Exploring the Best of July
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How to Have More Summer Adventures
If you live in a place where winter lasts six months of the year (ahem, Montana), then you know that every day counts once summer rolls around. I’ve recently realized that if I don’t plan summer adventures in advance, they just don’t happen. This year, I vowed I wouldn’t have any regrets. I want to lap up every drop of sunshine!
Here are guidelines I set for myself to make sure that happens. Hopefully these tips can get you to all the amazing places and events featured in this month's issue!
1. Set realistic expectations.
Summer adventures don’t have to be epic multi-day treks. It can be as simple as exploring the next town over and packing a picnic at a local park. Organize your outings based on time restraints, physical capability, and other potential limitations.
2. Figure out what you actually enjoy.
You and your family and friends all have varied activity preferences. Don’t fall into the pressure that you have to enjoy a certain activity just because “everyone else does it” or because it’s romanticized on social media. If you don’t like hiking or going to the beach, that’s okay! Time is fleeting, so do things you love!
3. Map out adventure zones.
The best way to guarantee a summer of exploration is by creating dedicated adventure zones. Look at a map of where you live and establish three distinct radiuses:
Zone 1: Destinations within 30 minutes.
Zone 2: Places one to two hours away.
Zone 3: Day-trip territory (destinations requiring a half- or full-day travel commitment).
Make a list of all the places you want to visit and then figure out where to put them on your map depending on how far away these places are. You can map out adventure zones digitally in Google Maps or have some analog fun and print out your map!
While creating adventure zones, try not to overthink it. If you find an area that seems interesting, add it to the list and move on. You can do more research on it later! While you won’t be able to do everything in one season, you'll be creating a Montana summer bucket list for the future!
Because failing to plan, is planning to fail. Get out there!
July 2026
PUBLISHER
Greig Fahnlander | greig.fahnlander@citylifestyle.com
EDITOR
Summer Zalesky | summer.zalesky@citylifestyle.com
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Nicole Macias | hello.nikitynak@gmail.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Marko Capoferri, Rachel Jackson, Sydney Ludden, Julie Schnieders, Summer Zalesky
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Bigfork Rodeo, Felicia Garcia, Nikity Nak Creatives, Shannon Brinkman
Corporate Team
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
President Matthew Perry
COO David Stetler
CRO Jamie Pentz
CoS Janeane Thompson
AD DESIGNER Evan Deuvall
LAYOUT DESIGNER Kelsey Ragain
QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Anna Minnick
SUMMER ZALESKY, EDITOR @FLATHEADVALLEY.CITYLIFESTYLE
Proverbs 3:5-6
city scene
WHERE NEIGHBORS CAN SEE AND BE SEEN
1: Flathead Valley United SC’s Boys 2013 (U13) team 2: The team competed at the Montana Youth Soccer Association’s State Cup in Billings (May 16th-18th) 3: The team has now qualified for USYS Nationals in Salt Lake City, a highly competitive tournament. 5: Iker Ortiz Rojas scored the game-winning penalty. 6: The team won the championship match in a penalty shootout.
Managing Your Residential & Commercial Site Work Needs
business monthly
Colter x Charros Coffee House
If you've walked through downtown Kalispell recently, you might have noticed a change at one of Main Street's beloved coffee shops. Colter has passed the reins to Christian Cabrales and Alan Terry to begin a new chapter with Charro's Coffee House. The keys may have changed hands, but the faces behind the bar are still the same and ever ready to serve the community.
New Showroom for Kalispell Kubota
New name. New location. Same people. After 40 years as Parsons Tractor, Kalispell Kubota is now looking towards the future. With 5 more acres than the previous location, Kubota is happy to boast a larger and more varied inventory selection than ever before.
ISO Writers
We are looking for experienced writers to join our team. If you love this community and want the opportunity to tell its stories, please send a resume and writing samples to summer.zalesky@citylifestyle.com.
