5 things to do Labor Day Weekend in Boise: Beat the heat at concerts, fests, $3 movies

Labor Day weekend is going to be a scorcher — up to triple-digits hot.

Need some outdoor, City of Trees-style relief? Float the Boise River. The window will close soon on this summer must-do.

Rather be indoors in the comfort of air-conditioning? Hit the big concert of the weekend, Greta Van Fleet.

Here are fun things to do inside and out — with a slant toward chill environments.

1. $3 movies everywhere

National Cinema Day is Saturday, Sept. 3. That means movie theaters across the country are slashing ticket prices to three bucks. In the Treasure Valley, Regal Cinemas, Cinemark and Reel Theatres are participating in the promotion: any movie, any format. Buy $3 tickets online or at the counter.

2. Hot air balloons?

Uhhh, do we really need more hot air? Of course. Here’s the thing about the annual Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic. The daily balloon launches — happening now through Saturday, Sept. 4 — typically take place around 7:15 a.m. and last until maybe 9 a.m. at Ann Morrison Park, 1000 S. Americana Blvd. If you can brave some actual heat, head to the Nite Glow Spectacular when it fires up at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2, with food, vendors and cranked-up music. Or wait a couple more hours for things to cool off a bit; the Nite Glow launch is at 8:05 p.m. (The event runs until 9 p.m.) As always, entry to the entire balloon festival is free. More details: spiritofboise.com.

3. Escape to Bogus

Willing to drive 16 miles? Temperatures are typically 15 to 20 degrees cooler at Bogus Basin than in Boise. Bring a picnic, or buy food and drink up there. Activities such as hiking and trail biking are free. So is Yoga on the Mountain, which runs from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Willing to fork over some dough? There’s tons more to do. (Prices vary, and unlimited day passes are available.) Hit the Glade Runner Mountain Coaster. Ride on two chairlifts and check out views. Do some summer tubing, hit the bungee trampoline or conquer the climbing wall. Or go big at The Basin Gravity Park, a lift-served mountain bike experience. And just so you’re aware, there is no longer a disc golf course at Bogus. (Booo!)

Love live bands? The free Music on the Mountain concert series is from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3, with the Ryan Curtis Band (2 p.m.), Cliff Miller Music (3:15) and headliner Tylor & the Train Robbers (4:30 p.m.). Also free, the smaller-scale Music on the Patio series runs from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 4, and Monday, Sept. 5, with Banjo Matt and Darian Renee, respectively. Get more info at bogusbasin.org.

4. Rock out

After toasty shows at the Idaho Botanical Garden’s Outlaw Field this week, let’s enjoy an indoors-heavy concert weekend.

The Amity Affliction/Silverstein: 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2, Revolution Center, 4983 N. Glenwood St., Garden City. $27.50 general, $57.50 VIP. Ticketmaster.

Mellt: 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2, Neurolux, 111 N. 11th St., Boise. $12, TicketWeb. $15 at the door. Opening: JÜN, Skylimit.

The Veldt: 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2, The Olympic, 1009 W. Main St., Boise. $10, Eventbrite. $12 at the door. Opening: VellaNox, Fruits of Karma.

Greta Van Fleet: 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3, ExtraMile Arena, 1401 Bronco Lane, Boise. $49.50-$79.50. Ticketmaster.

C-Kan / MC Davo / Dharius: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 5, Knitting Factory, 416 S. 9th St., Boise. $29.50 general, $75-$85 reserved balcony. Ticketmaster.

5. Hit a ballgame

OK, OK. The headline should have read “4 cool things to do.” Because Boise Hawks baseball is gonna be warm. Hey, that’s why they serve the beer cold! The Hawks will take on the Grand Junction Rockies at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2 (with postgame fireworks) and Saturday, Sept. 3. Then they’ll host the Missoula PaddleHeads at 2 p.m. Monday, Sept. 5 (with $1 hot dogs, popcorn, sno-cones and ice cream sandwiches all game long). The Hawks play at Memorial Stadium, 5600 N. Glenwood St., Garden City. Tickets normally are $9-$15 at boisehawks.com.