Belgrade Fall Festival

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Letter from the D ect

The air is crisp. The leaves are turning colors. Pumpkin lattes are back on the menu. Fall is here! And you know what that means?

One of Belgrade’s most favorite events, FALL FESTIVAL, is just around the corner!

While I am not the Executive Director of our Belgrade Chamber of Commerce (who typically writes this article), I have been very involved in our community since moving here over 16 years ago. I have two children in the Belgrade Schools and my business is in Belgrade. I have served on the Chamber Membership Services Committee since 2012, I was the President of the Belgrade Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors in 2015, and I have been part of the Fall Festival planning committee for 10 years. I have served food and plates, I was in charge of washing all the BBQ dishes (yuck!) for several years, I was chair of the Raffl  e drawing for several  years, I judged last year’s parade entrants with Superintendent Godfrey Saunders, and this year I’ve been doing a little of everything as I am needed. I’ve seen fi rst-hand all the hard  work that goes into making Fall Festival run smoothly.

For so many years, Fall Festival has looked nearly the same as traditions that were built in years past have remained. We always have an amazing parade, a delicious free BBQ served at the Fire Hall thanks to our generous community sponsors, car show,

park activities, and kids events. One of the most important parts of making this event even better is to hold it together with the Belgrade High School’s Homecoming. Doing so brings so many activities/games to our community throughout the entire extended weekend.

This year’s setup will defi nitely  look a little diff erent, but I  sure hope the same goal of community bonding shines through. A couple of years ago when we found out the Fire Hall was going to be torn down, we had several discussions of what the heck were we going to do for Fall Festival once that happened. It was a stress that we put off  until we were forced to  face it. Now here we are, a new beautiful Community Library being built in place of the old Fire Hall (which we are all so very excited about!) and time to come up with a new plan. We may not have the same location but we are making the event as successful as ever. We have new faces, new ideas, and I have never felt more excited for the festivities. Holding everything at the Belgrade Senior Center just made sense! With this move and having so much more room to work with, we have added so much more to the festivities such as a band, beer gardens, and so many more vendors. And you can’t forget the sweet car and motorcycle show that will be right in the middle of it all!

The person behind the scenes that has worked her butt off

to make this event happen is Amber Stacy. Her creativity and “get it done” attitude has brought this all together. I’m not sure what we would have done without her. If you see her running around, please stop her to say THANK YOU. The time she has put in, the stress she has endured must not go unnoticed. We have had several other volunteers hard at work to help - Megan Elliott (our new  Chamber ED!), Jeremy White, Jessi McCloud, Annie Hamilton, Ty Elliot, Lisa Beedy, and so

many more. We are also super thrilled to welcome the Belgrade High Culinary Program this year to help prepare and serve the BBQ. Your hard work and dedication has helped bring this all together.

I want to say a special THANK YOU to all of our sponsors that have continued to show their support to this event. You all have helped make this event happen and we are very grateful that you are all part of our community.

I have seen throughout the

years how much this event really means to everyone. Our community comes together as a family. We have fun together. We play together. We eat together. We support and celebrate our beloved Panther athletes. Through it all, we remember exactly why we love Belgrade.

I hope to see you all there this Saturday. Let’s show our PANTHER PRIDE. Enjoy every bit of this year’s festival and let’s keep this tradition going strong!

SHAYLA MILLS

Fall Festival outlook is for sunshine and good times

By Laurenz Busch

For the Belgrade News

As summer ends and you’re shamelessly sipping on pumpkin spice lattes or eagerly cleaning your hunting rifl e, September signals the  beginning of something special.

And to mark the occasion, the annual Belgrade Fall Festival is next weekend at the Belgrade Senior Center.

Festivities will begin at 7 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16, with a pancake breakfast followed by a 5K at 8 a.m., a parade at 10 a.m., and a car and motorcycle show from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“The Fall Festival is Belgrade’s longestrunning tradition,” said Amber Stacey, the planning coordinator. “It’s a great kickoff  to  the school year and [celebrate]

Panther Pride and homecoming weekend... it’s a good opportunity for the community to get together and celebrate fall.”

There will be plenty of activities for folks of all ages. For the kids, Welch Field, across the street from the senior center, will host numerous carnival games with lots of prizes. A dunk tank and face painting will be available.

At noon, the BBQ will begin serving overnight roasted baron of beef — there’s no cost but donations are accepted — and live music will be featured all day long. El Wencho, a local band, will play from 4 to 6 p.m.

