I'm talking Treefort as soon as I catch this fish on my downtown lunch hour … .
Seriously, I sometimes shake my head in wonder when I think about the shangri-la that we live in — and too often take for granted. I have written about our unique location many times: we're less than 15 miles away from a pretty gnarly ski hill; we have a walkable, vibrant downtown full of shops, restaurants, nightclubs and bars; we have a fishable, floatable river that runs through the middle of the city, lined with a Greenbelt trail perfect for any-time-of-the-day walking, biking — or just sitting on a bench and reading or taking in the surrounding wildlife. We have a zoo and museums and parks within steps of our city center.
Why am I talking about all of this instead of Treefort? I am talking about it because of Treefort. Because … I was taking a midday stroll on Monday and in the space of just a couple of blocks, I ran into two middle-school-age boys on spring break brandishing fishing poles like lightsabers, dangling colorful artificial worms and grinning ear to ear. They'd just been fishing in the Boise River and, yes, they did catch some fish, three bass, around 1-pounders. I saw a couple sitting at an outside patio table, ski gear heaped on a chair, talking and laughing. And next, I noticed a young woman sitting on a bench, absorbed in her book as others, out for a noontime stroll or a bite to eat, passed on by.Â
You know, we have a good thing here and I think we often forget that. But when Treefort rolls around, I am proud we can show off our downtown to around 30,000 locals and visitors, about 500 local, national and international music artists, story makers and story tellers, artists, filmmakers, skaters and dreamers.
Treefort is Boise's once-a-year and once-upon-a-time fairytale come to life. And it takes place right here in the heart of the city.
It just wouldn't be the same if it was anywhere else.Â
