Happy Friday, Boise. In today’s edition: Expanded Treasure Valley transit, Winter Market, Jane Austen 250th, and more. Let’s get to it!

— Cait Baker

📰 In the news

Expanded Treasure Valley transit: Northwestern Stage Lines launches daily Boise-Portland service on Dec. 15, connecting through Pasco with stops in Nampa, Ontario, Baker City, and Hood River, arriving at Portland Union Station — see the schedule and stops.

Funding tool targets growth: Garden City approved a second urban renewal district south of Chinden Boulevard, between Glenwood Street and I-84, to fund infrastructure and housing, excluding the Boise Hawks stadium for now — get all the details.

Emergency closure prompts redesign: ACHD released plans for Boise’s Eckert Rd., seeking feedback on replacing the bridge, a Boise Ave. roundabout near Barber Park, and a multi-use path. Construction could begin in fall 2026 — get open house and survey details.

Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175 per 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.

Identity theft is up 25%: Last year, Americans lost $12.5 billion to ID theft & fraud, and the stories behind those numbers are brutal. My friend just told me his dad’s on his fourth replacement credit card. Other folks have woken up to empty bank accounts or their personal info dumped online after a breach. Aura catches these kinds of attacks early by monitoring for new accounts, weird money movements, leaked data, and other red flags so you’re alerted before things blow up — learn more about it here.

Highlights this week

• Xtreme Holiday Xtravaganza benefits Interfaith Sanctuary
• Bless single moms and widows with gifts
• Experience Handel’s Messiah in Boise
• Experience Ballet Idaho’s Nutcracker magic
• Shop local at festive holiday market
• This pet insurance plan reimburses up to 90%
• A tiny hearing aid is taking the US by storm

🫶 We got your back

Family-first business pivot: Coned Pizza, the Meridian spot famous for pizza-in-a-cone, has closed its brick-and-mortar on E. Overland Road. The brand isn’t gone. Owners Tyler and Marina Blake will focus on food trucks, catering, and concessions at games and festivals. No permanent truck. Keep an eye out. Learn what’s changing and why.

Collectors and cosplayers unite: Boise State’s Susie Gillikin and alum husband Matthew opened Isekai Japanese Arcade and Gashapon in October, Boise’s first gashapon spot at the Idaho Capital Asian Market plaza. Expect Tokyo-night-market vibes, capsule toys galore, skill-based claw machines, and the Sakura Lounge for karaoke. Bonus: Japanese snacks, including steak-flavored chips. Read the full story.

A stress-free hair fix: If your ends are fraying and patience is thin, Graeber & Company brings an Aveda-certified team of 30-plus pros keeping Boise sharp since 1965. Expect precise cuts, lived-in color, extensions, and facials under one roof… calm vibes included. Your mirror might even forgive you.

Thinning hair? Same: I’ve been shedding a lot, and recently noticed my ponytail feeling thinner. After way too much panic-Googling, I decided to take Hers’ online quiz. They recommended a Biotin + Minoxidil green-apple gummy for regrowth and overall hair health. The whole thing was surprisingly easy: just verify who you are and a licensed provider signs off. Here’s the quiz if you want to check it out.

Makeup that actually works: My sister and I were talking the other day about how the makeup we used in our 20s… just doesn’t work now that we’re in our 30s and 40s. Laura Geller’s entire makeup line addresses this shift, with formulas that smooth, brighten, and actually stay put. If you’re in the same boat, their curated kits are worth a look.

📆 Around town this weekend

All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.

Today

🕵️ The Dinner Detective True Crime Murder Mystery Dinner Show @ The Riverside Hotel | Friday (12/12) at 7:00pm – Trade your usual date-night guesswork for actual sleuthing at this interactive comedy murder mystery dinner in Boise. Actors hide in the crowd, suspects multiply, and you get a full plated dinner, waitstaff gratuity, and bragging rights. Come for the entree, stay for the alibi.

🎸 A Tribute to Albert King, BB King and Freddie King @ The Sapphire Room at The Riverside Hotel | Friday (12/12) at 7:00pm – Settle in for American blues as the three Kings that actually matter, Albert, B.B., and Freddie, get the royal tribute they deserve. Jeff Engelbert Band and special guests bring the grit, the bends, and the slow-burn solos, you bring the head-nod and a friend.

This weekend

🛍️ Winter Market @ Dick Eardley Senior Center | Saturday (12/13) at 9:00am – If your pantry needs a morale boost, Boise’s Winter Market brings 50-plus local vendors slinging peak-season produce, pasture-raised meats, Boise-caught-in-Alaska seafood, cheeses, and dangerously good breads. Sip a coffee, snack while you shop, then snag handmade stuff to justify the whole trip.

