Missoula!
Honeymoon summer.
It's been eight years since I honeymooned in Wyoming with my husband, yet I remember it like it was last summer. We had our own UTV (that I almost got stuck in a raging side channel), and we drove up to some hidden lake and spent the afternoon fishing and reading. Not a soul for miles. Every day we took ourselves to some other lesser known part of the surrounding area. We saw wolf tracks, a Jack Rabbit, and we raced—I kid you not—an antelope that stalked us while we leisurely puts around. We finally gave it some gas and the prairie runner relished the chance to race our engine. Surreal!
We went horseback riding and had lunch on a craggy edge of some mountain. My husband walked out to the ledge and just took in the view, hand on hip, hat on head. The photograph hangs on the wall in our bedroom. That summer felt so expansive, so deep and rich—there was a whole eternity behind and before us. And summer can feel like that, if you let adventure in.
This issue is ripe with ways to explore. Go somewhere you've never been, learn about something you've never done, and—without a doubt—go to the rodeo. It's summer in the West and the spirit of it is alive in every cowboy and cowgirl who step into some stirrups. If you've never seen the sun go down against the south hills, behind the Clouse Bauer arena while the light catches every sorrel's mane, then you seriously need to put it on your summer list. Now is the time to break from our routine and explore our town and beyond.
I've been fortunate enough to have a thousand stories in adventure, full of river wading, horseback riding, peak chasing, and near-death but thankfully laughable moments. Now, they look a little more like sidewalk chalk, iced coffees in a lawn chair, and wet feet on the concrete at Splash Montana with littles in tow, but that's the beauty of what our community offers—something for every chapter of life and every adventure level. Summers will crack you wide open, if you let them. Let the exploration begin!
CHELSEA LYN AGRO, EDITOR
July 2025
PUBLISHER
Mike Tucker | MTucker@CityLifestyle.com
PUBLISHER ASSISTANT
Amanda Tucker | Amanda.Tucker@CityLifestyle.com
EDITOR
Chelsea Lyn Agro | Chelsea.Agro@CityLifestyle.com
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Rick Szczechowski | RrSzczechowski@Gmail.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Chelsea Lyn Agro, Shelby Humphreys, Emma Trotter, Susie Wall
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Isaac Rowland and Austin Smith
Corporate Team
CEO Steven Schowengerdt
COO Matthew Perry
CRO Jamie Pentz
VP OF OPERATIONS Janeane Thompson
VP OF SALES Andrew Leaders
AD DESIGNER Evan Deuvall
LAYOUT DESIGNER Kelsey Ragain
QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Marina Campbell
inside the issue
The Western Montana Fair, happening next month (August 5-10), is just one notable event that happens annually at the Missoula County Fairgrounds. Read about how numerous partners come together to be a true example of community on page 12.
city scene
WHERE NEIGHBORS CAN SEE AND BE SEEN
1-7: Students and faculty of the Big Sky Culinary Institute hosted High Tea, featuring specially crafted canapes and tea from Lake Missoula Tea Company.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Julie Holmes, CWP,
business monthly
Midsummer Splurge at Refined Grey
Nestled in the heart of Missoula, Refined Grey offers a unique mix of apparel, gifts, and home decor that makes pampering yourself and others easy and accessible. This locally owned store has everything from fuzzy slippers and favorite jeans to curated jewelry and home accents, all hand-picked for quality and charm. Update your wardrobe, find a thoughtful gift, or add a special touch to your home. Located at 1008 Burlington Avenue or at RefinedGrey.com
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Butterfly Meditation
On Sunday, July 27 between 9 and 10 a.m., bring some calm to your chaotic summer schedule by decompressing in a tropic garden filled with butterflies. Experience 10 minutes of guided meditation followed by up to 40 minutes of silent reflection. Seating is available or you can bring something comfy to sit on, like a yoga mat or blanket. Limited to 12 participants so please pre-register at MissoulaButterflyHouse. org. No late arrivals. Fee of $15 for non-members, $10 for members.
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Whitewater Rafting with Zoo Town Surfers
Zoo Town Surfers is river rafting expertise! Book a whitewater rafting trip to spice up your summer plans, ranging from family-friendly rapids to heart-pounding runs. Visit ZooTownSurfers.com for pricing and options.
Rick Szczechowski
Austin Smith
Austin Smith
COMMUNITY is the COMMON GROUND
Certain words come to mind when you hear the phrase “county fair.” Words like carnival, rodeo, blue ribbon, 4-H, and if you’ve ever been to the Western Montana Fair in Missoula, Viking and Lemondairy. For the last several years, the hardworking team behind the Missoula County Fairgrounds has made it their mission to add another word to that list—community.
“The vision of community connection is at the heart of all of our decisions here,” says Billie Brown, events and operations manager at the fairgrounds. “The fairgrounds is one of those last places in our nation where people from diverse and different backgrounds can come together in a common space to remember that they have way more in common than they do differences.”