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ARTICLE BY JULIE SCHNIEDERS
ART BY VIRGINIA HUDSON
CRUISING the COAST
The Ultimate Flathead Lake Road Trip Guide
The bright Montana sunshine shone through the windshield as my husband and I set out on a road trip around Flathead Lake. 160 miles of shoreline, seven state parks, and one notorious lake monster. We started at West Shore State Park. It’s off of Highway 93 just a few miles south of downtown Lakeside. It has a public boat launch, campsites, a beach, and easy to moderate hiking trails. It’s also close to eateries like Tamarack Brewery and Harbor Grill. We discovered Glacier Camp next door and were surprised to learn its trails connect with West Shore. Glacier Camp is a Presbyterian camp with 11 cabins, a summer camp, and a lodge open year-round to the public for events and lodging.
Leaving Glacier Camp, we headed to Big Arm State Park on the southwest shore. We entered the long, curvy entrance with sweeping lawns and trees along the water’s edge. Big Arm has 217 acres with 39 campsites, three yurts, a boat launch, hiking, and picnic tables. The park is on the Flathead Indian reservation, so you’ll need a tribal permit to fish. The most unique state park is Wild Horse Island. We explored it last summer by pontoon boat, but you can rent from Big Arm Boat Rentals or kayak. Hiking there, we saw five wild horses, bighorn sheep, and lots of deer.
From Big Arm, we drove to Polson for hamburgers at Sportspage Bowl Grill and caught the end of the Kentucky Derby.
We continued to Finley Point State Park, 12 miles north of Polson on a peninsula. Finley Point is a heavily wooded park with campsites, a boat launch, and a beach. The road into the park was lined with cherry orchards, vineyards, farms, and gorgeous homes. Although Finley Point Grill was closed while we were exploring, it is a favorite with locals.
Our next stop was Yellow Bay State Park. Though it is a small, tentonly campground, it is in the heart of the Flathead’s sweet cherry orchards, making it a perfect launching point for U-pick cherries.
Perhaps the most popular of the Flathead Lake state parks is Wayfarers, with its dramatic cliffs and family-friendly camping. Like all of the state parks, it is open for swimming and paddleboarding. Burgertime, which will likely have lines wrapping around the building, and Rosa’s Pizza are right outside the park.
Lastly, we visited Somers Beach State Park, the newest addition to the state parks around the lake. We discovered a moms’ group where children played safely in the shallow shoreline. Next door is the Flathead Waterfowl Production Area, which is closed seasonally to protect nesting birds from March 1 through July 15. After your beach day, visit Cowboy Up for BBQ, Mountain Café for smoothies, or Somers Bay Café for donuts and coffee. Whatever you choose, it’s sure to be a sweet ending to a road trip that highlights Flathead Lake’s many unique flavors.
As Above, So Below
The duality of equestrian culture in the Flathead
Montanans certainly don’t have a monopoly on horse culture, but what probably feels like an outlier in most regions is widespread and vibrant here in the Treasure State. This July, the Flathead Valley plays host to a perfect duality of this heritage with two high-stakes equestrian events that, on the surface, are entirely different worlds, but underneath, share the same beating heart.
If you look towards the world of English equestrian precision, you’ll find The Event at Rebecca Farm. Celebrating a quarter-of-acentury milestone this year, it represents the sport of “eventing,” a multi-disciplinary test comprised of dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. Whereas the cowboy might rely on raw instinct, the eventer relies on a more calculated approach.
“It was about high school where I noticed everything became very horse-centric in my life, and everything after that happened because of horses,” says Sarah Broussard, organizer of The Event.
“I’ve been in the sport of eventing since I was about nine, so it’s very easy for me to understand,” she says. “And when I try to explain it to people, I realize that it is actually kind of a complicated sport.”
ARTICLE BY MARKO CAPOFERRI PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHANNON BRINKMAN AND BIGFORK RODEO
What is a little more straightforward, however, is the “Halt Cancer at X” initiative, which Sarah launched in honor of her mother, Rebecca, who passed away in 2010. The charity is closely tied to the Event. So far, they’ve raised over a million dollars for cancer research and patient support.