🎄 Mistletoe Market Boise| Saturday (12/13) at 10:00am – This cozy holiday market is peak Boise, with local makers hawking handspun yarn, knitwear, ornaments, sweet treats, and yes, the famous potato-shaped soap. Free entry and gift wrapping, so you can shop local, look generous, and snag a photo with Mrs. Claus.

🖋️ Jane Austen 250th @ Meridian Library – Pinnacle | Saturday (12/13) at 12:30pm – Whether you’ve kept your dog-eared Penguin editions, or just enjoy a sharp zinger, Pinnacle Library and the Jane Austen Society are toasting Austen’s 250th with crafts, trivia, and talks from experts, then a screening of Pride and Prejudice (2005). Consider it civilized fun, gossip included.

🎨 Ethereal Arts Bazaar – Winter 2025| Sunday (12/14) at 1:00pm – Yule in Boise, cozy, sober, and clear-headed, no hangover required. Intention rituals, storytelling, music, and art set the vibe as we honor Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit, make an intention candle supporting Boise Period Project, and score raffle entries for every $10 spent.

🎤 Xtreme Holiday Xtravaganza (Night 1) Curtis Stigers @ Treefort Music Hall | Sunday (12/14) at 6:30pm – Skip the mall and hit Treefort for Curtis Stigers’ Xtreme Holiday Xtravaganza, 20 years strong and still the rowdy, big-hearted variety show Boise looks forward to. Expect local legends, surprise laughs, and singalongs, and every ticket helps Interfaith Sanctuary keep neighbors sheltered. Loud, joyful, babysitter-worthy.

Next week

💼 Boise Career Fair @ Marriott, Boise | Monday (12/15) at 9:30 am – Skip the endless online applications and shake hands with real Boise employers instead. Chat with hiring teams from government, healthcare, tech, finance, education, and more—all in one room, all actually looking to hire. Dress sharp, bring that polished resume, and use advance applications to lock in interviews and get matched with roles that fit your skills and salary goals.

📚 Extreme Book Nerd Kick Off (Adults) @ Garden City Public Library | Monday (12/15) at 10:00am – Ready to make 2026 the year you absolutely demolish your TBR? Meet fellow Extreme Book Nerds, swap reading strategies, and plot out your challenge categories like the overachieving bookworm you are. Coffee and donuts are on deck to fuel all that literary ambition, but you’ll need to register first to snag your spot.

🕎 The Moody Jews of Boise 8th Annual Chanukah Party @ The Sapphire Room at The Riverside | Tuesday (12/16) at 7:00pm – Think you know your holiday traditions? The Moody Jews of Boise host their 8th Annual Chanukah Party in the Sapphire Room, with spirited vibes, sly humor, and plenty of community glow. It is festive, familiar, and very Boise, without the tinsel.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

🎶 Live music & entertainment

• 12/12 Holiday Show: Bailey Grogan and The Alex Sjobeck Quartet @ Coiled Wines – 7:30 pm
• 12/13 Ballet Idaho – The Nutcracker @ Morrison Center – 2 pm
• 12/13 Holiday Show: Bailey Grogan and The Alex Sjobeck Quartet Night 2 @ Coiled Wines – 7:30 pm
• 12/16 Connor Jay Liess @ The Riverside Hotel – 5 pm
• 12/16 The Moody Jews of Boise @ The Riverside Hotel – 7 pm
• 12/17 Jeff Bordes & A New Orleans Christmas @ The Sapphire Room – 7 pm
• 12/18 The Rae Gordon Band @ The Sapphire Room – 7 pm
• 12/19 Eureka O’Hara @ The Balcony Club – 8 pm
• 12/20 Handel’s Messiah @ Cathedral of the Rockies – 1 pm

🏠️ Price is right – Boise edition

How it works: We’re going to give you some facts about a home for sale, including a picture of the outside, the kitchen, and one additional room. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).

Listed by: David Ballew (Keller Williams Realty Boise)

A James Clyde custom in The Highlands of Cartwright Ranch with unobstructed Boise foothills views for days. 4 beds, 3.5 baths, split plan, and a versatile flex room. Thermador kitchen with paneled fridge and butler’s pantry. Expansive windows, fireplace, rich millwork, custom wainscoting, and a 12-by-13 foot floor-to-ceiling built-in bookshelf, a bibliophile flex.

Primary suite soaks up the view, with a spa bath and a closet that connects to the laundry. Secondary Jack and Jill plus a private ensuite. Fenced yard, hot tub over the hills, voice-activated Lutron lighting, Everlight permanent lighting, EV plug, miles of trails, pool, gym.

Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →