Smell the Lilacs, Dodge the Rain Clouds

Hope all of you had a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend – personally, I celebrated on Saturday. . . it was nicer. . . gave my mum and I a chance to peruse downtown Spokane while it was shining at its best. I know everyone’s stoked by the projection of a Spokane summer on the horizon. . . I sure am. 

Oddly enough, Mother’s day seems to be Spokane’s weekend of the year, and why shouldn’t it? The trees are blossoming, the sun's out, it’s a comfortable 70 degrees all the time (except for this week). The SpoCo area radiates perfection when considering the antics of Mother Nature. . . and for that we’re grateful. . . almost entitled to it. After all we all just endured a nice sphere of gray from November to April. . . unless you’re a snowbird, flying south–leaving us in the trenches. Shame on you. 

Up and coming is the weekend of Lilacs. . . and festivals. . . in the spirit of the Lilac festival I have to give a shoutout to my mum, who was a Lilac Princess Alum herself. If most days this week have contradicted what Apple Weather predicted, then by all means soak up all things Lilac this weekend. . . Lilac beerfest, Lilac Parade, Lilac Marketplace–pick your poison. I highly doubt there will be any disappointment. . . 

Lilac Marketplace – Sat May 17 | Howard St & Spokane Falls Blvd
Seventy-plus artisans line the pavement slinging espresso-rubbed jerky, lilac-infused hand soap, hand-thrown pottery, and “I-Heart-509” tees that only look ironic if you’re from out of town.

Food trucks park hubcap-to-hubcap, so you can demolish a bánh mì, chase it with huckleberry ice cream, reload with turmeric-ginger lattes, and still impulse-buy a jar of bourbon pickles for later. Buskers provide the soundtrack—bluegrass one minute, ukulele Drake cover the next—while parade crews test their sound systems nearby. Bring cash, sunscreen, and a big tote; leave smelling like smoked paprika and good intentions. It’s the ideal warm-up lap for the Torchlight Parade, because parade-watching is a contact sport and carbs are your armor.

Lilac Festival Torchlight Parade – Fri May 17 | Downtown Spokane
Neon batons, high-school drumlines, and civic pride cranked to eleven. Spokane kills the streetlights so marching bands, veterans, and forty-foot illuminated floats can strut beneath literal torches. Kids scramble for candy; adults nurse pocket flasks and nostalgia. It’s small-town Americana meets Instagram glow-up—stars, stripes, and LED everything. Stake curb space early (lawn chair diplomacy starts at noon), pack layers for after-dark chill, and let the noise, lights, and collective woo-hoo wash over you. By the time the final fire-truck siren fades, you’ll remember why parades still matter: they make strangers cheer for the same goofy thing at the same goofy time.

Lilac Century & “Flamdangle” Gravel Ride – Sun May 18 | Spokane Falls Community College
Choose your poison: four pavement loops (25, 50, 66, 100 miles) that glide past wheat fields and riverbanks, or the 32-mile gravel “Flamdangle,” a rolling cocktail of washboard climbs and back-road bliss. Rotary hosts, which means pie at rest stops, mechanics on standby, and a finish-line beer garden so righteous you’ll forgive the 4 AM alarm. RV camping is allowed at the start, because why not trade REM sleep for bragging rights? It’s Type 2 fun—painful now, party story later. Bring two water bottles, low expectations for your quads, and a healthy respect for chafing cream.

Spokane Lilac Festival Brewfest – Sat May 17 | Pavilion, Riverfront Park
Thirty Northwest breweries pouring everything from delicate citrus sours to barrel-aged stouts that drink like motor oil and broken promises. GA gets you a tasting glass and enough tokens to mispronounce “IBU” by three o’clock; VIP buys early entry and a chance to chat yeast strains before the masses descend. Live bands thump under the Pavilion’s LED halo, food trucks sling smash burgers and birria tacos, and somewhere a brewer explains “terroir” to a dude in cargo shorts. Hydrate, pace yourself, and budget time for the bathroom queue that materializes exactly when the guitar solo peaks.

