Ketchum's newest hotel has started letting people in. The Observatory's restaurant, Joan, is serving dinner now, about two weeks before the first overnight guests check in on Oct. 30.

Also this week: the Jazz & Music Festival runs through Sunday, a free coat giveaway in Hailey this afternoon, a new date for Bellevue's Gannett Ranch hearing, and sun all the way to Monday. Here's what's happening.

Top of Mind

The Observatory opens its restaurant ahead of Oct. 30 stays

The Observatory, the 73-room Viceroy hotel at 300 River St E in downtown Ketchum, has opened its restaurant and bar to the public. Joan is open Monday through Friday, 5 to 9, and its bar and lounge open at 4 on those days. The hotel recommends reservations for the dining room; the bar and lounge are first come, first served. Overnight stays start Oct. 30.

Joan is named for the late Joan Blank, a Ketchum entertainer and horsewoman. Italian-born chef Nicola Cavicchini leads the kitchen, with wood-fired specialties; the dining room seats 65 to 70, with a 14-seat bar and a patio fire pit. Its café, Odin's Corner, lists hours of 7 to 5.

Still to come: a 5,600-square-foot spa with a thermal pool, cold plunge, and sauna, due in mid-November, and the rooftop observatory the hotel is named for, with two telescopes and stargazing programs the hotel lists as "coming soon." Rooms start at $800 a night, according to AFAR. Viceroy calls it the area's first new luxury hotel since the Sun Valley Lodge opened in 1936.

Sources: the hotel, Eye on Sun Valley, Sept. 4, and AFAR, Oct. 12

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Town Hall

BellevueGannett Ranch's first hearing is now Monday. The developer proposes annexing 191 acres on Gannett Road for up to 439 homes plus commercial and flex industrial space. Bellevue's Planning and Zoning Commission postponed its Oct. 5 hearing. It's now Monday, Oct. 19, at 5:30, City Hall. The commission decides only whether the application is complete; more hearings would follow before any council vote. [IME]

KetchumKetchum's city administrator is leaving. Jade Riley, who has run City Hall since September 2020, leaves in early November to become chief of staff at the College of Western Idaho. Finance Director Brent Davis will serve as interim administrator. [IME]

KetchumKetchum wants your take on roads and paths. An online survey, open through Oct. 22, asks about a northbound turn lane on Highway 75 at 10th Street, an underpass linking the Saddle Road path to the highway, and new paths between downtown and the neighborhoods. [IME]

ValleyEarly voting runs through Oct. 30. Vote ahead of the Nov. 3 election on the first floor of the Blaine County Courthouse in Hailey, weekdays 8 to 5. [county]

MeetingsKetchum Traffic Authority, Thursday 9; Ketchum P&Z, Thursday 4:30; Hailey P&Z, Monday 5:30; Carey City Council, Monday 7; airport authority, Tuesday 5:30, on parking fees; county commissioners, Tuesday 6, on a Cove Springs code change. [IME calendar]

Out & About

This week

Thu Oct 15 to Sun Oct 18  Sun Valley Jazz & Music Festival, 37th year: more than 100 performances across four venues based at the Sun Valley Inn, plus swing dancing and street parades. Day passes $75 to $175, all four days $299, plus fees. [tickets]

Thu Oct 15  Kick the Cold, the Elevate Team's free coat giveaway, Grocery Outlet, 615 N Main St, Hailey, 3 to 5. Coats, hats, and gloves, all free to those in need. No ID or sign-up needed.

Thu Oct 15  Fiction writing seminar with local sci-fi author AJ Super, on the three-act structure and outlining a story, Hailey Public Library at Town Center West, 116 S River St, 5:30, free. [info]

Thu Oct 15  Mary Cassatt talk: curator Annelise K. Madsen on the Art Institute of Chicago's "Mary Cassatt: After Impressionism," Sun Valley Museum of Art, 5:30, free. [IME]

Thu Oct 15  Pour It Forward at TNT Taproom trivia, 271 E Sun Valley Rd, Ketchum, 6:30: 20% of sales go to Blaine County EMS Outreach's training work in Tanzania, and wish-list gifts earn teams bonus points. 21 and over.