For the adults, there will be two beer gardens, one by the food trucks and one by the stage. There will also be about 90 vendors to peruse and support. Feel free to grab a chair and head over to the

baseball diamond for live music while enjoying great food.

The car and motorcycle show will be on North Broadway next to Welch Field — for those who would like to showcase their vehicle, please register from 7 to 9 a.m.

The parade will move along Main Street from North Grogan to Broadway and back to the Senior Center. Judges will be at Main and Broadway, and East Cameron will be closed to traffi  c.

This year, the festival will have a 50/50 raffl  e,  meaning the winner will take home 50% of the total prize money. Other prizes worth at least $50 will also be awarded.

For those wishing to partake in any of the events, folks are encouraged to visit the Belgrade Chamber of Commerce website to register for the parade, the car and motorcycle show, or to volunteer on Friday to help set up.

At the time of writing, the weather looks promising, with some expected cloud cover and temperatures in the low 80s. According to meteorologist Donald Britton of the National Weather Service, a “northwest fl ow aloft” will  be entering central Canada around the same time but it shouldn’t be noticeable in southwest Montana.

“Right now, it looks like this lowpressure system is going to get set up over Saskatchewan and Manitoba early Saturday morning,” Britton said. “I think primarily we’re looking at probably northeast Montana,” clarifying that Belgrade should remain in the pleasant graces of warm weather.

The festival will wrap up at 6 p.m.

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Bel ade

YOUR GUIDE TO BELGRADE’S SIGNATURE WEEKEND!

CREDITS: Jason Bacaj & Karen E. Davis, Editors; Dan Chesnet, Sports Editor; Kraig Rieger, Advertising Sales; Darla Allen, Page Layout & Design. Belgrade Fall Festival is a publication of the Belgrade News / Adams Publishing Group © 2023. We welcome your comments and suggestions. Contact us in person or by mail – Bel;grade News, 702 W. 2820 West College, Bozeman, MT 59718. The main number for the WTE newsroom is 406-388-5102, ext. 3; advertising is at 406–388–5101, ext. 1. You may fax us at 406-388-5103 or send an email to editor@belgrade-news.com.

A l k back at BELGRADE HISTORY

It was the celebration of the end of harvest that eventually gave birth to the Belgrade Fall Festival.

The fi rst wheat was grown in the Gallatin Valley in 1865 and 20 years later,  Belgrade was put on the map as the largest grain-shipping station on the  Northern Pacifi c line.

Farmers from outlying areas would come to town to sell their grain after the harvest and organizers in the city decided to hold an event for these hardworking men and women of the hinterlands.

The fi rst Fall Festival was held in the later 1950s, sponsored by the Belgrade  Commercial Club, the forerunner to the present-day Chamber of Commerce.

According to a 1986 Belgrade centennial history book, Arnold Tholkas, Al Newby and Bill Allen were the Commercial Club’s heavy hitters who started Fall Festival.

The trio off ered a free barbecue dinner and “all of the food, money and  time was donated.” The secret barbecue sauce was mixed by Lee Best, “with a secret recipe he never wrote down.” That remains true today.

According to the Chamber of Commerce, Fall Festival as we know it today began in 1963, making it 58 years old this year.

The earlier festivals were more or less potluck dinners and dances, but in 1963, it grew to include a parade, park activities and the homecoming game at Belgrade High School.

The Fall Festival raffl  e has been an ongoing feature of Fall Festival since

at least 1977, when the Belgrade Commercial Club changed its name to the Belgrade Chamber of Commerce. “As the Chamber, it continued to sponsor the Fall Festival and began broadening its purpose,” according to a history of the organization.

The raffl  e, as it turns out, has been a major part of Fall Festival. Every year,  businesses donate items to be raffl  ed and every year, the proceeds are given to  a charitable group or organization that uses the money to conduct worthwhile projects in and around Belgrade. Tracing back to the mid-1980s, it’s easy to  see the impact of the raffl  e.

Courtesy Gallatin History Museum

combine, 1937. Paul Bates on a McCormick tractor. Burch R. Bates on combine.

The st y of Fall Festival dates back a half-cent y

Bel ade High

holding a number of events during homecoming week

The Seniors defeated the Juniors, 14-7, in last year’s Powder Puff Football game.

