Bozeman Magazine December 2023

B ZEMAN MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2023 - VOLUME VOLUME 17.7

Cover Artist: Charles Lewis Local Band: Lost Canyons Top 10 Bozeman Experiences to Gift

GREATER YELLOWSTONE EVENTS CALENDAR

IN THIS ISSUE / FEATURES DECEMBER 2023 - VOLUME 17.7 8 / LETTER TO EDITOR RECKONING WITH CHANGE - S KIRCHOFF 10 / VISUAL ARTS COVER SHOT - CHARLES LEWIS 12 / GV REAL ESTATE THE LUXURY HOME MARKET - T FORD 14 / FOOD & DRINKS MOUNTAINS WALKING BREWERY & PUB - T OWENS 20 / STAGE & SCREEN EMBRACE THE CHAOS - G CAPPIS 20 / MONTANA MUSIC LOST CANYONS INTERVIEW - B RIPPLE 22 / SUN SIGN HOROSCOPE BLACK ROSE SPIRITUAL CENTER - DR NIKKI 26 / LIVING LOCAL FOND MEMORIES OF A NORWEGIAN WOOL HAT - K WALCHECK CHRISTMAS TREES, FOR FAMILY, FROM FAMILY - J MONTALBANO THE LOVE OF A RANCHER - L BISCHOFF THROUGH THE LENS - R PHILLIPS 40 / REC & HEALTH MONTANA HOLIDAYS OUTDOORS - S MCGANN WINTER CAMPING DESERVES A SPOT IN THE SUN - J MONTALBANO THE ICE IS CALLING - P KNIGHT TOP 10 BOZEMAN EXPERIENCES TO GIFT - S JONES 46 / GREATER YELLOWSTONE EVENTS CALENDAR - SPONSORSHIP AVAIL. 2/1 WWW.BOZEMANMAGAZINE.COM/EVENTS

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EDITOR’S NOTE

2023 THAT’S A WRAP

B ZEMAN MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2023 - VOLUME 17.7 Angie Ripple PUBLISHER CASEN CREATIVE

I

t’s hard to believe that, with this final issue of 2023, we’ve wrapped up our 198th issue. It has taken over 16 years to finally get comfortable with an endeavor that benefits our community, to see the fruits of our labor paying off, and to have hope for the future of our business, and our town. As many small business owners can attest, striking out on your own can be an extremely difficult road to take. It is often unpaved and bumpy; it may shake your tailpipe loose and require serious help. It may make you rich and famous, but probably not.

Not to be trite, but I’d like to take a quick look back at the past year and share my favorite memories of local events I was lucky enough to attend. I have added the Bozeman Magazine logo to my phone’s home screen; it takes me straight to bozemanmagazine.com, and I use it almost exclusively to go to the events page. I find interesting, fun, creative, family-friendly social events that interest me every time I check the Greater Yellowstone Events Calendar. Here are some of my favorites from 2023.

My son began playing hockey last year, and being a part of the local hockey community has been a fun new adventure for our family. The Ice Barn at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds offers hockey for all ages on a regular basis, figure skating ice time and classes, and both high school and Junior hockey — our very own Ice Dogs. My oldest daughter did break her finger skating in 2022 so, for some of us, visiting the rink is a spectator sport! If you have any skating ability, the community at the rink is a great place to connect and make new friends.

Gnome Roam and the Bumblewood Thicket Fairy Village are two local events I attended this year that brought joy to my life and a smile to my face. Both are brought to us by Random Acts of Silliness, a local nonprofit intent on bringing magical experiences to Bozeman. Meandering through the fairy village with my young niece and nephew was especially enjoyable; “Where are the fairies hiding?” was heard over and over. RAS is sure to bring more fun and joy in the coming year!

Live music is my jam. I attended concerts at many local venues this year, including The Tune Up Bar, The Jump, Stacey’s Old Faithful Bar, Bourbon, The Filling Station, The ELM, Rialto Bozeman, The Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, The Armory Music Hall, Ellingston Park in Virginia City, and the Yellowstone Harvest Festival in Livingston. Maybe I’ll see you at the next show?

While I can’t attend every fundraiser in town (and there are A LOT of them), I was able to get to The Benefit at Bozeman Beach in June. It was a perfect day to raise money for HRDC to combat youth homelessness, and have a lot of fun doing it. Two local guys, Devon Gwynn and Jake Becker, came up with the idea to bring together their love of volleyball and sportsmanship with a desire to help their community, and it has grown into a successful event that does a lot of good in Bozeman. The BBB has something for everyone, from local artists offering handson crafting to a wellness tent with meditation practices; food trucks; a volleyball tournament; live music from local bands, and fun on the water at the Glen Lake Rotary Park. Look for this event in 2024—you don’t want to miss it.

As 2023 wraps up, be sure to check our calendar for the coolest NYE events in Bozeman, and ring in the new year with some new friends and experiences. Cheers! M 6

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SALES MANAGER, EDITOR ANGIE RIPPLE PRODUCTION MANAGER, MUSIC EDITOR BRIAN RIPPLE COVER ARTIST CHARLES LEWIS PHOTOGRAPHY GALLATIN HISTORY MUSEUM, BRIAN RIPPLE, BILL MCALINE PHIL & ALAINA KNIGHT, MOUNTAINS WALKING, LOGJAM

LETTER TO EDITOR STEVE KIRCHOFF SEND YOURS TO: INFO@BOZEMANMAGAZINE.COM GV REAL ESTATE TIM FORD FOOD & DRINKS TAYLOR OWENS MONTANA MUSIC BRIAN RIPPLE LIVING LOCAL RACHEL PHILLIPS, KEN WALCHECK, LIZ BISCHOFF, JOSEPH MONTALBANO RECREATION & HEALTH STEVE MCGANN, JOSEPH MONTALBANO, SYDNEY JONES, PHIL KNIGHT HOROSCOPE NIKKI JUDGE, BLACK ROSE SPIRITUAL CENTER EVENTS CALENDAR - ADD YOUR OWN EVENTS AT: bozemanmagazine.com CALENDAR SPONSORSHIP IS AVAILABLE. EMAIL: ANGIE@BOZEMANMAGAZINE.COM

THE BASICS Bozeman Magazine features a local artist on every cover and contributions from talented local writers each month. Every attempt has been made to provide our readers with accurate, dependable information about things which make the Bozeman area unique. Distributed to over 150 locations in the Gallatin Valley, and on MSU’s campus, well over 20,000 people enjoy Bozeman Magazine every month. We think you will too.

CONTRIBUTING Bozeman Magazine relies on the hard work of creative local people to keep our flow of information going. If you would like to become a contributor in writing, art, or photography please email us at info@bozemanmagazine.com to learn how. Every attempt is made to include accurate information, however, our writers and staff can NOT be held responsible for misprinted information.

FIRST COPY IS FREE ADDITIONAL ARE COPIES $1.00 EACH All writing, photos, and artwork remains property of the author, photographer, or artist. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Bozeman Magazine staff or advertisers. Send feedback, comments, suggestions, questions to: info@bozemanmagazine.com CONTACT INFO WEB: bozemanmagazine.com EMAIL: info@bozemanmagazine.com OFFICE: 406-219-3455 • CELL: 406-579-5657

TO ADVERTISE OR FOR MORE INFORMATION contact: info@bozemanmagazine.com or 406 219-3455

LOCAL & INDEPENDENT SINCE 2007 ALL MATERIAL ©2023, CASEN CREATIVE - BOZEMAN, MT

CONTRIBUTORS ANGIE RIPPLE - PUBLISHER Angie makes Bozeman Magazine happen all while wrangling her three children and adventuring with her husband and living the dream.

BRIAN RIPPLE - PUBLISHER Brian enjoys camping with friends and family, and running sound for live events and bands. He’s an artist, dog lover, and music editor of this magazine.

CYNTHIA LOGAN - COPY EDITOR Cynthia Logan has been a freelance writer and editor for nearly three decades. She assists individuals and corporations to further their branding.

NIKKI JUDGE - HOROSCOPE Nikki is a spiritual counselor and life coach who is happily serving those who have chosen a solo spiritual path.

MARS FAGIN - LIVING LOCAL A Senior at GHS, Mars Fagin enjoys writing in his free time. He is a member of the cheer squad, and dedicates the majority of his time to bettering himself in these two areas.

LESLIE M GILMORE - LIVING LOCAL A preservation architect based in Gallatin Gateway. She is an advocate for many architectural genres, as they each represent a place in time that had meaning for those who experienced it.

JOSEPH MONTALBANO - REC Joseph Montalbano is a student at Montana State University, majoring in English and History. He hopes to continue his work in the online blogging space.

PHIL KNIGHT - REC & HEALTH Wilderness explorer, guide, author and shameless agitator.

Lived in Bozeman with his wife since the 80s, traveled to 7 continents, and seen some crazy stuff.

STEVE KIRCHOFF - OPINION Steve Kirchhoff, 59, is an instructor in MSU’s English and Political Science departments and has been a teacher for 31 years. He lives in Bozeman, his hometown, with his wife Colette.

STEVE McGANN - RECREATION Steve McGann has lived in Bozeman since the 1970s. Now retired, he is trying to finally use his history degrees. Or he is in the hills.

TIM FORD - REAL ESTATE Tim Ford is a Broker / Realtor® with Bozeman Broker Real Estate in Bozeman Montana.

RACHEL PHILLIPS - HISTORY Rachel Phillips is the Research Coordinator at the Gallatin History Museum in Bozeman.

KELLY NICHOLSON - RECREATION Kelly is an adventurer, singer, outdoor educator, and book hoarder.

KEN WALCHECK - RECREATION Ken Walcheck is a Bozeman resident, and a retired Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks Information Wildlife Biologist.

CRYSTAL ALEGRIA - HISTORY Crystal Alegria is the Director of The Extreme History Project.

KATHLEEN JOHNS - MT MUSIC Kathleen Johns is the owner/ founder of Mantra located in Bozeman, MT. Kathleen holds a degree in English Literature from MSU/Bozeman and is an avid high altitude gardener.

OLIVIA MITCHELL - FOOD & DRINKS Olivia Mitchell is an avid skier, hiker, and former ballerina who is currently serving the Bozeman community as a licensed Realtor, at eXp Realty.

TAYLOR OWENS - FOOD & DRINKS Taylor Owens is a writer, editor, and videographer based in Bozeman. She spends her days running in the sun, playing in the snow, or on the hunt for the best breakfast all across the West.

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LETTERS TO EDITOR

RECKONING WITH CHANGE Steve Kirchoff

J

oey Morrison’s triumphant run for mayor of Bozeman was an historic event for Bozeman. At age 28, his victory makes him one of the youngest persons ever to be seated as deputy mayor.

And his no-frills, working-class background also sets him apart from the normative Bozeman politician.

Joey is a progressive, defined as a person dedicated to addressing social and political problems head-on, in the full light of day, with strong commitments to transparency and inclusion. As his candidate website put it, “the people closest to the problem are closest to the solution.”

Even though Joey did not win a majority of votes—because more people voted for John Meyer and Cyndy Andrus combined (nearly 7000) than voted for Joey (about 5400)—the runner-up, John Meyer, is also a progressive in the sense just defined. So, one could say that Joey’s victory and John Meyer’s strong showing constitute a victory for progressivism in Bozeman. This election is a damning referendum on how Bozeman city leadership conducts business. And it has been a long time coming.

The problems confronting Joey, and Bozeman citizens generally, are stubborn ones. The city’s unprecedented growth in population, together with an influx of wealthy investors to our area, have resulted in a furious growth boom and the worst housing affordability crisis in the state, with a corresponding spike in housing insecurity and homelessness. In response to these problems, city leaders have further encouraged the building boom.

In response to these same problems, Joey Morrison formed a political coalition among people most affected by the problems. That organization, Bozeman Tenants United (BTU), emerged as a coherent and forceful advocacy group that successfully lobbied the commission to restrict certain types of short-term rentals. Short-term rentals

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WHAT’S YOUR BEEF? December 2023

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Info from City of Bozeman

remove properties from the long-term rental housing market and thus help to drive-up average rents. Joey and BTU brought the short-term rental issue into the public eye and provided passionate, informed testimony that resulted in the commission’s adopting new restrictions.

Though the election is over, BTU’s advocacy is still needed to educate the community on better ways to deal with housing

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WHAT’S YOUR BEEF?

affordability and development. Following a naive understanding of today’s cynical housing industry, city leaders have endeavored to increase housing supply in the hope of lowering housing prices. To spur housing creation, in recent years the city has been relaxing its zoning code. The upshot is this: city leaders routinely grant increased development rights to property owners, but they fail to require property owners to provide

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affordable housing in return.

The culminating effort in the city’s credulous vein of policy-making came to light in recent months, when the city proposed major changes to its zoning code, known as the Unified Development Code (UDC).

The proposed changes to the UDC would increase housing density across all residential districts. On November 7th, however, voters defiantly declared the city’s approach is not what they want.

To be fair, the community as a whole sometimes seems split on the question of boosting density in older neighborhoods.

A majority of longtime residents appear to reject the argument. However, younger citizens—many of whom helped Joey win the mayor’s seat—are less averse to additional density because they see UDC changes as a means to achieving lower-priced housing in the existing urban network—a sustainable strategy in that it reduces sprawl at the same time. The density question needs a final resolution.

In any event, the city began holding preliminary hearings on the proposed changes to the UDC during the run-up to the November election. The timing could not have been worse for the incumbent mayor or better for her opponents. Objection to the UDC proposals galvanized many citizens to oppose incumbent Mayor Andrus, who was widely considered to be too cozy with developers.

The UDC issue sent a good number of older homeowners running into the political camp of John Meyer. During his campaign, Meyer had declared that, if elected, he would put an end to luxury development, and would impose a six-month moratorium on all new development proposals. Meyer’s opposition to the UDC changes was absolute and clear.

It is well to remember in all of this wrangling about density that housing is not the only crisis Bozemanites face. While the constant, in-your-face energy of development takes center stage in our minds and feelings, the natural world—the very support for and background behind all of this energy—is also in a deep crisis.

Unfettered growth is degrading the quality of our air and land, and depleting crucial water resources. “Whether from denial, naivete or other motives, the city has not foregrounded sustainability as a principal value in all of its dealings—but in their

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campaigns for mayor, both Joey and John Meyer did.

The fact is, Bozeman is running out of water. Some estimates have us running short in six years. Yet, city government has so far balked at discussing and publicly confronting the choices Bozeman must make in the face of a diminishing water resource. In their campaigns, both Joey and John Meyer kept the coming water scarcity in their sights.

Happily, this election has provided Bozeman with a promising new leader in Joey Morrison. Joey is open. Joey’s instinct is to turn to Bozeman’s residents and to encourage and strengthen their political participation—not to shut them out. Joey is not a back-room dealer. He is a straightforward, honest person with a desire to work for the benefit of all and to live more sustainably on the landscape.

I believe Joey can help bring us to the next step of our reckoning. We need a reckoning. We need to make changes to our housing policies. We urgently need to make stronger commitments to a sustainable way of life—so that our children, and their children, and their children, can in turn be sustained by this place we call home. X Steve Kirchhoff, 59, is an instructor in MSU’s English and Political Science departments and has been a teacher for 31 years. He lives in Bozeman, his hometown, with his wife Colette.

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COVER ARTIST

COVER

SHOT

CHARLES LEWIS I

COVER: SNOW

ABOVE: ALIEN OVERLORD MEETS THE BLUE JAG

LEFT: X RAY HOLIDAY

n an art scene dominated by regional western art, Bozeman painter Charles Lewis takes a different direction. “I don’t have a painting theme,” he says. “I paint antique toys, electric guitars, imaginary shamans, and just about anything else that leaps into my art brain. Montana has so many great painters of Western themes, and I’m astonished by their talent and skill, but I wander into other areas altogether.”

Charles began painting as a child in Denver, when he got a paint-by-numbers kit as a Christmas present. Charles notes, “I quickly started ignoring the lines, blending colors from one area to the next. Oil paint was just the best! Much later, my imaginary planetary landscapes full of radioactive mutant creatures attracted attention, but didn’t exactly match buyers’ tastes in 1980s Denver, which were more in line with the traditional western art of cowboys, Indians and mountain landscapes.”

Charles takes his inspiration from the European surrealists, artists of the naïve and outsider traditions, as well as folk art from around the world. He works in the traditional oil paint medium, creating highly detailed visions that emerge from his active imagination. “I love the whole oil painting process: underpainting, blending, and mixing and overlaying color on color—sometimes translucent, sometimes opaque, but always interesting. My restless, creative side breaks out when the sun goes down. I love daylight and the outdoors; I drink up color like a sponge, but my art brain kicks in after dark. I paint at night. All kinds of things happen under those bright lights in my studio.”

Check out Charles’ intriguing work at charleslewisart.com—as he says, “It’s not for timid souls.” L

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GV REAL ESTATE

THE LUXURY HOME MARKET Tim Ford – Real Estate Broker

A

s we move towards the holidays, I’ve often run the numbers on the higherend market. The million-dollar mark was once rarely crossed. However, with the median home price hovering near $800K for homes inside city limits and north of $900K when including homes outside city limits, what exactly constitutes the Luxury Market in Bozeman is perhaps the question.

First, let’s look at some history. Looking back at some of the previous peak years, in the entire year of 2007, only 24 homes sold for seven figures or more in the Bozeman area. In all of 2008, that number was only 22 homes.

In 2022, 14 years later, there were more than 13 times that, with 297 homes sold above the million-dollar mark. This year, we seem to be on a similar track to last year, with 259 closed sales during the first 10.5 months, and another 60 home sales pending north of $1 million.

To get a better picture of the market, I broke all residential sales into $500K chunks to see where they fall. For the following numbers, we’ll include all residential types: condos, townhouses, and single family, in areas both inside and out of Bozeman city limits. We’ll include only sales during the first 10.5 months of each year, in order to accurately compare 2023 numbers.

As our area attracted even more out of state buyers in 2020, the higher-end market took a big increase. Between the first of the year and the middle of November in 2020, 119 homes sold for more than $1 million—a more than 50% increase in similar sales from 2019.

Then, sales more than doubled from 2020 to 2022, with 243 homes selling during the first 10.5 months of 2021 for more than $1 million.

Even though overall sales numbers slowed last year, home sales north of $1M have continued to climb, with 262 homes sold for more than $1M during the first 10.5 months of last year, and 257 sold this year to date.

The market north of $2 million saw similar increases, rising from 29 sales in the first 10.5 months of 2020, then nearly doubling again to 53 sales in 2022. Sales numbers held fairly steady last year and this year, with 53 and 44

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homes sold north of $2 million respectively.

The speed of the sales saw similar changes. Back in 2018, those six sales for more than $2 million sold at a median of 214 days on market. By 2020, that number had almost been cut in half, to 126 days on market. In 2021, it dropped down to only 23 days on market. Last year, even with slowing sales numbers, it continued falling just slightly, to 21 days. This year, the trend changed; we saw an increase to 47 median days on market for sales of over $2 million.

Of interest, especially with the dramatic changes in interest rates, is that the number of all cash purchases in this price range has remained relatively similar. The highest percentage was in 2018, when 41 of the 64, or 64% of the homes north of $1 million were bought in cash. The following year, 2019, saw almost half, or 33 of the 72 purchases made in all cash. In 2020, it was 53% and 2021 saw 48%. Last year, it dipped slightly to around 43%. This year, its on the higher end of average, with just over 50% of sales north of $1 million made in all cash.

Some interesting notes on high-end sales in Big Sky: Through all of 2021, over 39 homes sold for more than $4 million, with the average price per square foot in this price range pushing well above $1000/ SF. Last year held steady, with 36 homes sold north of the $4 million mark. This year, it’s up just slightly, with 40 homes sold year to date for more than $4 million and another 51 similar sales pending. Of note, of those 51 pending sales, 49 are new construction, with many not likely ready for closing for months, possibly even more than a year. The average price per square foot for these highend sales is now around $1400/sf. These numbers do not include Yellowstone Club sales or custom residences built directly for buyers.

As usual, I have included the latest Real Estate statistics. Last year and this year bear a few similarities. The total number of closed transactions is very close, with 610 this time last year, and 603 thus far this year. Additionally, there are 82 home sales currently pending

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as of the date of this writing, exactly the same amount as at this time last year.

The included data reflects sales of homes in the greater Bozeman area, including Four Corners, Gallatin Gateway, Bridger Canyon, and Bozeman city limits. The data includes home sales reported through the local Big Sky Country MLS, and does not include private party sales, condominiums, or townhouses.

F Tim Ford is a Realtor® with Bozeman Brokers Real Estate in Bozeman Montana. He can be contacted at 406-209-1214.

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Taylor Owens

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estled in the up-and- coming Northside neighborhood of Bozeman, Mountains Walking Brewery stands as a testament to the vibrant craft beer culture flourishing in the area. Owned and curated by Gustav Dose and his partner Sarah MacDonald, this brewery has become a focal point for both locals and visitors seeking a comfortable, satisfying beer and food experience.

At Mountains Walking, you can expect to find all types of beers. With over 20 taps, you’ll discover entirely new flavors, and enjoy beers that couldn’t come from anywhere except Bozeman. From classic pilsners and lagers to IPAs and sour beers, there’s always something new to try out at the brewery.

I sat down with Dose to chat about Mountains Walking, and offerings to look forward to this winter season.

out the transience of a lot of things and how everything is always moving—to me anyway, always moving, always changing. We’re walking, and mountains are walking. There really isn’t separation, but it’s also what I love about something like this, how it engages people, and it’s just like mountains walking.

You know, maybe it’ll draw you in, maybe not, but it’s not like if we were called “Purple

TAYLOR OWENS: How was Mountains Walking Brewery & Pub conceptualized?

GUSTAV DOSE: I studied Asian philosophy a lot. I grew up in Tokyo and in Asia and I’ve always been interested in Eastern philosophies like Buddhism, and Taoism. I grew up studying that stuff, and martial arts.

The name Mountains Walking comes from a book called The Shobogenzo, which was written by a Japanese philosopher.

And without getting too into the weeds, one of the chapters is called “The Mountain and Rivers Sutra,” and Dogen is the philosopher who wrote that book in, like, the ninth century. I’m kind of grabbing that from my head. I can’t remember exactly, but he writes about how you understand your own walk. You begin to understand your own walking, and you understand the mountains walking. And it’s a little bit of a curve ball because, you know, I guess it kind of points

GD: I think just a sense of comfort. You know, I had this place designed [the way] a lot of breweries and beer halls I’ve worked for are.

German breweries, sometimes beer halls, and tap rooms can be cavernous, echoey and big. And I think that’s really cool. But I think what I really wanted was to go in a different direction and really have it be intimate. And so, when you walk in, you’re not sure what it is actually when you come in. It’s a very engineered small space with a lot of sound dampening, a lot of speakers. So you can kind of hear the music, but also hear when you’re talking in this place.

If you’ve been here when it’s quite busy, you kind of get the sense that it’s busy, but it’s not like you can’t still talk. You can still engage with who you’re with fairly comfortably, because of the space. So yeah, I guess a level of comfort and ease. I want people to feel like they’re coming here to spend money on a beer or pizza, or whatever, and I want it to be comfortable.

TO: Do you have a food or drink that regulars keep coming back for?

Dog.” Okay, we’re Purple Dog and that’s it.

But Mountains Walking is kind of engaging and it’s kind of fun. And I think that’s what I really like about it.

TO: What would you like people to experience when they walk through the doors?

GD: Our best seller, beer-wise, has been Raising Clouds, a hazy IPA. What I really like about it is we focus on New Zealand hops for a lot of our beers. It’s my favorite. I love New Zealand hops. Pests don’t grow in New Zealand, so they’re all 100% organic and good. But I really like delicate, fruity, floral types of flavors. American hops are just as good, not better or worse.

But they tend to be a little more bitter, a little more in your face. Not necessarily a bad IPA, that’s just my taste. So, I really like the Raising Clouds. When we started this, I thought it would be cool. I didn’t come from a restaurant background. I’ve been in brewcontinued on next page

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Mountains Walking p.14

422 N. PLUM AVE BOZEMAN (406) 219-3480 mountainswalking.com

eries, including this one, for almost 20 years as a brewer and other stuff. It was a learning experience, but I thought it would be cool if we did one food item well. And I think that’s our pizzas. We spend a lot of time on them.

We pull them from our dough; they are hand tossed and 100% wood fired. However, I think we’ve gotten a lot of publicity for our wings. And so I’m happy about that, as well.

And I think everyone’s excited about it, too.

FOOD STYLE:

TO: Do you have a personal favorite menu item?

Comfortable brewery and pub providing wood-fired pizzas, sandwiches, and other small bites.

GD: Pizza. For sure.

DRINKS:

TO: A specific pizza?

Beer

GD: No, not really; I like it all. Sometimes I feel like a basic pepperoni or margarita.

Something simple is usually what I like.

HOURS: 11:30 - 8pm Seven Days

VIBE: Cozy, warm, friendly atmosphere

PRICES: $6 - $22

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TO: Do you have a favorite drink on the menu right now?

GD: It was probably Nice Fellow. We just got it back on tap. And I really like how Nice Fellow has kind of evolved, where it’s an Italian Pilsner. I really like the Italian Pilsner because American brewers just grab the name “Italian Pilsner.” It doesn’t really taste like Italian Pilsner. People don’t really know what it is. www.bozemanmagazine.com

It’s like a Peroni or whatever, but it doesn’t taste like a Peroni. I really like that American brewers have decided to call this dry hop, fruity Pilsner “Italian” for some reason. So Nice Fellow Italian Pilsner is my favorite right now.

TO: What would you say makes you unique in the local food scene?

GD: I thought Bozeman had some really cool high-end places, like Open Range and some other spots. Then, some really good barbecue type places. But I thought there was a bit of a void for the in-between. I thought we could kind of go in the middle with a little elevated food scene. We’re not really a restaurant because of our closing time at 7:45, but I really wanted it to be kind of elevated food, but also comfortable. I didn’t want to overthink things, so pizza, wings… then we got creative to see what sticks. When we started, there was a food item I really liked that I found in Portland, called tachos, and I noticed no one was serving them here. I was like ‘oh, let’s try tachos.’ Nachos are pretty ubiquitous, but it’s just tater tot nachos, so it’s not rocket science, but people love them. So that’s been kind of fun. Every time I come in, I hear people in the line excited about tachos.

TO: What do you personally enjoy most about being a part of the greater Bozeman community?

GD: I really like engaging with the public, and people that have become regulars. I’m really grateful for our neighbor, who’s dug me out of the snow a hundred times and really helped me when I was just a small, desperate business owner trying to survive. I’m really grateful for them, and for a lot of the charities and nonprofits that we work with. That has really been rewarding, and I think it’s just like where the rubber meets the road with all these people. So, that’s really what I’ve been grateful for.

TO: How long have you been in Bozeman?

GD: I’ve been here about 10 years; I moved here from Eastern Washington. I was there for about three years, and then I was in Asia.

I was born in Taipei; my mother is Japanese.

I grew up my whole life in places like Tokyo, Taipei, and China, but I went to college in San Diego. After college, I moved and just floated around all over New York for like seven years, and ended up back in Asia. But long story short, I’m almost 50 now, and I’ve been here about 10 years.

TO: Do you have anything coming up at Mountains Walking or in the community that you would like readers to know about?

GD: I’ve been working on this non-alcoholic tea program, because I’m super passionate

about tea. The first iteration of that is coming out in a couple of months. I’ve been trying different things in different realms, and that has been really fun. We’re really small, so we can innovate and try different things here on tap.

TO: Would it be on-tap tea, or how would that work?

GD: I would say it would be mostly packaged.

Like, a sparkling green tea type of thing.

I’m obsessed with Japanese green tea, so it would be something like that. That sounds so tasty. In the wintertime, we have a special lager program that we’re going to have coming out when it starts snowing.

Surrounded by a beautiful view of the Bridgers, Mountains Walking Brewery is a hub of rotating beer offerings and creative dishes. Check out the brewery this winter to warm up on a chilly night with friends and family. O

Taylor Owens is a writer, editor, and videographer based in Bozeman. Taylor spends her days running in the sun, playing in the snow, or on the hunt for the best breakfast all across the West.

