First Thursday, Two Ways 

Whatever your Myers-Briggs profile, this First Thursday has enough sensory stimulation to keep both your introverted and extroverted sides satisfied. Here's a breakdown of how to rock First Thursday two different ways: hands-on or take it all in.

5 p.m.: Boise Art Factory, 405 S. Eighth St., 208-794-0758

Like Andy Warhol's Factory, the new Boise Art Factory in BODO is an industrial space where you can let loose your inner eccentric. But instead of pretentious art-world elitism and hard drugs, the Boise Art Factory offers art novices a welcoming environment and an array of custom cocktails crafted by Solid. For $20, you'll receive a 16-inch by 20-inch canvas to paint on, supplies and instruction. For more info, visit boiseartfactory.com.

6 p.m.: Urban Art Center Open House, 412-420 S. Sixth St.

Get your spelunk on with a 3D slideshow by photographer and cave explorer David Kesner, then watch sparks fly with blacksmiths from Alpenglow Metalworks and craft your own paperweight with Boise Art Glass. In the Ming Studios courtyard, you can try your hand at a giant game of electronic bingo while you watch projected short films by local filmmakers and sip on a cup of Roastwerks Coffee, which will be roasted on-site by Mike Johnston.

7 p.m.: Basque Block Street Cart Party, West Grove Street

Boise's newest mobile grub units--B29 Streatery and Archie's Place--are wheeling onto the Basque Block alongside the Boise Fry Co. Mobile Fry Unit for a special carty party this First Thursday from 5-10 p.m. Gernika will provide cold suds from Payette Brewing Co. to wash back all those sloppy joes and pulled pork sliders.

Also, make sure to pop into The Basque Market and get your hard-working hands all gooey with a couple mac and cheese croquetas. Tapas cost from 25 cents to $3, depending on the color of the toothpick they're on.

7:30 p.m.: Indie Made, 108 N. Sixth St., 208-342-0804

If you want to check out what other crafty hands have created, stop by Indie Made for a First Thursday pop-up shop featuring an array of area crafters, in addition to Indie Made's selection of Etsy street team creators. And keep the round-food snack train rolling by snagging a couple free cake balls.

8 p.m.: Bricolage, 280 N. Eighth St., lower level, 208-345-3718

Get those frosting-flecked fingers all inked up with a hands-on letterpress demonstration with Bingo Barnes and help Eliza Fernand kick off her Quilt Stories tour. For more information on this project, read Downtown News on Page 22.

8:30 p.m.: The Owyhee Plaza Hotel, 109 W. Main St., 208-343-4611

Cap off your First Thursday creative crazyfest with a cannonball into the Owyhee Plaza Hotel pool. There will be live music and beer flights to keep the party going into the night.

5 p.m.: Boise Art Museum, 670 S. Julia Davis Drive, 208-345-8330

After you hoof it through BAM perusing the 120 different eclectic shoe designs in The Perfect Fit: Shoes Tell Stories exhibit, kick up your feet and listen to local shoe designers and experts tell stories about their craft at 5:30 p.m.

6 p.m.: Artist in Residence Program, 8th Street Marketplace, BODO

The 8th Street AIR program provides an opportunity to snoop through an artist's working studio and eye works-in-progress without feeling like a total creepshow. Check out Kathleen Keys' new installation, featuring altars created by 40 college-student elementary educators, then make your way over to Matt Bodett's studio for a peek at his new series, Sixty-Four, which features a collection of small paintings paired with poems. Before ducking out, stop by painters Marcus Pierce and Cody Rutty's shared space for a look into their multi-layered exploration of "fractal geometry and consciousness."

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• Matt Bodett

7 p.m.: Snake River Winery, 786 W. Broad St., 208-345-9463

Before you take flight from BODO, swing by Snake River Winery for free wine flights and cubes of local cheese--like the Idaho Golden Greek halloumi or the salted truffle white cheddar--from Ballard Family Dairy.

7:30 p.m.: Basement Gallery, 928 Main St., 208-333-0309

After you fill up on wine and cheese, pop on over to Basement Gallery for a new exhibit featuring work by contemporary figurative painter Ruth Franklin. Her color-saturated sketches and paintings were recently used on the set of Mean Girls 2 and TV show The Vampire Diaries. Basement will also be showcasing work by Lisa Kaser, Jackie Hurlbert and British printmaker Trevor Price.

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• Ruth Franklin

8 p.m.: The Alaska Center, 1020 Main St.

Top your art-viewing evening off by taking in a group show at the Alaska Building, new home to Radio Boise. The Earth Visions art show highlights mediums like sculpture, oils and colored pencil by artists Tony Caprai, Bobby Gaytan, Chi E Shenam Westin, Christine Barrietua and Alejandro Anastasio.

8:30 p.m.: The Chocolat Bar, 805 W. Bannock St., 208-338-7771

Now that you've got an art-senal of visual images to process, head over to the Chocolat Bar to wash back all that culture with cold brews from Widmer Brewery and The Front Door and an array of free chocolate samples.