For several years now, Sun Valley Pride has joined the ranks of other meaningful Sun Valley events produced by and for locals, all in the name of providing community. In this case, that community is the LGBTQIA+ community, for which Sun Valley Pride provides a multi-day event full of performers, music, and fun. From what was once a modest singular event to now a full week of both paid and free activities, Sun Valley Pride draws attendees and performers from across the nation. How It Started What is now an entire week of Pride events started as just one: Pride in the Garden, at the nonprofit Sawtooth Botanical Garden (SBG). Executive Director Jen Smith had only been in her role for a few years when she suggested the Garden do a Pride event as a way to raise funds. As she says, they didn’t need to do another golf tournament or poker run like other organizations in the area had done as fundraisers. The board went wild, and the first Pride in the Garden event was held in 2021, which Jen describes as “a social justice event trying to bring awareness to the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies and to …
Local KDPI DJs Weigh In on Sun Valley’s Summer Music Lineup
Live music abounds in Sun Valley in the summer, from big-ticket shows at River Run to smaller ticketed shows at the Liberty Theater and Whiskeys to the lengthy slate of free weekly music, like Wicked Wednesdays at the Wicked Spud, Ketch’em Alive at Forest Service Park, and Hailey Rocks at Hop Porter Park. This summer is no different, with an excellent lineup of concerts from the Sun Valley Museum of Art (SVMOA), the Arygros, Sun Valley, and more. To give you the inside scoop, Visit Sun Valley chatted with some radio DJs from local station KDPI—trust us, these guys know music. Joining us were Sheila Moriarty, Brett Macubre, and Logan Frederickson from Mountain Music Menagerie (a weekly themed show curated by a group of friends on Thursdays from 7–9pm) and Caleb Horowitz (aka DJ Klondike) of The Good Show, described as “good music for good and bad people” (Wednesdays from 8–10pm). Sun Valley Museum of Art: Old Crow Medicine Show and Lake Street Dive The SVMOA summer concert series is always a season highlight, with past performances by artists like Wilco, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, and more. Playing at the Sun Valley Pavilion on June 19 is folk band Old …
Not to Miss Arts & Culture Events This Summer
When we travel, we all have our tried-and-true activities, but why not spice things up with a one-of-a-kind experience? Get ready for a Sun Valley summer like no other because we’ve got a whole lineup of arts & culture events that you won’t find anywhere else! From our signature summer extravaganzas to offbeat and extraordinary experiences, it’s time to create your ultimate Sun Valley summer bucket list. So, throw caution to the wind, embrace the unexpected, and let the adventure begin. Don’t miss out on the chance to make memories that will last a lifetime – start planning your Sun Valley summer today! StART Summer in Sun Valley The summer season is kicking off with a week of festivities from Sun Valley Culinary Institute, Sun Valley Museum of Art, and Ballet Sun Valley. Learn more about this week of celebrating the arts in various forms through these organizations and events that support the community arts all year long. The Welcome Party Celebrity Chef Art Smith and Food Network insider Bruce Seidel will be preparing cuisine for the evening and dance the night away with DJ SID3S! This kicks off the week on Saturday June 22nd, you can find more information …
6 Reasons the Sun Valley Film Festival is Better than Sundance
Sun Valley has been attracting Hollywood darlings since the 1930’s, when Averill Harriman invited his A-list Rolodex to hang out on the slopes of Dollar Mountain. On any given day you might run into Tom Hanks at the Elephant’s Perch or Jodie Foster at Java, but every March filmmakers and actors will descend en masse for the Sun Valley Film Festival. The Sun Valley Film Festival has attracted major sponsors and lauded film insiders. So does Sundance, you say? Yeah, we know. But we think we have a few things to set us apart. Come see if we’re right. Photo Courtesy of SVFF // Amanda Nagy Come as Yourself Filmmakers and movie lovers alike are welcome at the Sun Valley Film Festival. Whether you’re writing your first script, just wrapped a blockbuster movie, or simply like to binge watch Netflix, you’ll feel at home. Insiders and newbies mingle in theaters and lobbies throughout town. Red tape? We don’t really do that around here. But leave your selfie stick at home. Photo Courtesy of SVFF // Mark Davis – Getty Images Intimate and Laid Back The Sun Valley Film Festival is often described as intimate and laid back, just like Sun …
Native American Heritage in the Wood River Valley
Native American Heritage Month’s history started in 1990 when President George H.W. Bush approved a joint resolution for November of that year to be “National American Indian Heritage Month”. Since 1994, the United States has made similar proclamations every year for November. But that’s not where it began. At the beginning of the 20th century, the annual Congress of the American Indian Association meeting approved a plan for a national American Indian Day. Then president Rev. Sherman Coolidge, an Arapahoe, issued a proclamation calling for the second Saturday in May to be American Indian Day. Within that proclamation was the first formal appeal for the United States to recognize natives as citizens. Today, many states recognize Columbus Day as Native American Day, but it is still not recognized as a national legal holiday. Idaho In the state of Idaho, there is a rich history of Native Americans dating back 10,000 years. It is projected that there were over 8,000 people living in the region. 2 distinct groups represented the people, The Great Basin Shoshone and the Bannock tribes of the Shoshone- Bannock, the Shoshone Paiute, and the three tribes from the Plateau region; Coeur d’Alene, Nez Perce, and Kootenai. The …
Hispanic Heritage Month
We are in the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15- October 15) and here in the Wood River Valley we’re continuously grateful for the Hispanic community and all that they bring to our valley.
