5 Things to Do This Weekend in Boise: Wear lederhosen, sing Queen anthems, see a Ghost

1. Party at Oktoberfest

Wear lederhosen. Take silly photos with props. Inhale as many German sausages as humanly possible. If you’re looking for a party during Oktoberfest, you can’t beat Old Boise’s annual street bash on Saturday. The outdoor event at Sixth and Main streets runs from 2 to 10 p.m. with live music, beer, hard seltzer, authentic German food and a kids zone (which closes at 6 p.m.). You’ll find games for grown-ups, too — think stein hoisting, cornhole, mug relays and more. Soul Serene performs from 2 to 4 p.m., Wolfie and the Bavarians take over from 4 to 7 p.m., and Pilot Error rocks from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Paid admission ($15 advance, $20 at the gate) gets you a 16-ounce commemorative Oktoberfest mug and your first beer. (Purchase tickets online at beerfests.com to get a hat and a commemorative hat pin, too, while supplies last.) Oktoberfest is free for nondrinkers.

Rather celebrate Oktoberfest in Canyon County? Visit the Nampa Civic Center from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, where they will have food, beer and entertainment, including music from the Boise Valley Edelweiss Band. Ticket details: nampacivicenter.com.

2. See a Ghost

The last time Satan was this stoked about a concert at Boise State was when Ozzy Osbourne played the BSU Pavilion in 1984. Winking mischievously at Beelzebub, Grammy-winning Swedish rock band Ghost will headline Taco Bell Arena — errrrrrr, ExtraMile Arena — on Friday. The “ungodly ruckus” kicks off at 7:30 p.m. with opener Nothing More. Tickets are $29.50-$69.50 at Ticketmaster. Costumes are encouraged, so don’t be lame.

Other concert highlights:

Tomas Rodriguez: 7 p.m. Friday, Augustana Chapel at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 707 W. Fort St., Boise. $20 at itickets.com or at the door.

Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio: 8 p.m. Friday, The Olympic, 1009 Main St., Boise. $15. eventbrite.com. Opening: Juice.

Gabba Gabba Heys (Ramones tribute band): 8 p.m. Friday, 9th Street Parallel at Knitting Factory, 416 S. 9th St., Boise. $11. TicketWeb. $13 day of show.

HomeGrown Country Music Festival: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Kuna Greenbelt, 751 W. 4th St. $15 each, $35 per family, free for children younger than 10. Acts include Buddy DeVore and the Faded Cowboys, Gary Tackett Band, Sweetbriar, Johnny Boy Kunk, Jensen Buck, Dave Nudo, Maddie Zahm. Portion of proceeds go to Kuna Kids Ranger Program.

Coco Montoya: 8 p.m. Sunday, The Olympic, 1009 Main St., Boise. Opening: Gary Tackett. $20 at eventbrite.com, $25 at the door.

3. Take Fido to a brew fest

How does “Idaho’s largest dog-friendly brew festival” sound? Does that wag your tail? The annual B’Arc and Brew deck party takes over the patio and parking lot Saturday at Highlands Hollow, 2455 Harrison Hollow Lane, aka Boise’s oldest microbrewery. Twenty bucks gets you a taster mug and eight beer tickets, plus a front-row view of Idaho bands (on the hour starting at noon): Moss & Cunningham, Christine Thomas and Larry Kiser, Like a Rocket, Hot Dog Sandwich, The Trees The Trees, Pan Handles, Shiny Shoe Bob and All the Bad Times. The vast majority of participating breweries are local, and all proceeds go to support employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities at The Arc. The fun goes from noon until 8 p.m. Remember to bring a leash, OK?

4. Get rocked

Make no mistake: “We Will Rock You,” the Queen-inspired musical taking over CenturyLink Arena on Friday night, is not a live-action version of last year’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” movie. But it’s powered by the band’s classic, cathartic music. The plot “follows two revolutionaries, Galileo and Scaramouche, on a quest to save rock n’ roll in a post-apocalyptic world where there are no musical instruments and rock n’ roll has died. They join a small group of societal outcasts, the Bohemians, as they fight to take back the iPlanet from the all-powerful Globalsoft, led by the Killer Queen. They fight for freedom, individuality and the rebirth of rock ‘n roll.” Written by Ben Elton, it’s totally Brian May-approved. More than 16 million people in 19 countries have seen it. Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. show are $29.50-$150 at centurylinkarenaboise.com.

5. Do a harvest festival

Sometimes the best things to do in Boise are a few miles out of town. Kick back in Downtown Emmett this weekend for the annual Harvest Festival and Street Fair, which is free to attend. You’ll enjoy food, more than 50 arts and crafts vendors, hayrides, a rock climbing wall, live music and other entertainment. It runs from noon to 7 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Bonus: Local orchards are open for picking. Online: emmettidaho.com.

This story was originally published September 26, 2019 at 10:49 AM.