be put towards the project.”
The building’s new $36 million cost was alarming for Commissioner Bruce Mattare, who was elected in 2022.
In October 2023, he raised concerns that the county’s auditing staff wasn’t being kept in the loop and argued that the county needed to hire someone to monitor fees. Since then, Mattare says the county has been able to be more transparent with the public about any cost changes. The auditing and finance departments are more engaged in the process, and the county hired David Mendez to be a buyer’s representative on behalf of the commissioners in December 2023.
Mendez is from Turner and Townsend Heery, which specializes in project and program management for public sector organizations. He can approve expenditures up to $25,000 for the project, and he’s being paid $155 per hour and will receive
Kootenai County’s new four-level justice building is expected to be finished next year. RENDERING COURTESY OF KOOTENAI COUNTY
more than $155,000 for his work in 2024.
Mattare says it is important to have a dedicated person with experience managing government construction projects on the team. He felt that being unable to get an answer about total costs was a significant issue, and he is glad to see the project moving forward with clarity on costs.
“I kept asking, how much is this project going to cost in total?” Mattare says, “and I would get different numbers every time. We’re responsible for the fiscal management of the county treasury, and to engage in a project that you don’t know what your ceiling is as far as how much we could end up spending is irresponsible.”
MAKING SPACE
The building is well underway, with drywall added, and windows installed.
In a Nov. 19 status update, the commissioners approved reallocating $480,000 of ARPA funding originally designated for temporary county salaries to the justice building expansion.
The project will address many issues with Kootenai County’s fast growth, which has come with increased caseloads.
Duncan says the county has had to make do with limited space: A closet space was converted into a courtroom, judges were packed in the old 1925 courthouse blocks away from the main county campus, and 60 district clerk employees were crammed in an open office area sharing two single bathrooms.
“We had only four jury trial rooms for 17 judges — we’ve got 14 home judges and three other [traveling] judges who regularly hear cases weekly in Kootenai County,” Duncan says. “So we had to expand courtrooms, especially jury trial ones.”
One important element of the project is that it puts the entire prosecuting staff in one building, Kootenai County Prosecutor Stanley Mortensen says.
In the 11 years Mortensen has worked for the county, his staff has nearly doubled in size, and their workspace is currently bursting at the seams.
“I have three attorneys sharing one office right now,” Mortensen says. “I have two attorneys who are in what used to be two closets.”
When Kootenai County moved from physical files to digital, the former filing cabinet rooms were quickly converted to desk space, Mortensen says.
According to a 2023 report, the average annual criminal caseload for Kootenai County prosecutors was 197 per year, compared with the industry standard of 150. The misdemeanor caseload averaged 644 per attorney, with 400 cases a year being the standard.
Mortensen wants to add more prosecutors to the office but hasn’t requested approval for more attorneys because there’s nowhere to put them. He says the new space will allow him to request additional attorneys, lower the caseload per attorney, and be flexible to handle high-profile cases.
“When you can reduce the caseloads of each individual attorney, it allows them to spend more time focusing on some of the more high-profile cases,” he says.
The case dockets for Kootenai County judges are also among the highest in Idaho, he says, making it take longer to move cases along.
“Judges need to have courtrooms so that they can have hearings and get the attorneys and the parties in the court to work on these cases,” Mortensen says. “When you have more judges than you have actual courtrooms, it hinders the ability of the judges to move these cases along.
Duncan says the building expansion, which has been needed for a long time, addresses these current justice needs. By 2027, Kootenai County may add another District Court judge and a magistrate judge to replace a traveling judge.
Mortensen says the community of Kootenai County supports the work his office does and he is thankful the commissioners pushed the project forward.
“I’m very grateful for the work the commissioners did to approve building the new [justice] building,” Mortensen says. “I’m grateful that they were able to find funding, and I really look forward to moving my office over there and how much it will improve our working conditions.” n
victorc@inlander.com
DEC 6 7:30 PM
DEC 7 3:OO PM & 7:30 PM
James Lowe, CONDUCTOR State Street Ballet Rodney Gustafson, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
HOLIDAY POPS
MORIHIKO NAKAHARA CONDUCTOR WITH THE SPOKANE SYMPHONY
December 4, 2024
Doors open at 3:30 PM
The Davenport Grand Hotel
333 W Spokane Falls Blvd
A Fundamental Right
The Washington Supreme Court could decide whether public defender caseloads need a dramatic change
BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL
Is it reasonable to expect a public defender to manage 300 or 400 cases in a year? Are they able to truly get to know each defendant, the details of their case, and track down anything that could get a juror to question their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt?
If not, does that mean the government is failing to live up to the Sixth Amendment’s guaranteed right to an attorney for those who can’t afford one?
Those questions guided the work of the Washington State Bar Association’s Council on Public Defense over the past two years as members studied the status of indigent defense.
Finding current workloads too high, the association released new caseload standards in March that would significantly reduce the burden.
The current standards, which the Washington Supreme Court adopted in 2012, state that full-time public defenders should not be assigned more than 150 felony cases in a year; 300 to 400 misdemeanor cases per year; or 250 juvenile offender cases per year.
The bar association’s new standards pitch an aggressive three-year ramping down of those caseloads starting in July 2025, so that by July 2027 full-time felony public defenders should be
assigned no more than 47 felony cases per year (or even fewer for complex cases, such as homicides), and misdemeanor public defenders should be assigned no more than 120 misdemeanor cases.
The proposed standards use a weighting system to assign one to eight “credits” to each type of case based on complexity, and officially seek to limit caseloads to 47 to 120 case credits.
Now, the question is whether the Washington Supreme Court will agree to implement the standards. On Sept. 25 and Nov. 13, the Supreme Court held public hearings to gather feedback on the proposed standards.
While there is wide agreement that public defenders are largely overworked and underpaid, not everyone believes the new standards would make a meaningful difference in the ability to retain public defenders, arguing there’s already a shortage of qualified attorneys. Some even argue that the standards could result in decriminalization and lawlessness.
‘GIVING UP THEIR LIVES’
In the September public hearing, the Supreme Court heard from multiple public defenders in the state’s largest counties, including King, Pierce, and Snohomish, who shared heartbreaking details
The Washington Supreme Court has been taking testimony, with two more hearings to come.
of how they have had colleagues die by suicide or succumb to substance use disorder due to the high stress of the traumatic job, and how they barely have time to see their families.
Larry Jefferson, director of the Washington Office of Public Defense, passionately asked the court to agree to the new standards. He said even the 2012 standards have been hard to keep up with as a public defender.
“I can remember one Sunday, when I stayed home, and my family looked at me and they said, ‘What are you doing here?’” Jefferson told the justices, holding back tears. “My son is gone. I wish I had spent that time with him. … Public defenders around the state of Washington are making that same sacrifice. … They’re giving up their lives.”
While offering sympathy for heavy workloads, speakers from associations that represent prosecutors, law enforcement, cities and counties, argued that the new standards are impossible to financially achieve without state funding.
Teddy Chow, deputy prosecutor for Okanogan County, argued that vigilante justice might increase if cases are dismissed due to counties not having enough public defenders to take on the work. He also said that while the limits might be appropriate for new public defenders, they shouldn’t apply to more experienced attorneys.
Sara Watson, chief prosecuting attorney for the city of Kent, said that she might still be a public defender if it weren’t for the caseload but that she still never felt overworked to the point where she desired a case limit. She worries the new standards will create de facto decriminalization of some charges.
“Decriminalization will be a natural consequence of making prosecution three times more expensive in this state,” Watson told the justices. “This will be especially true for lower-income cities and counties who can’t absorb the budget impact due to an inability to tax and increase revenue for this purpose.”
The state Supreme Court accepted hundreds of written comments before the November public hearing. In a letter to the justices, Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown and Spokane City Council President Betsy Wilkerson expressed serious concerns.
“The proposed standards will require the City of Spokane to increase public defense staffing and funding from $3.5 million to $10 million,” their letter states. “Without state support — this would be financially devastating.”
They estimate the city would need to grow from its current 19 full-time defense attorneys to 62 full-time defense attorneys by July 2027 under the new standards. In addition, the standards would require the city office to hire 20 social workers, 17 investigators and 15 paralegals by that time.
THE EXODUS IS REAL
Spokane County did not have someone speak at either public hearing. But before the Washington State Bar Association released the new standards, Spokane County CEO Scott Simmons wrote a letter in March noting the financial consequences.
“From 2015 to 2023, indigent defense costs for Spokane County have risen 20% from $9.6 [million] to $11.5 [million] annually. During the same period, funding from the State of Washington to Spokane County has remained relatively flat ranging from [$500,000] to [$550,000] annually,” Simmons wrote. “At the present time, Spokane County does not have an identified source of funds to absorb the resulting cost increases.”
Still, Colin Charbonneau, director of the Spokane County Public Defender office, wrote to the Washington Supreme Court on Oct. 31 to strongly support the new standards.
“My office has experienced a well-documented exodus of experienced public defenders. In the last eight months, six of the seven attorneys that have resigned were certified to handle the most complex criminal litigation,” Charbonneau wrote. “Without changes, this revolving door of public defense attorneys will continue as irreplaceable amounts of institutional knowledge exit the profession.”
The state Supreme Court plans to discuss the standards during a hearing on Dec. 4 , and potentially again in January. Some groups are already talking with state lawmakers to pitch significant state investment in public defense during the upcoming legislative session. n
samanthaw@inlander.com
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Salty and Sweet
The Civic is staging two shows with different takes on Christmas — one a seasonal staple, the other poking fun at it
BY E.J. IANNELLI
This weekend, as in many years past, A Christmas Carol opens on the main stage of the Spokane Civic Theatre. This production makes use of the popular adaptation by Barbara Field, which has been the theater’s preferred version of Charles Dickens’ classic holiday tale for more than 40 years.
“Civic has done all the musical versions, the play, everything, but the Barbara Field is what we keep coming back to,” says the theater’s executive director, Jake Schaefer. “And it’s truly because there is more heart in her adaptation than most of the others combined.”
The community theater apparently even had a hand in the script’s early evolution. As local theater lore has it, when the histrionic Civic co-founder Dorothy Darby Smith was directing the first Spokane production back in the late 1970s, she actively corresponded with Field.
“Barbara would send Dorothy pages, and then Dorothy would rip ’em up and send ’em back,” Schaefer says with a laugh.
Longtime Civic playwright-inresidence Bryan Harnetiaux then became the recurring narrator for many stagings of A Christmas Carol that followed. More recently, the theater’s music director, Henry McNulty, wrote multiple iterations of incidental music for the show.
Schaefer, who’s jointly directing this rendition of A Christmas Carol with Jonah Taylor, admits that tradition — comforting, nostalgic, familiar — is certainly part of its appeal. But even on the main stage, where tradition tends to hold a bit more sway with audiences, there’s always room for a little creativity and experimentation. That’s one of the reasons why he was keen to work with Taylor.
“At some point this spring, Jonah sent in a really cool pitch. His idea was to align it more to a storyteller perspective and an ensemble cast than the traditional [character- and narrator-driven] approach.”
“We kept the Dickens lines but divvied them out to other characters in the ensemble,” Taylor explains. “Not having Charles Dickens say these lines really gives it a different feel. So these characters are moving around the stage, coming in and out of scenes, but also driving the story forward with the narration.”
“While having familiar performers on stage is great, I think there’s something to be said for giving others a new opportunity,”
With so much history between this particular play and this particular theater, it’s not hard to view A Christmas Carol as the quintessence of tradition: a favored adaptation of a well-known fable making its semi-annual return.
The distributed narration isn’t the show’s only novelty. Of the 27 total cast members, Schaefer estimates that 20 are making their Civic debut. One of the most visible newer faces is former Tri-Cities native Sam Shick, who performed in last year’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and is now in his first Civic lead role as Ebenezer Scrooge.
“While having familiar performers on stage is great,
I think there’s something to be said for giving others a new opportunity,” Shick says. “It’s always good when you come to a show, the lights dim, the curtain opens, and you see people you’ve never seen before. You hear their talent, you feel their performance. And it’s like, wow, this is a revelation.”
The three specters are getting a refresh in this production, too. Unlike conventional portrayals, the Ghost of Christmas Past (played by Leland Brownlee) will “spring to the stage,” according to Schaefer, and the Ghost of Christmas Present (Kiantha Duncan) will be more like a “favorite aunt” who enters “riding a device — a huge overscale object that all of us know and will recognize.”
“We were dreaming about Kiantha,” he says. “That’s a real get for us because, creatively, she’s just exactly what we wanted.”
“She just has a powerful presence,” Taylor adds.
During rehearsals for A Christmas Carol, the cast and crew had to reckon with an equally powerful presence in the Civic’s lobby.
They’d frequently hear stage screams, not to mention lines from their very own production, delivered by the actors temporarily rehearsing there for Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and Then Some!). The high-energy holiday comedy is being staged downstairs in the Firth J. Chew Studio right in the middle of A Christmas Carol’s run.
Every Christmas Story cheekily positions itself as an antiChristmas Carol. Its conceit is that two of its three cast members — real actors playing fictional versions of themselves — are sick to death of Dickens’ morality tale and hellbent on staging anything else.
Sam Shick in the iconic role of Ebenezer Scrooge. SPOKANE CIVIC THEATRE PHOTOS
“They’ve done Christmas Carol so much. They see it every year. They do it every year. So their thought is, why not explore all the other Christmas stories and fit in as many of them as we can?” says Claire Herrmann. She’s appearing in each performance alongside Declan Sheehan and Ryan Wasson. Ethan Dennis is the show’s official understudy, ready to leap into multiple roles should the need arise.
Before delving into their own humorous version of Scrooge’s epiphany, the actors fulfill the promise of the title and zip through a whirlwind of seasonal references and icons: the Grinch, Red Ryder BB guns, It’s a Wonderful Life and the red-nosed reindeer that copyright prevents them from mentioning by name.
“There are archetypes that are built into it,” Herrmann says. “We have a person that’s supposed to be the knowledgeable one about Christmas. We have a person that’s a little bit more naive, and we have a person that’s almost grumpy. But then we kind of sneak in our own little personalities as well. There’s definitely a lot of room for improv in this show.”
Some of that improv also takes the form of audience participation. The fourth wall is razed more than once for game show-style trivia and Q&As.
As director, Bryan Durbin says he’s leaning into the “wiggle room” of Every Christmas Story and the convenient timing to offer some fun meta-commentary. One exchange has the actors acknowledging that it’s impossible to escape A Christmas Carol. They underscore their point with an ostensible live video feed of the production upstairs.
That wry irreverence is very much in keeping with the ethos of the Civic’s studio space, which has often inclined toward the edgier, less mainstream side of live theater. And though he’s embracing that ethos, Durbin, just like Every Christmas Story, has a genuine fondness for the material he’s ribbing. He’s played Bob Cratchit in previous Civic productions of A Christmas Carol and even directed the last main-stage production of the show back in 2022.
That’s why, despite their competing takes on Christmas spirit, the shows aren’t billing themselves as mutually exclusive. The hope is that audiences will take in both and appreciate each for what it has to offer.
“To have a property downstairs that by nature feels immersive, that’s lighthearted, is ideal because upstairs on the main stage we’re able to present the ever-popular Christmas story with a freshened up approach,” Schaefer says. “It’s complementary — like salty and sweet.” n
A Christmas Carol • Nov. 29-Dec. 22; Wed-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm • $15-$41
Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and Then Some!) • Dec. 6-15; Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm • $15-$29 • Spokane Civic Theatre • 1020 N. Howard St. • spokanecivictheatre.com • 509-325-2507
The four-person cast of Every Christmas Story Ever Told.
Cross Country
Comedian David Cross chats about how touring stand-up comedians are in a unique position to check the nation’s temperature
BY SETH SOMMERFELD
While it’s always impressive when artists are legit multi-hyphenates, there’s usually one field among the many where they truly feel most at home.
Take David Cross. He created, wrote and starred in the wildly influential cult HBO sketch show Mr. Show with Bob and David alongside Bob Odenkirk. He has an iconic sitcom role (Tobias Fünke on Arrested Development) alongside an impressive list of diverse acting credits spanning from prestige films like The Post and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to family fare like Megamind and Kung Fu Panda to video games like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. He’s also written a book (I Drink for a Reason) and has been hosting his own
podcast, Senses Working Overtime, for about a year.
But at his core, Cross is a stand-up comedian. With a style that can seamlessly transition from bizarre silliness to skewering political commentary without ever giving the audience the comedic bends, Cross was a major force in the alternative comedy boom in the ’90s and hasn’t ever really slowed down. His eighth stand-up special, Worst Daddy in the World, dropped earlier this year and can be watched in full on YouTube. Before he performs at Spokane Tribe Resort and Casino on Dec. 5, we caught up with Cross to chat about what keeps him invested in stand-up, creative partners and the perspective traveling for his work provides.
INLANDER: Both personally and professionally — be it your Mr. Show partner Bob Odenkirk or your wife, Amber Tamblyn — you’ve surrounded yourself with creative people. Is that something important to your own creativity?
CROSS: Well it’s less about importance and just what I prefer. It’s a great thing that I’m able to do. I mean, I know plenty of people who aren’t creative, but creative people are more fun to hang out with.
What initially made you interested in doing a podcast? And then what has kept the process of making one interesting?
Well, I mean, initially it kind of was suggested heavily, repeatedly to broaden people’s awareness of me or whatever. You know, sell more tickets to shows, etc, etc.
And for years I didn’t do it. I had no desire to. I don’t listen to podcasts myself. I have nothing against them, I just don’t occupy my time that way.
And then I started doing it, and I loved it. It’s really fun. And they’re just conversations I would have. The way I approach it — and what I’ll tell people — is like, “Just imagine we’re strangers and we’re sitting next to each other at a pub,” you know? That kind of conversation. There are no parameters to it or anything.
Is the creative satisfaction different doing stand-up versus writing for a show versus acting in a thing that somebody else wrote? Does having that diversity in work help prevent you from getting too burned out?
The truth of the matter is I enjoy doing all those things. They’re all things that I can do. I have no control over whether somebody casts me in a show or a movie or not, but I have 100% control over my stand-up, which is nice. When I have the downtime and I’m not working on a project, I’ll just start doing get more material ready. It’s all fun for me.
Do you get frustrated by people who recognize you and come up and recite Arrested Development lines at you?
Oh, that’s annoying. I’ve experienced pretty much everything, and by far most people are cool and respectful. But, yeah, there are plenty of folks that aren’t.
As someone who came up in the ’90s alternative comedy scene, what’s it been like seeing a decent chunk of the comedic landscape shift from alt-comedy to alt-right comedy?
Well, I mean, it’s depressing, because I’ve never really enjoyed or taken part in comedy that punches down and makes fun of the disenfranchised and vulnerable out there. That’s never been my thing. So it’s a bummer that that’s so celebrated and, you know, financially rewarded. I mean, I don’t make 1/100th of the amount of money that some of those guys are, but I’m gonna do my stuff and always be me.
What’s sort of the breakdown of the material you’re currently doing in your stand-up set?
I’ve always had kind of a stew of different stuff. I just have very silly jokes. I have some that are kind of a little offensive. I have stuff that’s anecdotal. I’d say easily a third of the set is about just anecdotal stuff, this thing that happened to me or this thing I observed. And then, obviously, I dip into the current state of affairs, and there’s always going to be a little religious stuff in there. For people who know my body of work — which there are literally decades worth of specials and albums and stuff — it’s that.
What keeps driving you as a stand-up?
I just love it. I mean, it’s one of my favorite things to do. And I like touring. I don’t like the actual physical
Cross finds value in the road life perspective.
MINDY TUCKER PHOTO
grind of it, but I like going all over America and the world. And there’s always something to talk about. So if the physical part of touring is a grind, what are the aspects about it that you really enjoy?
For one thing, I get to see all of America and other countries. You’re everywhere. We live in Brooklyn, and I’ve talked about this on stage — we live in a bubble, and I am aware of that.
I was talking to my wife, and she was feeling optimistic about Kamala Harris’s chances. And I was like, “I’m on the road. I’m telling you — it’s not going to happen.” And I was saying that awhile ago. “I’m telling you, you’re not out here. I don’t think it’s gonna happen.” And it’s educational and edifying when you get to talk to people from all walks of life, and you get to go to places you normally wouldn’t go. Why would I ever be in Kent, Ohio? Why would I ever be in Lawrence, Kansas? Well, I’m there to do stand-up, and I get to walk around and talk to people. It’s a great education.
And I’ll always enjoy doing that until people like me are not allowed to... which probably gives me another two years before I’m shut down and deported.
And it’s got to be rewarding in some of those places that there are people who will come out to see you because a David Cross show is their one escape from the dominant culture around them.
Oh, for sure, man. That’s been happening for my whole career. People who know me come out because they are familiar with my stand-up and not “Oh, it’s the guy from the show.”
I get asked pretty constantly, like, “So do you change your material when you’re down South.” And I’m like, “F--- no.” That’s actually where I’m the best received — the little sprinkles of blue and a deep sea of red. They’re just so happy that I came there. For like an hour and a half, they can feel like they have a likeminded kinship. They can feel like they’re not alone. That’s one part of why it’s so gratifying to go out on the road. n
David Cross, Sean Patton • Thu, Dec. 5 at 8 pm • $52-$85 • All ages • Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino • 14300 W. SR-2 Hwy., Airway Heights • spokanetribecasino.com
Prep for Cross’ visit by watching Worst Daddy in the World. TIMOTHY M. SCHMIDT PHOTO
concluded at Pullman School District.
Hackbarth joined Benscoter to coauthor the recently published Lost Apples: The Search for Rare and Heritage Apples in the Pacific Northwest
Lost Apples is encyclopedic, with four appendices comprising a quarter of the book’s 288 pages. The largest section highlights regional cultivars, all 1,623 of them, from Abe Lincoln to Zuzoff, including their aliases and in which document their existence has been verified.
The book hardly reads like an encyclopedia, however, and is packed with concise, yet compelling historical vignettes. A fast, fun read, available at Auntie’s Bookstore in Spokane or Sandpoint-based Keokee Books.
Benscoter thinks Lost Apples will appeal to both younger people interested in homesteading or preserving lost varieties, as well as older folks who remember vintage cultivars.
A good percentage of people attending the talks he’s given over the years are senior citizens whose eyes light up when he talks about old apples, Benscoter says. “I can just see them being transported back to their mom’s kitchen.”
Unfortunately, advancing age is also a downside in the hunt for lost apples, says Benscoter, noting the decline in heritage trees, some of them dating back 150 years to the earliest white settlements. Another concern is a dearth of apple identification experts, many of whom are in their 80s.
FRUIT FOREWORD
Discover heritage apple detective David Benscoter’s new book, Lost Apples
BY CARRIE SCOZZARO
Great holiday gatherings are about friends, family, and food, and the occasional navigation around taboo topics. Cranberry from a can, maybe, but jellied or whole berry? Sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes, right? The subject of pie — apple, pumpkin, pecan, all three, none at all — can reignite riffs that recur every November, yet unlike some publications, we’re not afraid to endorse a superior candidate: apples.
This pomological powerhouse has fed Americans for hundreds of years, even through the bleakest times. Baked, boiled or eaten raw, apples provide huge health benefits from lowering cholesterol to reducing inflammation. And while cider induces a smile, vinegar enables long-term food preservation.
Apples are also key to understanding regional history, from its succession of homesteaders to the evolution of its applecentric economy, according to so-called apple detective David Benscoter. Since retir-
ing from federal law enforcement, Benscoter (whom the Inlander profiled in 2018 and 2023) has spent the past decade tromping through 100-year-old orchards and poring over old records to discover nearly 30 local apple varieties previously thought “lost.”
It wasn’t long before Benscoter had enough for a book, yet he needed backup.
“I would do a lot of work on the laptop, but it was all police-type reports,” says Benscoter, formerly with the FBI and the IRS criminal division. “I did not have any type of a flair for writing.”
But Linda Hackbarth, whose past historical books included Trail to Gold: The Pend Oreille Route, did. The two share a mutual involvement with the Whitman County Historical Society, which hosts Benscoter’s nonprofit, Lost Apple Project.
“When I see someone so excited about something, I go, ‘Oh, well, he’s really into this,’” says Hackbarth, a retired Washington State University assistant professor of physical education whose 34-year teaching career
“DNA testing is wonderful,” explains Benscoter, “but if an apple is truly ‘lost,’ there’s no DNA out there that we can compare it to.”
Instead, he and other lost apple hunters rely on a handful of experts nationwide to correctly identify some 50 characteristics of a single cultivar.
“There’s, you know, no one really coming up behind them,” he says.
The most significant imperilment to lost apples, however, is climate, specifically drought, Benscoter says. Although homesteaders mostly knew to plant in ravines and other areas where water was more plentiful, two terribly dry years in a row could wipe out hundreds of thousands of trees, he says.
On the upside, there’s a groundswell of interest in lost apples from researchers, like those at WSU, as well as historical societies, other lost apple hunters, orchardists and community members.
“Because if we don’t get people, if we don’t get articles like this come out,” Benscoter says, “people won’t contact us and say, ‘Hey, we’ve got a tree out back.’”
Benscoter’s enthusiasm for apples is more than skin deep. In addition to growing around 30 trees, each with eight to 10 cultivars grafted on them, he loves to eat apples.
“It is hard to beat a Honeycrisp right off the tree,” says Benscoter, whose modest orchard includes so-called lost apples like Shackleford.
And when it comes to cooked apples, there’s no contest.
“My wife makes a killer apple pie.”