Thu Oct 15  Community Sing at the Flourish Foundation, 1030 Airport Way, Hailey, 6:30 to 8, free. Songs are taught on the spot. [IME]

Thu Oct 15  American Patchwork Quartet, folk with jazz, country, West African, and East Asian roots, led by Grammy winner Clay Ross, the Argyros, 7:30, $28 to $48. [IME]

Fri Oct 16 and Sat Oct 17  Free festival sets. Friday, Precious Byrd in Ketchum Town Square, 12:30. Saturday, Wood River High's Wind Machine at 11 and Precious Byrd at 12:30, Sun Valley Opera House; Tom Rigney & Flambeau, Town Square, 12:30. [IME]

Fri Oct 16  Pretend Play drop-in: dress-up in the Children's Library, the Community Library, 11 to 1, free. [info]

Fri Oct 16  Young Latino Leaders Panel with Vania Campos, Monica Carrillo-Casas, and Giselle Andrade, closing the 9th Hailey Hispanic Heritage Fest, the Community Library, 5, free. [info]

Fri Oct 16  Family movie night: "Coco" in Bonni's Greenhouse at the Wood River YMCA, 101 Saddle Rd, Ketchum, 6 to 8, free, with popcorn and cider. [IME]

Fri Oct 16  Dusty Hayz & Drifter, country, vintage pop, and Latin ballads, La Cabanita at the Mint in Hailey, 6:30 to 8, free. [IME]

Fri Oct 16  Contra dance to live folk music, Grange Hall, 609 S Third Ave, Hailey, 6:45. Every dance is taught first; no partner needed. $15, $25 a couple, teens $5. [IME]

Fri Oct 16  Funny Business, stand-up and live magic with magician and comedian Damian Regalado and guests, the Liberty Theatre in Hailey, 7, $20. [tickets]

Sat Oct 17  Ketchum Cars & Coffee, classics to daily drivers, corner of Sun Valley Road and East Avenue, 8 a.m., free coffee. [IME]

Sat Oct 17  The Hunger Coalition's Pumpkin Patch at Lookout Farm, 11038 Highway 75, Bellevue, 10 to 2, free or by donation. Pumpkins, kids' activities, music, and food; proceeds go to the Hunger Coalition. [info]

Sat Oct 17  Dahlia Days at Wild Flora Farm, 10 to 3. Help dig and divide the dahlias for next year; volunteers get coffee, snacks, and tubers to take home.

Sat Oct 17  1971 Film Fest: "Willy Wonka" and "Fiddler on the Roof," the Sun Valley Museum of Art in Ketchum, 11, free. [info]

Sat Oct 17  Building Ofrendas, a free Day of the Dead workshop with alternative photography, SVMoA's Hailey House and Classroom, 1. [info]

Sat Oct 17  "The Good John Proctor," free readings of Talene Monahon's play, the Argyros' Bailey Studio, 2 and 6:30. Both are sold out; the Argyros keeps a waitlist. [info]

Sat Oct 17  Noise Pollution, an AC/DC tribute covering both the Bon Scott and Brian Johnson eras, the Liberty Theatre, 8, $30. [tickets]

Sat Oct 17 to Mon Oct 19  Book donations for the Friends of the Hailey Public Library sale, Town Center West, 10 to 4. Books, DVDs, CDs, puzzles, and games; no textbooks, magazines, or VHS.

Sun Oct 18  Sound Sanctuary, a sound bath for expecting parents and those with a new baby, little ones welcome, with Hanna Curran at Gather, 471 Leadville Ave, Ketchum, 12:30 to 1:30. [info]

Sun Oct 18  Free financial aid night from the SPACE with Shannon Amundson, Davidson College's financial aid director, the Liberty Theatre in Hailey: English 5 to 6, Spanish 6 to 7. Sign-up requested. [sign up]

Sun Oct 18  Five Gates Grief Vigil, a guided community grief circle, Flourish Foundation in Hailey, 5 to 7:30, $0 to $75. Limited to 20; register ahead. [IME]

Mon Oct 19  Meet Ketchum's new police chief, Shane Womack, at his swearing-in and a public meet-and-greet, Ketchum City Hall, 10 a.m. [IME]

Mon Oct 19  Ken Burns' "The War," shown over seven Monday afternoons with the Wood River Museum, the Community Library, 2 to 4:30, free. Register online. [info]

Mon Oct 19  Day of the Dead workshop: marigolds, calaveras, and breads, with the Sun Valley Museum of Art at the Hunger Coalition in Bellevue, 4, free. [info]

Mon Oct 19  "Cost of College: Decoded," Shannon Amundson again, for any valley family, Sun Valley Community School's Hagenbuch Hall, 5:30, free. [IME]

