EDITORIAL: Third summer star about to shine

It’s the third big star in the summertime lineup, part of a constellation of celebrations that make Kootenai County shine.

Father’s Day weekend features Car d’Lane. Independence Day draws tens of thousands of people to downtown Coeur d’Alene each year. And now comes the third winner in the annual trifecta: Art on the Green.

Without doubt, the people here know how to have fun and share it with others. Most Kootenai County communities boast summer festivals, as well as going all-out during the holidays. But the beginning of a long goodbye to summer is the splendid Art on the Green on North Idaho College’s campus.

Now in its 54th year, Art on the Green is such a draw that other festivals have spread out simultaneously in Coeur d’Alene like one big picnic blanket. Taste of Coeur d’Alene in City Park and Street Fair in downtown Coeur d’Alene round out the offerings of entertainment, food, crafts, art and much more.

Press meteorologist Randy Mann is calling for warm temperatures and mostly sunny skies. Some Art on the Greens have unfolded in withering heat. That’s not expected to be the case today through Sunday.

With the long shadow of the pandemic still lingering and the worst inflation in four decades squeezing discretionary spending for so many, cash registers might not ring to every merchant’s delight. But one of the great things about this weekend is that there really is plenty for everyone.

You don’t need money to enjoy the entertainment, arts and crafts. If your bank account is healthy, why, you can look forward to a smorgasbord of merchandise, some of it quite rare or original.

The Press encourages visitors to pick up a North Idaho Rejects Hate T-shirt, available today from 3 to 6 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. in front of the Human Rights Education Institute, 414 W. Fort Grounds Drive.

None of this would happen, of course, without hundreds of volunteers who cumulatively put in thousands of hours throughout the year so we can all enjoy this fabulous weekend. Thank you to each and every one of them.