Our local merchants plan exciting, engaging in-store events including food and beverage tastings, local art exhibits, retail trunk shows, live music, family activities, and entertainment in a special and unique way you'll only find in Downtown Boise. Stop into your favorite establishment or check out someplace new!
Events typically run from 5–9pm, but each merchant creatively plans their own event so check each listing below for individual hours and details.
Lenses & Brushes
404 S 8TH ST, L100 • 2085902612
Art Shop Kid-Friendly Activity
First Thursday at Lenses & Brushes
Join us this Thursday in Downtown Boise for a creative 10-minute art experience! Pop in, make something fun, and leave with a one-of-a-kind keepsake.
🖌️ Each month we’ll feature a different mini activity — from cyanotypes to quick sketches — perfect for all ages.
🌟 While you’re here, come take a peek at our new expansion:
- A larger community darkroom (for group workshops + film lovers)
- A studio space for portraits and headshots
- A dedicated room for photography & art education
We’re growing because of YOU — our creative community — and we can’t wait to share it with you. 💛
📍 Lenses & Brushes | Downtown Boise
📅 First Thursday | Drop in anytime
The Funky Taco
801 W Bannock St • (208) 488-4593
Music
Live Jazz Music at The Funky Taco, 7-9pm!
Hemlock
500 S Capitol Blvd •
Food & Beverage
Join us at Hemlock for Happy Hour, every day from 3 to 6 PM!
Pull up a seat at the bar and enjoy $7 drafts, $9 wines, and $10 classic cocktails. Hungry? Go for the Hemlock Happy Meal, featuring Boise’s Best Burger and a cold beer for just $20.
Prefer something else? We’ve got plenty more snackable bites and small plates on the full happy hour menu.
Plus, free valet parking for all guests!
The Warehouse Food Hall
370 S 8th St • 986-999-4081
Music
Make The Warehouse Food Hall your First Thursday spot... grab a bite, sip on something good, and settle in for live music. Each month, a local artist takes the stage, setting the vibe while you kick back with craft drinks and plenty of flavor to go around.
Red Feather Lounge
246 N 8th St • 208-429-6340
Food & Beverage
Cocktail & Canapés in the Cellar
Come explore Red Feathers hidden event space: The Cellar. Enjoy free cocktail samples from Lead+Hammer Cocktails and learn how to pair them with an easy canapé by Chef Harm for the upcoming holiday season. Needing a place to host that upcoming holiday party? Come chat with our event coordinator about all of the event spaces Just Eat Local has to offer across their three restaurants; Red Feather Lounge, Bittercreek Alehouse and Diablo & Sons Saloon.
SHIFT boutique
807 W Bannock St • 208-331-7806
Shop
First Thursday kicks off our Sale on Sale weekend! Get 20% off all markdown items - all weekend long.
8 Horses Lounge
199 N. 8th Street • 208-433-7800
Music
We love live music and you’ll love The Faded Cowboys! Come take a musical ride with Buddy Devore trio - Buddy DeVore, Rob Matson & Bernie Reilly! 6:00-8:00pm, NO COVER! See you at 8 Horses Lounge. Giddy up!
Green Acres Food Truck Park
1401 West Shoreline Drive • 208-856-6157
Music Food & Beverage Kid-Friendly Activity
Karaoke Night @ Green Acres
Timeframe: 5-8pm
Time to Karaoke with Boise Rockeoke! Sing with a LIVE rock band to accompany your vocals! Choose from over 200 songs! It’s your time to shine on the Green Acres stage. Sign up the night of!
Instead of instrumentals, the live band will play the song so you’ll really feel like a lead singer :) This is one our most favorite things to host at Green Acres.
Food truck lineup for the day:
Kanak Attack
Darjeeling Momo
The Hood - Burgers/American
Sizzlin' Stone Pizza
The Fizzy Cow Ice Cream & Soda Shop
The Green Acres Bar
No cover or charges, Karaoke and Green Acres is free to the public
Find us off the Greenbelt at the intersection of 14th street and Shoreline Drive
We are dog and kid-friendly!