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December 2023

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SCREEN & STAGE MSU Film Professor Dennis Aig’s Mantra

EMBRACE THE

CHAOS

Greg Cappis

D

ennis Aig recently retired after 34 years at Montana State University. As a professor in the College of Arts and Architecture’s School of Film and Photography, and while traveling the world working on films, he influenced generations of students in the classroom and on film sets.

Born in Brooklyn, Aig grew up in Queens. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in New York, he moved to Columbus, Ohio, where he met his wife and obtained his doctorate at Ohio State University.

He majored in English but became interested in motion pictures, inspired by classic movies of the 70s, like “Jaws,” “The Godfather,” “Mean Streets” and “Star Wars.” The five-time, regional Emmy winner started making films for an Ohio corporation and eventually moved to Montana, the home state of his wife, Ann Bertagnolli, where he took a job at MSU, teaching and making films for Montana PBS. The following interview is reprinted with permission from MSU; it has been edited for brevity.

GREG CAPPIS: Was “Shadow Casting: The Making of ‘A River Runs Through It,’” the first big, successful film that put your career on the map?

DENNIS AIG: Yes, “Shadow Casting” had two things going for it. It was a film about a film that became a hit film. We thought the title was terrible – “A River Runs Through it” – runs through what? It was for Montana Public Television, and had students working on it.

The students were outstanding. It was the perfect blending of the academic and the professional. We had real movie stars and filmmakers in our film, so we had to be at the top of our game. The students graduated during the movie; we had to ask for a day off so we could all go to graduation.

It’s still one of the best films I’ve ever worked on… It was about “A River Runs Through It,” but also about how a film was made. Back then, there weren’t a lot of ‘making-ofs.’ It established the station, me, the guys. The funny part was, we got nominated for regional Emmys and didn’t win anything. We were all there in our tuxes, sitting at this table with people winning, like,12 Emmys. It was OK… we won other awards.

GC: All your films have involved students in the production. How did that come about, and why is it important?

DA: I always tell my production management class: I can teach you process, but I can’t teach you what it’s really like. I can tell you what to do, but I can’t tell you how to do it, because every film is different. Immersing students in an actual movie with experienced filmmakers is the best way to learn.

Film school is very important—you learn analytical skills, history, and basic technical skills, but the field changes almost daily. Until you are with professionals, you can’t really see how it happens, how they work together.

On my science and natural history movies, the students were more the lead than I was. Like an executive producer, I guided them but, because the students in that case had scientific backgrounds, some were better suited at doing those films than I was.

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GC: How did you help build the MFA program in science and natural history?

DA: I tried to promote good relationships with scientists on campus.

We are a very busy science research school, but people don’t realize how hard the scientists work. In the summer they’re writing grants.

They’re in the field, not in hotels. I was out on boats in the Gulf of Mexico sleeping in these coffin-like beds. I was sharing tents with people out in New Zealand and Australia. A lot of hard work goes into scientific research.

GC: Is that where you draw similarities between producing and teaching?

DA: Yeah. Producing is a lot like teaching, especially when you have newer people. There are certain principles to follow, but there are differences in degree and finances between a feature and something like science and natural history.

The biggest compliments are when my former students ask me to help them produce their films. Phil Baribeau did that. We did “Unbranded” and “Charged” together. Christine Cooper did that with “Youth v Gov.” It’s modeled on George Lucas; he did the first “Star Wars,” then didn’t want to direct anymore. He asked his directing teacher from USC, Irvin Kershner, to direct “The Empire Strikes Back,” which most people consider the best of the first three films.

GC: What do you enjoy about producing?

DA: Its many aspects. What I always say is, the Best Picture Oscar goes to the producer, technically. They have everybody come up on stage, but the one who accepts the award is the producer. The fact that this film got made, got finished, and was as good as it was, is largely the part of the producer(s).

GC: What do you enjoy about teaching?

DA: The sense of continuity. I learned something new on every project, because the field constantly changes. You’re able to give your students a little head start, because textbooks are out of date by the time they’re published. That’s one of the reasons I always wanted to keep active professionally, even though having a dual career can get exhausting. I wanted to be able to tell my students, ‘here’s how things are happening now,’ or ‘here’s what people are doing now.’

“Embrace the chaos,” you said, was a throwaway line in a lecture.

GC: How did it become a mantra?

DA: Film looks like chaos. You have people doing different things in different places. Even on small documentaries, you don’t know what’s going to happen. When you get there, you think it’s going to be a beautiful day and it’s raining… or, you’re out in the middle of God knows where. Or you have a ‘difficult’ interview subject who turns out to be great. You have to love that — the idea that if you make a

mistake, the deep end is not too far away, but if you do it right, higher ground is there, too.

GC: Still working on films?

DA: Yeah.

GC: Over the course of four decades or so, how have you seen the industry change?

DA: When I got hired, I did my first digitally edited show. Before then, we cut film; now we have digital cameras. Students are interested in shooting film because they haven’t done it. Before, we always started them on film. Now, you can emulate film digitally almost as well as you can shoot it, and it costs less. You’re getting virtual studios, like “Mandalorian.” It’s all shot in the studio—like going back to the way it was in the 1930s. They didn’t go on location unless they absolutely had to. In the 1950s movie “The Searchers,” they actually went to Canada for a three-minute sequence. In “Mandalorian,” the exteriors look like they’re outside. They’re not. There’s a lot of following incentives to different parts of the country and the world, especially Canada, to shoot.

Markets have changed. Now, the international market is very important, so you find films being developed based on where the market’s going to be.

Film is an art, a craft and a business. You have to keep those in balance: You can have an exquisitely shot, wonderful film, but if you don’t make it so someone wants to go see it, they won’t. It takes a lot of different skills.

GC: Is there one type of filmmaking you prefer?

DA: Not really. I get as excited about a good documentary as I do a good dramatic film. Some of the skills are the same [though] there’s a difference in scale. Dramas take acting, makeup, costuming, and everything else you don’t have in documentaries. It really depends on what the subject matter is.

GC: Phil Baribeau said you were offered another position at the university as program director right after accepting the role for “Unbranded.”

DA: I was director of the film school for three years. This is talking about embracing the chaos, writ large, exponentially. I was the only one who had rank. I said; ‘All right, I’ll do this for three years, but I have to check with the “Unbranded” guys.’ I think Phil said something like, ‘Yeah, if you’re crazy enough to do that, go ahead.’ So I didn’t sleep for like three years. But I don’t regret it. “Unbranded” was a once-in-a-career type of experience.

GC: Everyone I talked to wanted me to ask, Do you sleep?

DA: Yes, I do, on occasion. You can only do this for so long. “Unbranded” was a perfect example. I remember sending an email out at 2:30 a.m. That’s one reason I’m retiring, so I can get more sleep.

GC: What’s your plan going forward?

DA: I have the thriller movie, “Thine Ears Shall Bleed,” about Barbara Van Cleve, to finish with Lynn and Jim Kouf and Ben Bigelow; we’re looking for distribution. We had students work on that, too.

GC: Any other career highlights?

DA: We did a lot of things to make the MFA program more accepted on campus. It was initially an experimental program. Film work in areas that have become very important, like climate, like the “Youth v Gov” lawsuits. One of the highlights is seeing your students do so well and accomplish great things. Obviously, I didn’t do it by myself, like the work of all professors, but it gives you the satisfaction of, ‘well, we must have been doing something right.’

Phil (Baribeau) with “Unbranded.” It took a lot of creativity to figure out how to do that—you could only have two shooters at any one time. Phil came up with a horse having all the sound gear on it. Luke, the sound horse, actually gets credit in the movie. They were one of the first groups of people to take horses through the Grand Canyon.

There have been a lot of highlights. “Deep Gulf Wrecks” — we found a U-boat. I did a thing with shamans. It became “Bridgewalkers.” Just to see how shamans actually work in native environments.

GC: What are some of your favorite films?

DA: The ’70s films were very influential. The “Godfather” films, “Chinatown,” “Mean Streets,” all that stuff.

Spielberg stuff, and some of the classics, because that’s what I studied in my dissertation. “The Big Sleep” is still a great film that nobody can really answer questions about. “To Have and To Have Not” shows the strength of dialogue… musicals. Even guilty pleasures, like really bad films. “Spinal Tap,” because I did some music videos, too.

“Spinal Tap” just hit it; there are all sorts of Beatles references, and feuding girlfriends. So, the ’80s was a very good time, too.

I have a lot of favorite films. “Citizen Kane,” from my generation. I first saw it when I was 14. I had never seen a film shot like that, sound like that; some of my students find it slow moving, but it influenced generations. One of the issues in “Godfather” 1 was its classic structure; the whole movie is actually in the wedding scene. All the characters are at the wedding, then it branches out into the individual stories. I used to diagram the plotlines for my classes when I taught script writing. When you’re in production everybody says, ‘we can’t have all these plotlines’, or ‘we have to simplify it.’ I said, ‘there are six or seven plotlines going on in “The Godfather,” and I’ve never met anybody that can’t follow the story.’

GC: How were you able to balance everything? I heard you have a great family, too.

GC: Anything you would like to add?

DA: It’s very hard. My wife, Ann Bertagnolli, is a rock star in her own right. She heads MSU’s INBRE program. Occasionally, my kids worked on the films. When they were very young, they acted in “Guide Season.” One of them helped with the horses in “Unbranded.”

DA: I really appreciated the faculty I worked with, my colleagues, and the staff. We’ve been very lucky to have great staff. Also, to see Montana PBS blossom into one of the strongest smaller stations in the country is great. T

GC: How many kids?

DA: Two, and a granddaughter. I’ve been at the university for over 30 years. I think all professors have the same kinds of issues. Making movies, doing fieldwork or lab work… all require a certain obsessiveness that can affect other parts of your life. I’m very fortunate that people in my family understood it.

GC: How old are you now?

DA: Seventy-three.

Greg is a writer and editor for the MSU News Service, this article was edited for length.

MONTANA MUSIC

Brian Ripple

L

ost Canyons is a Bozeman based band that started in 2016. Their current lineup is: KENNAN KRAUSE - Vocals & Guitar; MITCH LAUENSTEIN - Guitar, Banjo, Keys, Vocals; PAUL ELIAS - Electric Guitar, Drums, Keys; JADEN ATTARD - Bass; LUCAS SWETS - Drums Lost Canyons pride themselves on driving guitars, impactive melodies and introspective lyrics.

Soon after forming a dream came to fruition with the release of their debut ep titled ‘Drive By Volume.” More recently Lost Canyons released their first full length album titled ‘Lost Canyons.” The album is an ambitious effort meant to showcase both the band’s range as musicians and their ability to connect to their listeners.We recently had the chance to catch up with Kennan to see what the band is up to:

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BRIAN RIPPLE: Hello. You guys recently released your new album, Lost Canyons; can you tell us a little bit about it?

KENNAN KRAUSE: Totally! This self-titled album is our first foray into the full length album. The concept of the full length album is something that we’ve romanticized — generally, as a band, we love to listen to full albums start to finish, so we figured we’d try our hand at getting a full album out there.

Lost Canyons is definitely a driving album. We pictured people driving through the Beartooths blasting these songs. A lot of my songwriting happens in the winter when I’m longing for sunsets at 10 pm, so that’s definitely reflected in the lyrics for this album.

We leaned pretty hard into the indie rock side of things as well, which was a breath of fresh air for us as a band. We sought to push ourselves dynamically this go-round, and we’re pretty proud of the outcome.

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BR: Where was it recorded, and by whom?

KK: Our album was produced by Ben Morris of Mountain Morris Productions (check out his band, Desperate Electric! They’re unreal…). I can’t say enough good things about Ben and his producing. He brought our album to life and met us in our vision of creating a bigger album.

He owns a studio down in Butte, and runs it as “a band BnB,” so we got to stay at his studio for a week to crank out the album.

Long days, but such a blast. We had an incredible experience!

BR: Where can people go to listen to the new album?

KK: Anywhere you stream your music, we’re there! Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, YouTube, Bandcamp, etc. We also recently got to play a few of the new tunes in a studio ses-

sion with Big Sky Bonus Tracks; you can catch those live performances online on YouTube.

KK: Lost Canyons is predominantly a fourpiece indie rock band (we sometimes dabble in being a five-piece band when possible).

We got our start as a folk band here in Bozeman circa 2021, then quickly realized we love the electric too much to be fully a folk band.

We have an EP out as well, titled Drive By Volume, which we released in 2021.

Musically, we hang our hat on our melodies, and creating songs that people can relate to. People just love to sing, so we try and write songs that people can sing along to.

KK: I started on the bass, actually! It was really helpful for me starting out. I started playing bass when I was 10, and then evolved into teaching myself guitar, attending YouTube University. When I started out, I was big into Dave Matthews and Jack Johnson, so I kind of laid down the foundation with a focus on strumming rhythm, and then my fretting eventually caught up.

Vocally, it took a while to get to where I’m at now. Honestly, gigging a ton works wonders on that front, so that’s been a fun journey. Singing, for me, hasn’t been as instantly gratifying as guitar, so it’s been cool to see the progression of my voice as the years have gone along. I’ve definitely had to put more work in on the vocal side of things, so it’s been very rewarding to see where I’ve gotten to.

BR: When did you personally pick up music?

What was that process like?

BR: Who are a few of your current favorite artists to listen to for inspiration?

BR: What would you like to share about the band itself?

KK: We draw a ton of inspiration from bands like Wilderado and Futurebirds. Duncan Fellows is an indie band based out of Austin — they’re a huge inspiration. Rayland Baxter is another one. Gregory Alan Isakov always holds a special place in our hearts. Noah Kahan’s new album is something special, so that’s played a part. Hozier has been the most recent inspiration. I’m really drawn to melodies and dynamics of songs, and I think Hozier does that masterfully.

BR: If you could see any bands/artists, living or dead, perform live, who would you go see first?

KK: You guys ask the tough questions! I’ve gotta see Leon Bridges at some point. I’d love to see Hozier, too. The Beatles in their prime would have been surreal. The Eagles continued on next page

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SUN SIGN HOROSCOPE DECEMBER 2023 ARIES: Take your sweetie on a special holiday getaway for some much needed rest and relaxation, just make sure you are back home by the 12th to avoid any detractors from Mercury’s retrograde on the 13th. Enjoy your holidays, but this year stay close to home.

LIBRA: The holidays are here and your prudence in maintaining a good balance of sleep and exercise while you enjoy your holiday fun is important. A work miscommunication or misconception will be cleared up after the 6th. Family fare and kids make holiday fun.

TAURUS: You’ll be the Santa with the perfect gift with everyone on your list just by doing your typical thrifty shopping. Don’t sign any contracts after the 13th when Mercury turns retrograde.

There’s lots of celebrations and fun for you, so rest up, have fun.

SCORPIO: Home made is still best made, so save a little on holiday expenses and bake some goodies for friends and family.

Get that shopping done early in the month as you will want to take advantage of sales, free gift wrapping and free shipping to make it easier.

GEMINI: Neptune shines a bright light on social gatherings and fun with invitations arriving on the 7th and 9th. Go ahead and attend the office holiday party this year. Sharing some convivial time with workmates ends on a high note. Children are featured.

CANCER: Expect the unexpected when it comes to family visits.

Keep your travel close to home, but you’ll have family and friends wanting to visit you over the holiday season. Have fun with your friends, but pay attention to workmates, they’re important, too.

LEO: Get those gifts wrapped and sent before the 6th to ensure you aren’t having to blow the holiday budget shopping.

Confirm travel plans by the 12th to make sure you are able to make all your connections and to avoid last minute travel glitches.

VIRGO: You better be good at keeping your calendar straight because you are going to be at the top of everyone’s invitation list from the 7th through to the 22nd. Neptune’s change of direction seems to fill your inbox with more invitations than you can attend.

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

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SAGITTARIUS: The holiday soirees start off early in the month when you find yourself attending events hosted by your employer or professional groups. Wait until after the 14th if you have any last minute shopping to take care of.

A busy business month.

CAPRICORN: You spent much of the year in retrospection and wondering if you are where you are supposed to be. Your answer will come to you after Neptune turns direct in Pisces on the 6th.

Family, children and lovers are still a focal point in your world.

AQUARIUS: They start with a trickle, but by the time the 6th rolls around, invitations are sure to be calling you to enjoy holiday entertainments with family and friends. Just remember that you need to keep those social promises, you don’t want to disappoint.

PISCES: Invitations will be slow to arrive until after the 6th when Neptune goes direct in Pisces.

Make sure to put the important ones you want to attend on your calendar. You are on everyone’s invitation list and they want you as a part of their holiday celebration.

Lost Canyons p. 20 in their prime — their harmonies are insane.

That’s so tough to pull off live, so I’d love to experience that.

BR: What are the next plans for Lost Canyons 2024?

KK: Tour, baby! We’re touring the album this summer around the region, mainly focusing on the PNW. We’re getting some more festivals under our belt this summer, and we’re trying to add some Logjam shows under our belt. Logjam has played an integral role in getting great artists to Montana, so we’re trying to join along for the ride!

BR: Are there any upcoming shows you have soon, or anything else you would like to share with our readers?

KK: Yeah! We’ve got some shows at ski resorts coming up this winter, which we’re stoked for. We’re playing at Bridger Bowl for King and Queen of the Ridge on February 3rd.

We’ve been booked for March 1st at Tips Up in Big Sky, so that’ll be a sweet show. We’re also playing for Red Lodge’s Spring Jam on March 9th.

I also play some solo shows around town; my next one is at Map Brewing on January 3rd. I’d love to meet readers, so feel free to come through and say hey! Thanks a ton for checking us out.

BR: Thanks Kennan, we will definately be looking for you out there.

Be sure to take a listen to Lost Canyon’s new release and even better, go see one of their shows. B

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LIVING LOCAL

FOND MEMORIES OF A NORWEGIAN WOOL HAT Ken Walcheck

C

hristmas morning, 1947. Something about the shape of that package under the Yule tree caught my eye. Call it intuition if you wish, but I had a feeling this gift was going to be a little bit special. Even though I was nearly sixteen, I unwrapped it in a flurry of excitement. And there it was, a grey, knit Norwegian wool hat.

It was a case of love at first sight . A folded piece of paper tucked into the sweatband by the manufacturer stated, “This exquisite piece of wear is crushproof, practically indestructible, guaranteed to give adequate protection from the elements and despite any rough treatment, still stylish enough to impress the ladies while walking your dog. And with a little luck, maybe her telephone number.”

I remember how I put the hat on, pulling it down to my eyebrows and parading around the house like a youngster with his first pair of cowboy boots. As a budding outdoorsman, I was not old enough to appreciate the fact that, like fine wine, a hat such as this needed proper aging.

That’s when I found a second note hidden in the sweat band.

DEAR SON: To properly season your hat with the right blend of character and distinction, I would recommend the following treatment: Mix several cups of pond water with a sampling of grouse, goose, turkey and duck feathers with three tumblers of top shelf bourbon, and a dash of gun cleaning solvent.

Stir gently and add one ripe crawfish, seasoned with a good sampling of grouse and elk droppings.

Soak the hat in the above conditioning brew for 48 hours and then place in a smokehouse for eight hours for proper curing.

Reshape the hat properly after drying, and garnish with a pheasant tail feather.

ALL MY LOVE, DAD 24

December 2023

A broad grin washed over my face as I read his seasoning note, but I couldn’t really appreciate those words until I had tromped over Montana’s backcountry on countless hunting and fishing trips, accompanied by my faithful wool hat.

I remember the campfires that hat fanned into life on hunting and fishing trips, how it served as an insect capturing net to catch grasshoppers for fishing bait.

I can readily recall the adventures involving my wool hat from past outings stored in my memory banks – like the time I instinctively threw it at a coiled rattler that I nearly stepped on. And the time I used it to as a glove to separate a black lab and a brute of a Chesapeake engaged in a snarling fight. Many pleasant memories are woven into the wool fibers of my trusty companion, along with a few unpleasant recollections – such as the striped skunk confrontation near Willow Creek in southeastern Montana many decades ago. Pushing my gun ahead

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of me while crawling under a barbed wire fence, I came face to face with a family of skunks that emerged from a willow patch.

Time seemed to stand still at this precarious moment.

A couple of horses in the adjacent pasture lifted their heads in anticipation of events to come, and a yellow warbler on a nearby willow branch stopped singing. It was a moment of decision, and I made the wrong move.

Scrambling hastily backwards, my pants got snagged on a fence barb. As I struggled to free myself with legs flailing and arms churning trying to free myself, four skunks – an adult female and three youngsters – put their backsides to use and all eight guns fired tear-watering, stinging acrid fluid salvos at pointblank range. With eyes burning and lungs screaming for a breath of fresh air, I freed myself from the barbed wire and scrambled back to my pickup, bellowing and cussing every step of the way. A full plastic jug of water poured over my face and upper body helped considerably, but time would be my only salvation.

After returning home, I tossed my clothes in the outside garbage can, but didn’t have the heart to say good-bye to my most cherished possession. The hat was temporarily retired to a bucket filled with a mixture of tomato juice and ammonia, rinsed and then hung in the garage for a three-week period of recuperation before it was again ready for service.

The following year, my hat and I shared the great horned owl encounter. On a warm March day, I decided to shimmy up a cotton-

wood tree to check on a newly discovered owl’s nest. I had climbed about 25 feet when one of the parents glided past and landed in a nearby tree. There it sat, staring at me with large, yellow eyes and swaying from side to side with wings partly spread, looking as big as a stuffed potato sack. The picture of savage rage was completed as the owl furiously snapped his beak. Feeling a touch of apprehension, I continued climbing as the owl’s mate flew in; soon there were angry outbursts from both. The feathered projectiles flew from tree to tree, zooming past me and constantly hooting deep, subdued tones.

When I reached the nesting cavity, I felt the swoop of powerful wings. Then a savage blow to my shoulder almost knocked me off the tree. Next, I felt a terrific stab of pain on top of my head, which dazed me and sent my wool hat spinning to the ground. After the attack, I half slid and half fell down the side of the tree to the forest floor. When I gently probed the top of my head to check for damage, I found two ugly wounds. I’m certain the owl’s talons would have inflicted more serious harm if it had not been for my woolen hat.

That same year, my faithful possession played an important role in bagging a nice five-point buck. During the last week of the hunting season, four of us boated to a large island on the Yellowstone River in eastern Montana to hunt whitetails. We drew straws to determine who the deer drivers and standers were going to be. I lucked out in drawing one of the standing positions, where I would wait for the drivers to “push” the deer toward the standers.

After trekking around the outside of the island to select my standing position, I waited for the drivers on the far side of the island to start their walk driving the deer, hopefully, toward me. At my site, two well-traveled deer trails about fifty yards apart came down to the river’s edge. One led into a thick stand of willows; the other angled off in a westerly direction. There is nothing like making a firm decision when selecting a deer stand. Any uncertainty about your choice gnaws at you; in time, you become uneasy and wander off, seeking a better spot.

When I pushed my hat back and rubbed my forehead to make a decision, I knew I had the answer. My dad had once told me of an old trick that sometimes worked in bagging a wary buck. I walked over to the trail leading to the willow patch, removed my hat and placed it on a willow stub about four feet off the ground. Then I walked over to the other trail and positioned myself.

When the drivers started walking towards me, I heard the sound of a deer running though the cottonwoods. A few seconds slipped by, then I glimpsed a buck running full throttle in my direction. Suddenly he stopped short, perked up his ears, and looked back at the sound of the oncoming drivers. After pausing for a second or two, he was on the move again, bounding down the trail that would take him to the willow patch, and security.

When the massively-antlered buck saw the hat fluttering in the breeze, he tried to reverse gears, skidded to the ground and ended up on his backside with legs pawing the air. In a second, he was up on his feet, this time running in my direction, white tail flashing. I swear I can still see the bewilderment in his eyes as he raced toward me in majestic splendor.

There eventually comes a time when all good friends must depart. What happened to my old wool friend was entirely my fault. Its demise occurred after I had carelessly placed it on our backyard picnic table.

My young lab, with zestful gusto, pounced on it and reduced it to a tattered heap of shapeless wool. Since that tragedy, I have felt half-naked and incomplete during my outdoor sojourns.

I am, however, optimistic about the future. Christmas is right around the corner.

Surely, with an understanding of family members and friends, there just might be a fair chance of finding a special Christmas package under the tree. And, who knows, it might even contain a grey Norwegian wool hat. E Ken Walcheck is a Bozeman resident, and a retired Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks Information Wildlife Biologist.

He enjoys writing Montana natural history wildlife articles.

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December 2023

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LIVING LOCAL

Christmas Trees

for Family, From Family Joseph Montalbano

W

ith that time of year rapidly approaching, we wanted to look into one of the staples of the holiday season: the Christmas tree. Specifically, we were interested in only the real deal, none of those fake trees. Although they can be convenient, they just don’t have that special something that real trees can offer. No, we were dedicated to digging into a locally prominent source of Christmas trees, and looked no further than the family-owned and operated Cashman Nursery, run

by Jerry and Jan Cashman alongside their kind and cheery sons, Joe and Mike.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting and talking with Jan Cashman, who struck me as a kind, honest, and pleasant woman.

A well-studied gardener, she has been published many times in Prime, A Magazine for Mature Adults, in the garden segments. Jan knows her stuff when it comes to plants, in a way I found myself humbled by. In fact, before our interview, she and her kind staff directed me to a few solutions for my houseplants, which had previously seemed to attract and breed fungus gnats that have been bothering me for weeks, until implementing the solutions Cashman Nursery recommended.

I asked Jan about the history of Cashman Nursery and its long, storied time in the Bozeman area. It was fascinating to hear how far back the family roots ran. Jerry’s grandfather, Eugene, founded the business in Minnesota back in 1889 as a wholesale and retail garden center. From there, the business grew until Jerry and Jan moved to Bozeman in 1975, building the current nursery in 1976, starting the almost fifty years of success they have enjoyed to this day. With over one hundred years of history and family dedicated to growing things, is it any wonder that Jerry and Jan have continued that tradition?

However, Cashman’s did not sell Christmas trees until 1978.

Before then, they saw no need to because of the low cost of a permit to go into the woods and source your own trees. They found their market, due to the convenience and the aesthetic their trees have to offer, but the original reasons for starting selling Christmas trees was much more mundane.

“We just wanted to give our workers something to do over the winter. There’s not much going on in this business during the winter otherwise,” Jan reflected.

After talking about the history of the business, I dove into the brass tacks of what trees they have to offer this Christmas. Jan told me they offer a wide selection of various kinds of trees, the idea being to have at least one species that fits the desires and needs of the customer. They have Lodgepole pine, Fraser fir, White fir, Ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, Balsam fir, and Alpine fir rounding out their extensive

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offerings. Jan also commented on the changing tastes and options in trees since they started doing this.

“Nobody had even heard of a Fraser fir twenty-five, thirty years ago,” she mentioned. “Now, they’re very popular.”

We also discussed the difference between their “plantation” (farmed) trees, and the ones they source from the local mountains.

According to Jan, trees from the mountains are special, because they aren’t perfect. They feel more natural, whereas the ‘plantation’ trees are more aesthetically pleasing, due to extensive pruning and manicuring during the growing process, to make them look fuller and more picture-perfect. Depending on which you value, the plantation trees and the wild-sourced ones offer a place for personal tastes and help inform your decision on what to pick for this upcoming Christmas.

Jan was of the opinion that fake trees, while growing popular all over the country, just haven’t seemed to stick here in Bozeman, where people want to experience the tangible qualities of authentic trees: the smell that lingers in your living room, the rough feel of bark and the soft but prickly needles. All of it, Jan feels, is important to a considerable proportion of Bozemanites.

That realness in their trees and the family’s attitude towards customers is irreplaceable. Cashman Nursery is more than happy to cater to the desires of the community. For Jerry, the act of selling these trees is a deeply personal experience.

