Benewah Events
smART in the Park Festival
Jul 12, 2005, 08:10
Come by boat….come by car, it’s simply beautiful either way…
Do you sometimes just feel like jumping in the car and discovering a new (to you), beautiful spot to visit in our gorgeous Idaho? Here’s an idea - how about this little-known piece of paradise known as Cherry Bend Boat Park, on the Shadowy St. Joe River. To get there, head northeast out of St. Maries on Highway 3, cross over the river and go 2.8 miles to the Cherry Bend Boat Park Cut-Off. The park is 1.4 miles down that road. Just follow the signs!
This is a delightful destination for a summer’s day trip anytime, but if you head there on the weekend of July 16 and 17, you can enjoy St. Maries’ 16th Annual smART in the Park Festival, as it is being held there that weekend. The scenic setting offers a place to dock if you come by boat and there’s swimming for the children, too. This spot is perfect for an intergenerational outing, especially on the weekend of the smART in the Park Festival.
There’s live entertainment and music! Take your choice - Blues, Pop, Folk and Rock. Maybe even a mime and jugglers, too. There’s even a beer and wine garden.
There’s food! Home-cooked food - St. Maries is well-known for its fab cooks. The Lumber Jack Booster Club will prepare hamburgers, hot dogs, corn dogs, German dogs, chicken nuggets, pizza and nachos. One could not go wrong at this booth.
There are pies! St. Maries ladies will be selling their delicious, home-made pies. YES! HOME-MADE PIES with ice cream and coffee, too. It’s not exactly diet food, granted, but this treat would be hard (like impossible) to pass up.
There’s even breakfast. The Kiwanis, known for their decadent breakfasts, will be donning aprons and whipping up some great fixins for the early birds and the late ones too.
Luckily the music, food and beverage garden will all be located together in a spot under the shade trees so people can sit, relax and enjoy the breezes off the river.
And naturally…smART in the Park will have ART….almost 40 artists will display an unusual variety of art works at the Festival.
There are potters, leather-artists, woodworkers and painters. Also, showing their work are jewelry-makers, woodcrafters, rock hounds-collectors of minerals and prized stones, mosaic artists, makers of musical instruments and gourd art. Unique items made from natural fleece will also be shown.
At noon on Saturday, a raptor handler and biologist will give an educational demonstration with live, birds of prey. Then, from 1–4 p.m., Children’s Art Adventure will do hands-on art projects creating wearable art. Children’s Art Adventure is also set for Sunday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
The Festival is free and the hours are: Saturday, July 16 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday, July 17 10 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, call the St. Maries Chamber of Commerce at 208-245-3563 or the St. Maries Art Gallery at 208-245-3417, between 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday.
What an incredible boat ride from Coeur d’Alene! Allow 1½-2 hours to get to the Cherry Bend Boat Park on the St. Joe River. Driving? You can go East on Highway 90 to the Rose Lake exit (Highway 3) and South (right) to St. Maries. Or, take Highway 95 South to Plummer and go East (left) on Highway 5 to St. Maries. Drive time from Coeur d’Alene is about 1½ hours either way.
smART in the Park Festival is a treat for eyes, ears and palate. There’s fun for everyone - - a summer’s day outing at its best with a "Show N Shine" car show and several other weekend events planned.
