1. Whistler
When the Audain Art Museum[1] makes its big debut November 21, it’ll host one of Canada’s largest repositories of local photography and native masks, meaning you can now call your ski weekend an “art appreciation trip.”
2. Vancouver
In the first-ever Great Climate Race[2] on November 8, entrants outrun global warming by raising money for solar energy projects, while training to someday flee that tidal wave of melted polar ice.
3. Friday Harbor
The chef and proprietor at the brand-new Friday Harbor Grand[3] plays daily on the parlor grand piano, making this the perfect B&B for an elegant murder mystery.
4. Eatonville
Northwest Trek’s Get Out of the Rut[4] weekend, September 5–7, shows off how elk spar and moan—er, bugle—through breeding season, making the event a kind of live-action, wildlife version of a Judd Apatow flick.
5. Portland
In true Rose City fashion, the city’s new Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People[5] over the Willamette River carries only buses, a brand new MAX train, bicyclists, pedestrians, and sentient compost heaps.
6. Walla Walla
The 40-year-old Walla Walla Balloon Stampede[6] scales back and moves from spring to October 14–18. And maybe it’ll finally live up to its name by turning into a propane-fueled running of the bull(oon)s?
7. Spokane
The city hopes its elaborate balloon scenes will make up for the months-long delay of the new Washington State Chinese Lantern Festival[7], September 26–November 1. A 200-foot light-up dragon will either help with that or inspire nightmares.
8. Wallace, Idaho
The Under the Freeway Flea Market[8], held September 5–7, is tucked below I-90, but booths extend to a nearby historic train depot with slightly more architectural charm.
References
- ^ Audain Art Museum (audainartmuseum.com)
- ^ Great Climate Race (greatclimaterace.org)
- ^ Friday Harbor Grand (fridayharborgrand.com)
- ^ Get Out of the Rut (nwtrek.org)
- ^ Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People (www.pdxmonthly.com)
- ^ Walla Walla Balloon Stampede (wallawallaballoonstampede.com)
- ^ Washington State Chinese Lantern Festival (spokanelanternfestival.com)
- ^ Under the Freeway Flea Market (npdepot.org)
