Aside from the ski bums, May in Boise can please just about anyone. The foothills are green and the nights are long, but the heat isn’t punishing yet. We get to have our cake and eat it, too; May is the best of both worlds. Case in point: It might snow today, then could hit 70° this weekend. Another case in point: May is the only month of the year when you can catch a first pitch and a puck drop.
Sports Fans Unite for the Boise Hawks and Idaho Steelheads
The fans in the middle of the Hawks-Steelheads Venn diagram get a treat this month as the Boise Hawks baseball season kicks off and the Idaho Steelheads hockey season comes to a close. It’s a big month for hot dogs! At a Hawks game, get the Killer Kielbasa or Hawk Dog and the ice cream helmet. Kick off the summer right with a guide to having the best possible time at a Hawks game.
Arrowleaf Balsamroot, or Balsamorhiza sagittata, will be blooming soon, so keep an eye out for this incredible native plant. (Scott Smith / Getty)
Adventure’s Out There!
Cancel your streaming subscriptions! Call a friend and tell them to meet you at a new park! Download iNaturalist and learn about the plants around you!
As a high desert ecosystem plagued by invasive plants, the Treasure Valley is only green for a brief time in the late spring and early summer. Make the most of it with a camping trip, a picnic in a park (Kristin Armstrong Municipal Park is the best for that, and visit the MK Nature Center), and a visit to the Idaho Botanical Gardens. Just be wary around bodies of water — the rivers are running fast and the lakes are cold.
Find Something Fresh
The sagebrush and yourself aren’t the only happy campers this month; gardens and local farms across the valley are also taking off. My haul from the Boise Farmers Market last week included some oyster mushrooms, green garlic (braise it, thank me later), arugula, and of course some freshly cut flowers.
If you’ve got a garden, make sure to update it to Boise’s changing climate, and get the best produce through a community supported agriculture program like Global Gardens.
Spring Cleaning = Spring Thrifting
It’s time for my fellow layer-lovers to retire the coats and get creative. But if you need some inspiration, mark your calendars for the weekend of May 11, when No New Vintage Market and the Boise Flea will have something to help you let go of the scarves. Hey Boise will have a list of places to consider donating your clothes soon — send in your favorite places to donate!
Oh, and last but certainly not least: Congratulations, graduates!