“Jerry has a great memory; he remembers every customer by what tree they bought the previous year,” Jan commented. “He’d say,

‘you bought a white pine last year,’ even when the customers didn’t always remember what they bought themselves.”

Jerry is always making powerful connections with the community, according to Jan, who reminisced about one family who would always take a picture of their children and their Christmas tree, with Jerry traditionally posing alongside them to usher in the Christmas season.

Speaking to the business aspect of running a Christmas tree lot, Jan warned of the dangers of unsold stock. Too much competition can lead to many trees going unsold. “Those unsold trees are worthless the day after Christmas, and leftovers can ruin someone who is starting out fresh in the business,” she said.

Jan noted that Cashman Nursery is well established enough that a bad year for Christmas trees is bearable, but can still lead to odd and comical scrambles to offload stock. One year, when competition was fierce, and Cashman Nursery had a large bulk of trees unsold, they sold the entire leftover stock to a goat farmer, of all people, whose animals were more than happy to chew on the trees for an easy meal.

When concluding the interview with Jan, I asked a question about something I had noticed when perusing the Cashman Nursery website.

The blurb read, “It has long been a tradition at Cashman Nursery to give a tree to the parents of a new baby. Bring your baby to meet us, and we will give him or her a free tree!”

The curiosity in me was too great, and we were at least on the subject of trees, so I had to ask where such a tradition came from.

“It came from Jerry’s grandparents,” Jan explained. “They would always give young apple trees to families that came by with newborns, so the kids can pick apples by the time they enter school.”

She laughed and told me that this time of year, the nursery would ask people to come back in the spring, since they have no apple trees in stock during the winter.

After my time spent at Cashman Nursery, I can safely say that the meaningful Christmas we all seek is well cared for, thanks to Jan, Jerry, and their family providing the community with marvelous trees for forty-five years. Keep a look out for their lot opening up across from Bozeman High School for the season. The nursery itself was also a truly pleasant place to be, and I would recommend taking the time to get over there and see which of their trees speaks to you as perfect for your home.

I want to sincerely thank Jan Cashman for taking the time out of her day to talk with me. She was under no obligations to humor me, but did nonetheless and was happy to chat. If you end up buying a tree from Cashman Nursery this year, let them know Bozeman Magazine sent you, and enjoy your Christmas. X Joseph Montalbano is a student at Montana State University, majoring in English and History. He hopes to continue his work in the online blogging space.

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LIVING LOCAL

Liz Bischoff

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he heartbeat of a Montana rancher can be heard when the whistling winds that chap uncovered skin finally die down, when the hail that dents rooftops and cracks glass finally settles, when the lambing ewes stop braying and bleating and start licking their young. Then, will you hear the Montana rancher’s heartbeat — a steady, hearty thump, thump, thump that warms thick coats.

A few days before Christmas, my daughters were playing at my feet in our warm home in Bozeman, Montana and I looked outside to see that the air stood still in -40 degree temperatures, and icicles had formed on the walls around our windows, freezing the power outlets. The cold was literally breaking the barriers. My husband’s truck wouldn’t start; his coworker saved his life by giving him a ride home.

I looked outside; even the wild horses that live in eyesight of my warm home had finally stood still. It seemed as though nothing moved in -40 degrees. The busy streets of Bozeman were bare, the particles in the air froze, the trucks refused to start, and the water was as motionless as a marble statue.

My thoughts dragged on over a steaming cup of coffee, and I thought about the population of cattle and sheep in this region — were they okay? With my two babies at my feet, warm but pink-cheeked nonetheless, I asked myself what measures did the heifers take to ensure their calves were okay? What 28

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measures does a rancher take to ensure they don’t get frostbitten way out in the field?

The answer must be simple — the rancher must love their livestock to withstand that bone-chilling cold and keep moving their body to feed, to herd, to water, despite the frozen air protesting. To confirm my predic-

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tion, I sought out Kami Noyes, a legend in the ranching community and a leader in Montana Fibershed, a grassroots, non-profit organization that supports Montana-based natural fiber and dye systems.

However, when I asked Kami how a rancher loves their ranch, and how that

love is tested in the cold, frigid months of the Montana winter, I received an answer I didn’t expect.

Kami Noyes is a fifth generation rancher outside of Whitehall, Montana, about an hour’s drive outside of Bozeman. She manages her cattle and sheep ranch, as well as Ranching Traditions Fiber, her fiber and yarn brand. She utilizes her sister’s on-site barn, The Copper K Barn, a venue for weddings and celebrations of life, for the annual Copper K Fiber Festival. Kami and her family raise beef cattle and Targhee Rambouillet sheep on their “as far as the eye can see” ranch at the base of the Tobacco Root Mountains, using regenerative, zero-waste techniques. They remain loyal to traditional, proven-to-work agricultural practices while having modernized the ranch.

Her ranch is nestled in a beautiful part of southwestern Montana between Butte and Bozeman, in a town called Whitehall.

Her great-great grandfather is originally from France, and came to the United States as an orphan at the age of 11. In the late 1870’s, he was one of the first ranchers to bring sheep to Montana from California and export cattle to Chicago. He purchased the Copper K Barn and land in Whitehall from the Parrott Silver and Copper Company. The barn was apparently never used to mine for gold because there was a scare that they would never find any. Today, this barn is used as an absolutely gorgeous wedding venue

amid the Montana mountains.

Kami is a talented fiber artist with an eye for color, especially pink, despite her claim of never wearing pink. Who doesn’t adore hot pink yarn? Her commitment to using regenerative, age-old practices on her ranch, for the sake of being kind to the family land, was the first indication to me that she really loved what she did and who she did it for.

Kami’s family rotates pastures every year in order to let the land rest, and they use 100% of the sheared wool from their sheep for either yarn or fertilizer, among many other regenerative practices. They also ensure that their land can feed and water their cattle and sheep year-round so that they do not have to purchase feed elsewhere. These practices are mighty in securing the land for generations to come.

The ranch is currently multi-generational with Kami’s dad, Kami and her husband Reid, and her daughter and son and his family living on the ranch.

I asked her, coming from five generations of ranchers, what she hopes to see for the coming five generations on this family land. I saw a heavy heart in her eyes when I asked this and in that second, I thought, again, of my girls and their future.

Try as we might, as moms, to plant trees, recycle water bottles, or use beeswax wrap instead of cellophane, with the heart of leaving our children the healthiest possible

Earth within our control, we are up against giant corporations that refuse to carry our hearts in their hands. As moms, we painstakingly obsess over details of waste, renewal, and regeneration within our children’s childhood. How can I take this little drawing they made and use it for the paper mâché project they have to do in class? How can I use the water bottle for a paint project? Of course, these practices matter, but it can feel in vain when the biggest companies around you spill oil into the Yellowstone River, or a train derails, the train car crashes, and toxic fumes emit without any control.

Kami’s voice became smaller when she answered my question; she told me she wasn’t sure if the ranch would make it another five generations. Her unique version of heartache is that one day, subdivisions will break up her land and the ranch will be separated. Her hope is that she has taught her children to love this land as much as she does so that the land can live on with their family.

When asked about heartache on her ranch, I fully expected Kami to say “losing sheep to bad weather,” or “losing a lamb during lambing,” both of which she explained were very difficult situations to be in as a female rancher—but the real heartache on the ranch was the recent death of her guard dogs. Boo and Tally were always by her side

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Love of a Rancher p.28

and would have been at her feet for this interview, had they been alive. Boo and Tally made sure Kami made it to her chores and got home safely every night. They kept track of Kami with so much foresight and love that the shadows of Boo and Tally by Kami’s side are almost visible if you look hard enough.

Kami’s new guard dog is a good boy, a Great Pyrenees that was lounging, rather lazily, under the table outside of her fiber studio, clearly accepting my daughter’s playful, toddler presence as she snapped shots of him with my camera.

I gathered my data, like a white-coated scientist, and thought about how Kami and I decided to define love. We talked about the heartache of losing dogs, the hope you feel for your children’s’ future, the pride you feel when a ewe successfully licks and nurses her lamb, caring for generations-old land with firm but loving hands, the sacrifice of not indulging in luxuries like vacationing because of dedication to your life’s work, the honeymoon-like love and inspiration you feel when you create a new color scheme and start new projects, the respect you gain when you hear your ancestors’ stories, the doubt when hardships arise, and so many other forms of this complicated feeling called love. I thought I might hear about how this rancher loved her

sheep, simple as that, but what I learned was that it wasn’t quite that easy — is love ever that easy? What is love, if not an uphill fight that you willingly choose to engage in every single day? I learned that Kami’s entire heart beat around this land, and she allowed me to walk on it and take pictures of it, despite my ignorance of its magnitude in her heart.

Love, I learned, does not waiver when it is -40 degrees. It simply “puts more clothes on,” as Kami puts it. The Love Of A Rancher is seldom seen in the public eye. They see a hard worker with a bandit scarf around their face, protecting their skin. But under that bandit scarf is the tight lip of a rancher enduring the weather, ignoring the freezing sweat on their back so their family can eat warm stew with fresh beef and potatoes, their children can run on owned land, and their dog can find them after a long day out in the field. What about the flocks in -40 degrees? Oh, don’t worry about them — they love it! You will see sheep with full coats running, and the cattle piled together, cozy. And you will see a rancher, enduring the frigidity to make sure everyone is fed.

As Kami and I wrapped up the tour of her sheep’s flock, she asked me about my own daughters. Were they alike? Did they get along? Are they a lot like you, or are they

like their dad? And in answering these questions about my children, which every mom loves to do, I understood that Kami’s heart truly belongs to her dad, her husband, her children, and her grandbaby. She loves her family and wanted to hear about my love for mine. The Love of a Montana Rancher’s heart beats for her family. When everything else stands still in -40 degrees, Kami’s heart flows steadily; she puts on more clothes, and she endures. Z Liz Bischoff is a freelance journalist, raising her two toddlers around yarn, fiber, farm, and family. She can be seen knitting under a tree or at the Bozeman Teahouse.

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LIVING LOCAL

THROUGH THE LENS The Bozeman Camera Club and Gallatin County History Rachel Phillips, photos courtesy of Gallatin History Museum

T

he holiday season is the perfect time to capture festive photographs—family and friends, colored outdoor lights reflecting through snow and ice, and, of course, downtown Bozeman’s famous Christmas decorations. In the last one hundred and thirty years, photographic equipment has evolved from large, unwieldy cameras to small-but-mighty digital devices that fit in a pocket.

While equipment has changed drastically, interest in and enthusiasm for photography has not altered. Bozeman’s local photography club is the perfect example.

Established in 1894, the Bozeman Camera Club began with strong connections to Montana Agricultural College (now Montana State University). Members of this early club included James Reid, President of Montana State College from 1894-1904, and Professor William M. Cobleigh, who was a professor of engineering at Montana Agricultural College, and later served as Dean of the College of Engineering. Several women were part of the early club, including Mattie Gardner, who taught high school before marrying and raising a family.

Mattie passed on her love of photography to her daughter Katherine, who, decades later, in a unique twist, participated in a new rendition of the Bozeman Camera Club.

The early Bozeman Camera Club enjoyed outings to picturesque locales like the West Gallatin River or Bridger Canyon, and it is evident from their photographs that they enjoyed themselves immensely, and documented their excursions with humor. One image in the Gallatin History Museum’s collection depicts an early dirt road through Rocky Canyon (where today’s I-90 runs east of Bozeman). A man perches high upon a rock formation, and a handwritten notation accompanying the image reads: “Pres. Reid told P.C.W. [Perley Clifton Waite] that he would climb to the top of the rock and ‘hold it down’ while the picture was being taken.”

In September 1949, eighteen local photography enthusiasts established the modern version of the club, called the Camera Club of Bozeman. Members included teachers, librarians, and even professional photographers. This revived group, often referred to as the CCOB, was part of the Photographic Society of America. The organization’s initial core was soon expanded to twenty-five charter members. As recorded in the Constitution and By-Laws, the purpose of the Camera Club of Bozeman was to promote “the art and science of photography in its various branches, through the association of its members for study and entertainment in matters relating to photography; for photographic exhibitions and contests, and for any other purposes which will promote greater interest and betterment in the knowledge and practice of photography.” Annual club dues, which remained the same for the next twenty-five years, were $5.00 for a single person and $7.50 for a couple.

The Club’s first President was Helen Fechter, who grew up in Bozeman and obtained a bachelor’s degree in Secretarial Science from Montana State College in 1931. During WWII, Fechter spent four years as an administrative officer with the WAVES (United States Naval Reserve, Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). It was during her time in the military that Helen’s passion for photography exploded, and her photographs were added to official Navy files. In a speech to the Camera Club of Bozeman during their 25th Anniversary Banquet in 1974, she reminisced: “When I returned home [from continued on next page

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Through the Lens p.32 military service] I couldn’t wait to buy my own speed graphic and get going. Then I wanted to talk to people about my problems, but couldn’t find anyone to talk to; that is how the idea of the camera club was born.”

Fechter was introduced to local photographer Max Hunke, and the pair recruited friends and advertised for fellow enthusiasts in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Max Hunke hailed from North Dakota and worked for a time in Yellowstone National Park, where he acquired his love of photography. Hunke spent most of his career at Montana State College as a photographer for publications, and for the Athletic Department. His films of Bobcat football games proved invaluable to coaches from the mid-1950s through the mid-1970s.

Another charter member of the revived Bozeman Camera Club was Katherine Fisher. Katherine was born in Bozeman in 1908, to Roy

W. and Mattie Gardner Fisher. Mattie Gardner Fisher was a member of the original Bozeman Camera Club in the 1890s. Her daughter Katherine inherited the photography bug, which became a lifelong hobby. Katherine spent much of her professional career as a children’s librarian at the Bozeman Public Library when it was located in the Carnegie Library building on North Bozeman Avenue.

Photo contests and shows quickly became major facets of the CCOB’s activities. The First Annual Photographic Print Exhibit and Competition of the Camera Club of Bozeman was held on May 10, 1950. Local amateur photographers were invited to submit their work under the following subjects: Children, Animals, Nature, Pictorial, Portrait, Man’s Work and Art, Abstraction (Modern) and Miscellaneous.

All participating club members started in the “Beginners” group and, through merit points and contest wins, moved up through the ranks to “Advanced,” then “Intermediate Salon,” and finally, “Salon.” One favorite contest held in the fall was the “Treasure Hunt,” held over a single weekend. Participants received one roll of film to shoot a number of assigned subjects over the course of a two-day period.

Beginning in the early 1970s, the CCOB sponsored an annual photography competition that was part of the Montana Winter Fair, held at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds. In a 1982 newspaper report of the event, club member Helen Fechter described it as “a top notch show.” Fellow member Charles R. Fox described the competition as “an exhibit that would show people how they stack up against one another.” Initially, the Camera Club accepted almost any photograph in the Winter Fair competition, but soon realized the benefits of being more selective in the entries allowed. New categories and photographic mediums soon emerged in the Winter Fair competition, and, according to Helen Fechter, it quickly became one of the largest photo exhibits in the state.

Besides contests and shows, the pride and joy of the Camera Club of Bozeman was the monthly Flash newsletter. The first issue, published in November 1949, informed the club’s twenty-five members that, “We want to keep you informed about what the club is planning from month to month... Let us know what you are doing photographically. Send us any news items you can.” The Flash published information about upcoming speakers and shows, contest instructions and winners, and field trip news.

For the last 130 years, Camera Club members have documented the history of Gallatin County through their photographs. When the United States celebrated its Bicentennial in 1976, the Camera Club of Bozeman was there, ready to record life in Gallatin County in honor of the Nation’s birthday.

Committees formed, each with a variety of topics to photograph, such as architecture, agriculture, geographical regions of Gallatin County, and even “implements of daily living.” The club received a grant from the Gallatin County Bicentennial Committee to help offset costs. When the project was finally completed in early 1977, nearly 700 slides documented life in Gallatin County during the Bicentennial year — from kitchen appliances to Main Street views. This collection is an invaluable resource at the Gallatin History Museum, and provides a snapshot of what our area was like nearly fifty years ago.

The Camera Club of Bozeman still enjoys competitions, events, and field trips. No matter how much technology changes, there is still excitement and camaraderie surrounding the quest to get that perfect shot. This holiday season, try documenting Gallatin County history through your own lens. Who knows? Your work could end up in a museum someday. Z Rachel Phillips is the Research Director at the Gallatin History Museum in Bozeman. Visit the Gallatin History Museum at 317 W. Main Street in Bozeman, gallatinhistorymuseum.org, or on Facebook and Instagram.

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REC & HEALTH

MONTANA HOLIDAYS OUTDOORS Steve McGann

M

y favorite Christmas ornament is a pine cone. It is fitted with a little eye screw and strung on a faded old ribbon. My Mother sent it to me as the wrapping for a present years ago. She included a description typed on her old Underwood, taped to the ribbon.

She related that the cone was found by my Grandfather in the San Gabriel Mountains of California and made into a decoration. The wrapped gift is long forgotten but I saved the cone and its ribbon. That was the first outdoor Holiday item that I can remember. Living in Montana has provided many more.

My wife Ruth and I grew up in Illinois, the heart of the Midwest. The Holidays were defined by family, school, and church.

I sang in the grade school Christmas choir.

Ruth played the organ in church. Outdoor activities and traditions were largely absent from our celebrations. I suppose part of the reason was that a white Christmas was only a 50/50 proposition in our midwest communities. Early in our marriage we moved to Montana. From then on, things were different.

In Bozeman, snow for the Holidays is almost guaranteed. I can remember a few years when it was sparse in the city, but never a time when there was no snow in the mountains. The start of ski season and ‘Tis the Season’ occupy the same days on the calendar. Bozeman is a university town, and the MSU winter vacation schedule is usually mirrored by the city schools. Many adults in our community, affiliated with the college or the local schools, have time off when their kids are on break.

Big Sky, Bridger Bowl, Crosscut, and the many local groomed ski trails are usually

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open by the time of Christmas break. Students all over the Valley burst out of classes and clip their new ski passes to their coats.

Snowboards and skis begin to show up on roof racks and in the back of pickups. Some families have traditional days in the Holiday calendar when they safari to Bridger Bowl, or Big Sky. The same thing is true of Nordic ski outings, ice skating trips, and surely, sledding on Peet’s Hill. There are ice skating rinks scattered across town for recreation or hockey.

Some of the ski areas and local ranches have sleigh rides that combine the late afternoon cold with the early evening sparkle of the stars and moon.

One of the traditions that did not exist in our part of the midwest, but which we gladly embraced in Montana, is cutting your own Christmas tree. My personal experi-

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ence of this fun outdoor winter activity was problematic. In my 20s, I had a hard time cutting down a healthy tree. My idea was to select a small tree that was growing next to a bigger, healthier one, reasoning that by removing the runt I was helping the growth of the larger tree. This led to me bringing home what is called a Charlie Brown tree, a small, possibly pathetic specimen of few needles and fewer branches—forget any symmetry. In later years, cheered on by my kids, I mowed down huge conifers without considering how far it was to ski back to the truck, or the height of the living room ceiling. In still later years, after purchasing an artificial tabletop tree, we continued to make the outing into the mountains and, with our Forest Service permit, brought home fragrant pine and fir boughs for side decorations instead of a large or small tree.

The end of big game hunting season

coincides with the beginning of the Holiday season. Just about the time when the elk sausage is ready at the processor and the deer jerky is completely dried and ready, the season is upon us. Many Montana families have wild game family dinners, and snack on the meat that hunters in the clan have harvested during the fall season. Added to the feast might be smoked fish from earlier in the year, or from a recent ice fishing expedition.

Of course, during these game feeds, the hunters and fisherpersons have full permission to tell the tales of the chase, hook or bullet.

Any Holiday dinner or Christmas morning gettogether in Montana will probably be accompanied by a fire in the fireplace or the woodstove. Of course, houses all over the country have hearths and fireplaces.

But where I grew up, most of these were bricked in, with just a mantle left. Wood or coal heat was a relic, and these artifacts were indications of a less affluent time than gas or electric central heat. So, they were de-emphasized or hidden.

Firewood was available but expensive. In contrast, in our first home in Montana, we heated the whole house with a woodstove and, in the fall, began to drive into the mountains to cut and gather wood.

During any cold Holiday morning, I spent some time outside chopping, then carrying firewood and kindling. One more outdoor Montana tradition.

As for the more formal Holiday events, there are plenty of school programs in gyms and auditoriums all over town. Performances of Handel’s Messiah and The Nutcracker ballet are always scheduled. But the best known

Bozeman event is outside—the Christmas Stroll. Crowds walk up and down our closedoff Main Street, or ride on hay wagons. We all marvel at the lights, and the spiders or octopus decorations (as the kids used to call them) above every intersection. There are plenty of snacks available, and plenty of cider and hot chocolate, along with thousands of bundled up Bozemanites. This year’s Stroll will be held on Saturday, December 2nd, beginning at 4:30pm.

Another traditional event is the Bridger Bowl Torchlight Parade. This is held on December 30th, within a week of Christmas and a day before New Year’s Eve. Many ski areas celebrate with these parades—a line of torch-bearing skiers weaving down the mountain. The origins are unknown, but there is a traditional winter torchlight parade in Italy called Ndocciata that celebrates lighting up the dark on Christmas Eve. These types of events harken back to pre-Christian times,

when the winter solstice was celebrated as the gradual return to light. In any event, the Bridger Torchlight Parade is yet another Bozeman outdoor Holiday tradition.

A few years into our retirement, after 40 plus Montana winters, we decided to become snowbirds. We spend a few months in Arizona each year. This has been a great experience, with new perspectives, activities and friends. Yet, we miss our Montana Holiday seasons. One Christmas we had dinner at Denny’s in L.A. Another year, after arriving in Arizona on a December 25th flight, our dinner was salami and crackers, since the stores were closed. Interesting times, but not great choices. Last year, and again in 2023, within a couple of weeks, we were and will be fortunate enough to gather our family in Montana for the season. In 2022, we were together for almost three weeks. We skied every day, even the one when the high temperature was -25 degrees. Well, not for long that day. I am sure our schedule this Holiday will be similar.

One of the memorable events last year was taking some visitors who were unfamiliar with both mountains and snow for a drive and a ski/snowshoe trip up into Hyalite. They were amazed at the clear, clean air and the scenery. We were able to better appreciate the familiar by observing their delight.

Our younger son is a manager at Bridger, so again this year we will be going up the hill.

The best and most common Holiday traditions involve gathering with family and friends for meals, parties—any kind of group celebration. These usually take place indoors. But in Montana they are often preceded by some kind of outdoor activity. The warm, cozy times are enhanced, even earned, by the things we do in the cold, spacious outdoors. My goal is not to say that these traditions are better or more complete than anyone else’s, anywhere else. But for me, anything that involves being outside (including shoveling snow) is a desirable pastime.

When our older son and daughter-in-law were finishing graduate school in Seattle, they lived in a small apartment behind a large house near Lake Washington. The entire front yard was occupied by a huge tree. I gazed at and admired the tree for some time before I realized it was a giant sequoia, transplanted from the only area where they occur naturally, California.

I was pleased, and kind of amazed by this, and talked about it often. That Christmas, I received a gift with a sequoia cone on a ribbon. It has taken a spot on the tree with my Grandfather’s cone from decades ago. Q Steve McGann has lived in Bozeman since the 1970s. Now retired, he is trying to finally use his history degrees. Or he is in the hills.

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REC & HEALTH

Winter Camping Deserves A Spot in the Sun Joseph Montalbano

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amping in winter is a physically demanding task. It’s a test of physical ability to get anything done in hostile conditions, when the difference between being prepared or unprepared is crucial, and making one too many mistakes can mean heading home early, or possibly entering a dangerous situation.

So, it pays to be prepared. I’d like to share what I gained from my first, most impactful experience camping in the winter, and also offer some of the tips I found most helpful from the people that taught me what I know. Despite the hardships, camping in the winter is the most rewarding way to camp, and deserves to be respected alongside other forms of winter recreation.

The year was 2013. I had joined the Boy Scouts of America, and was quickly learning that this troop was a far cry from the fun, whimsical Cub Scouts I had just graduated from. My troop was entirely run by active and former members of the military, and it showed in the rigorous, monthly schedule of campouts. I was required to participate in at least nine of the twelve minimum campouts every year, where we would be taught survival skills in a trial by fire fashion.

My first campout with the troop was to be hosted by one of our Scout leaders, an army man I will call Mark Bishop; we were visiting a piece of his property, lovingly (and threateningly) called Narnia.

Pressed right up into the shadow of the mountain, snow often accumulated up to five feet over the course of winter, due to the lack of light ever truly shining on Narnia. It was February, and the snow was up to my neck, considering I was only eleven.

During weeks of meetings, my scoutmasters impressed upon us the necessity to pack our warmest clothes, bring cold weather sleeping bags, etc. But I was just a kid; I didn’t understand that my collection of socks were cotton, and would soak quickly and freeze.

I didn’t know the difference between waterproof and water-resistant snow pants. My scoutmasters warned us, rather ominously, that when problems arose, they would only step in to help us if we truly needed it. Unpleasant but harmless mistakes would not be prevented or interfered with, they would be learned from the hard way.

We carpooled out to Narnia in my dad’s 1991 Toyota Forerunner, packed with other chattering kids and gear. I was nervous—this was the first time I had camped in winter, the first time I had ever camped without the comfort of a warm, sunny summer with lots of adult guidance.

My fears were somewhat validated. We had to dig pathways through the snow around Narnia (the outhouse was entirely covered in snow, as was the fire pit) that quickly piled over my head. We hiked for a couple miles around the property, laying traps for rabbits, and

caught nothing. The sweat from this labor froze to my skin and left me shivering, only hours after leaving the warm car. We kids sat around a pavilion too far away from the comfort of the fire pit, learning how to sharpen knives, axes, and other tools with files and whetstones, exposing our bare hands to the cold.

My cotton socks froze to my feet, my sleeping bag was inadequate for the temperatures, and I ended up cold, hungry, and soaked for the weekend. Temperatures overnight dropped to twenty-three degrees below zero, and I didn’t sleep a wink, shivering away in my bag, layering on every piece of clothing I had packed. The next day, I got up and did my best to ignore the cold and the wetness. I tried to be stoic during our lesson on orienteering and map reading, although I couldn’t pay attention due to my suffering. All I could think about were the warnings that had predated this campout, and didn’t want to look green and inexperienced. Being only eleven years old, I had every right to be both, but still, I tried my hardest to power through. Either way, I could not hide my suffering from the supervising scout leaders for long.

The adults had to step in. Mr. Bishop provided me a surplus army sleeping bag to use for the next night. He commanded me to dry my frozen, sore feet by the fire, and prescribed me to warm up in a truly spartan fashion: jumping jacks and push-ups until either I was warm, my socks had dried by the fire, or until he was convinced I had learned my lesson, whichever came last.

I am grateful for the punishment, truly. If not, I could have gotten hypothermia or worse, due to the combination of bitter cold, freezing sweat, and hard labor. In hindsight, I am glad I was not as good at hiding my problems as I thought I was, because that is one of the biggest lessons I learned that weekend. Ask for help if you need it. It can be a real bonding experience to share such a difficult feat with another person, and the best way to ensure your safety is to have other people by your side to help, should things go awry.

My campout in Narnia was difficult and full of unpleasantness, but I remember it very fondly. Even my eleven-year-old mind appreciated that the hard work had some kind of meaning; we had survived with no true disasters, and that was worthy of commendation in itself.

Winter camping was what led to my development from a young, naïve boy to a man. Here are a few tips I learned along the way.

Hot water is your friend. I really hate drinking hot water. It feels wrong and unpleasant, but my scout troop required that we bring two empty liter water bottles. Before bed, we would boil a pot of water over the fire, or, if we brought it, the propane stove. We’d fill each of our bottles with the hot water, and scoop into it an often overzealous continued on page 39

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Winter Camping p.36 portion of Tang, the orange flavored powder. We would climb into our sleeping bags, with the hot bottles alongside us, making sure to not only avoid skin-to-bottle contact, but also to seal the bottles as tightly as possible to avoid spillage, giving us heat sources to help us sleep, and a lukewarm beverage to start the next morning off strong.