1401 Shoreline Drive Boise ID 83702
Vandal Store
821 W Idaho St • (208) 433-1889
Shop Kid-Friendly
We are kicking off our Homecoming sale early with First Thursday. Depending on the year you graduated you get a special discount on your Vandal gear:
Graduation Year In-Store Discount
1960 & Prior 25% OFF
1961-1980 20% OFF
1981-2000 15% OFF
2001-2010 10% OFF
2011-Present 5% OFF
Whether you are going up for the festivities in Moscow or staying here in the Treasure Valley make sure you are geared up for Homecoming. Go Vandals.
Voodoo Cellar Boise
200 N Capitol Blvd • 2089180881
Food & Beverage
$5 Craft Beer Flights Every First Thursday!
Chi E Shenam Westin Art
1020 Main St • 208-440-2107
Art Music
This autumn we will be featuring plein air paintings from Kathryn Albertson Park. This collection of paintings were created between April and October of 2025! We have small 8x10 paintings up to 24x30 inch paintings in oil.
And Oil paintings of the Sawtooth Mountains.
Swing by and say hello and enjoy live music from John Ceccarelli!
Complimentary portraits downstairs with Allen Ansel.
Cactus Bar
517 W Main St • (208) 342-9732
Food & Beverage Activity
Bingo Nights every First Thursday and every 3rd Thursday of every month. Free to play. Multiple games played in a night. Starts at 7 and ends roughly around 9 pm. Prizes to be won.
The Alaska Center
1020 W Main St •
Art Shop Music Food & Beverage Kid-Friendly Activity
Art at the Alaska Center
This autumn we will be featuring plein air paintings from Kathryn Albertson Park. This collection of paintings were created between April and October of 2025! We have small 8x10 paintings up to 24x30 inch paintings in oil.
And Oil paintings of the Sawtooth Mountains.
Swing by and say hello and enjoy live music from John Ceccarelli!
Complimentary portraits downstairs with Allen Ansel.
JD's Bodega
161 N Capitol Blvd • (208)519-5516
Shop Food & Beverage
While out and about for First Thursday, stop by the Bodega and get a free popcorn and check out our wide selection of products featuring a lot of local vendors.
Boise Contemporary Theater
854 Fulton St • (208) 331-9224
Art Shop Food & Beverage
Meet Bonnie Peacher! Join us Thursday, October 2nd, from 5:30-6:30 pm for an artist reception featuring local artist Bonnie Peacher, whose realistic acrylic paintings, depicting everyday scenes and activities, complement our production of Eureka Day by Jonathan Spector. Enjoy some delicious, lovely, and complimentary charcuterie to pair perfectly with your discounted drinks during this Happy Hour event.
New drinks on tap:
Old Boise Lager from Woodland Empire
Margot Amber Ale from Lost Grove Brewing
First Sight from Lost Grove Brewing
Plus, canned Huckleberry Cosmic Crisp from Two Towns!
Happy Hour ends at 6:30 pm, but you can buy a ticket during this event to see that night's 7:00 pm play for only $20! Theater seating begins at 6:30 pm, and you can take your beverages into the theater to enjoy during our hysterical season opener, Eureka Day by Jonathan Spector!
Solid Grill & Bar
405 S 8th St • (208) 345-6620
Art Shop Music Food & Beverage Kid-Friendly
SOLID GRILL & BAR has LIVE MUSIC, HAPPY HOURS from 4-6 & 10-MIDNIGHT! $2 off all wines by the glass, Draft Beers & Well Drinks and $1 off all Appetizers!
Chandlers Prime Steaks | Fine Seafood
981 W Grove St • (208) 383-4300
Food & Beverage
Gather. Sip. Socialize.
Join us at Chandlers for Social Hour.
