Events & What’s Happening
Community event celebrating Boise's iconic foothills with guided hikes, mountain bike demos, environmental education booths, and family activities.
💡Great introduction to the foothills trail system for families new to Boise; easy trails are clearly marked for young hikers.
Celebration along the Boise Greenbelt featuring live music, a parade, fireworks, and family activities along the river corridor.
💡The greenbelt path makes it easy to walk with strollers; arrive early to claim a shaded spot near the water.
One of Idaho's largest fairs featuring carnival rides, livestock shows, 4-H exhibits, concerts, and classic fair food at Expo Idaho.
💡Purchase wristbands for unlimited rides on weekdays when crowds are lighter and prices are lower.
Annual celebration of LGBTQ+ community held in Julia Davis Park featuring a parade, live entertainment, food vendors, and family-friendly activities.
💡The festival area in Julia Davis Park is walkable and close to the zoo, making it easy to combine both in one day.
One of the largest art festivals in the Pacific Northwest held in Julia Davis Park, featuring hundreds of artists, live music, and food vendors.
💡Kids enjoy the hands-on art activities and face painting; mornings are best before the crowds and heat build up.
Seasonal outdoor ice skating rink set up in downtown Boise near The Grove Plaza, open from late November through January.
💡Skate rentals are available on-site; weekday evenings are less crowded and easier for young first-time skaters.
Multi-day indie music and arts festival in downtown Boise with over 400 bands, plus Kidfort, a dedicated programming area for children.
💡Kidfort offers free family-friendly performances and art activities during afternoon hours — check the schedule in advance.
Weekly outdoor market at Shoreline Park featuring local produce, meats, baked goods, flowers, crafts, and food vendors along the Boise River.
💡Kids love the local honey and jam samples; arrive before 10am to avoid the rush and snag the best produce.
Downtown Boise's beloved Saturday market on 8th Street featuring local vendors, street food, live music, and artisan goods.
💡The market stretches several city blocks — bring a carrier for toddlers and grab a crepe from one of the popular food stalls.
Free weekly storytime sessions at Boise Public Library branches for children ages 2–6 featuring books, songs, and simple crafts.
💡Sessions fill quickly at the main branch downtown; check the library website for branch-specific schedules and age groups.
The Boise River Greenbelt offers a paved 25-mile path ideal for family biking and walking on weekend mornings, with multiple park access points.
💡Start at Barber Park and ride west toward downtown for the flattest, most scenic stretch suitable for young cyclists.
Weekend up-close animal presentations and keeper talks at Zoo Boise in Julia Davis Park, included with zoo admission.
💡Check the daily schedule at the entrance; the bird and reptile presentations are especially popular with elementary-age kids.
Planning Your Visit
Neighborhoods & Areas
Local Tips for Families
- 💡Rent tubes for the Boise River float at Barber Park — the city shuttle from Eckert Road back to Barber Park runs every 20 minutes and is included in the $5 vehicle parking fee, making it a self-contained half-day adventure for under $60 total for a family of 4 with rented tubes.
- 💡The World Center for Birds of Prey off South Cole Road offers free admission on the first Tuesday of each month — this is Boise's most underrated family attraction and the global headquarters for peregrine falcon recovery research, with live raptor demonstrations at 10am and 2pm daily.
- 💡Camel's Back Park playground is shaded and one of the best in the city, but the parking lot holds only about 30 cars — locals park on the neighborhood streets along Heron Street and walk in, which takes 3 extra minutes and always has space.
- 💡The Boise Saturday Farmers Market at 8th and Bannock runs April through November and is one of the largest in the Pacific Northwest — go before 10am to avoid crowds and grab a warm Basque chorizo egg wrap from one of the vendors for breakfast while kids run the surrounding plaza.
- 💡Bogus Basin Road is a 16-mile drive from downtown and offers free hiking and mountain biking access in summer — the Mountain House lodge serves food on weekends from June through August, and the chairlift runs for scenic rides on summer weekends for $15/person, with kids under 6 free.
- 💡Julia Davis Park's Idaho State Museum completely renovated in 2018 and is free for children under 6 and just $10 for adults — park at the free lot off Myrtle Street rather than the metered spots on Broadway, and combine it with the free Boise Zoo entry for Idaho EBT cardholders on the first Tuesday of each month.
- 💡The Payette River whitewater outside of Banks, Idaho (about 1 hour north of Boise on Highway 55) has commercially guided family rafting trips with outfitters like Cascade Raft that offer 'family float' sections appropriate for kids as young as 4, typically running $55–75 per person with advance booking on weekdays.
- 💡Hyde Park's Goody's Soda Fountain on 13th Street has been a North End institution for decades and still makes hand-dipped milkshakes and phosphates — go between 2–4pm on weekdays to get a seat without waiting, and ask for the huckleberry shake, which is a Pacific Northwest flavor you won't find at chain creameries.