Things To Do in Coeur d’Alene During The Summer (5 Ideas!)
The city of Coeur d’Alene has grown significantly over the past decade, leaving much more to be explored than ever before. With that being said, I must also say there are plenty of traditional seasonal activities upheld by the citizens of Coeur d’Alene that I can’t simply ignore here today. Let’s get into exploring some of our community’s favorites:
5. Coeur d’Alene Farmer’s Market in Downtown
Summer & fall fun.
Our beloved farmer’s market is run and cared for by The Kootenai County Farmers’ Market Association – a non-profit formed with purpose.
In 1986, the Kootenai County Farmers’ Market began providing fresh produce and an evolving array of locally sourced products. They’ve grown from a small group of enthusiasts to 100 hundred vendors scattered across their prime locations.
Their Hayden, ID location is catty-corner to a busy intersection, nestled in a tree of ponderosa pines with its iconic matching maroon vendor booths. According to the Kootenai Farmer’s Market website, this location runs between May through October every Saturday.
Downtown in Coeur d’Alene, the location keeping the community coming back for more, takes up a whole stretch of 5th St. from Front St. across Sherman Ave. to Lakeside Ave. every Wednesday from May through September.
For a complete list of vendors you can expect to find at the Kootenai County Farmer’s Market, we highly recommend checking out their website at kootenaifarmersmarket.org
2. Tubbs Hill Hiking Trails
Scenic Lake Views, Moments from Downtown Cd’A
This trail provides stunning views of the lake literally. every. day. of the year. I could not recommend a better time of year to enjoy a hike around Tubbs Hill than any day you could possibly make it to Tubbs Hill for a hike – It’s that perfect.
A Bit of History on Tubbs Hill
Let’s start with a bit of history of how this gem came to be: According to The Friends of Tubbs Hill, a man named – you guessed it right, Tony Tubbs, bought the land in the 1800s… 138 acres of land to be exact. There’s quite an extensive history behind Tubbs Hill, how the strength of community outweighed money and greed coming together to save the hill from being all residential housing in the 1800s or a convention center approved by the then-mayor of Coeur d’Alene in 1962. We highly recommend learning more from the Friends of Tubbs Hill, a local non-profit organization responsible for saving the hill from turning into condominiums in 1973. Alternatively, consider checking out this post by the Spokane Historical Society.
What Tubbs Hill Offers Us Today:
Flash forward to today. Tubbs Hill is a public park able to be enjoyed by every member of our community, including guests who come to visit from afar. No, you don’t need a special pass or anything to get in on these trails. Take a walk in the fall for a brisk lap around the whole hill in under 2 hours, or even faster, depending on how you like to take it. Personally, we find ourselves making a few stops along the way to either bask in the views or bounce along the long suspension bridge on the east side of the hill, near the Sander’s Beach area. Alternatively, take a trip downtown to the hill in the summertime for a fun way to get some swimming in. There’s no shortage of rocks to jump from, and If you be sure to keep your eyes out, there are great little spots you can hike down to from the main trail to get a nice and secluded swimming spot away from the downtown stretch and busy city beach.
According to the Tubbs Hill Foundation, Tubbs Hill offers a 2.2-mile interpretive trail that follows the hill’s perimeter. The topography and moderate choices in elevation make this a great trail to incorporate during your stay, whether you’re visiting alone or with your whole family. You can find a map of the hill here.
3. Art on the Green
A Community Tradition of Appreciating the Arts
If you’ve heard of Coeur d’Alene before – Or lived here for at least one year in the past 50+ years, you’ve likely heard of or have been (or even traveled hundreds of miles) to come to Art on the Green. Ok, say maybe you haven’t heard of it – Let me do my best to try and explain why our community takes this event so seriously every year.
A Little History of How:
We found out from Spokane’s Inlander magazine article that between 1968 and 1969, two residents of Coeur d’Alene under the name Pat & Sua Flammia formed the non-profit organization we know today as the Citizen’s Council for The Arts. It was also at this time that this North Idaho duo hosted their first-ever two-day, mid-summer festival. This first festival, unlike for the post-years, was initially hosted at McEuen Playfield & Park. In the 1970s, the festival moved to the North Idaho College campus with a new name, the one used for the following 50+ years. Art on the Green. The NIC campus is partially shaded by tall Ponderosa pines, bordered by Lake Coeur d’Alene to the south and west by the Spokane River. As you can imagine, this landscape is a highly contributing factor to what characterizes this incredible event.
