Check out what’s happening around town!

Spokane February Feb. 1 TAO: The Martial Art of Drumming, Martin Woldson Theater, The Fox. For the first time in the U.S., bring the family for a show that combines professional performers, choreography and costumes, and an opportunity to and experience the amazing traditional art form of Taiko drumming. 624-1200 or www.martinwoldsontheater.com/. Feb. 17: Jeff Dunham at the Spokane Arena. Not many ventriloquists/stand-up comedians have their own show or make appearances with David Letterman or Jay Leno. That just makes Jeff Dunham and his characters/puppets all the more special. Tickets $42.50. 800-325-7328. Feb. 19-21 Monster Jam at the Spokane Arena. SATURDAY, SUNDAY, MONDAY! FIRE-BREATHING TEN-THOUSAND-POUND HELL MACHINES TEAR THROUGH A COURSE DESIGNED FOR SPEED AND ULTIMATE DESTRUCTION! BUDGET-FRIENDLY FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY! BRING THE KIDS! SATURDAY SUNDAY AND MONDAY AT THE SPOKANE ARENA! (Bring earplugs). 800-325-7328. www.monsterjam.com/hom. March Feb. 13-14 USA Judo Youth & Scholastic National Championships,Valley HUB. Feel like kicking someone? Are you 5-years old through college age? Then go head to head with 400 of the best players in the country who are expected to compete for victory, honor and bragging rights or watch the action. Tickets start at $12 for adults (12 and over) and $8 for youth (ages 9-12). 509-742-9396 or http://spokanesports.org/home/. Feb. 23-24 Symphony Soiree 3, The Davenport Hotel. Class it up with drinks, hors d’oeuvres and chamber music. Music includes Baroque, classical and contemporary styles, performed by Spokane Symphony musicians. Sit at a table or in the gallery of the Marie Antoinette Ballroom. Pass the cheese. 624-1200 or www.spokanesymphony.org/. Feb. 19-20 NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball First and Second Rounds, Spokane Arena. The best university teams get a shot at keeping their season alive and hope to make it to the National Championship. College hoops fans will want to jump on the tickets quick. Admission $195. (800) 745-3000 or www.ncaa.com/champ. Portland January Jan. 24-31 Reel Music Festival, various locations. NW Film Center’s annual event is a celebration of sound, image, music, culture and the best ways to mix them all up. Features vintage performance clips, new documentary and dramatic films, boundary-pushing music videos and animation. Come prepared for music/cinema works in a bombardment of styles: 503-221-1156 or www.nwfilm.org/festival s/reelmusic/. Jan. 30-31 World Forestry Center presents ChocolateFest 2010, World Forestry Center Discovery Museum. In its fifth year, ChocolateFest features over 45 vendors with titillating demonstrations, presentations and tasting opportunities. Chocoholics looking to throw themselves from the wagon will be in good company. 503-228-1367. February Feb. 14 Worst Day of the Year Ride 2010, Lucky Labrador Brew Pub SE. Only 3,500 riders will be granted the great displeasure of taking a horrible 18-mile ride around downtown Portland. They’ll be tortured with hot cocoa, doughnuts, fruit, chai tea, soups, fresh foccacia bread, bagels, hot cider and more. The ride concludes at the Lucky Labrador with a finish-line party. 503-459-4508. February 20-21 Northwest Bike Show, Expo Center. Portland is one of the country’s premiere bike cities, and the perfect location for the 8,000 expected attendees. Features over 150 exhibitors and vendors, daily seminars hosted by leading industry professionals and an extreme stunt show. Try out an outdoor bike valet for attendees who arrive on wheels. (503) 846-1742. $8 for adults and $5 for children under 12. Feb. 11-28 Northwest Film Center presents 33rd Portland International Film Festival at various locations. See more than 125 feature films and shorts from more than 40 countries at downtown venues including Portland Center for the Performing Arts, the Regal Broadway Cinemas and the Portland Art Museum. 503-221-1156 or www.nwfilm.org. March Mar. 4 Rose Quarter presents Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy, Rose Garden Arena. The kings of blue-collar comedy unite onstage. Grab a few brews and head on in. Tickets $59.50 plus service charges. 877-789-7673. Mar. 7 Portland Piano International presents Benjamin Kim, Newmark Theatre. At age 23, Kim is rounding the prodigy mark and heading towards becoming the premiere pianist of his generation after winning first prize at the 55th ARD Munich International Music Competition in September 2006. 