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.
Voodoo Cellar Boise
200 N Capitol Blvd • 2089180881
Food & Beverage
$5 Craft Beer Flights Every First Thursday!
Pennecard Real Estate
121 N 5th St • 208-861-8295
Food & Beverage Activity
Kick off spring with us downtown at our First Thursday celebration! Swing by for a Masters-inspired putting contest, prizes, drinks, and tasty bites while enjoying the lively downtown vibe. Dress up in your best golf attire and you’ll
be entered into a special giveaway! Whether you’re stopping in between shops or making a night of it, come hang out, have some fun, and celebrate the season with us. See you on the green! 🏌♂Kick off spring with us downtown at our First Thursday celebration! Swing by for a Masters-inspired putting contest, prizes, drinks, and tasty bites
while enjoying the lively downtown vibe. Dress up in your best golf attire and you’ll be entered into a special giveaway! Whether you’re stopping in between shops or making a night of it, come hang out, have some fun, and celebrate the season with us. See you on the green!
Graeber & Company Lifestyle Salon + Facial Bar
420 W Main St • (208) 343-4915
Shop
Visit us during our regular business hours all day and receive 10% off any Aveda, Oribe, Epicutis or Smashbox products.
Liquid Lounge
405 S 8th St • (208) 287-5379
Art Shop Music Food & Beverage Activity
Free Comedy Show at Liquid Laughs Underground!
- Come have some fun at Boise's newest comedy show JUST THE TIPS! This is a free, tip-friendly show featuring the best local, regional, and touring comedians that will take place on the first Thursday of every month at Liquid Laughs Underground!
-This month's headliner will be Eli Singleton of Bozeman, MT! Eli is a regular at Last Best Comedy Club and he's also a booker/producer for Don't Tell Comedy in Montana. He's opened for many big names and done the road all over the Western U.S.
-He will be joined by longtime friend and Bozeman comic Stone Casad, Zander Yuan of Pocatello, ID as your host and a couple other special guests!
- THIS IS A FREE SHOW! Seats are first come, first served so get here early, have some dinner and drinks downstairs and let's party!
Chi E Shenam Westin Art
1020 Main St • 208-440-2107
Art Music
New paintings, winter in the magic valley.
A full year of paintings featuring plein air 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.
Swing by and say hello and enjoy live music from John Ceccarelli!
Complimentary portraits downstairs with Allen Ansel.
Meriwether Cider House
224 N 9th St • (208)972-6725
Art Food & Beverage Activity
Join for for Downtown Boise Association's 1st Thursday! We will provide all the supplies you'll need for FREE to dye your very own Easter Egg! Hang with friends, sip some cider, and make your masterpiece!
The Cider House is 21+ dogs are allowed on the patio.
City Peanut Shop
803 W Bannock St • (208) 433-3931
Food & Beverage
This First Thursday from 5-8pm we will have free local bear and nut pairings to sample featuring Brown Beard Brewing!! We will also have Waterwheel Gardens joining us to sample out some varieties of their locally made jams and mustards!!
Ochos Craft Cocktail Bar
515 W Idaho St • (208)209-5522
Music
First Thursday Flamenco with Flamenco Idaho. Performance starts at 6pm. This is a 21+ event.
House of Wine
1008 W Main St • 208-297-9463
Shop Food & Beverage Activity
Come join us at House of Wine for our exciting “April First Thursday” event April 2nd!
For this night we'll put aside our regular wine by the glass options and offer a COMPLIMENTARY three wine tasting from famed local producer, Telaya Wine Co.! We'll also have local favorite YUMMS Charcuterie offering samples of their delicious products.
The festivities begin at 5pm and last until 8pm. This is a free event and no registration is required. We look forward to welcoming you!
Solid Grill & Bar
405 S 8th St • (208) 345-6620
Music Food & Beverage Kid-Friendly Activity
½ Off Draft Beers, Well Drinks, $2 off all wines and $1 off appetizers from 4pm-6pm & 10pm-Midnight.