Wear as much wool as you can, and avoid cotton at all costs.

This is somewhat essential, whereas the need for hot water bottles in your sleeping bag can often depend on the quality of your sleeping

Muncho Lake, British Columbia

bag, the clothes you wear to bed, and how cold your winter campout actually is. Especially in the case of socks, wool is something I cannot imagine doing without ever again. Cotton is a wonderful material for shedding heat and keeping cool, which is the exact opposite of what you want in a winter campout. Wool is heavy, warm, and, most importantly, it will not feel cold when wet, whereas cotton or other socks can quickly become ice cubes when wet. This does not mean you can wear them indefinitely—changing your wet socks out for dry ones is necessary in order to spend any real time in the cold, but the warm wool will protect your feet from hypothermia for much longer than other materials.

Wear your boot liners to bed. This means you need snow boots with liners that can be removed. I found that wearing my boot liners kept them from freezing overnight in my boots, which can not only be cold and unpleasant as they thaw, but can freeze in shapes that can render your boots unwearable when morning comes. That is exactly what happened to me at Narnia, and, trust me, you do NOT want to spend twenty cold minutes stuffing your chilled feet into frozen boots.

The wisdom passed down from generations of scoutmasters is not always glamorous, but this is something I have to bring up: Use the bathroom often. I am not sure of the scientific validity of it, but Mark Bishop had ingrained into us the need to urinate often. Not only because of the large quantity of fluids that campers should be drinking in these cold weather situations (a minimum of two liters of water a day), but also to keep you warm. I can still hear him say, his breath frosting his mustache while his massive, gloved paws waved in the air; “If you pack around all that extra fluid,” Mr. Bishop would lecture, “you are just giving your body more stuff to keep heated, and every calorie counts out here. Now, go check the traps—quick, like hungry alligators!”

Whether you are an avid winter recreationalist or someone just now getting into winter sports, give winter camping a try. It can be scary, but fear can be overcome through knowledge, determination, and a willingness to persevere. M A student at Montana State University, Joseph Montalbano is majoring in English and History. He hopes to continue his work in the online blogging space.

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REC & HEALTH

The ICE is Calling CANYON FERRY PONDS

By Phil Knight photos: Alaina & Phil Knight

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s the sun slips lower with each passing day, we Montanans expanding and contracting, making booms, chirps, squeaks, cracks enter the Season of Ice. It starts as a thin skin on puddles grumbles, and pops, sometimes sounding like whales singing. and frost on the roof. You have to start scraping your windWith ponds and lakes scattered across Montana, there is plenty shield every morning. Before long, the dropping temperaof ice to go around. Late fall and early winter are the best time to find ture brings frozen ponds and lakes, as the aquatic world receives its translucent roof for the winter.

Ice skating is an ancient activity that offers another way to get out and about in the long, cold Montana winter. Attach thin blades to your feet and, with a little technique, you can glide across what was open water a few weeks ago, and stay dry. Your best bet are comfortable, long-bladed skates, like hockey skates. For longer outings I use “clip-on” skate blades that attached to my Nordic ski boots. These blades are made by Isvidda or Zandstra. They come with Nordic ski bindings attached. With these, you can wear your ski boots to walk to the lake, then clip on the blades and go.

Skating is a fun family activity, is inexpensive, and is plenty active. It’s also extremely satisfying, and even relaxing, to glide across a perfectly level surface, out in the open air, with smiling friends nearby, enjoying the ever-changing look and texture of the ice.

The smoothest ice is known as “black ice.” Black ice is actually clear ice that looks dark. It usually does not last long, since the ice turns opaque as it ages, snow falls on it, and it freezes and thaws. Black ice is kind of spooky to skate on, since you can see through it and it’s usually not very thick. If the water is shallow – and this is safer if you fall through – you can see amazing patterns of bubbles in the ice, and rocks, weeds, and logs, and possibly even fish on the bottom.

Wild ice has a lot of personality. It is beautiFAIRY LAKE ful and dynamic, and it talks. The ice is constantly

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FAIRY LAKE

“wild ice” – naturally formed ice rather than made-made rinks. If you are motivated and intrepid, ice skating may start as early as October.

Get out there before much snow falls on the ice and makes skating impossible without a lot of shoveling and pushing. If you are looking for the wild ice that forms naturally on ponds and lakes, you can find it right in Bozeman, forming on ponds such as Glen Lake, Cattail Pond, the Regional Park and Hanley Pond.

If you want a tamer, more social experience, Bozeman has some fine ice skating facilities. Weather permitting, the city floods public spaces and makes rinks in Beall Park, Southside Park, and Bogert Park.

And, of course, there are the excellent Haynes Pavilion and Gallatin Ice indoor rinks at the Fairgrounds.

Once in a while, we in Montana are lucky enough to get a good solid early freeze with no snow. This happened in 2021 and resulted in epic black ice conditions on lakes such as Canyon Ferry, Three Forks Ponds and Quake Lake. I found amazing skating at that time on Ennis Lake. Other options for early ice include Lake Helena and Dailey Lake.

Hyalite Reservoir takes longer to freeze but can be a worthy outing.

I have skated on some high country lakes in good November conditions – Lava Lake and Fairy Lake provided memorable experiences. I recall the ice on Lava Lake booming, cracking, and making some very trippy sounds. This is all part of the fun. With alpine lakes scattered all over the mountains, it’s just a matter of how hard you are willing to work to get some ice.

There is a hard core species of ice skater, some of whom I know personally, who make it an annual challenge to skate on wild ice as early as possible. As I write this on November 1st, some of these folks have already been venturing onto thin ice, determined to get winter started early. On October 29th, my friend and his pals skated on 1 ¾ inch to 2 ½ inches of ice near Canyon Ferry Reservoir. This is some fragile ice, and you have to be determined (and a bit crazy) to venture onto it. My friend told me they sometimes skate with life jackets on, or even in dry suits! This level of skating is for experts only. The MT icebuds Facebook group is a great place to check out images and videos from recent skating expeditions on wild ice.

SAFF ETY FIRST SA Wait a bit and there will be plenty of more reliable ice. Four inches is considered by experts to be the minimum for safe skating, while five to six inches is generally safe. If there are ice fishermen around, ask them how thick the ice is. Or consider bringing an auger to drill your own hole. Use your judgement and do not trust anyone else’s advice on ice unless you are sure they know what they are doing.

Falling through ice is serious business, and rescue may be very difficult.

Skating wild ice should always be done with at least one other person. Carry gear for self-rescue and to rescue others. This includes a long rope and a pair of retractable “ice claws” you can carry around your neck to pull yourself out of a hole in the ice.

Wearing a helmet is a great idea in case of a fall and head bump.

Carry spare clothing, or have some nearby. Have a thermos with a hot drink in your pack. Bring some folding chairs to set on the ice edge for resting and changing shoes.

If you are at all unsure about the safety of the ice, stay off.

Ice conditions are changeable, and thickness can vary. Watch for flooding on ice, which can indicate a hole. Beware of cracks that can catch your skate blades. I sometimes use ski poles to skate with – they provide stability and help me push off, and I can test the ice with them. Use collapsible ones so you can stow them in your pack.

The frozen world awaits your skates. Go forth and glide. P Phil Knight is a wilderness explorer, guide, author and shameless agitator. He’s lived in Bozeman with his wife since the 1980s, traveled to seven continents, and seen some crazy stuff.

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REC & HEALTH

Top10 BOZEMAN EXPERIENCES TO GIFT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON Sydney Jones

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f you’re looking to give more than just a wrapped gift this year, check out this list of Bozeman’s best experiential gifts.

Unique presents are a great way to show family and friends how much they mean to you by giving them time to relax, unwind, or try something new. These gifts are great for locals, or those visiting for the holidays, and will have you labeled a great gift- giver this holiday season. So, bring the holiday cheer with these top ten experiences to give this December.

MUSEUM MEMBERSHIP First on our list is a membership to The Museum of the Rockies. Whether it’s a first, or five hundredth visit, the rotating exhibits are a chance to learn something new each time you stop in. The dinosaur exhibit excites no matter how many times you’ve seen it. With the Taylor Planetarium offering daily shows, you find a fresh look beyond our world and into the cosmos. Great for families or individuals, an annual membership is a gift sure to please, and can be used at 360 museums all over the world.

Chef Greg Montana. All three offer delicious cooking classes relevant to the season.

Bridger Kulinary Centre offers a different class each week, with special classes such as Wild Game or Candies. A great gift for someone who recently moved out on their own, for a friend who wants to learn something new, or even for a fun date night, check out what these cooking classes have to offer.

DOG SLEDDING If you’re looking to give something that is unique to Montana, there are plenty of options for Dog Sledding tours to explore.

Yellowstone Dog Sled Adventures guides around Big Sky and West Yellowstone. You have the option to ride with a guide or drive alone, learning to mush your own team of dogs. This is a great gift for families with kids of all ages, but make sure everyone is prepared for the weather. You’ll be outside for over two hours during this experience. Check out different opportunities with Spirit of the North, which travels through Big Sky, showing off the beauty of winter in the mountains.

COOKING CLASSES

WINE CLUBS AND TASTINGS

If you’re looking for a warmer winter gift idea, take a peek at local cooking classes with La Cuisine, Bridger Kulinary Centre, or

Many places around Bozeman offer a wonderful selection of wine and wine pairings. A great gift for those who enjoy a glass, con-

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sider a subscription to one of the many wine clubs around town. Vino Per Tutti offers three clubs, depending on what you’re looking to give. Club members also get exclusive access to events. The Wine Gallery offers four choices, depending on what type of wine is preferred. At Blend, five benefits are offered with their wine club membership, including quarterly releases that are accompanied by a party. This is a gift that gives year-round with ongoing events, releases, and tastings.

ART CLASSES The Bozeman art scene is vibrant and growing, and everyone has an opportunity to join in on the fun. Art classes are a frequent occurrence at many local spots, intertwining art with food, drinks, and friends. For a great gift this holiday season, check out the paint and sip classes offered by Allison McGree at Shine, and by LeeAnn Ramey at the Residence Inn. If you’re looking for a more familyfriendly gift, Pinspiration Bozeman rents out a Splatter Room, which is as exciting as it sounds, and Arts on Fire is always a pleasant place to spend a few hours painting. Not into getting your hands too dirty? You can also gift tickets to The Emerson’s art classes, including ceramics, painting, and drawing.

They offer youth and adult classes, with longterm options, or one time drop-ins.

NATIONAL PARK SNOWSHOEING OR SKIING TOUR A great experience to give locals or those just visiting, snowshoeing and skiing are exciting adventures, but to be guided through Yellowstone while doing it is a one-of-a-kind adventure. The opportunity to see Yellowstone in a whole different way is a wonderful gift for this holiday season. Check out this list of businesses which are authorized to give these tours here: https://www.nps.gov/yell/ planyourvisit/ski-snowshoe-tours.htm

SNOWMOBILE RENTALS For more outdoor gift opportunities, take a look at gifting your loved ones a snowmobiling tour. Big Boys Toys, Alpine Adventures, and Back Country Adventures all offer snowmobiling tours around town. This is a great option for those who want to experience the outdoors, but aren’t as active as skiers.

SPA DAY A relaxing spa day is always a great gift to spoil those close to you. This is an excellent idea for those looking for a getaway close to home. Local options like The Loft and Canyon River Spa offer gift cards or membership options. Bozeman Hot Springs, MilkThistle,

and many other places here in Bozeman offer massages, skincare, scrubs, wraps, waxing and more. A great gift for someone you know who needs a day to themselves, away from the holiday buzz.

TICKETS TO A SHOW If you’re looking for a bit of fun to give this year, tie a bow on some tickets to a local production. Each year, Montana TheatreWorks puts on a holiday-themed show at The Ellen, a Bozeman tradition. Another local theater group, The Verge has must-see shows in The Emerson’s Crawford Theater, with the goal of being offbeat, and inspiring to the community. Also at The Crawford Theatre, The Emerson gets in on the holiday cheer by organizing an annual burlesque show, Holiday Noir.

Holiday gift giving can be stressful. Hopefully, these options relieve some of that worry and make gift giving a breeze. Gifting experiences rather than physical things can bring your friends and family closer together, and can give them a holiday they’ll remember for years to come. Make sure to check out these options soon, as many opportunities in Bozeman sell out fast. M

Born and raised in Montana, Sydney Jones graduated from MSU with a Sociology/ Criminology degree and a minor in English Literature. Her passions are reading, writing, drawing and exploring Bozeman with her dog, Mae.

ESCAPE ROOM For your more adventurous family and friends, book an escape room this holiday season for a uniquely heart-pounding gift.

Here in Bozeman, Escape406 and Bozeman Breakout offer rooms for any size group. In one hour, players must find clues and solve puzzles to escape the well-crafted room.

Gift-givers beware—some of these rooms involve crawling, tight spaces, and even some small jump scares.

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THE HELLROARING (BILLINGS) + MATT WALLIN & HIS NERVOUS BREAKDOWN Dec 1 - The Filling Station TICKETS at: www.sellout.io

ADD YOUR OWN EVENTS AT: www.bozemanmagazine.com

MONDAY, DEC. 4 HOMESCHOOL MONDAYS 9am-5pm • Museum of the Rockies, 600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman • Free with registration • K-12 • 4068710643 • sales.museumoftherockies.org To ensure the museum is accessible for homeschooled students, MOR offers limited, free admission monthly for homeschooled families.

PRESCHOOL SCIENCE 10-11am • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • Free with admission • All Ages • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Shared storytime, STEAM activity, & take-home craft sponsored by Bozeman Health. Mondays & Fridays. Free with Admission.

NOON NOTES CHAMBER MUSIC noon-1pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • For kids, seniors, and everyone in between • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary. org 406 Winds: Katie Mass (昀氀ute), Beth Antonopolus (oboe), Gregory Young (clarinet), Elizabeth Schmit (horn), and Derek Bannasch (bassoon) OPEN LAB IN THE STEAMLAB 3-6pm • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • No Cover • 5-18 • 406)-522-9087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Included with admission or membership.

SHINE IT FORWARD COMMUNITY FUNDRAISER 5-9pm • SHINE Beer Sanctuary + Bottle Shop, 451 E Main St, Bozeman • all ages • (406) 585-8558 • shinebeer.com Come and be part of an evening that’s open to all ages, featuring a family-friendly atmosphere, delicious dinner, and drinks—all to support HRDC’s Homeward Point Project fundraising efforts.

26TH ANNUAL MADRIGAL DINNER 5pm • Missouri Ballroom at Big Sky Resort • $80 • 4069952742 • bigskyarts.org Please join the Arts Council of Big Sky for the 26th Annual Madrigal Dinner.

Marking its 59th year, the Madrigal Dinner is a production of the MSU School of Music. To many it is considered the traditional opening of the holiday season in Big Sky! BOARD GAME NIGHT 6-7:45pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • Adults • 406-570-7752 • www. bozemanlibrary.org A chance to test your strategy and teamwork skills with board games and other adults. Join us at the library for some table top fun.

GAME NIGHT LIVE TRIVIA 6-8pm • Wildrye Distilling, 111 East Oak Street Suite 1E, Bozeman • FREE • 21+ • (406) 577-2288 • www.wildryedistilling.com With Picture Rounds, Sound Rounds, Word Jumbles and more.. There’s Something for Everyone.

CHRISTMAS MAKERS MARKET 6-9pm • The Bunkhouse Brewery, 7715 Shedhorn Dr., Four Corners We are excited to feature a German-style mulled wine to sip on while you shop and celebrate the holiday season!

BRENDAN NOLAN 6:30-8:30pm • Red Tractor Pizza, 1007 W Main St, Bozeman • no cover • all ages • (406) 359-1999 • www. redtractorpizza.com Live music while you dine.

TRIVIA NIGHT 7-9pm • Bacchus Pub, 105 W Main St, Bozeman • 406 404-1996 • www.bacchuspub.com Join us for our weekly trivia night, Game Night Live is a leader in bar trivia and music bingo, putting on awesome games at local venues that everyone can enjoy.

TUESDAY, DEC. 5 KENYON NOBLE PRO DAYS SALES EVENT 7am-6pm • Kenyon Noble, 1243 Oak Street, Bozeman Promotions are limited to speci昀椀c dates and locations. Make sure to check out the list online to know when and where to go to get the best deals!

PRESCHOOL PIONEERS 9:30-10:30am • Museum of the Rockies, 600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman • Included w/ membership/ admission • Ages: 3-5 • 4069942252 • museumoftherockies.org This new early education museum program engages 3–5-year-old children and their caregivers through interactive shared reading, singing and movement activities, and hands-on experiences.

BABY STORYTIME 10:15-11:15am • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • babies birth-35 months and their caregivers • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Sing, rhyme, read, and dance with your little one, and then stay for community, sensory exploration, and playtime.

PRESCHOOL PIONEERS 11am-noon • Museum of the Rockies, 600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman • Included w/ membership/ admission • Ages: 3-5 • 4069942252 • museumoftherockies.org This new early education museum program engages 3–5-year-old children and their caregivers through interactive shared reading, singing and movement activities, and hands-on experiences.

YOGA FOR ALL 12:15-1pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Our movement series meets weekly in the Bozeman Public Library Community Room.

OPEN LAB IN THE STEAMLAB 3-6pm • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • No Cover • 5-18 • 406)-522-9087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Included with admission or membership.

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YOUNG PROFESSIONALS NETWORK: TOYS 4 TOTS DRIVE 5-7pm • Bourbon, 515 W Aspen St, Bozeman • bourbonmt.com Bring an unwrapped gift to donate to a good cause and get a free drink ticket! Enjoy a festive costume contest, paper airplane throwing competition, and a 50/50 raf昀氀e.

TODDLER & PRESCHOOLER STORYTIME 10:15-11:15am • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • kids ages 3-5 and their caregivers • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Sing, rhyme, read, and dance with your kiddo, and then stay for community, hands-on learning, and playtime.

NONFICTION WRITING GROUP 5:30-7:30pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Hobby writers are welcome to share your work with other writers, critique content, and develop your ability.

LITTLE LEARNERS 11am-noon • Museum of the Rockies, 600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman • Included with membership/ admission • Ages: 1 – 3 • 4069942251 • museumoftherockies. org This new interactive museum program engages toddlers and their caregivers through interactive shared reading, singing and movement activities, and exploratory sensory experiences.

Registration is required.

GAME NIGHT LIVE TRIVIA 6-8pm • Colombo’s Pizza & Pasta • FREE • All Ages • (406) 587-5544 • GameNightLive.com The games you love in your favorite places! Free trivia at Colombo’s at both 6 & 7 pm!

LADIES NIGHT 6-8pm • Outwest Furniture!, 8269 Huf昀椀ne Ln, Bozeman Multiple giveaways, huge discounts, wine and champagne punch!

GNL TRIVIA 6-8pm • The Jump, 75770 Gallatin Rd, Gallatin Gateway • FREE • (406) 518-5011 • www.thejumpmt.com Accessible and amazing trivia for everyone, always an awesome time.

Prizes for winners.

FWP GRAY WOLF CONSERVATION & MANAGEMENT PLAN MEETING 6-8pm • FWP Regional Of昀椀ce, 1400 S. 19th Ave., Bozeman • FREE FWP staff will hold an in-person public meeting to answer questions about the Montana Gray Wolf Conservation and Management Plan and environmental impact statement (EIS) guiding the long-term management and conservation of wolves across the state.

LINE DANCING LESSONS WITH WESTERN ROOTS 6:15-7:15pm • Starlite Bozeman, 622 E Tamarack St, Bozeman • $15 • All Ages • 406-570-7422 • www.mtcountrydance.com Line dancing is back and it is FUN! We’re teaching classics and brand new dances every week. Grab your boots and join in!

BEGINNER LEVEL COUNTRY SWING LESSONS 7:30-8:30pm • Starlite Bozeman, 622 E Tamarack St, Bozeman • $15 • All Ages • 406-570-7422 • www.mtcountrydance.com Been wanting to learn how to country dance? This class is for you. Every week we will go over the basics of country swing. You will leave the class with different moves each week!

BONE DRY COMEDY HOUR OPEN MIC 8-10pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • FREE • 18+ • 4062193933 • www.lastbestcomedy.com Bone Dry Comedy brings Open Mic night to Last Best Comedy. Our weekly open mic is a safe, friendly, supportive place to start your comedy journey, try new material, and connect to the Bozeman Stand up scene.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 6 BOZEMAN ICE FESTIVAL Hyalite Canyon & Downtown Bozeman • varies The Ice Fest is Bozeman’s longest-running outdoor celebration, now going into its 27th year. It features everything from on-ice clinics in Hyalite to 昀椀lm festivals downtown—don’t miss out.

KENYON NOBLE PRO DAYS SALES EVENT 7am-6pm • Kenyon Noble, 1243 Oak Street, Bozeman Promotions are limited to speci昀椀c dates and locations. Make sure to check out the list online to know when and where to go to get the best deals!

LITTLE LEARNERS 9:30-10:30am • Museum of the Rockies, 600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman • Included with membership/ admission • Ages: 1 – 3 • 4069942251 • museumoftherockies. org This new interactive museum program engages toddlers and their caregivers through interactive shared reading, singing and movement activities, and exploratory sensory experiences.

Registration is required.

SENSATIONAL BABIES 1-2pm • Museum of the Rockies, 600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman • Included with membership/admission • Ages 0 -18 months • 4069942251 • museumoftherockies. org Read, sing, play, and learn with your baby through sensory awareness activities designed speci昀椀cally for newborns to age 18 months. Registration is required.

REC MOBILE 3:45-5pm • Valley West Park, Clifden and Cascade Street, Bozeman • FREE Easy access to recreation for ALL children.

READ WITH A DOG 4-5pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • All Ages • 406-570-7752 • www. bozemanlibrary.org Kids can read with an Intermountain Therapy Dog each Wednesday afternoon.

FIBER ARTS 4-6pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Bring any type of easily mobile 昀椀ber based craft for a social meet up with other 昀椀ber artists in the Bozeman community.

G.Y.E.C. IS SPONSORED BY:

BOZEMAN HEALTH MISSY’S HOLIDAY MIXTAPE! 8-9:15pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • $15 • 18+ • 4062193933 • buytickets.at A long-form improv show fueled by music from Bozeman’s hottest DJ, Missy O’Malley. The Holiday edition!

JAZZ NIGHT W/EDDIE T 8-10pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • 21+ • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com Live local music every Wednesday.

LADIES NIGHT 8pm-2am • Club Zebra, 321 E Main St, Bozeman • $10 for guys • 21+ The wonderful Ladies of Bozeman can enjoy 2 free drinks, $3 drinks till 10 pm, and that booty shakin’ music provided by DJ Chedda.

THURSDAY, DEC. 7 BOZEMAN ICE FESTIVAL Hyalite Canyon & Downtown Bozeman • varies The Ice Fest is Bozeman’s longest-running outdoor celebration, now going into its 27th year. It features everything from on-ice clinics in Hyalite to 昀椀lm festivals downtown—don’t miss out.

KENYON NOBLE PRO DAYS SALES EVENT 7am-6pm • Kenyon Noble, 1243 Oak Street, Bozeman Promotions are limited to speci昀椀c dates and locations. Make sure to check out the list online to know when and where to go to get the best deals!

LAST BEST PLACE WEDNESDAYS 5-11pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • 21+ • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com Enjoy 10% off total bill with a valid Montana ID. GNL TRIVIA WEDNESDAY 6-8pm • SHINE Beer Sanctuary + Bottle Shop, 451 E Main St, Bozeman • FREE • (406) 585-8558 • shinebeer.com Come Check Out the Most Accessible, Varied, and Fun Trivia Nights Designed for Anyone who Loves to Play Games. Free-to-Play & Prizes for the Winners.

GAME NIGHT LIVE TRIVIA 6-8pm • Audreys Pizza Oven & Freefall Brewery, 806 N. 7th Ave, Bozeman • No Cover • (406) 522-5456 • www.audreyspizzaoven.com Come Check Out the Most Accessible, Varied, and Fun Trivia Nights Designed for Anyone who Loves to Play Games!

ART SHINDIG 6pm • 1889 Barn, 12670 Portnell Road, Gallatin Gateway • FREE • 406 579-4865 • www.1889barn.com First Wednesday of the month Art Shindig features a local artist.

AUTHOR SERIES: HEATHER WHITE 6:30pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Join Heather White to discuss her new book, One Green Thing in the Cottonwood Room (2nd 昀氀oor).

INTRO TO 3D PRINTING 6:30pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 14+ • 406-570-7752 • www. bozemanlibrary.org Come and learn what 3D printing is and how you can do it. Registration required.

BINGO 7-9pm • American Legion Bar, 225 E. Main St., Bozeman • 18+ • (406) 586-8400 • www.facebook.com 100% of the proceeds go to assisting our Veterans, their families, our youth programs, and the community.

WESTERN SWING WEDNESDAYS 7-11pm • The Jump, 75770 Gallatin Rd, Gallatin Gateway • Lessons $10 • 21+ after 9pm • (406) 518-5011 • www.thejumpmt.com There will be a great dance 昀氀oor every week, your favorite instructors, and all the country music you love from Bozeman’s Choice 2023 DJ, DJ Habes. See ya at THE JUMP every Wednesday!

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THE DEAD YELLERS Dec 8 - The Jump

NEW EVENTS ADDED DAILY AT: www.bozemanmagazine.com

BABY STORYTIME 10:15-11:15am • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • babies birth-35 months and their caregivers • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Sing, rhyme, read, and dance with your little one, and then stay for community, sensory exploration, and playtime.

CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY HOLIDAY PARTY 5-7pm • Cancer Support Community • Register online or call 406-582-1600 The holiday season is the perfect time to gather as a community and re昀氀ect on our blessings! Stop in for light appetizers, refreshments, and great company!

GYROKINESIS 12:15-1pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org A movement method that addresses the entire body, opening energy pathways, stimulating the nervous system, increasing range of motion and creating functional strength through rhythmic, 昀氀owing movement sequences.

MOR’S PRESENTING PREHISTORY: STRANGEST MARINE REPTILES WITH ERIC METZ 5:30pm • Museum of the Rockies, 600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman • FREE • All Ages • 4069942251 • museumoftherockies.org Thalattosaurs were a bizarre group of marine reptiles that swam the world’s oceans a quarter of a billion years ago. Eric Metz as he takes you for a swim alongside some of the strangest sea creatures that have ever lived.

OPEN LAB IN THE STEAMLAB 3-6pm • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • No Cover • 5-18 • 406)-522-9087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Included with admission or membership.

WINTER WONDERLAND SLEIGH RIDES 3-7pm • Gallatin River Lodge, 9105 Thorpe Rd, Bozeman • Adults $35 I children 5-18 $20 I lap kids under 2 years old FREE • (406) 388-0148 • www.grlodge. com Grab a cup of hot cocoa or hot cider from the restaurant and take a 20 minute afternoon or evening ride and enjoy the beauty up close in our countryside setting.

LEGO CLUB 3:30-4:30pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • kids ages 5-12 • 406-570-7752 • www. bozemanlibrary.org Take inspiration from the weekly challenge or free build, work solo or collaborate – it’s in your hands, LEGO Architect!

WINTER ART MARKET WITH TRIESTE CORDOVA 5-7pm • Gallatin Valley Mall, 2825 West Main St., Bozeman • (406) 586-4565 • gallatinvalleymall.com Join us for the in-store event of the season as we welcome Trieste Cordova from Inner Beauty Gifts to our stores! She will be doing live painting demos and custom ornament messages.

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THREE FORKS MUSIC NIGHT WITH KATIE HALL 6-8pm • Bridger Brewing Pub + Grill, 10751 Hwy 287, Three Forks • 406-200-9354 • www.bridgerbrewing.com Enjoy tunes with Katie Hall.

SINGO 6-8pm • Last Best Place Brewery, 605 N. 7th Ave, Bozeman • 21+ Do you like music? Are you a fan of Bingo? Bring a group for Singo and relax for some fun and beer.

