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Hey Boise, hope your week’s off to a good start! Merlin Sheldrake on fungi, a Lunar New Year celebration, Tango’s Empanadas opening, and more. Let’s get to it!
— Cait Baker
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📰 In the news
Fresh adventures across Idaho: After Idaho tourism grew nine percent in 2025, Visit Idaho released a free travel guide in January featuring fishing, skiing, lift-served biking, climbing, rodeos, and lesser-known spots for Boise travelers — see what’s inside the guide.
First-of-its-kind team hub: Opening soon, Assemble Boise brings a combined retreat and meeting space to the North End, with 11 physicist themed bedrooms and two meeting rooms at 1502 W. Franklin Street — read the full story.
Restored neon marks a revival: The Cub Tavern will open this year on Main Street in Downtown Boise in a 1903 building. The space once housed Art Source Gallery and will hold up to 99 — get all the details.
Fan favorite expands footprint: Tango’s Empanadas, a longtime Boise must, plans to open a third location near Boise State’s Albertsons Stadium. Fans can expect more savory and sweet empanadas at a convenient campus-adjacent spot — see when and where.
Gold & silver are hot: Last year was gold’s best year since 1979. Silver did even better, climbing nearly 150%… and analysts expect the momentum to continue. Curious about precious metal investing? GoldCo has a helpful guide that covers everything you need to know. It’s free — and definitely worth a read.
An emergency vet visit could cost you $7,000+ (ask me how I know 🙃). From the initial walk-in-the-door fee to x-rays, surgery, and aftercare, it adds up quicker than a chew toy turns into a crime scene. The good news? You could save thousands on your next vet bill with Lemonade.
Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175/month. Paying more than that? Same, so I did some shopping around and ended up cutting my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too — here’s the comparison tool I used.
*We do our best to avoid paywalled articles. If any slip through, let me know which ones and I’ll permanently remove them from our source list!
Highlights this week:
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🫶 We got your back
Keeping pantry shelves full: America First Credit Union’s Souper Bowl of Caring is underway in Boise and runs through Sunday, February 15. The food and fund drive benefits The Idaho Foodbank and local hunger relief. Organizers say 100% of donations go directly to programs helping Idaho families, children, and seniors. Read the full story.
Your neighbors are Googling you: It’s uncomfortable but true — employers, new friends, even other parents at school pickup search names all the time. If something negative, outdated, or misleading shows up first, it can shape opinions before you ever meet. BetterReputation helps push down unwanted search results so your first impression actually reflects who you are today. And if it’s someone you care about, you can help them too.
Long-awaited upgrade moves forward: ACHD is seeking public feedback on new designs for the Five Mile Road overpass on I-84. The plan adds multi-use paths on both sides, widens to two lanes each way, and straightens the approach. It is the last original I-84 overpass in Ada County. Get all the project details.
Gold is having a moment: Between inflation headlines, market swings, and growing global uncertainty, precious metals are (again) in the spotlight. American Hartford is currently offering up to $25,000 in free silver when you open a qualified account. They’ll also help you set up a penalty-free gold IRA with a lowest price guarantee, no buyback fees, and 7-day price protection.
Spin-worthy stop: Whether you’re chasing fresh pressings, a lucky cassette find, or a turntable to spin it on, The Record Exchange keeps shelves and spirits moving. Since 1977, they’ve hosted in-store performances and run an espresso bar, a perfectly good excuse to linger a little longer.
A second opinion never hurts: Not every financial advisor is the right fit, and it’s okay to explore your options. Unbiased matches you with an advisor based on your personal situation, giving you a chance to ask questions in a free, no-pressure conversation to see if the fit makes sense. No obligation — just helpful advice.
Where Boise unwinds: Need a reset you can feel by Thursday? Root and Bloom Holistic Wellness blends acupuncture with cupping, Chinese herbal medicine, microneedling, and hypnotherapy to help you de-stress, rebalance, and keep Boise life humming, whether you’re focused on fertility, women’s health, or finally sleeping better.