Tue Oct 20 to Sat Oct 24  Rotarun Ski Swap. Register gear online by Oct 23, 6 p.m. Drop off Tuesday at Rotarun, 5 to 7; Wednesday at Sturtevants Ketchum, 4 to 6; or Friday at Sturtevants Hailey, 3 to 6. Shop Saturday 10 to 4, Sturtevants Hailey. Sellers keep 70%. [info]

Tue Oct 20  Caramel apple bar for the Teen Reading Challenge, the Community Library's Teen Lounge, 3 to 5:30. [info]

Tue Oct 20  American campaign history tour: nearly 200 years of buttons, banners, and slogans, Blaine County Historical Museum, 218 N Main St, Hailey, 6, free. [IME]

Wed Oct 21 to Sat Oct 24  Friends of the Hailey Public Library Book & Bake Sale, Town Center West: members only Wednesday 4 to 6; everyone Thursday and Friday 9 to 6, bake sale included; $10 bag sale Saturday 9 to 2. Proceeds go to the library.

Every Monday

10:30  Story time at the Community Library, preschool age, free. [info]

2 to 4  Mondays We Stitch, Sun Valley Lodge atrium. Knitting, needlepoint, and crochet, all levels, free. [IME]

3 to 4  Paws to Read at the Community Library: kids read to therapy dogs, free.

4 to 6  Community Meal at Bloom, 110 Honeysuckle St, Bellevue, free. Thursdays too, noon to 2.

4:30 to 6  Knitting Circle at the Community Library, free. Bring needles and yarn. [info]

6 p.m.  Mindful Mondays, the Advocates' women's support group. Childcare provided. Call (208) 788-4191 for the location.

Every Tuesday

1 to 2  Lunchtime Language Spanish at the Community Library, free.

4 to 9  Teacher Tuesday at Roots Wine Bar, 122 S Main St, Hailey: two house wines plus fries, $30.

5 to 7  Cooking Club / Club de Cocina at Bloom Community Kitchen, free. Register at (208) 788-0121.

5:30  Volleyball in the Park at Atkinson Park, free.

7 p.m.  Trivia Showdown at Whiskey's on Main, Ketchum, free, through Dec. 29. [IME]

6 to 8  Free English class for adults / Clase de inglés gratis, the Community Library, through Dec. 15. [info]

Every Wednesday

10:15  Baby and toddler story time at the Hailey library, free. [info]

Noon to 1  Yoga and meditation with Ryan Redman at the Flourish Foundation, free.

2 to 5  Stitch group at Knit + Needle, free, all levels, drop in. [info]

5 and 6:30  Beginner Spanish at Town Center West through the Hailey library, level one then level two. [info]

5:30 to 7  Craft Circle at the Hailey library, ages 16 and up. Bring any handicraft. [info]

6 to 9, then 9  At Whiskey's on Main: ballroom lesson at 6 ($40, a drink included), open dance 7 to 9, then free karaoke.

Every Thursday

11:30 to 12:30  Pop-In Poetry at the Community Library, free.

4 p.m.  Teens Art Collective at the Hailey library, free. [info]

5 to 7  Stitch group at Knit + Needle again, the evening one. [info]

6:30  Trivia at the TNT Taproom, 271 E Sun Valley Rd, Ketchum. Free, 21 and over.

Every Friday

11 a.m.  Story time at the Hailey library, free. [info]

5:30 to 6:30  Flow & Restore yoga at the Flourish Foundation, Hailey, all levels, by donation. [IME]

Every Saturday

10 a.m.  Dungeons and Dragons club for youth at the Hailey library, free. [info]

3:30  Story time again at the Hailey library, free. [info]

Every Sunday

Noon, while supplies last  Tacos and Touchdowns at Whiskey's on Main: $20 all-you-can-eat taco bar.

