Celebrate Local
A Very Caldwell
CHRISTMAS BY HEATHER HAMILTON-POST
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tarting the week before Thanksgiving until the first week of January, downtown Caldwell becomes even more magical--a true winter wonderland, complete with a million lights (actually, there are over a million), an ice skating rink, and a singing Christmas tree. Exactly as picturesque as it sounds, Caldwell is truly alive as the weather turns, even amidst a pandemic--and hey, the right mask is both a stylish and warm accessory.
It's a true winter wonderland, complete with over a million lights, an ice skating rink, and a singing Christmas tree.
Downtown Caldwell, once something of a ghost town in a sleepy Idaho city, has experienced significant growth and much needed renovation in recent years, bringing a host of great retail and dining experiences, 36
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including some Boise favorites like Rediscovered Books and Flying M Coffee. The city’s Indian Creek Plaza serves as a gathering place year round, but in the cooler months, it attracts families, couples, and anyone looking for a good time from around the state. “Our goal is really to bring it back to the downtown core, and bring it back to this area. It’s a nice central hub,” explains Destination Caldwell’s Sarah Gross. Caldwell’s downtown carries the kind of charm that doesn’t exist in many areas of the country--historic, rustic, and draped in the Idaho friendliness we sometimes forget about until an out-of-town auntie gushes about how pleasant our people are. Throw a bunch of holiday lights on the six blocks that make up Indian Creek Plaza and the long stretch of trees that line the public golf course, along the bridges, around the remnants of nearby vineyards, and you’ll never want to leave. Gross says that initial efforts to daylight the creek really sought to involve the greater town of Caldwell to create a community space with use potential throughout the year. From summer’s Indian Creek