FLY-TYING NIGHT 6-9pm • Bozeman Fly Supply, 2621 W College, Bozeman • FREE Bring your vise, tools, materials, and beverages to tie some 昀氀ies. This is not a class but an invitation for all to get out of the house, get behind the vise, and have fun with fellow tiers.

ELF 6:30pm • MSU Procrastinator Theater, MSU SUB 287, Bozeman • $2 • www.montana.edu PG • 2003 ‧ Family/Comedy ‧ 1h 37m VINTAGE SWING SOCIAL 7-8pm • Blend, 31 S Willson Ave, Bozeman • (406) 414-9693 Join the Downbeat Vintage Swing Society for our weekly vintage swing social, we host an introductory swing lesson, followed by a social to dance.

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RIDE THE CYCLONE 7-8:30pm • Verge Theater • General Admission: Pay What You Wish, Suggested $35.00 | VIP Seating: $75.00 • Ages 16+ • 406-404-9000 • www.vergetheater.com In this hilarious, outlandish story, the lives of six teenagers from a chamber choir are cut short in a freak accident aboard a roller coaster. When they awake in limbo, a mechanical fortune teller invites each to tell a story to win their life back.

DAN HENRY 7-10pm • Bozeman Hot Springs & Fitness, 81123 Gallatin Road, Four Corners • With Admission • All Ages • 4065866492 • bozemanhotsprings.co Live music while you soak!

Featuring the Helena-based one-man-band “Dan Henry”.

THURSDAY NIGHT OUT! 7-10pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • $15 • 18+ • 4062193933 • buytickets.at Improv Thursday Nights are back and it’s the perfect time to check our hilarious improv shows!

A showcase of some of our awesome teams paired with our signature shows!

BOZEMAN ICE CLIMBING FESTIVAL PRESENTS: JIRISHANCA + MORE 7:30pm • Emerson’s Crawford Theatre, 111 S. Grand Ave., Bozeman • $15 general OR $38 VIP • (406) 587-9797 • www.theemerson.org Thursday evening at the Emerson includes a screening of Jirishanca, with Vince Anderson and Josh Warton followed by The Bold Future of Alpinism Panel.

LIVE MUSIC 8-10pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com The Tune Up is host to live music multiple times per week.

THE POLAR EXPRESS 9pm • MSU Procrastinator Theater, MSU SUB 287, Bozeman • $2 • www.montana.edu G • 2004 ‧ Fantasy/ Family ‧ 1h 40m

All listings are subject to change. Check ahead for full details.

FRIDAY, DEC. 8 THE 26TH ANNUAL BIG SKY CHRISTMAS STROLL Big Sky Town Center, Ousel Falls Road , Big Sky • all ages Highlights of this festive evening include the tree lighting ceremony, photos with Santa, illuminated cross country ski/fat bike trails and walkways, sleigh/wagon rides, carolers, and more!

BOZEMAN ICE FESTIVAL Hyalite Canyon & Downtown Bozeman • varies The Ice Fest is Bozeman’s longest-running outdoor celebration, now going into its 27th year. It features everything from on-ice clinics in Hyalite to 昀椀lm festivals downtown—don’t miss out.

VIRTUAL FOSSIL FRIDAYS 9-9:30am • Museum of the Rockies, 600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman • FREE • All Ages • 4069942251 • museumoftherockies.org Join Outreach Program Manager Ashley Hall virtually on select Fridays to learn about one of the museum’s fantastic fossil specimens. Bring your curiosity and ask questions via Zoom.

LITTLE LEARNERS 10-11am • Museum of the Rockies, 600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman • Included with membership/admission • Ages: 1 – 3 • 4069942251 • museumoftherockies.org This new interactive museum program engages toddlers and their caregivers through interactive shared reading, singing and movement activities, and exploratory sensory experiences. Registration is required.

PRESCHOOL SCIENCE 10-11am • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • Free with admission • All Ages • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Shared storytime, STEAM activity, & take-home craft sponsored by Bozeman Health. Mondays & Fridays. Free with Admission.

MUSEUM STORE MEMBER APPRECIATION DAYS 10am-5pm • Museum of the Rockies, 600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman • For MOR Members • All Ages • 4069942251 • museumoftherockies. org Museum of the Rockies Members Exclusive: Enjoy refreshments and an exclusive 20% discount on all purchases. Thank you for being a valued member!

REC MOBILE 3:45-5pm • Valley West Park, Clifden and Cascade Street, Bozeman • FREE Easy access to recreation for ALL children.

COUNTRY SWING INTENSIVE CLASS 5-6pm • Starlite Bozeman, 622 E Tamarack St, Bozeman • $15 • All Ages • 406-570-7422 • www.mtcountrydance.com In these classes we will be diving into a different aspect of dance that once mastered will make you a better dancer. Tighter spins, more con昀椀dent following and stronger leads!

FRESH 5 FRIDAY 5:30-6:30pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • FREE • 18+ • 4062193933 • www.lastbestcomedy.com The Friday 5, 5 comics doing 5 fresh minutes of material +5 open mic slots & $5 Drink Specials.

ART WALK 6-8pm • Downtown Bozeman, Bozeman Participating businesses will feature local artists and often provide hors d’oeuvres and complimentary refreshments.

WINTER ART MARKET WITH TRIESTE CORDOVA 6-8pm • Montana Gift Corral, Bozeman Join us for the in-store event of the season as we welcome Trieste Cordova from Inner Beauty Gifts to our stores! She will be doing live painting demos and custom ornament messages.

VICTORIAN HOLIDAY AT THE TINSLEY HOUSE 6pm • Museum of the Rockies, 600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman • $10 for adults, $5 for children age 5 – 17, free for children up to age 4 • All Ages • 4069942251 • museumoftherockies.org Discover Montana cultures’ holiday traditions, enjoy a planetarium show, craft Victorian holiday cards, listen to carolers, and savor seasonal treats.

WINTER ART MARKET WITH TRIESTE CORDOVA 11am-1pm • Montana Gift Corral, Bozeman Join us for the in-store event of the season as we welcome Trieste Cordova from Inner Beauty Gifts to our stores! She will be doing live painting demos and custom ornament messages.

LANEY LOU & THE BIRD DOGS 7-11pm • The ELM • $25-$40 (Adv.) $28 (DOS) • All Ages • 4068304640 • logjampresents.com Logjam Presents is pleased to welcome Laney Lou & the Bird Dogs for a live in concert performance.

OPEN LAB IN THE STEAMLAB 3-6pm • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • No Cover • 5-18 • 406)-522-9087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Included with admission or membership.

BOZEMAN GUN SHOW 3-7pm • Gallatin County Fairgrounds, 901 N. Black, Bozeman • $10 for Adult Three Day Pass • (406) 582-3270 • www.gallatin.mt.gov We’re a small, family run operation from Gallatin County, but we put on the best and largest shows in the state!

LIVE MUSIC 8-10pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • 21+ • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com Wednesday-Saturday featuring local and touring music acts.

STEVE CANNON STORYTELLER SESSIONS 8-11pm • Live From the Divide, 627 East Peach Street, Bozeman • $15 • All Ages • 4066243321 • www.livefromthedivide.com Join photographer Steve Cannon while he tells the stories behind some of his best pieces. Doors are @ 7, Show is @ 8, BYOB. MATT WALLIN & HIS NERVOUS BREAKDOWN 8pm • The Murray Bar, 201 W Park St, Livingston • no cover • 21+ • (406) 222-6433 • www.themurraybar.com Come and boogie with Matt & the band.

DUELING PIANOS 8pm • The Mint Bar & Grill, 102 N Main St, Livingston • no cover • 21+ • (406) 222-0361 • www.mintbarandtheater.com Dr. Doug Olson and Garrett Stannard are coming in hot with their Dueling Pianos! They start at 8 and go till late, bring your friends and your song requests!

THE POLAR EXPRESS 6:30pm • MSU Procrastinator Theater, MSU SUB 287, Bozeman • $2 • www.montana.edu G • 2004 ‧ Fantasy/ Family ‧ 1h 40m FRIDAY NIGHT STAND-UP WITH CARMEN CHRISTOPHER 78:30pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • $24 online / $30 at the door • 18+ • 4062193933 • www.lastbestcomedy.com Carmen Christopher is an LA based comedian, actor, and writer, who currently is a recurring character on the FX show, THE BEAR, and writes and acts on KILLING IT for Peacock. He was just here in Bozeman featuring for Joe Pera!

SENSATIONAL BABIES 1-2pm • Museum of the Rockies, 600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman • Included with membership/admission • Ages 0 -18 months • 4069942251 • museumoftherockies. org Read, sing, play, and learn with your baby through sensory awareness activities designed speci昀椀cally for newborns to age 18 months. Registration is required.

RIDE THE CYCLONE 8-9:30pm • Verge Theater • General Admission: Pay What You Wish, Suggested $35.00 | VIP Seating: $75.00 • Ages 16+ • 406-404-9000 • www.vergetheater.com In this hilarious, outlandish story, the lives of six teenagers from a chamber choir are cut short in a freak accident aboard a roller coaster. When they awake in limbo, a mechanical fortune teller invites each to tell a story to win their life back.

FRIDAY NIGHT JAZZ 6:30-8:30pm • Red Tractor Pizza, 1007 W Main St, Bozeman • no cover • all ages • (406) 359-1999 • www. redtractorpizza.com Live local Jazz every Friday while you dine.

TODDLER & PRESCHOOLER STORYTIME 10:15-11:15am • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • kids ages 3-5 and their caregivers • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Sing, rhyme, read, and dance with your kiddo, and then stay for community, hands-on learning, and playtime.

BOZEMAN GOLD CLUB 12:10-1pm • First Security Bank, 208 E. Main St,, Bozeman • FREE • All Ages • 406-580-1921 • www. toastmasters.org A friendly group of individuals who meet weekly on Fridays at 12:10 p.m. in the basement of the First Security Bank to improve our communication skills.

G.Y.E.C. IS SPONSORED BY:

BOZEMAN HEALTH

DEAD YELLERS 7pm • The Jump, 75770 Gallatin Rd, Gallatin Gateway • no cover • (406) 518-5011 • www.thejumpmt.com Country Rock music!

ENNIS SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS STROLL 7pm • Downtown Ennis Stop into shops into the evening and check out the ices sculptures and tree lighting at Peter T’s Park. Brought to you by the Ennis Chamber of Commerce.

PLAY: A CHRISTMAS CAROL 7:30pm • The Ellen Theatre, 17 W. Main St., Bozeman • Youth (4-14) $21.75, Main $27.75, Premium $39.75 • (406) 585-5885 • www.theellentheatre.com Witness 昀椀rsthand as Scrooge is haunted by Jacob Marley, and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

BOZEMAN ICE CLIMBING FESTIVAL PRESENTS: FINDING BALANCE + MORE 7:30pm • Emerson’s Crawford Theatre, 111 S. Grand Ave., Bozeman • $15 General / $38 VIP • (406) 587-9797 • www.theemerson.org Friday evening at the Emerson includes Finding Balance with Tim Emmett, the Bear Canyon Singers & Dancers and a screening of Hall of Fame featuring Yannick Glatthard.

All listings are subject to change. Check ahead for full details.

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PORTLAND CELLO PROJECT UNDER THE MISTLETOE WITH SAEEDA WRIGHT Dec 9 - The ELM TICKETS AT: LOGJAMPRESENTS.COM

ADD YOUR OWN EVENTS AT: www.bozemanmagazine.com FRIDAY NIGHT STAND-UP WITH CARMEN CHRISTOPHER 9-10:30pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • $24 online / $30 at the door • 18+ • 4062193933 • www.lastbestcomedy.com Carmen Christopher is an LA based comedian, actor, and writer, who currently is a recurring character on the FX show, THE BEAR, and writes and acts on KILLING IT for Peacock. He was just here in Bozeman featuring for Joe Pera!

LIVE MUSIC 9-11pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com The Tune Up is host to live music multiple times per week.

FREQUENSEAS 9-11pm • Grey Dog Bar, 34 N Bozeman Ave, Bozeman • 21+ • (406) 404-1014 • www.thegreydogbar.com ELF 9pm • MSU Procrastinator Theater, MSU SUB 287, Bozeman • $2 • www.montana.edu PG • 2003 ‧ Family/Comedy ‧ 1h 37m BLACKWATER BAND 9pm • Chico Hot Springs, 163 Chico Road, Pray • no cover • 21+ • (406) 333-4933 • www.chicohotsprings. com Top 40, Blues, Funk and Country. We are dedicated to live performance and making every event a party experience.

SATURDAY, DEC. 9 THE 26TH ANNUAL BIG SKY CHRISTMAS STROLL Big Sky Town Center, Ousel Falls Road , Big Sky • all ages Highlights of this festive evening include the tree lighting ceremony, photos with Santa, illuminated cross country ski/fat bike trails and walkways, sleigh/wagon rides, carolers, and more!

BOZEMAN ICE FESTIVAL Hyalite Canyon & Downtown Bozeman • varies The Ice Fest is Bozeman’s longest-running outdoor celebration, now going into its 27th year. It features everything from on-ice clinics in Hyalite to 昀椀lm festivals downtown—don’t miss out.

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BOZEMAN WINTER FARMERS’ MARKET 9am-noon • Gallatin County Fairgrounds, 901 N. Black, Bozeman • (406) 582-3270 • www.gallatin.mt.gov Area farmers have worked hard to drastically increase the amount of fresh greens and the variety of vegetables they can offer our community throughout the fall, winter and spring.

SCUBA LESSONS 9am-1pm • Scuba Bozeman • 10+ • 406-5063483 • ScubaBozeman.com Become a certi昀椀ed Open Water Scuba Diver in 3 simple steps. You will learn what you need to know to explore the underwater world. Most people 昀椀nd it a rewarding challenge. Open Water Diver is a lifetime international certi昀椀cation.

BELGRADE HOLIDAY MARKET 9am-3pm • Belgrade Special Events Center Shop local and complete your holiday shopping with over 80 local and home based businesses to choose from.

BOZEMAN GUN SHOW 9am-6pm • Gallatin County Fairgrounds, 901 N. Black, Bozeman • $10 for Adult Three Day Pass • (406) 5823270 • www.gallatin.mt.gov We’re a small, family run operation from Gallatin County, but we put on the best and largest shows in the state!

AVALANCHE FUNDAMENTALS FIELD SESSIONS 9am • Bridger Bowl, 15795 Bridger Canyon Road, Bozeman • donation based course • 800-223-9609 • bridgerbowl.com After an online Q&A Session, get out in the 昀椀eld with professional instructors to learn about recognizing avalanche hazards, reading mountain weather, assessing snowpack, making decisions, and conducting a rescue.

STEAM SATURDAYS 10am-noon • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • Free with admission • All Ages • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Local STEM professionals lead a fun activity relating to their 昀椀eld. Check the online calendar for guests.

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SANTA PAWS 10am-2pm • Heart-The Valley Animal Shelter, 1549 East Cameron Bridge Road, Bozeman • $10 • (406) 388-9399 • www.heartofthevalleyshelter.org Join us for our annual Santa Paws - Pet photos with Santa! Please bring a suggested $10 donation to help care for our shelter pets.

MUSEUM STORE MEMBER APPRECIATION DAYS 10am-5pm • Museum of the Rockies, 600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman • For MOR Members • All Ages • 4069942251 • museumoftherockies. org Museum of the Rockies Members Exclusive: Enjoy refreshments and an exclusive 20% discount on all purchases. Thank you for being a valued member!

JINGLE JOG 5K 10am • $25 This fun 5K is open to runners, walkers, strollers, skippers, and hoppers of all ages and everyone is encouraged to wear your festive gear.

FAMILY STORYTIME 10:15-11am • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • birth-5 and their caregivers • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Singing simple rhymes and songs for babies, moving and grooving for tots, reading a longer book or two for preschoolers – this program has it all!

MBC’S TEA WITH CLARA RETURNS 11am-12:30pm • The Baxter Hotel Ballroom • $75 • All Ages • 406-582-8702 • montanaballet. org Join your favorite Nutcracker cast members for high tea and an assortment of 昀椀ne treats and small bites. View live performance excerpts, meet Clara and other characters, have keepsake photos taken, join Clara on the stage, shop the boutique and more GET UGLY CHRISTMAS OUT CONTEST 11:30am • Rhino Lounge Liquor and Casino, Belgrade Put on your favorite Christmas out昀椀t and head down to the Rhino Lounge for the third annual contest... it’s gonna GET UGLY!

All listings are subject to change. Check ahead for full details.

POKER TOURNAMENT noon-6pm • The Cat’s Paw • $80 • 18+ • 406 404 1968 • seatopen.com Live Poker Tournaments in Bozeman Every Weekend on Saturdays & Sundays! Join us for No Limit Hold ‘em Cash Games 7 days a week starting at 3pm. Food, Drinks & Fun Every Day! MBC’S TEA WITH CLARA RETURNS 2-3:30pm • The Baxter Hotel Ballroom • $75 • All Ages • 406-582-8702 • montanaballet.org Join your favorite Nutcracker cast members for high tea and an assortment of 昀椀ne treats and small bites. View live performance excerpts, meet Clara and other characters, have keepsake photos taken, join Clara on the stage, shop the boutique and more FIBER ARTS 2-4pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Bring any type of easily mobile 昀椀ber based craft for a social meet up with other 昀椀ber artists in the Bozeman community.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON LIVE ACOUSTIC MUSIC 2-4pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Local jazz guitarist Craig Hall will lead the music and bring along guest performers, including Michael Steele, Kearen Samsel, Alex Robilotta, Aaron Ban昀椀eld and Michael Testagross.

BURGERS & BINGO 5:30pm • Eagles Lodge, 316 East Main Street, Bozeman • All ages • (406) 587-9996 Burgers & Bingo is back after a long hiatus, enjoy a burger and bingo every Saturday night.

WINTER WONDERLAND WATCH PARTY 6-8pm • Belgrade Community Library • FREE • All Ages • 4063884346 • mt-belgrade. civicplus.com Enjoy music, crafts, games, and cookies at our Winter Wonderland Watch Party, as we wait for the Belgrade Christmas Convoy to pass by!

2023 CHRISTMAS CONVOY 6-8:30pm • Downtown Belgrade, Downtown, Belgrade Logging trucks, semis, dump trucks, garbage trucks, and other types of trucks – over 75, in fact – all lit up and parading over a 7-mile long route.

MBC’S INAUGURAL NUTCRACKER BALL 7-11pm • The Baxter Hotel Ballroom • $150 • Ages 21+ • 406-582-8702 • montanaballet.org This all-inclusive, black-tie fundraiser will feature festive cocktails, wine, beer and heavy hors d’oeuvres accompanied by live performance excerpts by MBC dancers and select Bozeman Symphony Orchestra musicians.

WEST OF WAYLAND DUO 7pm • The Jump, 75770 Gallatin Rd, Gallatin Gateway • no cover • (406) 518-5011 • www.thejumpmt. com Live Americana, Alt-Country music!

PLAY: A CHRISTMAS CAROL 7:30pm • The Ellen Theatre, 17 W. Main St., Bozeman • Youth (4-14) $21.75, Main $27.75, Premium $39.75 • (406) 585-5885 • www.theellentheatre.com Witness 昀椀rsthand as Scrooge is haunted by Jacob Marley, and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

BOZEMAN GUN SHOW 9am-3pm • Gallatin County Fairgrounds, 901 N. Black, Bozeman • $10 for Adult Three Day Pass • (406) 5823270 • www.gallatin.mt.gov We’re a small, family run operation from Gallatin County, but we put on the best and largest shows in the state!

BOZEMAN ICE CLIMBING FESTIVAL PRESENTS: JANNU ACSENT+ MORE 7:30pm • Emerson’s Crawford Theatre, 111 S. Grand Ave., Bozeman • $15 General / $38 VIP • (406) 587-9797 • www.theemerson.org Saturday evening at the Emerson includes a screening of Jannu Ascent followed by a Q&A, 25 Years of Climbing with Tim Emmett and the Full Circle Everest Panel.

AVALANCHE FUNDAMENTALS FIELD SESSIONS 9am • Bridger Bowl, 15795 Bridger Canyon Road, Bozeman • donation based course • 800-223-9609 • bridgerbowl.com After an online Q&A Session, get out in the 昀椀eld with professional instructors to learn about recognizing avalanche hazards, reading mountain weather, assessing snowpack, making decisions, and conducting a rescue.

LIVE MUSIC 8-10pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • 21+ • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com Wednesday-Saturday featuring local and touring music acts.

MUSEUM STORE MEMBER APPRECIATION DAYS 10am-5pm • Museum of the Rockies, 600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman • For MOR Members • All Ages • 4069942251 • museumoftherockies. org Museum of the Rockies Members Exclusive: Enjoy refreshments and an exclusive 20% discount on all purchases. Thank you for being a valued member!

THE SHOOTOUTS 8-11pm • Live From the Divide, 627 East Peach Street, Bozeman • $40 • All Ages • 4066243321 • www.livefromthedivide.com Live From The Divide is proud to welcome The Shootout to our stage. Doors @ 7 p.m. Show @ 8 p.m., BYOB. STEVIE STONE VIP PARTY PRESENTED BY MT JANE’S 8pm • The Filling Station, 2005 N. Rouse Ave, Bozeman • 21+ • (406) 587-0585 Stevie Stone performing live in Bozeman with special guests.

NORTH FORK CROSSING 8pm • The Waypoint, 50 Ousel Falls Rd, Big Sky • FREE Composed of 5 young multi-instrumentalists, North Fork Crossing can do it all.

WESTERN ROOTS COUNTRY DANCING 8pm-12:30am • Bourbon, 515 W Aspen St, Bozeman • no cover • bourbonmt.com Learn to line dance with Western Roots Dancing at 8pm then dance and party the night away!

ELF 6:30pm • MSU Procrastinator Theater, MSU SUB 287, Bozeman • $2 • www.montana.edu PG • 2003 ‧ Family/Comedy ‧ 1h 37m

LIVE MUSIC 9-11pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com The Tune Up is host to live music multiple times per week.

RIDE THE CYCLONE 7-8:30pm • Verge Theater • General Admission: Pay What You Wish, Suggested $35.00 | VIP Seating: $75.00 • Ages 16+ • 406-404-9000 • www.vergetheater.com In this hilarious, outlandish story, the lives of six teenagers from a chamber choir are cut short in a freak accident aboard a roller coaster. When they awake in limbo, a mechanical fortune teller invites each to tell a story to win their life back.

THE POLAR EXPRESS 9pm • MSU Procrastinator Theater, MSU SUB 287, Bozeman • $2 • www.montana.edu G • 2004 ‧ Fantasy/ Family ‧ 1h 40m

PORTLAND CELLO PROJECT 7-11pm • The ELM • $35-$50 • All Ages • 4068304640 • logjampresents.com Logjam Presents is pleased to welcome Portland Cello Project for a live in concert performance.

BOZEMAN HEALTH CARS & COFFEE BELGRADE 8-10am • Duke’s Cafe & Bakery, 220 S. Broadway, Belgrade • FREE • (406) 924-2442 • Dukescafeandbakery.com Early bird Cars and Coffee meet at Dukes Cafe in Belgrade, every Sunday, in any weather, all year long. Anyone is welcome, just bring your passion for Engines.

VICTORIAN HOLIDAY AT THE TINSLEY HOUSE 6pm • Museum of the Rockies, 600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman • $10 for adults, $5 for children age 5 – 17, free for children up to age 4 • All Ages • 4069942251 • museumoftherockies.org Discover Montana cultures’ holiday traditions, enjoy a planetarium show, craft Victorian holiday cards, listen to carolers, and savor seasonal treats.

BALLROOM DANCE BOZEMAN’S HOLIDAY PARTY DANCE! 710pm • Bozeman Senior Center, 807 N. Tracy Ave, Bozeman • $20 per person (included in Season Pass) • www.ballroomdancebozeman.org Come celebrate with us at our Holiday Party Dance! Live music by Big Band John. No partner needed. You don’t have to be an expert dancer to join in. Attire is festive, plus clean dance shoes to protect the dance昀氀oor. Bring all your friends!

G.Y.E.C. IS SPONSORED BY:

BLACKWATER BAND 9pm • Chico Hot Springs, 163 Chico Road, Pray • no cover • 21+ • (406) 333-4933 • www.chicohotsprings. com Top 40, Blues, Funk and Country. We are dedicated to live performance and making every event a party experience.

SUNDAY, DEC. 10 THE 26TH ANNUAL BIG SKY CHRISTMAS STROLL Big Sky Town Center, Ousel Falls Road , Big Sky • all ages Highlights of this festive evening include the tree lighting ceremony, photos with Santa, illuminated cross country ski/fat bike trails and walkways, sleigh/wagon rides, carolers, and more!

BOZEMAN ICE FESTIVAL Hyalite Canyon & Downtown Bozeman • varies The Ice Fest is Bozeman’s longest-running outdoor celebration, now going into its 27th year. It features everything from on-ice clinics in Hyalite to 昀椀lm festivals downtown—don’t miss out.

All listings are subject to change. Check ahead for full details.

www.bozemanmagazine.com

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IAN THOMAS & BAND OF DRIFTERS Dec 15 - The Jump

NEW EVENTS ADDED DAILY AT: www.bozemanmagazine.com

AN OLD TIME CHRISTMAS AT THE MUSEUM noon-4pm • Little Bear Schoolhouse Museum • FREE, but donations will be gratefully accepted. • All Ages • 4065700312 Come enjoy an old time Christmas at the Little Bear Schoolhouse Museum. Bring the family to taste cocoa and cookies, roasted popcorn, and cast iron cooking; learn vintage crafts, and take tours!

POKER TOURNAMENT noon-6pm • The Cat’s Paw • $80 • 18+ • 406 404 1968 • seatopen.com Live Poker Tournaments in Bozeman Every Weekend on Saturdays & Sundays! Join us for No Limit Hold ‘em Cash Games 7 days a week starting at 3pm. Food, Drinks & Fun Every Day! THE NUTCRACKER 1-3pm • Willson Auditorium, 404 W. Main St., Bozeman • $29 - $79, Child FREE • All Ages • 406-222-0430 • www.yellowstoneballet.info Yellowstone Ballet Co. with perform the Nutcracker twice with guest artists: Lucas Segovia, formerly of Ballet Argentina & Bozeman native, Molly Groeschl, plus 406CIRQUE, School of Classical Ballet & Bridger View Ballet!

SUNDAY DANCE 1-5pm • American Legion Manhattan, 218 E Main St, Manhattan • $10 • 21+ • (406)284-6138 Get ready for an entire afternoon of fantastic music by “Big Band John,” featuring a wide genre of oldies and goodies, western, contemporary, Spanish and classic arrangements...you and your dance partner will wish it never ended...see ya.

CRAFTERNOON 2-4pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 14+ • 406-570-7752 • www. bozemanlibrary.org Every Sunday take part in a creative program designed to introduce you to new skills, inspire new hobbies, or create something fun.

GAME NIGHT 2-10pm • Valhalla Meadery, 875 Bridger Drive Unit B, Bozeman • no cover • 21+ Bring a game in to play and receive a free drink.

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RIDE THE CYCLONE 3-4:30pm • Verge Theater • General Admission: Pay What You Wish, Suggested $35.00 | VIP Seating: $75.00 • Ages 16+ • 406-404-9000 • www.vergetheater.com In this hilarious, outlandish story, the lives of six teenagers from a chamber choir are cut short in a freak accident aboard a roller coaster.

When they awake in limbo, a mechanical fortune teller invites each to tell a story to win their life back.

PLAY: A CHRISTMAS CAROL 3pm • The Ellen Theatre, 17 W. Main St., Bozeman • Youth (4-14) $21.75, Main $27.75, Premium $39.75 • (406) 585-5885 • www.theellentheatre.com Witness 昀椀rsthand as Scrooge is haunted by Jacob Marley, and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

THE NUTCRACKER 4:30-7:30pm • Willson Auditorium, 404 W. Main St., Bozeman • $29 - $79, Child FREE • All Ages • 406-2220430 • www.yellowstoneballet.info Yellowstone Ballet Co. with perform the Nutcracker twice with guest artists: Lucas Segovia, formerly of Ballet Argentina & Bozeman native, Molly Groeschl, plus 406CIRQUE, School of Classical Ballet & Bridger View Ballet!

