Festivals in Idaho

Between the valleys carved by the Salmon River and the jagged peaks of the Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho nurtures a festival scene in its own image: mountain-bred, fiercely independent and deeply rooted. It all begins in Boise, the state capital, where every March the Treefort Music Fest turns downtown into a maze of clubs and stages, a showcase for the restless indie energy that makes the city one of the American West's best-kept secrets. Come summer, the Boise Music Festival brings crowd-pleasing headliners out under the high-desert sun.

Yet the state's musical soul truly comes alive in its small mountain towns. In Stanley, at the foot of the Sawtooths and along the river, the Sawtooth Valley Gathering gathers jam-bands and open-air lovers against a breathtaking backdrop, while in Challis the Braun Brothers Reunion — billed as Idaho's original Americana festival — has spent decades celebrating the country and folk traditions that run through the whole region. FestT calculates your FestiScore — how well a lineup matches your favorite artists — and keeps dates, headliners and ticketing up to date for every one of these gatherings.