Monday through Friday at the bar/lounge from 4-6pm.
Gather and relax with handcrafted cocktails like
our Cosmo or Champagne Cocktail and savor with a
selection of sociable dishes, all offered at $10.
Meriwether Cider House
224 N 9th St • (208)972-6725
Art Food & Beverage Activity
Celebrate fall with us at First Thursday! We’ll have pumpkins, paints, and everything you need to create your own festive masterpiece. Grab a cider, get creative, and take home your hand-painted pumpkin.
Barbarian Downtown Beer Bar
1022 W Main St • 208-387-2739
Music Food & Beverage Activity
Kick off your First Thor's Day with a fresh mocktail and music Bingo!
ROCK'N BINGO starts at 7pm. Free to play for paying customers.
Prizes for the winners, including Jurassic Park Idaho Lottery scratchers!
Must be 21+ to enter Barbarian Downtown.
___________________________
~ TRANQUILLITAS ~
Non-alcoholic mocktail made with peaches, honey, Ashwagandha, Lion's Mane and Reishi mushroom powder.
0% abv
Draft available
Stretch Zone Boise
112 S 6th St • 208-993-7979
Activity
Stop by Stretch Zone this 1st Thursday for a free stretch and feel the difference assisted stretching can make!
ART HAUS BAR by KIN
999 W Main St •
Art Shop Music Food & Beverage Kid-Friendly Activity
“CLUB” NIGHT MARKET
Live DJ, Dancing, drinks, food, glow sticks, black lights, art, goods, vendors, artists,
Vendors include…
HOLDING WHOLENESS
HEN & HARE MICROFARM
REDISCOVERED BOOKS
BANANA INK / COMPASS GOODS
CITY OF GOOD
SHIFT BOUTIQUE
SATORI SAKE
FREE SPIRITS
LOST AND FOUND
RACHEL TEANNALACH ART
WATERWHEEL GARDENS
NOBLE HARDESTY
SUZANNE DeSOLEIL
CITY OF TREES REIKI & TAROT
MINER'S PROVISIONS
FERG'S FABULOUS FUNGI
METAL & MALLET
AMBROSEGRAY SILVERSMITH
MAPS COFFEE
LALA'S FRESH POTS
FLYNN DAY POTTERY
Acero Boards and Bottles
801 West Main Street • 208-801-6896
Food & Beverage
Board & Bottle is making its First Thursday debut! Join us at Acero from 5-9 PM for our Board & Bottle special: enjoy a bottle of wine from our curated selection and a delicious bruschetta board of your choice for just $35. Sip, snack, and celebrate the night with us!
Art Source Gallery
1516 W Grove St • 208-331-3374
Art Shop Music Food & Beverage Kid-Friendly Activity
Join us for First Thursday opening reception of "Heirlooms from the Sea" with featured artist, Meagan Gittins, on October 2, from 5-9pm. Come meet the artist and experience these treasures up close. There will be snacks, wine and live music.
Meagan's evocative jewelry collection, inspired by the wild, poetic beauty of the coastline, transforms natural elements into wearable works of art that celebrate the sea’s quiet magic and enduring mystery. The show runs through October.
8 Horses Lounge
199 N. 8th Street • 208-433-7800
Music
We love live music and you’ll love The Faded Cowboys! Come take a musical ride with Buddy Devore trio - Buddy DeVore, Rob Matson & Bernie Reilly! 6:00-8:00pm, NO COVER! See you at 8 Horses Lounge. Giddy up!
Prost! Boise
274 N 8th St • (208) 336.9395
Music Food & Beverage
Prost! will be offering $1 off Liters and providing live music on the patio between 5pm-8pm
Boise Art Museum
670 Julia Davis Drive • (208) 345-8330
Art Shop Kid-Friendly Activity
Find inspiration and get creative at BAM during First Thursday! Admission is “pay what you can,” and the Museum is open late, until 7 p.m., to encourage Access for All. Experience BAM’s current exhibitions, including “James Castle: Perspectives.”