Windermere Spokane Marathon – Sun May 18 | Spokane River Trail
If you think “scenic” and “soul-crushing” can’t coexist, lace up for this river-hugging suffer-fest. Choose full, half, or 10K; the course serves postcard views and quad-shredding hills in equal measure. Early miles whisper through cottonwoods, middle miles slap you with Doomsday Hill, and the final stretch spits you onto the riverfront where cowbells rattle like a Metallica encore. Volunteers hand out oranges, strangers shout your name off your bib, and you finish delirious, coated in salt, craving carbs and validation. Medal around your neck, stumble to the beer garden, and remember: brunch tastes better when you’ve earned it the hard way. Shoutout to my friend Chelsea who will be running (in the rain likely). . .

Ready to Live Out Your Hallmark Homestead Dreams?

Casa Cano Farms – Valleyford, WA (12 miles south of downtown)

File this under “actual farm-to-table, not influencer-to-table.” Casa Cano is a tight-run, family outfit growing organic produce and raising grass-fed, grass-finished beef on 40 acres of Palouse sunshine. Order online, then swing by the farm store Tuesday-Friday (9 AM–5 PM) for grab-and-go carrots that still taste like soil and rib-eyes that never met a feedlot. 

Too busy? They’ll run it to your door inside the 509. Feeling committed? Buy into their weekly CSA — 20 boxes of peak-season veg for the price of a mediocre streaming habit Casa Cano Farms. Eggs, honey, compost, even u-pick pumpkins come fall — it’s basically a one-stop antidote to big-box produce. Show up, breathe real air, and remember food can still taste like where it came from

The Parlor Milkhouse

Remember when milk tasted like, well, milk? The Parlor is dragging dairy back to its glory days—glass bottles, cream lines you can actually see, and no lecture about “nut-based alternatives.” Family-run and micro-scale, they bottle non-homogenized, low-temp-pasteurized goodness from cows that spend more time on pasture than you spend on Instagram. Swing by the little white milkhouse, drop a fiver in the honor box, and grab chocolate milk thick enough to pass for dessert. Cheese curds squeak, butter tastes like June, and every Saturday they churn small-batch ice cream that sells out faster than tickets to a Taylor Swift show. Bring a cooler, a sense of nostalgia, and maybe a sturdy belt—because real dairy doesn’t care about your macros.

Speaking of Milk: 

Spokane’s Milk-Bottle Building Goes Viral—Again

KPQ’s travel blog rediscovered Garland District’s giant 1935 milk bottle and declared it “one of the weirdest buildings in Washington.” TikTok promptly agreed, sending weekend foot traffic (and milk-shake sales) through the retro roof. Moral: you build a dairy-shaped monument once, the internet keeps memeing it forever. More here

Hoopfest: Warning ⚠️

Ahh yesss. . . Spokies, and locals alike. . . look. . .  time’s a ticking to lock in a spot for the world’s largest 3-on-3 streetball circus before the entry fee climbs higher than a Trae Young floater. If you test the waters too much my good friend Riley and staff will deny you harder than a LeBron chase down. Guaranteed registration slams shut May 18 at midnight, and once it does, you’ll be the sad soul watching from the curb, trying to take in the unofficial/official Spokane holiday, whispering “I coulda dropped 15 easy.” I’ve been there, you end up unsatisfied, uncrowned, and all the most notable thing you’ve done is eat pasta at Tavolata. 

Grab your three ride-or-die hoop junkies, pick a clever team name that won’t get bleeped on local news, and hit the downtown asphalt June 28-29 when Spokane morphs into Hooptown USA. Any division you can imagine—elite, old-school, wheelchair, “just here for the tank top.” Sign up now, trash-talk later, and remember: street cred ages better than your knees. I’ve been enjoying my anonymous status in sending this out weekly, but who knows, maybe I’ll reveal our team name. . . love to get some more fans to watch me play a series of bad, half court, basketball games. . . . anyway 👇

Register or regret it.

QUICK HITS.

Bingo Loco – Sat May 17 | Knitting Factory

Imagine a bingo hall, a Vegas day-club, and a college house party had an unhinged love-child. Dancers, confetti cannons, rave lighting, and maybe your grandma’s lucky dabber if she’s cool. Cards are pay-per-play, drinks aren’t watered down, and the prizes are gloriously random. Sold out last round—move quick.

