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.
What’s better than reading a really good book? Sharing and discussing the experience with others. That is the idea behind Spokane County’s third Big Read series: encourage as many people as possible to read the same book and come out for numerous public discussions and other events related to the book. Big Read 2011 is hosted by Eastern Washington University’s Get Lit! Programs and features the book The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. This collection of stories about soldiers who served during the Vietnam war in one American platoon is considered one of the finest books ever written about combat. The Big Read 2011 is connected to the Get Lit! Literary Festival (O’Brien is a headliner at the festival) and the book was chosen because it exemplifies this year’s festival theme of “Telling the American Story.”
The Big Read begins on March 4 at 5 p.m. at Spokane City Hall chambers with a reception hosted by Spokane mayor Mary Verner. Other Big Read events include an art exhibit on “Telling the American Story” at the Chase Gallery, a stage adaptation of The Things They Carried written and performed by Eastern Washington University’s Theater Department, a Wednesday night film series related to the 1960’s and/or wars in general, and numerous readings and discussions. Click here for a complete schedule. The grand finale event will be an evening with Vietnam War veteran Tim O’Brien and Iraq War veteran and poet Brian Turner during the Get Lit! Festival on April 16th at the Bing Crosby Theater.
Most events are free; tickets for the evening reading with Tim O’Brien are $15 and available through TicketsWest.
The 13th annual Get Lit! Literary Festival runs April 13–17 at numerous venues in Spokane, WA. This year’s headliners are Sam Kean, author of the best seller The Disappearing Spoon; Sena Jeter Naslund, author of Ahab’s Wife; Nancy Rawles, author of My Jim; Tim O’Brien, author of The Things They Carried; Matthew Dickman, author of All-American Poem, and Ani DiFranco, Grammy award-winning singer and songwriter. Go to the festival website for a complete schedule of events.
The Spokane International Film Festival, held in downtown Spokane, WA, offers movies from around the globe, including our little corner of the world. Lady Lily (Adventures in God’s Country) was filmed in North Idaho and directed by Danielle Barbieri, who is from Spokane, as are two of the cast members, J. Rose Greif and John Palladino. Barbieri is scheduled to attend and host the film on Friday, February 11, 7:30 p.m. at the Magic Lantern Theatre. Adam Harum, an Eastern Washington University graduate, is scheduled to attend the showing of his short film “Disintegration: The Life of Jonathan Willoughby,” winner of the spring 2010 Reel Spokane show put on by FAVES (Film and Video Enthusiasts of Spokane) at Shorts with FAVES, Saturday, February 12, 3:15 p.m. at the Magic Lantern.
SpIFF will also show all the competitors from this year’s 48-Hour Film Festival, sponsored by North by Northwest, a Spokane, WA film production company. To enter, filmmakers must produce a very short film using a theme, a prop, and a line supplied by the contest administrators in under forty-eight hours. The filmmakers are all local, and some will be attending the show on Saturday, February 12, 3:15 p.m. at the Magic Lantern.
You can see six of the ten contenders for the Animation Short Subject Academy Award at the Animation Showcase on Saturday, February 5, noon, at the AMC theatre. This a great one to bring the kids to. Other kid friendly options are Kinshasa Symphony, Chef of South Polar, The Desert of Forbidden Art, and Alamar. These films are not rated, so parents should research the films to decide if they are appropriate for their children.
The festival placed a big emphasis on knowledgeable hosts this year. Each film has a host who introduces the film and usually answers questions at the end. Hosts are often filmmakers, but local subject matter experts will also be stepping in: Jess Walter, a Spokane native and best-selling, award-winning author, will host the festival’s opening film, My Word, My Lies . . . My Love. Eckart Preu, music director of the Spokane Symphony, will host Kinshasha Symphony, and Jeremy Hansen, head chef of Santé restaurant, will host Kings of Pastry.
Check the schedule for all the other great films at the 13th annual festival. In addition to movies, there will be two filmmaker forums, both at the Magic Lantern, at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 5 and February 12. According to Pete Porter, SpIFF’s director, the purpose of the forums is to get local filmmakers thinking about how to make better films and advance their careers and to show people how films are made. “It’s the kind of thing you only get at a film festival,” Porter said.
Porter says the Spokane International Film Festival selections are made by programmer committees. Programmers begin by attending the Seattle and Vancouver international film festivals, where they screen selections and, more importantly, meet filmmakers. About half of the films are selected through other film festivals. The rest come from submissions requested by SpIFF. The programmers are highly selective; Porter says “we turn down probably four or five films for every film we select.”