🎨 Drop in from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. and get creative in our FREE Studio Art Exploration program in BAM’s Education Studios. Create a charcoal drawing of an important place, inspired by James Castle’s artwork.
Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.
🎁 Stop by the BAM STORE to find unique and creative gifts for all ages.
Radio Boise
1020 W Main St • 208-258-2072
For First Thursday -- Radio Boise has invited Preservation Idaho to take advantage of this night of engagement put on by the Downtown Boise Association. They/Radio Boise also invite other non-profits in the Boise area who are not in the downtown core to join us at the station for First Thursday so that you can have the opportunity for outreach with the community. They open up the station to the public and welcome them in for tours and info from 5-8pm.
Discover Preservation Idaho
Who We Are
Preservation Idaho is your statewide champion for preserving the places that tell Idaho’s story -- one building, neighborhood, or landmark at a time. For over 50 years, we’ve worked side-by-side with communities, property owners, and volunteers to protect Idaho’s architectural and historic treasures.
Our mission? To preserve Idaho’s historic places through collaboration, education, and advocacy.
What We Do: Programs & Impact
Education & Interpretation
• Idaho Architecture Project: Shining light on Idaho’s built heritage
• Virtual Heritage Idaho: Bringing history to your screen
• Time Machine + Farm Game & Teaching Resources: Hands-on learning tools
• Walking Tours, ArchWalks, Self-Guided Tours: Experience history in the streets
Advocacy & Policy Work
• Promoting use of historic tax credits
• Supporting causes like Idaho Modern and Heritage Barns
• Offering preservation resources for communities and property owners Preservation Idaho
• Statewide Advocacy and Education Committee
Events & Community Initiatives
• Orchids & Onions: Spotlighting good & bad architecture
• Home Tours: Like Teater’s Knoll and Heritage Homes Tour
Membership & Volunteer Opportunities
Become a Member / Sponsor / Donor
We’re a 100% nonprofit (501(c)(3)) and don’t receive ongoing state or federal operating funding. We rely on memberships, donations, sponsorships, and grants to power everything we do.
As a member, you’ll get access and discounts to exclusive events, behind-the-scenes tours, early notice of programs, and the chance to help shape our mission.
Lend a Hand: Volunteer & Committees
Everything you love about historic preservation is powered by people like you.
• Join the board of directors or a committee (events, advocacy, education, etc.)
• Help produce and guide tours, walks, or educational programs
• Volunteer for our Heritage Homes Tour on Sunday, November 9, 2025 in the Harrison Blvd Historic District
• Pitch in with research, outreach, or preservation consultations
• Be part of the team that helps Idaho communities advocate for their historic places
We are run by an all-volunteer board and many of our programs are volunteer-powered.
Why Historic Preservation Matters
• It connects us to a sense of place. Historic buildings are not just bricks and mortar, they hold stories of people, culture, and time.
• It’s sustainable. Reusing and revitalizing existing structures is greener and more resource-efficient than tearing them down.
• It strengthens communities. Preservation helps maintain identity, encourage heritage tourism, boost property values, and foster pride.
• It protects what is unique. Idaho’s landscapes and towns are distinct — preserving our historic places ensures future generations experience that charm.
Come by our booth at First Thursday and say hello! We’d love to chat about how you can join us in keeping Idaho’s past alive and vibrant.
JUMP (Jack's Urban Meeting Place)
1000 Myrtle St • (208) 639-6610
Music Food & Beverage Activity
Close out Boise Entrepreneur Week 2025 with a free celebration that brings the entire community together. The BEW Block Party + Awards Ceremony is your chance to raise a glass to Idaho’s boldest founders, biggest wins, and brightest ideas.
