Idaho is known for its potatoes, but the bustle of summer events in Idaho Falls shows how the thriving city has peeled back its roots to reveal a modern spirit.

Arrive in Idaho Falls along a long stretch of the Snake River Valley which swings low into the southern part of the state and is colored with rugged lava flows wrapped in wild sagebrush. A visit here tends to exceed a traveler’s expectations.

Start your visit at the colorful Idaho Falls Farmers Market held on Saturdays through October, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Boasting more than 100 vendors at the peak of the season, you will find more than just fresh vegetables at this community market. With live music setting the scene with its beats, vendors offer up homemade pastas and cannoli, hand-pressed honey, jams and jellies, flowers, jewelry, art, woodworks and more.

Surrounding the farmers market, the area known as Old Town is a great jumping-off point for sightseeing in nature along the Idaho Falls River Walk. This greenbelt notches classic views of the river while showcasing some of the city’s most stunning architecture and cultivated gardens before dropping you into the city center. Here, you’ll find the falls that inspired the city’s name. In 1891, marketers hoped the name Idaho Falls would attract people and revive the river town as it began shifting from an agriculture-based economy.

You can walk parts (or all) of the River Walk’s five-mile stretch of greenbelt on either side of the Snake River, or explore it by bike with a rental from a variety of bike shops in the Old Town area. Start at the Japanese Friendship Garden, a tribute to the Idaho Falls’ sister city of Tokai-Mura in Japan.

Along the River Walk, find the Idaho Falls Temple, an architectural anchor and the first Latter-day Saints temple to be constructed in Idaho. Tours are available to the public when scheduled in advance. You will also find a variety of tributes and monuments giving a nod to those who laid the foundation of the city. Discover Indigenous sites, military veteran memorials, and learn the history of the fur trade and the region’s pioneer days. Find parks to play disc golf, swing at childrens’ playgrounds or stretch out in the soft grass to rest.

The Old Town offers a selection of dining experiences tucked into special corners of the city’s century-old buildings, many of which are on the National Register of Historical Places. Walk by the terracotta facade of the 1930s Kress Building, and enjoy the fare at the Celt Pub or a light lunch at A Street Soup Market. The clothing and gift boutique Poppy & Pout is a light, bright space next door to the production facility for the cult-favorite—the all-natural Poppy & Pout lip balms Oprah Winfrey called one of her “favorite things.”

On each first Thursday evening during the summer months (except in July, when it is the second Thursday), local galleries, museums and artisan stores host a free Art Walk, from 5-8 p.m. Live music, refreshments and art demos complement the regional and global art on display. Include a visit to the Art Museum of Eastern Idaho, the history and science-centered Museum of Idaho, the Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park or the East Idaho Aquarium to top off a summer tour of this gem of a city perched on the banks of the Snake River.