What Is There To Do In Spokane Wa

Spokane is the friend who never brags about having a river running through downtown. It’s not trying to be Seattle or Portland, and that’s exactly the point. Give it a weekend, and it will quietly hand you waterfalls, cider, trails, and a carousel that makes grown adults smile like kids.

Start with the river, because it’s basically the city’s living room

Riverfront Park is where Spokane hangs out, whether it’s a lunch break, a first date, or a toddler sprinting toward the garbage-eating goat statue. You can walk over the falls, feel the mist on your face, and forget you’re in a city at all. It’s free, central, and endlessly people-watchable.

Riverfront Park highlights

Ride the SkyRide over Spokane Falls and try not to gasp when the gondola swings gently above the water. Take a spin on the Looff Carrousel, a hand-carved beauty from 1909 that still smells like old wood and happiness. In winter, the ice ribbon turns the park into a low-key Hallmark movie, minus the dramatic airport chase.

The giant Radio Flyer wagon is a required photo stop. Yes, it’s a slide. No, you’re never too old, unless you’re wearing slippery dress shoes. And the waterfall views from the bridge are the kind of thing locals forget to appreciate until out-of-town guests freak out.

For days when you want to act like a tourist in your own life

Manito Park is Spokane’s backyard garden, spread across 90 acres on the South Hill. It has a formal English garden, a Japanese garden, a conservatory, and duck ponds that make you want to write poetry badly. Bring coffee, walk slowly, and pretend you’re not jealous of the people who live nearby.

Neighborhood wandering

The Garland District feels like a small town tucked inside the city, with a vintage theater, neon signs, and diners where the pie case matters. Perry Street on the South Hill is another easy stroll, full of coffee shops, boutiques, and patios that beg you to sit down for “just one drink.” Kendall Yards, near the river, mixes modern apartments with bakeries and river views that make you consider moving.

If you need to burn off a giant breakfast

The Centennial Trail runs for miles along the Spokane River, perfect for biking, jogging, or walking while solving imaginary arguments in your head. You can start downtown and keep going until your legs file a complaint. The river keeps you company the whole way.

20 Things To Do In Spokane Washington - City Towner

Bowl and Pitcher and Riverside State Park

Bowl and Pitcher is a dramatic basalt rock formation that looks like a giant stone bowl and pitcher, because sometimes names are literal. Hike the trails, cross the suspension bridge, and watch kayakers paddle through the rapids. It’s close enough for a spontaneous after-work adventure.

When the weather turns, Spokane gets cozy and weird in the best way

The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, usually called the MAC, has regional history, Native American art, and traveling exhibits that are actually interesting. The Fox Theater is a restored Art Deco gem where concerts and comedy shows feel extra fancy. The Knitting Factory brings bigger acts, and the Bartlett keeps things intimate.

Breweries, cideries, and wineries

Spokane has a serious craft drink scene, from hoppy IPAs to crisp ciders made with local apples. Places like No-Li Brewhouse sit right by the river, so you can sip a beer and watch the falls. In nearby Green Bluff, wineries and cideries let you pretend you’re in Tuscany, but with more flannel.

Seasonal stuff that makes locals grin

Green Bluff is a farming community just north of town where you pick pumpkins, apples, and berries depending on the month. The cider donuts alone are worth the drive, especially when they’re warm and your fingers get sticky with cinnamon sugar. It’s a fall tradition that feels like a hug from a grandmother who also loves tractors.

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Bloomsday and Hoopfest

Bloomsday is a massive 12K race in May that turns the city into a river of runners, walkers, and people dressed like tacos. Hoopfest, the world’s largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament, takes over downtown every summer with squeaky shoes and glorious trash talk. You don’t have to compete to enjoy the chaos.

Pig Out in the Park and the fair

Pig Out in the Park fills Riverfront Park with food stalls, live music, and the smell of fry bread and kettle corn. The Spokane County Interstate Fair brings rodeos, carnival rides, and farm animals that are suspiciously photogenic. Both are casual, affordable, and full of people-watching gold.

So why should you care about Spokane?

Because it’s an easy city to love without pretending. You can hike in the morning, eat a giant cinnamon roll at noon, and catch a show at night, all without sitting in soul-crushing traffic. It’s affordable compared to bigger West Coast cities, and the outdoors are never more than twenty minutes away.

Spokane doesn’t demand your attention. It just leaves the porch light on and says, “Come hang out for a while.” Bring good shoes, a hungry stomach, and maybe a jacket, because the weather has opinions. You’ll leave with river mist in your hair and a weird urge to come back.