Authors David Benscoter and Linda Hackbarth
Holiday Guide 2024
Holiday Guide Advent Adventures
Advent calendars have been around for ages, but we’re living in a golden age.
Commercially available options include everything from Legos to booze, high-end chocolate to beauty products — even surprises for pets, like the cat treat-filled Christmas countdown box I nabbed the other night at Trader Joe’s for my furry bestie, Dellie.
Even if I’m not looking forward to Dec. 25 like a kid these days, Advent calendars have always been a favorite holiday tradition. When I was a child, one year my endlessly creative Gramma Scott crafted us a massive three-dimensional Advent calendar from fabric, tucking tiny wooden ornaments behind each door and window of an elaborate Christmas village scene brought to life with applique, sequins, fabric paint and lots of love. We’d take turns each evening before bed, hanging another ornament on a mini faux tree until the big night: Christmas Eve.
No matter your age, it’s a ton of fun to have something small to look forward to each day during such a busy yet festive time of year, whether it’s a piece of candy, a tiny toy, or something to share with a beloved pet.
With that in mind, we set out to craft an Advent calendar of Inland Northwest holiday adventures for this year’s Holiday Guide, offering a suggestion of something to do each day between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. While some of the events featured herein are oneday only, others can be enjoyed across weeks, or even any day (check details at the end of each writeup for the full picture). If you need even more ideas for activities to enjoy with family and friends this season, also find our comprehensive event calendar at the end of the guide.
Happy Holidays!
— CHEY SCOTT, INLANDER EDITOR
Cover Photo
Leslie Douglas
Editorial Layout
Derrick King
Contributors
E.J. Iannelli
Madison Pearson
Colton Rasanen
Dora Scott
Seth Sommerfeld
SANTA TRAIN RIDE
Dec. 3
Starting the Season with
Make sure you spend at least one day this winter gracefully gliding along the ice at Numerica Skate Ribbon
BY COLTON RASANEN
There’s tons to do around the Inland Northwest during the holiday season, so it can feel overwhelming to pick an activity. However, if you ask Riverfront Park Director Jonathan Moog what to do, he recommends spending a day (or days) at Numerica Skate Ribbon during its eighth season since opening in 2017.
“I think one of the things that makes the skate ribbon unique is it really provides a stage for the holidays. People come down to enjoy the holidays together as families, so it’s a very family-friendly experience,” Moog says. “We see about 70% of our attendance between now and the end of December. That’s huge. I mean, that distinguishes us from other types of rinks and venues.”
The ribbon — not rink — welcomes more than 30,000 visitors every year. In the ice skating world, rinks and ribbons are worlds apart, Moog says.
“So, a rink is an oval. It’s solely solid in the middle
and there’s just one rail that goes all around,” he explains. “A ribbon is exactly that [a ribbon]. It’s a path of ice that undulates kind of around what used to be the gondola meadow, and it has different topography changes. So there’s a downhill slope, and there’s a gradual incline, there’s flat. We have a breakout area we call the pond, which is not as big as a normal rink and there are rails all around the track.”
Though there are a few things the ribbon can’t do, such as host sporting events, Moog says its purpose is to make ice skating more accessible to everyone.
“You can’t hold competitions here, so we lost a lot of that when we did the ribbon,” he explains. “But what the ribbon does is it makes ice skating more accessible to everybody, both novices and experienced skaters. It also creates a more inviting atmosphere to come out and see, since you can actually see it from the road, too.”
Throughout the skate ribbon’s nearly four-month season, motorists driving along West Spokane Falls Boulevard can watch people skate gleefully along the ice track as they make the most of the wintry weather.
Guests can pay for a ticket to shred the ice for one day, or they can buy season passes for skating throughout the entire winter. Plus, in mid-December, Moog says the Lake City Skating Club is hosting Coaches Corner events, where experienced skaters will teach newbies the ropes.
“These classes will be free of charge, which I think is super cool,” Moog says with a grin. “It’s all part of this merry magical time of year that we’re creating here in downtown Spokane.”
The Numerica Skare Ribbon is decked out for the season. COURTESY SPOKANE PARKS
Season
CAMPANA SOBRE CAMPANA: CHRISTMAS IN MEXICO!
Mariachi Garibaldi De Jaime Cuéllar and Ballet Folklórico Del Rio Grande
7:00 P.M. | Saturday, Dec. 14
2:00 P.M. | Sunday, Dec. 15
Coughlin Theater
Tickets: $18 - $52
Presenting Partner:
Tickets On Sale Now
Visit gonzaga.edu/TicketCenter
Learn more at myrtlewoldsoncenter.org
Photo Credit: Ballet Folklorico del Rio Grande
shopping in style
Cookware - Small Appliances - Kitchen Tools
Cutlery - Bar and Glassware - Holiday Décor
Wine - Gourmet Foods - Charcuterie - Pies
We Can Even Make it a Custom Gift Basket
Nov. 28
HUFFIN’ FOR THE STUFFIN’
Imagine this: You’re celebrating Thanksgiving with your loved ones, and each person has brought a scrumptious dish. You go to fill your plate but can’t seem to fit everything on it, so you assure yourself that you’ll try the other foods when you get seconds. However, that moment never comes as you’ve tragically eaten all your stomach can hold. If only you had spent the morning working up a larger appetite.
Don’t panic, remember you’re just imagining! There’s still time to solidify your pre-feast plans. Perhaps one of the easiest ways to make room for all those holiday goodies in Spokane is the annual Huffin’ for the Stuffin’ race. Participants can choose between a 10k and 5k course that winds through Riverfront Park and the Gonzaga University campus. Walking and running are both allowed, and those who clock top times receive a pumpkin pie as a reward.
There are a number of Thanksgiving Day run/walk events held throughout the Inland Northwest, including the Bloomsday Road Runners’ Turkey Trot at 9 am in Manito Park is another longtime tradition that raises money for Second Harvest. Meanwhile, the Cheney Turkey Trot ($5, 9 am) covers about 2 miles from its start at Cheney High School. In Liberty Lake, the 10th annual McKenzie Mott Memorial Turkey Trot 5k ($35, 9 am) begins at Selkirk Middle School.
Across the border, the North Idaho Turkey Trot ($10-$27, 9 am) starts at Riverstone Park in Coeur d’Alene. And in rural North Idaho, the Wallace Food Bank Turkey Trot ($10, 10 am) is celebrating its second anniversary.
8:50-10:45 am • $35-$45 • U-District PT • 730 N. Hamilton St. • nsplit.com
Nov. 29
LIGHTING CEREMONY PARADE
For more than three decades, the Coeur d’Alene Lighting Ceremony Parade has marked the start of the winter holiday season. The parade, which is celebrating its 32nd anniversary in 2024, fills Sherman Avenue with festive floats, merrily marching bands, and joyful displays of both music and dancing. The parade starts at 5 pm and travels west from Eighth Street to the intersection of Government Way and Northwest Boulevard. Once the parade has finished, attendees can make their way to the Coeur d’Alene Resort’s lawn, where they’ll be met by carolers and a countdown to a celebratory fireworks display backed by picturesque Lake Coeur d’Alene. Afterwards, the city flips the switch on the more than 1.5 million lights affixed throughout the downtown area, brightening the streets during the darkest days of the year.
Get some movement in before dinner! COURTESY PHOTO
SLIGHTLY WEST OF SPOKANE ARTISTS STUDIO TOUR
Artists don’t only live in well-traveled parts of the world. Their presence extends well beyond any city’s boundaries into every small community, and small-town artists deserve just as much attention as any other. The Slightly West of Spokane Artists Studio Tour was created 14 years ago to showcase artists living outside Spokane’s city limits. Today, the event has grown to include 14 artists across seven locations throughout Medical Lake and Cheney. At Roam Coffee in Medical Lake, you’ll find gorgeous floral paintings by Nicole Nutt and earthy ceramic pieces by Amanda Shepard. Then at the Cheney Public Library, see pieces by relief print artist Gayle Havercroft, scenic photography from Faith King, and colorful fiber art from Rosanne Anderson. A map of all locations and more about all of this year’s participating artists can be found online.
9 am-4 pm • Free • Medical Lake and Cheney, locations vary • slightlywestofspokane.com
ADRIANO FERRARO: A CHRISTMAS CONCERT
Music is a huge part of celebrating Christmas. We’ve got all kinds of jaunty little tunes feting every aspect of the holiday from the snowy weather to the jolly fat man who delivers presents thanks to his flying reindeer (and which may have accidentally struck someone’s grandma). Though there are a lot of unserious songs, serious jazz singers like Adriano Ferraro make the most of the selection to provide tons of music each winter. At Ferraro’s Christmas concert in Spokane, he’ll be singing some Yuletide classics along with other songs from his Be Ready tour. Plus, he’ll serenade the audience with iconic songs from the repertoire of Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra.
Dec. 2
HOLIDAY GARLAND PRINTMAKING WORKSHOP
4
Decorating for the holidays can be expensive, so why not take the time early in the month to learn how to make your own decorations? At Emerge, an art gallery and creative space in downtown Coeur d’Alene, local printmaker Bethany Phillips leads a one-day workshop to teach participants how to create their own holidaythemed garlands. During the event, she’ll walk folks through making their own printing stamp, which is then used to stamp tons of small pieces of fabric. (Pro tip: Come prepared with ideas for your printing stamp.) Once the stamping process is complete, Phillips teaches how to string the printed fabric together into a ready-to-display holiday decoration.
5 pm • $50 • Emerge • 119 N. Second St., Coeur d’Alene • emergecda.com
Dec. 4
CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE
There are so many productions these days that combine the joyfulness of the circus with traditional theatrical performances, but one that stands out among the rest during the holiday season is Cirque Dreams Holidaze. This 90-minute show, which is performed annually across the country, brings its horde of dancers, acrobats and aerialists to the Inland Northwest as a special holiday treat. The production pulls inspiration from traditional symbols of the season, such as penguins, toy soldiers and magical reindeer. Attendees also get to enjoy an original music score filled with new takes on Christmas classics like “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and “Carol of the Bells.”
7:30-9:30 pm • $52-$102 • First Interstate Center for the Arts • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • firstinterstatecenter.org
deeper delights this holiday season in Sandpoint,
Beautiful Sandpoint, Idaho, isn’t merely a winter wonderland once the snows start. Barely 90 minutes from Spokane, it’s a terrific holiday destination for visitors who want to combine the region’s best skiing and snowboarding at Schweitzer with the eclectic and memorable shopping and dining at Sandpoint’s unique shops and restaurants. And this year we’re sweetening the deal for a holiday visit. Each week until Christmas, we’re drawing a free day pass at Schweitzer, plus coupons for shopping, entertainment and dining. Get your name in the stocking cap, at VisitSandpoint.com. We hope to see you here!
Get visitor information at 208.263.2161 www.visitSandpoint.com
Coeur d’Alene VISIT DOWNTOWN
Shop, stay and play!
TRANSPORT YOURSELF to a winter wonderland in Downtown Coeur d’Alene. Experience the glowing tree lined streets, bask in the life-size snow globe ambiance, and visit dozens of local boutiques and eateries, all excitedly waiting for your chilly toes to step inside!
NOVEMBER 29
Lighting Ceremony Parade
EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC of the Holiday season on Sherman Avenue at the 32nd Annual Lighting Ceremony Parade. Following the parade experience, the lighting of millions of festive lights and fireworks over Lake Coeur d’Alene takes place!
NOV 29 - DEC 22
Elf on the Shelf
SCOUT ELVES ARE BACK IN TOWN and are ready to help Santa with his quest this year! Hiding behind mistletoe, holiday gifts, and cups of hot cocoa, keep your eyes peeled and YOU could win prizes from ole Saint Nicholas!
THE GIFT THAT KEEPS GIVING
Downtown Coeur d’Alene’s BIG 5 EVENT PASS secures your spot to attend the largest events of the year before they sell out! It’s a great gift idea for the person who’s tough to shop for or the loved one who values experiences over gifts. The pass includes one standard ticket and an assortment of perks to the following events: MAC & CHEESE FESTIVAL January 18
THE CHOCOLATE AFFAIR February 8
WINEFEST April 5
BREWFEST July 12
OKTOBERFEST September 19-20
God Jul!
The Sons of Norway’s Spokane chapter shares Nordic holiday culture and crafts at Shadle Park Library
BY DORA SCOTT
While Santa’s elves are busy tinkering away in the North Pole, the Christmas nisse (Norwegian gnomes) come out to play. Get acquainted with these mischievous creatures and other Nordic holiday traditions during two festive events presented by the local Sons of Norway lodge at the Shadle Park Library.
The festivities start with storytime and crafts for kids from 10:30-11 am, including readings of Nordic-inspired tales like The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Afterwards kids can immerse themselves even deeper into the stories with related crafts, such as making paper goat popsicle sticks.
More advanced crafts ensue at 11 am with make-your-own felted Christmas nisse. In addition to leaving milk and cookies out for Santa, you might leave a bowl of porridge for your new gnome friend to keep it in good spirits.
Another craft involves braiding heart shapes out of wheat straw, which are commonly hung in Norwegian homes to symbolize love and togetherness.
“Straw ornaments of all different shapes are common and popular and hung on the Christmas tree or hung in the window,” says Lori McKinnell, who’s on the Sons of Norway’s culture committee.
“And then for kids, there will be a woven paper heart. It looks like a little basket. When you open it, you can hang it on the Christmas tree and put a little treat in it,” she adds.
JoAnn Karpf also demonstrates and teaches rosemaling, a historic Norwegian folk painting, which attendees can replicate on paper heart ornaments.
If you’re all crafted out, engage some of your other senses with a cooking demonstration and how to make krumkake (cone cookies) and hjertevafler (heart-shaped waffles). Of
course, taste testing is a must!
“People make [Krumkake] during the year, but it’s very common and popular to have it at Christmas,” McKinnell says. “And the word is that you are not much of a host if you don’t offer at least nine varieties of traditional cookies in Norway.”
Luckily, in the U.S. even knowing how to make one of these cookie varieties can impress your friends and relatives.
“The waffles are traditional year-round, but certainly everybody has them at the holidays. They are served as a snack with brown cheese on them that’s kind of caramelly and nutty,” says McKinnell, adding that jam is also a popular topping.
The Sons of Norway are a nonprofit focused on local charity and community building. Anyone can join regardless of gender or ancestry — you don’t need to be Norwegian, just to have a deep interest in learning and sharing Nordic culture.
“We want to keep sharing this with the community partly so that we can retain these traditions and values and cultural things, and partly to introduce others to it and to help people in our community who have Nordic background but never really had anyone in their family who knew the traditions,” McKinnell says.
10:30 am-3:45 pm • Free • Shadle Park Library • 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. • events.spokanelibrary.org
NOVEMBER 29 TH - DECEMBER 31ST
Learn about rosemaling (top), papercrafts and more. COURTESY PHOTOS
Dec. 5
THE NUTCRACKER
Tchaikovsky’s score and the 200-year-old children’s tale is brought back to life by the Spokane Symphony and State Street Ballet in their annual production of The Nutcracker. As Clara pirouettes through a magical world of life-size nutcrackers, evil mice and a land of sweets, be entranced by each dance. Whether you’re witnessing it for the first time or the 100th, this classic ballet never gets old. State Street Ballet is an international dance company based out of Santa Barbara, California, and their fine lineup of touring principal dancers — accompanied by local young ballet students in several scenes — is well worth donning a festive wool sweater and braving the winter chill.
Dec. 5-7 at 7:30 pm Dec. 7-8 at 3 pm • $33-$115 • The Fox Theater • 1001 W. Sprague Ave. • foxtheaterspokane.org
Dec. 6
WINTER WONDERETTES
When Christmas goes amiss after Santa Claus’s disappearance, the Wonderettes are here to save the day! Taking place on the set of a high school play, Winter Wonderettes: The Springfield High School Edition is directed by Janet Bresnahan and promises laughter and heartwarming holiday cheer. Groove to ’60s versions of Christmas hits like “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” “Jingle Bell Rock” and “Run, Rudolph, Run.”
Dec. 5-8 at 7 pm; also Dec. 8 at 2 pm • $20 • Chewelah Center for the Arts • 405 N. Third St. • chewelahcenterforthearts.com
Dec. 8
THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER
Who says naughty children always deserve coal? In The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, based on a book by Barbara Robinson, the mischievous Herdman siblings take over their local Sunday school Christmas pageant. This play version, presented by Theater Arts Center (TAC) at the Lake and directed by Daniel Dolan-Derks, has a hilarious and heartwarming story in store for the audience. As the Herdman children navigate acting out the story of Christmas, the true meaning of the holiday is revealed. TAC at the Lake is a small, nonprofit theater in Liberty Lake.
Showing Dec. 6-15; Thu-Fri at 7 pm and Sat-Sun at 2 pm • $13-$15 • TAC at the Lake • 22910 E. Appleway Ave., Liberty Lake • tacatthelake.com
State Street Ballet partners with the Spokane Symphony for a local holiday tradition. COURTESY SPOKANE SYMPHONY
Dec. 10
GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA
Dec. 9
A DANCEWORKS CHRISTMAS
Celebrate the holidays with a dance showcase at the historic Panida Theater performed by members of DanceWorks studio. The studio has been integral to the Sandpoint community for 30 years, with thousands of dancers being trained in all styles of dance. The show offers a mix of popular songs plus some Christmas classics. Twenty dancers, from age 3 to adults, execute tap, jazz, contemporary and hip-hop-style choreography that aims to capture the building excitement for the holidays.
Although famous American big bandleader Glenn Miller disappeared on a flight across the English Channel during World War II, his legacy continues to live on through his music, and the holiday season is no exception. The Glenn Miller Orchestra is rolling through the Inland Northwest and onto the Fox Theater’s stage in its new Christmas program, In The Christmas Mood. The orchestra puts a swingin’ twist on timeless holiday hits like “Home for the Holidays,” “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” and “Jingle Bells,” alongside a few nonholiday Miller classics like “In The Mood,” “Moonlight Serenade” and “Chattanooga-Choo Choo.” With over 18 musicians gracing the stage, this magic-filled evening is sure to stoke the holiday spirit.
7 pm • $66-$88 • The Fox Theater • 1001 W. Sprague Ave. • foxtheaterspokane.org
Dec. 11
MERRY GRINCHMAS
Who doesn’t love a good anti-hero? While Santa is all jolly and good, the Grinch has stolen the limelight at Trailbreaker Cider’s annual Merry Grinchmas. The Liberty Lake cidermaker’s event includes free professional photos with the Grinch, plus local vendors and activities for kids. Among those vendors, some are bringing the holiday bedazzlement with permanent jewelry, face painting and hair tinsel extensions. There’s also a hot cocoa station, where your little ones can sip while writing a letter to the Grinch (for a chance to receive a present via mail later on). Go on and visit Whoville while celebrating the holidays with this favorite Christmas cave dweller.
5-8 pm • Free • Trailbreaker Cider • 2204 N. Madison St., Liberty Lake • trailbreakercider.com
Warm Your Soul at No-Li Frost Fest
Raise a Glass to Holiday Beers
It’s time to gather ’round and warm up with all that’s good in today’s world — our amazing community, music, beer, and even jolly old St. Nick! We’ve got great reasons to come together and rejoice at our modern-day Grange Hall — a place for all in the community to celebrate. Join in the longest-running winter beer festival in the region, now in its 10th year, No-Li Frost Fest!
HOLIDAY BEERS
As always, the beer takes center stage, and you’ll be able to sample from ve exclusive, smallbatch holiday brews, each crafted to capture the festive spirit of the season.
Hop Freeze Cold IPA
A crisp and refreshing winter IPA
Polar Peppermint IPA
A minty twist on a classic favorite
Berry Chill Cranberry Sour
Tart and tangy with a seasonal cranberry kick
Cocoa Nib Porter
Rich, chocolatey comfort in a glass
Salted Caramel Ale
A sweet and salty indulgence
FROSTY FUN ALL DAY
Live DJs will keep the beats inside the Bier Hall and out on the winter-wrapped patio on the Spokane River. Also, you can win a new set of sweet skis. Each guest will be entered to win custom, No-Li branded skis from Spokane’s own Sneva MFG, valued at over $900! And pay attention, because a certain seasonal somebody will take a break from making his famous list to drop in at Frost Fest.
Attendees get a custom-designed 20-ounce Frost Fest mug and a cozy No-Li pom beanie. Beer lls are available for $8 each (not included in the event price). Early access begins at 11:30 am for those who purchase one of No-Li’s holiday sweaters or a Mexican Lager six-pack at the brewery. Follow our socials for event updates!
ABOUT NO-LI FROST FEST
No-Li was founded on craft beer and bringing people together. A team of 90 local crafts-people has been making beer since 2012. e heart of No-Li Frost Fest, in partnership with the Inlander, is to provide history, hops and heart. One community in our hometown. A sense of place that is a common bond. A place that understands beer is how we connect.
Dec. 15
Timeless Tales
Legendary children’s book author Jan Brett creates a wintry world with her new book, Alice in a Winter Wonderland
BY MADISON PEARSON
Beloved children’s book illustrator and author Jan Brett is coming to Spokane!
Everyone has at least one book from childhood that floods them with intense nostalgia.
For some, it’s Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown or The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. For others, a title by Jan Brett may bring a tear to the eye while remembering the charming, detailed illustrations of woodland animals in favorites like The Mitten or the snarky runaway gingerbread man from Gingerbread Baby
Brett, 74, has been writing and illustrating children’s picture books since 1978. She’s created over 40 titles with over 44 million in print and doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
On Dec. 15, she rolls through Spokane on the last stop of a 23-city tour for her newest book, Alice in a Winter Wonderland, based on the classic Lewis Carroll tale.
“I do a lot of detail so I could put a lot of fun things in there,” Brett says. “Lewis Carroll loved puzzles and math, so I tried to honor him in the illustrations.”
Yes, the book is based on Alice in Wonderland, but Brett takes Alice and plops her in Alaska. She dons traditional Inuit clothing and encounters extinct flightless birds and other animals not found in Carroll’s original story.
Brett is well known for her intricate border illustrations that wrap around each page of her books. There, kids often find easter eggs of moments to come or small details only noticeable to those who seek them out. For Alice in a Winter Wonderland, Brett drew playing cards and whimsical animals in the borders as a nod to Carroll.
Similarly, Brett swapped the caterpillar’s hookah for a double bass as a nod to her husband’s career as a bassist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra and made the caterpillar play a very esoteric etude that only a seasoned bassist would recognize.
“It’s the best feeling ever when you’re a little kid and you find something the illustrator put in the book and you feel like you’re the only one who noticed,” Brett says. “It makes them feel so special. It also teaches them that it’s really good to be observant because look what you can discover!”
While researching for Alice in a Winter Wonderland, Brett visited Alaska’s Mendenhall Glacier in order to experience for herself what she wanted to write about. In the story, Alice explores a glacier and falls into what’s known as a moulin, the internal structure of a glacier. Rather than being afraid or worried, Alice lets her imagination run wild and meets new friends as she explores the whimsical underworld.
Brett became fascinated with the underground “world” that exists beneath glaciers and let her imagination take her on a journey.
“When I looked down into this moulin it was blue and green and it looked like it went down forever,” she says. “I didn’t want to get too close. What if you slipped in?”
Brett thinks people of all ages resonate with her books because she herself has a perpetual sense of childlike wonder.
“I loved being 6 years old,” she says. “I love that sense of discovery. I had this really wonderful childhood with all of these animals and this great big barn. So I guess when I do my books, it brings me back to that time when you jump out of bed so full of energy and nothing is hard to do. You’re just happy and full of discovery.”
10 am • Free admission; $20 for a signed copy • Central Library • 906 W. Main Ave. • auntiesbooks.com
Holiday Guide
Dec.
12
CUP OF JOY
The vessels out of which we drink are highly personal. Your hand must comfortably fit around the mug, its texture must feel smooth upon your lips, and, of course, it has to fit the owner’s personality. Trackside Studio’s annual Cup of Joy show is the perfect place to pick up your new favorite coffee or tea mug. Local and regional ceramic artists create four mugs each to sell to eager ceramics enthusiasts or those looking for a gift that’s sure to be a smashing success. Artists for 2024 include Io Palmer, Sarah Anderson, Sam Scott and many more. In-person sales begin on Fri, Dec. 6, from 5-8 pm and continue through Sat, Jan. 11. Online sales begin Sat, Dec. 7, at 8 am.
Wed-Fri from 11 am-5 pm through Jan. 11 • Free admission; cup prices vary • Trackside Studio • 115 S. Adams St. • tracksidestudio.net
Dec. 13
THE SNOW QUEEN
Danish author Hans Christian Andersen wrote many highly acclaimed fairy tales in his day like The Little Mermaid, Thumbelina and The Ugly Duckling, but The Snow Queen is his most beloved winter classic. Adapted into a dance production by Ukraine’s Grand Kyiv Ballet, the wondrous, wintry tale is set to the music of Edvard Grieg, Jules Massenet, Mozart and Vivaldi and features cherished characters like Kai, the Snowman, Gerda and, of course, the fierce Snow Queen. Experience the touching tale of family, love and holiday joy performed by the company’s impressive soloists and principal dancers.
7 pm • $40-$90 • First Interstate Center for the Arts • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • firstinterstatecenter.org
YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
COURTESY PHOTO
Dec. 14
BRRZAAR
As the holidays approach, winter art markets become more and more plentiful. Brrzaar is one you definitely won’t want to miss. With over 70 local vendors, Brrzaar is Spokane’s largest all-local art market featuring unique handmade items. Alongside the incredible handmade goods, Brrzaar also includes live musical performances, family-friendly activities and the invaluable opportunity to support local artists during the busy holiday season. Not to mention, it’s the perfect place to find heartfelt gifts for your friends and family. Expect to see local favorites like Goblin Pottery, Lucent Clay, Amber Wyckoff and many more. Happy shopping!