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📆 Around town this week
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All events are subject to change without notice. Always check official event pages for the most up to date information.
This week
🚲 4 the Love of BBP @ Boise Bicycle Project | Tuesday (2/10) at 5:30 PM – Raise a glass with Boise Bicycle Project as they toast the people who keep the wheels turning, and preview what’s rolling for 2026. Quick Executive Director update, free nibbles and drinks, a raffle, and real ways to plug in, no Lycra required. Free. RSVP: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfQi1viBcVlK5YKF-7cYAuCJ6Tzf-z6167xJ1EaCTljNdqOzg/viewform
🥕 Field to Fork Festival @ Jack’s Urban Meeting Place | Thursday (2/12) at 8:00 AM – If you prefer shaking hands with your farmer over squinting at labels, this is your kind of thing. Taste Idaho-grown goods, chat with ranchers, chefs, and distributors, help keep Boise’s food scene independent, and, vendors, enjoy real networking where the snacks steal the show.
🍄 Entangled Lives @ Student Union Building | Thursday (2/12) at 6:00 PM – Biologist and bestselling author Merlin Sheldrake drops into the Boise State Student Union to explain how fungi quietly run the show. Prepare for mind-twisting science, ecosystem gossip, and a newfound respect for mushrooms, plus an online option and, bless them, a free parking code.
This weekend
🏺 Kids’ Clay Play @ Catalyst Arts Collaborative | Saturday (2/14) at 10:00 AM – Trade screen time for clay time, and enjoy a blissful break while the kids get muddy making bowls, mugs, and mystery creatures. With ceramic pros Mindy Curran and Ben Alexander rotating handbuilding, wheel, and glazing, they bring home kiln-fired treasures. Ages 5-12, $40, pre-register.
🎆 2026 Lunar New Year Celebration @ Jack’s Urban Meeting Place | Saturday (2/14) at 10:00 AM – Head to JUMP for a Lunar New Year celebration with calligraphy, a tea ceremony, mahjong, Chi Gong, crafts, face painting, and a festive photo booth. Bring the family, collect some luck, and pretend your mahjong skills are better than they were last year.
🎥 Casablanca (1942) @ The Egyptian Theatre | Sunday (2/15) at 11:00 AM – Take a break from errands and catch Casablanca in glorious black and white, because not everything needs CGI. Bogart broods, Bergman smolders, and you get lines you’ll quote all week, plus grown-up stakes, romance, and a smoky piano bar you can almost smell.
🎨 Master Impressionist Painting @ Catalyst Arts Collaborative | Sunday (2/15) at 2:00 PM – If your inner Monet is getting loud, this drop-in impressionist class has you study the masters, then recreate a classic, supplies included. Bring basic acrylic or oil chops, and $40. Register at https://www.catalystartscollaborative.com/service-page/master-impressionist-painting-sun-2pm, ages 14+, new lesson each visit.
Live music & entertainment:
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
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📻 Boise report
Weather forecast
Today – High: 52°F – Low: 38°F – Precip: 2%
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 52. East southeast wind 5 to 12 mph. Later: A chance of rain after 11pm. Cloudy, with a low around 38. East wind 3 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
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Tomorrow – High: 50°F – Low: 36°F – Precip: 39%
A chance of rain before 5pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 50. North northwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Later: Patchy fog after 5am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36.
This house is wild
This North End 6-plex sits minutes from downtown and one block from a city park. Two 2-bed, 1-bath units plus four 1-bed, 1-bath homes include ranges, refrigerators, and dishwashers, five with laundry hookups. Separate electric meters and alley off-street parking add practicality. Long-term tenants and below-market rents suggest upside. Recent work includes roof, siding, new gable, and main water line.
Take a peek inside →
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🔥 Worth a peek
We’re always on the hunt for useful resources, deals, services, and products we genuinely think you’ll love. Here’s what caught our eye this week:
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