“We’ve been doing Halt Cancer for 12 years now. My mother was highly respected in the sport, and a lot of people knew her. I knew the eventing community would support that program,” Sarah says.
If Rebecca Farm is the sky, with all of its grace and measured jumps, then the Bigfork rodeo is the dusty, raw earth, and pure, unfiltered adrenaline.
Entering its eighth year, the Bigfork Rodeo has quickly amassed a massive reputation among riders and tourists alike. It is a celebration of a rodeo culture that feels quintessentially Montanan.
“Montana and rodeo go handin-hand,” says Rob Brisendine, co-founder and general manager of the Bigfork Rodeo. “We present rodeo how it used to be presented. It’s in your face. It feels dangerous. It feels like you’re a part of the event happening. You’re sitting right close, you’re getting dirt kicked on your face, people screaming around you.”
Where Rebecca Farm draws a dedicated global sporting community, Bigfork channels pure Americana. Landing right on the heels of the USA’s 250th birthday, Rob sees a deep, patriotic significance in this year’s timing.
“Have you ever experienced the 4th of July parade here? If you haven’t, you need to,” he says. “It makes you proud to be an American when you come to Bigfork and experience the Americana and the love of this country.”
5,000 to 6,000 people are drawn nightly with 40% being locals and 60% out-of-towners. And just as the international riders revere Rebecca Farm, the cowboy community holds the Bigfork Rodeo in identical high regard.
“We bring some of the best cowboys and cowgirls from across the world who want to come to Bigfork,” Rob continues. “We were voted Montana’s Medium and Small Rodeo of the Year for the last five years. That’s voted on by the cowboys and cowgirls themselves; that tells you a lot.”
Whether watching a rider guide a horse through a silent, flawless dressage test, or watching a cowboy cling to a bucking bronc in a cloud of dirt, both events are ultimate tests of horsemanship, riding ability, and the ancient kinship between human and beast. No matter how you choose to celebrate Montana’s horse culture this July, whether it’s heads or tails, you’re still looking at two sides of the same beautiful coin.
SAPPHIRES AND KINGS
Following the journey of a gem
ARTICLE BY SYDNEY LUDDEN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY NIKITY NAK CREATIVES
There is something lovely about walking into a jewelry shop and realizing you are not just looking at pretty things in glass cases. You are looking at time, patience, and tiny hand-made decisions. It is craftsmanship that has lived in one family long enough to become a business… and a way of life.
“What makes a Yogo special is its rarity and quality.”
Whitefish Goldsmiths has been that place of craftsmanship since 1987, when Aric King and his wife, Kate, opened the shop. Aric is a master goldsmith. Kate handles bookkeeping and has her own bead line of necklaces. She also strings pearls— something she says she may be the last person in the valley still doing.
Their son, Jesse King, now works alongside them, as do their nephews Kai Schuhriemen and Jeremy King. It is a true family operation where skills are passed down through observation, and hands-on learning.
Aric first became interested in jewelry while traveling with his father to Native American reservations for audit work. “I really got motivated by the beautiful Hopi jewelry I saw,” he says. Soon after, he got a job at a jewelry store in Whitefish, coming in as the afternoon sales kid. The jewelers would work for a few hours while he watched, then after they left, he would play around with the tools on his own.
Eventually, master jeweler Murphy McMahon, took him on as an apprentice. When Murphy’s shop closed, Aric and Kate opened their first storefront on Central Avenue and nine years later, moved to its current location on Third Street.
In those early years, custom jewelry looked different from what it does today. “Aric hand-carved waxes by hand,” Kate says. “This was before 3D printing and custom milling.” In 2006, they bought a laser and a mill, expanding what they could offer while keeping the work personal and in-house. The team specialize in custom fine jewelry, expert repair, and a curated selection of gemstones—Montana sapphires, diamonds, opals, and especially Yogo sapphires.
