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Arts & Culture, Fall

Sun Valley Jazz & Music Festival

Born in 1989, the annual Sun Valley Jazz & Music Festival on the third weekend in October delivers five straight days of live music. The event draws between 5,000 and 6,000 jazz connoisseurs from each of the 50 states and several foreign countries. This year’s festivities will run Oct 16-20, 2019 at venues including the Limelight Ballroom and Continental Room at Sun Valley, the Opera House, Satchmo’s, and the River Run Lodge. Forty bands with performances by over 200 musicians will play a variety of music genres from vintage jazz to swing to big band, zydeco, blues, gypsy and more. A festival kickoff party will take place Tuesday the 15that the Limelight Ballroom with a “Roaring ‘20s” theme. Free dance lessons will take place over the weekend at the River Run Lodge including dances like the Lindy Hop and Charleston.  History of the Festival The Sun Valley Jazz & Music Festival was started by Tom Hazzard, a southern California boy who grew up listening to musicians like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and others of the jazz genre. After attending a jazz festival with his wife in 1988, Hazzard was driving back home to Boise when he came up with the …

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Arts & Culture

Cowboy Up: Sun Valley’s Western Heritage

From a colorful history to a vivacious present, you won’t regret seeking out Sun Valley, Idaho’s western roots.

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Arts & Culture, Fall

A Look Through the Lens: The Trailing of the Sheep Festival

Conservationist, writer and National Geographic Explorerer photographer, Becca Skinner packed her camera bag and ventured from her home in Montana down to Sun Valley, Idaho. Her mission, to experience and capture the truly unique, Trailing of the Sheep Festival

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Arts & Culture, Fall, Spring, Summer

The Streets of Sun Valley: An Unexpected Gallery of Art

Skiing, sunshine, cowboys and art – yes, art. While Sun Valley, Idaho is a well-known playground for athletes and outdoor enthusiasts, it also provides a canvas for budding and renown artists to share creative inspiration and showcase their projects. Unique to Sun Valley, these masterpieces aren’t all kept inside or in galleries. From painted power boxes to bronze statues that line Fourth Street, here’s a guide to seeing the passionate projects of local and world-recognized artists – for free. Craters of the Moon Art Commissioned by the Sun Valley Center for the Arts in conjunction with the City of Ketchum, two sculptures were created as part of the Craters of the Moon National Park Service Centennial and now live permanently in Sun Valley: Spur and Homage to the Limber Pine John Grade is an internationally renowned sculptor. His creation, Spur, which finds its home along the Wood River Valley bike path, was inspired by the unique geology found in Craters of the Moon. The life-size sculpture is made from Alaskan cedar and was modeled after a digital scan of a lava tube. Visitors can walk through the art piece, simulating the experience of exploring caves within the Craters of the …

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Arts & Culture, Biking, Fly Fishing, Hiking, Summer

5 Reasons Why Sun Valley Summers Shine

With the mountains in full bloom, a bevy of outdoor pursuits, and a seemingly endless array of festivals and special events, they make it their mission to ensure each weekend is more epic than the last. With plenty of room in the suitcase without the bulky boots and winter gear, get ready for playtime because there is no off-season in Sun Valley’s mountainous backyard.

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Arts & Culture, Summer

Sun Valley: A Place for Flannel-Loving Hipsters

Within a day’s drive of trend-setting Portland, and with the help of nonstop flights into Hailey’s SUN airport, big-town hipster culture has permeated the west. The influence of well-read, big-rimmed glasses-wearing and flannel-loving thirty-something’s has even infiltrated the small resort town of Sun Valley. Here, microbreweries, handcrafted cocktails, great coffee and beard-trimming locations abound, making the trend-adverse hipster, feel at home. Take a walk in a pair of Birkenstocks, and try out Sun Valley, “hipster-style”.

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Arts & Culture, Summer

How to Ketch’em Alive this Summer

Ketch’em Alive is a free summer concert series that takes place every Tuesday from 7:00PM to 9:00PM at Forest Service Park. National and regional music acts ranging from folk to electronica light up the stage as the sun goes down. Getting ready for a night of music in the park is more an art than a science. Read on for our essential guide to Ketch’em Alive.

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Arts & Culture, Summer

The Artsy Side of Sun Valley

Let me tell you a little secret, there is more to Sun Valley than what meets the eye. Between the epic mountain biking, skiing and hiking lives a vibrant arts and culture scene. Read on to plan your own dose of refinement next time you’re in our mountain town.

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Arts & Culture, Summer

An Eventful Summer in Sun Valley, ID – 2017

  Every summer adventure conquerers are drawn out of the wood work to Sun Valley, Idaho in search of something special. For some, the lure is the 400+ miles of singletrack mountain biking trails, the endless hiking opportunities or even the rod-torquing trout lurking in the various waters are the sacred quests. For others, Sun Valley’s hybridization of adventure and culture are what truly satiate their cravings. The myriad of events that go down each summer are plentiful enough to please audiences far and wide. This year is no different. Have a look and see what the 2017 summer line-up has in-store. Summer Events & Festivals Mountain Biking Running Arts Music

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Arts & Culture, Dining, Spring

Idaho Craft Beer Month – Sun Valley Style

Idaho is rich in all things beer from the finest of ingredients to the beloved finished product. Idaho Brewers United and Idaho Tourism took it upon themselves to pay tribute to the flourishing beer culture in the state by dedicating April as the official Idaho Craft Beer Month. While we may be small here in Sun Valley, we have plenty to be proud of when it comes to contributing to Idaho’s beer pride. We’ve put together a few ways to maximize the Idaho Beer Month experience in Sun Valley and beyond. Fun Idaho Beer Facts Gelande Quaffing Sawtooth Regional Gelande Quaffing Championships | April 7 Local Sun Valley Breweries Sawtooth Brewery Warfield Distillery & Brewery Sun Valley Brewing Company River Bend Brewing Best Places to Enjoy a Beer The Power House Grumpy’s Lefty’s Wiseguy’s Don’t forget the breweries listed above (with the exception of River Bend)! Other Great Idaho Breweries to Check Out With the 50+ breweries in Idaho, we didn’t have room to list them all. Check out the Visit Idaho page for a few more listings or scan the Google search to find one closest to you! Photo of Earnest Hemingway by John Bryson 1959     Now that you’ve got the info, venture out …