10 am-8 pm • Free admission • River Park Square • 808 W. Main Ave. • terrainspokane.com
ERICK DOXEY PHOTO
Holiday Guide |
Dec.
16
HOLIDAY COOKIE DECORATING
Jamie Roberts has been taking the local cookie scene by storm with her business, Three Birdies Bakery, since 2018. Roberts creates tasty sugar cookies adorned with adorable designs made out of royal icing. These almost-too-beautiful-to-eat treats graced the cover of our latest issue of Health & Home magazine, and now could grace the spread at your next holiday gathering! This class led by Roberts gives you all the tools you need to ice your holiday cookies like a pro. Learn how to make royal icing, create the designs and then take home a half dozen cookies for your friends and family… or just for yourself!
Dec. 17
ORNAMENT & SMALL WORKS SHOW
Here in the Inland Northwest, we’re lucky to be surrounded by a plethora of art in our everyday lives. Take a stroll through downtown Spokane and you’ll see public art pieces like “The Joy of Running Together” or the big red Radio Flyer wagon in Riverfront Park, formally named “The Childhood Express.” It’s easy to appreciate large public art projects, but what about the little things? Spokane Art School’s annual ornament and small works show aims to appreciate the small things in life. All work featured in the invitational is 12-by-12-inches or smaller, making it a great opportunity to purchase more than a few pieces from favorite local artists like Liz Bishop, Megan Perkins, Karen Mobley, Collista Krebs and many more.
Mon-Sat from 10 am-5 pm through Dec. 23 • Free admission • Spokane
spokaneartschool.net
18
LIGHTS
Manito Park is a Spokane gem. In the spring and summer, flowers are blooming and trees are as verdant as ever. Fall brings vibrant autumnal colors and lovely brisk strolls. Winter, however, brings dazzling lights and stunning displays of holiday cheer thanks to the Friends of Manito. This year, the annual holiday light attraction is walkthrough only and has a modified footprint that’s yet to be revealed. Experience the holiday spirit with friends and family as you make your way through Manito Park while sipping hot cocoa and basking in the glory of sparkling lights.
JAMES RICHMAN PHOTO
LESLIE DOUGLAS PHOTO
509.655.7886 • jonahproject.org
Join us for our telethon on December 4th!
Where to Watch: KREM2
When: 7:00PM - 8:00PM
Powered By: El Katif Shriners
Shriners Children’s has a longstanding legacy of pediatric medical excellence, which we are proud to have right here in Spokane.
November 15, 2024, marked the 100-year milestone for Shriners Children’s Spokane.
Today the positive impact that Shriners Children’s Spokane is making in the lives of children throughout our region is astounding, treating thousands of children every year from around the Pacific Northwest - ALWAYS regardless of ability to pay.
To honor this milestone, please join us for a telethon where you will learn more about our mission, our patients and our amazing care.
You can help launch us into the next 100 years! www.scspotelethon.org
Join the global movement of generosity this Giving Tuesday and make a difference right here where it matters most—because together, we can create real change.
Read more about local nonprofit organizations in the Inlander’s yearly Give Guide, on stands every August.
Christmas Morning on the Mountain
Spend the big holiday up at Silver Mountain and you may get to hit the slopes with Santa himself
BY E.J. IANNELLI
Imagine going to sleep on Christmas Eve knowing that you’re going to wake up to a white Christmas and the very real possibility of seeing Santa glide by on skis. That’s pretty much guaranteed at Silver Mountain Resort, which has a long tradition of offering lodging and activity packages centered on the special day.
“It’s a fun way to get the whole family out together,” says Gus Colburn, who handles marketing for Silver Mountain. “A lot of people will open presents in the morning at their [resort] house or in their condo and then head out to the slopes.”
Out there on the mountain is where you just might
catch a glimpse of Santa. He tends to hang out on the bunny slopes, taking time to pose for photos and hand out candy canes. After all his globe-circling activity the night before, he’s just grateful for some casual R&R. Colburn notes that Silver’s slopes tend to be less busy on account of the holiday, which means the pace is a little calmer and more relaxed for everyone. Yet all of the resort’s regular amenities, such as the tubing hills and the Silver Rapids indoor water park, are still open. “So, if cold weather is not your thing at all, you don’t even have to go up on the mountain. You can just spend time having fun in the water park.”
If the idea of a fully catered family holiday sounds
enticing, Silver Mountain Resort can even take care of Christmas dinner. Noah’s Canteen in the Gondola Village serves a choice of honey-glazed ham or roast turkey and popular side dishes.
“Christmas at Silver is super low-stress,” Colburn says. “You wake up, roll out of bed, get on the gondola and go have fun. Later you come back to the base and dinner is already prepared and served for you. You don’t have to be stuck in the kitchen all day. Instead you can focus all your time on making those special holiday memories with your family.”
GIFT GUIDE FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Gift Guide
HOLIDAY SHOP TAX-FREE
Shop with your Coeur Rewards points at all locations, see the Coeur Rewards booth for details.
Mountain Lodge Gift Shop
Open daily year-round for your gift needs. Jewelry, casino logo items, holiday decor, Native American artwork, cigars and more.
Circling Raven Pro Shop
Shop Circling Raven’s award-winning pro shop to find unique gift items and we’ll do the gift wrapping for you. Plus, the Advantage or Player Development Cards make a great stocking stuffer, which are available in-store or online.
Spa Ssakwa’q’n Boutique
BABOR cosmetics, NuFace products, Miracle Hair Oil, Spa Ss akwa’q’n Spa Scents Eucalyptus products and leading professional skin care lines such as BABOR, Farmhouse Fresh, Blue Beautifly, Naturopathica, and more!
Looking for the Perfect stocking stuffer?
Purchase
Casino Resort Hotel!
Holiday Guide | Dec. 19-25
Dec. 19
MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET
Much like A Christmas Carol is a tale about channeling the generosity and fellow-feeling of the yuletide spirit, Miracle on 34th Street is about discovering — or rediscovering — the delight and wonder that’s woven throughout so much of the season. Although the musical stage adaptation adds festive and familiar holiday songs, it follows the same arc as the classic 1947 black-and-white film featuring a young Natalie Wood as Susan Walker, a precocious child who rejects the existence of anything she can’t prove — like Santa Claus. But her certainty starts to falter after she gets to know a kindly old bearded gentleman who insists that he’s the real Kris Kringle. Maybe, despite all the justifiable jadedness and cynicism, there’s still some room in this world for magic and delight after all? In this Lake City Playhouse production, Navy Lauri stars as Susan Walker alongside Jessica Jameson, Brady Campbell and Troy Bise.
7:30 pm • $27-$30 • Lake City Playhouse • 1320 E. Garden Ave., Coeur d’Alene • lakecityplayhouse.org
Dec.
20
STARLIGHT SNOWSHOE ON MOUNT SPOKANE
Ever wanted to experience the thrill of exploring high-elevation winter forests after dark? Geared for older teens and up, this is a fun and moderately adventurous guided nighttime trek through the snowy glades of Mount Spokane. The only sources of light will be your headlamp, the waning crescent moon and the stars above. The modest fee covers all your equipment (poles, snowshoes, headlamps), your expert guide as well as transportation to and from the group meeting spot at the Yoke’s Fresh Market parking lot in Mead (14202 N. Market St.). Be prepared for chilly mountain conditions, about 550 feet in elevation changes and the possibility of chance encounters with Bigfoot.
6 pm • $39 • Visit spokanerec.org to register and for other dates
Dec.
21
HADESTOWN
A stylized and modernized retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, Hadestown started racking up accolades even before it made the leap from concept album to Broadway musical in 2019. Its tragic story of ill-fated lovers coupled with songs like “Our Lady of the Underground” and “Way Down Hadestown” clearly struck a chord with audiences. Having previously come through Spokane in mid-2022 to great acclaim, the nationally touring production of the show is making a return as part of the Best of Broadway series once again. This time, however, the run is just three performances over two days, so don’t let the brief opportunity pass you by.
Dec. 21 at 7:30 pm; also Dec. 22 at 1 and 6:30 pm • $54-$109 • First Interstate Center for the Arts • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • broadwayspokane.com
Dec. 22 SYMPHONY POPS 3: CHRISTMAS AT THE MOVIES
Although the image of Macaulay Culkin cupping either side of his face in shock is familiar to multiple generations, the music of Christmas movies like Home Alone leaves an equally indelible impression on us, even if its workings are more subtle. Mere days before Santa’s visit, Morihiko Nakahara conducts a pops concert that pays tribute to all the cinema scores that have suffused our holidays over the years. Music from It’s a Wonderful Life, A Charlie Brown Christmas and, yes, Home Alone (it was composed by John Williams, after all) will get the live orchestral treatment as part of this program, which also features selections from that well-known Beethoven vehicle, Die Hard
Dec. 21 at 7:30 pm and Dec. 22 at 3 pm • $50-$106 • The Fox Theater • 1001 W. Sprague Ave. • spokanesymphony.org
Dec. 23
FESTIVUS
Seinfeld was a cultural phenomenon that gave rise to jokes and catchphrases that long outlived the TV show’s nine-year run. One of its most enduring tongue-in-cheek legacies is Festivus, an invented holiday that’s partly intended as a sober foil to the wanton consumerism and compulsory cheer of Christmas. On the day that Festivus is now traditionally observed, the Panida is going all-in on this sardonic anti-celebration with a variety comedy fundraiser that includes trivia, skits and the customary airing of grievances. Naturally, the event culminates in feats of strength. If you’re in need of some backgrounding, be sure to watch “The Strike” (Seinfeld season 9, episode 10) beforehand.
7 pm • $10 • Panida Theater • 300 N. First St., Sandpoint • panida.org
Dec. 24
LIBERTY LAKE WINTER GLOW SPECTACULAR
Now celebrating 10 years of lighting up the holidays, Winter Glow Spectacular is a collection of dozens of illuminated displays and set pieces in one convenient location. Snowmen, Santas, circus animals, Christmas trees, candy canes, arches and Nativity scenes are just a few examples of the regularly featured motifs, and each year seems to bring bigger, more elaborate and more animated exhibits. You can enjoy the lights from the comfort of your car or step outside and walk through them for a more immersive, up-close experience. Best experienced after dark, it’s a fun, accessible and free family activity that also happens to make a great backdrop for unique holiday photos.
Open daily through Jan. 1 • Free (donations accepted) • Orchard Park • 20298 E. Indiana Ave., Liberty Lake • winterglowspectacular.com
Floating in a Winter Wonderland
Coeur d’Alene’s winter cruises combine Christmas lights, Santa, booze, the Grinch, childhood wonder and flaming sea dragons…
BY SETH SOMMERFELD
Technically speaking, Coeur d’Alene is 2,924 miles from the North Pole. Yet for some reason, when you hop aboard one of the Journey to the North Pole Cruises, a roundtrip journey to the place where Santa resides only takes about 45 minutes. Holiday magic is truly wild
For 28 years, Lake Coeur d’Alene Cruises has been navigating the winter waters to take families on a trip to visit Old St. Nick at his abode. Four times a night almost every evening from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, holiday travelers can hop aboard a vessel docked right outside the Coeur d’Alene Resort and somehow traverse the Arctic Ocean (from a landlocked lake) in festive style.
Once aboard, travelers begin their journey in the warmth of the interior cabin. The cozy confines include a bar where adults can purchase custom cocktails and kiddies can grab a cup of decked out hot cocoa and/or a cookie.
After a message from Mrs. Claus prepping all for the watery navigation, the boat begins on its polar path. Alas, the Grinch is always trying to thwart good yuletide cheer on the dock, but if your captain is bold enough to traverse past him, you’ll be treated to a light show on your way out, including a greeting from a sea dragon that actually shoots fire (to be honest, it’s pretty frickin’ metal). While there aren’t many sights to see on the smooth ride across the water (which helps with the illusion), the libations and Christmas tunes playing over the speakers create a sense of comfort.
Once the North Pole finally appears along the horizon, passengers exit the warm cabin to the chilly air of the bow or the upper view deck of the boat. Santa Claus is there to greet all festive folks who came all this way to visit him and greets them — with a booming voice that somehow carries from his beachfront home to the boat in the water — with tidings of good cheer and inside info about how he’s souped-up his sled, then reads the list of all the good little girls and boys on the cruise that also happen to be on the Nice List. (Note to parents: Make sure to talk to the elf with the clipboard when boarding the ship.) If you take one of the post-Christmas North Pole Cruises, just think of it as Nice List confirmation. After his spiel is done, Santa sets off some fireworks and illuminates the newest addition to the cruise, a 65-foot tall electronic Christmas tree with a display set to EDM and rock versions of holiday tunes. As the vessel departs for Coeur d’Alene, another light display offers one last sprinkle of joy before the long (well, not that long) journey back home.
At the very least, the North Pole cruise is the most cost-effective way to travel internationally during the holidays. And you don’t even need a passport. What a Christmas miracle that is.
Dec. 26
FROZEN 2
After the joyous highs of Christmas, the parental realization that you still need to keep your kids entertained during their school break kicks in. For those wanting to move past holiday movies but stay in the wintery spirit (while also saving some money postpresents), the Garland Theater is here to help. Spokane’s favorite single-screen theater is hosting three days of free matinee screenings of Frozen 2 starting Dec. 26. While Frozen 2 might not reach the “Let It Go” highs of the original, princess sisters Elsa (with her magical ice powers) and Anna’s second adventure is still a quality Disney animated adventure the whole family (or adults without kids) can enjoy.
Dec. 26-28 at 2 pm • Free • Garland Theater • 924 W. Garland Ave. • garlandtheater.org
Dec. 27
THE JINKX & DELA HOLIDAY SHOW
Anytime Seattle’s two most famed drag queens unite, a night of riotous musical humor is guaranteed. The standout pair of RuPaul’s Drag Race fame have their comedic duo act down pat — BenDeLaCreme plays things as the bright, joyous and bubbly optimist, while Jinkx Monsoon serves up hilariously cranky, caustic, Grinch-y vibes. Having already filmed and released The Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Special in 2020, the queens are taking their show on the road once again. The duo writes a whole new holiday show every year (this is their seventh), so even fans familiar with their style can expect a new plot, (occasionally raunchy) zingers, dazzling outfits and musical mirth. And it’s a near lock that Jinkx is gonna throw at least one joke about people who go to Christmas shows after Christmas. With Jinkx and DeLa, it truly is the most wonderful time of the queer.
8 pm • All ages • $53-$298 • First Interstate Center for the Arts • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • firstinterstatecenter.org
Dec. 29
Dec. 28 A
While the notion of a traveling circus swinging through town and setting up its big top tent may mostly be a relic of the past, various cirque companies are making sure the circus arts tradition continues with the spectacles of their traveling shows. MagicSpace Entertainment’s A Magical Cirque Christmas program returns to Spokane with the gift of high-flying aerial acrobatics, juggling wizardry, yuletide clowning, feats of balance and magical tricks wrapped up in a festive seasonal bow and set to classic holiday tunes. Just don’t be too hard on yourself when gazing at these artistic athletes’ toned physiques if your Christmas cookie-filled belly is shaking like a bowl full of jelly.
7:30 pm • All ages • $35-$85 • First Interstate Center for the Arts • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • firstinterstatecenter.org
NORTHWEST WINTERFEST
This is your last week to enjoy the local tradition that is Northwest Winterfest. The event debuted as the Washington State Chinese Lantern Festival in 2015 in Riverfront Park. Describing himself as “overwhelmed by the welcome from the local community” after that first year, founder Sam Song has since dedicated himself to the annual event. Each iteration of Winterfest brings fresh displays, crafted by his team of artisans in Zigong, China, who use traditional techniques. New for this year’s event, which opens on Nov. 29, you’ll see 40-foot animatronic dinosaurs alongside pandas, dragons, axolotls and the usual holiday favorites. Nightly entertainment features local choirs and bands, along with traditional performances representing countries from around the world — all indoors at the Spokane County Fair & Expo Center. — JOHN BERGIN
Nov. 29-Dec. 31; Fri from 5-8 pm, Sat from 4-8 pm, Sun from 3-6 pm and select holidays • $10-$17; $43 family pass; children under 10 free with paid adult • Spokane County Fair & Expo Center • 404 N. Havana St. • northwestwinterfest.com
COURTESY PHOTO
Dec. 31
SACHA’S SUPPER CLUB PRESENTS: PARTY LIKE IT’S 1925 NEW
YEAR’S EVE
Prepare to dress to the nines, as the Historic Davenport is turning back the clock back a century for its New Year’s Eve bash. The famed hotel’s Party Like It’s 1925 shindig harks back to the era of swinging jazz, flapper girls and Prohibition (thankfully without the potential for getting jailed simply for possessing alcohol). Kick things off with a three-course plated menu, themed Prohibition era cocktails and snapshots at the photobooth. Then hop on a dance floor that should be as roaring as the Twenties, courtesy of the Sacha’s Supper Club Orchestra and Colescott Rubin & His Red Hots playing both big band classics and interpretations of more modern hits, before giving 2025 a proper introduction via a champagne toast.
7:30 pm-1 am • $185-$298 • The Historic Davenport Hotel • 10 S. Post St. • sachassupperclub.com
Jan. 1
BEETLEJUICE: THE MUSICAL
After the belated cinematic sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice became a surprise box office smash this fall, fans should be extra excited to ring in the new year by ringing in a little new fear via Beetlejuice: The Musical The Musical. The Musical. — which, delightfully, is actually its official full title. The show offers up a tweaked version of Tim Burton’s original 1989 film, which finds a recently deceased married couple trying to haunt the new inhabitants of their old home — including young Lydia Deetz — and unfortunately having to turn to the titular gross and ghoulish Beetlejuice for help. The musical’s comedic horror antics garnered critical acclaim and seven Tony nominations when it debuted on Broadway in 2019. As the titular demon himself would say, “It’s showtime!” n
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13th
COURTESY PHOTO
MATTHEW MURPHY PHOTO
City Sidewalks
Downtown Spokane for the Holidays
FUN & GAMES
Keep On Moving
Winter shouldn’t put a stop to staying active. When the colder weather sets in, head indoors to one of Downtown Spokane’s many sportcentric venues and try your hand at a new skill or turn it into a fun group activity. At SWING LOUNGE (601 W. Riverside Ave.), you can hone your drive or book a golf lesson to learn the basics. They have six Trackman virtual golf simulators that offer the feel of being out on the course — with the added convenience of being able to grab a cocktail or draft beer and gourmet comfort food like flatbreads and smash burgers.
Maybe you’d rather channel your inner Viking instead? JUMPING JACKALOPE (226 W. Riverside Ave.) is a top-rated local destination for the age-old pastime of axe throwing. If hurling sharp metal objects sounds a little outside your comfort zone, don’t worry. Their trained instructors will show you the ropes, making this thrilling sport accessible to anyone ages 6 and up. Jumping Jackalope even caters to date nights and holiday parties. The only requirement is closed-toe shoes.
Pickleball has gone from a niche sport to a cultural phenomenon in recent years, and THE PRESS PICKLEBALL CLUB (1000 W. Sprague Ave.) is meeting the growing demand with its six dedicated indoor courts and variety of open and team playing.
“Pickleball is a social sport that provides a feeling of community in addition to its many health benefits,” says Rita Koefod, who oversees marketing and communications for Cowles properties like the former Spokesman-Review
production facility where the Press Pickleball Club is now housed. (You can become a member, or reserve a court by the hour.)
“This holiday season, I’m excited that the Press Pickleball Club will be opening a pop-up pro shop on the second level of River Park Square. It will feature gear, membership and gift options, along with the chance to glean pickleball tips from the club director, Chris Allen.”
Every week through Christmas, let City Sidewalks help plan your holidays!
Fun For Kids
The Downtown Spokane Partnership and Providence have teamed up this year to continue a wintertime tradition that’s just for kids — the HOLIDAY HUNT ! Between Nov. 29 and Dec. 22, kids aged 12 and under will have the
opportunity to search for hidden characters at 14 kid-friendly downtown locations. To help pinpoint those locations, they can pick up a Holiday Hunt passport at any of the participating businesses. Once they’ve located seven characters, all they
need to do is submit their completed worksheet for a chance to win an exciting grand prize drawing to be held on Dec. 23. For some clues on where to start your Holiday Hunt adventure, visit downtownspokane.org.
SWING LOUNGE
Show Your Support
It’s a city’s one-of-a-kind small businesses that give it character, and SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY is the perfect opportunity to celebrate our local entrepreneurs. This year, Small Business Saturday, originated by American Express and now cosponsored by the Small Business Administration, is celebrating 15 years of encouraging folks to shop local, and there’s no better place to do that than in downtown Spokane. Need to pick out a special gift? Find curated selections at Boo Radley’s and Atticus, or check out an array of colorful, and meaningful, imported goods at Kizuri. Find an assortment of locally crafted housewares, clothing, jewelry and art at River Park Square’s From Here. Stop at Auntie’s for the book lover on your list, and get expert assistance to choose the perfect fit for family game night at Uncle’s Games. Get out and see all that downtown Spokane’s local businesses have to offer. To kick off Small Business Saturday, the first 100 customers at Auntie’s will receive a Small Business Saturday “swag bag” courtesy of STCU, featuring gift cards, coupons and swag items from a variety of small businesses downtown
KIZURI
Downtown Spokane for the Holidays City
Flip the Switch on Christmas
Along with the free horse and carriage rides and ice skating, Riverfront Park is downtown’s hub of activity throughout the winter holidays. The festivities officially begin on Nov. 30 with the annual NUMERICA TREE LIGHTING CELEBRATION at the plaza adjacent to the Numerica Skate Ribbon.
“The tree lighting is a Spokane tradition that brings families and community together for the holidays,” says Jonathan Moog, director of Riverfront Park. “We ring in the holiday cheer in a big way.” In the run up to the tree lighting at 6 pm, the plaza will be buzzing with food trucks and fun community performances from 4 pm onward.
From noon-7 pm on the same day, you’ll also be able to shop at the nearby RIVERFRONT WINTER MARKET . Located in the Pavilion, the market is a great way to get an early lead on your holiday shopping and pick up some unique gifts made by local artisans and craftspeople.
FOOD From Thailand to Italy to Hawaii
Just in time for holiday dining, a popular Airway Heights restaurant has opened a second location in downtown Spokane: SIRINYA’S THAI (230 W. Riverside Ave.). “People seem to be really liking the fact that they can now conveniently enjoy our Thai food downtown. It’s a relaxing atmosphere with great food,” say owner Sirinya Surina and manager Eric Brubaker.
Two stir-fried noodle dishes are already emerging as customer favorites: the classic pad Thai and the pad see-ew, the latter featuring a sweet black soy sauce instead of pad Thai’s tamarind-based sauce. There’s also an ample selection of curries, soups and seafood- or veggie-centric entrées on the menu. If you like to keep your meal options open, Sirinya’s kitchen is serving on both Thanksgiving and Christmas.
For food and ambience with a Continental flair, EUROPA (125 S. Wall St.) blends Old World charm with modern sensibilities. It’s as ideal for a date night as it is for a family meal. Start off with an appetizer like steamed clams or gorgonzola fondue and then move on to one of the homestyle mains, such as eggplant parmesan or gnocchi. Prefer to share? Order one of the Tuscan-style pizzas with custom or chef-selected toppings. All that is rounded out by an extensive list of red, white, sparkling and Washington wines. And be sure to leave room for one of the desserts prepared by Europa’s renowned pastry chef.
Another excellent option for Italian food is the aptly named ITALIAN KITCHEN (113 N. Bernard St.). The recipient of regular regional choice awards for its cozy atmosphere, warm hospitality and quintessential Italian-American cuisine, this restaurant has entire sections of its menu dedicated to diverse chicken dishes, pastas and flame-grilled steaks. One of the house specialties is the baked lasagna, but you might find yourself equally tempted by the decadent lobster ravioli.
WAVE SUSHI & ISLAND GRILL (525 W. 1st Ave.) serves up seafood, too, but takes its inspiration from different coasts. Smoked salmon, crab and tuna mixes, tempura shrimp, tender octopus and barbecue eel are at the heart of many of their sushi rolls, sashimi and poke. Wave’s menu also has chicken katsu, teriyaki chicken, Kalua pork and even Hawaiian favorites like Kobe beef loco moco and spam musubi. And enjoying a meal doesn’t mean missing the big game — chances are it’s playing on one of Wave’s many high-def screens.
EUROPA
Downtown Spokane for the Holidays
SHOPPING Only In Downtown
Every year around this time, you’ll find an Apple device on the wish lists of kids, teens and adults. Whether it’s the cutting-edge Vision Pro augmented reality headset, the newest iPhone, colorful iMacs or one of the tablets in the iPad lineup, the Cupertino company clearly has a knack for creating perpetually in-demand consumer electronics. At the APPLE STORE (710 W. Main Ave.), you can browse and compare Apple’s current product lineup, get hands-on with the devices and pose questions directly to their retail reps. The store even hosts free creative sessions that help you make the most of your new hardware.
But what if you’re looking for gifts in a more, say, analogue vein? AUNTIE’S BOOKSTORE (402 W. Main Ave.) has you covered. This locally owned landmark is proud of its Spokane roots and draws its in-store bestseller list from the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association instead of big city newspapers.
