Whether you’re looking for a festival to attend, a sporting event to enjoy, or a quiet place to relax outside, you’re sure to find it in Spokane. Spokane is a vibrant city with no shortage of activities to keep you entertained this summer.
Hoopfest
Hoopfest is the largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament in the world, and it’s held every summer in Spokane. Six thousand teams play on 425 courts spanning 45 city blocks while spectators cheer them on. It’s a fun, inclusive event for almost anyone who enjoys playing basketball. The youngest participants must be entering third grade in the fall following the event, but that is the only requirement for participation. As long as you meet the age requirement, you are welcome to sign up.
While Hoopfest centers around basketball, it’s much more than a sporting event. It’s a festival-like atmosphere complete with live music, food trucks, and street vendors. During Hoopfest, the city closes the downtown area to vehicle traffic in order to create a safe, pedestrian-only zone for spectators and participants.
Green Bluff Growers
Green Bluff Growers is a collection of over 35 farms located in the Green Bluff community, which is about 15 minutes north of Spokane. All the farms in the collective area typically open during the summer months, making it a fun, family-friendly summer destination.
Strawberry season, starting in mid-June and ending in late July, kicks the summer off. When strawberry season starts to wane, the cherries begin to ripen, with the fruit generally available for three or four weeks starting in mid-July. The Cherry Pickers Trot, a four-mile run through Green Bluff’s orchard country, is held every July in celebration of cherry season. Peach season starts in August, and the summer draws to a close with the beginning of apple season in September.
Manito Park
Manito Park encompasses 90 acres and houses five gardens, a conservatory, and a duck pond. Located in Spokane’s South Hill neighborhood, the public park welcomes over 150,000 visitors each year.
Summer is the perfect time to stroll the park’s many hiking trails, let the kids roam free on the playgrounds, or just sit on a bench and enjoy the shade trees and well-manicured lawns. Manito Park is open seven days a week and is free to enter.
Spokane Farmers Market
A Spokane summer isn’t complete without a trip to the Spokane Farmers Market, where you can purchase fresh eggs, homemade baked goods, meat, honey, organic fruits and vegetables, and more. It’s located in downtown Spokane on Fifth Avenue and is open every Saturday and Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. during the summer months.
Mount Spokane State Park
Mount Spokane State Park is a 14,000-acre park in the Selkirk Mountains. It’s open year-round, but summer is the only time you’ll be able to admire the beargrass blooms, which visitors from around the world travel to see. Summer also provides you with an opportunity to experience huckleberry season starting in early August.
Visiting the park in the summer months allows you to fully experience all it has to offer. Summit Road, the path leading to the peak of Mount Spokane, opens in June and closes in October. From the top of Mount Spokane, you can see all the way to Canada and Idaho, weather permitting. Campsites are available, but numbers are limited, so book well in advance. To visit in the summer, you’ll need to purchase a Discovery Pass. Purchase online or at the ranger station at the park’s entrance.
Clear Lake
Clear Lake is a 377-acre, spring-fed lake located 20 minutes west of Spokane. Cast a fishing line, go for a swim, or relax by its shores. The lake is home to a variety of fish, including black crappie, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, and pumpkinseed sunfish, as well as many others. Fishing season starts the last weekend in April and ends in October.
If you’d like to plan an overnight trip, Sun Cove Resort offers tent camping, RV parking sites, cabin rentals, dock fishing, and boat rentals. Another option for overnight visits is the Clear Lake Recreation Center, which is available for active duty and retired military, National Guard members, and Department of Defense civilian employees. RV sites with water and electric hookups, grills, a fishing pier, and cabin and boat rentals are available for guests.
Pig Out in the Park
Pig Out in the Park is a six-day food and music festival that brings well over 100,000 people to downtown Spokane every year. Held at Riverfront Park, the festival opens the Wednesday before Labor Day and features all-day concerts on three stages. Local food trucks, restaurants, and cafes offer hundreds of menu items, and a variety of craft beer is available. There is no entrance fee, and all are welcome.
We hope this list of things to do in Spokane helps you create a memorable summer full of fresh air and fun. If you know of a place or an event we’ve overlooked, please let us know. Just drop us a line here at Wendle Ford, and we’ll be sure to include it in our list. We look forward to hearing from you!
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