Most nights

Thu to Sat 5:30 to 8:30, Sun 1 to 4  Live music in the Limelight lounge, 151 Main St S, Ketchum. Free, no cover. [info]

Coming up

Thu Oct 22  Altan, the Donegal traditional Irish band, with Paddywagon, the Liberty Theatre, 8, doors 7:30, $30 in advance, $35 at the door. [tickets]

Fri Oct 23  "Wayward," the first feature documentary on the history of women's snowboarding, the Liberty Theatre, 6. Proceeds go to the Sun Valley Snowboard Team. [tickets]

Sat Oct 24  Celebración de Día de los Muertos at the Hunger Coalition in Bellevue, 4 to 7, free and bilingual: ofrendas in the greenhouses, Son de Valle, folkloric dance, food, and face painting. [info]

Sat Oct 24  Sun Valley Glitter Games, Campion Ice House, Hailey, 7 p.m. Sun Valley Suns players team up with local figure skaters. $25, kids 12 and under $15. [tickets]

Sat Oct 24  Teton Gravity Research's "Actually, It Is Rocket Science," the Argyros, 4:30 and 8. [tickets]

Sat Nov 7  Girls on the Run 5K at Swiftsure Ranch, Bellevue, 10 a.m., check-in from 9. Open to family, friends, and the community with registration, $10 suggested donation; every finisher gets a medal. No dogs. [info]

Over Galena

Thu Oct 15  Cole Nicole LeFavour, the former Idaho legislator, on her memoir "In the Arms of Mountains," Stanley Community Library, 240 Niece Ave, 5:30 to 6:30. [info]

Sat Oct 17  Last call in Stanley. The Kasino Club closes for the season after Saturday; until then, $5 taps and German beers and 20% off food, kitchen until 9. The Sawtooth Hotel's last night is also Saturday, and Stanley Baking Co. closes after Sunday.

Thu  Family movie night at Velvet Falls, free. Kids' film at 6, the older crowd around 8. [info]

Mark it down

Sat Dec 12  SVSEF's 50th Wild Game Dinner, the Sun Valley Inn, 5 to 10. The ski and snowboard foundation's annual fundraiser; tickets are on sale now. [info]

The Dirt

River and fish. The weekend's rain bumped the Big Wood to 148 cfs at Hailey, 77% of the 192 cfs median for the date; a week ago it ran 126, or 67%. Silver Creek at the Sportsman Access is 85 cfs, 66% of its 129 median, and 47 degrees at 9 a.m. [USGS]

Sun, then a turn. Sun up and down the valley through Monday, with highs from the upper 50s to the mid 60s, but nights near freezing. A 20% chance of rain arrives late Monday night, then 30% Tuesday and Wednesday, with highs in the upper 50s. The snow level stays up around 8,500 to 9,000 feet. [National Weather Service]

Over Galena. Valley Creek at Stanley is 89 cfs, 97% of its median, and the Salmon below the Yankee Fork is 485, up from 455. Two rescues on Friday, Oct. 9, both by helicopter: an injured climber at Elephants Perch and two lost hikers near Alpine Lake. [IME]

Open House

Ketchum is taking over its deed-restricted housing. The City Council voted unanimously Oct. 8 to approve an agreement that puts the city on track to take permanent oversight of Ketchum's 76 deed-restricted community housing units from the Blaine County Housing Authority. Ketchum will also manage the housing authority's units outside city limits for a year at no cost. The city says current and prospective residents "will see no disruption in services." The housing authority's board meets Oct. 28 to approve the deal. [IME]

Table Talk

Roots Wine Bar is for sale, and still pouring. The owners of the Hailey wine bar and bottle shop say it's listed and they're open to a buyer who keeps the Roots concept or brings a new one.

The Wylde Beet takes November off. The Hailey restaurant closes for the month and reopens in December.

Know about a new spot or a shuttered one? Hit reply. Tips beat press releases every time.

Help Wanted

HaileyThe Hailey Police Department is hiring patrol officers. The city's posting lists starting pay of $34.75 an hour, or $72,280 a year, plus overtime. [posting]

Sun ValleySun Valley Resort is hiring managers along with winter crew: a director of front office, a golf course superintendent for Elkhorn, River Run Lodge and Roundhouse managers, and a wedding and events manager, plus lift operators, housekeepers, and a CDL shuttle driver. [postings]

KetchumSt. Luke's Wood River needs registered nurses for the dermatology clinic (with a sign-on bonus), pre- and post-op, night medical-surgical, and the operating room, plus a night CNA and a medical assistant. [postings]

KetchumThe City of Ketchum is hiring a Water Operator I to run and maintain the city's water system on shifts, including on-call duty with a one-hour response time. [posting]

Hiring? Put your opening in front of the whole valley. Email [email protected].

The Party Line

If you do one thing this weekend, catch a free jazz set: Saturday at 11 at the Sun Valley Opera House, or 12:30 in Ketchum Town Square.

See you next Thursday.

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