“It’s truer to what people in our region are reading,” explains manager Kerry Halls. “Our Employee Picks area is just spectacular, too, and gets a lot of traction during the holidays because people come in wanting something unique and different.” In recent years, Auntie’s has augmented its huge book selection with gift items like candles, socks, mugs and teas. “The whole goal is to have everything you need to create a nice little reading experience at home.”
And to complete the reading experience, it’s important to have a stylish and comfortable spot to curl up with your book. DANIA FURNITURE (319 W. Riverside Ave.) can help, thanks to its wide range of modern and Scandinavian-style furniture. You know and love the look: clean lines, thoughtful minimalism, contemporary timelessness. From matching dining combos and living room suites to simple nightstands and planters, you’ll find everything from individual furniture pieces as well as full sets for every room in the house. Plus there are mirrors, lamps, vases, rugs, clocks and wall art to complement your interior design.
Iconic furniture is only one of Denmark’s claims to fame. The country also invented the multicolored plastic bricks that generations of kids have used to give shape to their imaginations. And THE LEGO STORE (808 W. Main Ave.) provides the optimal experience for seeing where imagination can take you. Explore the latest sets in Lego’s themed collections, including Star Wars, Minecraft, Disney and the more advanced Creator series. Or for a memorable tie-in to the season, check out the current holiday-oriented sets like Santa’s Post Office and Nightmare Before Christmas.
AUNTIE’S BOOKSTORE
Dreamy Trees
ASpokane tradition since 1983, CHRISTMAS TREE ELEGANCE is a cornerstone of our city’s seasonal celebrations. The fundraiser, which is organized by the Spokane Symphony Associates, sells $1 raffle tickets for prize packages that are worth up to $4,999. Each prize package is centered around a themed and decorated tree.
“Christmas Tree Elegance really kicks off Christmas in Spokane,” says Annie Matlow, who handles communications for the event. “It’s the premier holiday attraction, with something for everybody.”
This year’s event runs from Dec. 3-15 and includes a total of 15 trees. Six will be featured at River Park Square. The other nine will be at the Historic Davenport Hotel, which recently unveiled its remodeled historic lobby to honor the landmark’s 110-year legacy. Last year’s Christmas Tree Elegance shattered previous records by selling 462,529 tickets, and Matlow is expecting similar numbers this year on account of the incredible prize packages. One Lego-themed tree includes building sets and a private party gift certificate to local Lego hobby shop Brick by Brick. Another tree, titled ‘When Sparks Fly,’ is sponsored by a local metalworking group. It features a custom fabricated patio swing and fire pit as well as an outdoor movie screen and projector.
“The popular ‘Spotlight on Spokane’ tree is returning this year, too,” Matlow says. “It has gift certificates to the Spokane Symphony, Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre, Anthony’s, Spencer’s, Best of Broadway and the Spokane Civic Theatre. It’s truly the gift that keeps on giving, because it would take someone all year to use them up!”
Downtown Spokane for the Holidays
CNIGHTLIFE
Catch Some Live Music
losely aligned with the Knitting Factory next door, THE DISTRICT BAR (916 W. 1st Ave.) is a 21+ gastropub that puts a gourmet spin on Southern cooking and comfort food. Its popular handhelds include a classic Nashville hot chicken sandwich with pickles and garlic aioli on a cornbread bun. But food certainly isn’t the only draw. In addition to a regular mix of live music and entertainment from a wide variety of genres, there’s also a rotating selection of dozens of tap beers from local breweries like Lumberbeard, Bellwether and Brick West. Holiday-themed cocktail specials are also on offer.
“I love decorating for the holidays, so we’ll have lots of lights and lots of garland, outside and in,” says Aaron Andreson, food and beverage director for The Knitting Factory.
Every Friday and Saturday evening, the RIDLER PIANO BAR (718 W. Riverside Ave.) pulls out all the stops and treats audiences to its famous Dueling Pianos. In the spirit of friendly competition, two versatile and talented pianists backed by a drummer take audience requests and show how expertly they can tickle the ivories. There’s plenty of banter, dancing and audience participation. Liven things up even more with signature Ridler cocktails like the Uptown Funk (mango vodka, peach schnapps) or the Keyboard Kosmo (specialty vodka, pomegranate liqueur, cranberry juice). Be sure to arrive early to claim a seat, grab a bite to eat and catch the live preshow.
If you like your entertainment in the form of ice skating in Riverfront Park, after you’ve built up an appetite on the ice you can warm up at THE BEARDED GINGE R AT SKY RIBBON CAFE (720 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.). You’ll see why their ‘feel-good food’ has earned them such a loyal following at their Spokane Valley location. The café serves a condensed version of their full-size restaurant menu: giant homemade mozzarella logs, creamy mac ‘n’ cheese and a BBQ crunch wrap that features smoked bris-
or
IN THE NEXT CITY SIDEWALKS
Downtown Spokane has so much to offer during the holidays — follow it all here in CITY SIDEWALKS inside the Inlander. Grab our next issue to find out where to find sweet treats — and make plans to join in the return of Kringle Fest.
RIDLER PIANO BAR
Dash Through the Snow
From song lyrics to Christmas cards, scenes of horse-drawn sleighs being pulled through winter wonderlands belong to the imagery of the season. And in downtown Spokane, free horse-drawn carriage rides are part of a holiday tradition that spans over 20 years. Capture the fun and nostalgia of that experience for yourself when the WHEATLAND BANK FREE HORSE AND CARRIAGE RIDES start clip-clopping their way through Riverfront Park on Nov. 30. Each carriage holds up to eight adult passengers, so you can ride with a group of friends or family as you sing carols, take in the sights and revel in the festive atmosphere throughout the park. The rides are free and run every Saturday and Sunday from noon-5 pm through Dec. 24. The pick-up spot is across from the Numerica Skate Ribbon entrance.
EVERY DAY, ANYTIME, visit inlander.com/events to stay up to date on all there is to do this holiday season.
Holiday Events
BENEFIT
FESTIVAL OF TREES This gala benefits
Kootenai Health Foundation and features a three-course meal, decorated Christmas tree displays, a silent auction, a live tree auction and live music. Nov. 29, 5 pm. By donation. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. kh.org/foundation
CHRISTMAS TREE ELEGANCE The annual raffle of 18 custom-decorated trees supports the Spokane Symphony, and includes trees on display at River Park Square as well as the Historic Davenport Hotel. Raffle tickets $1 each. Dec. 3-15, 10 am-9 pm. spokanesymphonyassoc.org
PRESENTS FOR PUPPIES GIVING TREE
This event teaches children the value and impact of giving through a silent auc-
tion, training demos and puppies. Dec. 3, 5-9 pm. Free. Trailbreaker Cider, 2204 N. Madison St. pathofhoperescue.com (509-280-4192)
HOLIDAY FOOD BASKET FUNDRAISER
SAN, Spokane Pride and the ISCS are teaming up to raise money to build and distribute food baskets to LGBTQ+ community members. Proceeds from drag show and silent auction directly fund the baskets. Dec. 6, 6-8 pm. $10. nYne Bar & Bistro, 232 W. Sprague Ave. spokanepride.org (509-760-4676)
GREAT GINGERBREAD BUILD-OFF
Watch talented teams as they compete to create magnificent giant gingerbread houses. You’ll have the opportunity to vote for your favorite creation by purchasing tickets for $1 each. Proceeds benefit Ashley House of Spokane. Dec.
compiled by Madison Pearson
7, 10 am-2:30 pm. $1. River Park Square, 808 W. Main Ave. ah-nw.org
SPOKANE LILAC FESTIVAL HOLIDAY
BRUNCH A brunch featuring a breakfast, no-host bar, permanent jewelry, raffles and more. Benefits the Spokane Lilac Festival Association. Dec. 7, 10 am-noon.
$70. Historic Davenport Hotel, 10 S. Post St. spokanelilacfestival.org
CHRISTMAS TREE ELEGANCE HOLIDAY
LUNCHEONS This annual fundraiser benefits the Spokane Symphony. In addition to the brunch, Symphony musicians play holiday favorites. Dec. 11-12, 11 am-1 pm.
$55. Historic Davenport Hotel, 10 S. Post St. spokanesymphonyassoc.org
A CHRISTMAS CAROL: A DRAMATIC
READING A dramatic reading of the Christmas classic benefitting Shalom
Dining With Dignity’s Christmas Feast and Strong Families. Dec. 14, 6:30-8:30 pm. Free. New Community Church, 518 W. Third Ave. new-community.com
COMEDY
GABRIEL RUTLEDGE Rutledge has recorded five comedy albums and has several comedy specials. Nov. 29, 7 & 9:45 pm, Nov. 30, 7 & 9:45 pm and Dec. 1, 7 pm. $20-$28. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (509-318-9998)
SAFARI The Blue Door Theatre’s version of Whose Line where players improv short comedy skits from audience suggestions. Every Saturday at 7:30 pm. $9. Lumberbeard Brewing, 25 E. Third Ave. bluedoortheatre.com (509-747-7045)
DAVID CROSS Emmy Award winner and two-time Grammy Award nominee David Cross is an inventive performer, writer and producer on stage and screen. Dec. 5, 8 pm. $52-$110. Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino, 14300 W. SR Highway 2. spokanetribecasino.com (877-789-9467)
PHIL HANLEY Phil Hanley is a standup comedian and actor. He’s been featured on Comedy Central and has a stand-up special titled Ooh La La. Dec. 5, 7 pm. $25-$35. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com
EDDIE GRIFFIN Griffin is an American stand-up comedian and actor best known for portraying Eddie Sherman in the sitcom Malcolm & Eddie. Dec. 6-7, 7 & 9:45 pm. $37-$52. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (509-318-9998)
JOE GATTO Joe Gatto is a comedian best known from the hit TV shows Impractical Jokers and The Misery Index. Ages 16+ suggested. Dec. 7, 7-10 pm. $40-$60. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. firstinterstatecenter.org (509-279-7000)
JEFF DYE Dye is a standup comedian and actor from Seattle. Dec. 8, 6 pm. $25-$35. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com
KAT TIMPF Kat Timpf is a writer, comedian, and libertarian commentator. She’s currently the co-host of Guteld! on Fox News weeknights and a Fox News contributor. Dec. 8, 5 pm. $49-$126. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com (509-227-7404)
MICHAEL IAN BLACK Black is an actor, writer and comedian. He has starred in several TV comedy series like The State, Viva Variety, Stella and more. Dec. 11, 7 pm. $25-$35. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com
DUSTIN NICKERSON Nickerson has appeared on the Late Late Show, Comedy Central and has his own comedy special. Dec. 12, 7 pm and Dec. 13-14, 6 & 8:45 pm. $25-$35. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com
The Campbell House is open for the holidays, Dec. 19-22. JAMES AND KATHY MANGIS PHOTO
MICHAEL CARBONARO An illusionist thrilling audiences with magic and other acts. Dec. 19, 7:30 pm. $39-$59. Northern Quest Resort & Casino, 100 N. Hayford Road. northernquest.com
LEAH RUDICK Rudick’s viral comedy and character videos have amassed her over a million followers and counting on TikTok and Instagram. Dec. 22, 7 pm. $20-$25. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com
FESTIVUS A celebration of the show Seinfeld and a mockery of society itself, this comedy event that includes trivia, acting, grievances and culminates with the Feats of Strength. Proceeds benefit the Panida. Dec. 23, 7 pm. $10. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. panida.org
NURSE JOHN Nurse John is a nurseturned-comedian who got his start on TikTok. Dec. 26, 7 pm and Dec. 27-28, 7 & 9:45 pm. $30-$50. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (509-318-9998)
SUSAN RICE Rice began her comedy career in 1983 and has worked in many of the national comedy clubs and appeared on Showtime, CBS and ABC. Dec. 31, 7:30 & 10:30 pm. $25-$35. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (509-318-9998)
COMMUNITY
ELF VILLAGE Visit and explore a whimsical elf village display. Daily through Jan. 5. Free. Medical Lake. medicallake.org
IT HAPPENED HERE: EXPO ’74 FIFTY
YEARS LATER This 50th anniversary exhibition revisits the historical roots of Expo ’74’s legacy. Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm. $7-$12. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org (509-456-3931)
JOURNEY TO THE NORTH POLE CRUIS-
ES Take a journey to the “North Pole” via a Lake Coeur d’Alene cruise to see 1.5 million twinkling lights and visit Santa at his remodeled North Pole home, featuring an illuminated Christmas tree. Nov. 28Jan. 1, daily at 4:30 pm, 5:30 pm, 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm. $14-$29. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdacruises.com
LIBERTY LAKE WINTER GLOW SPECTACULAR A holiday light show featuring various installations and displays. Daily through Jan. 1. Free. Orchard Park, 20298 E. Indiana. winterglowspectacular.com
ELF ON THE SHELF Find elves hidden throughout downtown Coeur d’Alene shops and win prizes from Santa. Nov. 29-Dec 22, Fri-Sun from 10 am-5 pm. Free. Downtown Coeur d’Alene, Sherman Ave. cdadowntown.com (208-415-0116)
FESTIVAL OF FAIR TRADE: A GLOBAL
HOLIDAY MARKET This annual festival features handmade, fair trade items from Nepal, Guatemala, Chile and 50 other countries. Nov. 29-30, 10 am-5:30 pm. Community Building, 35 W. Main Ave. ShopKizuri.com (509-464-7677)
HOLIDAY MARKET A pop-up Christmas market featuring local and regional vendors. Nov. 29-30, daily from 12-6 pm. Free. Dayton Historic Depot, 222 E. Commercial Ave. daytonhistoricdepot.org
KIDS HOLIDAY HUNT Kids age 12 and under can explore downtown Spokane, searching for holiday characters hidden within 10 local businesses. Once they’ve found all 10, participants can submit their completed worksheets for a chance to win a grand prize. Nov. 29-Dec. 22. Free. downtownspokane.org
LIGHTING CEREMONY PARADE Parade entries light up Sherman Avenue and bring holiday spirit to downtown Coeur d’Alene with marching bands, dancing, music and festive floats. Nov. 29, 5-7:30 pm. Free. Downtown Coeur d’Alene, Sherman Ave. cdadowntown.com
LIGHTING CEREMONY PREMIERE VIEWING Guests, locals and travelers alike are invited to a premiere viewing of this year’s light display. Complimentary hot chocolate and coffee will be provided. A no-host bar will also be available. Nov. 29, 5-7 pm. $45. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdaresort.com
NORTHWEST WINTERFEST An indoor holiday lantern display and cultural celebration featuring light displays and experiences in holiday cultures of the world. Also features a dinosaur-themed lantern display for 2024. Nov. 29-Dec. 31; Fri from 5-8 pm, Sat from 4-8pm, Sun and special holidays from 3-6 pm. $13$43. Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St. northwestwinterfest. com (509-477-1766)
SANTA EXPRESS A holiday retail store for kids ages 4-12. With the assistance of an “elf,” kids can shop for everyone on their list at the boutique with gifts priced from $1-$12. Proceeds benefit Vanessa Behan. Nov. 29-Dec. 22; Mon-Fri from 11 am-7 pm, Sat from 10 am-7 pm and Sun from 11 am-5 pm. $1-$12. Spokane Valley Mall, 14700 E. Indiana Ave. santaexpress.org
SPOKANE HOLIDAY MARKET Browse a selection of local vendors offering unique gifts, handcrafted items and festive treats for the Christmas season. Nov. 29, 10 am-3 pm. Free. Steam Plant Restaurant & Brew Pub, 159 S. Lincoln St. washingtonshoppersmarket.com/steamplant
HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR Local vendors sell handmade goods and art. Nov. 30, 10 am-5 pm. Free. Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave. cdalibrary.org
MAC HOLIDAY KICK-OFF CELEBRATION
The museum is decorated with lights and decorations for the holiday season. Hulda the chef serves up cookies and participants are invited to watch performances and partake in activities. Nov. 30, 4-6 pm. Free. The MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org
NUMERICA TREE LIGHTING CELEBRATION Watch the tree in Riverfront Park light up for the holidays, along with food trucks, community performances and a winter market. Nov. 30, 4-7 pm. Free. Numerica Skate Ribbon, 720 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. riverfrontspokane.com
WHEATLAND BANK FREE HORSE & CARRIAGE RIDES An 8-10-minute loop through scenic Riverfront Park and downtown Spokane. Nov. 30-Dec. 22, Sat-Sun from noon-5 pm. Tips accepted. Free. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. downtownspokane.org (509-625-6600)
WHITE CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE The Bing Crosby House Museum hosts an open house featuring memorabilia, festive decor, music and treats. Dec. 1, 1-3 pm. Free. Crosby House Museum, 508 E. Sharp Ave. gonzaga.edu (509-313-4064)
NATIVITY DISPLAY See over 2,000 Nativity scenes from all over the world. Dec. 1-15; Mon-Fri from 9 am-5 pm, Sun from 10 am-8 pm. Free. St. Mary Presentation Catholic Church, 509 E. Sixth St. stmarypresentationcc.org (509-276-2948)
3D PRINTING: HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS Design and create holiday décor or personalized ornaments using the 3D printer.
Dec. 5, 4-5:30 pm. Free. Spokane Valley Library, 22 N. Herald Rd. scld.org
CREATE HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS Celebrate the holidays by making festive ornaments. All supplies provided. Ages 5+. Dec. 5, 4-5 pm. Free. North Spokane Library, 44 E. Hawthorne Rd. scld.org
CUSTOM LASER-CUT CHRISTMAS
ORNAMENT Design your own custom Christmas ornaments while learning to use Gizmo’s laser and edit designs using Lightburn. Ages 16+. Dec. 5, 6-8:30 pm. $45. Gizmo-CDA, 283 N. Hubbard Ave. Suite 102. gizmo-cda.org
DAY OF CANDLES Gather, share traditional Colombian food, and light candles together to symbolize peace, unity and the start of the holiday seaso. Dec. 6, 5-8 pm. Free. Latinos en Spokane, 1502 N. Monroe St. latinosenspokane.org
JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM A walkthrough Christmas pageant featuring 100+ actors from eight denominations, live animals and music. Dec. 6-8; Fri from 6-8 pm, Sat-Sun from 4-7 pm. Free. South Hill Seventh Day Adventist, 5607 S. Freya. bethlehem.journeyspokane.com
WINTERFEST POST FALLS & PLAZA
MARKET Local vendors, festive music and the annual tree lighting ceremony. Santa arrives at 6:15 pm. Kids can enjoy crafts, marshmallow roasting and more holiday fun. Dec. 6, 4-8 pm. Free. Post Falls City Hall, 408 N. Spokane St. postfalls.gov (208-773-0539)
1912 CENTER WINTER MARKET A market
featuring food, locally made goods, crafts and more. Dec. 7,-8 9 am-1 pm. 1912 Center, 412 E. Third St. 1912center.org
BLITZEN BASH Meet Santa’s reindeer, participate in kid-friendly activities and more. Dec. 7, 11 am-3 pm. Free. River Park Square, 808 W. Main Ave. riverparksquare.com (509-624-3945)
CHRISTMAS BAZAAR AND CRAFT
SHOW A holiday market featuring handmade goods, fine art, soap, food and Santa pictures. Dec. 7, 9 am-4 pm. Free. Reardan Community Hall, 120 N Lake St. reardancommunityhall.com
DECK THE FALLS CRAFT FAIRE Shop from a variety of vendors selling handmade wares. Dec. 7, 10 am-3 pm. Free. Cutter Theatre, 302 Park St. cuttertheatre. com (509-446-4108)
GIZMO’S MERRY MAKERS MARKET A holiday gift market featuring handcrafted items by Gizmo CDA makers. Dec. 7, 124:30 pm. Free. Gizmo-CDA, 283 N. Hubbard Ave. Suite 102. gizmo-cda.org
HOLIDAY ON THE AVE Celebrate the holiday season with pop-up shops, live carolers, gingerbread decorating, giveaways and holiday-themed activities throughout the shopping district. Dec. 7, 10 am. Sprague Union District, 2400-1600 E. Sprague Ave. spragueuniondistrict.com
HYGGE MARKET A holiday-themed market featuring jewelry, vintage goods, ornaments, art and more. Dec. 7, 2-6 pm. Free. Bellwether Brewing Co., 2019 N. Monroe St. bellwetherbrewing.com
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Saturday 12/7 vs. Wenatchee Wild
Toss a new teddy bear on the ice when the Chiefs score their first goal. All bears collected will be donated to the Christmas Bureau coordinated by Catholic Charities Eastern Washington, Volunteers of America, and The Spokesman-Review. Presented By: Sponsored By:
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical flies into town Dec. 10-11. COURTESY BEST OF BROADWAY SPOKANE
Holiday Guide | Events
A VERY NORDIC HOLIDAY: CRAFT
MAKING Craft with members of the Sons of Norway as they share how to make felt gnomes, braid hearts out of wheat straw and create paper heart ornaments. Dec. 7, 11 am-3:45 pm. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5390)
GIFT WRAPPING 101 Learn the basics of beautifully wrapping gifts. Dec. 8, 3-4 pm and Dec. 21, 1-2 pm. $40. Ritters Garden & Gift, 10120 N. Division St. 4ritter.com
PAWS AND CLAUS Bring your pet to get photos with Santa Claus. Dec. 9, 4-6 pm. $20-$40. River Park Square, 808 W. Main Ave. riverparksquare.com
CREATE HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS Celebrate the holidays by making festive ornaments. The library provides all supplies. Ages 5+. Dec. 10, 3:30-4:30 pm. Free. Moran Prairie Library, 6004 S. Regal St. scld.org (509-893-8340)
MERRY GRINCHMAS A day filled with local vendors, kid activities and photos with the Grinch. RSVP required. Dec. 11, 5-8 pm. Free. Trailbreaker Cider, 2204 N. Madison St. trailbreakercider.com
BRRRZAAR An all-local art market with booths full of handmade, curated gifts, art and more. Dec. 14, 10 am-8 pm. Free. River Park Square, 808 W. Main Ave. terrainspokane.com (509-624-3945)
ELVES WORKSHOP Make cards and other winter crafts at this annual holiday event. Dec. 14, 1-5 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit. spark-central.org
FREE PHOTO WITH SANTA Kids walk down a red carpet to meet Santa, share their holiday wishes and pose for photos. Parents can take pictures with their phones and STA provides a free Polaroid photo. Dec. 14, 12-2 pm. Free. Spokane Transit Authority Plaza, 701 W Riverside Avenue. spokanetransit.com
MANITO PARK HOLIDAY LIGHTS A walk-through only tour of light displays scattered throughout Manito Park. Dec. 14-22, daily from 4:30-8:30 pm. Free. Manito Park, 1800 S. Grand Blvd. thefriendsofmanito.org (509-456-8038)
MEDICAL LAKE CHRISTMAS MARKET A market featuring goods created by local artisans, food, gifts and more. Dec. 14, 10 am-4 pm. Free. Cela’s Creative Learning Academy, 111 N. Lefevre. medicallake.org
NORTH IDAHO COWBOY CHRISTMAS
A market featuring vendors selling western-themed goods. Dec. 14-15; Sat from 10 am-7 pm, Sun from 10 am-4 pm. Kootenai County Fairgrounds, 4056 N. Government Way. kcfairgrounds.com
TASTE OF GINGERBREAD Purchase a gingerbread house and decorate it in the company of others as well as Santa
and Mrs. Claus. Dec. 14, 1-4 pm. $27. The ISAAC Foundation, 606 W. Sharp Ave. theisaacfoundation.configio.com
METAL STAMPED RING & BRACELET
WORKSHOP Learn how to make metal stamped jewelry with Lesly of Birkland Boutique. Dec. 16, 6 pm. $45. Mulberry Market Co., 17325 E. Sprague Ave. mulberrymarketco.com
CAMPBELL HOUSE HOLIDAYS Explore the historic Campbell House at your own pace, enjoy the Christmas decor and interact with the family and staff in a living history experience. Includes a scavenger hunt and other activities. Dec. 19-22, 12-4 pm. $8-$12. The MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org
A CHRISTMAS LABYRINTH A Christmas Labyrinth is a festive, meditative path designed to guide participants through a symbolic journey, often used during the Advent season to encourage reflection and spiritual contemplation. Dec. 27-Jan. 3; times TBA. $5. Chewelah Center for the Arts, 405 N. Third St. chewelahcenterforthearts.com (509-935-8832)
AMERICA’S FAMILY NEW YEAR’S EVE CRUISE Ring in the new year on a Lake Coeur d’Alene cruise featuring NYE party favors, a no-host bar, a fireworks show at 9 pm and more. Dec. 31, 7:15 & 7:45 pm. $28-$36. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S.