Yogo sapphires are renowned across the world, and for good reason. Unlike the vast majority of the world’s sapphires, which are discovered in alluvial deposits—meaning they were eroded out of their original rock over millennia and washed into
riverbeds—Yogos are found in situ . They remain locked inside the host rock that brought them to the surface known as the Yogo dike. This dike is a narrow streak of lamprophyre rock stretching roughly five miles long and only a few feet wide.
Long ago, molten magma pushed its way up through these deep layers of limestone. As this magma forced its way upward, it intercepted sapphire crystals that had already formed under immense heat and pressure deep within the Earth’s crust. The intense heat of the ascending magma dissolved the sharp edges of many crystals, which is why raw Yogo sapphires look like smooth, flat, or rounded wafers rather than sharp hexagonal prisms.
When the magma finally cooled, it solidified into a relatively soft, gray-brown rock, sealing the cornflower-blue treasures within a hard subterranean vault.
What makes a Yogo sapphire a true marvel of the gemological world comes down to two unique traits: unprecedented clarity and uniform, untreated color.
Aric confirms: “What makes a Yogo special is its rarity and quality. It comes only from one mining area in Montana, and nature finishes the job. The color is a true blue, and it’s not ever treated in any way.”
Yogos do not need artificial enrichment or human intervention. Because of the unique chemistry of the lamprophyre magma, they emerge from the earth completely free of rutile silk and with perfectly balanced trace elements.
Whitefish Goldsmiths has worked with Yogos since the beginning. Aric credits Jeff Kunisaki, owner of the Yogo mine, as the person who first got them buying the stones. Today, the shop maintains one of the largest Yogo inventories around, something that has required patience and intention. When the mine pauses or production slows, stones can become incredibly difficult to source—especially larger ones.
“What makes a Yogo special is its rarity and quality. It comes only from one mining area in Montana, and nature finishes the job.”
Because Yogo rough is so flat, finished stones over one carat are exceptionally rare. Most recovered Yogos yield finished gems under 0.50 carats.
Because Yogos tend to be smaller and flatter stones, they require thoughtful design. Many become rings, though the shop also carries Yogo earrings, pendants, and necklaces. Once, a customer fell in love with both a Yogo and diamond bracelet, along with a Yogo pendant. Realizing the bracelet was slightly too small for her wrist, the team modified it by adding the pendant into the center. “It made it spectacular,” Aric says.
“It’s exactly what the customer wants,” Jesse says of their custom process. “You get to really know the customer. They become friends.”
Aric agrees. “When we are working with you, you’re not going to be surprised by a piece you don’t like. You’ve seen what we are doing along the way.”
In a world where so much feels fast, outsourced, or impersonal, a rare Montana stone made by a local family at a bench feels grounding. And this summer, Whitefish Goldsmiths expects to have even more Yogos in the shop. Honestly, they are worth coming in just to look at.
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UNDER THE BIG SKY BRINGS UNFORGETTABLE SETS AND THE UNMISTAKABLE SPIRIT OF THE WEST
ARTICLE BY RACHEL JACKSON AND SUMMER ZALESKY
PHOTOGRAPHY BY FELICIA GARCIA | @FIXATIONPHOTOGRAPHY
The stage is set. Cowboy hats and turquoise beads are everywhere. A whoop rises up from the crowd as folksyblues-country singer Sierra Ferrell prances up to her place in the spotlight. She’s prancing, of course, because she’s arriving on horseback, as any good country artist would. A song rises up to the breathable, uncluttered Montana skies, which serve as the ideal amphitheater for an event of this magnitude.
The acclaimed music festival, Under the Big Sky— though it may as well be called Inside the Big Sky, with its 180° vantage of mountains, forests, and the blue—draws 90,000 musicophiles in a weekend. This intersection of ruggedness and luxury is so uniquely Montana, that it consistently makes the top three for “best summer event”
"UNDER THE BIG SKY IS CERTAIN TO DRAW YOU IN AND MAKE YOU FALL IN LOVE."
of the Flathead Valley, the county in which the festival takes place. With skyrocketing tourism, and an almost extra 100K people roaming around, you might think “how is there room for all these people?” But Under the Big Sky has been strategically placed, just enough out of town to prevent traffic build-up, while still allowing local businesses—markets, boutiques, coffee shops, banks, lodging—to be easily accessed and supported.
