Maybe Just a Half Bender

By TEXT Dana DuGan

Wednesday is a fine day to start your weekend. And this week brings more fine music and a swarm of annual events that all blend nicely together, especially for the socially minded. Here in the Wood River Valley we like to mix our good causes with opportunities to, oh, chat, tap our feet, eat and, of course, drink. Find your way to one of these events and you won't be disappointed. This is the way summer should be: friends, family, scenery, conversation and fun.

Valley favorite, the barn-burning Kim Stocking Band plays the Back Alley Party at the Wicked Spud in Hailey, Wednesday evening (tonight!) from 6-9:30 p.m. Proceeds benefit the Northern Rockies Folk Festival. The show is free, but donations, raffle tickets, specialty beer and wine sales will go toward the much-deserving beneficiary. The Northern Rockies Folk Festival will be held July 31-Aug. 1 in Hailey.

This weekend in Ketchum, the Ketchum Arts Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary at Festival Meadow between Ketchum and Sun Valley.

Sophisticated art works join affordable crafts at this summer shopping highlight. Most of the artists are current and former Wood River Valley residents. As always, there will be live music, a kid’s show on Saturday at noon and scrumptious food and refreshments for sale. Always a hit are Melissa Boley’s handmade hula-hoops. Give ‘em a spin.

The Ketchum Arts Festival runs from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Click here for more info.

Want a taste of something that will send shivers up your spine? Half Bender will play an acoustic set at Cavallino (aka the Martini Bar, 380 North Leadville Ave. in Ketchum - on Saturday from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Half Bender is Jason Ward and Michael Carpenter, and one half of the Alaska/Idaho troupe Ryebender. Ryebender’s album, “Hollow and Drifting,” is currently 51 on the Americana charts. The full, four-man Bender will play the Sun Valley Center for the Arts Wine Auction Picnic and the Northern Rockies Folk Festival later this jam-packed summer.

More live music with Voci Ingenium (talented voices) on Friday from 5-8 p.m. at the Wicked Spud in Hailey.

Check back to Local Buzz on Friday for more help lining up the summer you were waiting for all spring.

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