Second. cdacruises.com (208-765-4000)
THE GRAND SHOWDOWN Celebrate the new year with musical acts, dancing and a western theme. Dec. 31, 9 pm-1 am. $75-$100. Davenport Grand Hotel, 333 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. davenporthotelcollection.com (509-789-6894)
MIDNIGHT ON THE RIVER Celebrate the new year with champagne and dancing to live music by Sammy Eubanks. Dec. 31, 9 pm-12:30 am. $65. Ruby River Hotel, 700 N. Division St. rubyriverhotelspokane.com (509-326-5577)
NEW YEAR’S EVE: 007 MIDNIGHT MISSION This New Year’s Eve party features food, entertainment and a countdown to 2025 all in a James Bond theme. Dec. 31, 6 pm-midnight. $195. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdaresort.com
NEW YEAR’S EVE FIREWORKS CELEBRATION Ring in the new year with a fireworks display in Riverfront Park. Dec. 31, 9 pm. Free. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. riverfrontspokane.com
MIDNIGHT IN HAVANA A New Year’s event featuring live music from Son Dulce, salsa dancing, lessons, drinks and more entertainment. Dec. 31, 8 pmmidnight & 12-1 am. $70-$320. Montvale Event Center, 1019 W. First. Ave. facebook.com/RiverStreetLatinBand
SACHA’S SUPPER CLUB: PARTY LIKE IT’S 1925 Celebrate the roaring twenties and the birth of the jazz age. Featuring Sacha’s Supper Club Orchestra and Colescott Rubin and the Red Hots, dance the night away with old and modern hits alike. Try themed cocktails from the Prohibition era, as well as a three-course plated menu and late night bites. Dec. 31, 7:30 pm-1 am. $185-$300. Historic Davenport Hotel, 10 S. Post St. davenporthotelcollection.com (800-899-1482)
FILM
ELF INTERACTIVE MOVIE NIGHT This interactive movie screening features an indoor snowball fight, a sing and shout along with Buddy the Elf, sweet treats and more. Nov. 30, 6-8 pm. $15. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. endtheviolencespokane.org (253-318-7748)
SEAHAWKS GAMES SCREENINGS Watch the Seahawks play on the big screen, all season long. Dec. 1, 10 am, Dec. 8, 1:05 pm, Dec. 15, 5:20 pm, Dec. 22, 1:05 pm, Dec. 26, 5:15 pm and Jan. 1. Free. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org (509-327-1050)
PAJAMA MOVIE NIGHT: THE CHRISTMAS CHRONICLES A screening of The Christmas Chronicles with all proceeds benefitting local children, youth and families experiencing foster care. Dec. 3, 5:30
pm. $5. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.com (509-327-1050)
NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION Clark Griswold’s hick cousin Eddie and his family show up unplanned and start living in their camper on the Griswold property. Dec. 6, 7 pm. $5. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. panida.org
BING CROSBY HOLIDAY FILM FESTIVAL
This annual film festival features screenings of Bing Crosby’s films White Christmas, Here Comes the Groom and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court Dec. 7, 11 am-9 pm. $20. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com (509-227-7638)
A CHRISTMAS STORY In the 1940s, a young boy named Ralphie Parker attempts to convince everyone that a BB gun really is the perfect Christmas gift. Dec. 7, 5:30 pm. $5. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org
HOME ALONE After the McCallisters mistakenly leave for the airport without Kevin, he awakens to an empty house and assumes his wish to have no family has come true. Dec. 8, 5:30 pm. $5. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org
KRAMPUS A sensory relaxed screening of the 2015 film. When dysfunctional family squabbling causes young Max to lose his festive spirit, it unleashes the wrath of the fearsome demon. Dec. 11, 6:30 pm. $5. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org
THE POLAR EXPRESS 20TH ANNIVERSARY A sensory relaxed screening of the film about a young boy who’s grown skeptical of Santa Claus. Dec. 14, 11:30 am. $5. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org
CINEMA CLASSICS: WHITE CHRISTMAS A successful song-and-dance team become romantically involved with a sister act and team up to save the failing Vermont inn of their former commanding general. Dec. 15, 7 pm. $5-$8. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org
ARTHUR CHRISTMAS When the unthinkable happens, and Santa misses one child out of hundreds of millions, someone has to save the day. It’s up to Arthur, Santa’s youngest son, to deliver a present to the forgotten kid before Christmas morning. Dec. 21, 2 pm. Free. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org ELF Buddy the Elf was accidentally raised in the North Pole among Santa’s elves. Adult Buddy travels to New York in search of his real father. Dec. 23, 5 pm. $5. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org (509-327-1050)
FROSTY THE SNOWMAN A discarded magic top hat brings to life the snowman
Celebrate the holidays with the Griswold family on the big screen at the Panida on Dec. 6.
that a group of children made, until a magician wants it back and the temperature starts to rise. Dec. 23-24, 1:15 pm. Free. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org (509-327-1050)
NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS
VACATION Clark Griswold’s hick cousin Eddie and his family show up and start living in their camper. Dec. 23, 7:30 pm. $5. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org (509-327-1050)
RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER The reindeer with the incandescent nose guides Santa’s sleigh through a bad storm on Christmas Eve. Dec. 23-24, noon. Free. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org
THE POLAR EXPRESS A young boy has grown skeptical of Santa Claus and accepts an invitation to climb on board the
Polar Express to Santa’s headquarters where he learns a lesson about the true spirit of Christmas. Dec. 24, 2 pm. $5. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org (509-327-1050)
FROZEN 2 After hearing a mysterious voice call out to her, Elsa travels to the enchanted forests and dark seas beyond her kingdom. Dec. 26-29, 2 pm. Free. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org
FOOD & DRINK
S’MORES BY THE SHORES Gather around lakeside fire pits, and indulge in a nostalgic treat under the stars. Nov. 18-Dec. 31, daily from 3:30-9 pm. $10. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdaresort. com (208-292-5678)
A VERY NORDIC HOLIDAY: KRUMKAJE & HJERTEVAFLER Learn how to make some traditional Nordic cookies and heart waffles with the Sons of Norway. Dec. 7, 1-3 pm. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org
WOMEN’S CHRISTMAS DINNER A light dinner of soup, salad and bread with a program to follow, including a speaker and crafts. Dec. 9, 6 pm. $7. New Horizons Community Church, 3122 W. Lincoln Rd. nhccspokane.com (509-327-6433)
SMALL GROUP HOLIDAY DINNER A multi-course Italian-inspired feast in a beautifully decorated setting including optional wine pairings and cocktails. Two seating times: 5 and 6:30 pm. Groups of 4 to 24 welcome. Dec. 11, 5 & 6:30 pm. $85. Commellini Estate, 14715 N. Dartford Dr. commellini.com (509-466-0667)
SUN Regular Session – $5 Buy-in (minimum electronic buy-in $25). All regular games pay $1,000.
MON Monday Night Bingo
DECEMBER 6TH — 9TH
FRI Regular Session – Sweet Stay & Play Bingo Giveaway Must buy-in to bingo session to enter giveaway.
SAT Matinee Session
Regular Session – Sweet Stay & Play Bingo Giveaway Must buy-in to bingo session to enter giveaway.
SUN Regular Session – Sweet Stay & Play Bingo Giveaway Must buy-in to bingo session to enter giveaway.
MON Monday Night Bingo
DECEMBER 13TH — 16TH
JOIN US FOR THE SWEET STAY & PLAY BINGO GIVEAWAY, BINGO-LAND WEEKEND, GINGERBREAD HOUSE CONTEST, UGLY SWEATER CONTEST & ONE SWEET BINGO SESSION!
FRI Regular Session – Gingerbread House Contest 12 participants will be drawn. Must buy-in to bingo session to enter the drawing.
SAT Matinee Session
Regular Session
SUN Regular Session – $5 Buy-in (minimum electronic buy-in $25). All regular games pay $1,000.
MON Monday Night Bingo
DECEMBER 20TH — 23RD BINGO-LAND WEEKEND
FRI Regular Session
SAT Matinee Session
Regular Session
SUN Regular Session – $5 Buy-in (minimum electronic buy-in $25). All regular games pay $1,000. Ugly Sweater Contest 3 cash prize winners. Must buy-in to bingo session to enter the drawing.
MON Monday Night Bingo
DECEMBER 27TH — 31ST
FRI Regular Session – $5 Buy-in (minimum electronic buy-in $25). All regular games pay $1,000.
SAT Matinee Session
Regular Session – $5 Buy-in (minimum electronic buy-in $25). All regular games pay $1,000.
SUN Regular Session – $5 Buy-in (minimum electronic buy-in $25). All regular games pay $1,000.
MON Monday Night Bingo
TUES Special Session – One Sweet Bingo Session Sales 12 PM. Session 3 PM. New Year’s Eve bingo with huge payouts! Minimum buy-in applies. See Bingo for more details. Live music to follow in the Event Center.
Holiday Guide | Events
CHRISTMAS COOKIES COOKING CLASS
Pastry chef Toni shows students how to create a variety of cookies for Christmas like almond roca, Christmas cowboy, pistachio pudding and peanut butter fudge cookies. Dec. 14, 11 am. $75. Wanderlust Delicato, 421 W. Main Ave., Suite 103. wanderlustdelicato.com (509-822-7087)
COOKIES WITH MRS. CLAUS Decorate cookies with Mrs. Claus to take home and enjoy with family. Takes place upstairs in City Hall. Dec. 14, 1-4:15 pm. Free. Medical Lake. medicallake.org
WINTER TEA TASTING & BAZAAR Taste winter teas, eat treats prepared by Feast World Kitchen and Boots Bakery, see multicultural performances and shop local immigrant and refugee vendors. Dec. 14, 10 am-2 pm. Free. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 500 S. Stone St. mhspokane.org (509-309-8404)
BRUNCH WITH SANTA ON THE RIVER A brunch with Santa on the River. Families can celebrate the holiday season with delicious food, festive drink specials and create cherished memories. Dec. 15, 9-10:30, 11:30 am-1 pm & 2-3:30 pm. $16$28. Ruby River Hotel, 700 N. Division St. rubyriverhotelspokane.com
LUMBERBEARD WINTER MARKET Grab a beer and shop from a group of curated local vendors in the tasting room. Dec. 15, 11:30 am-3 pm. Free. Lumberbeard Brewing, 25 E. Third Ave. lumberbeardbrewing.com (509-381-5142)
CHRISTMAS TAMALES COOKING CLASS
Learn how to make chicken and green chile tamales from scratch. Each guest brings home six tamales. Dec. 20, 5:30
pm. $80. Wanderlust Delicato, 421 W. Main., Suite 103. wanderlustdelicato.com
YULE LOG COOKING CLASS Pastry chef
Toni teaches students how to make a gourmet yule log for the holidays. Dec. 21, 11 am. $75. Wanderlust Delicato, 421 W. Main Ave., Suite 103. wanderlustdelicato.com (509-822-7087)
MURDER MYSTERY DINNER A fourcourse murder mystery dinner. Dec. 27-29 from 6-10 pm. Commellini Estate, 14715 N. Dartford Dr. crimesceneentertainment.com (509-466-0667)
NEW YEAR’S EVE MIDNIGHT TOAST
This event features a live DJ, a countdown to midnight and a complimentary glass of sparkling wine to toast the New Year with food and drinks available for purchase. Dec. 31, 4 pm-2 am. $10. Sapphire Lounge, 901 W. First. rubyhosptality.com
NEW YEAR’S EVE DESSERT CRUISE Enjoy fireworks and dessert while cruising Lake Coeur d’Alene. Dec. 31, 10:30 pm. $42-$52. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdacruises.com (208-765-4000)
MUSIC
TRAVOLTA CHRISTMAS SHOW: THE SOUND OF CHRISTMAS A holiday performance starring the Shotwell Family and produced by Ellen Travolta, this show promises a magical blend of music, storytelling and cherished local traditions. Nov. 29-Dec. 22, Thu-Sun from 7:30-9:30 pm. $35. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdaresort.com (208-292-5678)
ADRIANO FERRARO: A CHRISTMAS
CONCERT Ferraro performs holiday classics and hits from Elvis and Frank Sinatra. Dec. 1, 3-5 pm. $26-$33. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com (509-227-7638)
CHRISTMAS CONCERT AND SING-ALONG This concert features Dr. Jadrian Tarver, Gonzaga University music students, Manito UMC Choir and other guest soloist singing Christmas carols. Dec. 1, 4-5 pm. Free. Manito United Methodist Church, 3220 S. Grand. manitoumc.org
GETTIN’ IN THE CHRISTMAS MOOD The 3Cs Coeur d’Aleers annual free Christmas concert featuring holiday music. Benefits Kootenai County cancer charities. Dec. 3, 2 pm and Dec. 6, 7 pm. Free. Trinity Lutheran Church, 812 N. Fifth. 3cscda.com
CANDLELIGHT CHRISTMAS CONCERT The Gonzaga choirs join forces with the Gonzaga Jazz department and special guest performers from the community to perform holiday favorites. Dec. 7, 2 & 7:30 pm and Dec. 8, 2 pm. $10-$25. Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, 211 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu/music
season with classic selections like Sleigh Ride, The Nutcracker Suite and more. Dec. 8, 3 pm. $11-$27. University of Idaho Administration Building, 851 Campus Dr. wa-idsymphony.org
THE JACC HOLIDAY CONCERT CdA BrassX5 performs selections of holiday favorites. Dec. 8, 2 pm. $6-$23. The Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center, 405 N. William St. thejacklincenter.org (208-457-8950)
SUGAR & SPICE The CDA Chorale performs familiar tunes from Christmas present and past. The audience can sing along on some traditional carols. Dec. 9-10, 7 pm. $10-$30. Trinity Lutheran Church, 812 N. Fifth St. cdachorale.com
A CELTIC CHRISTMAS Everdream perform beloved Christmas songs and Irish tunes. Dec. 10, 7:30 pm. $22-$25. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. panida.org
EVERY DAY, ANYTIME, visit inlander.com/events to stay up to date on all there is to do this holiday season.
CHRISTMAS WITH THE GOTHARD SISTERS The three sisters present a highenergy, festive evening weaving together Christmas carols, Celtic tunes, Irish dancing and more. Dec. 7, 7:30 pm. $25. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. panida.org
A VERY NORDIC HOLIDAY CELEBRATION: IRISH MUSIC Musicians play Irish music for the holidays. Dec. 7, 3 pm. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5390)
THE NUTCRACKER AND OTHER HOLIDAY FAVORITES Celebrate the holiday
GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA: IN THE CHRISTMAS MOOD
The Glenn Miller Orchestra play timeless hits and also puts a twist on favorite holiday songs. Dec. 10, 7 pm. The Fox Theater, 1001 W. Sprague Ave. foxtheaterspokane.org
CHRISTMAS WITH THE CELTS The Celts perform Irish Americana originals and traditional Irish instrumentals. Dec. 13, 8 pm. The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague. foxtheaterspokane.org
CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS A holidaythemed symphony concert featuring Christmas and winter music. Dec. 14, 6:30 pm. $15-$35. Schuler Performing Arts Center, 880 W. Garden Ave. cdasymphony.org (208-769-7780)
CLARION BRASS: THIS IS WHAT
CHRISTMAS SOUNDS LIKE Original holiday music performed by Clarion Bass, an orchestral brass ensemble. Dec. 14, 7-9 pm. $25. St. John’s Cathedral, 127 E. 12th Ave. figarotunes.com (509-838-4277)
FESTIVE FAVORITES The Lilac City Voices Barbershop Chorus’ holiday show featuring guests, snacks, beverages, a silent auction and raffle. Dec. 14, 7-9 pm. $10-$20. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 5720 S. Perry St. lilaccityvoices.org
SPOKANE JAZZ ORCHESTRA: THE CHRISTMAS MUSIC OF RAY CHARLES Holiday music of the great Ray Charles along with featured performer LaShund Lambert. Dec. 14, 7:30 pm. $32-$42. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com (509-227-7404)
ANGELS AND BRASS The 30-member Spokane British Brass Band and the St. Dominic’s Girls School Choir performChristmas classics. Dec. 15, 3-4:15 pm. Free. Spokane Falls Community College, 3410 W. Whistalks Way. sbbb.org BELLACRISTO HANDBELL CHOIR CHRISTMAS CONCERT The community handbell choir plays holiday favorites. Dec. 15, 3 pm. Free. Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 7307 N. Nevada St. holycrosslcms.net
VISIONS OF CHRISTMAS: A CELEBRATION OF LIGHT AND MUSIC This annual holiday concert is headlined by Donnie and Nancy Emerson performing Dreamin’ Christmas and holiday classics. Dec. 15, 2-3:30 pm. $50. Holy Names Music Center, 3910 W. Custer Dr. hnmc.org
CANDLELIGHT: CHRISTMAS CAROLS ON STRINGS The Listeso String Quartet performs a slate of holiday songs while surrounded by hundreds of candles. Dec. 19, 6:30 & 8:30 pm. $53-$69. Riverside Place, 1108 W. Riverside Ave. feverup.com
SPOKANE SYMPHONY POPS 3:
CHRISTMAS AT THE MOVIES The Spokane Symphony performs songs from classic holiday movies including It’s a Wonderful Life, Die Hard and Home Alone. Dec. 21, 7:30 pm and Dec. 22, 3 pm. The Fox Theater, 1001 W. Sprague Ave. spokanesymphony.org
CHRISTMAS CAROL SING-A-LONG Sing Christmas carols with fellow community members. Dec. 22. Free. Chewelah Center for the Arts, 405 N. Third St. chewelahcenterforthearts.com (509-935-8832)
JUMP N JIVE TO ’25 The Masterclass Big Band performs live music all night for your dancing pleasure. Dec. 31, 9-10 pm. Knitting Factory, 919 W. Sprague Ave. masterclassbb.com (509-244-3279)
SPOKANE SYMPHONY NEW YEARS
EVE: BEETHOVEN’S NINTH Celebrate the work’s 200th anniversary with a performance by the Spokane Symphony and the Spokane Symphony Chorale. Dec. 31, 7:30 pm. The Fox Theater, 1001 W. Sprague Ave. spokanesymphony.org
SPORTS & OUTDOORS
HUFFIN FOR THE STUFFIN 10K & 5K Run through Riverfront Park and the Gonzaga University campus with friends and family. Nov. 28, 8:50-10:45 am. $35-$45. UDistrict PT, 730 N. Hamilton St. nsplit.com
SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. PORTLAND WINTERHAWKS Regular season game. Promotional schedule: Jack in the Box Fan Appreciation Night (Nov. 30) and Sturm Heating Clothing Drive (Dec. 1). Nov. 30, 6:05 pm and Dec. 1, 5:05 pm. $12-$40. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanechiefs.com (509-279-7000)
DJ NIGHT ON THE ICE Skate with music, lights, contests and more. Dec. 6-Jan. 24, every Friday at 6 pm. $7-$10. Numerica Skate Ribbon, 720 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. riverfrontspokane.com (509-625-6600)
THE SANTA RUN 10K & 5K Run along lake Coeur d’Alene and through downtown. Runners receive a finisher medal, Santa hat and treats. Dec. 7, 9-11 am. $45$65. Coeur d’Alene Resort Plaza Shops, 210 Sherman. nsplit.com
SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. WENATCHEE
WILD Regular season games. Promotional schedule: Teddy Bear Toss (Dec. 7) and Sturm Heating Family Feast Night (Dec. 27). Dec. 7, 6:05 pm and Dec. 27, 7:05 pm. $12-$40. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanechiefs.com
SNOWSHOE MOONLIGHT TOUR A guided snowshoe tour through the trails around Mount Spokane. Fee includes guides, snowshoes, poles, instruction and transportation. Meet at Yoke’s, 14202 N. Market St. Registration required. Ages 16+. Dec. 14, 6-9:30 pm. $39.00. Mt. Spokane State Park, 26107 N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr. my.spokanecity.org/parksrec
SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. PRINCE GEORGE
COUGARS Regular season game. Promotional schedule: Coors Light Seattle
STOCKING STUFFER 5K A 5k race beginning at Coney Island Park. Kids run free with a donation to the Medical Lake Food Bank. Dec. 14, 1 pm. $10. Medical Lake. medicallake.org
STARLIGHT SNOWSHOE MOUNT SPOKANE A guided snowshoe tour through the trails around Mount Spokane at night. Fee includes guides, snowshoes, poles, headlamps instruction and transporta-
tion. Meet at Yoke’s Fresh Market Parking Lot 14202 N. Market St. Pre-registration required. Ages 16+. Dec. 20, 6-9:30 pm. $39. Mt. Spokane State Park, 26107 N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr. my.spokanecity.org/ parksrec (509-363-5414)
SKI WITH SANTA Hit the slopes with Santa and Mrs. Claus on Schweitzer’s beginner and intermediate runs and take photos with the duo. See website for full two-day schedule. Dec. 23-24, 1-3:30 pm. Schweitzer, 10,000 Schweitzer Mountain Rd. schweitzer.com (208-263-9555)
THEATER & DANCE
THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER A couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant is faced with casting
the Herdman kids. Nov. 29-Dec. 22; Fri at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm. $12-$18. Spokane Children’s Theatre, 2727 N. Madelia. spokanechildrenstheatre.org
A CHRISTMAS CAROL The story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an old man who despises Christmas and the joy it brings. On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by three ghosts who take him on a journey through his past, present and future. Nov. 29-Dec. 22; Wed-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. Howard St. spokanecivictheatre.com
CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE A Broadway-style production fused with contemporary circus arts performers including jugglers, acrobats and more set to holiday music. Dec. 4, 7:30-9:30 pm. $52-$102. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. firstinterstatecenter.org (509-279-7000)
AUNTIE SCROOGE A backwards Christ-
mas Carol radio play where the audience is eyewitness to the cacophony of noises required to make a radio drama come to life. Dec. 5-15; Thu-Sat at 7 pm, Sun at 2 pm. Pullman Civic Theatre, 1220 NW Nye St. pullmancivictheatre.org
THE NUTCRACKER State Street Ballet and over 70 local dancers bring The Nutcracker to life while Tchaikovsky’s timeless score is played live by the Spokane Symphony. Dec. 5-8; Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun at 3 pm. The Fox Theater, 1001 W. Sprague Ave. foxtheaterspokane.org
WINTER WONDERETTES When Santa turns up missing, the Wonderettes use their talent and creative ingenuity to save the holiday party featuring ’60s versions of holiday classics. Dec. 5-8; times TBA. Chewelah Center for the Arts, 405 N. Third St. chewelahcenterforthearts.com
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Catch the Spokane Chiefs at the Arena this holiday season; the Teddy Bear Toss is on Dec. 7.
