Bid it up for the Festival! As we look forward to this summer's concerts at Memorial Field, the Festival at Sandpoint hosts their annual springtime fundraiser online - with a silent auction that's open now (it started Monday, April 12, and goes through Saturday, April 17), and live wine auction event from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 17. Don't miss out! There are lots of great experiences and items, including lake cruises, dining, artwork, ski passes, and more. A raffle prize drawing will be held at the end of the live auction event (must be present via Zoom to win). All are welcome to participate in the auctions, so join in and help out this terrific local nonprofit!

--------------------

COVID-19 Update: Get information, news and resources on the COVID-19 coronavirus response in Sandpoint and Bonner County on the COVID-19 Update Page.

Here's what's happening in April!

Now through April 17 Festival at Sandpoint Auctions. The Festival at Sandpoint hosts a silent auction all week long (live now!), with bidding on fabulous items and experiences ending during the Virtual Wine Auction Event held April 17 (see more on that event, below). The Festival's silent auction baskets account for a wide variety of interests, preferences, and goodies! Once the baskets are closed, they will be available for pick-up at the Festival office: 525 Pine St., starting April 19. Don't miss out on the great baskets, plus support the Festival's future! FestivalatSandpoint.com.

13 Paint and Sip with Holly Walker. Pend d'Oreille Winery, 301 Cedar St., hosts a Paint and Sip with featured local artist of the month Holly Walker. Class is from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and includes supplies, instruction and a glass of house red or house white wine. Cost is $35+ tax per person. Sign up 208-265-8545. POWine.com.

14 300 Trees for Sandpoint. Sandpoint Medical Massage & Bodyworks invites the community to join them at 1 p.m. for the 300 Trees for Sandpoint event in the parking lot at the Pine Street Annex. The group will be planting their first round of Western Larch, White Pine and Red Cedar. All are welcome, and the event is free.

14-28 Incredibly Wild Online Auction. Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness hosts an online auction from April 14 through April 28. The auction features more than 60 items, from local art to weekend getaways. Each item in the auction was donated by a local community member or business who supports FSPW and the auction's mission to invest in our local communities. Check it out to browse everything being sold, and get ready to place those bids when the auction goes live!

15 Connecting With Your Children Through Nature. Kaniksu Folk School is Kaniksu Land Trust's new adult nature education initiative. A class for parents and teachers to deepen your own connection to nature and provide you with tools to help you connect your kids to nature as well is held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Pine Street Woods, 11915 W. Pine St. We will spend the entire day outside at Pine Street Woods doing a variety of exercises, activities and experiences, and look at some common barriers to nature connection and how to work past them in a fun, experiential way. Cost is $40; go to the website for more details or call 208-263-9471.

15 Longshot Trivia. The Longshot, 102 S. Boyer Ave., hosts the best trivia night in North Idaho at 6 p.m. with Maddie. Compete in teams of six (bring your crew or meet someone new), with prizes of gift cards to The Longshot. Free and open to the public. LongshotSandpoint.com.

16 Winery Music. The Pend d'Oreille Winery, 301 Cedar St., hosts live music from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. with Doug Bond and Marty Perron. These Sandpoint locals will bring you back to the good old days with your rock favorites and music we can all sing and dance to. Playing with an acoustic guitar and mandolin make this a unique and fun performance! Limited seating; first come, first served. POWine.com.

17 LPOIC 2021 Pin Auction Fundraiser. The Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club holds their 2021 Pin Auction at the Bonner County Fairgrounds. The doors will open at 3 p.m., with a seminar to begin at 4 p.m., pin auction beginning at 5:30 p.m. Check for updates at LPOIC.org.

17 Winery Music. The Pend d'Oreille Winery, 301 Cedar St., hosts live music from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. with Ben Vogel. Performing smart pop music that surges with rock 'n' roll energy, Vogel puts his own spin on a tradition of hook-filled, guitar-centric pop music. Free and open to the public. POWine.com.