Staff Report

No Belgrade Fall Festival is complete without a week’s full of homecoming events at Belgrade High School, highlighted by the varsity football game Friday night. But there’s more than just football taking place. The soccer and volleyball teams are also hosting home matches, while special events such as Manly Volleyball and Powder Puff  Football will  once again be held during the week. Here’s a complete list of happenings:

• Monday, Sept. 11 — Class Colors  Day. Freshmen, red; Sophomores, purple; Juniors, blue; and Seniors, pink.

• Tuesday, Sept. 12 — Y2K Day.  Students are encouraged to dress in early 2000’s attire. The Manly Volleyball match will be held at 7:30 p.m.

• Wednesday, Sept. 13 — Aliens vs.

Cowboys Day. Students are encouraged to dress up as a cowboy or alien. The Powder Puff  Football game will be held  at 7:30 p.m.

• Thursday, Sept. 14 — Beach Day.  Dress in beach attire.

• Friday, Sept. 15 — Panther Pride  Day. The football game against Billings Skyview begins at 7 p.m., and homecoming royalty will be announced at halftime.

• Saturday, Sept. 16 — Following the  Fall Festival parade the soccer teams host Gallatin at noon and 2 p.m., while the varsity volleyball team also hosts Gallatin at 4 p.m. The week of events concludes with a dance from 8-11 p.m.

Of note: During halftime of the Friday night football game the school will dedicate a new video board in honor of former football coach Bill Green. The $200K scoreboard has been donated to the school by a former player of Green’s and a large contingent of former players are expected to be on hand to witness the event.

The Seniors defeated the Juniors, 14-7, in last year’s Powder Puff Football game.

Dan Chesnet/Belgrade News

Belgrade native, Belgrade Class of 2013 grad, 2020 Toyko U.S. Olympian and U.S. Army Sgt. Ali Weisz in the 2021 Belgrade Fall Festival.

HOMECOMING/BELGRADE FALL FESTIVAL 2023

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HOMECOMING SCHEDULE

September 11th -

September 16th, 2023

thUrSDAY

★ Beach Day!

FrIDAY

★ PANTHER PRIDE THEME

★ FOOTBALL VS. SKYVIEW 3:00 FROSH/ 7:00 VARSITY

ROYALTY ANNOUNCED AT HALFTIME

SAtUrDAY

★ PARADE 10:00 AM

★ SOCCER GAMES VS. GALLATIN 11:00/1:00

★ VB GAMES 1:00/2:30/4:00

★ BELGRADE FALL FESTIVAL

★ DANCE AT BELGRADE HIGH SCHOOL 8:00-11:00 PM

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Ta k in g c a re o f o u r cus to m e r s f o r ove r 65 ye a r s , Chu rchill Equ ip m e nt t r us t s Fe n d t ® equ ip m e nt to g e t th e job done ri g ht . W i th the Fend t G o ld St a r Cus tom er C a re wa r r a nt y a nd the Chu rchill Equ ip m ent t r a d i ti on o f qu a li t y p a r t s a n d d e p e n d a b l e s e r v i ce, yo u r f u t u re is s e t to G row B o l d !

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2023

Arts & Crafts

• 406 Simply Elegant & More

• Afritouch

• Angela Reel’s Mixed Media Art

• Big Sky 3D Crafts

• Bob’s Country Pine Furniture

• BratCat Pottery

• Castle Road Creatives

• Crazy Head Creek Farms

• Designs by Laurel

• Dragonfly Pottery

• Expresate Crafts

• Goblin Hoard Creatives

• Heart Mountain Jadeworks LLC

• Justina Kae Art

• Keki Creations

• Lazy Daisy Soap

• Montana Gyrl Crafts

• Mooseworks

• Mountain Girl Artistry

• Mountain Made Designs & Photo

• MV Design

• Pip Jewelry

• Quilts by Annie

• R Country Store

• Red Hen Jams

• Revibe Studios

• Rising Moon

• Ryan J Drewes

• Saffer & Hightower

• Scenic Trends

• Six Finger Studios

• Sugar Spice Designs

• Two Crafty Old Ladies

• Under The Big Sky Creations

• Westslope Creative Studios

• Woody’s Neck & Anklewear

WE HOPE YOU ENJOY THE 2023 FALL FESTIVAL!

VENDORS & PARTICIPANTS

Display-Inf mati al

• Belgrade Community Coalition

• Belgrade Girls Softball Assoc.

