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Arts & Culture, Dining, Summer

Oh, Kale Yeah! It’s Time for the Wood River Farmers Markets

Life rolls at a more relaxed pace in the mountains, and those minutes between when an event is supposed to start, and when it actually starts, is what we like to call “Ketchum-time.” There’s always some wiggle room…which means a little extra time on the trail, or for a lingering lunch with friends. Or, at least, so I thought. Turns out that “Ketchum-time” doesn’t apply at the Wood River Farmers Markets. “You should have been here earlier,” one farmer told me when I looked sadly at an empty bin labeled ‘broccoli.’ “Those sold within the first thirty minutes.” When it comes to supporting local producers—and eating the freshest, tastiest fruits, meats, and vegetables—the people of this Valley don’t mess around. It’s ‘be there or be square,’ and I’ve learned my lesson. Ketchum Farmers Market The Wood River Farmers Markets hold two markets each week through the summer. The first, on Tuesdays from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm, is hosted at the River Run Parking Lot on Serenade Lane in Ketchum. Dozens of local vendors set up for four hours and offer locals and visitors the change to purchase locally-grown produce, meats, and dairy products alongside artisan crafts and flowers. Food …

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Arts & Culture, What We're Made Of

What We’re Made Of: Company of Fools

The Company of Fools (CoF) theater group has been putting on world-class stage productions in the Wood River Valley since the group relocated to Hailey in 1996. Founded in Rusty Wilson’s unheated garage in Richmond, Virginia in May 1992, Wilson and original CoF members Vicki Bodin, John Glenn, Denise Simone, Robert Throckmorton and Joel Vilinsky took inspiration for their name from an essay by visual artist Cecil Collins, “The Vision of the Fool”. Collins describes the fool as embodying truth, joy, creativity and a childlike wonder of all that is magical and mysterious. The CoF went on to launch three productions in their four years in the garage before Wilson and Simone relocated to Hailey to continue their work on the stage of Hailey’s Liberty Theatre, the Fools’ home.  In November 2012, the CoF merged with the Sun Valley Center for the Arts, becoming part of what is now the largest arts institution in the state of Idaho. And now, over 20 years later, the CoF is recognized for its award-winning theatre and arts education programming it has brought to the community. The group and the individuals who make it up have been consistently recognized for their contributions to the arts; …

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Arts & Culture

This is The Sun Valley Museum of Art

Nothing is more synonymous with the art culture of Ketchum than the Sun Valley Museum of Art. With its constant rotation of art exhibitions, music, lectures and workshops, educational outreach and more, it has a presence in every part of the Valley in every aspect of art, serving more than 40,000 patrons every year. SVMoA, as it’s known to locals, was founded in 1971 as The Sun Valley Center for the Arts and Humanities making it the oldest arts organization in the Wood River Valley and the largest in the state of Idaho.  The Sun Valley Museum of Art has a long and storied history in Ketchum with the original campus of the Sun Valley Center for the Arts and Humanities established on land deed by Bill Janss, owner of Sun Valley Company from 1964 to 1977. The property that is now home to the Sun Valley Community School was the original home of The Center; before that, it was the site of kennels for the Sun Valley Resort’s sled dogs. The Sun Valley Museum of Art has always provided a well-rounded experience of the arts, even in the early days offering art exhibitions, classes in photography, printmaking and ceramics, …

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Arts & Culture

Ballet in Sun Valley, Idaho

When you think of Sun Valley, ballet is probably not at the top of your mind. We’re here to tell you why it should be.

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Arts & Culture

Dance in the Mountains: From Classical to Cutting Edge

Sun Valley’s arts and culture scene used to be one of its best-kept secrets, but the word is starting to get out…and we couldn’t be happier about that. From venues like the Argyros Performing Arts Center and the Sun Valley Pavilion to festivals like the Sun Valley Center for the Arts’ Summer Concert series and Ballet Sun Valley, the Sun Valley area offers plenty of ways to immerse yourself in the performing arts. While music and theater have been a mainstay of the Sun Valley cultural scene for years, the opportunity to see professional dance used to be sporadic at best. But we’re happy to say that those days are long gone. Whether you’re in the mood for classical ballet or the cutting edge of choreography, you’ll find it here. Ballet Sun Valley The Sun Valley Pavilion, an outdoor amphitheater in Sun Valley’s village, was designed for live music. But a few pioneering individuals saw that the setting—with its open-air seating, stunning architecture, and undeniably magical ambiance—would be perfect for dance.  In 2009, the Trey McIntyre Company, the former Boise-based contemporary dance company led by choreographer Trey McIntyre, performed a two-night engagement at the Pavilion. The company set the standard, showcasing what …

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Arts & Culture, Summer

This is the Sawtooth Botanical Garden

Discover the Sawtooth Botanical Garden in Ketchum, Idaho where you’ll find several south-central Idaho biomes, a prayer wheel blessed by the Dalai Lama, a variety of classes and more.

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Arts & Culture

Sun Valley 2019 Summer Concert Playlist

Get a taste for the musicians that will be playing shows in Sun Valley, Idaho this season with our 2019 summer playlist. Highlights include Ryan Bingham, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, Jackson Browne and more. We hope you’l join us this summer for some great concerts!

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Arts & Culture

What We’re Made Of: Wood River Valley Studio Tour President – Suzanne Hazlett

Suzanne Hazlett personifies someone who is simultaneously left- and right-brained. The financial consultant and former vice president of Merrill Lynch is also an artist and co-founder and president of the Wood River Valley Studio Tour (WRVST), an annual event that allows the public to visit the working studios of the many professional artists in the Valley. Not an easy feat, Hazlett manages her own business while striving each year to elevate the experience of patrons of the Tour whether that means changing the time of year of the event to allow the maximum number of people to experience it or changing how information on the Tour is published. A powerhouse and expert multitask master, Hazlett truly personifies the entrepreneurial spirit of Sun Valley, furthering the town’s reputation as a world-class arts destination. Although deeply enmeshed in the Sun Valley arts scene—both as a professional artist and as president of the Tour—Hazlett has spent the majority of her life working in finance. After graduating from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, Hazlett went on to get a Master of Business Administration from the Albers School of Business and Economics at Seattle University. She earned her Certified Investment Management Analyst, CIMA …

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Arts & Culture

Welcome to the Argyros Performing Arts Center

Everything you need to know about the new Argyros Performing Arts Center located in downtown Ketchum, Idaho.

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Arts & Culture, Winter

Winter Events in Sun Valley, Ketchum & Hailey, Idaho

Let’s face it, there are only so many hours in the day that you can spend on the ski/snowboard hill this winter in Sun Valley. There will be plenty of time for eating, sleeping and relaxing. You’ll most-likely still have a solid chunk of down time to fill. Fortunately, there is a slew of great events and happenings going on all winter in Sun Valley, Ketchum and Hailey that are bound to keep you entertained. Here’s a sampling of what you’ll find this season.    Christmas in Sun Valley It’s a special time of year in the Valley and the area goes all-out with the festivities. In fact, there are so many daily happenings that we’ve created a separate blog specifically dedicated to the holidays in Sun Valley. Check it out below.  Guide to the Holidays in Sun Valley   Winter Outdoor Events December 21 | Starry Solstice Social January 6 | Ski Free Day on the BCRD Trails January 19 | Baldy Banked Slalom January 31 – Feb 3 | Sun Valley Nordic Festival & Boulder Mountain Tour February 15 – 17 | Stanley Winterfest February 23 | Snowball Fat Tire Bike Race March 6 | Sawtooth Regional Gelande Quaffing Championships   Winter Arts …