17 Festival at Sandpoint Virtual Wine Auction Event. In anticipation of the Festival at Sandpoint's summer concert series, a live Virtual Wine Auction Event will be held starting at 6 p.m. During the live event, participants will also get Festival updates, enjoy music performances, chances to win raffle prizes, view motivational videos, and more. In addition, a Virtual Silent Auction begins April 12 and continues through April 17. Free admission. All are welcome to help support this great local nonprofit that benefits our community! Get all the details at FestivalatSandpoint.com.

17 Live Music: Jacob Maxwell. The Longshot, 102 S Boyer Ave., hosts live music with Jacob Maxwell from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Maxwell comes to us from just down the road in Coeur d'Alene, and this local musical product had a very successful run on 'The Voice' 2016 series. The Longshot is thrilled to have him here in Sandpoint! LongshotSandpoint.com.

18 Piano Sunday. Come in to the Pend d'Oreille Winery, 301 Cedar St., for a glass of wine and an entertaining performance of jazz and classical favorites on the grand piano from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. with Peter Lucht. Free and open to the public. POWine.com.

18 Bingo! Join the Pend d'Oreille Winery for interactive Bingo from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Bring a group of friends, order dinner and wine, and win fun prizes! POWine.com.

*Here's what's happening this week through April 25*

22 Open Mic Night. The Longshot at 102 S. Boyer hosts Open Mic Night every other Thursday, allowing musicians, comedians, spoken word poets - whatever an artist wants to take for a spin - to use our house system in front of an enthusiastic audience. The entire evening is about this set of performances, so please respect all of the artists putting themselves out there in a vulnerable way. For artists, sign-ups are taken in advance so email Rylie at [email protected] to be added to the open mic list. LongshotSandpoint.com.

23 Winery Music. Berx Records Duo returns to the Pend d'Oreille Winery, 301 Cedar St., for a fun-filled Friday evening from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Enjoy family-friendly acoustic music and original jams! Arrive early for a glass of Friday night wine and stay for a fabulous night of music. Free and open to the public. POWine.com.

23 Swingin' in the Rain Dance. The USA Dance Sandpoint Chapter hosts a Swingin' in the Rain dance at the Ponderay Event Center (behind Sandpoint Furniture) from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Come at 7 p.m. for the East Coast Swing lesson, taught by professional instructors. Also, general dancing, refreshments, door prizes, etc. Singles, couples, and all levels of dancers are welcome! Cost is $9 adults and $5 teens (under 13 accompanied by a parent only). For more information, call 208-699-0421.

24-May 2 LPOIC Spring Fishing Derby. Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club holds its 49th annual spring fishing contest April 24 and through May 2. With over $22,750 in cash and prizes, it's a lucrative venture for adults and kids alike! To get a list of ticket outlets, plus more information, visit the LPOIC website or head over to the club's Facebook page.

24 Earth Day Clean Up Event at Pine Street Woods. Enjoy camaraderie, snacks, and Kaniksu Land Trust merch while admiring the fruits of your labor. Teams, guided by crew leaders, will work together beautifying the trails and grounds we love at Pine Street Woods. There will be two sessions to choose from (or both!); 10 a.m. to noon, and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Meet at the Pine Street Woods parking lot. Directions can be found at Kaniksu.org or call 208-263-9471 for more information.

24 Winery Music. Pend d'Oreille Winery, 301 Cedar St., hosts live music from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. with Justin James Sherfey. A nationally recognized musician out of Spokane, Sherfey is a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist playing fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and numerous other instruments. This is talent you won't want to miss! Free and open to the public. POWine.com.

24 Live Jazz. The Back Door on Cedar Street hosts Bright Moments Jazz from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Free and open to the public.

25 Bike Rodeo. LPOSD Safe Routes to School, Pend Oreille Pedalers, and Sandpoint Parks and Recreation sponsor a Bike Rodeo from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Travers Park. Bring your bike or scooter and helmet (there will be some free helmets available for kids who do not have one, while supplies last); event includes a bike safety check with minor repairs, plus learn about bike safety and practice your skills. Contact [email protected] or 208-263-2184 ext.1124 for more information.