The Spokane International Film Festival runs February 3–13 in downtown Spokane, WA at the AMC Theatre (808 W. Main in River Park Square) and the Magic Lantern Theatre (25 W. Main). You can buy your tickets online in advance at the SpIFF website; prices are $10 or $7.50 for shows before or at noon.
The biggest New Year’s Eve party around happens in downtown Spokane. For just $12, you can experience an incredible array of arts and entertainment, topped off with a big fireworks show at midnight. The theme for this year’s First Night Spokane is “Imagine That.”
If you haven’t been to a First Night celebration before, you can’t miss Spokane’s tenth annual bash. Where else can you see community theatre, dance to a live swing band, go ice skating, ride a 100-year-old carousel, watch several dance performances, laugh at live improve comedy, take some dancing lessons, watch artists do things like pottery wheel throwing, marvel at the stunts of a snowboard rail jam, and listen to African drumming all in one night for just $12? There are just too many activities and performers to try listing even the highlights here, but you can download a schedule.
First Night celebrations are all about celebrating arts and entertainment in a family friendly, affordable festival. The entire family can find dozens of things to do, with plenty of kids’ activities. The event is alcohol-free, although adults are welcome to pop into the many local bars and restaurants that will be open nearby for a drink, and you don’t have to worry about any of the content being inappropriate for kids. To get in on the fun, just purchase a button for $12 ($15 on December 31) at one of many Spokane businesses, including Cenex Zip Trip Stores, Auntie’s Book Store, Riverfront Park Square (concierge desk), and Windemere real estate offices. Out-of-town visitors can purchase buttons with no fees through TicketsWest. Go to the First Night Spokane website for details.
Attend a Hometown Hockey Game
Looking for a night that is a bit more exciting and noisy than a dinner and movie? Come out and support the Spokane Chiefs. You can’t help but get caught up in the enthusiasm of the Chiefs’ Pacific Northwest fans. The Spokane Chiefs, who have won two Memorial Cup Championships in 1991 and 2008, two WHL Championships in 1991 and 2008, and four Western Conference Championships in 1991, 1996, 2000, and 2008, are a Major Junior Hockey team in the Western Hockey League. Players come from all over the world and many are drafted into the pro ranks from the Chiefs. Home games are played in the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, a 10,366 seat facility. Click here for a season schedule. Adult tickets range from $10–$19 and can be purchased by calling 509-535-PUCK (7825) or from TicketsWest at 800-325-SEAT (7328), or by purchasing online through TicketsWest.
Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story at Spokane Civic Theatre. Copyright 2010 Northern Exposures Photography
Enjoy Local Talent in Great Theatre
Impress your date with play tickets and experience an evening of live entertainment while supporting local artists. Spokane boasts two major theatre companies: Interplayers Professional Theatre and Spokane Civic Theatre. Ticket prices for theatre in Spokane are substantially lower than other major cities, so take advantage of our big-city quality for small-town prices!
Interplayers, Spokane’s award-winning professional theatre, is producing two plays this winter. Opus, a new play by Michael Hollinger that has enjoyed immense popularity nationwide, showcases the story of a string quartet that fires its violist and replaces him with a young woman days before a White House performance. It runs January 20–February 5, 2011. Privilege, a heartfelt comedy about the privileged lives of two Upper East Side NY teens whose lives are irrevocably changed when their father is accused of insider trading, runs February 24–March 12, 2011. Tickets are available by calling 455-PLAY (7529). You can also purchase tickets through TicketsWest at 325-SEAT (7328) or www.TicketsWest.com. Prices range from $13–$22.
Spokane Civic Theatre is a national award-winning community theatre. This winter, you can see three plays performed by the troupe. Don’t Dress for Dinner is a riotous farce about a dinner in which marital bliss is not on the menu, and between the friends, lovers, caterers, and angry husbands, comic confusion abounds. This production runs January 14–30, 2011. Next, the Civic will perform the Tony-Award wining musical comedy The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, a tale of six adolescent outsiders vying for the spelling championship of a lifetime, overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves. The show runs January 28—February 7, 2011. The next show is another musical comedy: Nunsense, running February 18–March 6, 2011 and featuring an unforgettable variety show performed by the Little Sisters of Hoboken. Tickets are available by calling the box office at 325-2507 or through TicketsWest at 325-SEAT (7328) or www.TicketsWest.com. Prices range from $16–$32.
