BOISE ART MUSEUM'S ART IN THE PARK

Some events are such traditions that they help a community mark the passage of time. Boise Art Museum's Art in the Park is just such an event.

In its 54th year, Art in the Park is a long-standing tradition that helps Treasure Valley residents herald in autumn.

This weekend, Julia Davis Park will again be the hub for artists, food vendors, families, shoppers and spectators. More than 260 artists will be displaying their wares, including more than 60 new artists.

Other features include Jazz in the Garden (with The Otni Trio) from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, and the Children's Art Festival, hosted by the Museum's Beaux Arts Socit auxiliary, on Saturday and Sunday.

Live entertainment will be offered throughout the weekend, with musical guests including Rebecca Scott, The High Fives, and Blaze N Kelly.

For some attendees, the highlight of the festival is the wealth of visual arts available for perusal. For others, it is the food. With more than 35 food vendors, there will be no shortage of decadent delights such as cotton candy, Kettle Korn and Pronto Pups.

The event is free, with donations to BAM graciously encouraged. A donation of at least $5 will enter the donor into a raffle for a scooter or two round trip tickets to anywhere Southwest Airlines travels. The donation also provides one free visit to the museum, good through Dec. 31.

A percentage of all purchases helps fund Boise Art Museum's operations and its mission to champion excellence in visual art.

Hours for Art in the Park are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, visit www.boiseartmuseum.org.

BOISE URBAN GARDEN SCHOOL'S HARVEST DINNER

The weather is getting cooler, the harbinger of a new school year and of the harvest. Each brings with it a wealth of information to stretch your brain, just in different settings and with different methods - books and hands-on learning.

Since 1993, the Boise Urban Garden School (BUGS) has been educating children with both methods to help them connect with nature, improve their critical thinking skills and learn more about our magnificent planet.

In the BUGS program, children ages 11-16 spend seven weeks each summer tending to a garden. They not only become more familiar with the food that they grow, they also learn how to tend soil, when to plant and how to care for those plants, and how to run a small business by selling and marketing their wares.

As they watch their gardens grow, the children's minds also grow with information about ecology, local food economies, nutrition, health and literacy. The students learn a great deal about our Treasure Valley resources that we value so much - our water, air and soil - and the issues we are starting to face with pollution and food availability.

In addition to the summer program, BUGS is looking to expand to include fall and spring programs to empower students with knowledge of global and local food issues, as well as water and energy issues of the Treasure Valley.

You can support BUGS by attending its 2008 Harvest Dinner, "The Garden Grill," starting at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, at the BUGS garden at 4821 W. Franklin Road (behind Wright Congregational Church).

Enjoy paella and other delights, music, and a fabulous silent auction. Tickets are $50 each.

For tickets or more information, contact Becky Morgan at 890-0782 or e-mail balancebusiness2@cableone.net.

OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS

Supportive Housing and Innovative Partnership (SHIP) - Recycled Art Show and Silent Auction: Thursday and Friday; www.shipinc.org.

Children's Home Society of Idaho - Celebration for Hope: Friday; www.childrenshomesociety.com.

Idaho Conservation League - An Evening on the River: A Gathering of Conservation Friends: Saturday; www.wildidaho.org.

Albertsons Boise Open (benefiting numerous area nonprofits): Monday through Sunday, Sept. 14; www.albertsonsboiseopen.com.

Boise Contemporary Theater - season opening fundraising gala: Friday, Sept. 12; www.bctheater.org.

Boise Parks & Recreation AdVenture Program - Curt Recla Moonlight Golf Tournament: Friday, Sept. 12; www.cityofboise.org/parks.

Zoo Boise - Run With the Animals 5000: Saturday, Sept. 13; www.zooboise.org.

St. Luke's - Women's Fitness Celebration: Thursday, Sept. 18, through Saturday, Sept. 20; www.celebrateall.org.

Idaho State Historical Society - annual luncheon: Thursday, Sept. 18; www.idahohistory.net.

ACLU of Idaho - annual banquet: Saturday, Sept. 20; www.acluidaho.org.

Boise Rescue Mission - annual banquet: Saturday, Sept. 20; www.boiserm.org.

Do you have fundraising events for your 501(c)(3) organization you would like the divas to hear about, or nominations for spotlights on shining stars who make Treasure Valley nonprofits sparkle? E-mail info@divasforadifference.com.