The weather was sure nice for a few days, wasn’t it?
While we know we’re not quite done with the springtime wind and rain, as evidenced by that late afternoon burst on Friday that sent prep baseball and softball fans scrambling for cover in Kimberly and a produced a river along Blue Lakes Boulevard in Twin Falls, we couldn’t help but think ahead while basking in the warmth of the sun last weekend.
Then there’s this reminder on the website for Twin Falls Western Days: The countdown is under 30 days until the 40th annual celebration with food, beer, music, cool cars and more at City Park.
Few things say summer more than elephant ears and snow cones, right? You’ll find both — and so many other yummy treats — during the June 3-4 weekend party in the heart of town.
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A few weeks later in the same spot, there’s the chance to take a trip around the world but stay right at home at the Magic Valley Refugee Day celebration on June 16 at City Park.
With summer comes so much to do around here — in every which way and no matter the weekend. There’s Filer Fun Days, Magic Valley Dairy Days in Wendell and Hazelton Days in June, then Jerome Freedom Fest, Sagebrush Days in Buhl and Oakley Pioneer Days in July.
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Don’t forget about Shoshone Arts in the Park and the Magic Valley Folk Festival in Minidoka County. Or the Thousand Springs Festival of the Arts near Hagerman or Live History Days at the Idaho Farm and Ranch Museum in Jerome.
Camas Lily Days in Fairfield. The Gooding Pro Rodeo in August. All the county fairs. The list goes on.
No snow, no problem. With the marvelous Smoky, Boulder and Pioneer mountains as the backdrop, Sun Valley will again be teeming with activities throughout the summer months, attracting beer brewers and lovers, music fans, artists, writers and car enthusiasts to one of the most breathtaking spots in all of Idaho.
And, yes, those are mountains other than the Sawtooths. As Visit Sun Valley puts it: “Although many people proclaim that ‘The Sawtooths are simply breathtaking!’ and they aren’t wrong about that, chances are they are not looking at the Sawtooths. Although much of the mountains surrounding Sun Valley are within the Sawtooth National Forest, it is actually impossible to see the Sawtooths from the valley.”
If you’re looking for the Sawtooths, you’ll need to cheat just outside of the Magic Valley and head for the Sawtooth Valley Gathering in Stanley, about 2 ½ hours north of Twin Falls in Custer County. It’s worth the gas money. Even the drive, through the mountains and the trees and along waterways, is a nice retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
This year’s Gathering is set for June 22-25, featuring more than 30 national, regional and local musical acts performing on a picturesque stage. Sunshine and music. That sounds good to us.
Closer to home, Kimberly plays host to a summer event that we can’t help but love for its name: Good Neighbor Days. Isn’t that the truth?
For two days every July, this year it’s Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th, Kimberly gets our vote for the place to be, with vendors in City Park, a parade of tractors, classic cars and city folks through the streets, and an early-morning feast of eggs, sausage, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, and more.
The flyer for the annual breakfast captures the spirit in full: “Come enjoy a delicious breakfast in the park and don’t forget to invite your NEIGHBOR!”
We’re not always good about knowing our neighbors these days, the members of this board included. Life is only busier, often demanding more of our time and energy, the work days feel longer, and divisive politics and complicated social issues have succeeded in building walls that sometimes seem too high to scale.
Let the upcoming raft of events this summer serve as a reminder to join the community around us, to engage with our neighbors, to strengthen our friendships and build new ones, and to feel good about this place we call home.
We hope you feel as fortunate as we do to be in Idaho. It’s not perfect, no place is, but we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. We’re looking forward to rediscovering so many of the reasons why again this summer.