Under the Big Sky debuted in 2019 at Big Mountain Ranch, a working cattle ranch with incomparable views of Whitefish Ski Resort’s mountains and the surrounding landscape. The festival is just a small part of the larger scope of work that takes place on the ranch each year in its crucial role as part of Montana’s agriculture industry. With many festival attendees coming from out of state, this crossover between entertainment and the local economy helps to raise awareness of just how important this trade is in Montana and the mountain west.
Beyond the main attraction of the musical acts, the festival features a live rodeo, activities, and local food and drink vendors throughout the weekend. And the fun doesn’t stop when the stages go dark. After the sun sets, official Under the Big Sky after parties take over the nearby town of Whitefish at local hot spots like The Remington, Great Northern Bar, and this year, Majestic Valley Arena, giving fans a chance to see national acts in smaller rooms. Zach Top was a featured after party artist in 2005; now he’s headlining Saturday night.
Whether you’re a Montana resident or flying in from out of state to get a breath of fresh mountain air, Under the Big Sky is certain to draw you in and make you fall in love. Quickly becoming one of the premier Americana festivals in the country, this experience is uniquely shaped by its surroundings, blending live music with the natural beauty and culture of Montana.
Learn more about Under the Big Sky Music Festival at UnderTheBigSkyFest.com .
ARTICLE BY KALI KASPRZYK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANIE JONES
MAKEUP BY MIKAYLA CRANE
The 10% Target Mindset
Jen Cohen ON THE PRACTICE OF ASKING FOR WHAT YOU WANT
Winnipeg in the winter, and a 17-year-old waits 45 minutes in the cold for Keanu Reeves. Her fingers are numb. She is not there for an autograph. She is there to ask him to appear in her audition tape for MuchMusic, Canada’s MTV. When he finally agrees, she writes her number on a gum wrapper with a borrowed lip liner.
He calls days later.
That 17-year-old was Jen Cohen — fitness expert, host of the Habits & Hustle podcast, and best-selling author. She has built a career on the premise her frostbitten afternoon proved. She calls the practice the 10% Target: 10 attempts at whatever you want most in life.
The premise is simple. Most people never make one attempt. Almost nobody makes two. The math works in favor of the person who keeps going.
The top-rated Habits & Hustle podcast has logged hundreds of conversations with high performers and the people who study what the body does to the mind. Her TEDx talk, The Secret to Getting Anything You Want in Life, has traveled widely inside Fortune 500 sales-training rooms. On the Share the Lifestyle podcast, Cohen sits down to share the working rules that are the foundation of her latest book, Bigger, Better, Bolder.
“You have to be the CEO of your own life.”
FEATURING JEN COHEN
Discover the full 10% Target Mindset framework.
1 2
MAKE TEN ATTEMPTS
The door opens, or another door does. The unmade attempt and the refused one leave you in the same place — except one of them teaches you something.
STACK THE DECK
Cohen frames her habits as a wager: How do I stack the deck so I win more than I lose? The workout happens first, and the food decisions follow. The email follow-up gets sent, and the answer arrives. The choices compound in a single direction.
3
DISCIPLINE IS A PRACTICED SKILL, NOT AN INHERITANCE
No one is born with it. The people who look disciplined are running a routine they have rehearsed long enough that it no longer feels like effort. The reps are the skill. Miss them, and the skill fades, the same as any other.
4
SELF-TALK ONLY WORKS WHEN THE BODY BACKS IT UP
Confidence does not arrive by repeating the word. It arrives after the body has done the thing — the workout finished, the cold walk endured, the email sent. The mind takes its cues from what the body proves it can do. Talk follows action, not the other way around.