ERICK DOXEY PHOTO
Holiday Guide | Events
THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER
A couple struggling to put on a Christmas pageant is faced with casting the Herdman kids. Dec. 6-15; Thu-Sat at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm. 2 pm and Thurs.-7 pm through Dec. 15. $13-$15. TAC at the Lake, 22910 E. Appleway. tacatthelake.com
A CHRISTMAS STORY Jean Shepherd’s memoir of growing up in the midwest in the 1940s follows nine-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. Dec. 6-15; Fri-Sat at 7 pm, Sun at 3 pm. $18-$20. Pend Oreille Playhouse, 236 S. Union Ave. pendoreilleplayers.com
EVERY CHRISTMAS STORY EVER TOLD
(AND THEN SOME!) Three actors perform every Christmas story ever told with a sprinkling of Christmas traditions from around the world, seasonal icons from the past to contemporary pop culture. Dec. 6-15; Fri-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $15-$29. Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard. spokanecivictheatre.com
FOR UNTO Y’ALL A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS From the days of the Old West comes this modernized version of the Christmas story, set in the little town of Bethlehem in the Wyoming Territory. Dec. 6-14; Fri-Sat at 6:30 pm. $35. Northwoods Performing Arts Center, 3645 N. SR 211. northwoodsperformingarts.com
MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET A department store Santa claims he’s real, his case gets taken to the Supreme Court and a little girl’s belief makes a difference’ Dec. 6-22; Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $27-$30. Lake City Playhouse, 1320 E. Garden Ave. lakecityplayhouse.org
NEED A LITTLE CHRISTMAS A Radio City Music Hall-inspired show featuring a kickline, Santa’s Workshop, a salute to the USO show, a live nativity scene and more. Dec. 6-22; Fri-Sat at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 3 pm. $29-$42. Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. needalittlechristmas.com
BALLET VICTORIA: THE NUTCRACKER
Ballet Victoria and local students take the stage to present the magic and wonder of the classic story. Dec. 7, 2 & 6 pm and Dec. 8, 2 pm. $25-$55. Hartung Theater, 625 Stadium Dr., Moscow. festivaldance. org (208-883-3267)
A DANCEWORKS CHRISTMAS Dancers from Sandpoint’s local Danceworks Studio perform holiday dances. Dec. 9, 7
pm. $15. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. panida.org (208-263-9191)
RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER:
THE MUSICAL A musical based on the classic holiday tale featuring favorite characters. Dec. 10-11, 7:30 pm. $25-$75. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls. firstinterstatecenter.org
ALL IS CALM: THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE OF 1914 A German soldier steps into No Man’s Land singing “Stille Nach” thus begins an extraordinary night of camaraderie, music and peace featuring an all a cappella musical score and letters and journal entries of the men who witnessed the event. Dec. 13-14, 7 pm, Dec. 14-15, 2 pm. $8-$22. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-882-4127)
THE NUTCRACKER Allegro Dance Studio’s third annual performance of the Nutcracker with live music performed by Selkirk Bass. Dec. 13-15; Fri-Sat at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm. $35-$40. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. panida.org
RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER Rudolph is told to hide his shiny nose and feel ashamed of it. After being rejected by Santa’s reindeer, Rudolph goes on a journey to find a place that accepts him. Dec. 13-15; Fri-Sun at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm and Sat at 10 am. Chewelah Center for the Arts, 405 N. Third St. chewelahcenterforthearts.com (509-935-8832)
SNOW QUEEN BALLET Grand Kyiv Ballet’s new Christmas ballet based on the world-famous fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. Dec. 13, 7-9 pm. $40-$90. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls. firstinterstatecenter.org
CAMPANA SOBRE CAMPANA CHRISTMAS Celebrate the holiday season with Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar and Ballet Folklórico del Rio Grande. Dec. 14, 7 pm and Dec. 15, 2 & 7 pm. $18-$52. Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, 211 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu/dance
OFFBEAT CHRISTMAS Accompanied by a live band, Offbeat Christmas delivers witty, spunky, clever holiday cheer that will put a smile on your face. Written by Aspire’s music director Presley DePuis. Dec. 19, 7:30 pm. $0-$20. Aspire Community Theatre, 1765 W. Golf Course Road. aspirecda.com (208-696-4228)
17-piece
VISUAL ARTS
SMALL WORKS EXHIBIT The gallery’s 29th annual small works exhibit with smaller artworks that double as gifts for the holidays. Nov. 2-Dec. 29, WedSun from 11 am-6 pm. Wed.-11 am-6 pm through Dec. 29. Free. Art Spirit Gallery, 415 Sherman. theartspiritgallery.com
SLIGHTLY WEST OF SPOKANE ARTISTS
STUDIO TOUR A self-guided tour of 14 artists’ studios in the West Plains area including Dennis Smith, Nicole Nutt, Faith King and more. See website for location information. Nov. 30, 9 am-4 pm. Free. Medical Lake. slightlywestofspokane.com
CROCHETING FRIENDS Learn new stitches, share patterns, crochet items for hospice or those in need and make friends with fellow crocheters. Every Tuesday from 4-5:30 pm at the Clark Fork Library. Free. Clark Fork. ebonnerlibrary.org
VINTAGE STYLE ORNAMENT CLASS
big band and some of the region’s top singers perform holiday tunes complete with a children’s chorus, a nativity and Santa and Mrs. Claus. Dec. 20-22; Fri-Sat at 7:30, Sat-Sun at 2 pm. $25-$48. University High School, 12320 E. 32nd Ave. svsummertheatre.com (509-368-7897)
A CHRISTMAS CAROL: LIVE PLAY The Lake Pend Oreille Repertory Theater performs the classic Charles Dickens holiday tale. Dec. 20-22; Fri-Sat at 7 pm, Sat also at 2 pm, Sun at 1 pm and 6 pm. $25. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. panida.org
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE The story of idealistic George Bailey unfolds as he considers ending his life one fateful Christmas Eve. It takes the help of the lovable angel Clarence for George to have a change of heart and understand the true spirit of Christmas. Dec. 20-22; Fri-Sat at 7 pm, Sun at 2 pm. Chewelah Center for the Arts, 405 N. Third St. chewelahcenterforthearts.com (509-935-8832)
HADESTOWN A version of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, where Orpheus goes to the underworld to rescue his fiancée. Dec. 21-22; Sat-Sun at 7:30 pm, Sun at 1 pm. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. broadwayspokane.com
THE JINKX & DELA HOLIDAY SHOW Drag performers Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme put on a holiday show with comedy, songs and more. Dec. 27, 8-10 pm. $53-$298. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. firstinterstatecenter.org
A MAGICAL CIRQUE CHRISTMAS A circus-themed holiday show featuring acrobatic and aerial acts. Dec. 28, 7:30-10 pm. $35-$85. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. magicalcirquechristmas.com (509-279-7000)
BEETLEJUICE This musical tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange teenager whose life changes when she meets a deceased couple and a demon. Dec. 31-Jan. 5; TueSat at 7:30 pm, Sat also at 2 pm, Sun at 1 pm and 6:30 pm. $54-$119. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls. broadwayspokane.com
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS A musical featuring StageTime Theatre School alumni. Dec. 31 7 pm. Chewelah Center for the Arts, 405 N. Third St. chewelahcenterforthearts.com (509-935-8832)
gnome ornaments out of yarn for your Christmas tree. Registration required. Dec. 8, 2:30-3:30 pm. Free. Liberty Park, 502 S. Pittsburg St. spokanelibrary.org
HOLIDAY PAINT AND SIP: SANTA PAW Paint a Santa Claus cat on canvas at this guided class. Dec. 10, 6-8:30 pm. $45. Iron Goat Brewing Co., 1302 W. Second Ave. artvana.life (320-805-0206)
COLLAGE WORKSHOP This workshop offers an opportunity to create two original collage compositions under the guidance of an experienced local artist. Students learn how to compose and execute their own original works of art using materials provided by the instructor. Second Wednesday of each month from 6-8 pm. $25. Lunarium, 1925 N. Monroe St. lunariumspokane.com (509-270-4192)
Learn how to make frames from resin and add vintage holiday designs at this two-hour, hands-on class. Dec. 1, 10 am and Dec. 5, 12 & 4 pm. $50. Paint In My Hair, 3036 N. Monroe St. paintinmyhair. com (509-326-6999)
HOLIDAY GARLAND PRINTMAKING
WORKSHOP Local printmaker Bethany Phillips walks families through designing and making their own printing stamp, printing onto small fabric shapes and the assembly of the garland. Dec. 2, 5 pm. $50. Emerge, 119 N. Second St. emergecda.com (208-930-1876)
CHRISTMAS JOLLY IN COLORED PEN -
CILS Working in small formats, create some detailed illustrations like a greeting card or a small image to fit in a frame. Taught by instructor Susan Rohrback. Ages 16+. Dec. 3-17, Tue from 1-4 pm. $126. Spokane Art School, 503 E. Second Ave., Ste. B. spokaneartschool.net
OPEN ART NIGHT Bring your own materials and grab a chair for creative time with a side of friendly chatting with fellow creatives. Every first and third Wednesday of the month from 6-9 pm. Free. Lunarium, 1925 N. Monroe St. facebook.com/Lunarium.Spokane
HOLIDAY ARTS SHOP An art market featuring handmade pottery, ornaments, fiber and fabric arts, bowls, jewelry and more with live music from local musicians. Dec. 5-8; times vary. Free. Create Arts Center, 900 Fourth St. createarts.org
FIRST FRIDAY Art galleries and businesses across downtown Spokane and beyond host monthly receptions to showcase new displays of art. First Friday of each month from 5-8 pm. Free. Spokane. downtownspokane.org/first-friday
NEW MOON SMALL WORKS SHOW Includes small works made by members and others. Dec. 6-28, Wed-Sat from 11 am-5 pm. Free. New Moon Art Gallery, 1326 E. Sprague Ave. manicmoonandmore.com (509-413-9101)
CUP OF JOY Local and regional ceramic artists create mugs to sell. Dec. 6-Jan. 11; Wed-Fri from 11 am-5 pm. Free admission. Trackside Studio, 115 S. Adams St. tracksidestudio.net (509-863-9904)
8TH ANNUAL MAC HOLIDAY ARTIST STUDIO TOUR This annual self-guided tour features the work of six local artists showcasing their work in their studios. Location information provided in ticket email. Dec. 7, 10 am-4 pm. $20-$25. MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org YARN GNOME ORNAMENTS Make
SECOND FRIDAY ARTWALK Stroll the streets of downtown Coeur d’Alene and enjoy local artists, along with local shops, restaurants and businesses. Second Fri. of every month from 5-8 pm. Free. Downtown Coeur d’Alene, Sherman Ave. artsandculturecda.org
EMERGE MINIS SHOW Small artworks by regional artists. Dec. 13-Jan. 4, Tue-Sat from 10 am-6 pm. Free. Emerge, 119 N. Second St. emergecda.com
HOLIDAY HAND LETTERING Learn the basics of hand lettering and create your own custom holiday gift tags and greeting card. Dec. 14, 2-3:30 pm. $40. Ritters, 10120 N. Division St. 4ritter.com
HOLIDAY RECEPTION AND SALE The Sandpoint artist cooperative gives a 10% discount on all purchases made during the reception. Dec. 14, 4-7 pm. Free. Art Works Gallery, 214 N. First Ave. facebook. com/sandpointartworks (208-263-2642)
PAINTING CLASS: TWINKLE TREE A guided class to paint a holiday tree. Ages 10+. Dec. 15, 2-4:30 pm. $45. Dane Joe Espresso, 2819 E. 27th Ave. artvana.life HOLIDAY PAINT AND SIP: TREE TRUCK Paint a truck with a Christmas tree in it on canvas at this guided class. Dec. 17, 6-8:30 pm. $45. Iron Goat Brewing Co., 1302 W. Second Ave. artvana.life
WORDS
DROP IN & WRITE Aspiring writers are invited to be a part of a supportive community. Bring works in progress to share, use creative prompts and spend time writing. Thursdays from 5:30-7 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org
BROKEN MIC A weekly open mic reading series. Wednesdays at 6:30 pm; sign-ups at 6 pm. Free. Neato Burrito, 827 W. First Ave. bit.ly/2ZAbugD
STORY AND CRAFT A read-aloud of a popular children’s book will be followed by an optional craft related to the story. Ages 3-7. Every Saturday from 11 amnoon. Cost of admission. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org (509-456-3931)
BOOKSGIVING Bring a favorite book, wrap it as a gift with a short description or prompt for a blind book exchange. Dec. 8, 5:30 pm. Free. Booktraders, 907 W. Garland. facebook.com/booksrockmysocksoff (509-326-7653)
JAN BRETT: ALICE IN A WINTER WONDERLAND The egendary picture book author and illustrator Jan Brett launches her new book with a book signing event. Dec. 15, 10-11 am. Free; $20 for book signing. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5336) n
Comedic illusionist Michael Carbonaro performs at Northern Quest on Dec. 19. COURTESY PHOTO
Northern Quest gives the North Pole a run for its money with must-have gifts for everyone on your list. Wrap up your holiday shopping at Windfall, carrying outdoor gear, apparel, and home goods from top brands like Filson, Pendleton, prAna, and UGG. And find luxury products, cozy apparel, and more at La Rive Spa Boutique. Whether you’re on the hunt for stocking stuffers or big-tic big-ticket items, the Northwest’s largest casino resort is the season’s ultimate gifting destination.
Good for concert tickets, hotel stays, and so much more, a Northern Quest gift card puts all their favorite experiences under the tree. Purchase at any Northern Quest venue or online at northernquest.com
For generations of Spokanites, Domini Sandwiches has been much more than a place to grab a bite. With its signature ’70s decor and shelves lined with all sorts of trinkets and memorabilia, the sandwich shop represents a time capsule of Spokane, curated throughout its 61 years of serving up hearty, simple sandwiches and complimentary popcorn.
On Thursday, Dec. 5, Domini Sandwiches will serve its final sandwich under Tom Domini’s ownership at its downtown location on West Sprague Avenue before passing the torch to a longtime employee, Nakia Tilton, and her husband, Zach.
LOCAL LEGACY
‘A Really Great Ride’
The popular business wasn’t always a sandwich shop. Tom Domini’s father, Al, and uncle, Fred, originally opened a tavern called Stockholm Bar on Howard Street in 1947. A business neighboring their tavern burned down in 1962, which prompted the brothers to close, rebrand and open Domini Sandwiches in 1963 at 703 W. Sprague Ave.
The transition from tavern to sandwich shop was driven by a desire for simplicity and speed — the OG fast food, but actually fresh (nothing frozen) and high-quality.
“My dad didn’t want nothing sophisticated, just something put out fast and then people can watch him make it,” Domini says.
Paired simply with a choice of meat, cheese and basic condiment, Domini’s sandwiches ($9.75-$16.25) have become a Spokane staple, feeding hundreds of hungry customers daily.
“These last few months, over 300 sandwiches a day. And only two of us making sandwiches,” Domini says.
No visit to Domini Sandwiches is complete without a bowl of their famous popcorn.
“The popcorn goes back to my grandfather,” Domini says. “You could sell more beer if you had salty popcorn.”
Domini started working for his father’s business in the summer of 1974, just before his senior year of high school and during Expo ’74.
“That’s when the license changed so minors could come in and eat, so that changed the whole dynamics of our place. Before that, it was a tavern only — you had to be 21 — so that made our business a lot better,” says Domini.
For the period overlapping with Expo ’74, Domini Sandwiches temporarily relocated to the Davenport Hotel while the Washington Trust Bank building was erected, which required the demolition of several buildings to make space for the 15-floor tower there today.
Domini Sandwiches
After 61 years, it’s the end of an era for downtown Spokane staple
BY DORA SCOTT
That commitment to quality and efficiency became the foundation of the restaurant’s success, earning it 30 consecutive wins for Best Sandwiches in the Inlander’s Best Of Reader’s Poll.
“The bread is the key ingredient,” Domini says, adding they get fresh sandwich bread daily from the local Alpine Bakery Co. Though the bakery has changed ownership throughout the years, the recipe for its soft loaves remains the same.
The shop moved back into its West Sprague location in 1976, where they’ve remained since, with minor changes along the way.
Back when smoking was the norm in the ’70s, and before part of the interior left side wall was taken down to open up the restaurant space, Domini Sandwiches had designated smoking and nonsmoking sections. And while it’s more recently been a popular lunch spot, it ...continued on next page
Tom Domini is retiring and selling his downtown sandwich shop to a longtime employee. ERICK DOXEY PHOTOS
Instead of chips, Domini Sandwiches offers popcorn.
“‘A REALLY GREAT RIDE’,” CONTINUED...
used to be open much later.
“Back in the ’70s, ’80s, we used to stay open until 7:30 at night, so we had all the bank people and attorneys come down and drink beer and wine,” Domini says.
With new businesses opening and bringing more evening happy hour competition, the shop gradually adjusted their hours.
“We ended up closing at 6, then 5:30, then 5, then 4. Now after COVID, our stated hours were 10 to 2:30, but the bread gets here early so I can make them earlier for people that want to come by earlier,” Domini says.
Working at the shop since he was a teenager, Domini became an integral part of its operations. His dad handed him and his brother, Joe, the reins in 1990. The brothers worked together for over 20 years before Joe retired 12 years ago.
The most rewarding part of running the family business has been seeing the different people and generations come through their doors, according to Domini.
“I know their sandwich when they walk in. I probably know 400 different sandwiches that people have that I make right when I hear them walk through the door,” he says of his regulars.
When he’s not handling the responsibilities that come with ownership, Domini is right in the thick of the lunch rush slinging sandwiches alongside his small but dedicated staff, many who’ve worked at the restaurant for over a decade.
Since announcing Domini’s retirement in September, staff can’t turn tables over fast enough to accommodate all the customers flooding in to say their goodbyes and buy their last sandwich.
“They know how hard we work,” Domini says. “You know, people appreciate that. It’s not an easy job, staying on your feet 10 hours a day.”
After decades in business, the restaurant interior almost feels like a living room or micromuseum of Domini’s life and the family’s history.
Surveying the walls, Domini identifies different mementos
resting on shelves: photos of his dad, him and his brother winning the Inlander’s Best Of, signed basketballs, a 100-plus-year-old liquor jug from Durkin’s bar, and doll versions of him and Joe (bushy mustaches and all).
For Domini, 67, the decision to retire was not an easy one to make.
“Oh, it’s sad. I mean, I’ve had a lot of tearful moments; very emotional moments,” he says. “I know a lot of people over the years. I’ve had people drive up from Sacramento to get their last sandwich. I’ve had people from Tri Cities, Moses Lake, Seattle. I have a huge following.”
He is, however, looking forward to spending more time with family, celebrating his kids’ marriages, and traveling to Memphis, Nashville, Boston, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
“I’m a big music guy. I go to a lot of concerts; that’s my hobby,” he says.
While an end to the Domini legacy, Domini Sandwiches is being left in the capable hands of Tilton, who’s been making sandwiches alongside him for over a decade.
“You have to have somebody that knows the business and has been around, and knows what it’s like to do what it takes every day,” Domini says.
Since their lease was not renewed, the shop will be moving to a new, still unnamed location in the new year. “It will be a totally different feel,” he adds.
Though Dec. 5 will be the last day to buy food at the historic location, on Dec. 6, family, friends and regulars can gather to say their final farewells to the space and business that’s carried such a long family legacy. Domini’s grandfather moved from Italy to Spokane in 1908, setting the precedent for a family of entrepreneurs.
“Over 100 years we’ve always had a business downtown, so this will be the last of it,” he says. “I’ve loved every minute of it. I loved every customer. Felt like part of our family, you know? It’s been a really great ride.” n
Domini Sandwiches • 703 W. Sprague Ave. • Open Mon-Fri 10 am-2:30 pm through Dec. 5 • dominispokane.com • 509-747-2324
Shelves in the restaurant are lined with mementos of the Domini family legacy.
ERICK DOXEY PHOTO
Reduce Holiday Stress by Changing Your Mindset
Holiday traditions can create both excitement and anxiety. An intentionally slower pace and quieter calendar can have its advantages. Dr. David Ward, a Family Medicine physician at Kaiser Permanente, offers some ways to reduce holiday stress and establish a less frenetic pace.
Find Meaningful Ways to Connect
“The best memories I have during the holidays are with people that I love and care about,” says Dr. Ward. Consider making time for meaningful connection around a fireplace or puzzle, taking a walk outdoors or enjoying a favorite pastime.
There is something to learn from the ways of the past. Dr. Ward offers, “Remember playing games that directed your attention to family and friends, rather than a video screen?” Card games and board games allow us to enjoy meaningful time in conversation, laugh, and support one another.
If you’re experiencing financial worries, make this the year you opt out of gift giving. Instead, give back to the community by baking for the local homeless shelter or sending hand-written letters to loved ones. Your friends and family may be more open than you would imagine to this change in gift-giving philosophy.
Make ‘Moderation’ Your Mantra
“It’s common to overindulge during the holiday season,” Dr. Ward says. You may be tempted to eat too many sweets or drink too much alcohol. It can be easy to stay up until the wee hours and sleep until noon.
While we all need time to unwind, overeating will make you sluggish, and too much alcohol can depress your mood and later exacerbate your anxiety, because of rebound effects.
“Celebration doesn’t have to focus on eating and drinking alcohol,” Dr. Ward advises. Instead, consider game nights with hot cocoa or an afternoon streaming a holiday movie, with a sparkling cider “mocktail.” Have seltzer and fruit garnish handy so you can alternate with something fizzy on those occasions when you do want to indulge.
Get Physical
Take advantage of holiday events that incorporate physical activities, such as walking, hiking, cycling and backyard sports. Staying active during the short days and long nights is crucial for stimulating your endorphins and raising your mood.
Don’t discount activities that you can do in your own home. A dance party in your living room or a yoga night in your pajamas can be a wonderful outlet for finding inner calm that can seem so elusive during the holidays.
Less is More
This holiday season, take time for self-reflection and meaningful connections. Embrace a slower pace and find simpler ways to celebrate and spend time with those you love.
ALSO OPENING
MOANA 2
Three years after the events of the original and stellar Disney animated film, Moana reunites with the demigod Maui for a seafaring adventure to bring together the Oceanic people and find a hidden island in order to break a god’s curse. Rated PG
Beatlemania Revisited
Engaging if somewhat redundant, the documentary Beatles ’64 chronicles the band’s first visit to the U.S.
BY JOSH BELL
Just how much Beatles content does Disney+ need?
Three years after premiering Peter Jackson’s nearly eight-hour documentary series The Beatles: Get Back,
the streaming service offers the much more compact Beatles ’64, which takes on an earlier era of the band with the conventional documentary format of talking-head interviews and archival footage. Hardcore fans who luxuriated in every bit of minutia in Jackson’s meticulously remastered series about the recording of the band’s 1970 Let It Be album may be less excited about the comparatively modest Beatles ’64, although it also offers some rediscovered and restored period footage, along with remixed music overseen by producer Giles Martin.
Jackson is given special thanks, but the filmmaking titan with a more substantial presence is Martin Scorsese, who’s credited as a producer and literally looms over the present-day interviews with Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, like an eager hanger-on who couldn’t hold himself back from jumping in front of the camera. Scorsese previously co-directed documentaries on The New York Review of Books and singer David Johansen with Beatles ’64 director David Tedeschi, so his participation likely involved more than just lending his name and attempting to ask Starr about noir movies. Both Starr and Paul McCartney participate in new conversations (with McCartney showing off his recent Beatles photography exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum), and there are vintage interview clips from late Beatles members John Lennon and George Harrison. But Tedeschi is just as interested in the experiences of the fans and other onlookers during the two-week period when
The Beatles first came to the U.S. in 1964, making their landmark appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Early in the movie, he cuts from screaming fans in 1964 to one of those fans in the present, reflecting on her childhood experiences with a mix of amusement and wonder.
New York City radio DJ Murray the K, who became a key point person for the band’s U.S. visit. Thanks mostly to the talents of the Maysles brothers, Tedeschi is able to offer an immersive portrayal of the pop culture landscape at the time of The Beatles’ arrival.
Beatles ’64
Directed by David Tedeschi
Streaming on Disney+
It’s fascinating to look back on the frenzy that greeted The Beatles through the recollections of the people who fueled it, but most of the interviews are more standardissue testimonials from prominent figures like filmmaker David Lynch, writer Joe Queenan and music producer Jack Douglas. They’re all ardent fans, and Queenan almost immediately tears up when talking about listening to The Beatles for the first time, but it’s not the same as hearing from the anonymous teenagers who once built their entire identities around The Beatles and now have the benefit of experience and hindsight to frame those recollections.
Tedeschi still spends plenty of time on those early fans, and most of the 1964 segments are constructed from material shot by legendary documentary filmmakers Albert and David Maysles. The Maysles brothers first compiled their footage into the 1964 film What’s Happening! The Beatles in the U.S.A., which was itself later recut and rereleased in 1991 as The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit. So this is not exactly new ground to cover, even if Tedeschi unearths some outtakes and alternate cuts.
Still, for anyone who hasn’t seen those past films, Beatles ’64 provides an entertaining, unvarnished look at The Beatles in their casual, off-duty moments, goofing off with the Maysles brothers and their crew, and expressing wide-eyed enthusiasm at being featured in an actual movie. It also showcases less enduring personalities like
Beatles ’64 is less blandly hagiographic than recent Disney+ music documentaries like Laurent Bouzereau’s Music by John Williams and Frank Marshall’s The Beach Boys, and Tedeschi devotes a decent amount of time to exploring the double standard around The Beatles’ performances of songs by Black artists like the Isley Brothers and the Miracles. Both the Miracles’ Smokey Robinson and Ronald Isley give The Beatles credit for drawing attention to their music, but the movie makes it clear that that attention didn’t afford them the same breathless press coverage and chart success that The Beatles enjoyed.
Tedeschi also opens Beatles ’64 not with scenes of The Beatles themselves, but with a montage of news coverage of John F. Kennedy, from his election in 1960 through his assassination in 1963. The movie repeatedly returns to the notion that The Beatles’ visit was somehow a corrective to the national malaise that followed the Kennedy assassination, and that part of the rapturous reception to their upbeat, energetic music came from a desire to move on from such a grim period.
It’s a half-formed thesis that never quite comes together, because Tedeschi includes it as just one of several threads in the 105-minute movie. It probably wouldn’t be a good idea for Beatles ’64 to be eight hours long, but if nothing else, it proves that there are still plenty more areas left to explore if Disney+ continues to expand its status as the streaming home of The Beatles. n
The loveable lads from Liverpool get another solid Disney+ doc.
Rom-Com Retread
Uneven teen comedy Sweethearts features appealing stars in an underwhelming story
BY JOSH BELL
When Sweethearts protagonists Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) and Ben (Nico Hiraga) travel back to their small Ohio hometown for Thanksgiving break their freshman year of college, they pass the local movie theater, whose marquee lists nothing but romantic comedies: He’s Just Not That Into You, Crazy Stupid Love, When Harry Met Sally. In case that’s not on-the-nose enough, Ben later watches When Harry Met Sally with his family, and director Jordan Weiss throws in extensive clips from that film, including Billy Crystal’s oft-quoted speech about the impossibility of men and women being friends.
Sweethearts
Rated R
Directed by Jordan Weiss
Starring Kiernan Shipka, Nico Hiraga, Caleb Hearon Streaming on Max
Weiss and her co-writer Dan Brier are perhaps overly self-conscious about their movie’s connections to romantic comedies of the past, and that inability to let the story breathe is one thing that holds Sweethearts back. The movie’s greatest asset is the chemistry between its two stars, both teen-movie veterans who shine in the roles of messy, codependent but ultimately likable young people trying to figure out their lives. There’s none of the early antagonism of the relationship between Harry and Sally, and in 2024 it’s pretty easy to accept that men and women can be friends, despite what rom-coms may tell us.
Jamie and Ben are so secure in their longstanding friendship that it doesn’t seem to bother their respective high school sweethearts, even as the couples stay together in long-distance relationships following high school graduation. Jamie and Ben go to college together, while Jamie’s football-player boyfriend Simon (Charlie Hall) is away at Harvard and Ben’s girlfriend Claire (Ava DeMary) is still a high school senior. The pressure of maintaining those relationships holds Jamie and Ben back from fully embracing their college experience, though, and after a disastrous night out in which they both humiliate themselves in ill-fated efforts to please their partners, they both resolve to break things off when returning home for the holiday weekend.
It’s a bit of a winding road to get there, during which Sweethearts turns into a gross-out college comedy, which isn’t Weiss’ strong suit. Once Jamie and Ben head home, the tone becomes, well, sweeter, even if there’s still plenty of raunchy humor. The feeling of returning home after the first major time away is evocative material for a coming-of-age story, and Jamie and Ben have to face up to various aspects of their pasts, not just their lingering significant others.
Sweethearts frequently cuts away from that story for a substantial subplot about their friend Palmer (Caleb Hearon), who’s been spending a gap year in Paris but has also returned to Ohio for Thanksgiving. At first he seems like nothing more than the stereotypical gay best friend, agreeing to run interference with Simon and Claire so that Jamie and Ben have the ideal circumstances to announce their breakups. But Weiss and Brier take him on his own journey of acceptance, as he struggles with coming out to a community that undoubtedly is already well-aware of his identity. That arc could fuel its own entire movie, but it ends up both truncated and distracting, since it pulls away from the primary story while never getting enough time to develop on its own. Palmer’s dawning understanding of the viability of queer life in small-town America could be read as either refreshingly optimistic or depressingly outdated in light of recent election results, but either way it comes off as rushed and unsatisfying.
