As Boise’s weather heats up, so does the fun.

Fit as much of this as you can into your Boise trip. We dare you. 

Dine in style
Whether you want fine dining or a casual atmosphere, Boise has every kind of culinary experience you’re looking for. Start by trying The Avery, the city’s new elegant French-style restaurant. Anchored by the creativity of Michelin-starred chef Cal Elliott, it offers delicious, house-made specialties and a wide list of cocktails and wines to match your mood. You can dine indoors or out.

Another new Boise restaurant, Hotel Renegade’s Baraboo Supper Club, offers the charm of Wisconsin supper club traditions, which include heavenly prime rib, tangy relish trays and booze-infused ice cream drinks. Be sure to stop by The Highlander Rooftop Bar at the top of Hotel Renegade for cocktails, small plates and endless views. Take a seat inside or cozy up near an outdoor fire pit.

If you’re looking for more open-air experiences, head to 8th Street, a dining and shopping area known as the heart of Boise. It’s home to a dozen local restaurants and bars, as well as a summer Saturday farmer’s market and Freak Alley (see below for more info about both). You’ll find some of Boise’s most popular patios on this pedestrian-only street, including Fork, Bittercreek Alehouse, Tupelo Honey, Eureka and many more. 

We dare you to share a signature flight of ice cream and beer or wine pairings at The STIL. 

Raise a glass

Downtown Boise is home to many locally-owned tasting rooms, many of which are accessible by walking or biking via the Boise Greenbelt. Bodovino and Scoria are two local favorites in downtown Boise. Right outside downtown, Garden City also has many wineries and tasting rooms near the Greenbelt, including Cinder, Telaya Wine Co. and Split Rail Winery. One of Garden City’s newest wine scene additions is Proletariat Wine Company, which features an outdoor patio and rooftop terrace. If you’re really feeling adventurous, head to the nearby Sunnyslope Region in Caldwell and try a locally made wine at one of the many vineyards.

If you’d rather chill at a brewery or taproom, Boise has plenty of those too, most within walking distance of one another. Their approaches to making beer are different, but they all share a collective passion: creating unforgettable brews. Boise Brewing, Lost Grove Brewing and Payette Brewing are all great choices. Garden City is also home to many off-the-beaten-path breweries, including Western Collective, Powderhaus and Barbarian Brewing.

We dare you to go on a pub crawl in Garden City.

Time to shop
Downtown Boise has the perfect mix of local boutiques and national retailers. Local favorites include The Record Exchange, Mixed Greens and Banana Ink. At nearby Meridian, The Village at Meridian features upscale outdoor shopping in a European-style setting with designer apparel, specialty retail, casual dining, a movie theater and a famous fountain with hourly shows.

If you’re in town on a weekend, be sure to stop by one of the Saturday farmers markets where local growers, producers and artisans sell produce and handmade goods to the community. Choose from two different local markets: theboisefarmersmarket.com and capitalcitypublicmarket.com.

We dare you to take home a handcrafted souvenir created by one of 60 Idaho artisans at Idaho Made, a favorite local store.

Explore our walkable city
While you’re dining on 8th Street or walking through the Capital City Public Market (local farmers market mentioned above), be sure to stroll down Freak Alley, the Northwest’s largest open-air mural gallery. Its art is always changing with new works added annually. You can find the gallery between 8th and 9th streets and Bannock and Idaho in downtown Boise.

As you’re discovering all the city has to offer, don’t forget to swing by the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial just off the walkable Greenbelt by the river. It’s the only Anne Frank Memorial in the U.S. and features a life-sized bronze statue of Anne looking out an open window. The memorial encourages people to respond to human rights issues we face in our community, country and world.

Not far from the Anne Frank Memorial is the Abraham Lincoln statue in Julia Davis Park. The statue, which first appeared in 2010, is an enlarged replica of the famous image of Lincoln seated on a bench created by Idaho-born sculptor Gutzon Berglum. Davis family lore says early Boise pioneer Tom Davis personally knew Abraham Lincoln in Illinois in the 1840s before migrating west. Tom donated the land now known as Julia Davis Park.

We dare you to explore one or more of Boise’s many museums while you’re in town — Boise Art Museum, Basque Museum & Cultural Center or Idaho Black History Museum. 

Watch Boise come alive at night
When the sun goes down, the city does anything but slow down. The popular Alive After 5 concert series runs from June through August every Wednesday in the Grove Plaza in downtown Boise. The event lasts from 5 to 8 p.m. and is completely free. Bogus Basin also has a free concert series on the mountain at an elevation of about 7,000 feet. Be sure to bring your own lawn chairs and blankets.

Another open-air music experience can be found at the Idaho Botanical Garden’s summer outdoor music series on the historic Outlaw Field. The concerts feature internationally known recording artists and you can see who’s playing here.

If you want to watch some drama unfold under the open sky, attend a play at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival from late May to early October. Tickets sell out quickly, so get yours early in the season. You’re welcome to bring your own food and drinks, and many theater-goers like to bring a picnic meal beforehand. The onsite Shakespeare Cafe is also an option to satisfy your appetite.

We dare you to grab a friend and dance like no one is watching at one of Boise’s live music venues.

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