Sawtooth Botanical Garden Gets a Little Pixie Dust

Winslow Vail and Amarah Wesley talked in hushed whispers as they walked along the creek flowing through the Sawtooth Botanical Garden south of Ketchum. After all, they didn’t want to disturb any fairies that might have taken up residence there in the past few days.

Papoose Club to Hold Plant Sale

The Papoose Club will hold its annual Plant Extravaganza from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 7. The sale will be at both Webb Garden Centers—the one at 891 Washington Ave. in Ketchum and the one at 162 Glendale Road in Bellevue.

Wood River Farmers Market Celebrates 25 Years

The Wood River Valley Farmers Market is leaning into its Silver Anniversary as it prepares to start up for the summer.

Blaine County Historical Museum Turns Back a Page in Time

Meghan Flanz looked the part as she stepped into The Writers Corner in the Blaine County Historical Museum.

Blaine County Hires New Administrator from Local Ranks

Kirk Flannigan, the area ranger for the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, is moving to a new post—that of the new Blaine County administrator.

Far and Wise Career Exploration Program Gets Workforce Development Grant

Far+Wise has received a $250,000 Workforce Development Council grant for its Cimino Center for Career Exploration.

Chamber Honors Hometown Heroes

Some of those who have made the Wood River Valley a better place were honored this past week at the 2025 Chamber Awards Banquet.

Craters of the Moon Offers Photography and Geology Walks

Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve is inviting the public to “walk on the moon” this month.

Craters of the Moon Wraps Up Record Breaking Centennial

This past month Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve east of Carey, Idaho, turned 101, bringing its 100th anniversary year to a close.

Shoshone Was the Gateway to Wood River Mines

Shoshone, one of the oldest towns in the Magic Valley, was originally known as Naples, Big Bottoms, and Junction City—so named because of the Oregon Short Line Railroad that made it a hub. In 1882 it received the name that stuck—Shoshone, from the Native American word meaning “The Great Spirit.”

Examining the Current Tensions Prompted by Recent Executive Orders

Take a look at the U.S. Constitution in light of today’s political climate when constitutional scholar David Adler returns to The Community Library at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 3.

Astronomer Musician to Look at Stars through Indigenous Lens

Daniel Peluso spent years working in the music industry, developing and promoting such artists as Bon Jovi and Alison Krauss. His first full-length album explores cosmic themes and the human experience through music and storytelling as it draws inspiration from scientific concepts and cultural awareness.

Meet the Poison Hemlock, Monkeyflower and Others

The spring of 2025 is shaping up to be an extraordinary year for wildflowers with big bouquets of various flowers lining trails in Croy Canyon, south valley gulches and out Rock Creek.

The Waverly Gallery to Tackle the Subject of Memory

“The Waverly Gallery” touches a place in our hearts for all those who are suffering the slow decline of memory due to Alzheimer’s disease.

Wendy Pesky Summit to Show How Vital Arts Are to Education

The Sun Valley Museum of Art will hold the inaugural Wendy Pesky Educator Summit on Monday and Tuesday, June 9 and 10.

They’re the Ones Who Knew When to Bring a Casserole

Rebecca Cox looked out across a room filled with women in frilly white blouses sitting around tables boasting vintage teacups rescued from the Gold Mine and delicate cucumber sandwiches.

Advocates to Hold Color Our World Cocktail Party and Ribbon of Hope Display

Every 24 hours the hotline at The Advocates rings about 51 times.

Colla Voce to Wrap Up Gold Season with Two Free Concerts

Members of Colla Voce, dressed in T-shirts and sweat pants, took a break in their four-hour rehearsal Wednesday night to walk from the Liberty Theatre to the Blaine County Historical Museum two blocks away.

Bellevue Man Recalls When Checks were Written on Paper Bags

Les Cameron can tell tales that bring old Bellevue to life. Such as how horses helped build Main Street in the 1930s, later pulling weights to grade the dirt highway.

Far and Wise Buoyed by Donation from Cimino Family

Far+Wise has renamed its Center for Career Exploration the Cimino Center for Career Exploration after the Cimino family gifted the program with what executive director Laura Lewis calls “a transformational gift.”

The Barber of Seville Rounds Out Met Live HD Season

A performance of “The Barber of Seville” will close out the Metropolitan Opera’s 2024-25 Live Simulcast season on Saturday, May 31, at Merlin’s Magic Lantern in Ketchum.

Local Librarian Unearths Sun Valley at the World’s Fair and More

Spring cleaning and wondering what to do with those boxes collecting dust in the attic? The Center for Regional History Librarian at the Community Library could become your new best friend IF the contents relate to the Wood River Valley, Central Idaho and/or the American West.