Jamie and Ben’s own arc is only slightly more satisfying, and that’s more due to what Shipka and Hiraga can wordlessly convey between themselves than to Weiss’ storytelling. Weiss previously created the two-season Hulu sitcom Dollface, which used fantastical elements to represent its main character’s response to a traumatic breakup, but Sweethearts aims for something more grounded, and it occasionally finds genuine emotion in the central friendship. More often, though, it flails around with weak jokes and muddled life lessons, trying too hard to escape the shadow of the movies that it deliberately places itself under. n
Nico Hiraga and Keirnan Shipka provide most of Sweethearts’ spark.
In Case of Emergency, Rock
Spokane’s The Emergency Exit finds fresh life via pop punk longevity on its new album Absolutes
BY SETH SOMMERFELD
There’s a reason so many high school kids start pop punk bands. The genre’s simplicity offers a low barrier for entry for those just learning how to really play their instruments, while the style’s melodic side provides a fun and catchy outlet for teens to communally vent their frustrations, heartbreaks and other coming-of-age experiences.
Perhaps more than anything, joining a pop punk band allows one to connect with peers who share the same interests and musical tastes. Basically, it’s a killer reason to continually hang out with some of your closest friends after the school bell rings.
But for most, these musical connections fade pretty quickly once high school graduation has passed. Musical tastes evolve, and responsibilities get in the way of hanging out with pals and making distorted power chord noise.
That’s decidedly not the case for The Emergency Exit’s singer/bassist Sid Broderius and drummer Jasen Moser.
The duo initially met at Deer Park High School back in the 2000s and were both part of a healthy punk scene in Deer Park at the time. Both were drawn to different flanks of the larger Warped Tour musical ecosystem that was thriving at the time — Broderius loved Rancid, Blink-182, NOFX and their pop punk ilk, while Moser was more of a ska kid who enjoyed Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, The Suicide Machines and similar
bands. Broderius played in the band The Grocery Boys, and when the timing was right, the duo properly began their long musical journey together.
“We both started in different bands, but we had our own — actually kind of big — scene up north in Deer Park,” Moser says. “We were just always playing shows together. And then right after I graduated high school, he was just looking for a drummer, so I decided to join The Grocery Boys.”
But as stated, a lot of those high school bands weren’t in it for the long haul. The Grocery Boys became a thing of the past, but when Broderius and Moser saw each other a few years later, the musical spark was still there.
“I ran into Jasen, and we decided to go back and re-record one of those Grocery Boys records. And while we were doing that, I was like, ‘Hey, man, I’ve got these other songs lying around, do you want to help me record them?’” Broderius says. “So this project kind of initially started as a semi-solo thing — Sid Broderius and The Emergency Exit — with Jasen being The Emergency Exit.”
“Jasen has always had this really amazing knack for taking a vision I have in my head and fleshing it out,” Broderius continues. “And he’s usually also the guy behind the console recording us, and just does an amazing job doing that. I never have to give him any direction. He’s a great guy, and a f---ing amazing drummer.”
“I know what Sid is capable of, and I know his sound,” Moser adds. “We grew up listening to the same kind of music, so we have, like, that foundation. But Sid’s made so much music. Like he’s written well over 100 songs that we have played together.”
The group released the album Speaking in Absolutes in 2017 (with Broderius also playing most of the guitar parts), but their on-again-off-again partnership once again halted when the frontman moved to Seattle in 2017. While that could’ve been the end of Moser and Broderius’ musical collaboration, things rekindled as soon as he moved back to Spokane in 2021.
“I immediately hooked back up with Jasen. Like the day I moved back, he helped me unload the U-Haul,” Broderius recalls.
The pair decided to reboot the band as simply The Emergency Exit, but they really needed a guitar player, so they went the modern digital route — posting about the opening on Facebook. Luckily for them, the post found its way to Stephen Sykora.
“I was writing my own music and in another band, but I was open to a project. So when the post popped up — I don’t even know how I saw that post, to be honest with ya — but I saw that and thought, ‘Oh, I can probably play punk rock,’” says Sykora, who writes music more in the radio alt-rock post-grunge realm on his own. “Because my music is not necessarily that, but it was close. And when Sid sent over the tracks, I had a lot of fun doing it. I really fell in love with those songs. So I went all in.”
“I sent him a couple demos that Jasen and I were working on at the time, and said, ‘Hey, man, can you
LOCAL POP PUNK
learn these songs?’” Broderius says. “And a couple days later, he came over to my house, and we started playing the first of those songs. And like 20 seconds in, I was like, ‘OK, we’re good. You’ve got it. You’re in.’”
With the new trio lineup, the band began working on new material. But the setup also allowed Broderius an opportunity to give Speaking in Absolutes a second chance since he wasn’t particularly fond of how that album turned out. With four new tunes and Sykora injecting some fresh life into a handful of the old songs, The Emergency Exit went to work crafting its new album, Absolutes
Recorded over the past couple years in Moser’s Deer Park cabin and the basement of Broderius’ abode in north Spokane, Absolutes offers up 10 tracks of polished pop punk.
While most tunes stick to that punk rock ethos of not overcomplicating things with a relentless attacking energy — calling to mind bands like Jawbreaker and The Ataris — things never get overly samey on Absolutes. The verses on “Kickflips” sport a bit of a ska guitar bounce, “Living a Lie” features a bit of an acousticdriven outlaw country feel, and “The Cove” feels way more expansive than its prior version thanks to Sykora’s swirling guitar lead. Lyrically the album spans the gamut from warm nostalgia to battling inner demons.
“There’s some really dark stuff, but there’s also some really happy, bright love songs on there,” Broderius says. “It’s an album about life. It’s an album for every season. You can find every emotion on it.”
Broderius is fully aware that most kids who grow up on pop punk aren’t still repping the genre if they’re still playing in bands in their mid-30s, and some might scoff over how his basement
“It’s an album about life. It’s an album for every season. You can find every emotion on it.”
practice space still has a pop punk kid feel, strewn with Star Wars Legos and Marvel movie posters. But before I descend into the basement for our interview, I’m also introduced to his wife and their newborn — he’s on paternity leave — so it’s not like he’s in a state of arrested development. Pop punk is just in his DNA.
“Honestly, this is gonna sound super cheesy, but that’s what my soul sounds like,” Broderius says. “Whether I’m listening to a shitton of Limp Bizkit or Lady Gaga, the pop punk falls out of me.”
While the guys in The Emergency Exit tend to feel like Spokane’s pop punk scene is low on the local music pecking order — certainly behind the hardcore punk and hip-hop scene — it is hard to tell how much of that is rooted in past memories.
“I feel like 15 years ago when there used to be the Cretin Hop, The Grocery Boys played there every f---ing weekend. And our scene felt huge,” Broderius says. “But Jasen and I were talking last night like, ‘Maybe it wasn’t that big? Maybe it’s just that was our world, so it felt huge.’ But these days it does feel really small.”
At the very least, local pop punkers are clearly excited to celebrate this new chapter for The Emergency Exit, as the band’s Nov. 30 album release show for Absolutes is already sold out. Once that party is over, The Emergency Exit hopes to play a few out-of-town shows in the not-too-distant future and already has a good chunk of the next album demoed. No matter what the future holds for The Emergency Exit, expect Broderius to stay true to his pop punk heart.
“They say the music that you’re into when you’re 13 is what you’re gonna listen to for the rest of your life,” says Broderius. “Sometimes that feels really true.” n
The Emergency Exit: Absolutes Album Release Show with T-180, Stubborn Will, Bitter Row • Sat, Nov. 30 at 7:30 pm • Sold out • All ages • The Big Dipper • 171 S. Washington St. • thebigdipperspokane.com
AFROBEAT EVERGREEN AFRODUB ORCHESTRA
PROG METAL FELIX MARTIN
Since 2018, Spokane has been an overall groovier place thanks to the Evergreen Afrodub Orchestra. The instrumental afrobeat band marries funky instrumental jams with spicy dashes of jazz, rock, latin music and reggae dub to create a sound that damn near forces everybody in its audio proximity to get up and start dancing. And while the EAO’s hip, hip-shaking sounds are best experienced live, sometimes you want a bit of groove all your own (wrangling the sometimes 10-member group to play in your own abode is impractical, after all). Thankfully the group has finally released its first album, Into the Grove, which showcases its members’ chemistry and musicality across five feel-good jams that span over 37 minutes. To celebrate Into the Groove’s arrival, EAO is inviting everyone to an album release show at The Chameleon. Get into the groove, y’all. (SETH SOMMERFELD)
Evergreen Afrodub Orchestra: Into the Grove Album Release Show with Liv Luminosity, Northwest Breeze, Crystal Marie Aragon • Sat, Nov. 30 at 7:30 pm • $10-$15 • 21+ • The Chameleon • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. • chameleonspokane.com
Thursday, 11/28
J QQ SUSHI & KITCHEN, Just Plain Darin
Friday, 11/29
ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Riley Anderson
THE BEE’S KNEES WHISKEY BAR, Justyn Priest
J THE BIG DIPPER, Glass Artifacts, Atomsk, Horizons, Antique Sex Machine
BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Fire from Ashes
THE CHAMELEON,
Thanks for the Bass: Cyrus the Virus, HI IMELFO B2B Jawun & Only, MIIko b2b JO JO, Peskey Penguin B2B trizzle
CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, Working Spliffs
CHINOOK STEAK, SEAFOOD & PASTA, Eric E
J THE GRAIN SHED, Haywire
IRON HORSE (CDA), Heather King Band
MOOSE LOUNGE, Haze
MOOSE LOUNGE (NORTH), Desert Highway Band NIGHT OWL, DJ F3LON
J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, BTP
RED ROOM LOUNGE, Live DJs
ZOLA, The Night Mayors
Saturday, 11/30
ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Green Corduroy
J J THE BIG DIPPER, The Emergency Exit: Absolutes Album Release Show with T-180, Stubborn Will, Bitter Row
J BING CROSBY THEATER, Stone in Love
BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Fire from Ashes
J THE CHAMELEON, Evergreen Afrodub Orchestra: Into The Grove Album Release Show with Liv Luminosity, Northwest Breeze, Crystal Marie Aragon
CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, Slap Shot
CHINOOK STEAK, SEAFOOD & PASTA, Eric E
J THE DISTRICT BAR, Felix Martin, Ando San
IRON HORSE (CDA), Heather King Band
MIKE’S BAR & GRILL, Just Plain Darin
MOOSE LOUNGE, Haze
MOOSE LOUNGE (NORTH), Desert Highway Band
J NEATO BURRITO, Violent Abuse, Index
NIGHT OWL, Priestess
PANIDA THEATER, Shook Twins Giving Thanks Show
J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Oak Street Connection
RED ROOM LOUNGE, Live DJs
J SPOKANE TRIBE CASINO, Little River Band WESTWOOD BREWING TAPROOM, Wiebe Jammin’ ZOLA, Blake Braley, Brittany Jean
Sunday, 12/1
J HAMILTON STUDIO, Jonathan Doyle and the Zonky Jazz Band
HOGFISH, Open Mic
J SOUTH HILL GRILL, Just Plain Darin
ZOLA, Sugar Bear Dinner Party
It’s rare to find a guitar player who can truly be categorized as one-of-a-kind, but there’s nobody like Felix Martin. The Los Angeleno and Venezuelan native designs his own double-neck 12-, 14- and 16-string guitars (which he sells under the FM Guitars brand) specially tailored for his unique tapping-forward playing style. His fleet fingers nimbly attack the fretboards, creating a sound that marries prog metal, Latin music and jazz fusion virtuosity. Martin’s new album The Gathering draws on his nerdy side, sporting an anime theme while drawing on sonic cues ranging from Japanese and medieval music to tunes from The Legend of Zelda. One can see this instrumental wizardry firsthand when Martin’s musical trio brings their axes (which also includes a 10-string bass) to battle the forces of evil (or at the very least, the postThanksgiving doldrums). (SETH SOMMERFELD)
Felix Martin, Ando San • Sat, Nov. 30 at 9 pm • $20-$22 • 21+ • The District Bar • 916 W. First Ave. • sp.knittingfactory.com
Monday, 12/2
THE BIG DIPPER, Public Serpents, Crusty Mustard EICHARDT’S PUB, Monday Night Blues Jam with John Firshi RED ROOM LOUNGE, Open Mic Night
Tuesday, 12/3
BLACK LODGE BREWING, Open Mic Night: The Artist Stage SWING LOUNGE, Swing Lounge Live Music Tuesdays ZOLA, The Zola All Star Jam
Wednesday, 12/4
THE DISTRICT BAR, Color Green, Timeworm THE DRAFT ZONE, The Draft Zone Open Mic
RED ROOM LOUNGE, Red Room Lounge Jam
J TIMBERS ROADHOUSE, Cary Beare Presents ZOLA, Eel Sallad
Coming Up...
J THE BIG DIPPER, Robber’s Roost, Dec. 13. THE CHAMELEON, Free Creaturest, Dec. 21. THE CHAMELEON, Heavy North New Year’s Eve: 5AM, Dec. 31.
J KNITTING FACTORY, Bryce Vine, Feb. 1. THE CHAMELEON, Alex Lambert, Feb. 15. THE CHAMELEON, Pokey LaFarge, Mar. 10.
J KNITTING FACTORY, The Amity Affliction, Mar. 22.
J KNITTING FACTORY, Dirtwire, May 1.
J KNITTING FACTORY, The Dip, May 16.
J KNITTING FACTORY, Napalm Death, Melvins, June 1.
Don’t be a cotton-headed ninny muggins! Put on your most festive costume, warm up your singing voice and snowballthrowing arm, and sled on down to the Garland Theater for an interactive showing of Elf. Buddy the Elf certainly would not sit silently and stationary in a movie theater. So, to commemorate the happiest, biggest elf around, the Garland’s showing of Elf is jam-packed with sugary treats, indoor snowball fights, caroling and general holiday cheer — just how Buddy would want it. All proceeds from the screening will benefit the Spokane Regional Domestic Violence Coalition. Come for a good cause, a great movie and a more than lively atmosphere.
— JOHN BERGIN
Elf Interactive Movie Screening • Sat, Nov. 30 at 6 pm • $15 • Garland Theater • 924 W. Garland Ave. • garlandtheater.org
COMMUNITY SMART SHOPPING
When shopping, how often do you think about the work that went into making the items you’re buying? Do you ponder whether the person who crafted them was paid a fair wage and what their working conditions looked like? For most, probably not! The Festival of Fair Trade, hosted by Ganesh Himal Trading and Kizuri, is an annual marketplace full of handcrafted wares that, when purchased, can support local importers who pay artisans fair wages and make a big difference in the life of a hardworking artisan. Not only is this event a celebration of fair working conditions, wages and labor laws, but it also celebrates the global community by including handmade jewelry, clothing and bags from makers in Nepal, Chile, Guatemala and 50 other countries.
— MADISON PEARSON
Festival of Fair Trade: A Global Holiday Market • Nov. 29-30 from 10 am-5:30 pm • Free admission • Community Building • 35 W. Main Ave. • shopkizuri.com
COMMUNITY INDIGENOUS INSPIRATION
If you’re looking to support Native American artists this holiday season or give a thoughtful, handmade gift to a loved one, the Coeur d’Alene Casino is the place to be this weekend. All types of Native artists will be around showing their work at the Native American Art Market. Items for sale will range from authentic Native American jewelry and colorful paintings to exquisite beadwork pieces that Indigenous communities are often known for crafting. Entry to the event is free, so you’ll have more cash to support these artists who are showcasing the product of hours and hours of hard work.
— COLTON RASANEN
Native American Art Market • Nov. 29-Dec. 1 from 11 am-6 pm • Free • Coeur d’Alene Casino • 37914 S. Nukwalqw, Worley • cdacasino.com
GET LISTED!
Submit events online at Inlander.com/getlisted or email relevant details to getlisted@inlander.com. We need the details one week prior to our publication date.
VISUAL ARTS WOMEN IN ART
Artists have used feminine icons like the Virgin Mary or Venus for centuries to shape expectations of how women should be seen, as beautiful, ethereal mothers. However, over time female artists have pushed against these messages in their own works, often reclaiming an identity thrust upon them by their predecessors. Meredith Shimizu, professor of art history at Whitworth University, plans to explore this historical connection between art and feminism in her December talk at the MAC. While you’re there, make sure to also check out the extraordinary exhibition “Woman, Artist, Catalyst: Art from the Permanent Collection.”
— COLTON RASANEN
Virgins & Venuses: Revisiting Feminine Icons • Sun, Dec. 1 at 2 pm • $10 • Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture • 2316 W. First Ave. • northwestmuseum.org
VISUAL ARTS A TINY TREE GALLERY
For lovers of all things vintage, displeased by the state of modern holiday decor, you’re in luck. Your Christmas tree will thank you when you adorn it with vintage-style ornaments that you made during Paint In My Hair’s next in-store craft class. Paint In My Hair, as its name indicates, isn’t afraid to get dirty while turning other people’s trash into treasure. With this vintage ornament class — held in the shop’s new space on Monroe, just a couple blocks south of its former home — you’ll learn how to make resin-molded frames resembling those ornate thrifted salon gallery walls so often pinned on Pinterest boards. Add in vintage Christmas designs, or maybe a special photo you already have in mind waiting for a home on your tree.
— DORA SCOTT
Vintage Style Ornaments • Sun, Dec. 1 at 10 am; Thu, Dec. 5 at noon & 4 pm • $50 • Paint in My Hair • 2711 N. Monroe St. • paintinmyhair.com
HAYDEN
I SAW YOU
PLANNED Carl, the conversation you need to have isn’t with that Preacher, it’s with God. You’ve stated you’re just fine with the decisions you’re making in your day-to-day numbers game at the “mill.” You’re not, though. Take a hike or take to your knees. In the quiet of YOUR beating heart, you will hear the voice you’ve been seeking. He planned it that way. One day it’ll be too late, and you’ll still be summoned to have that conversation. Better now. Then is too late.
CHEERS
YOU’RE MY BEST FRIEND, LOVE OF MY LIFE
I know I can’t say this to you directly right now, but I’m hoping you’ll read this... we’ve had our good times and bad times... we’ve created memories with our son for years.... I’m broken with how things are right now... I’d give anything to go back and change it... to open up more, to talk more, to love more... looking at it from where I’m at now... I took too much for granted. I took you for granted... I can’t change the past, but I can try to make the future better... I’d give up a lot just to be able to call you, or even hug you, omg I’d hug you so tight right now... I don’t know what the future holds for us... but i hope there can be an “us” in it, whether it be us as life partners, or us as a co-parenting team... I just want US back... I’m sorry for my part in everything, I’m sorry I might not be what or who you truly want... but my love for you will continue until the last star burns out. Our son needs
to see happiness...12.6.15, you’ll know. I can’t say it enough, but I’m sorry for my part, and I love you forever.
VET TEAM A special thank-you to the staff at Hunter’s Vet Clinic, especially, Dr. Fielding and Dr. Casey. You were able to see my pets on the same day I called, which probably saved their lives. Your compassion and continued care helped complete their recovery. Thank you so much for giving me more time with my pets.
RE: WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE US TO DO? How would we like you to show that you care? The same way you do for any other human, because that is what we are, human.
DOORDASH DRIVERS For those of you who don’t know, drivers are offered two ways to get paid: by offer or by time. So by offer is base pay $2 almost every order 1/100 is higher idk what reason for higher base. By time is $16.50hr active time from selecting offer until drop off. But it’s well known that by time dashing is gonna be all no/low tip orders, and it’s often long trips out of the zone that you don’t get paid to drive back to where you can get orders. Dashers are required to use insulated bags and have time limit for orders. I try to go above and beyond for every customer, but seems like a lot of dashers don’t care. Tipping is the main source of income for us drivers, but I don’t expect tips all the time and I try to earn them, but generally $1.50-$3 is an average tip, $5-$10 is a good tip, and $10-30 is the highest I’ve ever got. It can make drivers’ day to get good tip over $5. And so you know support is awful! And restaurant is responsible for including all items. Most dashers want $1-2 per mile. And beware which location you place order because I’ve had many at far off store when there’s closer ones.
LOVELY LIGHTS Cheers to those who add cheer to the dark days of winter. Thank you for putting up holiday lights! I appreciate every single one of you!
BE THANKFUL Everyday is a blessing.
LIFE SERVICES ...of Spokane, you were and are, a life...saver. You saved our beautiful baby!! You shepherded us every step, and every heart beat of that beautiful journey’s way. Thank you from the bottom of our so-full-of-love hearts and the bottom of those two precious little feet that will grow up to walk in this perfectly surprising,
beautifully blessed world. We weren’t too young; we were just too surprised!! We can’t thank you enough for showing us that every life is a blessing, every life is a miracle, and indeed, nine months does “fly by!” We can’t imagine not having this awesome gift of life in our life!! Thank you for holding us!! We will hold the hands of any who will walk that same lovely, scary, perfect path!! You helped us. You taught us. You loved us. We are: Beyond Blessed. Thank you, Life Services of Spokane!
JEERS
STATESMANSHIP As the Biden administration winds down, President Biden has accomplished Many things that those who voted in Spokane County can be proud of as Democrats. Recently his telling Ukraine they
WHO VOTED FOR WHAT? Since the election there has been a lot of hysteria about the coming administration. The people of Spokane may not have noticed or heard that the majority of the country voted for a man that is going to return America towards it’s roots. For 8 years Big Media and small (Inlander) has pushed for a “Woke” agenda. Yes there are those that want to come that maybe deserve to be here BUT YOU don’t want them to be bothered with legal paperwork. Just let them in! NOW The President-elect wants to clear the streets and send them back. Before the man has even been in the office supposition has run rampant. The hysteric Nazi example used. Don’t wait and see, just jump to conclusion!
EVERY 4 YEARS LIKE CLOCKWORK... If a clown enters a palace he does not become a king. However the palace becomes a circus.
can use U.S. medium- to long-range missiles to fire INTO Russia! Any of you weeping in your Chardonnay realize what that means to the Russians? You looking forward to sending your sons and daughters off to war in Europe? Oh! That’s right, this will be forgotten the minute you realize you can blame TRUMP for the fallout! Now who's the warmonger?
DANGEROUS INTERSECTIONS Jeers to SPD for posting up on Knox and Washington to catch speeding cars near NC H.S., maybe go check out some of the 10 most dangerous intersection in town, ya bums.
BOOMER COFFEE HOODLUM Maybe the coffee wasn’t to you or your wife’s taste, judging by the lipstick on the lid, or maybe you just enjoy the graceful arc of a cup of coffee flying into the rocks. Either way you left some confused pedestrians as you casually tossed the full paper cup into Washington Trust’s rocks on Grand. I apologize, as I couldn’t leave your “artistic statement” and walked a few feet to the garbage can to throw it away. We get that you don’t have a long time to walk this Earth, but others would like an unlittered view.
Wasn’t this also true 4 years ago? (I can’t take credit for this... read it months ago in a different context. But seems rather fitting.)
YOUTH SPORTS IS A MONEY GRAB Since when did youth sports become a money grab? Why is there so much pressure to be the best of the best at a young age? What happened to playing for enjoyment and improvement? It’s disappointing that we can’t coach to help improve our skills and enjoy the love of the game. Instead, we promote that money and winning is all that matters. All these travel teams and tryouts are just causing more damage to our youth’s ability to want to be a part of the sports world. What about the average kid that is trying their best and wanting to be a member of the sport. What a sad day for our youth. Maybe one day we can get back into a better mindset of winning is not the end of the world when you’re only 12.
BOZO Bozo the Clown is appointing unqualified monkeys & weasels to join the circus. Hold on tight. It’s going to be a sh*t show.
HEALTH OFFICER FOR “BOTH SIDES-IN” VAX ISSUES In a recent Spokesman piece highlighting concerns over the appointment of RFK Jr, an anti-science conspiracist with no medical or public health experience, as the nation’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, Spokane’s current health officer, Dr. Francisco Velazquez took the opportunity to let the public know that our local agency tasked with protecting and advocating for public health, has moved away from using the term misinformation because it “may generate a negative response.” Really? Should we say “alternative facts” instead? Aside from discredited theories on vaccinations, Kennedy has promoted harmful misinformation for decades. In contrast, local public health expert and emeritus SRHD administrative officer Torney Smith expressed “grave concerns” about Kennedy’s appointment, using the word “reckless.” Other state officials quoted in the article describe the appointment as “egregious,” “irresponsible,” “dangerous,” and a “catastrophic nomination” “nothing short of a disaster for the health of millions of families.” Yet here in Spokane we have a health officer who doesn’t like to say “misinformation.” Spokane County deserves a public health department officer and health board that promises to uphold facts in the face of the speeding train of fringe pseudoscience or shall I say “misinformation” that is heading our way. DO BETTER SRHD.