503-228-1388 or www.portlandpiano.org. Mar. 20-21 Portland Gay Men’s Chorus: ABBA Queen, Kaul Auditorium. The music of ABBA and Queen performed for an audience encouraged to compete in a costume contest inspired by both bands. Room for plenty of Dancing Queens. 503-226-2588 or www.pdxgmc.org. North Idaho January Jan. 30 Black and White Ball, The Coeur d’Alene Resort. Join the Coeur d’Alene Symphony Orchestra in your best formal wear for an evening of dinner, dance and music. Tickets available from the Coeur d’Alene Symphony office at 208-765-3833 or www.cdasymphony.org. February Feb. 13 4th Annual Kids’ Carnival with Art on the Edge and the Coeur d’Alene Arts and Culture Alliance. Bring the wee ones to the Resort Plaza Shops where volunteer artists will mentor in workshops ranging from music, pottery, painting, theater and more. Costs $5 per child with scholarships available. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. www.artontheedge.org/carnical.html. Feb. 21 MARTi Gras and Cajun Cookoff, downtown Coeur d’Alene. New Orleans-inspired food and live music will have you wondering if you’re still in Idaho, with chefs from Bonsai Bistro, Brix, Café Trinity, Moon Time, Crickets, Angelo’s Ristorante, Eddies Bar and Grill, Greenbriar Inn & Catering, Café Carmbola, Bakery By The Lake and more. It’s the primary fundraiser for Art on the Edge. Tickets $45 in advance and $50 at the door. 208-676-0917 or aoedirector@gmail.com. March Mar. 17 Five Minutes of Fame in Sandpoint, Café Bodega. Sing, juggle, recite all 50 state capitols, pretzel yourself into a suitcase; it’s a talent show! Don’t miss sign ups from 6:15-6:30 p.m. All ages welcome to strut their stuff with no cover charge. 208-263-5911. Mar. 19-21 Home and Garden Show, Coeur d’Alene. Get ready for spring inside and outside the house at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds. Presented by the North Idaho Building Contractors Association. (208) 765-5518 or www.nibca.com. Mar. 26 Music Walk, Coeur d’Alene. Check out local musical talent at various coffee shops, restaurants, galleries and more around Coeur d’Alene, free of charge. Shows start at 5 p.m. and continue on the fourth Fridays through April. Mar. 13 St. Patrick’s Day. Silver Mountain in Kellogg. Take a trip up the mountain in search of green beer and all the resort life has to offer. www.silvermt.com. Western Montana January Jan. 29 Micro Brew Review and Cool Dog Ball, Helena Civic Center Ballroom. Eat, drink and dance to live music in a major fundraiser for Race to the Sky with over 32 of the best micro-beers from Montana and the northwest. Breweries include Blackfoot River Brewing and Lewis & Clark Brewery of Helena, Big Sky and Bayern Brewing of Missoula, Bitterroot Brewing of Hamilton, Harvest Moon of Belt and Lang Brewery of Marion. Only 1,500 tickets available. 406-447-1535. February Feb. 12-21 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Missoula’s Wilma Theater. For a fever that can only be cured by documentaries, the cure is more than 100 films from around the world throughout the week, all shown on Montana’s largest movie screen. More than 10,000 attendees are expected, plus many filmmakers who will speak about their works. 406-541-3456. Feb. 6 Dummy Jump in Big Sky. Local and regional teams design and decorate crash test dummies to launch off a kicker on the Ambush headwall. Judges score the mannequins on style, distance and quality of explosion at the point of landing. 800-548-4486. Feb. 12 19th Annual Snowmobile Poker Run in Trout Creek. Snowmobiling and poker go hand in hand, especially in Trout Creek. The groomed run starts along Clark Fork River Valley in the beautiful Kootenai National Forest. Afterwards there’s a live auction and raffle at the Way Side Bar & Grill. Admission free, $5.00 per poker hand. John Harris at 406-827-4458 or Jim Morkert at 406-827-9305. March Mar. 20-21 Annual Snow Rodeo, Essex. Ride an inner-tube horse on skis down the mountain, throw a rope around a wooden goat - also while going down the mountain, or become a horse at the chuck wagon race. Bribing the judges is encouraged, as is roping the rodeo clown. Nighttime activities include a bonfire marshmallow roast with prizes for all around male and female. Sunday features an Easter Egg Hunt. 406-888-5700. Mar. 27 Moonlight Dine and Ski at Whitefish. Top-notch dishes and dessert with moonlit night skiing down the mountain. Anyone whose night vision is fuzzy or just there for the food can ride the Glacier Chaser gondola/chairlift back to the village. 406-862-2900. Mar. 29-April 4. Montana Snowkite Rodeo, Jackson. Snowkiting, or being pulled across a frozen lake on skis or board by a kite is more popular than you might think. This freestyle race lures powerkiters from Norway, Canada, Sweden and the U.S. Come see world-class athletes of a little-known extreme sport. 530-356-2758. Seattle January Jan. 29-Feb. 6 Boats Afloat Show, South lake Union Park. There’s something for everyone with cabin cruisers, sailboats, trawlers, magnificent mega yachts and more. For serious buyers or those who just want to ogle the dreamboats, don’t miss the chance to board some of the world’s finest vessels. 206-684-7254 or www.seattleboatshow.com. Jan. 30 Science Fiction Fantasy Short Film Festival, Experience Music Project. Get way out there with leading professionals in the genres of science fiction and fantasy. Enjoy the films and the feeling that you’re supporting a largely underground facet of cinema. www.wmpsfm.org or 206-441-3653. February Feb. 24 Los Lonely Boys, Moore Theatre. Straight out of Texas, the trio has hit their stride after two chart-topping albums. Come see what makes these sweethearts so intensely popular with blues and rock fans. 206-467-5510 or www.stgpresents.com/. Feb. 24-25 Hellfire Variety Show, Triple Door. Take circus, burlesque, variety show flavor, and blend on high. The smoothie result combines humor, physical feats and the ever-present underpinnings of beauty personified. 206-838-4333 or www.tripledoor.com/. Feb. 27 Princess Katie and Racer Steve Live. Moore Theatre. Here’s one for the kids (and the parents, who can laugh along with the popular kid rock show and actually appreciate the musicianship. A juiced-up level of audience participation makes the concert an interactive event for the whole family. 206-467-5510 or www.stgpresents.com/. March Mar. 5 2010 Northwest Women’s Show at Qwest Field Event Center. Leave the guys at home with football and left-up toilet seats for 500 exhibits and five stages of fashion, fitness, food, entertainment, demonstrations and commercial sales. 206-381-8000 or www.nwwomenshow.com. Mar. 13-14 Emerald City ComiCon. Nerds! For the eighth year, the Northwest’s premiere comic book and pop culture convention returns to the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. 206-694-5000 or www.emerald citycomicon.com or jim@emeraldcitycomicon.com. Mar. 19-Feb. 17 The Twilight Zone: Live! At Theater Schmeater. Doo doo doo do, doo doo doo do, travel through time and space with three episodes from the original series, performed live in the styles/themes of the time period. 206-324-5801 or www.schmeater.org. British Columbia January Jan. 29-Feb. 7 Vernon Winter Carnival. They call it a carnival for good reason: 100 events including a parade, snow sculpture competition & hot air balloon fiesta. This year’s theme is ’50 years of Carnival fun’. The whole shindig takes place just 20 minutes from Silver Star Mountain Ski Resort in North Okanagan with entertainment in & around Vernon. www.vernonwintercarnival.com or 250-545-2236. February Feb. 5-26 Starlight Challenge, Fairmont Hot Springs Ski Resort. Every Friday night in February the lights come here for the 27th installment of the annual races. Four person teams & single racers (skiers and boarders) go head to head; non-racers are also welcome. www.fairmonthotsprings.com or 1-800-663-4979. Feb. 12-28 The 2010 Olympic Winter Games at Whistler. Dubbed “the biggest party Whistler has ever thrown.” Olympic Victory Ceremonies will be held nightly from Feb. 14-27 at the Whistler Olympic Celebration Plaza. Medals won in Whistler will be awarded at the plaza before a live audience with large video screens linking the nightly presentations in Whistler and Vancouver. A live concert follows the ceremonies each night. www.whistler.com or 1-800-WHISTLER. Feb. 13-14 Victoria Tea Festival. Like tea? Then go to the largest public tea exhibition in North America, with tea tastings, tea-food selections, presentations on various topics and of course, hundreds of teas and tea-related products available. Includes silent auction with all proceeds going to Camosun College Child Care Services. www.victoriateafestival.com or 250-370-4880. March Mar. 6-14 Kokanee Spring Fest in Rossland. Celebrate the changing seasons with two weeks of events and plenty of Kokanee beer! The fun starts off with Ski Free Day where everyone skis/rides for free all day. Other events include retro weekend, big air comps, hot dog eating contests, Easter festivities, Kids’ Day, snowshoeing races and more. www.redresort.com. Mar. 6-14 Pacific Rim Whale Festival in Tofino. Watch as the entire North American population of Pacific Grey Whales migrates along the West Coast of Vancouver Island. Head to the Ucluelet & the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and stake out a spot to watch the majestic action! www.pacificrimwhalefestival or 250-726-7798.