What Not to Miss at the 27th Annual Trailing of the Sheep Festival
Aside from the brilliant transitioning leaves, The Trailing of the Sheep Festival is the highlight of Sun Valley’s fall season. Celebrating sheep and sheep herding traditions, Trailing of the Sheep offers a unique glimpse in to a part of Idaho’s past. Five days of dancing, music, wool classes, lamb dinners, sheep dog trials, and the famous Big Sheep Parade will tantalize the spectrum of senses.
Sun Valley: A Spiritual Vortex
There’s a certain magnetism to Sun Valley, a pull that draws in people from all walks of life. People come to vacation here for a few days and decide to move here. Celebrities, athletes, chefs, artists, and all manner of passionate people are drawn to this special place. The reason, according to Life Purpose Shaman, the owner of the Crystal Healing Room in Ketchum, is a positive energy vortex at the center of Sun Valley which she discovered 25 years ago. Shaman has had 30-plus years of experience healing, including receiving mentoring from Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa, and the Dalai Lama. Shaman explains how and why she came to Sun Valley and the impact of the vortex on the energy of our town and its inhabitants. What originally brought you to Sun Valley? Shaman: Over 25 years ago, I actually saw a vision of the energy and vibration that’s in Sun Valley. I am an intuitive, spiritual healer who connects with the vibration or frequency of the earth’s vortexes. Since I was very young, I’ve studied with many different shamans and healers and spiritual leaders because of my abilities. When I had this vision, I knew it was …
Locals Guide to Art Galleries in Sun Valley
Ketchum local Rudi Broschofsky grew up with art—after all, his parents opened Broschofsky Galleries in 1987 when he was just 5 years old. Spending days in the gallery after school and helping with Gallery Walks enmeshed him in Ketchum’s art scene and gave him an appreciation for art that would last a lifetime. After becoming partnered into the gallery in 2005, Rudi moved to Portland for several years where he started his own street art gallery, Flat Blak, before moving back to Ketchum almost two years ago to take over the majority of day-to-day operations at Broshofsky Galleries. An artist himself, Rudi’s street art approach to western art can be seen in various spots around town like his “Roper” sculpture on Main and Fourth in Ketchum. As a lifelong local, artist, and gallery owner, Rudi is the best man in town to give you the 411 on Ketchum’s art gallery scene. How would you describe the gallery scene in this town generally? Rudi: I’d say the gallery scene here is better than most cities actually. A lot of people don’t realize the magnitude of the art scene here in Ketchum, it’s world-class and conveniently stuffed within a few short blocks. …
Sun Valley’s Diverse Arts & Culture Scene
You might not expect a small mountain town in the middle of Idaho to be an oasis of arts and culture, but then again Sun Valley is known for differing from expectations. Sun Valley is one of America’s top small towns for art. With more than a dozen galleries, several live theater companies, the lauded Writers’ Conference, the Sun Valley Film Festival, free summer symphony concerts in the Sun Valley Pavilion, and one of the West’s premier nonprofit arts organizations, the Sun Valley Museum of Art Sun Valley packs an enormous cultural punch for its size. Blogs and Videos Art Galleries and Museums Sun Valley has more art galleries and museums than you could see if you spent a whole year here! So we’ve added a direct link to the directory of them all below. Performing Arts From ballet to abstract improv, Sun Valley has a live performance to keep you entertained. Live Music Ketchum and Sun Valley have a variety of venues and get some great musicians as they stop in on their cross country tours. From big name concerts at the resort to the local favorite Ketch’em Alive free music every Tuesday in Forest Service Park there will …