Not Simply Just Art:
The founding members of the CCA and Art on the Green festival believe this festival is a great place to be together. A place to promote creative, harmonious, and peaceful people of all ages to come together to celebrate each other, the arts, and the community.
It’s true; this celebration and its many years of community members coming together linking arms, and basking in the good times, many traditions came to fruition.
It isn’t simply a place to shop for art. It’s a place to support the community, listen to great live music, grab a bite of all your summer favorites, and become inspired along the way.
One Poster Contest, One Lucky Artist:
For years, Coeur d’Alene artists have imagined and designed their way into being the community’s lucky poster winner for the next annual Art on the Green. Each year the CCA accepts submissions to this contest, and a lucky winner is decided for the deadline. The first-ever poster advertising the festival wasn’t introduced until 1972, two years after moving to the neighboring campus. It was designed by local printmaker Jeanne Holmberg.
It’s a Mid-Summer Family Tradition:
This is a multi-day festival enjoyed in the middle of summer every year. The days are typically always Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays for one week of the summer. Have we piqued your interest in the next upcoming Art on the Green? We’d recommend checking their official website for exact dates and times.
4. Grabbing Coffee at Evans Brothers Coffee
An Upscale, Hole-In-The-Wall Neighborhood Coffee Shop & Roaster
With so many coffee options in our town, It may be easy for even locals to miss this hole-in-the-wall coffee shop. Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters. Unlike a couple of other newer additions to the community, they have some standing existing seniority in this community, as they were founded by two brothers based out of Sandpoint, ID. You can visit their founding location and roastery there. Their cozy and upscale cafe also sits in a converted part of a building on Sherman Ave in Downtown Coeur d’Alene. It’s a comfortable and welcoming environment with friendly baristas and a collective choice of flavors, roasts, and bakery eats and sweets.
When you walk inside, You’ll notice this café is modern. Its dimly lit, fun, unobtrusive colors, and vast amounts of furniture and seating and space. The ample room also provides plenty of power for those looking to get away and spend some productive time away from home. It is conveniently located near the old City Hall building, where Cricket’s is. But not the front, the side entry. This place has grabbed my attention with its’ friendly, community-focused ownership. My favorite thing about this cafe is when I can stop in after a quality walk or hike downtown, power up with a tasty iced americano, a treat come summer when It’s only a moment away.
I can’t help but highly recommend checking out Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters on your next trip to downtown Coeur d’Alene If you haven’t already. Maybe you’ve been, but not in a while, seriously. Go back. However, maybe you’re one of Evans Brothers’ top fans, and you go multiple days a week – We appreciate you. I’m sure they do too. But If they’re new to you, check them out today, order some freshly roasted beans off their website from a local grocery such as Super 1 or Pilgrim’s Market, and follow their updates and event announcements on Facebook. If you’re feeling adventurous, take that trip up to Sandpoint, and visit their roastery!
5. Walking on The North Idaho Centennial Trail on Lake Coeur d’Alene
Easy Access, Right Outside Downtown, and Oh, Such Great Views!
This one’s not even out of the question. If you’re in Coeur d’Alene, you should take yourself and everyone you love out on Lake Coeur d’Alene Scenic Byway. Though The Centennial Trail is a combined 60 miles, we can’t expect most to trek from one end of Coeur d’Alene, ID, into Spokane, WA. However, we’d like to tip our hats to those who have – It’s a mighty accomplishment worth endeavoring at least once!
The most favorable part of The North Idaho Centennial Trail is once you get to the end of Sherman Ave and start to travel upwards on the byway. If you’re traveling by car, countless pull-outs are available to park, visit one of the many beaches, or take a walk or ride along the trail in either direction. If you’re traveling by bike, You’re bound to pass through McEuen Park and the Downtown stretch to get to this destination.
What Part of The Centennial Trail is Best?
Once you’re above the first hill, past the condos and bridge, you’ll find a stretch of trail perfectly exposed to the lake’s unobstructed views. This is where we’d suggest you start on your journey. If you’re going on a moderate-temperature day and want to soak in our beautiful lake. If you enjoy this trail on a rather hot day, we suggest traveling further up the byway closer to the dead end and boat launch at Higgen’s Point. I’d suggest this instead due to the ample parking, short trail, and the perfect outdoor destination to stretch your legs, have a picnic or watch the eagles (If you come at the right time of year for it.) Best of all, It has tons of shade – But there is a catch. A significant elevation increase to get to it involves a trek up a reasonably steep hill. It only makes sense; It is a point. However, It’s worth noting in case It’s a problem for you.