Galena Lodge Gearing Up for Summer Season

Need an espresso in the mountains?

Summer Tourism Outlook in Sun Valley is Uncertain

The word for the tourism outlook in Sun Valley this coming summer is “uncertainty.”

Memorial Day-Our Deaths…Will Mean What You Make Of Them

There was no flyover—not with Mountain Home Air Force Base troops sent to the Middle East.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun-damental Human Rights Funk Raiser Coming Up

Calling all fun-loving women who want to kick up their heels for a cause.

Kim Frank to Tell Story of Asian Elephants in the Chicken Neck of India

Kim Frank, an award-winning Ketchum writer and photographer will discuss her new book, Elephants in the Hourglass: A Journey of Reckoning and Hope Along the Himalaya, at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 29, at The Community Library.

Ketchum Soldier Packed Army Supplies on Mules

Memorial Day is not just about playing “Taps” and watching a flyover.

Carry the Load Honors Fallen Police Officers and Military Personnel

Retired Dallas Police Lt. Miguel Sarmiento is continually surprised by the encounters he stumbles into as he canvasses the United States carrying the names and faces of fallen police officers and veterans on his backpack.

Into Your Wild Workshop to Explore Inner Selves

Head into your interior wilderness to meet your secret biospheres when Heidi Kraay, a writer-in-residence at the Hemingway House in Ketchum, presents a free “Into Your Wild” workshop.

Wood River Orchestra Hits All the Right Notes

Mila Lyon grew up playing the flute but hadn’t played for 30 years. But she picked it up again in 2008 when the orchestra instructor for the Blaine County School District sounded the call for anyone who could blow a horn or draw a bow across a violin to be part of a fledgling community orchestra.

Sun Valley Tour de Force to Hold No Speed Limit Event in Fairfield

The Sun Valley Tour de Force is moving the No Speed Limit portion of its event to Fairfield when it returns July 17-19.

Summer Reading Challenge for Adults and Kids Promises to be Colorful

“Color Our World” is the theme of this year’s Summer Reading Program in the Wood River Valley.

They Had Mexico in Their Heart During Noche de Mariachis

The show was titled “Mexico en el Corazon” and you could tell 1,750 Hispanic residents of the Wood River and Magic valleys had Mexico in their heart.

Spur Community Foundation Awards Eleven Grants to Wood River Valley Nonprofits

Eleven Wood River Valley nonprofits are reveling in the generosity of the Spur Community Foundation.

SNRA Offices Closing for Nearly a Month

Sawtooth National Recreation Area offices in Ketchum and Stanley are closing just as the busy Memorial Day Weekend, which marks the unofficial start of summer, commences.

Walking in an Ocean of Sagebrush

Pyramid-shaped, cream colored death camas waved in the breeze sparked by a passing shower as 18 Wood River Valley residents trekked across the hillside in Bellevue’s Slaughterhouse Canyon.

St. Thomas Playhouse Offers Tuition-Free Intensive Culminating in Spamalot

Wanted: A King Arthur, several Knights of the Round Table, peasants and penitent monks—oh, and a Lady of the Lake—to take part in St. Thomas Playhouse’s upcoming production of Monty Python’s “Spamalot! Young@Part.”

BCRD Swimming Pool Opens Saturday

Calling all waterlubbers. The outdoor Aquatic Center at the Community Campus in Hailey opens Saturday, May 24.

Beetlejuice Sports High Spirited Youngsters Singing Wickedly Fun Tunes

Are you sure these are middle schoolers?

Memorial Day Ceremony to Honor Those Who Sacrificed

Join together on Memorial Day to honor more than 445 veterans from Blaine County who rest at the Hailey Cemetery.

Los Angeles Arts Innovator to Head Up The Liberty Theatre Company

The director of The Artists’ Lab in Los Angeles will step into a new role as executive/artistic director of The Liberty Theatre Company on July 1.

Sun Valley Gets Serious About Protecting City from Wildfire

John Vaillant in his book “Fire Weather” described how houses filled with modern furnishings made of plastic, wood products bound together with glues and resins,  polyester and nylon upholstery and polyurethane stuffing can become engulfed in flames in as little as three and a half minutes.

Community Resources Offered Following Ketchum Death

Wood River Valley residents are being encouraged to reach out to a variety of resources around the community following the death of a man outside the Limelight Hotel.

Beetlejuice Takes the Stage at The Spot

“Beetlejuice,” a frightfully funny and campy musical about a strange, unusual teenager, will take the stage at The Spot this week.

