Carbo-loading will take on a whole new meaning at the Booze Day 2011 pub crawl. The night before Bloomsday, hundreds of people hit the streets of downtown Spokane to race to numerous locally owned bars. Finishers who fill their official Booze Day cards with stamps from all participating pubs receive a commemorative T-shirt. Just like in the big event on Sunday, each racer receives a number card to wear, but, unlike Bloomsday, there really is no reason to hurry, as this event is not timed. Don’t worry, you needn’t have a drink at each location (or any location); it’s enough to just show up. Running shoes are optional, but you might want to wear a costume, as many teams of revelers dress up. Last year, Booze Day costumes included the Village People and wild 80s-themed running outfits.
The fun starts at the Baby Bar (corner of 1st and Lincoln, behind Neato Burrito) at 5:00 p.m. Saturday, April 30. The cost is $15 and includes a T-shirt if you hit all the participating pubs, all located in reasonable walking distance from the start point: Far West Billiards, Dempsey’s Brass Rail, The A-Club, Irv’s, Mootsey’s, and the Baby Bar.
Copyright Lilac Bloomsday Association.
If you haven’t signed up for Bloomsday 2011 yet and wish to do so, you can still register at Bloomsday check-in on Friday, April 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, April 30, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Spokane Convention Center (334 W. Spokane Falls Boulevard) for $30. The huge trade show at Bloomsday check-in is an event in and of itself, and it is free and open to the public. This is a great opportunity to check out the latest in all things fitness and running, from nutrition and wellness to shoes and clothing. Bloomsday participants must stop by to check in and pick up their numbers.
Earth Day is officially Friday, April 27, but the big party starts on Saturday at 11 a.m. in downtown Spokane. Main Street will be closed off between Browne and Division to allow Spokane residents and visitors to celebrate our beautiful planet and green living until midnight. The day’s events are definitely family friendly. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., kids can enjoy free activities like vegetable planting and marching in the Procession of the Species parade (parade is at 2 p.m., and kids will make their own fun animal masks to wear beforehand). Youngsters can also collect special “passports” that will be stamped for visiting different animal themed activity booths.
If you want to start celebrating earlier in the morning and feel good about doing something for the nature in and around Spokane, join the Earth Day Spokane River Clean Up sponsored by 96.9 the River, Friends of the Centennial Trail, and the Spokane Riverkeeper. Meet at Mission Park at 8 a.m. (across from Avista on Mission Ave.) Treats, coffee, and trash bags will be provided.
All ages will enjoy the live performances of music, dance, and poetry. Malidoma World Dance studio will be performing traditional dances, the Hoop Troup will make hula hooping tricks look ridiculously easy, and several bands will perform, including the Angela Marie Project, B Radicals, and the Brad Keeler Trio. Local community leaders, among them Mayor Mary Verner and Councilman Richard Rush, will give blissfully brief talks as well. If you have a thing or two to say or sing yourself, sign up for the open mic on Isabella’s rooftop. All day long, you can browse interesting community booths with information and activities on sustainability, and of course there will be delicious street food.
In the evening, stick around to see flaming hula hoop performances and show your moves at an electronic dance party located in the Community Building warehouse (ages 16+). Bands will continue to rock the outdoor stage until midnight. Admission is free; come for just a little while or stay all day, but don’t miss Earth Day Spokane 2011!
It may not feel like it with recent snow flurries and hail in parts of Spokane, but spring really is here. There are always plenty of beautiful, sunny days in the spring to get outside, and there are plenty of indoor great spring events for the not-so-pleasant days. Here are a few fun things to do in the Spokane area this season.
Race with 50,000 of Your Closest Friends at Bloomsday, May 1
If you want to register for the huge footrace/festival in downtown Spokane known as Bloomsday, which winds through some beautiful scenery, you can register online through April 17 ($15 plus an online processing fee of $1.49) or you can register by mail by April 12 using a Bloomsday form, available at numerous locations. If you miss those deadlines, you still have the opportunity to register late for $30 at Bloomsday check-in on Friday, April 29 from 11:30 a.m.–8:00 p.m. and Saturday, April 30 from 9:00 a.m.–6:30 p.m. at the Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. The race is open to runners, walkers, strollers, wheelchairs, and assisted wheelchairs. If you’d rather get in on the fun without actually walking or running 7.46 miles, stake out a place to watch early in the morning, or just go walk around and hang out downtown and in Riverfront Park, soaking up the festive atmosphere and enjoying the on-site entertainment.
Visit the River in Full Glory
Spokane River during the very high water spring of 2008. Posted by John Davies on ADVrider.com.
A simple pleasure for Spokane residents, the river that runs through the heart of our city never fails to impress visitors. During the spring, the Spokane River swells with runoff, and water rises to its highest point all year, creating an incredible sight of roaring, rushing water. Photographers are frequently seen with tripods at various viewing points, trying to catch the perfect Spokane River shot. Riverside State Park, especially around the Bowl and Pitcher area, is a beautiful natural environment to view the river in. Although many hiking areas are still muddy during the spring, there are plenty of great places to walk along and view the river that are paved. Riverfront Park downtown offers plenty of paved trails and walking bridges to view the falls area, and you can easily make a day out of it with an IMAX movie, a ride on the Spokane Falls Skyride, and a go–around on the historic Looff Carousel. The paved Spokane River Centennial Trail follows the river from the Idaho state line to Nine Mile Falls and also makes for a scenic spring bike ride. Or, you can pack a picnic lunch and head to one of the many Spokane parks that are right on the river. Click here for a map of the city park system.