5
NEVER MISS A MONDAY
The first decision sets the slope of the rest. Skip the Monday workout, and the rest of the week tends to follow. Hold the line on Monday, and the slope tilts the other way.
events
A SELECTION OF UPCOMING LOCAL EVENTS
JULY 4TH
Bigfork Fourth of July Parade
Downtown Bigfork | 12:00 PM
Arguably the most popular Fourth of July event in the Flathead Valley and a spectacular display of the very best of Americana. Celebrate 250 years of USA with your fellow compatriots!
JULY 4TH
Kalispell Fourth of July Parade
Downtown Kalispell | 10:00 AM
The Kalispell celebration is proudly put on by the Flathead Marines and features marching bands, classic cars, and horses.
JULY 4TH
Whitefish Lake Fireworks
Whitefish Beach | 10:30 PM
As the sun sets, head over to Whitefish Beach to watch the free firework show. View from the shoreline, on a boat, or the rooftops of downtown Whitefish's eateries.
JULY 4TH
Lakeside Fireworks
Lakeside Shoreline | 11:00 PM
Because where else can you watch a firework show over the largest natural freshwater lake this side of the Mississippi? This 100% community sponsored event is a celebration of local tradition.
JULY 5TH TO 8TH
Bigfork Rodeo
2840 Highway 82, Bigfork | 7:00 PM
The Bigfork Rodeo will have four back-to-back nightly performances. Show your American spirit on night one with a "show your colors" night. On Monday, veterans and active-duty military are free. On Tuesday, kids 12 and under are free and on the last night, stay for a live concert immediately following the rodeo.
JULY 7TH
Houndmouth
Majestic Valley Arena | 7:00 PM
It's not often the Flathead gets to watch this kind of a rock band live. Houndmouth has a reputation for engaging, high-energy shows, blending alternative with folk. Tickets are available at Houndmouth.com/Tour.
JULY 10TH
River Fest
133 13th Street East, Columbia Falls | 5:00 PM
Celebrating 50 years of the 219-mile three forks of the Flathead River’s National Wild & Scenic River designation, this free anniversary event features live music, interactive booths, and guest speakers. Plus, Sacred Waters Brewing will unveil their special edition 50th Anniversary Flathead Wild & Scenic River beer! Come support the Flathead Rivers Alliance and celebrate this amazing milestone.
JULY 10TH
Dueling Pianos
101 Central Avenue, Whitefish | 7:30 PM
Part concert. Part comedy. This interactive show is led by the crowd and stars Dustin Brayleyand Ross Bridgeman. These two powerhouse performers will battle it out—musically. Tickets are available at 101CentralWhitefish.com
JULY 15TH TO 19TH
The Event at Rebecca Farm
1010 West Springcreek Road, Kalispell | 12:00 PM
Proudly known as "Eventing's Western Wonderland," Rebecca Farm is home to one of the most popular equine experiences. The Event features a viewing hill to watch dressage, cross country and show jumping as well as a popular kids' zone with pony rides and facepainting.
JULY 17TH TO 19TH
Under the Big Sky
1701 E Edgewood Drive, Whitefish | 12:00 PM
No July in Montana is complete without beholding the spectacle that is Under the Big Sky. Featuring headliners Chris Stapleton, Zach Top, and Cody Jinks, this is a weekend brimming with soulful country melodies.
CONTINUED
JULY 22ND TO 26TH
Heritage Days
Columbia Falls | 12:00 PM
Even though Columbia Falls doesn't hold a Fourth of July parade, its Heritage Days parade is well worth the wait. This week-long event is a family affair with craft booths lining the streets, a car show, rodeo, and even 3-on-3 basketball competitions!
JULY 25TH & 26TH
Flathead Faerie Festival
Flathead County Fairgrounds | 10:00 AM
The Flathead's only renaissance fair manifests itself through the Faerie Fest—a magical world of mystery! Discover hand-crafted treasures and be awed by musical and physical performances. Admission is free, but $5.00 donations are accepted and given to organizations that support adults with special needs.