ALBUM RELEASE CONCERT: LIFE HEADS WEST 6-8pm • Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ, 2118 S. 3rd Ave, Bozeman • FREE • (406) 587-3690 • www.uccbozeman.org Life Heads West celebrated their 昀椀rst album title Miles & Miles, songs re昀氀ective of the ups and downs of life, love, loss and the joy of creativity.

BOZEMAN ICE CLIMBING FESTIVAL PRESENTS: LOCAL LEGENDS DINNER & WRAP PARTY 6pm • Emerson’s Crawford Theatre, 111 S. Grand Ave., Bozeman • $30 Includes dinner • (406) 587-9797 • www.theemerson.org Join us for an evening with Molly Kawahata, former climate advisor to the Obama White House, mental health advocate, and the subject at the heart of the Patagonia 昀椀lm, “The Scale of Hope.”

www.bozemanmagazine.com

BRIDGER MOUNTAIN BIG BAND 7-9:30pm • Eagles Lodge, 316 East Main Street, Bozeman • no cover • 21+ • (406) 587-9996 The Bridger Mountain Big Band is a 17-piece jazz orchestra that plays all styles of music from the 1.

APOLLO SUNS 7-10pm • Bozeman Hot Springs & Fitness, 81123 Gallatin Road, Four Corners • With Admission • All Ages • 4065866492 • bozemanhotsprings.co Live music while you soak!

Featuring the Canadian jazz/funk group “Apollo Suns”.

MONDAY, DEC. 11 PRESCHOOL SCIENCE 10-11am • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • Free with admission • All Ages • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Shared storytime, STEAM activity, & take-home craft sponsored by Bozeman Health. Mondays & Fridays. Free with Admission.

OPEN LAB IN THE STEAMLAB 3-6pm • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • No Cover • 5-18 • 406)-522-9087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Included with admission or membership.

BOARD GAME NIGHT 6-7:45pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • Adults • 406-570-7752 • www. bozemanlibrary.org A chance to test your strategy and teamwork skills with board games and other adults. Join us at the library for some table top fun.

SIP & PAINT 6-8pm • SHINE Beer Sanctuary + Bottle Shop, 451 E Main St, Bozeman • $65 • (406) 585-8558 • shinebeer.com Sip and Paint with local artist Allison McGree.

GAME NIGHT LIVE TRIVIA 6-8pm • Wildrye Distilling, 111 East Oak Street Suite 1E, Bozeman • FREE • 21+ • (406) 577-2288 • www.wildryedistilling.com With Picture Rounds, Sound Rounds, Word Jumbles and more.. There’s Something for Everyone.

All listings are subject to change. Check ahead for full details.

CHRISTMAS MAKERS MARKET 6-9pm • The Bunkhouse Brewery, 7715 Shedhorn Dr., Four Corners We are excited to feature a German-style mulled wine to sip on while you shop and celebrate the holiday season!

JEFF ZELKIN 6:30-8:30pm • Red Tractor Pizza, 1007 W Main St, Bozeman • no cover • all ages • (406) 359-1999 • www.redtractorpizza.com Live music while you dine.

TRIVIA NIGHT 7-9pm • Bacchus Pub, 105 W Main St, Bozeman • 406 404-1996 • www.bacchuspub.com Join us for our weekly trivia night, Game Night Live is a leader in bar trivia and music bingo, putting on awesome games at local venues that everyone can enjoy.

SACAJAWEA AUDUBON SOCIETY’S SPECIAL HOLIDAY PROGRAM 7pm • The Ellen Theatre, 17 W. Main St., Bozeman • FREE, $5 suggested donation • (406) 585-5885 • www.theellentheatre. com Think Like a Raven: The intertwined lives of ravens, wolves, pumas, and the people that visit and live around Yellowstone with John Marzluff.

TUESDAY, DEC. 12 PRESCHOOL PIONEERS 9:30-10:30am • Museum of the Rockies, 600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman • Included w/ membership/ admission • Ages: 3-5 • 4069942252 • museumoftherockies.org This new early education museum program engages 3–5-year-old children and their caregivers through interactive shared reading, singing and movement activities, and hands-on experiences.

BABY STORYTIME 10:15-11:15am • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • babies birth-35 months and their caregivers • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Sing, rhyme, read, and dance with your little one, and then stay for community, sensory exploration, and playtime.

PRESCHOOL PIONEERS 11am-noon • Museum of the Rockies, 600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman • Included w/ membership/ admission • Ages: 3-5 • 4069942252 • museumoftherockies.org This new early education museum program engages 3–5-year-old children and their caregivers through interactive shared reading, singing and movement activities, and hands-on experiences.

YOGA FOR ALL 12:15-1pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Our movement series meets weekly in the Bozeman Public Library Community Room.

OPEN LAB IN THE STEAMLAB 3-6pm • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • No Cover • 5-18 • 406)-522-9087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Included with admission or membership.

BLUE RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY 4-5pm • The Jump, 75770 Gallatin Rd, Gallatin Gateway • FREE • (406) 518-5011 • www. thejumpmt.com Join The Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce, Chamber Green Coat Ambassadors and The Jump for the celebration of their blue ribbon-cutting ceremony.

NONFICTION WRITING GROUP 5:30-7:30pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Hobby writers are welcome to share your work with other writers, critique content, and develop your ability.

LINE DANCING LESSONS WITH WESTERN ROOTS 6:15-7:15pm • Starlite Bozeman, 622 E Tamarack St, Bozeman • $15 • All Ages • 406-570-7422 • www.mtcountrydance.com Line dancing is back and it is FUN! We’re teaching classics and brand new dances every week. Grab your boots and join in!

RECIPE TEST KITCHEN 6:30pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406-570-7752 • www. bozemanlibrary.org Bring you bread results to n the Cottonwood Room.

BEGINNER LEVEL COUNTRY SWING LESSONS 7:30-8:30pm • Starlite Bozeman, 622 E Tamarack St, Bozeman • $15 • All Ages • 406-570-7422 • www.mtcountrydance.com Been wanting to learn how to country dance? This class is for you. Every week we will go over the basics of country swing. You will leave the class with different moves each week!

BONE DRY COMEDY HOUR OPEN MIC 8-10pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • FREE • 18+ • 4062193933 • www.lastbestcomedy.com Bone Dry Comedy brings Open Mic night to Last Best Comedy. Our weekly open mic is a safe, friendly, supportive place to start your comedy journey, try new material, and connect to the Bozeman Stand up scene.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 13 12 DAYS OF BIKEMAS 2023 Go Gallatin, the City of Bozeman, and the Bozeman Downtown Business Partnership are excited to put on the 3nd annual “12 Days of Bikemas” to help residents and businesses get into the Active Christmas Spirit.

LITTLE LEARNERS 9:30-10:30am • Museum of the Rockies, 600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman • Included with membership/ admission • Ages: 1 – 3 • 4069942251 • museumoftherockies. org This new interactive museum program engages toddlers and their caregivers through interactive shared reading, singing and movement activities, and exploratory sensory experiences.

Registration is required.

TODDLER & PRESCHOOLER STORYTIME 10:15-11:15am • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • kids ages 3-5 and their caregivers • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Sing, rhyme, read, and dance with your kiddo, and then stay for community, hands-on learning, and playtime.

LITTLE LEARNERS 11am-noon • Museum of the Rockies, 600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman • Included with membership/ admission • Ages: 1 – 3 • 4069942251 • museumoftherockies. org This new interactive museum program engages toddlers and their caregivers through interactive shared reading, singing and movement activities, and exploratory sensory experiences.

Registration is required.

G.Y.E.C. IS SPONSORED BY:

BOZEMAN HEALTH LAST BEST PLACE WEDNESDAYS 5-11pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • 21+ • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com Enjoy 10% off total bill with a valid Montana ID. GNL TRIVIA WEDNESDAY 6-8pm • SHINE Beer Sanctuary + Bottle Shop, 451 E Main St, Bozeman • FREE • (406) 585-8558 • shinebeer.com Come Check Out the Most Accessible, Varied, and Fun Trivia Nights Designed for Anyone who Loves to Play Games. Free-to-Play & Prizes for the Winners.

GAME NIGHT LIVE TRIVIA 6-8pm • Audreys Pizza Oven & Freefall Brewery, 806 N. 7th Ave, Bozeman • No Cover • (406) 522-5456 • www.audreyspizzaoven.com Come Check Out the Most Accessible, Varied, and Fun Trivia Nights Designed for Anyone who Loves to Play Games!

TOBACCO PREVENTION CLASS 6:30-7:30pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Part 4: Mental Health and Nicotine Use INTRO TO LASER CUTTING 6:30-7:45pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 14+ • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Come and learn what laser cutting is and how you can do it.

BINGO 7-9pm • American Legion Bar, 225 E. Main St., Bozeman • 18+ • (406) 586-8400 • www.facebook.com 100% of the proceeds go to assisting our Veterans, their families, our youth programs, and the community.

WESTERN SWING WEDNESDAYS 7-11pm • The Jump, 75770 Gallatin Rd, Gallatin Gateway • Lessons $10 • 21+ after 9pm • (406) 518-5011 • www.thejumpmt.com There will be a great dance 昀氀oor every week, your favorite instructors, and all the country music you love from Bozeman’s Choice 2023 DJ, DJ Habes. See ya at THE JUMP every Wednesday!

STORY MANSION STRING JAM 7pm • The Story Mansion, 811 S. Willson, Bozeman • 406-582-2910 • www.friendsofthestory.org As a group, we will pick our favorite songs and 昀椀ll the mansion with music! This is an Acoustic String Jam. TROUT UNLIMITED CHILI THROWDOWN 7pm • Springhill Suites, 1601 Baxter Ln, Bozeman • FREE • (406) 586-5200 Bring your best batch of chili, crowd favorite wins. While eating chili we get to enjoy a presentation by Jon Yousko. “It Ain’t Easy Being a Steelheader: 20 Years in British Columbia”.

SENSATIONAL BABIES 1-2pm • Museum of the Rockies, 600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman • Included with membership/admission • Ages 0 -18 months • 4069942251 • museumoftherockies. org Read, sing, play, and learn with your baby through sensory awareness activities designed speci昀椀cally for newborns to age 18 months. Registration is required.

REC MOBILE 3:45-5pm • Valley West Park, Clifden and Cascade Street, Bozeman • FREE Easy access to recreation for ALL children.

GAME NIGHT LIVE TRIVIA 6-8pm • Colombo’s Pizza & Pasta • FREE • All Ages • (406) 587-5544 • GameNightLive.com The games you love in your favorite places! Free trivia at Colombo’s at both 6 & 7 pm!

READ WITH A DOG 4-5pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • All Ages • 406-570-7752 • www. bozemanlibrary.org Kids can read with an Intermountain Therapy Dog each Wednesday afternoon.

GNL TRIVIA 6-8pm • The Jump, 75770 Gallatin Rd, Gallatin Gateway • FREE • (406) 518-5011 • www.thejumpmt.com Accessible and amazing trivia for everyone, always an awesome time.

Prizes for winners.

FIBER ARTS 4-6pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Bring any type of easily mobile 昀椀ber based craft for a social meet up with other 昀椀ber artists in the Bozeman community.

All listings are subject to change. Check ahead for full details.

www.bozemanmagazine.com

December 2023

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JERRY JOSEPH (SOLO) with Matt Wallin* Dec 12 - Whitefish Dec 13 - Missoula* Dec 14 - The Attic* Dec 15 - Gravel Bar* Dec 16 - Covelite Theatre* Dec 17 - Filling Station*

TICKETS ON SALE www.jerryjoseph.com

Photo: Bill McAlaine

ADD YOUR OWN EVENTS AT: www.bozemanmagazine.com THE RUB OF BENNETT DROZIC 8-9:30pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • FREE • 18+ • 4062193933 • www.lastbestcomedy.com It’s an improvisers Roast. . . the Rub of Bennett Drozic! Join us for a night of laughs and fun at the expense and joy of our dear friend Bennett. A long form improv show with players hand picked by the man himself followed by our loving letters.

JAZZ NIGHT W/EDDIE T 8-10pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • 21+ • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com Live local music every Wednesday.

LADIES NIGHT 8pm-2am • Club Zebra, 321 E Main St, Bozeman • $10 for guys • 21+ The wonderful Ladies of Bozeman can enjoy 2 free drinks, $3 drinks till 10 pm, and that booty shakin’ music provided by DJ Chedda.

OPEN LAB IN THE STEAMLAB 3-6pm • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • No Cover • 5-18 • 406)-522-9087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Included with admission or membership.

LEGO CLUB 3:30-4:30pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • kids ages 5-12 • 406-570-7752 • www. bozemanlibrary.org Take inspiration from the weekly challenge or free build, work solo or collaborate – it’s in your hands, LEGO Architect!

THREE FORKS MUSIC NIGHT WITH WWW.TWANG 6-8pm • Bridger Brewing Pub + Grill, 10751 Hwy 287, Three Forks • 406200-9354 • www.bridgerbrewing.com Enjoy country music with www.twang

THURSDAY, DEC. 14

SINGO 6-8pm • Last Best Place Brewery, 605 N. 7th Ave, Bozeman • 21+ Do you like music? Are you a fan of Bingo? Bring a group for Singo and relax for some fun and beer.

12 DAYS OF BIKEMAS 2023 Go Gallatin, the City of Bozeman, and the Bozeman Downtown Business Partnership are excited to put on the 3nd annual “12 Days of Bikemas” to help residents and businesses get into the Active Christmas Spirit.

SHEN HOLIDAY PARTY FUNDRAISER 6-8pm • Shen All proceeds from the raf昀氀e will go directly to the Emergency Shelter + Warming Center in Bozeman!

BABY STORYTIME 10:15-11:15am • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • babies birth-35 months and their caregivers • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Sing, rhyme, read, and dance with your little one, and then stay for community, sensory exploration, and playtime.

GYROKINESIS 12:15-1pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org A movement method that addresses the entire body, opening energy pathways, stimulating the nervous system, increasing range of motion and creating functional strength through rhythmic, 昀氀owing movement sequences.

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FLY-TYING NIGHT 6-9pm • Bozeman Fly Supply, 2621 W College, Bozeman • FREE Bring your vise, tools, materials, and beverages to tie some 昀氀ies. This is not a class but an invitation for all to get out of the house, get behind the vise, and have fun with fellow tiers.

MEMORIAL LIGHTS NIGHT 6pm • Belgrade Senior Center, 92 E Cameron Ave, Belgrade • (406) 388-4711 Honor the memory of your loved ones this holiday season at the Light Park for a special memorial ceremony.

VINTAGE SWING SOCIAL 7-8pm • Blend, 31 S Willson Ave, Bozeman • (406) 414-9693 Join the Downbeat Vintage Swing Society for our weekly vintage swing social, we host an introductory swing lesson, followed by a social to dance.

www.bozemanmagazine.com

LAST BEST COMEDY PRESENTS BO JOHNSON IN LIVINGSTON! 7-8:30pm • Blue Slipper Theatre, 113 E Callender St, Livingston • $20 • 18+ • 4062193933 • buytickets.at Bo Johnson is a comedian from Seattle, Washington. He can be found headlining clubs, breweries, and dingy bars across the United States and Canada.

His stand up was featured on season two of Kevin Hart Presents: Hart of the City on Comedy Central.

THE ROAD AGENTS 7-10pm • Bozeman Hot Springs & Fitness, 81123 Gallatin Road, Four Corners • With Admission • All Ages • 4065866492 • bozemanhotsprings.co Live music while you soak!

Featuring the Bozeman-based folk duo “The Road Agents”.

THURSDAY NIGHT OUT! 7-10pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • $15 • 18+ • 4062193933 • buytickets.at Improv Thursday Nights are back and it’s the perfect time to check our hilarious improv shows! A showcase of some of our awesome teams paired with our signature shows!

HIGH SCHOOL HOLIDAY MUSICAL: WHITE CHRISTMAS 7pm • Warren Miller Performing Arts Center, 45465 Gallatin Road, Big Sky • $15 student, $25 adult • 406-995-6345 • www.warrenmillerpac.org High School Holiday Musical “White Christmas” is a beloved musical that pays homage to the timeless songs of Irving Berlin.

PLAY: A CHRISTMAS CAROL 7:30pm • The Ellen Theatre, 17 W. Main St., Bozeman • Youth (4-14) $21.75, Main $27.75, Premium $39.75 • (406) 585-5885 • www.theellentheatre.com Witness 昀椀rsthand as Scrooge is haunted by Jacob Marley, and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

LIVE MUSIC 8-10pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com The Tune Up is host to live music multiple times per week.

JERRY JOSEPH (SOLO SHOW) 8pm • The Attic, 110 N Main St, 2nd Floor, Livingston • $20 • www.theatticmontana.com Solo acoustic show.

All listings are subject to change. Check ahead for full details.

FRIDAY, DEC. 15 12 DAYS OF BIKEMAS 2023 Go Gallatin, the City of Bozeman, and the Bozeman Downtown Business Partnership are excited to put on the 3nd annual “12 Days of Bikemas” to help residents and businesses get into the Active Christmas Spirit.

MSU FALL 2023 COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY 8:40am • Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, 1 Bobcat Circle, Bozeman • (406) 994-CATS • www.brickbreeden.com Processional: 8:40am| Ceremony: 9:00am.

Congrats Grads!

VIRTUAL FOSSIL FRIDAYS 9-9:30am • Museum of the Rockies, 600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman • FREE • All Ages • 4069942251 • museumoftherockies.org Join Outreach Program Manager Ashley Hall virtually on select Fridays to learn about one of the museum’s fantastic fossil specimens. Bring your curiosity and ask questions via Zoom.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S ROUNDTABLE - VIRTUAL CALLS 9-10am • Online • FREE Our Executive Director’s Roundtable for Gallatin County nonpro昀椀t organizations is open to all paid staff in the executive director or head staff position in our county.

These sessions occur the third Friday of each month from 9:00 am - 10:00 am.

LITTLE LEARNERS 10-11am • Museum of the Rockies, 600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman • Included with membership/admission • Ages: 1 – 3 • 4069942251 • museumoftherockies.org This new interactive museum program engages toddlers and their caregivers through interactive shared reading, singing and movement activities, and exploratory sensory experiences. Registration is required.

PRESCHOOL SCIENCE 10-11am • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • Free with admission • All Ages • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Shared storytime, STEAM activity, & take-home craft sponsored by Bozeman Health. Mondays & Fridays. Free with Admission.

TODDLER & PRESCHOOLER STORYTIME 10:15-11:15am • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • kids ages 3-5 and their caregivers • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Sing, rhyme, read, and dance with your kiddo, and then stay for community, hands-on learning, and playtime.

BOZEMAN GOLD CLUB 12:10-1pm • First Security Bank, 208 E. Main St,, Bozeman • FREE • All Ages • 406-580-1921 • www. toastmasters.org A friendly group of individuals who meet weekly on Fridays at 12:10 p.m. in the basement of the First Security Bank to improve our communication skills.

SENSATIONAL BABIES 1-2pm • Museum of the Rockies, 600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman • Included with membership/admission • Ages 0 -18 months • 4069942251 • museumoftherockies. org Read, sing, play, and learn with your baby through sensory awareness activities designed speci昀椀cally for newborns to age 18 months. Registration is required.

OPEN LAB IN THE STEAMLAB 3-6pm • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • No Cover • 5-18 • 406)-522-9087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Included with admission or membership.

REC MOBILE 3:45-5pm • Valley West Park, Clifden and Cascade Street, Bozeman • FREE Easy access to recreation for ALL children.

3RD ANNUAL WINTER WONDERLAND 4:30-6:30pm • $10 per Family We will host hot chocolate (with all of the 昀椀xings), cookie decorating with cookies from Elles Belles, ornament painting donated by Arts on Fire, baked goods for sale, raf昀氀e prizes, music and photo booth from Party People Montana, and a special appearance from Santa Claus!!

COUNTRY SWING INTENSIVE CLASS 5-6pm • Starlite Bozeman, 622 E Tamarack St, Bozeman • $15 • All Ages • 406-570-7422 • www.mtcountrydance.com In these classes we will be diving into a different aspect of dance that once mastered will make you a better dancer. Tighter spins, more con昀椀dent following and stronger leads!

FRESH 5 FRIDAY 5:30-6:30pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • FREE • 18+ • 4062193933 • www.lastbestcomedy.com The Friday 5, 5 comics doing 5 fresh minutes of material +5 open mic slots & $5 Drink Specials.

KIDS NIGHT OUT 6-9pm • Pinspiration Bozeman • $45 per child • ages 5-12 Need to run errands, have a date night out or just have some time for yourself? Drop the kids off for a fun-昀椀lled night of crafting, games, a movie plus pizza and a drink.

VICTORIAN HOLIDAY AT THE TINSLEY HOUSE 6pm • Museum of the Rockies, 600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman • $10 for adults, $5 for children age 5 – 17, free for children up to age 4 • All Ages • 4069942251 • museumoftherockies.org Discover Montana cultures’ holiday traditions, enjoy a planetarium show, craft Victorian holiday cards, listen to carolers, and savor seasonal treats.

FRIDAY NIGHT JAZZ 6:30-8:30pm • Red Tractor Pizza, 1007 W Main St, Bozeman • no cover • all ages • (406) 359-1999 • www. redtractorpizza.com Live local Jazz every Friday while you dine.

THE SPLENDID FEAST AT THE ELLING HOUSE 6:30pm • Elling House, Virginia City • $75 per person, $125 per couple, $550 per table of 8 Please join us for a magical evening of good food, whimsical ambiance, & holiday cheer to bene昀椀t the Elling House Arts & Humanities Center. 6:30 PM Wassail Social Hour, 7:00 PM Six Course Dinner. Reservations required 406.843.5454 FRIDAY NIGHT STAND-UP WITH BO JOHNSON 7-8:30pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • $24 online and $30 at the door • 18+ • 4062193933 • www. lastbestcomedy.com Bo Johnson is a comedian from Seattle, Washington. He can be found headlining clubs, breweries, and dingy bars across the United States and Canada. His stand up was featured on season two of Kevin Hart Presents: Hart of the City on Comedy Central.

HIGH SCHOOL HOLIDAY MUSICAL: WHITE CHRISTMAS 7pm • Warren Miller Performing Arts Center, 45465 Gallatin Road, Big Sky • $15 student, $25 adult • 406-995-6345 • www.warrenmillerpac.org High School Holiday Musical “White Christmas” is a beloved musical that pays homage to the timeless songs of Irving Berlin.

G.Y.E.C. IS SPONSORED BY:

BOZEMAN HEALTH MIX GENRE HOLIDAY PARTY 8pm • The Break Room, 1011 W College St, Bozeman • Suggested $5 • All Ages • www.facebook. com Come join us for some Holiday fun and hear all kinds of music! This show is an all age show where all genres are welcomed. some of the performers include Jacob Rountree, Filth & Foul, sorryimolive, Kat Bee & more! Ugly sweater contest w prizes.

LIVE MUSIC 8-10pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • 21+ • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com Wednesday-Saturday featuring local and touring music acts.

BAND OF DRIFTERS 8pm • The Jump, 75770 Gallatin Rd, Gallatin Gateway • no cover • (406) 518-5011 • www.thejumpmt.com Live Honky Tonk, Country Folk music!

FRIDAY NIGHT STAND-UP WITH BO JOHNSON 9-10:30pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • $24 online and $30 at the door • 18+ • 4062193933 • www. lastbestcomedy.com Bo Johnson is a comedian from Seattle, Washington. He can be found headlining clubs, breweries, and dingy bars across the United States and Canada. His stand up was featured on season two of Kevin Hart Presents: Hart of the City on Comedy Central.

LIVE MUSIC 9-11pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com The Tune Up is host to live music multiple times per week.

SQUIRREL GRAVY 9-11pm • Tips Up, 76 Town Center Ave Unit A1, Big Sky • no cover • 21+ • (406) 995-2773 • www.tipsupbigsky. com Let’s get squirrelly!!

JACKSON HOLTE AND THE HIGHWAY PATROL 9pm • Chico Hot Springs, 163 Chico Road, Pray • no cover • 21+ • (406) 333-4933 • www.chicohotsprings.com A Grammy-eligible rock and roll band from Missoula, MT, formed by several of the town’s greasiest bar-band veterans.

THE FORMAL FUNCTION 9pm • Club Zebra, 321 E Main St, Bozeman • No cover if dressed in formal wear $10/ if not dressed in formal wear • 21+ Join us for a night at the club in your nicest attire! All door money will be donated to our local Toys for Tots! We will also have a toy drop bin for those that want to donate.

JERRY JOSEPH (SOLO SHOW) 7pm • Gravel Bar, 305 E Main St, Ennis • no cover • 21+ • (406) 682-5553 • www.gravelbarmt.com Be part of an unforgettable evening with the renowned Jerry Joseph, a true icon of the music industry.

ROOTS IN THE SKY AND BAROQUE MUSIC MONTANA PRESENT: THE WAKING SUN 7:30-9pm • Hope Lutheran Church, 2152 Graf St., Bozeman • $20, $10 Student • All Ages • 4065800999 • rootsinthesky.org Roots in the Sky and Baroque Music Montana join forces to present a program juxtaposing Baroque and contemporary cantatas.

BOZEMAN SYMPHONY: HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR 7:30-9:30pm • Willson Auditorium, 404 W. Main St., Bozeman • Tickets starting at $30, $25 for students • All Ages • 4065859774 • www. bozemansymphony.org The tradition continues with the Bozeman Symphony’s annual Holiday Spectacular. This concert includes favorite festive classics, a singalong, and features guest vocalist Jimmie Herrod, an America’s Got 昀椀nalist.

PLAY: A CHRISTMAS CAROL 7:30pm • The Ellen Theatre, 17 W. Main St., Bozeman • Youth (4-14) $21.75, Main $27.75, Premium $39.75 • (406) 585-5885 • www.theellentheatre.com Witness 昀椀rsthand as Scrooge is haunted by Jacob Marley, and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

All listings are subject to change. Check ahead for full details.

www.bozemanmagazine.com

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BOZEMAN SYMPHONY HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR Willson Auditorium

ADD YOUR OWN EVENTS AT: www.bozemanmagazine.com

SATURDAY, DEC. 16 12 DAYS OF BIKEMAS 2023 Go Gallatin, the City of Bozeman, and the Bozeman Downtown Business Partnership are excited to put on the 3nd annual “12 Days of Bikemas” to help residents and businesses get into the Active Christmas Spirit.

BOZEMAN WINTER FARMERS’ MARKET 9am-noon • Gallatin County Fairgrounds, 901 N. Black, Bozeman • (406) 582-3270 • www.gallatin.mt.gov Area farmers have worked hard to drastically increase the amount of fresh greens and the variety of vegetables they can offer our community throughout the fall, winter and spring.

AVALANCHE FUNDAMENTALS FIELD SESSIONS 9am • Bridger Bowl, 15795 Bridger Canyon Road, Bozeman • donation based course • 800-223-9609 • bridgerbowl.com After an online Q&A Session, get out in the 昀椀eld with professional instructors to learn about recognizing avalanche hazards, reading mountain weather, assessing snowpack, making decisions, and conducting a rescue.

WINTER WONDERLAND 10am-noon • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • With Admission • All Ages • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Every day during Winter Wonderland, we’ll have a hands-on science activity at the Science Station and a craft to take home!

STEAM SATURDAYS 10am-noon • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • Free with admission • All Ages • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Local STEM professionals lead a fun activity relating to their 昀椀eld. Check the online calendar for guests.

FAMILY STORYTIME 10:15-11am • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • birth-5 and their caregivers • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Singing simple rhymes and songs for babies, moving and grooving for tots, reading a longer book or two for preschoolers – this program has it all!