If you like browsing antique shops, here is a show that is the equivalent of dozens of antique shops put together, with over 300 dealers from all over the U.S. to answer your questions and chat with you about the joy of collecting really old stuff. The 75,000 square feet of merchandise will be on display at the Spokane Fair & Expo Center (corner of Broadway & Havana) Friday through Sunday, April 29–May 1. Admission is $6 for the entire weekend, and parking is free. Appraisers will be on hand Saturday and Sunday to put a price on your treasures; the $5 per item fee benefits the MAC Museum.
Spring Barrel Tasting, May 6–8 On Mother’s Day weekend, all 17 of the Spokane Winery Association wineries open their doors to the public to celebrate the traditional end of one winemaking season and the beginning of another. You can sample new and current vintages, talk to the winemakers, and enjoy the company of other wine lovers at this fun and popular event. Some of the wineries will even offer samples of wine still in the wine-making process, directly from barrels or tanks. The wineries will offer snacks, and many will be featuring food and wine specials. Reasonable tasting fees may apply; tasting fees are usually credited to a wine bottle purchase. Plan your trip with a map of the wineries. Tasting hours are Friday through Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The Northwest’s largest theme park, located on Highway 95 just minutes north of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, opens May 7. While the Boulder Beach Water Park does not open until June 4, spring is a great time to experience the rides and attractions of Silverwood with less crowds and less time spent waiting in line. The rainy season usually clears up in May, and there will be plenty of sunny, warm days that are perfect for screaming on roller coasters. General admission is $41.99 for adults and $21.99 for ages 3–7 and 65+, so if you pay general admission and plan on going to the park at least four times this year, you will save by purchasing a season pass for $139.99, which also gives you free parking, additional discounts, and the ability to load up your card with money and use it anywhere in the park. A tip for spring Silverwood visits: as the weather can be unpredictable, bring an extra change of clothes in the car so you have something to change into if being soaked by Thunder Canyon leaves you cold.
Gardening is a favorite spring activity for many Spokane area residents, and this is your chance to meet other gardeners, check out the newest and coolest plants, and learn tips and techniques for all kinds of gardening, including indoor gardens and organic practices. The Inland Empire Gardeners host the fair, which has over 250 booths, a lecture series, door prizes, and children’s activities. If you are new or just interested in starting to grow plants at all, don’t be intimidated, as this show focuses on “real gardens, by real people” and “down-to-earth ideas that inspire rather than intimidate.” The Spokane Garden Expo is May 14, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Spokane Community College Lair, 1810 N. Green St. Admission and parking are free!
The Get Lit! Festival connects the Spokane area with local, new, and nationally-known writers, but Danielle Ward, Get Lit! Programs Coordinator since 2008, thinks outside the “book box.” Case in point: Singer/songwriter Ani DiFranco will be among the headliners at the 13th annual festival (April 15 at the Bing Crosby Theater). “She is my favorite singer/songwriter. I think her talent with the poetry included in her songs is something to celebrate and highlight as poetry, not just music,” Ward said. Comedian Heather Gold is also an out-of-the-book-box performer (April 14 at the Kress Gallery), with a style that is part Sarah Silverman and part Rachel Maddow. The workshops, panels, and talks portion of the festival includes topics on blog writing and graphic novels as well as more traditional writing forms.
Tying all the events together is this year’s festival theme of “Telling the American Story.” Highlights that illustrate this theme include An Evening with Tim O’Brien and Brian Turner (April 16 at the Bing Crosby Theater), in which the authors will share their military experiences in Vietnam and Iraq through their writing. O’Brien is the author of The Things They Carried, a recent Big Read book, and Turner is a poet. Contemporary poet Matthew Dickman will read from his latest book All American Poem, providing a pop culture perspective (April 17 at the Lincoln Center). Sena Jeter Naslund, author of Ahab’s Wife, and Nancy Rawles, author of My Jim, will discuss how they took familiar American pieces and re-imagined them from a female perspective, at Reimagining the Classics (April 15 at the Lincoln Center). Sam Kean, author of the best-selling book The Disappearing Spoon, will discuss history related to science and discovery at Tales from the Periodic Table with Sam Kean.
Get Lit! has plenty of events for the entire family, including youth poetry slams, free workshops for children and teens, and readings by children’s writers.
For a full schedule and description of the numerous readings, lectures, workshops, panels, and poetry slams you can enjoy at Get Lit!, check out the festival guide, online for the first time this year, with all the content available in the printed version that you can find in this week’s Inlander newspaper. The festival is organized by Eastern Washington University.
Headliner events are $15, except the DiFranco concert, which is $37. You can save money if you plan to attend several headlining events by purchasing a festival pass for $45 (does not include Ani DiFranco concert). All tickets are available through TicketsWest. You are encouraged to buy your tickets early, as all events are general admission, and if you have your ticket in hand, you will not have to wait in line and can choose your seat sooner. It is best to register for workshops ahead of time because each has a maximum of 25 attendees.
Travel Spokane is a website built to inform Spokane visitors about the latest news, events, and opportunities in Spokane. The information is provided free courtesy of Stratford Suites. If you are looking for a Spokane Hotel be sure to check out our website at www.stratfordsuites.com
Carbo-loading will take on a whole new meaning at the Booze Day 2011 pub crawl. The night before Bloomsday, hundreds of people hit the streets of downtown Spokane to race to numerous locally owned bars. Finishers who fill their official Booze Day cards with stamps from all participating pubs receive a commemorative T-shirt. Just like in the big event on Sunday, each racer receives a number card to wear, but, unlike Bloomsday, there really is no reason to hurry, as this event is not timed. Don’t worry, you needn’t have a drink at each location (or any location); it’s enough to just show up. Running shoes are optional, but you might want to wear a costume, as many teams of revelers dress up. Last year, Booze Day costumes included the Village People and wild 80s-themed running outfits.
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