• Belgrade Police Department

• Belgrade Police Officer’s Assoc.

• Belgrade School District

• Devine Mercy Academy

• First Student

• Gallatin County Republicans

• Gallatin County Right to Life

• Guild Mortgage

• Montana Miss Amazing

• Prescott Ranch/Bates Homes

• Purelight Power

• Potential

• Representative Jennifer Carlson

F d B ths

• Aloha Ice

• Big Time Inflatables

• Bozeman Tropical Sno Hawaiian Shave Ice

• Glacier Kettle Korn

• Glacier Impact Inc.

• Hawaiian Donut Co.

• Kights of Columbus

• Kolobok

• Ms. SIppi’s Southern Cuisine

• Spain Bridge Farm

• The Milky Way H e Based

• Aimee Spivak with JBloom Jewelry

• Belle Morn Boutique

• Custom Cups by Kim

• Gallatin Candle Co,

• Heather Shipman Independent

Scentsy Consultanant

• Lil Whisk from the Prairie

• Living Jade Boutique

• Love You Nails with Kate

• Mary Kay Cosmetics

• The Northern Mercantile

• The Wild Brand

• Warrior Gear

• Whiskey & Lace

Clothing Boutique

• Junk In The Trunk

• Powder Day Mountain Gifts

Kid’s Games

• Belgrade Alliance Church

• Belgrade Community Library

• Belgrade Orchestra Students

• Girl Scouts of Montana & Wyoming

• Big Time Inflatables

• Sapphire Restaurants, Inc.

DBA McDoonald’s

• Dino Drop-In / ABC Dino Academy

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BELGRADE FALL FESTIVAL PARADE MAP 2023

PROUD TO BE A PART OF THE BELGRADE COMMUNITY

ENJOY YOUR DAY AT THE

ENJOY YOUR DAY AT THE

Fa l l

Fes tiv a l !

100 % Employee Owned

New $200K sc ebo d

all ready for Homecoming Sept. 15

By Karen E. Davis Staff Writer

Autumn is football time. Football is a big deal in Belgrade. Ergo, something Big that happens to Belgrade football is tailor-made for The Fall Festival.

The Belgrade News is going to tell you a very happy story about autumn and football and good-hearted people who open up their checkbooks when they think of their town.

This is a story of a very successful football coach, and of the Belgrade boys who played football for him decades ago and have never stopped loving him, or the game.

It’s a story of teamwork and life lessons all wrapped up in a sport and a funnyshaped brown ball.

Fred Cornforth is a Belgrade High graduate, Class of 1978. Now a successful businessman in Idaho, life has been very, very good to Cornforth.  Ask him why -- and he’ll tell you it always comes down to football. And Belgrade, Belgrade teachers and serving other people.

And learning the profound, life-long lessons of teamwork and  giving back — and specifically to one man, his old Belgrade football coach Bill Green.

Cornforth recently “put his money where his mouth is” and donated a new $200,000 electronic scoreboard for the Belgrade High School football field.  That scoreboard was scheduled to be up and running for the 7 p.m. Homecoming game Sept. 15 against Billings Skyview.

Construction problems at first threatened to put the kibosh on that until December. But -- of course -- local construction firms all showed up. problem solved.

Belgrade Athletic Director Toby Robinson said a few weeks ago that an appeal for help on the Panther Nation Facebook page kept the scoreboard installation on track. It went from a pile of large crates on the football field to an already installed and ready to go video scoreboard just like Montana State University uses, Cornforth said, even capable of showing replays.

“Everyone in the community is stepping up.  Dick Anderson Construction. TLC Septic & Excavation Inc. Rocky Mountain.

“Fred (Cornforth) has helped push the line. He’s been extra generous and helpful. Amazing and generous,” Robinson said.

“If this falls in line I’ll be dancing on the moon.” It did -- and Tony, we want to see you dance on the moon.

Green himself was the inspiration for this, “to recognize the impact Coach Green had on 12+ years of football players and supporters.”  Every player from Green’s tenure as a coach is invited to the Sept. 15 dinner. Belgrade’s State B Championship teams (1977-78) and 1976 Class B runner-up are still the stuff of local legend.  The free dinner will be catered by Belgrade’s Bar3 in the school cafeteria before the homecoming game. (Reservations had to be in by Sept. 1.) All of Green’s former players are invited, said John Bergstrom, a former player of Green’s.