Spokane Velocity FC vs Richmond Kickers – Sun May 18 | 4 PM | ONE Spokane Stadium

Spokane’s pro soccer squad hosts Richmond under stadium lights that still smell new-car fresh. Expect slick passing, slide tackles, and a supporters’ section that chants like they’ve been doing this for forty years. Tickets are cheap, beer’s cold, and a 90-minute match is the perfect nightcap to Mother’s Day chaos.

Quick-Hit Live-Music Radar

Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit – Fri May 16, First Interstate Center. Pulitzer-grade lyrics, southern-fried guitar heroics, and enough heartbreak to make whiskey taste sweeter.

The Dip – “Love Direction Tour Pt II” – Fri May 16, Knitting Factory. Horn-heavy retro soul that turns wallflowers into dance-floor heathens.

Taken By The Sky (Fleetwood Mac Tribute) – Sat May 17, 7:30 PM, Bing Crosby Theater. All the Rumours drama minus the actual break-ups; tight harmonies, tighter bell-bottoms.

Music of Tina Turner w/ Spokane Symphony – Sat May 17, 7:30 PM, The Fox. Three powerhouse vocalists + full orchestra = “Proud Mary” goosebumps on tap.

Dive in, hydrate, and remember: memories > excuses.

Speaking of Hydration. . .

Spokane Craft Beer Week — May 17–25

Nine days. Zero excuses. Spokane’s hop wizards are throwing a city-wide kegger and Bellwether’s schedule looks like a beer nerd’s fever dream:

• Sat 5/17 — Lilac Brew Fest ignites the week; plus the all-Spokane collab keg-tap and bar-room trivia at The United Taproom.

• Sun 5/18 — “Hop Scotch” trail: start at Four Eyed Guys (2 PM or 4 PM), stumble finish at Bellwether for a brand-new Scotch Ale.

• Mon 5/19 — Brewery nap. Hydrate. Stretch.

• Tue 5/20 — Dual drop: Fibber McGee’s Irish red + Redbook sour.

• Wed 5/21 — Lille Kig Danish farmhouse ale: funky, floral, impossible to pronounce after two.

• Thu 5/22 — “You Can Pickle That” gose; briny, citrus, borderline deli in a glass.

• Fri 5/23 & Sat 5/24 — Secret Hazy Flight reveal. Show up; trust the haze.
  

This is the kind of beer week that stains your Untappd scorecard and your conscience in equal measure. Pace yourself, tip big, and remember: Monday’s a myth. More details here. . .

Thursday, May 16 • 4:30 PM – late • Brick West Brewing Plaza

Downtown’s beer HQ is ripping the tarp off patio season with a block-party that feels like a backyard cookout on performance-enhancing hops. We’re talking fresh-tapped seasonal lagers, a rotating food-truck row (yes, the smash-burger guy is back), and live funk that’ll loosen even your most IPA-snobby friend. The plaza turns kid-and-dog friendly before sundown, then shifts into neon-lit dance-floor mode once the headliner plugs in. No cover, no pretension—just that smug joy of sipping a crisp pils before Memorial Day even blinks. Pro move: stake a picnic table early, because by 6 PM every Spokane extrovert you know will be hunting for elbow room.

Barre on the Bluff

Saturday, May 18 • 11:00 AM • Big Barn Brewing Co.

Trade fluorescent gym lights for pine-scented altitude and a panoramic view that’ll bully you into core engagement. Spokane Barre Tribe is hauling mats and a portable sound system to Green Bluff for a 60-minute mash-up of ballet, Pilates, and “why does everything burn?” body-weight torture—plus complimentary mimosas afterward, because balance. All levels welcome; the only requirement is a willingness to plank while hawks circle overhead judging your form. Tickets run $25 on Eventbrite and include a post-class pastry from Blissful Bite Bakery. Bring water, sunscreen, and your best “I do this every weekend” attitude—Instagram won’t know the difference.

Have a great weekend. . . make sure you bring rain ponchos for the Lilac Parade Festivities. . . might serve you well!