around town

If you’re looking for an easy excuse to wander downtown and call it “culture,” the Idaho Falls Art Walk is back for 2026, doing exactly what it’s always done best: putting local creativity front and center and giving you a reason to slow down for a couple hours.

Held on the first Thursday of each month from 5 to 8 p.m., the Art Walk turns downtown into a walkable gallery circuit. Shops, galleries and studios open their doors, walls get covered in fresh work, and the sidewalks fill with people bouncing from stop to stop. It’s free, no tickets, no pressure. Just show up and start walking.

You’ll find everything from traditional painting and photography to experimental pieces, ceramics and whatever else local artists are cooking up that month. In 2026, the Art Walk also lines up with a broader calendar of exhibitions and events through the Idaho Falls Arts Council, including rotating gallery shows and seasonal receptions that keep the content fresh month to month.

There’s no set route and no wrong way to do it. Start anywhere, follow the crowd, double back if something catches your eye. It’s equal parts art show and downtown hang.

For artists, it’s exposure. For downtown, it’s foot traffic. For everyone else, it’s a low-effort night out that doesn’t require reservations or a plan. For more information contact the Idaho Falls Arts Council at 208-522-0471 or visit idahofallsarts.org.

The 31st Annual Mountain Brewers Beer Fest returns to Idaho Falls on Saturday, June 6, bringing one of the Northwest’s largest single-day beer events back to Sandy Downs. Running from noon to 5 p.m., the 21-and-over festival features more than 100 breweries pouring hundreds of beers, along with hard seltzers, ciders and other craft beverages.

Expect a full afternoon setup: live music, food vendors, raffles and a silent auction, all under roughly 40,000 square feet of tent space. The event is volunteer-powered, with proceeds supporting local charities and scholarships.

Tickets run $40 in advance and $50 the week of the event, with no gate sales and limited capacity, so planning ahead is part of the deal. It’s a simple formula that’s worked for three decades: a summer afternoon, a tasting glass and more taps than you can reasonably get to before last call.

For all the bubbly deets, visit mbbf.org. Cheers!