Community News

As the time nears to celebrate our country’s independence, our personal calendars fill up quickly trying to squeeze in the best of summer’s activities. Towns throughout Southwest Montana teem with tourists from near and far who want to spend their vacation in our backyard doing these same things. Some of these visitors are coming to see Bozeman and the surrounding area for the very first time, and others are trying to figure out how to make this the location for either their vacation home or new full-time residence. To come up with a “can’t miss” list would take more than just one article, but I would like to highlight a variety of entertainment options sure to please.

Authentic rodeo action can be experienced in all corners of Montana. The visitmt.com website has a whole section dedicated just to this activity. There are about 70 events listed statewide for this season which began in May and will run through September. Independence Day brings the biggest competition for both cowboys and rodeo fans alike. Which event to attend can even be based on where rooms are available as visitors stream into the respective towns for the festivities. Livingston goes all out each year beginning July 2 with the Livingston Roundup Parade kicking off three full days of PRCA rodeo action with fireworks each night. The rodeo has been running since 1924 and was recently ranked the 10th highest purse in the nation for the holiday weekend. Additionally, over 10,000 locals and visitors attend the rodeo each year to keep this event in the middle of Livingston’s social calendar. Another extremely popular venue comes in the form of the NRA Ennis Rodeo on July 3 and 4 annually. This fun-filled family event includes an old-fashioned parade, barbeque, and concert.

Bull rider-only events have increasingly become a fun and profitable spectator sport. In 2013, the Big Sky PBR (Professional Bull Riders) was well attended, and this year’s event is scheduled for the end of July. Livingston also hosts a PBR event which falls on Saturday, July 26 this summer.

Live, outdoor music pops up everywhere imaginable in Montana during the summer months. The Red Ants Pants Music Festival, in a field outside of White Sulphur Springs, takes place this year July 24-27 with Charley Pride, Brandi Carlile, and Corb Lund among a host of others. The 37th Annual Sweet Pea Festival will be held in Bozeman August 1-3 with an array of musical performances plus theater, vendors, art, parade, and more. July 11-13 in uptown Butte is the Montana Folk Festival, which is recognized for being the Northwest’s largest free outdoor music event. And don’t miss Music in the Mountains in Big Sky’s town center with wonderful bands every Thursday evening from July 10 through August 28.

For almost 50 years, the Playmill Theatre in West Yellowstone has offered live theatre at the entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Singing, dancing, laughing, and entertaining are all standard during an evening’s performance. Virginia City features both the Brewery Follies and the Virginia City Players on a nightly basis during the height of the tourist season along with other live music events at different venues.

Another summer favorite would be to join the ranks of visitors who come to Yellowstone National Park. In 2013, over 3.1 million people chose to spend an afternoon or an entire summer vacation exploring our nation’s first national park.

The booming tourism industry benefits our area greatly from the nonresident direct and indirect spending which has a trickle-down effect on almost every business sector. Studies are conducted by groups such as the University of Montana’s Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research on the revenue generated by nonresident tourists. In 2012, 6.2% of Montana’s total employment was attributed to that industry along with the figure of $3.2 billion worth of spending. The travel industry goes far beyond hotels and restaurants to include visitors who choose to stay a week…or a lifetime.