GOVERNMENT WAY DRAGSTRIP Newly relocated to Spokane. Live near Government Way/Whitstalks Way. What’s with all the fricking LOUD vehicles zooming by at all hours of the day and night? Some are junkers, but some are little men that have decided that modified loud cars are some feeble attempt to impress themselves. Would love to see a police cruiser tamp down that intersection. n
EVENTS | CALENDAR BENEFIT
FESTIVAL OF TREES This gala benefits Kootenai Health Foundation and features a three-course meal, decorated Christmas tree displays, a silent auction, a live tree auction and live music. Nov. 29, 5 pm. By donation. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. kh.org/foundation
CHRISTMAS TREE ELEGANCE The annual raffle of 18 custom-decorated trees supports the Spokane Symphony, through the Spokane Symphony Associates, and includes trees on display at River Park Square as well as the Historic Davenport Hotel. Raffle tickets are $1 each. Dec. 3-15. Dec. 3-15, 10 am-9 pm. spokanesymphonyassoc.org
GREAT GINGERBREAD BUILD-OFF Watch talented teams as they compete to create magnificent giant gingerbread houses. You’ll have the opportunity to vote for your favorite creation by purchasing tickets for just $1 each. Proceeds benefit Ashley House of Spokane. Dec. 7, 10 am-2:30 pm. $1. River Park Square, 808 W. Main Ave. ah-nw.org
COMEDY
GABRIEL RUTLEDGE Rutledge has recorded five comedy albums and has several comedy specials. Nov. 29-30, 7 & 9:45 pm and Dec. 1, 7 pm. $20-$28. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (509-318-9998)
SAFARI The Blue Door Theatre’s version of Whose Line where they improv short comedy skits from audience suggestions. Every Saturday at 7:30 pm. $9. Lumberbeard Brewing, 25 E. Third Ave. bluedoortheatre.com (509-747-7045)
DAVID CROSS Emmy Award winner and two-time Grammy Award nominee David Cross is an inventive performer, writer and producer on stage and screen. Dec. 5, 8 pm. $52-$110. Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino, 14300 W. SR Highway 2. spokanetribecasino.com (877-789-9467)
PHIL HANLEY Phil Hanley is a standup comedian and actor. He’s been featured on Comedy Central and has a stand-up special titled Ooh La La. Dec. 5, 7 pm. $25-$35. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com
EDDIE GRIFFIN Griffin is an American stand-up comedian and actor best known for portraying Eddie Sherman in the sitcom Malcolm & Eddie. Dec. 6-7, 7 & 9:45 pm. $37-$52. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (509-318-9998)
JOE GATTO Joe Gatto is a comedian best known from the hit TV shows Impractical Jokers and The Misery Index. Ages 16+ suggested. Dec. 7, 7-10 pm. $40-$60. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls. firstinterstatecenter.org
COMMUNITY
BITCH ‘N’ STITCH Grab your crochet, knitting, embroidery, weaving, cross stitch, felting, looming, macrame and friendship bracelets and craft in the company of others. Every second and last Thursday at 6:30 pm. Free. Lunarium, 1925 N. Monroe St. facebook.com/Lunarium.Spokane
IT HAPPENED HERE: EXPO ‘74 FIFTY YEARS LATER This 50th anniversary exhibition revisits the historical roots of Expo ‘74’s legacy. Tues.-10 am-5 pm through Jan. 26. $7-$12. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org (509-456-3931)
FESTIVAL OF FAIR TRADE: A GLOBAL
HOLIDAY MARKET This annual festival features handmade, fair trade items from Nepal, Guatemala, Chile and 50 other countries. Nov. 29-30, 10 am-5:30 pm. Community Building, 35 W. Main Ave. ShopKizuri.com (509-464-7677)
NATIVE AMERICAN ART MARKET An all-Native art market featuring authentic jewelry, paintings, beadwork, and much more. Nov. 29-Dec. 1, daily from 11 am-6 pm. Free admission. Coeur d’Alene Casino, 37914 S. Nukwalqw. cdacasino.com
RIVERFRONT MARKET A local vendor and artsan market featuring shopping, entertainment and more. Nov. 30, 12-7 pm. Free. Pavilion at Riverfront, 574 N. Howard St. riverfrontspokane.org
SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY Celebrate small business Saturday at Auntie’s with activities, sales and giveaways. Nov. 30. Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main Ave. auntiesbooks.com (509-838-0206)
CONFRONTING POPULATION DENIAL
Nandita Bajaj, Executive Director at Population Balance, discusses the widespread denial that overpopulation and overconsumption are driving climate change and biodiversity collapse. Dec. 3, 4 pm. Free. gonzaga.edu
DROP IN & ZINE Drop in and learn how to make your very own eight-page minizine using a single piece of paper and Spark’s art supplies. Every Tuesday from 5-7 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org
TAROT & DIVINATION MEETUP A monthly meetup of local tarot practitioners and divination enthusiasts showing off new decks, techniques, tools and socializing. Every first Thursday from 5:307:30 pm. Free. Lunarium, 1925 N. Monroe St. lunariumspokane.com
TAKE IT APART Using basic tools, gloves and safety goggles, take apart electronics, small appliances and other devices. Ages 8 and under must be with an adult. Dec. 7, 10 am-noon. Free. North Spokane Library, 44 E. Hawthorne Rd. scld.org
FILM
ANORA A young sex worker from Brooklyn, meets and marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as his parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled. Nov. 29-Dec. 1, 4 & 7 pm. $8. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main. kenworthy.org
ELF INTERACTIVE MOVIE NIGHT This interactive movie screening features an indoor snowball fight, a sing and shout along with Buddy the Elf, sweet treats and more. Nov. 30, 6-8 pm. $15. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. endtheviolencespokane.org (253-318-7748)
ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW A newly-engaged couple have a breakdown in an isolated area and must seek shelter at the bizarre residence of Dr. Frank-n-Furter. Nov. 30, 8:30 pm. $10. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org (509-327-1050)
SEAHAWKS GAMES SCREENINGS
Watch the Seahawks play on the big screen all season long. Dec. 1, 10 am, Dec. 8, 1:05 pm. Free. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.org
FOOD & DRINK
BRING YOUR OWN VINYL NIGHT Bring your own vinyl to spin while sipping on craft cocktails and listening to music.
Thursdays from 3-10 pm. The Boneyard - Side Hustle Syrups, 17905 E. Appleway Ave, Ste A. sidehustlesyrups.com
ANYTIME APPETIZERS Learn how to make beautiful and delicious appetizers that will impress your guests but won’t take you all day to prepare. Dec. 3, 5:458:15 pm. $85. The Kitchen Engine, 621 W. Mallon Ave. thekitchenengine.com
TACO TUESDAYS Two dollar tacos served all day along with drink specials. Ages 21+ with ID. Every Tuesday from 12-8:30 pm. $2. The Bull Head, 10211 S. Electric Ave. bullheadsaloon.com
RED, WHITE, AND GNOCCHI In this workshop, learn the art of making gnocchi, two scratch-made classic Italian sauce and pesto sauce with Jamie Aquino. Dec. 4, 5:45-8:15 pm. $85. The Kitchen Engine, 621 W. Mallon Ave. thekitchenengine.com (509-328-3335)
PATE A CHOUX In this hands-on class, Chef Curtis Smith guides you through pâte à choux cooking, mixing and baking. Transform your freshly baked pastry puffs into delicious savory appetizers and decadent desserts. Dec. 5, 5:45-8:15 pm. $85. The Kitchen Engine, 621 W. Mallon Ave. thekitchenengine.com
SOURDOUGH STARTER BASICS Learn about sourdough starter, how to keep and feed it, how to properly measure and weigh ingredients and what to do with leftover starter. Dec. 5, 12-1:30 pm. $65. The Kitchen Engine, 621 W. Mallon Ave. thekitchenengine.com (509-328-3335)
NO-LI FROST FEST This 10th annual event features plenty of N No-Li beers in a limited Frost Fest mug, live music by DJ Donuts and DJ Exodus, $8 fills and more fun holiday activities. Dec. 7, noon- 3 pm. $16. No-Li Brewhouse, 704 N. Superior St. nolibrewhouse.com
WINE PAIRING DINNER WITH SMALL
VINEYARDS Discover the art of winemaking and Italian cuisine in an exclusive experience with renowned winemaker Antonio Sanguineti. Dec. 7, 5:45-8:15 pm. $125. The Kitchen Engine, 621 W. Mallon Ave. thekitchenengine.com
MUSIC
GABE LAPANO Lapano plays Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and more on the piano. Friday from 6-9 pm through Dec. 28. Churchill’s Steakhouse, 165 S. Post St. churchillssteakhouse.com
TOM PLETSCHE Tom performs jazzy holiday and other selections at Masselow’s Lounge. Nov. 29-Dec. 28, Fri-Sat from 6-9 pm. Free. Northern Quest Resort & Casino, 100 N. Hayford Rd. northernquest.com (509-242-7000)
ALUMNI CONCERT This special anniversary concert celebrates 75 years of the Youth Symphony and features alumni SYS musicians as well as the 2024-2025 Spokane Youth Symphony Orchestra. Nov. 30, 7 pm. $15-$19. The Fox Theater, 1001 W. Sprague. foxtheaterspokane.org
UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO COMPOSERS CONCERT University of Idaho music students and faculty perform compositions created by composition students. Dec. 4, 7:30 pm. Free. University of Idaho Haddock Performance Hall, 1012 S. Deakin St. uidaho.edu/music (208-885-6231)
ANTHONY MCGILL & GLORIA CHIEN
Anthony McGill is principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic and pianist Gloria Chien is a frequent performer with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
Dec. 6, 7:30 pm. Free. University of Idaho, 851 Campus Dr. uidaho.edu/music
SPORTS & OUTDOORS
HUFFIN FOR THE STUFFIN 10K & 5K Run through Riverfront Park and the Gonzaga University campus with friends and family. Overall winners win a pumpkin pie. All participants receive a shirt. Nov. 28, 8:5010:45 am. $35-$45. U-District PT, 730 N. Hamilton St. nsplit.com (509-458-7686)
LILAC CITY KENDO CLUB Classes for beginner and long-time kendo practicers. Every Monday and Thursday from 6:308:30 pm. West Valley City School, 8920 E. Valleyway Ave. lilaccitykendo.org
OPEN PLAY PICKLEBALL Play pickleball at the HUB. Every week Mon-Thu from 10 am-noon or 1-3 pm. $5.50-$7. HUB Sports Center, 19619 E. Cataldo Ave. hubsportscenter.org (509-927-0602)
WALLACE TURKEY TROT A three-mile walk/run for all ages. Nov. 28, 10 am. Wallace. wallaceid.fun
PANCAKE RUN A 5k, five-mile or marathon run with free pancakes and coffee at the finish line. Nov. 29, 9-11:30 am. Free. Fleet Feet Spokane, 1315 W. Summit Pkwy. runsignup.com
STATE PARK FREE DAYS No Discover Pass is required to enter state parks on these days. Nov. 29. Free. riversidestateparkfoundation.org
WARREN MILLER’S 75 This outdoor adventure film brings fans to powder stashes and chutes around the world, from Canada, Colorado, California, and Utah to Finland, Japan, Austria and New Jersey. Nov. 29, 6:30 pm and Nov. 30, 7:30 pm. Silver Mountain Resort, 610 Bunker Ave. silvermt.com (208-783-1111)
SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. PORTLAND
WINTERHAWKS Regular season game. Promos: Jack in the Box Fan Appreciation Night (11/30) and Sturm Heating Clothing Drive (12/1). Nov. 30, 6:05 pm and Dec. 1, 5:05 pm. $12-$40. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon. spokanechiefs.com
MONTHLY BIRD WALK Join a birding expert on a walk around Saltese Flats. Identify birds, learn basic birding skills and take a census of what’s present at Saltese Flats. First Wed of each month from 8 am-noon. Free. Doris Morrison Learning Center, 1330 S. Henry. spokanecounty.org
GROOVE: REQUIEM IN THE KEY OF SKI
A film by sports filmmaker Greg Stump serving as a fundraiser for the Lookout Pass Volunteer Ski Patrol. Dec. 4, 4:30 & 7:30 pm. $25. Hayden Discount Cinema, 300 W. Centa Ave. skilookout.com
ICE SKATING LESSONS The Spokane Figure Skating Club host group lessons for children and adults featuring the fundamentals of ice skating. Rentals included in price. Dec. 7, 10-11 am. $160-$240. Numerica Skate Ribbon, 720 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. riverfrontspokane.com
SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. WENATCHEE WILD Regular season games. Promotional schedule: Teddy Bear Toss (Dec. 7) and Sturm Heating Family Feast Night (Dec. 27). Dec. 7, 6:05 pm and Dec. 27, 7:05 pm. $12-$40. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanechiefs.com
THEATER & DANCE
LATIN DANCE FUSION Learn Latinbased dance like the merengue, mambo,
cha cha, salsa, samba and more. Sept.v Sun from 4-5 pm through Dec. 16. 509 Collective, 2023 E. 29th Ave. 509collective.com (509-340-9880)
FUNDAMENTALS OF SOCIAL TANGO A fundamentals-focused class for improving tango movement and connection. Experience required. Drop-ins welcome. No partner needed. Every Tuesday from 5:40-6:40 pm. $17-$20. Sinto Activity Center, 1124 W. Sinto. (509-290-8138)
INTRO TO SOCIAL TANGO An Argentine tango dance class for new and nearly new tango dancers aimed at learning prerequisite skills. Drop-in welcome. Preregister by emailing Matt Doval at matt@ tangomind.com. Tuesdays from 5:406:40 pm. $62-$72. Sinto Activity Center, 1124 W. Sinto Ave. (509-290-8138) STUDENT CHOREOGRAPHY SHOWCASE A variety of work presented by the Gonzaga Student Choreography Class of Fall 2024, Boundless Dance Classes and more. Dec. 5, 7-8:30 pm and Dec. 6, 7-8:30 pm. $8-$10. Gonzaga University Magnuson Theatre, 502 E. Boone Ave. gonzaga.edu/dance (509-313-6662)
MINISTER OF SORROW On a wickedly cold and damp November day Emma Pace is called out to deliver books to The Reverend Mr. Cahill, a man she thought lay buried within her troubled past. Dec. 6-22; Thu-Sat at 7 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $25$30. Stage Left Theater, 108 W. Third Ave. stagelefttheater.org
VISUAL ARTS
1924: SOVEREIGNTY, LEADERSHIP AND THE INDIAN CITIZENSHIP ACT This exhibition commemorates the 100-year anniversary of the Indian Citizenship Act and centers on photographs of early local tribal leadership. Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm through Feb. 2. $8-$12. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org
WHEN THE RIVER BECOMES A CLOUD DeepTime Collective, a collaboration between artists Amanda Leigh Evans and Tia Kramer, unearths how we understand ourselves within the constructs of time, place and landscape. Mon-Fri from 9 am-5 pm through Feb. 7. Free. EWU Gallery of Art, 140 Art Building. ewu.edu
BEN JOYCE: PLACES Abstract topographical art by Spokane-based artist Ben Joyce representing certain locales that have played major roles in Joyce’s life. Mon-Sat from 10 am-4 pm through Jan. 4. Free. Jundt Art Museum, 200 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu/jundt
COASTERS Artists and friends of Trackside create coasters that sell to benefit the Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane. Coasters are $10 each. Wed-Fri from 11 am-5 pm through Nov. 29. Free admission. Trackside Studio, 115 S. Adams St. tracksidestudio.net (509-863-9904)
EMERGE STAFF EXHIBIT Works made by Emerge CDA’s faculty. Tue-Sat from 10 am-6 pm through Dec. 7. Free. Emerge, 119 N. Second St. emergecda.com
LORI ANN WALLIN Lori Wallin creates art with natural fibers like wool, silk and cotton. Daily from 11 am-7 pm through Nov. 30. Free. Pottery Place Plus, 203 N. Washington St. potteryplaceplus.com
JOE FEDDERSEN: EARTH, WATER, SKY This exhibition showcases the breadth of Joe Feddersen’s 40-year career, including printmaking, glass, weaving and ceramics through over 100 works. Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm through Jan. 5. $8-$12. The MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org
EVENTS | CALENDAR
JOSHUA HOBSON Abstract photography. Mon-Thu from 10 am-4 pm, Fri from 10 am-2:30 pm through Jan. 31. Free. Boswell Corner Gallery at NIC, 1000 W. Garden Ave. nic.edu/cornergallery
JULENE EWERT Vibrant, colorful art featuring flowers and the natural world. MonFri, 8 am-5 pm through Jan. 3. Free. Moscow City Hall, 206 E. Third St. ci.moscow. id.us/230/Third-Street-Gallery
MEET YOUR MAKER Meet the artists behind all of the items in From Here. Daily from 11 am-6 pm. See website for artist schedule. Free. From Here, 808 W. Main Ave. fromherespokane.com
MULTI-DISCIPLINED A group show featuring the ArtsWA staff with pieces on view throughout the newly constructed Fine and Applied Arts Building on campus. Mon-Fri from 8:30 am-3:30 pm through Dec. 5. Free. SFCC Fine Arts Gallery, 3410 W. Whistalks Way, Bldg. 6. sfcc. spokane.edu (509-533-3710)
MIKE DECESARE DeCesare captures nature and human’s imprint on it through photos. Tue-Sat from 10 am-6 pm through Dec. 31. Free. William Grant Gallery & Framing, 1188 W. Summit Pkwy. williamgrantgf.com (509-484-3535)
SMALL WORKS EXHIBIT The gallery’s 29th annual small works exhibit featuring smaller artworks that double as gifts for the holidays. Wed-Sun from 11 am-6 pm through Dec. 29. Free. The Art Spirit Gallery, 415 Sherman Ave. theartspiritgallery.com (208-765-6006)
WHITWORTH ART & DESIGN DEPARTMENT FACULTY EXHIBIT Art and work by Whitworth faculty from the Art and Design department. Mon-Fri from 10 am4:30 pm, Sat from 10 am-2 pm through Jan. 24. Free. Bryan Oliver Gallery, 300 W. Hawthorne. whitworth.edu
WOMAN, ARTIST, CATALYST: ART FROM THE PERMANENT COLLECTION
Focusing on locally, nationally and internationally known women artists, this exhibition of work from the MAC’s permanent collection showcases the quality and varied focus of leading artists and art movements in the Inland and Pacific Northwest. Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm through March 9. $8-$12. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org (509-456-3931)
WONDER OF STRUCTURE: EXPLORATIONS OF SCIENCE, ARCHITECTURE, AND ABSTRACTION A group exhibition inviting viewers to explore the dynamic intersections of science, architecture, and abstraction through the works of four distinguished local artists: Lynn Hanley, Laura Kaschmitter, Seth Collier and Tarra Hall. Mon-Fri from 8 am-5 pm through Dec. 27. Free. Chase Gallery, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. spokanearts.org
SLIGHTLY WEST OF SPOKANE ARTISTS
STUDIO TOUR A self-guided tour of 14 artists’ studios in the West Plains including Dennis Smith, Nicole Nutt, Faith King, Gayle Havercroft and more. See website for location information. Nov. 30, 9 am-4 pm. Free. Medical Lake. slightlywestofspokane.com
NICOLE NUTT THOMAS Nicole blends the art of embroidery with the vibrant world of painting. Her creations are a celebration of the natural world, with a particular focus on flowers. Dec. 1-28; daily from 11 am-7 pm. Free. Pottery Place Plus, 203 N. Washington. potteryplaceplus.com
VINTAGE STYLE ORNAMENT CLASS
Learn how to make frames from resin and add vintage holiday designs at this two-
hour, hands-on class. Dec. 1, 10 am and Dec. 5, 12 & 4 pm. $50. Paint In My Hair, 3036 N. Monroe St. paintinmyhair.com
HEARTISTRY: ARTISTIC WELLBEING
A relaxed and inspiring environmnt for self-discovery. Participate in basic artistic concepts and activities or respond to a mindfulness prompt. Every Tuesday from 3-5 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org
INTRO TO JEWELRY In this course, students pick from a variety of sample jewelry items to recreate and use as inspiration for their work. These projects will include wire wrapping rocks, beading, and basic wire bending techniques. Ages 13+. Dec. 4, 5-7 pm. $53. Spokane Art School, 503 E. Second Ave., Ste. B. spokaneartschool.net (509-325-1500)
WIRE WRAPPED JEWELRY Create a wearable piece of jewelry after learning to frame a stone with basic wire wrapping techniques creating your own embellishments to finish the project. Ages 16+. Dec. 4, 6-9 pm. $80. Gizmo-CDA, 283 N. Hubbard Ave. gizmo-cda.org
ADAM BLALOCK Spokane artist Adam Blalock showcases landscape paintings and other depictions. Dec. 6-27, daily from 11 am-7 pm. Free. Liberty Building, 203 N. Washington. potterplaceplus.com
CUP OF JOY Local and regional ceramic artists create mugs to sell. Dec. 6-Jan. 11; Wed-Fri from 11 am-5 pm. Free admission. Trackside Studio, 115 S. Adams St. tracksidestudio.net (509-863-9904)
FIRST FRIDAY Art galleries and businesses across downtown Spokane and beyond host receptions to showcase new displays of art. First Fridays of each month from 5-8 pm. Free. Spokane. downtownspokane.org/first-friday
POTTERY NIGHT: RAKU EXPERIENCE
Co-op members will guide you through the glazing, preparing for the fire and participating in the whole raku process. At the end you will have a unique piece to take home. Wear practical clothes and shoes. Dec. 7, 5-7 pm. $95. Urban Art Coop, 3209 N. Monroe. urbanartcoop.org
WORDS
VIRGINS AND VENUSES: REVISITING
FEMININE ICONS Dr. Meredith Shimizu, Professor of Art History at Whitworth University, delves into the significance of various art movements, key artists, and art’s impact on society. Dec. 1, 2 pm. $10. The MAC, 2316 W. First. northwestmuseum.org
TEN THOUSAND THINGS: ARTIFACTS OF ASIAN AMERICAN LIFE Shin Yu Pai explores a collection of objects and artifacts that reveal personal and cultural values and stories of diaspora that illuminate the Asian American experience. Dec. 3, 7 pm. Free. Online, humanities.org
PIVOT OPEN MIC: THANK YOU? Participants are invited to tell a five minute story falling under the theme “thank you?”. Dec. 5, 7-9 pm. By donation. Whistle Punk Brewing, 122 S. Monroe St. pivotspokane.com (509-315-4465)
HOW TO FINISH AND EDIT A NOVEL
Writing Education Specialist and local novelist Sharma Shields discusses concluding and editing a novel manuscript. If you like, you can bring your novel-inprogress to work on following the discussion. Dec. 6, 10 am-noon. Free. Liberty Park Library, 402 S. Pittsburgh St. spokanelibrary.org n
COMMENT
Toking Thanks
Two reasons to be thankful for cannabis legalization on this Thanksgiving holiday weekend
BY WILL MAUPIN
With Thanksgiving upon us, it’s time to take a good, hard look at what we are thankful for. Here in the Green Zone, we’re thankful for cannabis. But, why are we thankful, exactly?
Everyone who reads this section is sure to have their own reasons. For me personally, there are two that stand out above all others. One allows us to consume with ease, while the other puts our wallets at ease. Both are a direct result of cannabis legalization in Washington, and I am thankful for that as well.
MOVE IN SILENCE
As a young man, before legalization was approved in 2012, consuming cannabis meant stinking up wherever you chose to smoke. Because that was just about your only option — smoking it.
In the years since, dispensary shelves have overflowed with countless ways to consume cannabis. Sure, edibles are scentless and subtle, but consuming cannabis through the stomach produces a completely different high than consuming it through the lungs.
That’s where the vape pen comes in as a hero of inhalation.
It provides the same quick-hitting action of smoking cannabis without any of the smelly smoke. Whether you’re a recreational user trying to conceal your fun or a therapeutic user just trying to dodge draconian public-use laws —
people can smoke cigarettes on the street, and they stink worse than weed, but public cannabis use remains illegal — the vape pen has been an underappreciated hero.
I’m thankful for portable vaporizers for helping bring cannabis into the open, without anyone knowing.
BANG FOR OUR BUCK
On one hand, Washington taxes cannabis consumers more than any other state with a legal market in the entire country. Consumers have to fork over 37 cents on every dollar spent on legal cannabis.
On the other hand, cannabis is incredibly cheap here in Washington. A 2024 analysis from the Oxford Treatment Center found that the average cost of an ounce of “high-quality” cannabis in the United States was $326. In Washington, however, the average cost was just $233 per ounce. Only neighboring Oregon, at $211 per ounce, had cheaper cannabis.
Despite the taxes, prices are actually cheaper on the legal market than elsewhere. A 2021 study from the University of Waterloo in Canada found that legal cannabis in Washington was less than half as expensive as illicit cannabis in the state.
I’m thankful for the legal market helping to slash prices, not to mention for raising a ton of tax revenue. n
BE AWARE: Marijuana is legal for adults 21 and older under Washington State law (e.g., RCW 69.50, RCW 69.51A, HB0001 Initiative 502 and Senate Bill 5052). State law does not preempt federal law; possessing, using, distributing and selling marijuana remains illegal under federal law. In Washington state, consuming marijuana in public, driving while under the influence of marijuana and transporting marijuana across state lines are all illegal. Marijuana has intoxicating effects; there may be health risks associated with its consumption, and it may be habit-forming. It can also impair concentration, coordination and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. Keep out of reach of children. For more information, consult the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board at www.liq.wa.gov.
NOTE TO READERS
Spark Joy f the Season
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 fiveyear sentence and fine of up to $10,000. Transporting marijuana across state lines, like from Washington into Idaho, is a felony under federal law.
Overnight ___ 58. What to do in the search bar to get the latest scores?
60. One T of “ST:TNG”
Tiniest bit
Vacillate
Crafter’s website
Cowboy’s catcher
Till filler
1. “Mean Girls” star ReneÈ
Late “First Lady of Children’s Folk Songs” Jenkins
Rhythm
St. Francis’s home
Puts forward
Drawn in
Scheduled mtg.
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