June, 2010

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Spokane’s 4th of July Festival Jam-Packed with Music and Fun

Monday, June 28th, 2010
Fireworks in Riverfront Park

Fireworks show in Riverfront Park, Spokane, WA

Sure, Spokane, WA has a spectacular fireworks extravaganza on July 4th, but the fireworks show is the culmination of two full days of revelry in Riverfront Park. Spokane’s 4th of July Festival begins on Saturday, July 3. All day long, you can watch live music at three different outdoor stages, including an American Idol competition with Spokane’s top ten competitors, the Spokane Jazz Orchestra, a dozen or so popular local/regional bands, and a karaoke competition. On Saturday night, don’t miss Ignite Community Theatre’s presentation of the melodrama Blazing Guns at Roaring Gulch (7:30 p.m.) followed by a showing of the film The Basket, which was filmed right here in Spokane. Roving performers will entertain you while you walk around. The shows are all free and fun for the whole family. For the complete schedule, go to the Riverfront Park website.

Loof Carousel in Riverfront Park

The historic Loof Carousel in Riverfront Park

Riverfront Park will also offer specials on day passes all weekend for the park’s many attractions including the historic Loof Carousel, the IMAX theater, amusement rides, and the Spokane Falls SkyRide gondola. Food choices will be diverse, with an international selection of food booths, and beer and wine will be available at the Boulevard Bistro. You can also browse exhibitor booths and enjoy art activities and games.

Do you have something you’ve been dying to say on stage? Sign up for a five-minute slot on the Freedom of Speech stage, which will be open on both days.

The big finale fireworks show starts at 10:00 p.m. on Sunday. If you want the best seats, you can purchase reserved seating tickets for $8.00, which includes a collectible stadium seat cushion. Tickets can be purchased at Riverfront Park’s Guest Services or by calling 509-625-6602 (there will be a $3.50 handling fee for phone transactions.) Quantities are limited and will be on sale until July 1, 2010 based on availability.

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Posted in Art, Dining, Events, Family, Holiday, Spokane | No Responses »

Father’s Day: A Tradition that Started in Spokane

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

Spokane Celebrates 100 Years of Father’s Day June 20!

Spokane Father's Day 2010 Centennial Celebration

Copyright 2010 Spokane Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau

June 20, 2010, marks the 100th Father’s Day, a holiday that began right here in Spokane, WA. Local resident Sonora Smart Dodd, who is often referred to as the “Mother of Father’s Day, was inspired to propose a day to celebrate fathers after hearing a sermon on Mother’s Day in 1909. Dodd’s mother had died in 1898, so her father raised her and her five younger brothers alone on a remote farm in Eastern Washington. With help from her pastor at Old Centenary Presbyterian Church (now Knox Presbyterian Church), Reverend Dr. Conrad Bluhm, Dodd made a proposal for Father’s Day to the Spokane YMCA. That organization, along with the Ministerial Alliance, endorsed the idea and celebrated the first Father’s Day on June 19, 1910, with sermons honoring fathers presented throughout Spokane.

The rest of the nation eventually caught on: in 1924, President Calvin Coolidge recognized Father’s Day and urged the states to do likewise; in 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a proclamation calling for the third Sunday in June to be recognized as Father’s Day; and in 1972, President Richard M. Nixon signed a proclamation permanently observing Father’s Day on the third Sunday in June. Today Father’s Day is celebrated from Antigua to Zimbabwe in over fifty countries around the world.

Traveling to Spokane for Father’s Day? You can book your luxurious, affordable suite at Stratford Suites today and enjoy a 50 inch hi-def. television and pillow-top mattresses in every room.

Here are just a few Father’s Day event highlights in Spokane, WA:

Father’s Day 100th Anniversary Tour by Group Coordinators

Numerous options are available for a fun-filled tour that Dad will love. On Friday, June 18 and Saturday, June 19, group tours will be given for wine tasting, beer tasting, Spokane Symphony at the Fox performances, Spokane nightlife, golfing, and more. Check out the options at groupcoordinators.com/sonora-dodd.php. Reservations can be made by calling 509-455-4354 or emailing julie@groupcoordinators.com.

Dad/Daughter Style Class

Saturday, June 19, 11 a.m.
Workshop for dads to learn more about styling their daughter’s hair for picture day and special events, because mom isn’t always available.

