Coeur d'Alene Blog

Coeur d’Alene is one of the best places for families to find fun activities and destinations. With good food and great playgrounds around every corner, it’s not hard to have fun as a family. Today we’ll share some of our personal recommendations for family-friendly locations in Coeur d’Alene.

-Parks

• No list about Coeur d’Alene is complete without mentioning McEuen. McEuen Park has become a staple of the CDA community over the past few years, and for good reason. With lots of space and some awesome playground/water park features, this destination has something for everybody. Located off of Front Street in downtown, this park is easily accessible and very spacious.

• Next up we have the CDA Public Library. Located at one end of McEuen Park, this library is a great place for kids to play, read, and build crafts. The activities are a lot of fun, and the environment is very kid-friendly. The CDA Public Library can be accessed along Front Street and at the end of 7th.

• The next spot on our list is an iconic feature of Coeur d’Alene. Tubb’s Hill has so much to offer anyone who hikes it! From great beaches awesome hiking opportunities and even better views, Tubb’s never disappoints. This location makes for a great family outing. You can find trails to match the intensity level your looking for, so you never feel held back, or pushed too hard. Bring your family there this summer to experience the local, natural splendor.

• While we’re on the subject of parks, Fort Sherman Playground is a must see. Almost entirely built of wood, this extensive playground sits right in the middle of a gorgeous, wooded park. Directly off Sherman Ave, this park is sure to delight any children with its size and complexity. Perfect for families and conveniently located, be sure to visit.

-Stores

• Fifth on our list is a Virtual Reality gaming studio where you and your family can explore new worlds and experience cutting edge technology together. There is also laser tag and nerf available, making this one of the most entertaining places in town. If you or your family wants to duel it out with lasers and nerf guns, this is the place to go.

• Another wonderful store downtown is Figpickels. An old-school toy shop, this quaint store has so much variety. With beautiful toy and book sections, as well as a miniature carousel, Figpickles definitely makes our list for best family things in Coeur d’Alene

-Food

• If you're looking for food recommendations, you need look no further. Tito’s Italian Grill on Sherman Ave makes their pizzeria a great experience. With a children’s Make Your Own Pizza option, the kids can assemble their own pizzas. The pies are then baked to perfection and served. Definitely a worthwhile stop to combine food and fun!

• If you're looking for a dessert option after Tito’s, Mrs. HoneyPeeps is just around the corner. HoneyPeeps is an expansive, beautiful shop with a huge selection of treats. You can find everything here from jawbreakers, to jelly beans, to ice cream.

• Speaking of ice cream, another great stop for families visiting Coeur d’Alene is Abi’s Ice Cream on 4th Street in downtown. Make sure to pop in and check out their array of organic, all-natural ice-creams.

• Last, but definitely not least in the food category, we have Shenanigans. Shenanigans has been serving delicious crepes and other treats to customers from their store on Sherman.  

 

We hope this article has given you some good tips and ideas related to family destinations here in Coeur d'Alene. Make sure to get out and enjoy this beautiful city! 

As Coeur d’Alene continues to prosper and grow, the parking situation downtown has changed a lot. In this article we want to eliminate any confusion you may have and help you understand your parking options downtown. All told, there are about 2,180 public parking spaces in downtown CDA. About 1250 of those spaces come with at least two hours of free parking, making downtown more accessible for everyone. 

Let’s start by identifying all the free parking available in Coeur d’Alene.

Free Parking in Coeur d'Alene:

1) Street Parking: First off, remember there is always free, two-hour parking along the streets of downtown from 9:00am to 6:00pm, Monday-Saturday. On Sunday, there is no two hour limit to the free parking along those streets. It’s also good to note that from Labor Day to Memorial Day there is free Saturday Parking with no time limits. 

2) East McEuen: Another great, free option, is the East McEuen lot beneath the library and city hall, on 8th street. There is unlimited free parking in this lot, and since it is so close to the playgrounds and Tubbs Hill, it makes for a great resource. 

3) Parking Garage: Many have noticed there is no longer free, two-hour parking at McEuen. The good news is, you can now get two free hours at the new parking garage at Coeur d’Alene and 4th street. 

4) Handicap Parking: I’d also like to point out that handicap parking throughout the city is free and unlimited. Make sure to take advantage of those designated spots if you have a permit. 

In addition to the free parking scattered throughout Coeur d’Alene there are also many convenient, paid, parking options throughout downtown. Following is a list of those locations and some instructions to make your experience with them stress-free. 

Paid Public Parking in Coeur d'Alene:

1) McEuen Parking Lot: As many are already aware, the McEuen Parking lot is centrally located and easily accessible from the end of 3rd Street or 6th Street. The cost to park in this lot is $1 per hour. As with many of the private lots in downtown, this lot has parking kiosks that allow you a convenient way to pay. To use the kiosk simply enter your license plate number, payment information and amount of time you need. With the new and improved system, you no longer need to put the receipt on your dash. Your car and the amount of time you purchased will appear in the city’s database. If you are looking for an even better way to pay, try using the Call To Park app. It will allow you to purchase your hours mobily and extend the time if you run out.

2) Private Parking: Throughout the city there are smaller lots that use this same kiosk and app system. You can find where each of these is located using the GPS feature on the Call To Park app. 

3) Parking Garage: Last, but not least, the new parking garage is a great option for anyone wanting easy access to downtown. Located at 4th and Coeur d’Alene, as we mentioned, the first two hours at this lot are free. Make sure to grab a ticket from the machine on your way in and scan it on your way out. It will calculate your hours and charge you accordingly. After the first two hours it is $1 per hour. 

