Spokane This Week: Sam Barber, CRAVE! NW & More

Good morning, Spokane!

The weekend's biggest win came from all the way down in the Bay Area: our Spokane Velocity FC knocked off the Oakland Roots 3-1 on the road Saturday. Back home, summer has stopped playing nice, with a high near 91 today and the mid-90s waiting for us by Thursday. Keep the water bottle close, claim the shady side of the street, and let's ease into the week.

In today's Spokane Pulse:

Let's get to it.

— Laina & Lucas Wyland

🏟️ Crews have started work on new all-weather turf fields at Shadle Park and Rogers high schools, a Together Spokane project alongside Spokane Public Schools and city parks. The turf-and-lights upgrade means year-round play for student athletes at both schools, with the first phase already underway.

🌲 If you have a free evening this week, Mount Spokane is having one of its best bear grass blooms in years, with waist-high stalks of white flowers that Park Ranger Scott Hupp says only show up like this every five years or so. The 3-to-5-foot blooms peaked in early July, so the viewing window is closing fast.

🏊 The Valley Mission Pool is back open after crews finished repairs on its circulation pump, wrapping up just in time for the hottest stretch of the summer. Spokane Valley Parks says the systems are tested and ready for the crowds.

🏓 The city is turning plumbing into playtime with new pickleball courts going in on East Sprague, built right on top of newly installed underground stormwater tanks behind Zip's on Lee Street. It is a two-for-one that stretches public dollars while handing the neighborhood somewhere new to play.

🏔️ Speaking of the mountain, the Washington State Parks Commission unanimously approved a new 20-year master plan for Mount Spokane State Park, laying out trail work and lodge upgrades across the 12,444-acre park. It is the roadmap for how the region's closest ski-and-hike getaway grows over the next two decades.

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Taste the Fresh Difference

A rotating lineup of local food trucks takes over the orange Howard Street Bridge for a midday feast in the heart of Riverfront Park.

Viral country-folk singer Sam Barber brings his gravel-and-heartbreak sound to the Pavilion, with John Vincent III and Wild Horses opening the night.

Artisan vendors, food trucks, and live music line Summit Parkway for Spokane's favorite riverside evening market, running every Wednesday through mid-September.

Nineties ska-punk favorite Save Ferris headlines a horn-heavy night at The District, with Better Daze and Northwest Breeze warming up the room.

The Pacific Northwest's food-and-drink festival returns to Riverfront Park for three days of chef demos, tastings, and live music, kicking off Thursday.

Stand-up comic Harry J. Riley headlines a laid-back night of laughs over pints at YaYa Brewing in Spokane Valley.

🎤 Nate Bargatze brings his Big Dumb Eyes World Tour to the Spokane Arena for a night of clean, deadpan comedy. (July 24)

⚽ Spokane Velocity FC hosts Fort Wayne FC at ONE Spokane Stadium for a "Summer Time in the 509" league match. (July 25)

🎶 Benson Boone, the Monroe, Washington native behind "Beautiful Things," headlines the arena on his Wanted Man Tour with opener Ashe. (August 2)

🌍 Unity in the Community fills Riverfront Park with a free multicultural festival, cultural village, and family activities in a Spokane tradition running since 1994. (August 15)

🎟️ Matt Rife headlines the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival at ONE Spokane Stadium to close out August. (August 29)

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What's your pick? With CRAVE! NW, the Kendall Yards Night Market, and a brand-new biscuit bar all landing this week, we have summer food on the brain. So tell us: what is the one Spokane summer bite you make every out-of-towner try before they leave? Hit reply and let us know. We read every single response.

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