From political conversations to live music and hands-on science programs for children, Twin Falls and the broader Magic Valley region have a full slate of community events this week, offering Idaho residents a range of ways to engage with their neighbors and local arts and culture scene.
Speed Rapping, Live Music, and the Arts Kick Off the Week
The week opened Thursday with a community forum billed as Speed Rapping: Get to Know Your Local Candidates, giving Magic Valley residents an opportunity to meet local candidates and community members for a fast-paced evening of conversation about issues facing the region. The event was held at Milner’s Gate at Idaho Craft Brewery, located at 205 Shoshone St. N. in Twin Falls, running from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
On Friday, the acoustic trio JJQ — Jon, Jenni, and Quin performed at The Twin Falls Sandwich Co., located at 125 Main Ave. W. in Twin Falls. The group featured fiddle tunes and harmonized songs in what was described as an Irish, pop, and Americana acoustic set, running from 6 to 8 p.m.
Also on the arts front, the Medusa Quartet performed Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. at the College of Southern Idaho Fine Arts Center. Tickets were priced at $29 for adults, $26 for seniors, and $20 for students. The performance marked the second-to-last show of the Arts on Tour season. Tickets were available through the CSI ticketing website.
Fellowship Concert Series Brings Carl Sandburg to Life in Downtown Twin Falls
One of the cultural highlights of the week came Monday evening with the Fellowship Concert Series presentation of The Many Lives of Carl Sandburg, a short play written by John Quinley and directed by Tony Mannen. The production was performed at Fellowship, located at 160 Ninth Ave. E. in Twin Falls, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
The play explores the many careers of Carl Sandburg — wanderer, journalist, poet, children’s author, Lincoln biographer, and musician — weaving together a narrative portrait of Sandburg and his wife, Paula, with seamless transitions between songs collected by Sandburg himself. The production aims to introduce audiences to an American patriot who was once among the most famous figures in the world but has since faded from public memory.
Musician Jenni Jacobson was photographed during rehearsal for the production on Tuesday evening, April 7, in downtown Twin Falls, ahead of the public performance.
For fans of local sports, be sure to check out coverage of the Wood River and Filer baseball teams finishing in a rare tie at the Buhl Mid-Season Classic in Idaho, another reminder of the rich athletic community events taking place across Twin Falls County this spring.
STEM Programs, Technology Workshops, and Planetarium Shows Round Out the Week
The week’s community programming extended well beyond the arts. On Tuesday afternoon, the Twin Falls Library hosted Tween STEM, a hands-on activity session designed for students in grades fourth through sixth. The program, which began at 4:30 p.m., was designed to spark excitement about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through interactive exercises.
On Wednesday, the Twin Falls Library offered an Introduction to Technology workshop at 4:30 p.m., where attendees could learn the basics of designing their own games using free software including Scratch and Godot. The monthly program is open to the public and rotates through different pieces of software and technology each session.
Meanwhile, the Herrett Center at the College of Southern Idaho continued its planetarium programming throughout the week, featuring shows including Dark Biosphere, Humpback Whales, T. Rex, and Black Holes: Unknown Horizons. A full schedule and list of upcoming shows was available through the Herrett Center planetarium website.
Residents looking to publicize community events can submit listings for free at the Times-News events page at magicvalley.com/events. Submissions may also be considered for inclusion in the Thursday print edition of the Times-News.
What Comes Next
Community events in Twin Falls and across Magic Valley continue to build as spring gains momentum. Residents are encouraged to watch for upcoming performances in the Fellowship Concert Series, additional Arts on Tour season programming at CSI, and ongoing STEM and technology workshops at the Twin Falls Library. For statewide news and coverage affecting communities across Idaho, visit Idaho News and the Idaho News Network.