Hands Off Rally Addresses the Next Hundred Days

The day dawned rainy and chilly—hardly a day to be waving a sign at a protest. But, as one person put it, people were “steamed up and ready to go.”

Friedman Memorial Airport Holds Artists’ Reception on Wednesday

Take part in a Gallery Walk of another sort Wednesday when the Friedman Memorial Airport holds an artists’ reception for its new exhibition.

Trout Unlimited Expert to Discuss Stream Restoration

Learn how the practice of restoring streams has evolved Wednesday when Trout Unlimited’s Warren Colyer visits The Community Library.

Ketchum Wide Open Brings Out Dumpster Fires and More

They say rain never keeps a golfer off the greens. And Mike Hoover and his comrades were ready for it as they tackled the annual Ketchum Wide Open Saturday.

A Vision for Mexico-U.S. Progress the Subject of Tuesday Conversation

The evolving dynamics between the United States and Mexico will be the subject of a conversation on Tuesday featuring Sergi D. Suarez Ramirez, president of the North American Institute for Mexican Advancement.

Sun Valley Community School Students Sign NCAA Letters of Intent

The Sun Valley Community School celebrated the hard work of two of its athlete students as they signed NCAA letters of intent to compete at the collegiate level.

Heritage Court to Gain a Goggle Gluer and a Baby Lamb Champion

One woman was among those who founded The Advocates for Survivors of Domestic Violence. Another used to bottle feed orphaned lambs in her father’s flock of 1,200 sheep.

Wood River Student Chosen to Perform in Sydney Opera House

A Wood River High School student is trying to raise money to participate in the Young Adult honor Performance Series at the Sydney Opera House this summer.

May Showers Also Bring a Rainbow

The off-again, on-again rain showers in the Wood River Valley has played havoc with people’s outdoor plans.

Dandelions and Other Dandy Wildflowers

Dandelions are bursting all over—both the common yard variety and the mountain dandelions.

Salome Hits Big Screen Today

The biblical story of “Salome” will be screened as part of the Metropolitan Opera’s Live Simulcast today.

Color Me Fearless Fun Run to Provide Colorful Start to Summer

Girls on the Run is looking for runners and volunteers to take part in the annual Color Me Fearless 5K on May 31.

Bug Zoo Festival to Focus on Pollination

The dew was still on the grass at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden Thursday morning as fourteen 2 and 3-year-olds from Big Wood School ran from one chair decorated as a flower to another carrying tennis balls that were supposed to represent pollen.

Ketchum Wide Open to Fill K-Town with Goofy Golfers and Snazzy Greens

Grab your putters and head for the greens in … well, The Argyros, The Casino, The Cellar Pub and more restaurants and bars around town.

Hands Off Rally to be Held in Hailey Saturday

Those concerned about their country and fellow citizens are invited to move “Not left, not right, but forward, together” during the Hands Off! Public Rally being held Saturday at Hop Porter Park in Hailey.

Bicyclists Find Extra Big Perk During Wednesday’s Bike to School and Work

Traffic was at a standstill on Highway 75 leading into Ketchum as Matt Conover and his children Rosalie and Wyatt pedaled along the Wood River bike path to school Wednesday morning.

John Rember to Read New Essays About Life in the Sawtooths

John Rember has the unique ability to wax eloquent about the sense of place that is the Wood River Valley and the Sawtooth Mountains, having been born in Sun Valley several decades ago.

Caritas Choral to Perform John Rutter Piece

The Caritas Chorale will present two free concerts featuring John Rutter’s “Mass of the Children” on Saturday and Sunday.

Alejandra Campoverdi-Don’t Ask People Directions for Places They’ve Never Been

As a first-generation Latina, Alejandra Campoverdi never left work at night without turning around to see the lights outlining the White House.

Wildflower Walk to Include Look at Bellevue’s Geologic and Mining History

Take a walk in the Sagebrush Ocean this evening when Wood River Valley naturalist Kristin Fletcher leads a wildflower walk in Slaughterhouse Canyon.

Marlee Matlin Screening Combines with SVFF Membership Launch

Watch the powerful new documentary “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore” and take part in a reception celebrating the launch of the Sun Valley Film Festival’s new year-round Membership Program on Thursday.

Hansel and Gretel’s Candy House Spurs Budding Architects

Sun Valley architect Susan Desko has designed a myriad of unique projects in her lifetime, including the Ketchum Visitor Center, whose use of massive wood totems made of deadfall logs received a prestigious 2012 American Architecture Award and has been touted among the most unique Starbucks locations around the world.

Bike to School and Work Day to Include StoryWalk

Get your bike blessed by the Good Shepherd from St. Thomas Episcopal Church. Enjoy snacks and bike checks from the likes of Sturtevants, Sun Valley Resort and others.

