Sooooo here's my opinion. This event was nothing but awesome when it was at the convention center…read more3? Years ago. I have not returned until this evening. The bands are great and very entertaining. Most importantly, the beer is gut (good)! However, the food (except for your typical brat) isn't what it used to be and quality has gone down. The atmosphere though seemed pretty off. I do want to put emphasis in the fact that this is not due to any of the bands. The bands, especially the Alpine Band California, were amazing and very engaging with the crowd. I just feel like everything else was very lackluster. Maybe it was because it was snowing and pouring rain that people were scrambling trying not to get wet outside but something just felt off. My overall opinion, great for beer and dance. I wouldnt recommend it for food though.

My first time at Oktoberfest! Had a wonderful time. Music and games are going on inside and outside…read morein large tents. Family friendly event with many families enjoying themselves. Everywhere I turned there were people dressed in lederhosen. Various German foods to try and of course German beer!

Given this was the first year back in two years I didn't expect a whole lot. There were hardly any…read morevendors and most were the same stuff you find all the time and same stuff you see at the fair. Most vendors weren't even food just arts and crafts. Ended up paying $20 for three tacos with dry meat and a flavorless salsa bar. Maybe next year.

Pig Out in the Park is always a good gig, and this year's event was packed, with a decent line-up…read moreof traditional and ecclectic vendors. Weather was perfect. Prices were all over the map, but there were affordable treasures, along with some old favorites. I never expect michelin star quality food here, but honestly, who would? It's fair food and fun once a year. That said, here is our report card for vendor's visited in 2018 (in reverse order): 12. Island Noodles (Veg Yakisoba). Terrible, salty yuk-fest. Your 6th grader could make a better stir fry at home with spaghetti and a bag of frozen vegetables. Portion for the price was ridiculous. 11. Porteous BBQ (Pulled Pork & Ribs). Take a can of spray paint, and cover the letters, 'BBQ' on your trailer. Roasted meat and a squeeze of sauce is not barbecue. Embarrassing. 10. Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs (Corn Dog). Overdone. Crust literally fell off while you were eating it. In their defense, it's hard to get the bacon cooked right and still have an edible crust. 9. MacDaddies (Bacon Mac). Mac & cheese that had been sitting around for quite a while, with--I think--some bacon in it. Might have been the most surprisingly disappointing item we ordered. 8. Taste of India (Several Items). Dumbed down for a senior's palate. Naan was made off-property and reheated. Somosas were mashed potato hell. Veg Pakoras were heavy on chickpea flour--very light on veg. 7. Greek Flame (Lamb Gyro). Traditional presentation, but the 'lamb' was definitely a mystery meat. It looked more like the Vietnamese sausage you see in Pho'. 6. Piggly's BBQ (Brisket Sandwiches). Nice try. But rotisserie pit beef (bottom round) is not brisket, and shouldn't be advertised as such. Decent flavor, but still misrepresentation considering the price. 5. Philly Bro's (Philly). Nice portion. A little overcooked, but at least it was shaved ribeye. It was fairly priced, and wound up being the biggest sammie we ordered this weekend. 4. Bleohm Chocolate (Monkey Tail). Well crafted dessert. For something dipped and decorated in an expedient manner, it was very eye appealing and tasty. 3. Azar's (Beef/Lamb Gyro). Always the first thing we get, because....it's always the first thing we get. Perhaps not as big as we've had in recent years, but no less delicious. They are pros. 2. Oyster Bay (Oysters on a Stick/Lobster Roll). These guys can come back every year. Lobster Roll was a surprise for the affordable price, and the oysters were fresh. Bonus that fries came with both. 1. Doner Haus (Steak Doner). So good. Obviously hand made bread, fresh veg fixin's, generous meat component, and a nice squeeze of sriracha. Thank you sir, may I have another. Congratulations to the event planners, and all the hard working vendors. We'll do it all again in 2019. I'm sure we will have lost all the weight we put on this weekend by then...

My hubby and I just got back from this event, and it was so much fun! Completely worth the stomach…read moreache and brain fog I'm going to have due to all of the gluten and carbs I ate! Some of our favorite food trucks were: Brain Freeze Creamery--their Raspachio and Grey Tea ice cream are amazing!! The creaminess and flavors are spot on! The Scoop--Raspberry Rhubarb is a sweet and tart explosion, and the Coffee Toffee is super creamy and not overly sweet. Roast House--I mean, really. Enough said. Auggie's Drivin' Diner--perfection on a bun. And we also bought garlic seasoned fries--pretty tasty! Christ Kitchen--their lentils with chipolte cream was so flavorful! Great curry and cilantro yumminess! Mac Daddy--So, so creamy with a hint of smoky goodness from the bacon! Meltz--Fantastic grilled cheese! Everything they should be; buttery bread, gooey cheese-yum! The Shameless Sausage--a flavor explosion. Wow. I may have found my new guilty pleasure. Our not so favorites: Kona Ice--ummm, tasted like someone melted down a crayon and poured it over ice. Very waxy and artificial tasting. Tacos Tijuna--the meat, while it had good flavor, was dry and tough. Jamaican Jerk Pan--really good flavor, but the rice was very mushy and overdone, and that kind of overshadowed the whole dish. Gotta mention 3 Ninjas: Well done! They served Orange Chicken, and it was dynamite! It's not fried, for once, which was a nice surprise! Personally, I like more ginger, but my hubby loved it, and he's an Orange Chicken connoisseur! Roman Pizza Chariot: very tasty pizza! Love that it's brick oven! NY style it is not, but that's ok! Great nonetheless!

