Drinks are available, but this isn’t thirsty Thursday. Trivia, painting, music, art, food and drinks (even the adult kind) are all within walking distance of each other this Thursday when local businesses host the citywide Moscow First Thursday.

Jesica DeHart, assistant manager of BookPeople of Moscow, is not only organizing this month’s First Thursday but also hosting one of the many events that evening, an author talk by Allison Milionis about her book “Horse Sanctuary.”

DeHart said the open community atmosphere of art walks like those in Moscow and Lewiston sparked the creation of First Thursdays.

Though art walks are impossible to recreate regularly on that scale, DeHart said, “Our idea was to take a taste of that art walk.”

It’s also impossible for every local artist to participate in art walks. Dehart said BookPeople has already booked its in-house gallery artist for the 2016 event. First Thursdays are an opportunity for artists and creative people like Milionis to have an active presence in the community, she said.

Milionis has spoken about “Horse Sanctuary” at local schools before. When DeHart’s 7- year-old son came home from school and demanded they buy Milionis’ book, DeHart said she knew she had to ask Milionis to come speak.

Milionis said although her book contains some sad stories, it isn’t intended as a tragedy. The book focuses on the stories of horses in sanctuaries and the people who care for them, she said.

“It’s about making a positive impression by helping others,” Milionis said, “in this case horses.”

She said it took seven years to collect all the material for her book, including many beautiful photos from her collaborator Karen Tweedy-Holmes.

“We didn’t do it for money or fame,” Milionis said. “We did it as a labor of love”

Sue Jacobson, People-Pet Partnership /PATH coordinator at WSU College of Veterinary Medicine, will also speak at BookPeople with Milionis. Palouse Area Therapeutic Horsemanship originally started as a therapeutic horse riding program for those with disabilities and has since branched into assisted learning programs that work with middle school students and veterans, Jacobson said.

“As much as animals need to be rescued,” Milionis said, “people need to be rescued.”

DeHart said October marks the first full year of Moscow First Thursdays. In honor of the anniversary she is introducing passports for the growing monthly event. Patrons can collect stamps from participating businesses. Passports with at least four stamps can be entered into a drawing at the end of the night.

The Prichard Art Gallery will feature periodic performances of “Moving Forces” from the University of Idaho Dance faculty. The gallery will also host the passport drawing at the end of the night.

Moscow Wild at Art will host a Wine and Canvas Night at 6:30 p.m. where painters of all ability levels get a canvas and their choice of drink from One World Café. Tickets for Wine and Canvas Night must be bought in advance.

Mikey’s Gyros will offer a Trivia Night starting at 6:30 p.m. for teams of four. The Moscow Food Co-op will serve samples of new recipes, while Palouse Books will host a reception for WSU graduate student and artist Kevin Leiter.

Leiter’s work includes screen prints, etchings and mixed media art. Leiter said his collection focuses on how we as a current society think of furniture as an extension of ourselves. He said his work explores the connection people feel between their belongings and their standing in life.

Leiter said people tend to think, “My life would all fit together if I had this one sectional.”

Although Leiter has been working toward his master of fine arts degree in Pullman for two years, he said he only recently learned of Moscow’s First Thursdays.

“It’s crazy,” he said, “the stuff you miss when your nose is stuck in a book.”