Join us at JUMP’s Amphitheater for an evening of live music, food, drinks, and a presentation of over $150K in awards. As the sun sets on BEW, we’ll shine a spotlight on finalists and winners from this year’s pitch competitions and track awards—recognizing the entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders who are shaping Idaho’s future.
Bring your friends, your team, and your dancing shoes. This is the party you don’t want to miss.
Mixed Greens
213 N 9th St • (208) 344-1605
Art Shop Food & Beverage Kid-Friendly
Join us this week for Octobers First Thursday from 5pm to 8pm!
Randy Stepon Photography will be outside with a variety of fine prints and candid portraits!
Boheme Bakery is sampling and selling an array of their goodies!
Lassiez-Faire winery will be joining us with samples and promoting their newest location opening in Garden City!
Stop in and support local vendors and artists! See you then!
BANANA ink
214 N 9th St • (208) 345-1288
Art Shop Kid-Friendly Activity
Scavenger Hunt in the store with prizes for those who complete it!
Capitol Contemporary Gallery
451 S Capitol Blvd • 208-384-9159
Art
Capitol Contemporary Gallery is pleased to present our October exhibitions: Flow by Anne Peterson and Hope’s Flight by Christine Raymond, with featured sculpture by Gary Holt Peer.
Peterson and Raymond both showcase large, vibrant abstract paintings, each offering a distinct and dynamic approach to abstraction. Complementing their work, Peer will present his finely crafted wood sculptures.
We invite you to join us for First Thursday, October 2, from 5:00–9:00 PM, as we celebrate these new bodies of work. The exhibition is free and open to the public and will be on view through October 31.
Liquid Lounge
405 S 8th St • (208) 287-5379
Art Shop Music Food & Beverage
Liquid has Giveaways and drink Specials from popular liquor brands on Frist Thursday! Liquid also has happy hour until 6pm everyday with 1/2 off all Drafts & Well Drinks.
Idaho Building
280 N 8th St •
Art Kid-Friendly Activity
Who: Third Shelf: A Placemakers’ Cooperative Library
What: Book Swap! Book swaps are opportunities for Third Shelf members to exchange books with each other, to browse some of our collecive placemaking library, and welcome new people to the community. All are welcome!
Where: Idaho Smart Growth 280 N 8th St. Suite #210
When: Every 1st Thursday starting March 6th 6-8pm
Why: Third Shelf was created as a resource sharing, agency building, and community networking infrastructure project for placemakers. Members use a booksharing app to connect and exchange their collective books becoming a physical library distributed on member bookshelves throughout the community.
Website: thirdshelf.org
Instagram: @third.shelf
Trillium Restaurant
245 S Capitol Blvd • 208-333-8002
Food & Beverage
Join us every First Thursday in Downtown Boise to experience Live Jazz performed by The Ohadi Trio inside the lobby of The Grove Hotel from 6pm-8pm!
Fred Astaire Dance Studios Boise
1511 W Main Street • 208-514-0440
Art Music Food & Beverage
This October, ‘fall’ in love with dance at our First Thursday Open House & discover how much fun a date night or a night out on the town can truly be! 🍂
7:00pm—7:45pm
Free Dance Demos & Newcomer Group Class
7:45pm—8:30pm
Free Guided Social Dancing
⭐️Boise's only spot for guided social dancing!⭐️
No partner required — or bring your friends. We love to see couples who want to dance together, too.
Everyone is welcome, no experience required!
Justin W John, Artist + Designer
928 W Main St • (208)794-1194
Art Activity
Wisdom College for Creativity & Design offers industry-focused programs in Fashion Design, Interior Design, Textile Design, and more—empowering students with creativity, skills, and hands-on experience to lead in the design world.
City Peanut Shop
803 W Bannock St • (208) 433-3931
Shop Food & Beverage
City Peanut Shop will be hosting our friends at Free Spirit Beverages for a NA Nuts+Elixer pairing event. Come visit, try their hand-crafted beverages and roam downtown Boise.