Dec. 3
STARTING THE
SEASON WITH JOY
There's tons to do around the Inland Northwest during the holiday season, so it can feel overwhelming to pick an activity. However, if you ask Riverfront Park Director Jonathan Moog what to do, he recommends spending a day (or days) at Numerica Skate Ribbon during its eighth season since opening in 2017.
"I think one of the things that makes the skate ribbon unique is it really provides a stage for the holidays. People come down to enjoy the holidays together as families, so it's a very family-friendly experience," Moog says. "We see about 70% of our attendance between now and the end of December. That's huge. I mean, that distinguishes us from other types of rinks and venues."
The ribbon — not rink — welcomes more than 30,000 visitors every year. In the ice skating world, rinks and ribbons are worlds apart, Moog says.
"So, a rink is an oval. It's solely solid in the middle and there's just one rail that goes all around," he explains. "A ribbon is exactly that [a ribbon]. It's a path of ice that undulates kind of around what used to be the gondola meadow, and it has different topography changes. So there's a downhill slope, and there's a gradual incline, there's flat. We have a breakout area we call the pond, which is not as big as a normal rink and there are rails all around the track."
Though there are a few things the ribbon can't do, such as host sporting events, Moog says its purpose is to make ice skating more accessible to everyone.
"You can't hold competitions here, so we lost a lot of that when we did the ribbon," he explains. "But what the ribbon does is it makes ice skating more accessible to everybody, both novices and experienced skaters. It also creates a more inviting atmosphere to come out and see, since you can actually see it from the road, too."
Throughout the skate ribbon's nearly four-month season, motorists driving along West Spokane Falls Boulevard can watch people skate gleefully along the ice track as they make the most of the wintry weather.
Guests can pay for a ticket to shred the ice for one day, or they can buy season passes for skating throughout the entire winter. Plus, in mid-December, Moog says the Lake City Skating Club is hosting Coaches Corner events, where experienced skaters will teach newbies the ropes.
"These classes will be free of charge, which I think is super cool," Moog says with a grin. "It's all part of this merry magical time of year that we're creating here in downtown Spokane."
Open through March 2, times vary by date • Day pass: $6.95-$9.95, Season pass: $28.95-$39.95 • Riverfront Park • 507 N. Howard St. • riverfrontspokane.com
Nov. 28
HUFFIN' FOR THE STUFFIN'
Imagine this: You're celebrating Thanksgiving with your loved ones, and each person has brought a scrumptious dish. You go to fill your plate but can't seem to fit everything on it, so you assure yourself that you'll try the other foods when you get seconds. However, that moment never comes as you've tragically eaten all your stomach can hold. If only you had spent the morning working up a larger appetite.
Don't panic, remember you're just imagining! There's still time to solidify your pre-feast plans. Perhaps one of the easiest ways to make room for all those holiday goodies in Spokane is the annual Huffin' for the Stuffin' race. Participants can choose between a 10k and 5k course that winds through Riverfront Park and the Gonzaga University campus. Walking and running are both allowed, and those who clock top times receive a pumpkin pie as a reward.
There are a number of Thanksgiving Day run/walk events held throughout the Inland Northwest, including the Bloomsday Road Runners' Turkey Trot at 9 am in Manito Park is another longtime tradition that raises money for Second Harvest. Meanwhile, the Cheney Turkey Trot ($5, 9 am) covers about 2 miles from its start at Cheney High School. In Liberty Lake, the 10th annual McKenzie Mott Memorial Turkey Trot 5k ($35, 9 am) begins at Selkirk Middle School.
Across the border, the North Idaho Turkey Trot ($10-$27, 9 am) starts at Riverstone Park in Coeur d'Alene. And in rural North Idaho, the Wallace Food Bank Turkey Trot ($10, 10 am) is celebrating its second anniversary.
