Boise ID, which has been nicknamed as the City of Trees, offers a unique blend of attractions for people of all ages. It has both traditional and nontraditional sights and activities. Among some of the most popular is the Basque Museum and Cultural Center.
The Basque people began settling in Boise in the 1800s. Initially they generally were sheepherders, but some worked in logging and in mines. Their cultural history has been preserved in interpretive exhibits at the Basque Museum and Cultural Center which offers classes twice a week on the Basque language, houses archives of music, photographs and offers an oral history of the Basque heritage.
There is also the Knock ‘em Dead Dinner Theater which is a combination of fine arts and excellent cuisine. The venue presents theater experiences from raucous comedies to musicals to avant-garde drama. There are several other theaters with live performers in the area as well. Check out what’s running now!
If your tastes lean to more sophisticated pleasures, Ballet Idaho and the Boise Philharmonic may be more to your liking. Ballet Idaho is a professional ballet company which presents a diverse mixture of classical and contemporary works and has received national recognition as well as local acclaim.
The Boise Philharmonic is the oldest performing arts organization in Idaho and performs fourteen Masterworks per season, in addition to new works by Idaho composers Jim Cockey and David Alan Earnest. Additionally, the Boise Philharmonic is known to perform not only in the concert auditorium at the Morrison Center, but also performs at the Swayne Auditorium in Nampa and in schools and smaller venues.
A trip to the Boise Valley, and particularly to Nampa, ID wouldn’t be complete unless you actually got to experience a rodeo. One of the best known is the Snake River Stampede. Housed in an enclosed arena, the Snake River Stampede is one of the top 12 PRCA rodeos featuring both saddle and bareback bronc riding, steer wrestling, team roping, and, of course, bull riding. There are pre-rodeo events better known as Snake River Dayz which provide activities for ten days of fun!
If you want to learn more about Boise, the area and it history, you can visit the Idaho Historical Museum. Visitors to this facility will be able to listen to the whispers of the old pioneers as they relate the history of how the frontier was tamed and Idaho was settled. The primary cultures featured in this historical venue are the pre-historic, Native American, Basque and Chinese cultures.
There’s plenty of activity in the Boise Valley to keep you busy. But don’t worry. Between all these venues and attractions you will find plenty of great shopping and good eating located in or near the entertainment venues as well as throughout the area to enjoy. Boise Valley has it all and it is waiting for you to come and enjoy!
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