Boise’s Hyde Park Street Fair will be ‘a little bigger.’ (Uh-oh!) What to know
Not to sound like a broken record, but this weekend’s Hyde Park Street Fair is about to break its own record — again.
“The fair is a little bigger this year,” longtime event coordinator Carl Scheider admitted.
Nearly 200 vendors are slated to pack the 44th iteration of the annual North End tradition — up from 160 three years ago. The fair also will feature two stages of music, an entertainment dome, mouthwatering festival food and plenty of cold beer.
Each year in recent memory, Scheider sounds amazed when organizers manage to slip more vendors into the popular event. And each year, the seemingly impossible becomes reality again.
“I think we’ve maxed out finally,” Scheider said this week. “Every year, it just balloons up. You only have so much space in that park.”
Last year, 187 were booked. “Now I think it’s more like 193 — closer to that,” Scheider said. “It’s still under 200. ... Nothing dramatic.”
Translation: It’s party time at Camel’s Back Park! An estimated 20,000 people normally attend the festival over three days, Scheider said.
There’s no reason to panic. If you’re a seasoned Boise resident, you know the Hyde Park Street Fair drill. But reminders are helpful. And a few details always change. So if you go, keep the following in mind.
Free live music
The Hyde Park Street Fair is free to enter. Hours are 4 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Never attended? The atmosphere is family-friendly, with a neo-hippie vibe. Polite dogs are allowed, but your pup might get stressed in the noisy, crowded park. Adults can stroll the grounds sipping beer and wine, which are sold on site.
All of the musicians will be local or have local ties. Nineteen performances are scheduled on the main stage, plus another 20 on the community stage, which also will feature dance acts. Things get granola-crunchier in the geodesic dome. (Interested in a sound bath? Or participating in a drum circle? That’s your nirvana spot.)
Don’t forget to carve out time for shopping. On the way to this year’s record number of vendors, the fair received “the most applications we have ever received,” Scheider said. “By far. It was just astronomical. It was like, ‘Oh my God.’ “
Vendors will sell arts, crafts, jewelry, clothing and more. There also will be nonprofit and commercial information. Overall, the majority will be arts and crafts, Scheider said — “by a large margin.”
Traffic, transportation, parking
One thing that stays the same each year? Nightmare-level parking. With limited space, quiet residential streets become a jam-packed parallel parking zoo. If you drive, consider carpooling. (Thank you for your patience each year, North End neighbors.)
Biking is strongly encouraged. A free bike corral is provided in the park. (Bring your own lock.) There also will be a Lime scooter pickup and drop-off area.
Fairgoers can take advantage of Valley Regional Transit, which will shuttle people from any VRT stop to 13th and Ridenbaugh streets (about two blocks from the fair) — and back afterward. The ride is free. Buses run every 30 minutes from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday and 9:45 a.m. to 9:55 p.m. Saturday. The service won’t be available Sunday.
On Saturday only, VRT’s route will include a dedicated park-and-ride lot from the school parking lot at 300 W. Fort St., next to Boise High’s athletic fields.
If you’re an Uber or Lyft type, there also will be a designated drop-off and pickup spot next to Camel’s Back Park.
History
Confused about this “street” fair that’s not held in a street?
It’s another Boise growth story.
The Hyde Park Street Fair wasn’t much more than a pancake breakfast when it began in 1979 in the Hyde Park retail district a few blocks away on 13th Street. Concerns and complaints about the event’s size eventually forced the North End Neighborhood Association (NENA) to move it to Camel’s Back Park in 1997, where it has expanded into one of Boise’s most popular gatherings at the end of each summer.
The Hyde Park Street Fair is NENA’s biggest yearly fundraiser.
Main stage schedule
(Subject to change)
Friday, Sept. 12
5-5:45 p.m.: Audio Moonshine
6-6:45 p.m.: Trippin’ Bigfoot
7-7:45 p.m.: Bad Horse
8-9:30 p.m.: Buddy DeVore and the Faded Cowboys
Saturday, Sept. 13
Noon-12:45 p.m.: Minor Paradox
1-1:45 p.m.: Play Dead
2-2:45 p.m.: Lee Penn Sky
3-3:45 p.m.: High Pine Whiskey Yell
4-4:45 p.m.: Shaun Palmer
5-5:45 p.m.: MotorFlower
6-6:45 p.m.: Ashley Rose Band
7-7:45 p.m.: Sean Hatton Band
8-9:30 p.m.: aka Belle
Sunday, Sept. 14
11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: Nicole and Ben Burdick
12:30-1:15 p.m.: Blaze & Kelly
1:30-2:15 p.m.: Dan Costello and Friends
2:30-3:15 p.m.: Emily Tipton Band
3:30-4:15 p.m.: Sean Sanders and the Four Penny Peep Show
4:30-6 p.m.: Steve Fulton Music
This story was originally published September 10, 2025 at 4:00 AM.