By Mike McKenna
With kids heading back to school, the wild and free days of summer are now just memories. But just because the days are getting cooler and shorter doesn’t mean the fun has to simmer down.
Fall in the Wood River Valley has become a smorgasbord of good times. To help, here’s a menu of some of the local Fall events you can stuff yourself full of fun with.
Labor Day weekend is absolutely loaded. Things kick off with the 12th Annual Rebecca’s Private Idaho August 28-31. “RPI” has become one of the most popular and well-respected amateur and pro bike events in the country. Wagon Days brings Ketchum back-in-time for a weekend highlighted by the world-famous “Big Hitch Parade.” And Bellevue celebrates Labor Day in small-town style with its parade and family-friendly festival at Memorial Park.
The Chamber’s first Hailey Coffee Talk will take place at Wa Fed on Main Street on Tuesday, September 9th from 9–10 a.m. These bimonthly free events offer local businesses and nonprofits a chance to have a cup of coffee with city leaders and chat about everything happening in a more comfortable setting than across the dais at City Hall. They are free, coffee and treats are provided, and everyone is welcome.
The first 5B Hike for Hope will take place on Saturday morning, September 13th, at Hop Porter Park. The Crisis Hotline, 5B Suicide Prevention Alliance, and Love Like Ky are putting on a hike up Carbonate Mountain to support mental health.
The 2025 Sun Valley Pickleball Classic will bring players in from all over the country to compete locally from September 18-21. Put on by the Wood River Pickleball Association, the extremely popular sport’s Sun Valley tournament has become a “destination event” for “picklers.”
The 13th Annual Ketchum Oktoberfest taps the kegs for two days of German-style fun at Champions/Festival Meadows on Sun Valley Road. Saturday, September 20th, is literally jammed-packed with fun. 5B Anglers 2nd Annual Trout Bout combines a fishing tournament with dinner at the Cutthroat Club to support the Reel Kids School of Trout summer fly-fishing camps. The annual Meet the Fleet and the Fire Fighters 5 Alarm Chili Cook-Off also takes place that day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the south end of Airport Way.
The 47th Annual Baldy Hill Climb will be held on Saturday, September 27th on the Warm Springs side of Baldy. The annual “sufferfest” is put on by the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation and asks folks to climb 3,140 feet to support local cross-country skiers.