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LIVE REINDEER AT MURDOCH’S 11am-4pm • Murdoch’s • FREE Bring your camera for photos, and while you’re here, the kids can write a letter to Santa, color festive holiday activity sheets, and learn how to make reindeer snacks.

POKER TOURNAMENT noon-6pm • The Cat’s Paw • $80 • 18+ • 406 404 1968 • seatopen.com Live Poker Tournaments in Bozeman Every Weekend on Saturdays & Sundays! Join us for No Limit Hold ‘em Cash Games 7 days a week starting at 3pm. Food, Drinks & Fun Every Day! SATURDAY AFTERNOON LIVE ACOUSTIC MUSIC 2-4pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Local jazz guitarist Craig Hall will lead the music and bring along guest performers.

EAGLE MOUNT HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA 2-4pm • Eagle Mount, 6901 Goldenstein Lane, Bozman • FREE with ticket • all ages • (406) 586-1781 • eaglemount.org Join us at the Eagle Mount campus for s’mores, crafts, photos with Santa, miniature horses, sleigh rides and more!

BOZEMAN SYMPHONY: HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR 2:30-4:30pm • Willson Auditorium, 404 W. Main St., Bozeman • Tickets starting at $30, $25 for students • All Ages • 4065859774 • www. bozemansymphony.org The tradition continues with the Bozeman Symphony’s annual Holiday Spectacular. This concert includes favorite festive classics, a singalong, and features guest vocalist Jimmie Herrod, an America’s Got 昀椀nalist.

BURGERS & BINGO 5:30pm • Eagles Lodge, 316 East Main Street, Bozeman • All ages • (406) 587-9996 Burgers & Bingo is back after a long hiatus, enjoy a burger and bingo every Saturday night.

VICTORIAN HOLIDAY AT THE TINSLEY HOUSE 6pm • Museum of the Rockies, 600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman • $10 for adults, $5 for children age 5 – 17, free for children up to age 4 • All Ages • 4069942251 • museumoftherockies.org Discover Montana cultures’ holiday traditions, enjoy a planetarium show, craft Victorian holiday cards, listen to carolers, and savor seasonal treats.

www.bozemanmagazine.com

THE SPLENDID FEAST AT THE ELLING HOUSE 6:30pm • Elling House, Virginia City • $75 per person, $125 per couple, $550 per table of 8 Please join us for a magical evening of good food, whimsical ambiance, & holiday cheer to bene昀椀t the Elling House Arts & Humanities Center. 6:30 PM Wassail Social Hour, 7:00 PM Six Course Dinner. Reservations required 406.843.5454 A VERY SPECIAL HOLIDAY MUSICAL 7-8pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • $10 • 18+ • 4062193933 • buytickets.at Join us for a Very Special Holiday Musical with the cast of Winging It! Our cast will use the spirit of the season to weave a holiday tale so fun you have to sing about it.

TJ MILLER - THE GENTLE GIANT TOUR 7-11pm • The ELM • $39$60 (Adv.) • All Ages • 4068304640 • logjampresents.com TJ Miller for a live in concert performance.

MSU MENS BASKETBALL VS SAGU AMERICAN INDIAN COLLEGE 7pm • Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, 1 Bobcat Circle, Bozeman • (406) 994-CATS • www.brickbreeden.com Go Cats JERRY JOSEPH (SOLO SHOW) 7pm • The Covellite Theatre • $21 Be part of an unforgettable evening with the renowned Jerry Joseph, a true icon of the music industry.

STORMGRASS DUO 7pm • The Jump, 75770 Gallatin Rd, Gallatin Gateway • no cover • (406) 518-5011 • www.thejumpmt.com Live Western Americana Bluegrass music!

ROOTS IN THE SKY AND BAROQUE MUSIC MONTANA PRESENT: THE WAKING SUN 7:30-9pm • Big Sky Chapel • Donation • All Ages • 4065800999 • rootsinthesky.org Roots in the Sky and Baroque Music Montana join forces to present a program juxtaposing Baroque and contemporary cantatas.

BOZEMAN SYMPHONY: HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR 7:30-9:30pm • Willson Auditorium, 404 W. Main St., Bozeman • Tickets starting at $30, $25 for students • All Ages • 4065859774 • www. bozemansymphony.org The tradition continues with the Bozeman Symphony’s annual Holiday Spectacular. This concert includes favorite festive classics, a singalong, and features guest vocalist Jimmie Herrod, an America’s Got 昀椀nalist.

All listings are subject to change. Check ahead for full details.

PLAY: A CHRISTMAS CAROL 7:30pm • The Ellen Theatre, 17 W. Main St., Bozeman • Youth (4-14) $21.75, Main $27.75, Premium $39.75 • (406) 585-5885 • www.theellentheatre.com Witness 昀椀rsthand as Scrooge is haunted by Jacob Marley, and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

WINTER WONDERLAND 10am-noon • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • With Admission • All Ages • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Every day during Winter Wonderland, we’ll have a hands-on science activity at the Science Station and a craft to take home!

EL WENCHO WITH MATHIAS 8pm • The Filling Station, 2005 N. Rouse Ave, Bozeman • $10 in advance, $15 at the door • 21+ • 4065795412 • 昀椀llertickets.com Powerhouse rock duo El Wencho returns to the Filler with local solo acoustic artist Mathias!

POKER TOURNAMENT noon-6pm • The Cat’s Paw • $80 • 18+ • 406 404 1968 • seatopen.com Live Poker Tournaments in Bozeman Every Weekend on Saturdays & Sundays! Join us for No Limit Hold ‘em Cash Games 7 days a week starting at 3pm. Food, Drinks & Fun Every Day!

NOTORIOUS BOZ WITH JAKE HASTINGS 8-9pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • $15 • 18+ • 4062193933 • www.lastbestcomedy.com Notorious BOZ is a long-form improv show great people of BozemanEvery show will feature a guest monologist who will share stories from their life.

The cast will then use those stories to inspire their comedy!

LIVE MUSIC 8-10pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • 21+ • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com Wednesday-Saturday featuring local and touring music acts.

UNDER THE MISTLETOE: AHOLIDAY DRAG SHOW 8pm • Eagles Lodge Ballroom, 316 East Main Street, Bozeman • $10 • 18+ Qe’ll be serving up a dazzling display of talent, glamour, and laughter that will leave you feeling merry and bright!

SUFFER OUT LOUD! FUNDRAISER 8pm • The Attic, 110 N Main St, 2nd Floor, Livingston • $15 • www.theatticmontana.com Music from Bedlam Mimicks, Bubba Fett, Death Trophy, Terald Wood, Gallatin Ghost Train, Palanter, Scavenger.

WESTERN ROOTS COUNTRY DANCING 8pm-12:30am • Bourbon, 515 W Aspen St, Bozeman • no cover • bourbonmt.com Learn to line dance with Western Roots Dancing at 8pm then dance and party the night away!

MSU WOMENS BASKETBALL VS WYOMING noon • Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, 1 Bobcat Circle, Bozeman • (406) 994-CATS • www.brickbreeden.com Go Cats SUNDAY DANCE 1-5pm • American Legion Manhattan, 218 E Main St, Manhattan • $10 • 21+ • (406) 284-6138 Another great day dancing to the fantastic western music of “Powderhorn,” playing all the great tunes they are famous for...and with your shoes ‘昀氀oor polishing’ the entire afternoon...come give us a hand on ‘rasin’ the roof’ and packin’ the place.

CRAFTERNOON 2-4pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 14+ • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Every Sunday take part in a creative program designed to introduce you to new skills, inspire new hobbies, or create something fun.

GAME NIGHT 2-10pm • Valhalla Meadery, 875 Bridger Drive Unit B, Bozeman • no cover • 21+ Bring a game in to play and receive a free drink.

LIVE MUSIC 9-11pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com The Tune Up is host to live music multiple times per week.

BOZEMAN SYMPHONY: HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR 2:30-4:30pm • Willson Auditorium, 404 W. Main St., Bozeman • Tickets starting at $30, $25 for students • All Ages • 4065859774 • www. bozemansymphony.org The tradition continues with the Bozeman Symphony’s annual Holiday Spectacular. This concert includes favorite festive classics, a singalong, and features guest vocalist Jimmie Herrod, an America’s Got 昀椀nalist.

JACKSON HOLTE AND THE HIGHWAY PATROL 9pm • Chico Hot Springs, 163 Chico Road, Pray • no cover • 21+ • (406) 333-4933 • www.chicohotsprings.com A Grammy-eligible rock and roll band from Missoula, MT, formed by several of the town’s greasiest bar-band veterans.

PLAY: A CHRISTMAS CAROL 3pm • The Ellen Theatre, 17 W. Main St., Bozeman • Youth (4-14) $21.75, Main $27.75, Premium $39.75 • (406) 585-5885 • www.theellentheatre.com Witness 昀椀rsthand as Scrooge is haunted by Jacob Marley, and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

WHIZ BANG! 9:30-10:30pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • $10 • 18+ • 4062193933 • www. lastbestcomedy.com Whiz BANG! is an explosion of intoxicating comedy! Exciting, high-energy, short-form improv that is so funny it’s criminal. An hour long show with lots of audience interaction, it’s the perfect show to bring some pals or a date.

ROOTS IN THE SKY AND BAROQUE MUSIC MONTANA PRESENT: THE WAKING SUN 4-6pm • Holy Rosary Church, 220 West Main Street , Bozeman • $20, $10 Student • All Ages • 4065800999 • rootsinthesky.org Roots in the Sky and Baroque Music Montana join forces to present a program juxtaposing Baroque and contemporary cantatas.

SUNDAY, DEC. 17

JAZZ JAM SESSION 5pm • Red Tractor Pizza, 1007 W Main St, Bozeman • no cover • All ages • (406) 359-1999 • www.redtractorpizza.com Live music while you dine.

12 DAYS OF BIKEMAS 2023 Go Gallatin, the City of Bozeman, and the Bozeman Downtown Business Partnership are excited to put on the 3nd annual “12 Days of Bikemas” to help residents and businesses get into the Active Christmas Spirit.

CARS & COFFEE BELGRADE 8-10am • Duke’s Cafe & Bakery, 220 S. Broadway, Belgrade • FREE • (406) 924-2442 • Dukescafeandbakery.com Early bird Cars and Coffee meet at Dukes Cafe in Belgrade, every Sunday, in any weather, all year long. Anyone is welcome, just bring your passion for Engines.

AVALANCHE FUNDAMENTALS FIELD SESSIONS 9am • Bridger Bowl, 15795 Bridger Canyon Road, Bozeman • donation based course • 800-223-9609 • bridgerbowl.com After an online Q&A Session, get out in the 昀椀eld with professional instructors to learn about recognizing avalanche hazards, reading mountain weather, assessing snowpack, making decisions, and conducting a rescue.

G.Y.E.C. IS SPONSORED BY:

BOZEMAN HEALTH AVALANCHE FUNDAMENTALS FIELD SESSIONS 9am • Bridger Bowl, 15795 Bridger Canyon Road, Bozeman • donation based course • 800-223-9609 • bridgerbowl.com After an online Q&A Session, get out in the 昀椀eld with professional instructors to learn about recognizing avalanche hazards, reading mountain weather, assessing snowpack, making decisions, and conducting a rescue.

PRESCHOOL SCIENCE 10-11am • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • Free with admission • All Ages • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Shared storytime, STEAM activity, & take-home craft sponsored by Bozeman Health. Mondays & Fridays. Free with Admission.

WINTER WONDERLAND 10am-noon • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • With Admission • All Ages • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Every day during Winter Wonderland, we’ll have a hands-on science activity at the Science Station and a craft to take home!

OPEN LAB IN THE STEAMLAB 3-6pm • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • No Cover • 5-18 • 406)-522-9087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Included with admission or membership.

SHINE IT FORWARD COMMUNITY FUNDRAISER 5-9pm • SHINE Beer Sanctuary + Bottle Shop, 451 E Main St, Bozeman • all ages • (406) 585-8558 • shinebeer.com Come and be part of an evening that’s open to all ages, featuring a family-friendly atmosphere, delicious dinner, and drinks—all to support HRDC’s Homeward Point Project fundraising efforts.

BOARD GAME NIGHT 6-7:45pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • Adults • 406-570-7752 • www. bozemanlibrary.org A chance to test your strategy and teamwork skills with board games and other adults. Join us at the library for some table top fun.

BAR+CHURCH 6-8pm • Last Best Place Brewery, 605 N. 7th Ave, Bozeman • All ages A time to gather and have a beer, coke, water… and enjoy conversations about how life and faith intersect.

(You can bring your own food and they allow children).

GAME NIGHT LIVE TRIVIA 6-8pm • Wildrye Distilling, 111 East Oak Street Suite 1E, Bozeman • FREE • 21+ • (406) 577-2288 • www.wildryedistilling.com With Picture Rounds, Sound Rounds, Word Jumbles and more.. There’s Something for Everyone.

CHRISTMAS MAKERS MARKET 6-9pm • The Bunkhouse Brewery, 7715 Shedhorn Dr., Four Corners We are excited to feature a German-style mulled wine to sip on while you shop and celebrate the holiday season!

BRIDGER MOUNTAIN BIG BAND 7-9:30pm • Eagles Lodge, 316 East Main Street, Bozeman • no cover • 21+ • (406) 587-9996 The Bridger Mountain Big Band is a 17-piece jazz orchestra that plays all styles of music from the 1.

ONE LEAF 7-10pm • Bozeman Hot Springs & Fitness, 81123 Gallatin Road, Four Corners • With Admission • All Ages • 4065866492 • bozemanhotsprings.co Live music while you soak! Featuring the Bozeman-based funk rock trio “One Leaf”.

MONDAY, DEC. 18 12 DAYS OF BIKEMAS 2023 Go Gallatin, the City of Bozeman, and the Bozeman Downtown Business Partnership are excited to put on the 3nd annual “12 Days of Bikemas” to help residents and businesses get into the Active Christmas Spirit.

All listings are subject to change. Check ahead for full details.

www.bozemanmagazine.com

December 2023

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AARON BANFIELD MUSIC Dec 18 - Red Tractor Pizza

ADD YOUR OWN EVENTS AT: www.bozemanmagazine.com

AARON BANFIELD 6:30pm • Red Tractor Pizza, 1007 W Main St, Bozeman • no cover • all ages • (406) 359-1999 • www.redtractorpizza.com Live music while you dine.

TRIVIA NIGHT 7-9pm • Bacchus Pub, 105 W Main St, Bozeman • 406 404-1996 • www.bacchuspub.com Join us for our weekly trivia night, Game Night Live is a leader in bar trivia and music bingo, putting on awesome games at local venues that everyone can enjoy.

TUESDAY, DEC. 19 12 DAYS OF BIKEMAS 2023 Go Gallatin, the City of Bozeman, and the Bozeman Downtown Business Partnership are excited to put on the 3nd annual “12 Days of Bikemas” to help residents and businesses get into the Active Christmas Spirit.

DEVELOPMENT + GRANT WRITING ROUNDTABLE 9-10am • Online via Zoom Open to all development, fundraising and grant writing staff at Gallatin County nonpro昀椀t organizations. These sessions occur the third Tuesday of each month.

WINTER WONDERLAND 10am-noon • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • With Admission • All Ages • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Every day during Winter Wonderland, we’ll have a hands-on science activity at the Science Station and a craft to take home!

BABY STORYTIME 10:15-11:15am • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • babies birth-35 months and their caregivers • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Sing, rhyme, read, and dance with your little one, and then stay for community, sensory exploration, and playtime.

YOGA FOR ALL 12:15-1pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Our movement series meets weekly in the Bozeman Public Library Community Room.

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OPEN LAB IN THE STEAMLAB 3-6pm • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • No Cover • 5-18 • 406)-522-9087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Included with admission or membership.

NONFICTION WRITING GROUP 5:30-7:30pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Hobby writers are welcome to share your work with other writers, critique content, and develop your ability.

GAME NIGHT LIVE TRIVIA 6-8pm • Colombo’s Pizza & Pasta • FREE • All Ages • (406) 587-5544 • GameNightLive.com The games you love in your favorite places! Free trivia at Colombo’s at both 6 & 7 pm!

GNL TRIVIA 6-8pm • The Jump, 75770 Gallatin Rd, Gallatin Gateway • FREE • (406) 518-5011 • www.thejumpmt.com Accessible and amazing trivia for everyone, always an awesome time.

Prizes for winners.

LINE DANCING LESSONS WITH WESTERN ROOTS 6:15-7:15pm • Starlite Bozeman, 622 E Tamarack St, Bozeman • $15 • All Ages • 406-570-7422 • www.mtcountrydance.com Line dancing is back and it is FUN! We’re teaching classics and brand new dances every week. Grab your boots and join in!

MSU MENS BASKETBALL VS SOUTHERN UTAH 7pm • Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, 1 Bobcat Circle, Bozeman • (406) 994-CATS • www.brickbreeden.com Go Cats BEGINNER LEVEL COUNTRY SWING LESSONS 7:30-8:30pm • Starlite Bozeman, 622 E Tamarack St, Bozeman • $15 • All Ages • 406-570-7422 • www.mtcountrydance.com Been wanting to learn how to country dance? This class is for you. Every week we will go over the basics of country swing. You will leave the class with different moves each week!

www.bozemanmagazine.com

PLAY: A CHRISTMAS CAROL 7:30pm • The Ellen Theatre, 17 W. Main St., Bozeman • Youth (4-14) $21.75, Main $27.75, Premium $39.75 • (406) 585-5885 • www.theellentheatre.com Witness 昀椀rsthand as Scrooge is haunted by Jacob Marley, and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

BONE DRY COMEDY HOUR OPEN MIC 8-10pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • FREE • 18+ • 4062193933 • www.lastbestcomedy.com Bone Dry Comedy brings Open Mic night to Last Best Comedy. Our weekly open mic is a safe, friendly, supportive place to start your comedy journey, try new material, and connect to the Bozeman Stand up scene.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 20 12 DAYS OF BIKEMAS 2023 Go Gallatin, the City of Bozeman, and the Bozeman Downtown Business Partnership are excited to put on the 3nd annual “12 Days of Bikemas” to help residents and businesses get into the Active Christmas Spirit.

SNOWFLAKE SCIENCE CREATIONS 9am-3pm • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • $285 ($310 w/Aftercare) • Grades 1-5 • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Learn about the science of ice and snow while creating cool crafts -- like laser-cut snow昀氀akes -- using our high-tech tools! For children currently in 1st-5th grade.

WINTER WONDERLAND 10am-noon • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • With Admission • All Ages • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Every day during Winter Wonderland, we’ll have a hands-on science activity at the Science Station and a craft to take home!

TODDLER & PRESCHOOLER STORYTIME 10:15-11:15am • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • kids ages 3-5 and their caregivers • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Sing, rhyme, read, and dance with your kiddo, and then stay for community, hands-on learning, and playtime.

All listings are subject to change. Check ahead for full details.

MEET MR. & MRS. CLAUS 2-5pm • Dry Hills Distillery, 106 Village Center Lane, Four Corners • all ages • www.dryhillsdistillery.com We will have letters to Santa, Hot Cocoa and Cookies for the kiddos that evening for $7.

READ WITH A DOG 4-5pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • All Ages • 406-570-7752 • www. bozemanlibrary.org Kids can read with an Intermountain Therapy Dog each Wednesday afternoon.

FIBER ARTS 4-6pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Bring any type of easily mobile 昀椀ber based craft for a social meet up with other 昀椀ber artists in the Bozeman community.

LAST BEST PLACE WEDNESDAYS 5-11pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • 21+ • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com Enjoy 10% off total bill with a valid Montana ID.

WINTER WONDERLAND 10am-noon • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • With Admission • All Ages • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Every day during Winter Wonderland, we’ll have a hands-on science activity at the Science Station and a craft to take home!

BABY STORYTIME 10:15-11:15am • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • babies birth-35 months and their caregivers • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Sing, rhyme, read, and dance with your little one, and then stay for community, sensory exploration, and playtime.

GYROKINESIS 12:15-1pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org A movement method that addresses the entire body, opening energy pathways, stimulating the nervous system, increasing range of motion and creating functional strength through rhythmic, 昀氀owing movement sequences.

G.Y.E.C. IS SPONSORED BY:

BOZEMAN HEALTH LIVE MUSIC 8-10pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com The Tune Up is host to live music multiple times per week.

FRIDAY, DEC. 22 12 DAYS OF BIKEMAS 2023 Go Gallatin, the City of Bozeman, and the Bozeman Downtown Business Partnership are excited to put on the 3nd annual “12 Days of Bikemas” to help residents and businesses get into the Active Christmas Spirit.

OPEN LAB IN THE STEAMLAB 3-6pm • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • No Cover • 5-18 • 406)-522-9087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Included with admission or membership.

SNOWFLAKE SCIENCE CREATIONS 9am-3pm • Montana Sc ence Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • $285 ($310 w/Aftercare) • Grades 1-5 • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Learn about the science of ice and snow while creating cool crafts -- like laser-cut snow昀氀akes -- using our high-tech tools! For children currently in 1st-5th grade.

LEGO CLUB 3:30-4:30pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • kids ages 5-12 • 406-570-7752 • www. bozemanlibrary.org Take inspiration from the weekly challenge or free build, work solo or collaborate – it’s in your hands, LEGO Architect!

PRESCHOOL SCIENCE 10-11am • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • Free with admission • All Ages • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Shared storytime, STEAM activity, & take-home craft sponsored by Bozeman Health. Mondays & Fridays. Free with Admission.

INTRO TO MACHINE EMBROIDERY 6:30-7:45pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 14+ • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Come and learn what machine embroidery is and how you can do it.

THE LONGEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR: HOMELESS PERSONS’ MEMORIAL DAY 6-7:30pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary. org The Library hosts the event with a candlelight vigil, messages of hope, and a moment of silence on the front lawn (or inside the lobby) .

WINTER WONDERLAND 10am-noon • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • With Admission • All Ages • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Every day during Winter Wonderland, we’ll have a hands-on science activity at the Science Station and a craft to take home!

BINGO 7-9pm • American Legion Bar, 225 E. Main St., Bozeman • 18+ • (406) 586-8400 • www.facebook.com 100% of the proceeds go to assisting our Veterans, their families, our youth programs, and the community.

THREE FORKS MUSIC NIGHT WITH BRIDGER CREEK BOYS 6-8pm • Bridger Brewing Pub + Grill, 10751 Hwy 287, Three Forks • no cover • all ages • 406-200-9354 • www.bridgerbrewing.com Enjoy tunes with Bridger Creek Boys.

WESTERN SWING WEDNESDAYS 7-11pm • The Jump, 75770 Gallatin Rd, Gallatin Gateway • Lessons $10 • 21+ after 9pm • (406) 518-5011 • www.thejumpmt.com There will be a great dance 昀氀oor every week, your favorite instructors, and all the country music you love from Bozeman’s Choice 2023 DJ, DJ Habes. See ya at THE JUMP every Wednesday!

SINGO 6-8pm • Last Best Place Brewery, 605 N. 7th Ave, Bozeman • 21+ Do you like music? Are you a fan of Bingo? Bring a group for Singo and relax for some fun and beer.

GNL TRIVIA WEDNESDAY 6-8pm • SHINE Beer Sanctuary + Bottle Shop, 451 E Main St, Bozeman • FREE • (406) 585-8558 • shinebeer.com Come Check Out the Most Accessible, Varied, and Fun Trivia Nights Designed for Anyone who Loves to Play Games. Free-to-Play & Prizes for the Winners.

GAME NIGHT LIVE TRIVIA 6-8pm • Audreys Pizza Oven & Freefall Brewery, 806 N. 7th Ave, Bozeman • No Cover • (406) 522-5456 • www.audreyspizzaoven.com Come Check Out the Most Accessible, Varied, and Fun Trivia Nights Designed for Anyone who Loves to Play Games!

PLAY: A CHRISTMAS CAROL 7:30pm • The Ellen Theatre, 17 W. Main St., Bozeman • Youth (4-14) $21.75, Main $27.75, Premium $39.75 • (406) 585-5885 • www.theellentheatre.com Witness 昀椀rsthand as Scrooge is haunted by Jacob Marley, and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

JAZZ NIGHT W/EDDIE T 8-10pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mende hall St, Bozeman • no cover • 21+ • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com Live local music every Wednesday.

LADIES NIGHT 8pm-2am • Club Zebra, 321 E Main St, Bozeman • $10 for guys • 21+ The wonderful Ladies of Bozeman can enjoy 2 free drinks, $3 drinks till 10 pm, and that booty shakin’ music provided by DJ Chedda.

THURSDAY, DEC. 21 12 DAYS OF BIKEMAS 2023 Go Gallatin, the City of Bozeman, and the Bozeman Downtown Business Partnership are excited to put on the 3nd annual “12 Days of Bikemas” to help residents and businesses get into the Active Christmas Spirit.

SNOWFLAKE SCIENCE CREATIONS 9am-3pm • Montana Sc ence Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • $285 ($310 w/Aftercare) • Grades 1-5 • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Learn about the science of ice and snow while creating cool crafts -- like laser-cut snow昀氀akes -- using our high-tech tools! For children currently in 1st-5th grade.

FLY-TYING NIGHT 6-9pm • Bozeman Fly Supply, 2621 W College, Bozeman • FREE Bring your vise, tools, materials, and beverages.

This is not a class but an invitation for all to get out of the house, get behind the vise, and have fun with fellow tiers.

VINTAGE SWING SOCIAL 7-8pm • Blend, 31 S Willson Ave, Bozeman • (406) 414-9693 Join the Downbeat Vintage Swing Society for our weekly vintage swing social, we host an introductory swing lesson, followed by a social to dance.

JESSE THE OCELOT 7-10pm • Bozeman Hot Springs & Fitness, 81123 Gallatin Road, Four Corners • With Admission • All Ages • 4065866492 • bozemanhotsprings.co Live music while you soak!

Featuring the Missoula-based psychedelic rock artist “Jesse the Ocelot”.

TODDLER & PRESCHOOLER STORYTIME 10:15-11:15am • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • kids ages 3-5 and their caregivers • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Sing, rhyme, read, and dance with your kiddo, and then stay for community, hands-on learning, and playtime.

BOZEMAN GOLD CLUB 12:10-1pm • First Security Bank, 208 E. Main St,, Bozeman • FREE • All Ages • 406-580-1921 • www. toastmasters.org A friendly group of individuals who meet weekly on Fridays at 12:10 p.m. in the basement of the First Security Bank to improve our communication skills.

OPEN LAB IN THE STEAMLAB 3-6pm • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • No Cover • 5-18 • 406)-522-9087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org with admission or membership.

FIRE STATION TOUR WAITLIST 4pm • CVFD Station 1 December Tour is FULL; please sign up for the Waiting List(s).

COUNTRY SWING INTENSIVE CLASS 5-6pm • Starlite Bozeman, 622 E Tamarack St, Bozeman • $15 • All Ages • 406-570-7422 • www.mtcountrydance.com In these classes we will be diving into a different aspect of dance that once mastered will make you a better dancer. Tighter spins, more con昀椀dent following and stronger leads!

THURSDAY NIGHT OUT! 7-10pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • $15 • 18+ • 4062193933 • buytickets.at Improv Thursday Nights are back and it’s the perfect time to check our hilarious improv shows! A showcase of some of our awesome teams paired with our signature shows!

MSU WOMENS BASKETBALL VS NORTH TEXAS 7pm • Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, 1 Bobcat Circle, Bozeman • (406) 994-CATS • www.brickbreeden.com Go Cats PLAY: A CHRISTMAS CAROL 7:30pm • The Ellen Theatre, 17 W. Main St., Bozeman • Youth (4-14) $21.75, Main $27.75, Premium $39.75 • (406) 585-5885 • www.theellentheatre.com Witness 昀椀rsthand as Scrooge is haunted by Jacob Marley, and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

All listings are subject to change. Check ahead for full details.

www.bozemanmagazine.com

December 2023

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BLUEBELLY JUNCTION NYE DISCO RODEO December 31 - The Armory

ADD YOUR OWN EVENTS AT: www.bozemanmagazine.com

FRESH 5 FRIDAY 5:30-6:30pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • FREE • 18+ • 4062193933 • www.lastbestcomedy.com The Friday 5, 5 comics doing 5 fresh minutes of material +5 open mic slots & $5 Drink Specials.

