Experience First Thursday!

Be Downtown Boise the First Thursday of each month to experience art, shopping, dining and entertainment in a special and unique way you’ll only find Downtown. Our local merchants plan exciting, engaging in-store events including food and beverage tastings, local art exhibits and trunk shows. Stop into your favorite establishment or check out someplace new!

Events typically run from 5:00 – 9:00pm, but each merchant creatively plans their own event so check each listing for individual hours and details.
 


Acero Boards and Bottles

801 West Main Street

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 $30. Sip, snack, and celebrate the night with us!

208-801-6896

https://www.aceroidaho.com/


Boise Brewing

521 W Broad St

Each first Thursday at Boise Brewing offers live music from rotating local artists on the patio, 6-9pm. Come inside check out the restaurant while admiring fresh art provided by Boise Weekly!

(208) 342-7655


Cactus Bar

517 W Main St

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.

(208) 342-9732

http://cactusbarboise.com


Capitol Contemporary Gallery

451 S Capitol Blvd

Capitol Contemporary Gallery is excited to present a new exhibition for the month of April— Wild Things/ Drawings and Objects by Cheryl Shurtleff Young (1947-2015) in support of an endowed scholarship in art at Boise State University.

Please join us at the gallery on First Thursday, April 3rd from 5:00 to 9:00 pm. We will be serving refreshments and wine by Vizcaya Winery.

Additionally, please mark your calendars for April 17th at 6 pm. Nicholas Newman, former lecturer in Art and Art History at University of Nebraska and former Assistant Professor of Art History at Boise State University will be leading a discussion about Cheryl and her work.

The exhibition is free to attend, open to the public, and runs through April 28th. All proceeds from sales will be applied to an endowed art scholarship in Cheryl Shurtleff Young’s name at Boise State University.

208-384-9159

https://www.capitolcontemporary.com/


Chandlers Prime Steaks | Fine Seafood

981 W Grove St

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.

(208) 383-4300

https://www.chandlersboise.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/25-0205-Social-Hour-Menu.pdf


Eureka!

800 W Idaho St

Cheers to Thursdays with our $10 Buffalo Trace Old Fashioneds available all day long.

(208) 286-4410

https://eurekarestaurantgroup.com/locations/boise


Fred Astaire Dance Studios Boise

1511 W Main Street

"Swing" in for First Thursday and find out how much fun date night or a night out on the town can be!

7:00pm—7:45pm
Free Dance Demos & Newcomer Group Class

7:45pm—8:30pm
Free 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!

208-514-0440

https://www.fredastaire.com/boise/


High Note Cafe

225 N 5th St

An open mic event for written works including poetry, prose, and fiction. Signs- ups start at 5PM. Mic begins at 6PM. Vegan food, beer, and wine served all night.

(208) 429-1911


Idaho Building

280 N 8th St

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

http://thirdshelf.org


Meriwether Cider House

224 N 9th St

We will provide all the supplies you'll need for FREE to dye your very own Easter Egg while you sip cider! You can choose to leave it at the Cider House to help us decorate for the spring season or take it home to decorate your own space!
The Cider House is 21+ dogs are allowed on the patio.

(208)972-6725

https://www.facebook.com/events/1719100735339974


Stretch Zone Boise

112 S 6th St

Stop by Stretch Zone this 1st Thursday for a free stretch and feel the difference assisted stretching can make!

208-993-7979

https://www.stretchzone.com/locations/boise-id


Trailhead

500 S 8th St

The Children's Book Drive is a powerful community initiative led by United Way of Treasure Valley in partnership with Book it Forward! Idaho. The Children's Book Drive brings together individuals, business leaders, and civic organizations to ensure more children in the Treasure Valley experience the joy of book ownership.

Join us in celebrating a decade of spreading the joy of reading! Since its inception, approximately 822,000 books have been distributed to high-need children across the Treasure Valley—from early learning centers to juvenile detention facilities.

Our 10th Annual Children's Book Drive is underway, and we need your help to reach this year’s goal of collecting and distributing 25,000 books for Idaho’s kids. Every donated book helps spark imagination, build literacy skills, and create lifelong readers.

Join us at 508 S 8th Street in downtown Boise on First Thursday for a special activity session from 5-9pm. Volunteers are invited to drop in to the location and clean/sort books, enjoy refreshments and community, and learn more about what United Way of Treasure Valley does to mobilize communities to action so all can thrive!

208-344-5483

https://www.unitedwaytv.org/ChildrensBookDrive2025


Voodoo Cellar Boise

200 N Capitol Blvd

$5 Craft Beer Flights Every First Thursday!

2089180881