Welcome to mid-October in the panhandle. The lifts at Schweitzer are quiet — summer operations have wrapped, and the mountain is resting up for a projected opening on November 27 — but town life in Sandpoint, Post Falls, Coeur d'Alene, and Bonners Ferry is anything but quiet. Here is the week ahead, ski-flavored highlights first.
First, a date every backcountry traveler should know: the Friends of IPAC Online Silent Auction runs Thursday, October 15 through Sunday, October 18, raising funds for the Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center, whose forecasts and classes help keep backcountry travelers safer all winter. Bidding is online — support avalanche forecasting from your couch. Schweitzer season passes are also on sale now — this is the week to lock yours in and start practicing your snow dances.
Sandpoint owns the weekend. The Sandpoint Idaho Film Fest takes over downtown: on Saturday, October 17, the Film Crawl starts at Matchwood from 5 to 11 p.m., and the afterparty lands at The Hive, 207 N First Avenue, with DJ Lady Oda at 7 p.m. and Glizi at 9 p.m. (afterparty admission is 10 dollars). The festival wraps Sunday, October 18, with the Local Idaho Filmmaker Showcase at the Little Panida Theater from 1 to 4 p.m. (5 dollars). On Friday, October 16, the Copper Mountain Band plays The Hive — doors at 7 p.m., line-dancing lessons from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., and the show at 8:30 p.m. (21 and over).
Earlier in the week, Pend d'Oreille Winery at 301 Cedar Street keeps its rhythm: piano with Peter Lucht on Wednesday, October 14, from 5 to 7 p.m., and live music with Tucker James on Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday morning brings the Fall Shoreline Cleanup with the Idaho Conservation League at Sandpoint City Beach from 8 to 11 a.m., then swing by Farmin Park for the Sandpoint Farmers Market Harvest Fest, the season closer.
In Post Falls, Friday night means Dueling Pianos with James Hill and Alicia Birchell on October 16, from 7 to 10 p.m. at The Club at Prairie Falls on North Spokane Street — and it is free. Saturday, October 17, brings Oktoberfest to Eats on Spokane Street, with food, beer, live music, and fall fun, also free. Up north, the 2026 Bonners Ferry Jazz Festival fills Becker Auditorium at Bonners Ferry High School on Sunday, October 18 — a full day of jazz, no ticket required, donations accepted.
Coeur d'Alene rounds out the week. The Harvest Market and Apple Palooza takes over downtown on Saturday, October 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. And all week long, the Shipwrecked haunted dining experience runs at The Cedars Floating Restaurant on Marina Drive, for pre-Halloween fun on the water.
However you spend it — bidding for a good cause, dancing at The Hive, or sipping wine while the larches turn gold — take a moment to look up at the mountain. The Village Overlook is always glad to welcome you home. See you up here.