25 Piano Sunday. Come in to the Pend d'Oreille Winery, 301 Cedar St., for a glass of wine and a piano performance by Dwayne Parsons from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Parsons is a local favorite musician who brings a story to his music. Free and open to the public. POWine.com.

25 Bingo! Join the Pend d'Oreille Winery for interactive Bingo from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Bring a group of friends, order dinner and wine, and win fun prizes! Free and open to the public. POWine.com.

30-May 9 City Nature Challenge 2021. Bonner County is part of a fun competition across the world (359 cities and 5 continents) - the City Nature Challenge 2021 - to document the most species using the iNaturalist app from April 30-May 9, 2021. Cost is free; the Facebook page has more information about the challenge, or visit the website.

30 Winery Music. Steve Rush and Scott Taylor of Big Phatty and The Inhalers will play a wide variety of blues, rock and swing from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Pend d'Winery, 301 Cedar St. Arrive early for a glass of Friday night wine and a pizza! Free and open to the public. POWine.com.

Here is what's coming up in May!

1 Sandpoint Farmers Market Opening Day. The Sandpoint Farmers Market opens for the season, with fresh produce, garden starts, artisan wares, and more on sale. Held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday in Farmin Park and on one block of Oak Street. SandpointFarmersMarket.com.

1 Free First Saturday at the Museum. Enjoy free admission at the Bonner County History Museum, 611 S. Ella St., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This month's event is sponsored by Jack and Shirley Parker. BonnerCountyHistory.org.

1-2 Silverwood Opening Weekend. Silverwood Theme Park opens its gates for the 2021 season. To celebrate, everyone will receive a special $19.88 ticket price to commemorate the opening season. Come out and ride our world-class coasters and enjoy making family memories! SilverwoodThemePark.com.

*Here's what's happening this week through April 11*

5 Bike to School Day. Lake Pend Oreille School District Safe Routes to School invites local families to join students nationwide for Bike to School Day. Bike to School Day events raise awareness of the need to create safer routes for biking and emphasize the importance of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, biking safety, traffic congestion, and environmental concerns. Sponsored locally by LPOSD #84 Safe Routes to School. 208-263-2184 ext. 1124

8-9 Mother's Day Weekend at Silverwood. Celebrate Mother's Day at Silverwood Theme Park. When a family brings mom to the park and purchases their ticket online or at the front gate, mom gets in free! Plus everyone receives a special pricing of $42 for general admission; $25 youth/senior admission (save even more online). SilverwoodThemePark.com.

15-16 Kids' Weekend at Silverwood. Celebrate Kids' Weekend at Silverwood Theme Park. For every general admission ticket purchased, one youth (ages 3-7) will receive a free ticket. Plus everyone receives a special pricing of only $42 general admission, $25 youth/senior admission (save even more online). SilverwoodThemePark.com.

22 Touch a Truck. Here's an event that the entire community can enjoy! Adults and children are welcome to explore some very important vehicles in our community: ambulance, fire truck, police command center, etc., during the Touch a Truck event from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hope Memorial Community Center, 415 Wellington Pl. in Hope. Free and open to the public; see you there!

29-31 American Heroes' Weekend at Silverwood. All military personnel, veterans, police officers, firefighters, and EMS receive free admission to Silverwood Theme Park during American Heroes' Weekend. Plus, immediate family members (spouse and children) also receive a special discounted rate when purchasing tickets at Silverwood's front gate! This is also the opening weekend for Boulder Beach Water Park, so come on out for the unofficial early start to summer in the Northwest! 208-683-3400 or visit SilverwoodThemePark.com.

Here is what's coming up in June!

5 Bike to School Day. Lake Pend Oreille School District Safe Routes to School invites local families to join students nationwide for Bike to School Day. Bike to School Day events raise awareness of the need to create safer routes for biking and emphasize the importance of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, biking safety, traffic congestion, and environmental concerns. Sponsored locally by LPOSD #84 Safe Routes to School. 208-263-2184 ext. 1124