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Arts & Culture

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 …

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24hrs with a Local

24hrs with a Local: Travis McDaniel, November

Local singer/songwriter Travis McDaniel can be found playing weekly gigs at the Duchin Lounge and bi-weekly gigs at the Limelight, playing a mix of jazz, bossa nova, funk, and neo-soul on his guitar, accompanied by his vocal jazz crooning.The Boise native moved to Philadelphia for about five years before moving to Ketchum in 2016 to live somewhere he could play his music while also doing the skiing, fishing, and mountain biking he grew up doing and loves.

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Dining

Beer Buffs and Hopheads Guide to Sun Valley’s Beer Scene

With the boom of breweries around the country, more and more people seem to have a growing interest in, not only beer, but the company it brings. That doesn’t stop in a small mountain town!

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24hrs with a Local

24hrs with a Local: Sun Valley Wine Company’s Dexter & Crystal McKenzie, September

Covid and quarantine brought many new people to town, who perhaps came just to hunker down for a few weeks or months but then couldn’t imagine living elsewhere. This was the case for Dexter and Crystal McKenzie, new owners of the Wine Co. along with Crystal’s parents Gayle and Jim Phillips. Gayle and Jim have been homeowners in Ketchum for 33 years, hosting the family each Christmas for a little skiing and vacay away from Dexter and Crystal’s home in Olympia, Washington. Like every other year, the couple came to visit the Phillips in Ketchum for Christmas of 2020 to ski, but two weeks turned into four months turned into “let’s put our house on the market and move to Ketchum,” in the words of Dexter. The couple has been running an online women’s boutique and decided to look for a new opportunity in Ketchum; Gayle and Jim were retired, but were also ready for a bit of adventure. After seeing a description of a 27-year-old Ketchum business for sale and realizing it was the Wine Co., the foursome put in an offer right after another had fallen through, and in a moment of kismet, they suddenly found themselves the …

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24hrs with a Local

24hrs with a Local: Sun Valley Wine Auction’s Peter Burke, August

Sun Valley Museum of Art’s Peter Burke has dipped a toe into most every part of the arts there is since graduating from NYU Tisch School of the Arts years ago; he has been at SVMoA since 2018, but before that he worked as an experiential and creative producer, producing events for Google, the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, and more. He is one of the co-founders of Ketchum theater The Spot and can often be seen gracing the stage in their productions. When not in his role as Development Director and Wine Auction Director at SVMoA, he continues to teach barre classes at Zenergy, which he has done for the last eight years. As a young 30-something who grew up in and out of this Valley, Peter knows just how to have a perfect summer day, whether that’s getting inner tubes at Les Schwab to float a section of the Big Wood River or getting blocks of ice from Veltex to sled down grassy hills. Peter and his husband, Daniel, live in west Ketchum with their cat, Zelda (who can often be found sneaking into Sushi on Second searching for scraps of fish). When there is a moment of free …

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24hrs with a Local

24hrs with a Local: Rescue Trainer & Brewer Paul Holle, July

Paul Holle is a man about town, someone who, even if you don’t know personally, you’ve probably seen at some point, whether it’s at one of the Sawtooth Brewery locations, teaching a Wilderness First Aid class, or shuttling his children around town. After homebrewing his own ales, Holle went pro in 2012 when he helped open craft brewery Sawtooth Brewery in both Ketchum and Hailey. The next year, Holle helped start Idaho Rescue Training, which offers wilderness emergency medical courses to everyone from lay responders to outdoor professionals. He, his wife, Colleen; their two kids, 4-year-old Bryce and 8-month-old Theo; and their dog and cat live in Hailey, spending their free time taking family camping trips in the camper, rafting, hiking, and enjoying life in the Wood River Valley. In the July edition of 24hrs in Sun Valley, we’ve asked Paul to describe his perfect day. How does your perfect morning start? Paul: Sleeping in, cooking waffles with the kids, and drinking coffee. I like to put fresh berries in them and whipped cream on top. Then maybe go for a hike with the kids with the little one napping in the backpack and the four-year-old hiking at toddler speed. We …

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24hrs with a Local

24hrs with a Local: Wyatt Caldwell, June

The Caldwell family is well-known in the Wood River Valley; as lifetime locals, their presence can be felt in various aspects of the community, such as patriarch Will Caldwell’s art gallery that was next to the Cellar for many years and his starting of the live music event Ketch’em Alive over 20 years ago (though he’s since passed it on to the city to run). Or mom Julie Caldwell, seen at every Farmer’s Market or daily Zenergy classes. After 20 years spent as a professional snowboarder traveling the globe and taking note of some of the best film and photo practices in the sport, Wyatt Caldwell has made a name for himself both in Ketchum and in media, partnering with his brother Yancy in their company Stellar Adventure Media which creates film content for clients worldwide, often involving outdoor brands and action sports. Wyatt and his wife, Lindsey, live in Northridge where they raise their two daughters, 3-year-old Fynnly and 1-year-old Rozalyn. Growing up in Ketchum with his brother and sister, Scarlet, Wyatt and Lindsey know first-hand how important it is to expose young kids to the beauty of this Valley. They do everything they can to give their daughters …

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January 24, 2022 - April 15, 2022

Sun Valley Resort Specials & Packages

Stay & Ski – Save on lodging and lift tickets Plan your winter getaway to Sun Valley, North America’s #1 ski resort two years running! Book your trip with our Stay & Ski package to save on lodging, plus get a discounted adult lift ticket for each night booked.* Subject to availability. Valid 11/29/21-12/22/21 and 1/3/22-end of season. Valid at the Sun Valley Lodge, Sun Valley Inn, and Cottages. *With the option to purchase additional lift tickets at the same discounted rate. Kids’ lift tickets also available at a discounted rate.  BOOK NOW   Idaho Staycation – Idaho residents save 20% on lodging Calling all Idaho residents! Looking for a great getaway without leaving Idaho? All Idaho residents save 20% at the Sun Valley Inn this winter, so make your plans to escape to the mountains and discover why SKI Magazine readers have ranked Sun Valley as North America’s #1 resort two years in a row. From world-class skiing and riding on Bald Mountain, to a relaxing day at Idaho’s top-ranked spa, to our selection of amazing restaurants, there’s something for everyone to enjoy here. Subject to availability. Valid 1/3-end of season. Must show valid Idaho driver license or other proof of residence at …

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Skiing & Snowboarding, Winter

McCall Vs Sun Valley

When visiting Idaho, there are plenty of different options for where to go: Boise, Stanley, Pocatello. But when deciding between a small resort town, you might come down to the decision between McCall and Sun Valley. Which to choose? There are many similarities between the two small resorts towns, but a bevy of differences to separate the winter experiences you might have in each. The populations of McCall and Ketchum are roughly the same (just under 3,000) though “Sun Valley” as a whole area encompasses a much higher number. McCall’s terrain focuses on lake life (Payette Lake being a major draw for the area especially in the summer) with more subtle mountain peaks surrounding it and a greater density of Ponderosa Pines. In Sun Valley, the terrain is ALL about the mountains—jagged peaks at high elevation surrounding you in every direction. McCall definitly sees peak traffic during the summer holidays with its large lake and boating activities. On the other hand Sun Valley is a winter Mecca that sees thousands of skiers descend on the town during December. Both towns are about 2.5 hours from the state capitol of Boise. Although the Boise airport is the main access point for …