Coeur D'Alene Summer Festival

You can be pretty sure that if you are walking around Coeur d'Alene Idaho during the first weekend in August and you live someplace in the Northwest, you will meet someone you know! Over 50,000 people come from all over for Art on The Green and the companion activities.

DOWNTOWN STREET FAIR

Main street, Sherman Avenue is closed off for 6 blocks to allow merchants to set up booths outside their stores as well as merchants who do not have stores but travel around from city to city exhibiting their 'stores'. There are arts and crafts, food, clothing, outdoor furniture, sporting equipment, anything you can imagine.

TASTE OF THE COEUR D'ALENES

In the city park there is the Taste of the Coeur d'Alenes. Many of the restaurants in town set up booths to serve up their most popular selections. Others such as caterers, butchers, offer their own specialties. Beach vendors selling hot dogs, cotton candy, drinks and lots of huckleberry treats such as ice cream, ices, tea, and sundaes with huckleberry syrup. In the park there are picnic tables and wide open green spaces for blankets. The children's play area provides many hours of fun and giggles in the maze, climbing, sliding, swinging. On the bandstand, there is periodic live entertainment. On the edge of the park is the Human Rights Education Center, which offers educational/historical exhibits.

ART ON THE GREEN

Then, the big attraction is the 41 year old Art on the Green which includes a juried art show and over 100 vendors from Oregon, Washington, Montana, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, and all of Idaho, who set up shop on the grounds of old Fort Sherman on the campus of North Idaho College overlooking lake Coeur d'Alene. The setting alone is magnificent with ancient trees, colorful shrubs and acres of green lawn.

"Art on the Green is a marketplace, performance space and a gathering place for friends and families, this yearly event is the highlight of the summer in Coeur d'Alene. This summer, 135-plus artists, a variety of performers and over 500 volunteers come together to present Art on the Green for more than 50,000 people to enjoy. "

"Art on the Green is a great place to buy handcrafted works in glass, clay, leather, wood, metal and fiber directly from the artists. Or if you prefer, create your own special art in the hands-on-art sections for children and adults- materials and instructions provided. Enjoy a variety of food selections- old favorites and new additions." www.artonthegreen.org

Coordinated by the Citizens Council on the Arts who screen all the vendors for quality, uniqueness and price, as well as oversee the jurried show. With a wide variety of vendors, it's possible to find wonderful treasures at every price level making this an event everyone can enjoy and take pride in.

Center Stage offers up a schedule of entertainment from the schools, local talent and a surprise performance each year by a well-known performer. Previous years have delighted audiences with Native American drumming and dancing, an Asian dance troop, Comedy teams from Montana and a host of talent from the area.

The Events begin on Friday at noon and run until 7PM Friday and Saturday. The gates open at 10AM on Saturday and Sunday and close at 4PM on Sunday.

For a really wonderful treat, the highly acclaimed Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre, rated one of the top 10 Summer Theaters in the country by USA Today will be performing "Dames at Sea" at the North Idaho College Schuller Auditorium on July 31, August 1 & 2. Tickets: www.cdasummertheatre.com

There is a free shuttle bus running between Ft. Sherman and Downtown but if possible, its wonderful to walk along the shore of the lake between venues and take in all the wonderful arts, crafts and foods in each section.

www.cdavisitorsbureau.org

www.coeurdalene.org.