8:50-10:45 am • $35-$45 • U-District PT • 730 N. Hamilton St. • nsplit.com
Nov. 29
LIGHTING
CEREMONY
PARADE
For more than three decades, the Coeur d'Alene Lighting Ceremony Parade has marked the start of the winter holiday season. The parade, which is celebrating its 32nd anniversary in 2024, fills Sherman Avenue with festive floats, merrily marching bands, and joyful displays of both music and dancing. The parade starts at 5 pm and travels west from Eighth Street to the intersection of Government Way and Northwest Boulevard. Once the parade has finished, attendees can make their way to the Coeur d'Alene Resort's lawn, where they'll be met by carolers and a countdown to a celebratory fireworks display backed by picturesque Lake Coeur d'Alene. Afterwards, the city flips the switch on the more than 1.5 million lights affixed throughout the downtown area, brightening the streets during the darkest days of the year.
5-7:30 pm • Free • Downtown Coeur d'Alene • cdadowntown.com
Nov. 30
SLIGHTLY WEST OF SPOKANE
ARTISTS STUDIO TOUR
Artists don't only live in well-traveled parts of the world. Their presence extends well beyond any city's boundaries into every small community, and small-town artists deserve just as much attention as any other. The Slightly West of Spokane Artists Studio Tour was created 14 years ago to showcase artists living outside Spokane's city limits. Today, the event has grown to include 14 artists across seven locations throughout Medical Lake and Cheney. At Roam Coffee in Medical Lake, you'll find gorgeous floral paintings by Nicole Nutt and earthy ceramic pieces by Amanda Shepard. Then at the Cheney Public Library, see pieces by relief print artist Gayle Havercroft, scenic photography from Faith King, and colorful fiber art from Rosanne Anderson. A map of all locations and more about all of this year's participating artists can be found online.
9 am-4 pm • Free • Medical Lake and Cheney, locations vary • slightlywestofspokane.com
Dec. 1
ADRIANO FERRARO:
A CHRISTMAS CONCERT
Music is a huge part of celebrating Christmas. We've got all kinds of jaunty little tunes feting every aspect of the holiday from the snowy weather to the jolly fat man who delivers presents thanks to his flying reindeer (and which may have accidentally struck someone's grandma). Though there are a lot of unserious songs, serious jazz singers like Adriano Ferraro make the most of the selection to provide tons of music each winter. At Ferraro's Christmas concert in Spokane, he'll be singing some Yuletide classics along with other songs from his Be Ready tour. Plus, he'll serenade the audience with iconic songs from the repertoire of Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra.
3 pm • $26-$33 • Bing Crosby Theater • 901 W. Sprague Ave. • bingcrosbytheater.com
Dec. 2
HOLIDAY GARLAND PRINTMAKING
WORKSHOP
Decorating for the holidays can be expensive, so why not take the time early in the month to learn how to make your own decorations? At Emerge, an art gallery and creative space in downtown Coeur d'Alene, local printmaker Bethany Phillips leads a one-day workshop to teach participants how to create their own holiday-themed garlands. During the event, she'll walk folks through making their own printing stamp, which is then used to stamp tons of small pieces of fabric. (Pro tip: Come prepared with ideas for your printing stamp.) Once the stamping process is complete, Phillips teaches how to string the printed fabric together into a ready-to-display holiday decoration.
5 pm • $50 • Emerge • 119 N. Second St., Coeur d'Alene • emergecda.com
Dec. 4
CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE
There are so many productions these days that combine the joyfulness of the circus with traditional theatrical performances, but one that stands out among the rest during the holiday season is Cirque Dreams Holidaze. This 90-minute show, which is performed annually across the country, brings its horde of dancers, acrobats and aerialists to the Inland Northwest as a special holiday treat. The production pulls inspiration from traditional symbols of the season, such as penguins, toy soldiers and magical reindeer. Attendees also get to enjoy an original music score filled with new takes on Christmas classics like "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and "Carol of the Bells."
7:30-9:30 pm • $52-$102 • First Interstate Center for the Arts • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • firstinterstatecenter.org