Copyright Spokane International Film Festival
Spokane International Film Festival, February 3–13, 2011
If you love independent and cutting-edge films, you can’t miss SpIFF. This is your once-a-year opportunity to see the very best feature films, documentaries, and short films that have been made around the world during the past two years but have not yet been commercially released for wide distribution right here in Spokane, WA. Some of the films might never be released on DVD in the United States, so this could be your only opportunity to enjoy some of the most talked-about films. They are the same films as those seen each year at the Cannes, New York, or Toronto film festivals.
But you won’t just see great new films from all over, you’ll also meet some of the filmmakers and performers. They share their own stories and anecdotes about the making of their films and answer questions from you the audience. The discussions are lively and educational and a favorite part of the festival for both filmmaker and audience. You can also take part in after-film receptions held throughout downtown Spokane.
Twice a year, Spokane museums, galleries, arts businesses, and alternative spaces for showing art such as non-profit organizations, restaurants, and shops welcome the public in to view a wide variety of great regional art. Participating businesses extend their hours on Friday night, February 4th, and open up on Saturday, February 5th to support the arts scene in Spokane. Like First Friday Art Walks in downtown Spokane, the Visual Arts Tour is a self-guided walking tour (pick up a free copy of The Inlander, available at many area businesses on February 3rd, for your guide), but it is a much larger event. Come check out local art, meet artists, and enjoy treats and beverages provided by participating businesses.
Spokane’s newest coffee roaster, Roast House, has organized something a little different for your Black Friday shopping. Owner Deborah Di Bernardo, who opened Roast House less than a year ago on principles of sustainable, ethical, and delicious, is all about promoting local businesses. Some time ago, she decided to invite a dozen local artisans to sell their works on the day after Thanksgiving in her warehouse at 423 E. Cleveland Avenue without charging them booth fees, so shoppers would have an alternative option that supports local crafts people. She planned on serving free tea and espresso and live music. This idea expanded into a shopping circuit of small, local, mostly downtown Spokane businesses.
Here’s how it works: Go to the Roast House, open that day from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., to pick up your Black Friday Local Shopping Challenge punch card. Then, visit the participating businesses: Atticus, Boo Radley, Vino! A Wine Shop, Satellite Diner, Kizuri, Auntie’s Bookstore, Cassanos, and Sun People Dry Goods. Your punch card will get you a discount or special offer at each stop. Auntie’s Bookstore, Kizuri, Atticus, Boo Radley, Vino! A Wine Shop, and Sun People Dry Goods are all offering discounts to Black Friday card holders. Satellite Diner is offering free Roast House coffee, and Cassano’s is offering $2.00 canolli. If you make the entire shopping circuit, you will be entered into a drawing for a grand prize basket of goodies donated by the participating businesses.
The artisan event at Roast House features woodworkers, a glass artist, jewelers, a paper card artist, knitters, quilters, and more. Some of the great gifts for sale include glass platters, ornaments, holiday wreaths, gloves, scarves, hats, cutting boards, bird houses, and canned jams and relishes. Live music will be provided all day, and Roast House, will feature the release of their new Nutcracker Suite, a holiday blend of coffees featured in a sustainable, reusable glass jar.
Ladies, mark your calendars for Girls’ Day Out on Saturday, November 13th, when businesses in four great business districts in Spokane will offer up special treats, deals, games, prizes, and more. This is a fun way to start your holiday shopping, check out all the wonderful local businesses in these unique neighborhoods, and enjoy a day with some of your favorite women. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., head to the Garland, Hillyard, Monroe, and International (East Sprague) districts. Just look for the pink, as participating businesses will be competing in the “Pink’d” contest for the best pink decorated place.
The 6th annual Girls’ Day Out features art galleries, antiques, health and beauty products and services, vintage clothing, coffee shops and cafes, and more. The driving goal behind this annual shopping event is to introduce Spokane women to their local neighborhood business centers. You know that cute little place you have driven past half a dozen times and always think you’d love to stop in but somehow never do? This is the perfect time! Be sure to stop at Anatopia Thrift Boutique in the Garland district as they will be serving chocolate, and hit Curl Up N’ Dye in the Hillyard district to get your nails painted pink for free. Fabulous Finds in the Monroe district will be serving a candy buffet. These are just a few of the highlights; every business will have something special for you!
Guys are welcome to come along, and in fact there are official “Guy’s Hang Outs” in each district, where men can watch football, have a drink, or play some games.