I hope this article has shed some light on our parking options and will help you make more informed decisions about where to park in downtown Coeur d’Alene. Continue enjoying our beautiful town and all it has to offer! 

Independence Day is just around the corner! Americans all over the US will celebrate the Fourth of July to express their appreciation for the ideals of freedom that won us our independence. Here in Coeur d’Alene we are already prepping for a festive Fourth. Just last week we hiked Tubbs hill with some friends and family, to light sparklers and enjoy the awesome sunset. We are so grateful to live in this green and patriotic corner of America. In our store we have gear to show your festive spirit and bring a burst of patriotism to your summer. Check out the list of red, white and blue merch we have available and then see the schedule below to know what events are going down in Coeur d’Alene to mark the occasion.

 

Featured Products

 

Red Independence Tee-Shirt

Blue Independence Tee-Shirt

CDA Space Program Black Hat

CDA Space Program Camo Hat

CDA Space Program Sticker

CDA Space Program White Tank

Idaho American Flag Shirt

Idaho US Flag Sticker

 

Fourth of July Events

 

Fourth of July Parade-

When: Thur, July 4th, 10:00am-1:00pm

Where: Sherman Ave, Downtown Coeur d’Alene

Fourth of July In The Park-
When: Thur, July 4th, 10:00am-7:00pm

Where: City Park and Beach, Downtown Coeur d’Alene

Independence Day Party-

When: Thur, July 4th, 11:00am-9:00pm

Where: Virtual Reality CDA

CDA Resort, Steaks n’ Sparklers-

When: Thur, July 4th 8:00pm-10:00pm

Where: The Coeur d’Alene Resort

 

Get your gear and meet us downtown for a day full of good food and fellowship. Can't wait to see you there!

Spring is in full swing, and summer is not far away! That means all the weekly farmers' markets are back. We've got a whole list of when and where to find all the markets in our area - for North Idaho and the Spokane area!

Read more

As I'm writing this article, we've already had some really great events so far in the downtown Coeur d'Alene area. We had the 2019 Chocolate Affair, which turned out amazing. We had the joy of having Bean & Pie come to our store and serve delicious mini pies that everyone LOVED! Bean & Pie even won 2nd place by the judges.

Then we had the annual Mac & Cheese fest which was hosted in the Plaza Shops (where CDA IDAHO is located) and that was a big hit. As with previous years, this year was completely sold out. Both of these mentioned events were put on by the Coeur d'Alene Downtown Association, which always does an amazing job of coming up with fun events and making them successful. Events like these really bring in a lot of awareness of local companies as well as bring in traffic for sales in these slower Winter and Spring months. 

2019 Coeur d'Alene Event Calendar

May

• May 10th - Art Walk Starts // Every 2nd Friday of the month from April-December, you can stroll through beautiful downtown Coeur d'Alene and enjoy local and nationally acclaimed artists. Many of the art galleries in this event serve wine.
• May 15th - Downtown Farmers Market // Every Wednesday through September we have a Farmers Market held on 5th Street between Lakeside and Front Street.
• May 26th - Coeur d'Alene Marathon // The biggest run of the year! Come down and support our local athletes!

June

• June 14th - Art Walk
• June 14th - Car d'Alene Cruise
• June 145th - Car d'Alene Show
• June 19th - Live After 5 Starts // A super fun concert series hosted in McEuen Park in downtoan Coeur d'Alene every Wednesday through September 4th.
• June 30th - Ironman 70.3 // The Half Ironman in downtown Coeur d'Alene

 July

• July 3rd - Kiddies Independence Day Parade // A little parade for the kids of Coeur d'Alene! 
• July 4th - 4th of July Parade & Festival // One of the biggest events you'll ever see! The day starts off with a parade and then everyone gets ready for the big fireworks show on Coeur d'Alene Lake.
• July 6th - Brewfest
• July 7th - Coeur d'Alene City Park Concert Series Starts // Every Snday thru August 25th
• July 9th - Sherman Square Concert Series Starts // Every Tuesday through August 27th
• July 12th - Art Walk

August

• August 2nd-4th - Street Fair & Art On The Green // In our opinion, the funnest event downtown all year. Lasting 3 days, Street Fair brings out local merchants, small businesses and traveling merchants on Sherman Avenue in Coeur d'Alene. And then you can make your way down to Art On The Green located on the NIC campus. CDA IDAHO will be outside our store this year with 3 tents! Come see us!
• August 9th - Art Walk
• August 10th - Ales For The Trail
• August 10th - Coeur d'Alene Triathlon

September

• September 13th - Art Walk
• September 20th-21st - Oktoberfest
• September 21st - Coeur d'Fondo
• September 26th - Final Downtown Farmers Market

October

• October 11th - Art Walk
• October 26th - Fall Fest & Apple Palooza
• October 31st - Trick or Treat the Downtown

November

• Nov 3rd - Wine for the Holidays
• Nov 8th - Art Walk
• Nov 29th - Lighting Ceremony Parade // Wow, what a great time this is! Hustle and Bustle galore! By this time it's a little cold and sometimes the snow is falling. But it's the day after Thanksgiving so everyone is out shopping and making merry. And then in the evening we enjoy a beautiful parade, the tree lights are turned on, and then we have fireworks in the evening! Such a fun day.
• Nov 29th - Festival of Trees

December

• Dec 7th - Live Neigh-tivity
• Dec 13th - Art Walk