HOLIDAY SIP & SHOP 6-9pm • Pony Bar, 108 Broadway Ave, Pony • 21+ • (406) 685-3386 • ponybarmontana.com Your favorite event is back at your favorite place! Join us for a fun night of drinks & shopping! Whiskey & Lace Boutique will be setting up shop!

What’s better than The Pony Bar & shopping? See you there!

FRIDAY NIGHT JAZZ 6:30-8:30pm • Red Tractor Pizza, 1007 W Main St, Bozeman • no cover • all ages • (406) 359-1999 • www. redtractorpizza.com Live local Jazz every Friday while you dine.

FRIDAY NIGHT WITH LUCAS ZELNICK 7-8:30pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • $24 online / $30 at the door • 18+ • 4062193933 • buytickets.at Lucas Zelnick is a stand-up comedian born, raised, and based in New York City, who challenges his cushy upbringing through punchheavy material. Lucas has appeared in SF Sketchfest and the New York Comedy Festival.

PLAY: A CHRISTMAS CAROL 7:30pm • The Ellen Theatre, 17 W. Main St., Bozeman • Youth (4-14) $21.75, Main $27.75, Premium $39.75 • (406) 585-5885 • www.theellentheatre.com Witness 昀椀rsthand as Scrooge is haunted by Jacob Marley, and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

LIVE MUSIC 8-10pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • 21+ • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com Wednesday-Saturday featuring local and touring music acts.

FRIDAY NIGHT WITH LUCAS ZELNICK 9-10:30pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • $24 online / $30 at the door • 18+ • 4062193933 • buytickets.at Lucas Zelnick is a stand-up comedian born, raised, and based in New York City, who challenges his cushy upbringing through punchheavy material. Lucas has appeared in SF Sketchfest and the New York Comedy Festival.

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LIVE MUSIC 9-11pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com The Tune Up is host to live music multiple times per week.

JACK EASTERNHOUSE 9-11pm • Grey Dog Bar, 34 N Bozeman Ave, Bozeman • 21+ • (406) 404-1014 • www.thegreydogbar.com Local live music.

BAND OF DRIFTERS 9pm • Chico Hot Springs, 163 Chico Road, Pray • no cover • 21+ • (406) 333-4933 • www.chicohotsprings.com The Band of Drifters plays Modern American Roots Music and they encourage you to dance.

710 ASHBURY 9pm • Tips Up, 76 Town Center Ave Unit A1, Big Sky • no cover • 21+ • (406) 995-2773 • www.tipsupbigsky.com Find a way to brave the cold rain and snow and get down to Tips Up for some good times.

SATURDAY, DEC. 23 12 DAYS OF BIKEMAS 2023 Go Gallatin, the City of Bozeman, and the Bozeman Downtown Business Partnership are excited to put on the 3nd annual “12 Days of Bikemas” to help residents and businesses get into the Active Christmas Spirit.

BOZEMAN WINTER FARMERS’ MARKET 9am-noon • Gallatin County Fairgrounds, 901 N. Black, Bozeman • (406) 582-3270 • www.gallatin.mt.gov Area farmers have worked hard to drastically increase the amount of fresh greens and the variety of vegetables they can offer our community throughout the fall, winter and spring.

WINTER WONDERLAND 10am-noon • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • With Admission • All Ages • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Every day during Winter Wonderland, we’ll have a hands-on science activity at the Science Station and a craft to take home!

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STEAM SATURDAYS 10am-noon • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • Free with admission • All Ages • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Local STEM professionals lead a fun activity relating to their 昀椀eld. Check the online calendar for guests.

FAMILY STORYTIME 10:15-11am • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • birth-5 and their caregivers • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Singing simple rhymes and songs for babies, moving and grooving for tots, reading a longer book or two for preschoolers – this program has it all!

POKER TOURNAMENT noon-6pm • The Cat’s Paw • $80 • 18+ • 406 404 1968 • seatopen.com Live Poker Tournaments in Bozeman Every Weekend on Saturdays & Sundays! Join us for No Limit Hold ‘em Cash Games 7 days a week starting at 3pm. Food, Drinks & Fun Every Day! FIBER ARTS 2-4pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Bring any type of easily mobile 昀椀ber based craft for a social meet up with other 昀椀ber artists in the Bozeman community.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON LIVE ACOUSTIC MUSIC 2-4pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Local jazz guitarist Craig Hall will lead the music and bring along guest performers, including Michael Steele, Kearen Samsel, Alex Robilotta, Aaron Ban昀椀eld and Michael Testagross.

BURGERS & BINGO 5:30pm • Eagles Lodge, 316 East Main Street, Bozeman • All ages • (406) 587-9996 Burgers & Bingo is back after a long hiatus, enjoy a burger and bingo every Saturday night.

A VERY SPECIAL HOLIDAY MUSICAL 7-8pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • $10 • 18+ • 4062193933 • buytickets.at Join us for a Very Special Holiday Musical with the cast of Winging It! Our cast will use the spirit of the season to weave a holiday tale so fun you have to sing about it.

All listings are subject to change. Check ahead for full details.

DECO & THE DUSTERS 7pm • The Jump, 75770 Gallatin Rd, Gallatin Gateway • no cover • (406) 518-5011 • www.thejumpmt. com Live Americana, Alt-Country music!

NOTORIOUS BOZ 8-9pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • $15 • 18+ • 4062193933 • buytickets.at Notorious BOZ is a long-form improv show that people of Bozeman. Every show will feature a guest monologist who will share stories from their life. The cast will then use those stories to inspire their comedy!

LIVE MUSIC 8-10pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • 21+ • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com Wednesday-Saturday featuring local and touring music acts.

WESTERN ROOTS COUNTRY DANCING 8pm-12:30am • Bourbon, 515 W Aspen St, Bozeman • no cover • bourbonmt.com Learn to line dance with Western Roots Dancing at 8pm then dance and party the night away!

LIVE MUSIC 9-11pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com The Tune Up is host to live music multiple times per week.

BAND OF DRIFTERS 9pm • Chico Hot Springs, 163 Chico Road, Pray • no cover • 21+ • (406) 333-4933 • www.chicohotsprings.com The Band of Drifters plays Modern American Roots Music and they encourage you to dance.

WHIZ BANG! 9:30-10:30pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • $10 • 18+ • 4062193933 • www. lastbestcomedy.com Whiz BANG! is an explosion of intoxicating comedy! Exciting, high-energy, short-form improv that is so funny it’s criminal. An hour long show with lots of audience interaction, it’s the perfect show to bring some pals or a date.

SUNDAY, DEC. 24 12 DAYS OF BIKEMAS 2023 Go Gallatin, the City of Bozeman, and the Bozeman Downtown Business Partnership are excited to put on the 3nd annual “12 Days of Bikemas” to help residents and businesses get into the Active Christmas Spirit.

CARS & COFFEE BELGRADE 8-10am • Duke’s Cafe & Bakery, 220 S. Broadway, Belgrade • FREE • (406) 924-2442 • Dukescafeandbakery.com Early bird Cars and Coffee meet at Dukes Cafe in Belgrade, every Sunday, in any weather, all year long. Anyone is welcome, just bring your passion for Engines.

NONFICTION WRITING GROUP 5:30-7:30pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Hobby writers are welcome to share your work with other writers, critique content, and develop your ability.

GAME NIGHT LIVE TRIVIA 6-8pm • Colombo’s Pizza & Pasta • FREE • All Ages • (406) 587-5544 • GameNightLive.com The games you love in your favorite places! Free trivia at Colombo’s at both 6 & 7 pm!

WESTERN SWING WEDNESDAYS 7-11pm • The Jump, 75770 Gallatin Rd, Gallatin Gateway • Lessons $10 • 21+ after 9pm • (406) 518-5011 • www.thejumpmt.com There will be a great dance 昀氀oor every week, your favorite instructors, and all the country music you love from Bozeman’s Choice 2023 DJ, DJ Habes. See ya at THE JUMP every Wednesday!

LINE DANCING LESSONS WITH WESTERN ROOTS 6:15-7:15pm • Starlite Bozeman, 622 E Tamarack St, Bozeman • $15 • All Ages • 406-570-7422 • www.mtcountrydance.com Line dancing is back and it is FUN! We’re teaching classics and brand new dances every week. Grab your boots and join in!

STORY MANSION STRING JAM 7pm • The Story Mansion, 811 S. Willson, Bozeman • 406-582-2910 • www.friendsofthestory.org As a group, we will pick our favorite songs and 昀椀ll the mansion with music! This is an Acoustic String Jam.

BEGINNER LEVEL COUNTRY SWING LESSONS 7:30-8:30pm • Starlite Bozeman, 622 E Tamarack St, Bozeman • $15 • All Ages • 406-570-7422 • www.mtcountrydance.com Been wanting to learn how to country dance? This class is for you. Every week we will go over the basics of country swing. You will leave the class with different moves each week!

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 27 FROSTY FRIVOLOUS FOOD 9am-3pm • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • $285 ($310 w/Aftercare) • Grades 1-5 • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Dabble in foodscience with delicious results, such as robot-made pancakes! For children currently in 1st-5th grade.

TODDLER & PRESCHOOLER STORYTIME 10:15-11:15am • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • kids ages 3-5 and their caregivers • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Sing, rhyme, read, and dance with your kiddo, and then stay for community, hands-on learning, and playtime.

READ WITH A DOG 4-5pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • All Ages • 406-570-7752 • www. bozemanlibrary.org Kids can read with an Intermountain Therapy Dog each Wednesday afternoon.

FIBER ARTS 4-6pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Bring any type of easily mobile 昀椀ber based craft for a social meet up with other 昀椀ber artists in the Bozeman community.

BRIDGER MOUNTAIN BIG BAND 7-9:30pm • Eagles Lodge, 316 East Main Street, Bozeman • no cover • 21+ • (406) 587-9996 The Bridger Mountain Big Band is a 17-piece jazz orchestra that plays all styles of music from the 1.

LAST BEST PLACE WEDNESDAYS 5-11pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • 21+ • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com Enjoy 10% off total bill with a valid Montana ID.

MONDAY, DEC. 25

GNL TRIVIA WEDNESDAY 6-8pm • SHINE Beer Sanctuary + Bottle Shop, 451 E Main St, Bozeman • FREE • (406) 585-8558 • shinebeer.com Come Check Out the Most Accessible, Varied, and Fun Trivia Nights Designed for Anyone who Loves to Play Games. Free-to-Play & Prizes for the Winners.

TUESDAY, DEC. 26 BABY STORYTIME 10:15-11:15am • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • babies birth-35 months and their caregivers • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Sing, rhyme, read, and dance with your little one, and then stay for community, sensory exploration, and playtime.

YOGA FOR ALL 12:15-1pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Our movement series meets weekly in the Bozeman Public Library Community Room.

BINGO 7-9pm • American Legion Bar, 225 E. Main St., Bozeman • 18+ • (406) 586-8400 • www.facebook.com 100% of the proceeds go to assisting our Veterans, their families, our youth programs, and the community.

GNL TRIVIA 6-8pm • The Jump, 75770 Gallatin Rd, Gallatin Gateway • FREE • (406) 518-5011 • www.thejumpmt.com Accessible and amazing trivia for everyone, always an awesome time.

Prizes for winners.

GAME NIGHT 2-10pm • Valhalla Meadery, 875 Bridger Drive Unit B, Bozeman • no cover • 21+ Bring a game in to play and receive a free drink.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

G.Y.E.C. IS SPONSORED BY:

BOZEMAN HEALTH

BFS: THE HOLDOVERS 7pm • The Ellen Theatre, 17 W. Main St., Bozeman • $11.50-$13.50 • (406) 585-5885 • www.theellentheatre. com “Paul Giamatti is absolute perfection as a Grinchy teacher who learns a hard lesson in empathy over a winter school break.” Peter Traverse, ABC News CIRQUE-TACULAR 7:30pm • Warren Miller Performing Arts Center, 45465 Gallatin Road, Big Sky • $22-49 • 406-995-6345 • www. warrenmillerpac.org Cirque-tacular is a performing arts group that features the nation’s most elite talent in acrobatics, aerialists, and specialty acts.

JAZZ NIGHT W/EDDIE T 8-10pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • 21+ • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com Live local music every Wednesday.

LADIES NIGHT 8pm-2am • Club Zebra, 321 E Main St, Bozeman • $10 for guys • 21+ The wonderful Ladies of Bozeman can enjoy 2 free drinks, $3 drinks till 10 pm, and that booty shakin’ music provided by DJ Chedda.

THURSDAY, DEC. 28 FROSTY FRIVOLOUS FOOD 9am-3pm • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • $285 ($310 w/Aftercare) • Grades 1-5 • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Dabble in foodscience with delicious results, such as robot-made pancakes! For children currently in 1st-5th grade.

BABY STORYTIME 10:15-11:15am • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • babies birth-35 months and their caregivers • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Sing, rhyme, read, and dance with your little one, and then stay for community, sensory exploration, and playtime.

GAME NIGHT LIVE TRIVIA 6-8pm • Audreys Pizza Oven & Freefall Brewery, 806 N. 7th Ave, Bozeman • No Cover • (406) 522-5456 • www.audreyspizzaoven.com Come Check Out the Most Accessible, Varied, and Fun Trivia Nights Designed for Anyone who Loves to Play Games!

INTRO TO AUDIO RECORDING 6:30-7:45pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 14+ • 406-5707752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Come and learn how to use our brand new Studio to record your own audio.

All listings are subject to change. Check ahead for full details.

www.bozemanmagazine.com

December 2023

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PAIGE & THE PEOPLE’S BAND 24 KARAT NYE PARTY WITH SAVVY The ELM - Dec 31 TICKETS AT: LOGJAMPRESENTS.COM

NEW EVENTS ADDED DAILY AT: www.bozemanmagazine.com

GYROKINESIS 12:15-1pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org A movement method that addresses the entire body, opening energy pathways, stimulating the nervous system, increasing range of motion and creating functional strength through rhythmic, 昀氀owing movement sequences.

LIVE MUSIC 8-10pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com The Tune Up is host to live music multiple times per week.

LEGO CLUB 3:30-4:30pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • kids ages 5-12 • 406-570-7752 • www. bozemanlibrary.org Take inspiration from the weekly challenge or free build, work solo or collaborate – it’s in your hands, LEGO Architect!

FROSTY FRIVOLOUS FOOD 9am-3pm • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • $285 ($310 w/Aftercare) • Grades 1-5 • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Dabble in foodscience with delicious results, such as robot-made pancakes! For children currently in 1st-5th grade.

THREE FORKS MUSIC NIGHT WITH MARCEDES CARROL 6-8pm • Bridger Brewing Pub + Grill, 10751 Hwy 287, Three Forks • 406200-9354 • www.bridgerbrewing.com Enjoy music with Marcedes Carrol.

PRESCHOOL SCIENCE 10-11am • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • Free with admission • All Ages • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Shared storytime, STEAM activity, & take-home craft sponsored by Bozeman Health. Mondays & Fridays. Free with Admission.

SINGO 6-8pm • Last Best Place Brewery, 605 N. 7th Ave, Bozeman • 21+ Do you like music? Are you a fan of Bingo? Bring a group for Singo and relax for some fun and beer.

FLY-TYING NIGHT 6-9pm • Bozeman Fly Supply, 2621 W College, Bozeman • FREE Bring your vise, tools, materials, and beverages to tie some 昀氀ies. This is not a class but an invitation for all to get out of the house, get behind the vise, and have fun with fellow tiers.

VINTAGE SWING SOCIAL 7-8pm • Blend, 31 S Willson Ave, Bozeman • (406) 414-9693 Join the Downbeat Vintage Swing Society for our weekly vintage swing social, we host an introductory swing lesson, followed by a social to dance.

JOSH MOORE 7-10pm • Bozeman Hot Springs & Fitness, 81123 Gallatin Road, Four Corners • With Admission • All Ages • 4065866492 • bozemanhotsprings.co Live music while you soak!

Featuring the Bozeman-based folk artist Josh Moore.

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FRIDAY, DEC. 29

TODDLER & PRESCHOOLER STORYTIME 10:15-11:15am • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • kids ages 3-5 and their caregivers • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Sing, rhyme, read, and dance with your kiddo, and then stay for community, hands-on learning, and playtime.

BOZEMAN GOLD CLUB 12:10-1pm • First Security Bank, 208 E. Main St,, Bozeman • FREE • All Ages • 406-580-1921 • www. toastmasters.org A friendly group of individuals who meet weekly on Fridays at 12:10 p.m. in the basement of the First Security Bank to improve our communication skills.

A JOURNALING JOURNEY: DECEMBER MEETING 2pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Let your mind wander using Journaling Prompts provided each month and posted on the Library’s Calendar of Events.

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COUNTRY SWING INTENSIVE CLASS 5-6pm • Starlite Bozeman, 622 E Tamarack St, Bozeman • $15 • All Ages • 406-570-7422 • www.mtcountrydance.com In these classes we will be diving into a different aspect of dance that once mastered will make you a better dancer. Tighter spins, more con昀椀dent following and stronger leads!

FRESH 5 FRIDAY 5:30-6:30pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • FREE • 18+ • 4062193933 • www.lastbestcomedy.com The Friday 5, 5 comics doing 5 fresh minutes of material +5 open mic slots & $5 Drink Specials.

FRIDAY NIGHT JAZZ 6:30-8:30pm • Red Tractor Pizza, 1007 W Main St, Bozeman • no cover • all ages • (406) 359-1999 • www. redtractorpizza.com Live local Jazz every Friday while you dine.

TREASURE STATE COMEDY SHOWCASE: BEST OF ‘23 7-8:30pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • $20 online and $25 at the door • 18+ • 4062193933 • buytickets.at We’ve got another great Treasure State Comedy Showcase coming for you and this time it’s a line-up of best Montana comics of 2023!

MSU WOMENS BASKETBALL VS IDAHO STATE 7pm • Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, 1 Bobcat Circle, Bozeman • (406) 994-CATS • www.brickbreeden.com Go Cats SPARKLE SPECTACULAR 2023 SOLD OUT 7:30pm • 21+ A sparkle-tacular evening of fabulous performance and revelry, hosted by Raison D’être Dance Project.

LIVE MUSIC 8-10pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • 21+ • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com Wednesday-Saturday featuring local and touring music acts.

THE MAX - EVE-EVE-EVAPALOOZA 8pm • The Attic, 110 N Main St, 2nd Floor, Livingston • $15 • www.theatticmontana.com Live music from The Max.

All listings are subject to change. Check ahead for full details.

CACTUS CUTS 8pm • The Jump, 75770 Gallatin Rd, Gallatin Gateway • no cover • (406) 518-5011 • www.thejumpmt.com Live Americana, Folk music!

LIVE MUSIC 9-11pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com The Tune Up is host to live music multiple times per week.

BRICKHOUSE BAND 9pm • Chico Hot Springs, 163 Chico Road, Pray • no cover • 21+ • (406) 333-4933 • www.chicohotsprings.com A 5-piece band that knows how to pack a dance 昀氀oor. Playing dance classics, modern hits and some funky tunes, they bring the party.

SATURDAY, DEC. 30 BOZEMAN WINTER FARMERS’ MARKET 9am-noon • Gallatin County Fairgrounds, 901 N. Black, Bozeman • (406) 582-3270 • www.gallatin.mt.gov Area farmers have worked hard to drastically increase the amount of fresh greens and the variety of vegetables they can offer our community throughout the fall, winter and spring.

STEAM SATURDAYS 10am-noon • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • Free with admission • All Ages • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Local STEM professionals lead a fun activity relating to their 昀椀eld. Check the online calendar for guests.

FAMILY STORYTIME 10:15-11am • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • birth-5 and their caregivers • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Singing simple rhymes and songs for babies, moving and grooving for tots, reading a longer book or two for preschoolers – this program has it all!

POKER TOURNAMENT noon-6pm • The Cat’s Paw • $80 • 18+ • 406 404 1968 • seatopen.com Live Poker Tournaments in Bozeman Every Weekend on Saturdays & Sundays! Join us for No Limit Hold ‘em Cash Games 7 days a week starting at 3pm. Food, Drinks & Fun Every Day! SATURDAY AFTERNOON LIVE ACOUSTIC MUSIC 2-4pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 406570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Local jazz guitarist Craig Hall will lead the music and bring along guest performers, including Michael Steele, Kearen Samsel, Alex Robilotta, Aaron Ban昀椀eld and Michael Testagross.

BURGERS & BINGO 5:30pm • Eagles Lodge, 316 East Main Street, Bozeman • All ages • (406) 587-9996 Burgers & Bingo is back after a long hiatus, enjoy a burger and bingo every Saturday night.

BITS & BEATS: A NIGHT OF JAZZ & COMEDY 7-7:30pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • $20 • 18+ • 4062193933 • buytickets.at We’re bringing it back to the 1950’s, New York City! The birth of modern jazz coincided with the birth of modern stand-up comedy, and these artists frequently shared the same venues. Tonight, we bring this format back to life!

JODY & THE WOODFLOWERS 7pm • The Jump, 75770 Gallatin Rd, Gallatin Gateway • no cover • (406) 518-5011 • www.thejumpmt.com Live Americana music!

LIVE MUSIC 8-10pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • 21+ • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com Wednesday-Saturday featuring local and touring music acts.

WESTERN ROOTS COUNTRY DANCING 8pm-12:30am • Bourbon, 515 W Aspen St, Bozeman • no cover • bourbonmt.com Learn to line dance with Western Roots Dancing at 8pm then dance and party the night away!

LIVE MUSIC 9-11pm • Tune Up Bar, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • no cover • (406) 551-7702 • tuneupbarandlounge.com The Tune Up is host to live music multiple times per week.

BRICKHOUSE BAND 9pm • Chico Hot Springs, 163 Chico Road, Pray • no cover • 21+ • (406) 333-4933 • www.chicohotsprings.com A 5-piece band that knows how to pack a dance 昀氀oor. Playing dance classics, modern hits and some funky tunes, they bring the party.

SUNDAY, DEC. 31 SUNDAY DANCE American Legion Manhattan, 218 E Main St, Manhattan • $10 • 21+ • (406) 284-6138 Get ready for a New Years Eve kickoff with music by “Powderhorn,” setting the stage for your dancing toward a great new year...you’ll probably be too tired by 5 PM to pursue any evening partying and falling asleep prior to bringing in the New Year!

CARS & COFFEE BELGRADE 8-10am • Duke’s Cafe & Bakery, 220 S. Broadway, Belgrade • FREE • (406) 924-2442 • Dukescafeandbakery.com Early bird Cars and Coffee meet at Dukes Cafe in Belgrade, every Sunday, in any weather, all year long. Anyone is welcome, just bring your passion for Engines.

NOON YEAR’S EVE PARTY 11:30am-1:30pm • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • Included With Admision • All Ages • 4065229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Ring in the New Year with sparkly crafts and science experiments. Watch the “Ball Drop” and get ready for 2024 without staying up late.

Party-goers are welcome to dress in their best and create a party hat to take home!

NOON YEARS EVE PARTY 11:30am-1:30pm • Montana Science Center, 2744 W Main St, Bozeman • with admission • 406)-5229087 • www.montanasciencecenter.org Ring in the New Year with sparkly crafts and science experiments. Watch the “Ball Drop” and get ready for 2024 without staying up late. Party-goers are welcome to dress in their best and create a party hat to take home!

POKER TOURNAMENT noon-6pm • The Cat’s Paw • $80 • 18+ • 406 404 1968 • seatopen.com Live Poker Tournaments in Bozeman Every Weekend on Saturdays & Sundays! Join us for No Limit Hold ‘em Cash Games 7 days a week starting at 3pm. Food, Drinks & Fun Every Day! CRAFTERNOON 2-4pm • Bozeman Public Library, 626 East Main Street, Bozeman • FREE • 14+ • 406-570-7752 • www.bozemanlibrary.org Every Sunday take part in a creative program designed to introduce you to new skills, inspire new hobbies, or create something fun.

GAME NIGHT 2-10pm • Valhalla Meadery, 875 Bridger Drive Unit B, Bozeman • no cover • 21+ Bring a game in to play and receive a free drink.

MSU WOMENS BASKETBALL VS WEBER STATE 2pm • Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, 1 Bobcat Circle, Bozeman • (406) 994-CATS • www.brickbreeden.com Go Cats

G.Y.E.C. IS SPONSORED BY:

BOZEMAN HEALTH WINTER WONDERLAND SLEIGH RIDES 4-8pm • Gallatin River Lodge, 9105 Thorpe Rd, Bozeman • Adults $35 I children 5-18 $20 I lap kids under 2 years old FREE • (406) 388-0148 • www.grlodge. com Grab a cup of hot cocoa or hot cider from the restaurant and take a 20 minute afternoon or evening ride and enjoy the beauty up close in our countryside setting.

BRIDGER MOUNTAIN BIG BAND 7-9:30pm • Eagles Lodge, 316 East Main Street, Bozeman • no cover • 21+ • (406) 587-9996 The Bridger Mountain Big Band is a 17-piece jazz orchestra that plays all styles of music from the 1.

THE LAST BEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR: COMEDY COUNTDOWN TO 2024 8pm • Last Best Comedy, 321 E Main, Alley Entrance off Rouse, Bozeman • TBA • 18+ • 4062193933 • www.lastbestcomedy.com Join us for our annual New Year’s Eve party, the Comedy Countdown to 2024! We will have a night full of laughs, fun and celebration as we showcase our comedy shows, stand-ups and more! Stay tuned for more details. Tickets include a champagne toast.

NYE ‘23 - PAIGE & THE PEOPLE’S BAND 8pm • The ELM • $25$40 (Adv.) $28 (DOS) • All Ages • 4068304640 • logjampresents. com Logjam Presents is pleased to welcome Paige & the People’s Band for a live in concert performance.

NEW YEAR’S EVE DANCE PARTY WITH IBIZA SOUND CLUB 8pm • Labor Temple, 422 E Mendenhall St, Bozeman • $20 in advance$25 at the door • 21+ Come join us for a wild night of non-stop dancing and electrifying beats at the New Year’s Eve Dance Party with Ibiza Sound Club.

NYE DISCO RODEO EXTRAVAGANZA 9pm • Armory Music Hall, 24 W Mendenhall St, Bozeman • $85-135 • www.armorymusichall. com Saddle up, put on your shiniest disco boots, and join us for the most electrifying party in town! Enjoy live music from Bluebelly Junction, light bites, and of course, a full bar is available.

MONDAY, JAN. 1 GAME NIGHT LIVE TRIVIA 6-8pm • Wildrye Distilling, 111 East Oak Street Suite 1E, Bozeman • FREE • 21+ • (406) 577-2288 • www.wildryedistilling.com With Picture Rounds, Sound Rounds, Word Jumbles and more.. There’s Something for Everyone.

TUESDAY, JAN. 2 GNL TRIVIA 6-8pm • The Jump, 75770 Gallatin Rd, Gallatin Gateway • FREE • (406) 518-5011 • www.thejumpmt.com Accessible and amazing trivia for everyone, always an awesome time.

Prizes for winners.

LINE DANCING LESSONS WITH WESTERN ROOTS 6:15-7:15pm • Starlite Bozeman, 622 E Tamarack St, Bozeman • $15 • All Ages • 406-570-7422 • www.mtcountrydance.com Line dancing is back and it is FUN! We’re teaching classics and brand new dances every week. Grab your boots and join in!

BEGINNER LEVEL COUNTRY SWING LESSONS 7:30-8:30pm • Starlite Bozeman, 622 E Tamarack St, Bozeman • $15 • All Ages • 406-570-7422 • www.mtcountrydance.com Been wanting to learn how to country dance? This class is for you. Every week we will go over the basics of country swing. You will leave the class with different moves each week!

ADD YOUR EVENTS TO THE DATABASE FOR FREE! www.bozemanmagazine.com All listings are subject to change. Check ahead for full details.

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December 2023

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