Make sure to pick up your free copy of the Exchange newspaper before the event for your official Girls’ Day Out shopping guide. On newsstands on November 11, it will include neighborhood maps, participating businesses, sponsors, sales/specials and any other information you need to navigate your way through the day. For photos and a video of last year’s Girls’ Day Out, click here.
According to Wikipedia , “fine art or the fine arts describes an art form developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application.” Most of us could use a little more of the fine arts in our lives, but events such as a classical concert can seem inaccessible or even dull if you are unfamiliar with the art form. Fortunately, the Spokane Symphony has been working hard to put on shows that are fun for today’s music lovers, young and old, with familiar, popular themes. The Symphony’s motto is “Your Life to Music.” If you think the Symphony is just for older people, think again: Club Maestro is a great deal for date nights for twenty-somethings. For just $10, 21–30-year-olds can pick up a membership card that gets them $15 tickets for any classics show, plus a $1 beer at the show. This season, there is a great variety to choose from, from classical to big band to jazz and funk.
Check out these great upcoming shows:
On October 30th and October 31st, you can see a brand new production that features all your Looney Tunes favorites on big screens with a live symphony orchestra accompaniment. Bugs Bunny at the Symphony will show treasures like “What’s Opera, Doc?,” “The Rabbit of Seville,” and the debut of Tweety and Sylvester. You’ll also see Tom & Jerry, the Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, and other cast members from the Warner Bros. cartoon family. If you have been wanting to introduce your kids to the world of live symphony music, this is a golden opportunity. Bonus: both nights, you can dress as your favorite cartoon character for a chance to win a prize in the costume contests.
Copyright 2010 Spokane Symphony
The CSI: Spokane Casual Classics series reveals the violence, perversion, and deception in the lives of some of history’s greatest composers. You’ll hear some beautiful selections from Tchiakovsky, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, and other brilliant composers with dark secrets surrounding their lives. After learning about the results of the Spokane Symphony sleuths’ detective work, you will never think about classical music in the same way again.
You can browse the rest of the season’s shows at the Spokane Symphony website. Tickets are available online, by calling 509-624-1200, or at the Spokane Symphony Ticket Office located at the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox at 1001 W. Sprague in downtown Spokane.
Spokane has some great places to taste wine, but Left Bank, which opened eighteen months ago in downtown Spokane and is owned by Aaron Kelly, is the only bar that is completely dedicated to wine. You can not order hard liquor here (bottled microbrew beer is available for those who have been dragged in against their will by a wine lover), and the menu is limited to a few choice items that are well complemented by wine. What you can expect is excellent wine served by knowledgeable, friendly servers in a beautiful, comfortable setting.
The goal of Left Bank is “to broaden the appeal of wine in a completely non-threatening way,” and this goal is achieved nightly with a well-appointed yet relaxed atmosphere and the staff’s open, down-to-earth attitude. Walk into the long, narrow space located on the ground floor of the historic American Legion building at 108 N. Washington, and you will instantly forget the hustle and bustle of downtown and enter a scene of dark wood furniture, a fireplace, local art on the historic brick walls, and non-intrusive music. Jen Melcher, our server on a recent evening, was able to explain the origin and qualities of my wonderful Argentine malbec (only $5 a glass during happy hour, which starts at 3:00 p.m. Monday—Friday) in a way that a novice could understand. While Left Bank does carry many Northwest wines, the overriding mission is to seek the best wines, so their wine list includes selections from all over the world.
If you try something you really love at Left Bank, you can bring a bottle home. The reason for this, Jen explained, is that the bar carries some wines that are not easily available in Spokane. Many area wineries are too small to meet the financial criteria for distribution to stores, so Left Bank deals with them directly to purchase wine, and they choose to support the wineries by allowing off-sales.
The food pairings, though limited, are extremely tasty. I highly recommend the cheese plates, which come with a selection of some of the best cheese I have ever tasted (order the Humboldt Fog!) served with crackers and fruit, and the gorgonzola honey bruschetta, which my dining partner is convinced she could live off of quite happily for some time. Other dining choices are small pizzas and Italian style sandwiches.
Fridays and Saturdays the bar livens things up with live music; every Saturday is jazz. Hours are Monday—Friday, 11:00 a.m. to late, and Saturdays 4:00 p.m. to late. Check them out during First Friday! A reception will be held for Jon Bagby’s work on October 1.
Travel Spokane is a website built to inform Spokane visitors about the latest news, events, and opportunities in Spokane. This information is provided free courtesy of Stratford Suites. If you are looking for Spokane hotels be sure to check out our website at www.stratfordsuites.com
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