Art on the Green, Street Fair, Taste of Coeur d'Alene this weekend

COEUR d'ALENE — The big three of summer fun is coming to downtown Coeur d'Alene this weekend: Art on the Green, Street Fair and Taste of Coeur d'Alene.

Mostly sunny skies and temperatures hovering in the mid-80s and into the low 90s Sunday are expected.

A free shuttle will run between Art on the Green and the Street Fair.

ART ON THE GREEN

Presented by the nonprofit Citizens' Council for the Arts, Art on the Green returns to the North Idaho College Campus from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

"It's going to be a beautiful weekend, it's going to be wonderful," said Citizens' Council for the Arts board member and Art on the Green social media manager Janey Ortega.

In its 54th year, Art on the Green will feature about 120 artists spread throughout campus grounds, showcasing original works of pottery, sculpture, wood, paint, glass, cloth, fiber and more.

"We have a good mix of artists," Ortega said. "We have our usuals, our old favorites people are used to seeing, but we also have some really cool new artists this year I think people will enjoy."

Festival-goers will see the fan-favorite sandcastle sculpture.

"I saw it going up this morning," Ortega said.

A beer and wine garden will return after last year's absence. The Children's Art Garden will be humming with activities for kids.

About 300 volunteers have contributed their time and talents for a successful event, Ortega said.

"It's just such a fun tradition to have everybody down there," she said. "It will be really nice to see great entertainment for free, you can have a beer, we’ve got an awesome juried show. It's going to be really great."

Ortega's family was instrumental in creating Art on the Green and continues the tradition that countless families enjoy each year.

"When you think of Coeur d'Alene, you think of a beautiful setting, a great community, Art on the Green," she said. "I'm proud to be a part of it because it's the best of what Coeur d'Alene can be. I love it."

STREET FAIR

Along Sherman Avenue, from Northwest Boulevard to Seventh Street, tents and booths will stretch as far as the eye can see during the Coeur d'Alene Downtown Association's Street Fair.

More than 250 food, artisan and merchant vendors will take over Sherman from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

"We have the most downtown businesses coming out that we have ever had, which is super fun," said Coeur d'Alene Downtown Association Executive Director Emily Boyd. "A lot of them have their summer blowout sales going on. It's just a fun opportunity to see them bring out specific products and showcase them."

Fresh-pressed lemonade, kettle corn, ice cream, Meltz Extreme Grilled Cheese, bison burgers and New York Italian sausages are among the offerings Street Fair goers will enjoy while wandering the thoroughfare.

Boyd said returning favorites as well as new makers and artisans are participating in the event.

"It’s a really fun activity for family and friends to come downtown and enjoy the local vendors as well as the visiting vendors," she said.

TASTE OF COEUR d'ALENE

About 80 craft and 17 food vendors will pack Coeur d'Alene City Park during the Idaho Panhandle Kiwanis Club’s 34th annual Taste of Coeur d'Alene.

The beer garden and live entertainment hours are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, but many of the craft and food vendors will be open earlier each day.

"We’re really looking forward to it," said Taste of Coeur d'Alene chair and Panhandle Kiwanis Club President-Elect Charlie Ferrell. "It’s our biggest fundraiser of the year, but it's a combination; it's not just a fundraiser for the club, it’s also contributing to the community because we get 15,000 people or so."

Food vendors will include Taco Works, Smokin Glory BBQ, Friendly Island Grill, Jerusalem Middle Eastern Cuisine, Mary Lou's Homemade Ice Cream, Berry-Ka-Bob and more.

The Idaho Panhandle Kiwanis Club recently celebrated its 52nd anniversary of serving the Panhandle area. The club is dedicating this year's Taste of Coeur d’Alene to Kent and Rio Setty, who long were the heart and soul of the Taste of Coeur d’Alene and the Idaho Panhandle Kiwanis Club. Kent lost his long battle with cancer last year.

"Rio is still going strong and has been a real help in working with our Taste of Coeur d'Alene Committee in organizing this year's event, which is already going to be bigger and better than last year's," Ferrell said.