Haute Headz
1505 N. Ash
Spokane, WA 99205

Reservations: 509.838.2280; $30 for one daughter; $5 for additional

Garage Mahal Tour

Saturday, June 19, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Take Dad on a one-of-a-kind tour that ends with a feast from Longhorn Barbeque. Sights include the oldest flying Boeing at Felts Field, the new Pullman train car museum at the Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, a behind-the-scenes tour of McKay Manufacturing, and Gary Hite’s custom motorcycle shop and museum with motorcycles by Harley Davidson, Merkel, and others spanning more than 100 years of technology.

Get your tickets at the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture or Longhorn Barbeque. For more information, go to the museum’s website.

Spokane Indians Baseball

June 20, 3:30 p.m.
The Spokane Indians will salute fathers while playing against the Tri-City Dust Devils by wearing light blue jerseys, running light blue bases, and holding a silent auction benefitting Bat for the Cure.

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Spokane Parks Concert Season is Here

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

copyright 2010 Riverfront Park

copyright 2010 Riverfront Park

Catch Some Great Live Music Under the Stars

Spokane, WA typically has warm to hot summer nights that are perfect for outdoor concerts. If you are visiting the area for business or vacation, be sure to check out some quality live music in Spokane’s two best-known parks: Manito Park and Riverfront Park. Great music is worth travelling for, and if you are coming to Spokane for a summer show, you can make a fantastic trip by staying at Stratford Suites affordable luxury hotel. Every room has pillow-top mattresses, a full kitchen, leather furniture, and a 50” hi-def. television. Ask about our shop and stay packages, which include a gift certificate to River Park Square mall.

Free Live Music Friday Nights at Manito Park All Summer Long

Starting Friday, June 4, you can relax in the beautiful ambiance of Spokane’s South Hill botanical wonder, Manito Park, and enjoy free live music. The concerts are held at the Manito Park Bench Café (between Mirror Pond and Duncan Gardens) every Friday at 6:00 p.m. Delicious food is available as well as many refreshing summer beverages, including beer and wine. This summer’s lineup includes a diversity of music, including classical guitar and pop/rock, with performances by Paul Grove, Sidhe, Trailer Park Girls, Just Plain Darin, and Matt Russell. For the full schedule, view the poster here.

Mozart in Manito July 13th and 14th

It is hard to imagine a more idyllic setting for listening to a great performance of Mozart than Spokane’s Manito Park on a summer evening. Connoisseur Concerts will present the 20th annual Mozart On A Summer’s Eve, on Tuesday, July 13 at 7:00 p.m. with a repeat performance on Wednesday, July 14 at 7:00 p.m. on the lawn east of Duncan Gardens in Manito Park. Connoisseur Concerts’ Wind Ensemble, directed by Verne Windham, Music Director of Mozart On A Summer’s Eve, will perform, with special guest artists to be announced.

Tickets are $25 for table seating, which includes a gourmet dessert and coffee provided by Luna Restaurant. Tables for eight can be reserved for $200. Tables will be set up at 5:30 p.m. for ticket holders who wish to have a potluck or picnic before the show. Tickets for lawn seating for those who bring their own blankets or chairs are $10 per person and are for the concert only with no food or beverage service. Tickets are available at TicketsWest outlets, by phone at 325-SEAT (1-800-325-SEAT outside Spokane), or online at www.ticketswest.com

Live Music at Riverfront Park This Summer

Riverfront Park, Spokane’s sprawling, magnificent park located downtown on the Spokane River Falls, hosts a wide array of musical acts throughout the summer in their spacious grass meadows. While you are there, be sure to allow some extra time to stroll around the park and explore its numerous attractions, including the historic Loof Carousel, Spokane Falls Gondola Skyride, IMAX Theater, and amusement rides. Below is a listing of some musical highlights in the next couple of months:

Friday, June 18, noon: KPBX Kids Concert with the Spokane British Brass Ensemble, free.

Sunday, June 20, 6:00 p.m.: Slightly Stoopid Concert, $20.00–$35.00.

Saturday, July 3 and Sunday, July 4: live music all day, check http://spokaneriverfrontpark.com/ for schedules.

Sunday, July 25, 9:00 p.m.: Allegro’s Royal Fireworks Concert, on the floating stage, fireworks to George Frederick Handel’s Musick for the Royal Fireworks, 1749, free.

Wednesday, August 18, 7:00 p.m.: The Doobie Brothers, classic rock, $39.50–$49.50.

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Posted in Events, Recreation, Shows, Spokane | No Responses »