Bergstrom pointed out that Green got Class B Coach of the Year in 1976, even though Belgrade only took 2nd at State. As head coach from 1974-1981, Green tallied a 52-16 record. And, as an assistant coach from 1969-73, he was 40-5.

Cornforth said that 105 players are already signed up.

“We may have 150 people there, which is about the capacity of the cafeteria.”

“The things I learned in football,” Cornforth, 63, mused recently with the Belgrade News. “It’s a great reminder in life, when you call a huddle, what you talk about and listen to.

“You can’t always be the quarterback; you have to listen. I learned how to listen in huddles. It helped me to do what I do now.”

Cornforth said of his Boise business Community Development, Inc. (CDI).  “It’s right at the $1 billion mark and I’m thankful for everyone in my life.’CDI is a private non-profit organization specializing in real estate and community development.

“Oh, the influence that those Belgrade High School teachers had on me,” he continued. “Belgrade used to have a school farm, and I worked on the farms the school owned.” Decades later, Cornforth’s corporation sponsors orphanages all over the world. (If you want to know whatkind of person you are, move irrigation pipes all summer.)

“Real estate is a lot like football. The coach calls the play and it teaches you a lot. I grew this company to 20 states because of my team. Coach Green taught us that -- just because you’ve got the football and you got a touchdown, you have to remind yourself. The bottom line of life is that you’re part of a team.”  Cornforth’s scoreboard is named for the Bill Green Family, and “I’ll have a little plaque, about the size of a vanilla cone. It’s not my intent to be the biggest thing on the scoreboard.

“First, we want Coach Green and our teachers to know how much we appreciate them. When people ask about Coach Green, and they hear he was a true public servant, that plants a seed in the next generation. Plant the seed, and then they do it with their own life.

This is a humanitarian ‘thank you’ to those who have served us in the public school system,” he said.

“They made us the best people we can be. Gotta salute them.”  Cornforth has a nowhumorous memory of a faculty member -- still in the Belgrade School District -- who looked at his 1978 high school ACT test scores and “told me I should be a plumber.”

Cornforth’s company, by the way, currently sponsors seven regional food banks, and recently broke ground for its 41st international orphanage.

So: A business that just broke the $1 billion mark. Seven regional food banks and 41 international orphanages. And a Belgrade teacher who -- decades a-

Retired coach Bill Green (l) and Fred Cornforth.

New scoreboard.

THE BELGRADE BOOSTER CLUB WISHES Y OU MUCH SUCCESS IN THE 2023 - 2024 SEASON!

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go -- told him he’d be lucky to be a plumber?

Maybe the moral of this story is to know when to ignore a specific teacher.

“I never would have thought that way (food banks and orphanages) if it wasn’t for Belgrade High School. The love in the Gallatin Valley is incredible. “I consider myself very fortunate,” he said.

Cornforth said the Belgrade team went 26-1 in his four years as quarterback. He also held the school long jump record for five years or so. “Then someone beat me by four inches.” Cornforth remembers beating Jim Oriet’s record. As any athlete would, he remembers everything about that jump, but when “I mentioned it to my wife when we were dating, it didn’t impress her.” He remembers playing football against now U.S. Senator Jon Tester, when both Belgrade and Big Sandy made the semi-finals. “He was two years ahead of me. Those Big Sandy guys were huge, 6’7”. My senior year we won, 7-6.”

Athletes have perfect memories for important games. Why didn’t Belgrade High take State in 1979? “We were playing Whitehall,” he remembered, “and they intercepted a pass and it killed us (for that game) and sunk us for the year. We finished 6-2.”

One pass, one game 43 years ago and the memory is as painful as yesterday.

As for the scoreboard donation? “I’m more driven by the idea of what students can do when they are faced with good teachers,” he added. “I just hope I can plant seeds in students, the ones that are there in school and haven’t decided what to do with their lives yet.  One person can make a difference.”  As for the you’re-only-good-enough-to-be-aplumber story? “Isn’t life interesting?” he laughed.

“Serving others is one of the best things you can do. Helping as many people as you can in life is our calling.

“Someone from Belgrade – they might be the person who changes the world. Planting seeds in Belgrade is a great place to do it. If it hadn’t been for Belgrade teachers ....”

“I love learning. Humility / humiliation is a great teacher. When you live in a world that affirms you and backs you, you always know tomorrow can be better,” Cornforth said.

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First Interstate Bank

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