Free! We also have a free Comedy show! Just The Tips in Liquid Laughs Underground. Free To Attend at 7pm
The Warehouse Food Hall
370 S 8th St • 986-999-4081
Music Food & Beverage
The Warehouse Food Hall is bringing live music to the heart of downtown Boise every First Thursday. Guests can enjoy performances from local artists while exploring 10+ food and drink vendors under one roof. With cold drinks, bold flavor, and no cover, it’s the perfect spot to kick off your evening and stay awhile.
Fred Astaire Dance Studios Boise
1511 W Main Street • 208-514-0440
Music Food & Beverage Activity
Boise's ONLY guided social dancing party!
The perfect opportunity to get comfortable on a social dance floor in a safe and fun environment!
Practice your moves and meet our dance community! Come for a few minutes just to check the place out, or stay and practice to music from a variety of dance styles.
No partner required — or bring your friends. We love to see couples who want to dance together, too. Everyone is welcome, no experience required!
Dance Demos & Free Newcomer Group Variety Class from 7:00pm—7:45pm
Social Dancing Party from 7:45—8:30pm
Idaho Art Gallery
702 W Idaho St • (208) 733-4134
Art Shop Activity
Opening Reception: Florilegium by Emily Farish
Join us for the opening reception of Florilegium, a solo exhibition by New York–based artist Emily Farish, on Thursday, April 2 at Idaho Art Gallery in downtown Boise.
Farish is widely recognized for her monumental charcoal drawings of flowers, transforming fleeting botanical subjects into powerful, large-scale compositions. Working from flowers gathered and studied in her studio, she meticulously records each bloom’s subtle imperfections—rumpled petals, bending stems, insect nibbles, and even the tape and staples used to pin them to her studio wall.
Join us for art, conversation, and community in the heart of downtown Boise.
8 Horses Lounge
199 N. 8th Street • 208-433-7800
Music Food & Beverage
Pull up a seat, grab a drink and small bites and enjoy a sonic experience!
Live music by none other than Landonious Monk!
Landonious has been playing music since childhood and has been in various projects in Salt Lake and Boise for almost three decades. His solo music could be described as a fusion of electronic, ambient jazz, rock, and world music, where he combines multiple instruments using looping pedals to create a full-band experience.
Leap Photography
106 N 6th St • 208-703-7360
Art Activity
Need an updated headshot but short on time?
Join Leap Photography for a special First Thursday Headshot Event on April 2 in downtown Boise. This is a quick, in-studio option for professionals who want a clean, modern image without a full session.
What’s included:
• 15-minute studio session
• One outfit
• Guided image selection right after your session
• One professionally retouched digital image
• White background for a versatile, professional look
Appointments are limited and will fill quickly.
Date: Thursday, April 2
Location: Downtown Boise (Pioneer Tent and Awning Building)
Reserve your spot:
https://leap-photography.vsco.page/schedule/first-thursday-headshots-april-2026
Dawson Taylor Downtown Coffee House
219 N 8th St • (208) 336-5633
Art Music Food & Beverage
Come to the Dawson Taylor Downtown cafe on First Thursday and enjoy:
Our Local Art Gallery
Live Music
BOGO Drinks
Walk-In Jewelry Making Class- $15 Per Person
5pm-7pm!
See you then!
JUMP (Jack's Urban Meeting Place)
1000 Myrtle St • (208) 639-6610
Art Kid-Friendly Activity
Hula Hoop Making Workshop
In this hands-on workshop, you'll design and build your very own custom hula hoop, tailored to your size, style, and spirit. You’ll choose your tubing, pick your colors, and learn the basics of hoop sizing and taping. Leave with a beautiful, functional hoop that you created.
Takeaways:
One custom hula hoop per person
Materials Needed:
All materials are provided
* 1 child per adult
Instructor Bio:
Krissy Humphreys
Since 2007, I've taught flow arts, performed in hundreds of shows, and participated in master classes in Paris, deepening my craft and connection to the global community.
Rediscovered Books - Boise
1576 W Grove • (208) 376-4229
Art Shop
Join us at Rediscovered Books on April 2nd between 4PM-7PM to tour beautiful handmade quilts and chat with the quilters themselves. Members from the Stories to Stitches Book Club and Boise Basin Quilters Guild will be our featured artists for the month of April. These quilts will be displayed throughout the entire month in our in-store Event Space for all to admire and enjoy.
Everyone is invited to this artist reception whether you are new to quilting, are a seasoned expert, or are simply an admirer of hard work and dedication.
Lenses & Brushes
404 S 8TH ST, L100 • 2085902612
Art Shop Food & Beverage
Join us at Lenses & Brushes for First Thursday on April 2 from 5:30–7:30 PM as we welcome featured artist Jeffery Oliver for our April Artist Series. Jeffery is a contemporary fine art photographer working across film and digital formats, creating images through digital, traditional darkroom, and alternative photographic processes. His work reflects a deep exploration of image-making techniques and creative expression. Stop by to experience his work, connect with the artist, and celebrate Boise’s vibrant creative community.
Art Source Gallery
1516 Grove St • 208-331-3374
Art Shop Music Food & Beverage Kid-Friendly Activity
Join Art Source Gallery for the opening of “Artistic Evolution,” featuring the artwork of Russ Garn, during First Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. April 2, 2026.
Garn’s expressive works in pen and ink with watercolor combine architectural accuracy with bold, cubist-inspired design. The exhibition reflects his evolving creative process and commitment to exploring new styles and ideas. Visitors are invited to experience the emotional depth and visual energy of his latest work. Free and open to the public.
The Art Room Inc.
508 South 5th Street •
Art Food & Beverage
The Art Room features a new local artist every month. That means new art on the walls of the coffee shop, classes available to the public taught by the featured artist, and a free artist showcase every First Thursday. Join us each month in encouraging local artists and building the Art Room.
Our vision is to see a generation consumed by consumption experience revival in creation. Our mission is to serve Boise with art, coffee, and community and shine the light of Jesus.
Capitol Contemporary Gallery
451 S Capitol Blvd • 208-384-9159
Art
Capitol Contemporary Gallery is proud to announce its April exhibitions, showcasing energetic abstract mixed media works by Cassandra Schiffler and still life paintings by John Taye.
The public is invited to attend the opening reception on Thursday, April 2nd, from 5:00–9:00 PM — a free evening event featuring the opportunity to meet the artists and enjoy the exhibition. The show will remain on view through April 30th.
Boise Art Glass
1124 W Front St • (208) 345-1825
Art Food & Beverage
Idaho’s Newest Winery Pop-in at Boise Art Glass for First Thursday
These pop-in events are our way of bringing Gem 73 into the community before the winery opens this summer. A chance to taste the wines, meet the people behind it, and start getting a feel for what we’re building.
We’ll be set up inside the studio while glass artists work the hot shop just steps away.
Come by, explore the space, watch the craft, and share a few good pours with us.
April 2
5–6:30 PM
$10 tasting
Register here: https://bit.ly/Gem73pop-in
Roast and Vine
420 West Main Street • 208-963-0600
Food & Beverage
Happy Hour 2p-4p
Join us for $2 off any specialty coffee or glass of wine!
Hemlock
500 S Capitol Blvd •
Food & Beverage Activity
Join us at the bar from 3–6 PM.
Indulge in:
Boise’s Best Burger.
Steak skewers. Oyster shooters. Gaucho meatballs.
Duck-fat potatoes. Fries. Marinated olives.
$7 drafts.
$9 select wines.
$10 classic cocktails.
Two Hemlock Happy Hour rituals to get the most of First Thursdays:
Hemlock Happy Meal
Haute Girl Dinner
JUMP (Jack's Urban Meeting Place)
1000 Myrtle St • (208) 639-6610
Kid-Friendly Activity
Are You Smarter Than a 4th Grader? – Family Trivia Night
Presented by the City of Boise in partnership with Idaho State Museum and Idaho Public Television and hosted at JUMP
Join us for a night of family trivia fun in commemoration of America's 250th anniversary! Inspired by the hit TV Show, "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?", this trivia night will ask participants to test their knowledge of 4th-grade Idaho history facts while uncovering some of our state’s rich past.
It’s free to attend, with pre-registration required at CityOfBoise.org/America250.
Event Schedule
5:00 p.m. Drinks & small bites available for purchase
6:00 p.m. Team check-in and seating (5th Floor, JUMP Room)
6:30 p.m. Trivia begins
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!