Honoring the best in Idaho journalism
By Deanna Darr
It’s time to reserve your spot at the annual Best of 2016 Awards Banquet, where we’ll be honoring this year’s award winners. Mark your calendar for Saturday, May 6, to join the party celebrating some of the best work done by Idaho journalists in the last year.
This year, we’re gathering at the Riverside Hotel, 2900 W. Chinden Blvd., for our once-a-year excuse to get dressed up and celebrate. We’ll gather in the ballroom on the east side of the building – right inside the main doors to the banquet area – beginning at 6 p.m. for a social hour featuring a no-host bar and a chance to catch up with colleagues.
The awards portion of the evening will start at 7 p.m., when we’ll hand out our first round of awards, followed by a buffet dinner. This year’s menu is distinctly Idaho, with a Basque-themed lineup. Banquet attendees will be able to choose from pork loin with chorizo stuffing or salmon-wrapped fresh asparagus, accompanied by Spanish rice, sheepherder’s bread, red beans, salads and more.
Those who prefer a vegetarian option will need to reserve their entrée – vegetable Napoleon atop a tomato-basil reduction– in advance when they register online.
As an added advantage there is plenty of free parking, and the lobby bar will be open both before and after the event for additional merrymaking. For those who want to make a night of it, the Riverside is offering a special Idaho Press Club rate of $94 for a room. There are a limited number of these rooms available, so if you’re interested in reserving a room, please call 208-343-1871 and ask for the Idaho Press Club rate.
Cost for the banquet is $40 for members or $45 for non-members, or you can make sure you get to sit with all your friends by purchasing a reserved table. Reserved tables of seating for up to eight people are $300, and reserved tables with seating up to 10 are $360. Reserved tables are the only way to guarantee preferred seating. All other seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Registration deadline to reserve your seat is Friday, April 28.
Registration can be done online at idahopressclub.org, where you can also pay for your ticket. There is a $2 service charge per ticket for those who pay online.
Deanna Darr is an Idaho Press Club board member, and is chair of this year’s awards banquet.
