Post Falls

From the quiet shore at Black Bay, it is easy to forget that Post Falls began as a working river town, built around timber and falling water. Just downstream from where the Spokane River leaves Coeur d'Alene Lake, the river splits into three channels, each with its own natural falls, before the channels join again. Frederick Post saw what that drop could do. He secured rights at the falls, built a sawmill, and laid a dam across the north channel to turn the river toward his mill.

About nine miles west of Coeur d'Alene Lake, the Spokane River does something dramatic. It splits into three channels, each one tumbling over a natural falls, and then gathers itself back together just downstream. For neighbors in Black Bay, that drop is part of the familiar sound and scenery of the river. Long before there was a town here, it was the falls themselves that drew attention, and one man who decided to build his future beside them.

Stand on the shore at Black Bay on a still morning and the Spokane River can look like it has nowhere in particular to go. The water moves, but gently, the way a lake might stir in a light breeze. That calm is a little deceptive. The river passing Post Falls is only a few miles into one of the great journeys of the Northwest, and Black Bay sits right along its opening stretch.

As the holiday season approaches, the distance between our village and a neighbor in need is shorter than most of us think. If you're looking for a way to give this year, two local organizations make it easy to keep your generosity close to home.

Holiday shopping season opens early — and locally — on Saturday, November 7, when the City of Post Falls hosts the 8th Annual Holiday Craft Fair from 9 AM to 3 PM. Admission is free, parking is free, and for Black Bay Village residents there's a special reason to go: one of the fair's two locations is Black Bay Depot, 1211 E. 3rd Avenue — right in our neighborhood.

The City of Post Falls is diving into an underwater adventure this Halloween. On Friday, October 30, from 2:30 to 4:30 PM, City Hall at 408 N. Spokane Street welcomes families for Trick-or-Treat at Post Falls City Hall — a free, family-friendly afternoon of trick-or-treating, costumes, and Halloween fun built around an "Under the Sea" theme. Admission is free and costumes are encouraged, so come ready for treats and an underwater Halloween adventure.

October is one of the best months to live in Post Falls. The cottonwoods along the Spokane River turn gold, the air gets that crisp edge, and the town calendar fills up with fall gatherings. Best of all, you don’t have to drive far — here’s what’s happening right here in town this month.

Post Falls has one more tool for shaping its future. On October 7, the City announced that the U.S. Department of the Treasury has approved Idaho’s Opportunity Zone 2.0 nominations — including a newly designated Opportunity Zone right here in Post Falls.

The designation takes effect January 1, 2027. Opportunity Zones are designed to encourage private investment in designated areas through federal tax incentives for eligible investments, giving cities a way to attract development dollars toward infrastructure and economic opportunity.

Nestled between the rushing waters of the Spokane River and the towering pines of North Idaho, Black Bay Village is the kind of place where neighbors actually know each other — and much of that comes down to tradition. Throughout the year, the Black Bay Village Owners Association helps keep the village’s social calendar warm with seasonal gatherings that turn a neighborhood into a community.