I love the Fall Folk Festival!…read more This place is always hopping and there's such an abundance of local talent in music and the arts. The energy is contagious. I personally like to take in as much live music as possible. They bring in artists representing a diversity of world styles, but naturally with an emphasis on folk traditions. The Laird Auditorium is a solid venue with strong acoustics. Food and drink... *shrug* IMHO there's room for improvement here. I've typically just seen "bake sale" kind of stuff with bottled soda, rice krispie squares, muffins and the like. Maybe I'm just not looking hard enough since I don't come for the food. Cost of admission is low. On the order of $5 or so.

This is the inaugural event for what will hopefully become an annual festival. I'm not actually a…read morebeer drinker, but my spouse is, and he loved it. Locals represent! Great selection of local craft brewers, about 30 today (40 listed for the opening night last night). Food from local vendors: Thai, Greek, BBQ, ice cream. There were hard cider booths and homemade root beer for us non-partakers and a few games set up for people who brought kids. Mainly, however, it was an adult event. And a well-planned one at that, with plenty of seating and facilities far beyond the number of visitors. Not too busy yet, since it's the first year, but I imagine it will ramp up quickly, as it should. A really fun time! We'll be back next year.

I'm sure it was a lovely time. I don't know, I had no inclination to go. Unfortunately, the blaring…read morelive music was rattling my windows blocks away, down in Peaceful Valley. Nothing says, "weekend relaxing after a week of unpaid overtime" like brass horns and vocalists who go flat more often than they're on pitch. Thanks for that.

A free annual arts festival featuring music, food trucks, drinks, and scores of local artist…read morebooths. Apparently, the Northwest Museum of Arts and Cultire organizes it and 2018 was their 33rd year! It was held in Coeur d'Alene Park in 2018 but I'm not sure if it lives there exclusively. It ran Friday to Sunday with special events and performances throughout. Artist selection was average to strong with perhaps 50+ individual vendors. Prices are about what you'd expect, which is to say 30-50% more than what seems reasonable. Still, I saw some beautiful original paintings for around $300+ which isn't bad at all. There's a healthy mix of style, from crowd pleasing Pier-1 Importsy junk to boutiquey crafty "up-cycled" junk to the occasional purveyor of uncompromsing singular artistic visions. Whew. Wood, silver nitrate, clay, bone, antler, acrylic, cotton, pewter, glass, pixels... whatever. The world is a wellspring. Some merchants are cash only so come prepared. There's an ATM on-site but who wants those fees eh? There were around a dozen odd food trucks in 2018. Bathrooms are port-a-potties and they were impeccably clean and hardly touched the old gag reflex. The neighborhood gets parked up fast so arrive before 10am and save some hassle. The area seems to be experiencing a hipster renaissance, so be prepared to pay extra for local dining and have roll protection for your ocular balls secured well in advance. Overall an outstanding time and FREE!

For over 18 years, SpIFF has brought international cinema to Spokane! They always screen something…read morefor everyone - narrative, documentary, shorts and animation! Not only does the festival screen films you wouldn't be able to see anywhere else, but it always hosts special events such as parties, filmmaker panels, special screenings and art events!

The best New Year's Eve party is held in Downtown Spokane…read more Since 2001, more than 100,000 people have attended First Night Spokane, making it the biggest and best New Year's Celebration in the Inland Northwest. First Night features a combination of visual and performing arts and takes over downtown businesses, event centers and streets. There's a party going on and the whole family is invited. So bundle up and join the fun. The experience of First Night is up to you to customize as there's so much going on that you can't do it all. But here's what to expect. *The biggest New Year's party EVER. A festival of the Arts. *One of the best fireworks shows of the year in Riverfront Park. *So many choices. You can see chainsaw ice carving and then Irish dancing. You can listen to African drumming, rock and roll, the Spokane Symphony, and Big Band Swing all in one night. *Take in the Children's parade, watch street performers and the popular snowboard rail jam in Riverfront Park. If you get cold there's plenty going on inside and you can always warm up by the bonfire with a hot cocoa or a latte. There is more entertainment than you can possibly take in. Each adult will need a First Night button, which runs $12 when purchased in advance. There are a number of locations where you can get buttons in advance or they will have them for sale downtown New Year's Eve. Go to www.firstnightspokane.org for locations to purchase buttons and a detailed schedule to plan your night. Kids 10 and under accompanied by a button wearing adult are free. On New Year's Eve, just dress warm, pin on your button, and come join the party. Several downtown hotels have First Night packages available.