Nurses Honored for Compassion and Excellence

Adri Klemer approaches each day with a positive attitude, choosing to go above and beyond for her team in the Medical/Surgical ward at St. Luke’s Wood River. And her gentle demeanor and warm approach make those around her feel safe, supported and cared for.

Ski Biking Makes Mark in Sun Valley

Mountain biking is just around the corner in Sun Valley. But just a short month ago, ski biking was all the rage on Dollar Mountain as a dozen or so men and women raced down the slopes on bikes mounted on three short skis. The riders were taking part in the third annual Muffy Davis Cup, which raises money annually for Higher Ground’s winter recreation sports. Check it out in today’s Eye on Sun Valley video.

Film Tells the Story of the Early Impressionists

“Dawn of Impressionism: Paris 1875” will be screened at The Community Library in Ketchum on Wednesday, May 14.

Far and Away Repeats as One of Best

Far and Away Adventures has once again been named one of the Top 10 White Water Rafting Adventures in the Country by Newsweek readers.

The Hero I Call Mom

Some of my favorite childhood memories are those of our family vacations, most of which required hours on the road in our 1969 Volkswagen bus. Little did we care that it backfired when going uphill or that it rarely topped 55 miles an hour.

Mali Noyes Claims a Skiing Record

Sun Valley Ski Education Nordic ski team alum Mali Noyes recently smashed the record for skiing every line in Utah's Chuting Gallery.

Strings Attached to Play Contra Dance on Saturday

Contra dancing will return to the Hailey Grange on Saturday.

Riverence Trout-Loving the Clear Waters of the Snake

They raise their fish—rainbow, steelhead and golden trout—in the pristine spring water of the Snake River Canyon. And Riverence is on the cutting edge in researching best practices to grow the world’s best trout.

Carry the Load to Honor Service Members and First Responders

Wood River Valley residents are invited to honor military, veterans and first responders during Carry the Load on Friday, May 16.

Sun Valley Resort Unveils Summer Event Schedule

Sun Valley Resort will crank up its gondola for lift-assisted hiking and Roundhouse dining on June 27, and it will kick off the Sun Valley on Ice shows on July 2. And the Sun Valley River run concert series will return on July 23.

Wood River Land Trust Offers a Peek at Hailey Hot Springs

A raptor flew overhead as a dozen people walked across wooden planks above a small creek bursting with the fresh green colors of newly emerging spring plants.

Students Spar Among the Pages in Battle of the Books

The Seagulls soared, and so did The Misfit Toys and The Gambling Baddies as Wood River Middle School competed this year in the annual Idaho Battle of the Books.

Sun Valley Resort Offers Slack Season Specials

Sun Valley Resort is offering a handful of slack specials as Wood River Valley residents await the start of summer.

Pods Offer Peace and Quiet at Hailey Public Library

When’s the last time you heard “Pssst” in a library?

Ketch’em Alive to Serve Up a Mish Mash of Music

Are you ready for some country?

Bicycle Raffle to Benefit Hailey Public Library

You could ride into the summer on a shiny, blue Townie eBike for the price of a raffle ticket.

Earth Fest Champions the Birds, Bugs and Bottle Caps

The Wood River Valley’s fine feathered friends appear to be in good hands, thanks to valley teens, while others are making an effort to help out local insects.

Newsboys to Play Concert Benefitting Higher Ground

Newsboys—one of the most enduring bands in Christian rock--will present a concert benefitting Higher Ground at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 17.

Swim Passes and Lessons Now on Sale

Registration for BCRD’s aquatics programs, including Youth Swim Lessons and Dolphin Swim, is now open. Aquatic Center season passes with preseason pricing are also on sale.

Teens Evoke Moths, Fairies and Elves for Earth Day Fashion Show

Fourteen-year-old Talyne Rhodes sashayed down the runway lined with decorative jars and red lights, making great eye contact with the audience sitting on either side.

Higher Ground to Host Blood Drive Today

Higher Ground is hosting its sixth annual Blood Drive to honor volunteer Steve Adam today--Tuesday, May 6--in the Boiler Room in Sun Valley Village.

World Cup Finals' Announcement Was Premature

Is your throat rested from cheering for the world’s fastest skiers in the 2025 Audi FIS World Cup Finals? Has your wrist recovered from ringing those cowbells?

Pond Skimming a Thing of Beauty and a Tale of Mishaps Galore

Water skiing’s around the corner. But snow skiers got their chance to feel that silky glide across a pond of water first when they took part in Sun Valley’s annual Dollar Daze Pond Skim marking the end of the 2024-25 ski season.