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.
Graeber & Company Salon and Spa
420 W Main St • (208) 343-4915
Food & Beverage
Meet us on Thursday, December 4, 5–7 pm at Roast & Vine for a relaxed, gratitude-filled gathering with the Graeber team. Pop in for a few minutes or stay the whole time while you enjoy quick tutorials with our pros, exclusive product and service offers, and gift card bonuses made just for this evening. We will have concierge help to finish your gift list, plus easy pickup for your holiday pre-orders. To say thank you for an incredible year, every VIP guest receives a special gift from Graeber. It is our way of celebrating you and all the ways you support our salon and community.
Bring a friend, savor something warm, and let us spoil you a little before the holiday rush begins.
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
Voodoo Cellar Boise
200 N Capitol Blvd • 2089180881
Food & Beverage
$5 Craft Beer Flights Every First Thursday!
Boise Contemporary Theater
854 Fulton St • (208) 331-9224
Art Shop Music Food & Beverage
Join us for discounted drinks and tickets only available during our First Thursday Happy Hour: 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Tickets to ALL IS CALM are $20 for preview nights and/or 20% off other performances (excluding opening and closing nights) when you buy directly from our box office during this event. Enjoy complimentary charcuterie while you browse selected works by local artist Garth Claassen, who will be on hand, including a new piece made especially for this show! Take advantage of our discounted drinks and then head to our pub at 6 pm to enjoy Carolers provided by Opera Idaho! Festivities end at 6:30 pm, just as the theater house opens, so you can get a ticket to that night’s show for only $20 and relax in the theater with your discounted drink, you clever thing!
Events:
5:30-6:30 pm Happy Hour in the BCT Lobby
6:00-6:30 pm Carolers provided by Opera Idaho in BCT's Ghost Light Pub
6:30 pm Seating begins for that night's performance of ALL IS CALM
7:00 pm Performance of ALL IS CALM begins
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.
BANANA ink
214 N 9th St • (208) 345-1288
Art Shop Activity
🎄 First Thursday Holiday Scavenger Hunt at BANANA ink! 🎁
What’s Happening:
🎅 Holiday-Themed Scavenger Hunt — find hidden clues, and win Christmas prizes!
🎨 Live Painting by Toponaut Designs — He will be creating something magical right here in the shop and have all his amazing art as well!
🎁 FREE Gift Wrapping All Day! — you support local, we wrap your thoughtful gifts.
🎄 Mystery White Elephant Presents — surprise your friends with these pre-wrapped goodies!
🎉 Giveaways & More! — festive treats, local love, and holiday vibes all around.
Come celebrate local art, shop small, and kick off the holidays with us! ❤️🎁
Fred Astaire Dance Studios Boise
1511 W Main Street • 208-514-0440
Music Food & Beverage Activity
Tis' the season for some dancing!
Swing in 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
Dance Demos & Free Newcomer Group Variety Class
7:45pm—8:30pm
Open 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!
Idaho State Museum
610 N Julia Davis Dr • (208) 334-2120
Shop Music Food & Beverage Kid-Friendly Activity
Ring in the Holidays at the Idaho State Museum!
Join us for our 4th Annual Holiday Fest during Downtown Boise’s First Thursday on December 4, 2025, from 5–8 PM.
Celebrate the season with a vendor fair featuring local Idaho artists, makers, and organizations. Enjoy festive music, crafts, wine and tea tastings, and free hot cocoa as you explore unique, handmade gifts and enjoy hands-on fun for all ages.
While you’re here, experience the wonder of Idaho’s history with access to our galleries, including our newest exhibits, Sage Brush and Brushstrokes and Hidden in Plain Sight.
Don’t forget to stop by the M Store, our destination retail gift shop—open seven days a week—for even more Idaho-inspired treasures.
Admission is free! Last admission is at 7:15PM.
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.
Pennecard Real Estate
121 N 5th St • 208-861-8295
Food & Beverage Kid-Friendly Activity
Don't be a Grinch and join us for our First Thursday Holiday Party!
Cookies ( From Chip ), Hot Coffee & Chocolate Bar, Photos with the Grinch and More!
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.
Leap Photography
106 N 6th St • 208-703-7360
Art Shop
The Leap Photography studio will be open to the public on Thursday, December 4th, 2025. We've just moved into a new space, and we'd love for you to check it out. The studio doors will be open to the public from 5-8pm
Stop in, tour the studio and browse through Leap Photography's portrait work or purchase one of our speciality items. Greeting cards, prints and magnets from our fine art projects will be available for purchase.
Take the steps to the 2nd floor, take a left, and find our studio around the corner.
We'd love it if you stopped in to say hello!
Date: December 4, 2025
Time: 5 pm- 8 pm
Address: 106 N 6th St #M5, Boise, ID 83702 (located in the historic Pioneer Tent Building)
Mixed Greens
213 N 9th St • (208) 344-1605
Shop Music Food & Beverage Kid-Friendly
Mixed Greens invites you to join us for December's First Thursday from 5 pm to 8 pm
The store and the staff are filled with holiday spirit! We will have live music by Eric Henderson, beer sips from Payette Brewing and the Idaho Botanical Garden will be here promoting Winter Garden Aglow! We are also supporting the Idaho Foodbank with a December food drive, drop off 2 cans of food, or make at least a $5.00 donation and we will enter you in our drawing for a $100.00 store gift card!
Liquid Lounge
405 S 8th St • (208) 287-5379
Art Shop Music Food & Beverage Kid-Friendly Activity
FREE WINE TASING & ART SHOW BY THE AMAZING NORMAN NELSON! Amazing paintings! Great wine!
Solid also has 1/2 off well drinks, draft beers, $2 off all wines by the glass and $1 off appetizers from 4pm-6pm & 10pm-midnight
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!
8 Horses Lounge
199 N. 8th Street • 208-433-7800
Music Food & Beverage
Join us for December First Thursday featuring live music by The Mike Johnston Band! Blending raw rock energy with the heart of blue. 7:30-9:30pm...
https://www.mikejohnstonmusic.com
NO COVER. MUST BE 21+.
JUST IN TIME TO ENJOY OUR NEW WINTER MENU! #LOYALTOLOCAL
The Record Exchange
1105 W Idaho St • (208) 344-8010
Shop Kid-Friendly
For one day only on First Thursday, December 4, you can save money on Record Exchange gift cards!
Snag $50 gift cards for $40* and $25 gift cards for $20* – no limit! This offer is available in person and via phone by calling (208) 344-8010. In-store pickup or shipping available with phone orders.
*Gift cards are not redeemable for merchandise on the day of purchase.
OTHER FIRST THURSDAY DEALS:
– $9.99 Give the Gift of Music CDs and select $9.99 new vinyl
– Select sale-priced top sellers and staff picks on vinyl and CD
– Up to 50% off select new vinyl titles
FIRST THURSDAY HOURS:
Gift shop/espresso opens at 8:30am, music side opens at 10am. We close both sides of the store at 7pm.
Chi E Shenam Westin Art
1020 Main St • 208-440-2107
Art Music
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.
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.
Idaho Art Gallery
702 W Idaho St • (208) 733-4134
Art Shop
Artist Reception | First Impressions: Cody White Solo Exhibition
Celebrate the beauty of the West at the opening reception for Cody White’s solo exhibition 'First Impressions' at IAG Boise! Experience the majesty of the Rocky Mountains brought to life in Cody’s richly textured, large-scale oil paintings.
This exhibition runs alongside our ongoing Open Theme Exhibition, showcasing over 25 local and nationally acclaimed artists. Meet Cody, enjoy lively art conversation, and discover stunning works—all available for purchase. Bring a friend and join us for an evening of inspiration, creativity, and community!
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!
Re-POP Gifts
210 N 10th St • 208-991-6112
Shop Activity
We can't contain our excitement, because we have a special seasonal guest. Mark your calendars for our upcoming Krampus photo-ops during First Thursday!
A word of caution, Krampus can be a bit scary for some of the smaller littles, so parental discretion is advised.
We'll have our annual tradition of mystery white elephant gifts, and free gift wrapping for most purchases.
Is your Birthday in December or January? Well, December 4th, First Thursday is your lucky day! We're celebrating December and January Birthdays in one evening, since we'll be closed the beginning of January. If your birthday is December or January enjoy 15% off your entire purchase* for you AND a friend! What a great time to take care of your holiday shopping!
Rediscovered Books - Boise
1576 W Grove • (208) 376-4229
Shop
Join us for some holiday shopping and to support our Idaho Neighbors! Bring food donation to support the food bank for the families of Giraffe Laugh Day Care and Pre-School. Come and find out more about The Community Center, another Idaho non-profit that makes Boise a better place from 5 - 6:30 p.m..
Meriwether Cider House
224 N 9th St • (208)972-6725
Food & Beverage Activity
Pop over and make your own beeswax candle for free! We will provide all the supplies you need to make your own holiday candle! So grab a friend or five and stop in to sip hot mulled cider and make your masterpiece!
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!
Title Nine
170 N 8th St • (208) 342-1493
Shop
Shop Local/Shop Women owned/ Shop our event 1st Thursday 20 % off your purchase. In store Gift with purchase
(while supplies last). Raffle for Torque Body Shop
We will have some of our LOCAL Fearless Unstoppable women with us;
Wild Hearts Idaho
Emerge Author Angie Lion
Flexologists from StretchLab.
Stop in and grab gifts for all of the Unstoppable Women in your life !
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.