The origins of the Missoula County Fairgrounds date back to 1874 when the Western Montana Agricultural, Mechanical and Mineral Association, Inc. was incorporated at the County Courthouse. Over the years, the site for the fairgrounds shifted before landing in the current location in the center of town in 1913.
This midtown location has done its part toward facilitating that sense of community. Billie says, “We see a lot of fairgrounds that have to convince people to rent the facility because you have to drive to a location 20 minutes out of town. We’re in the center of town, so it was great foresight on the part of the County Commissioners that the fairgrounds stayed here.”
Today, the fairgrounds has grown to 46 acres, featuring the Glacier Ice Rink, the Rocky Mountain Gardens, the Missoula Butterfly House & Insectarium, a walking trail, the new Clouse
The Missoula County Fairgrounds is really about community
ARTICLE BY SUSIE WALL | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ISAAC ROWLAND, AUSTIN SMITH, RICK SZCZECHOWSKI
Rick Szczechowski
Rick Szczechowski
Bauer Arena, and several buildings available for public use. “When you look at other fairgrounds, they’re locked down behind fences and barbed wire,” says Billie. “We don’t do that. We welcome the public to use this space.”
Jacey Grange is the events and recreation specialist for the fairgrounds. She says, “Out of 365 days, we only have 82 days that something isn’t booked here. Any public events get priority, and we always pencil in the staple events like the Little Red Truck Market and the Five Valley Kennel Club Dog Show. We’ve also been getting larger events recently.” Examples include the Zootown Music Festival in July and the Missoula Renaissance Festival in September.
Of course, the Western Montana Fair continues to be the most notable and best attended event. This year’s fair will be held
August 5 through August 10 with the theme of “Lake Bottom Bash,” giving a nod to Missoula’s Glacial Lake past. Billie and Jacey along with Tenzin Lhaze, the communications and graphic design specialist, take great steps to make sure the community connection component continues throughout this annual event.
One of their biggest goals in continuing that connection has been to make the fair financially accessible to anyone who wishes to come. A huge step was taken towards that goal with the elimination of gate fees in 2019. “We want families to be able to come to the fair for free,” says Tenzin. “You can even bring your own food and non-alcoholic drinks if you want. We also have great community initiatives like Bike To The Fair Friday where we partner with Missoula In Motion so the first 250 people that bike to the fair Friday get food bucks.”
Austin Smith
Rick Szczechowski
Isaac Rowland
If you do decide to purchase food at the fair, it will cost you, but know that even through the simple act of savoring a Tater Pig or an Indian Taco, the community still benefits. There are around eight local non-profits that have permanent kitchens at the fairgrounds, like All Nations Health Center and Sweet Adelines. “For many local organizations, the fair is their main fundraiser and we don’t want to take that away,” says Jacey. “We prioritize local vendors and look at things like how long they have participated in the fair. For example, we’re always going to have Lemondairy and Vikings. That’s iconic and something you can only get once or twice a year. But we also focus on new vendors to help them make a name for themselves.”
Fairgoers will still have to pay for the carnival rides, but the success of the fair in the community plays a big part in the quality of the company that operates the rides. Billie says, “The thing about the carnival world is they select you, so you need to prove that you can bring the people in to make it worth their while. As long as we’re successful, we’re always going to have the best carnival.”
The team works to benefit and lend a helping hand to community organizations at the fair in a variety of other ways. Tables will be available on the first floor of the commercial building every day where local non-profits can put on a free activity for fairgoers in return for free booth space to help get their name out.
Another great success for the team has been their efforts to cut down trash headed for the landfill that inevitably piles up on days when the fair is packed with people. Tenzin says, “Last year our Green Team was able to divert 82% of fair waste from the landfill, which amounts to around 73% compost and 9% recycling. We recognize that we could not have done this without our partners like Home ReSource, Missoula Compost, our partners over at the extension building, our vendors, as well the community.”
If you’re looking forward to the arena events at the Western Montana Fair this year you will not be disappointed. Adrenaline-filled favorites such as bull riding, bronc busting, mutton busting, and the Lords of Dirt motorcycle racing return as well as some new exciting events all held in the Clouse Bauer Arena. Billie is especially thrilled to see horses return to the fairgrounds for a series of free activities held Tuesday through Saturday during the fair which highlight the connections between human and horses. “We’re going to open up a whole slew of ideas on how horses and humans can work together through horse interactions and performances,” she says.
With the Western Montana Fair and the slew of annual public activities and events, Billie, Jacey, Tenzin, and the entire team at the Missoula County Fairgrounds hopes to continue to steer it towards being a community hub. “We have to ask ourselves, is the fairgrounds going to make money, or is it going to connect people? We decided connecting people is our priority, knowing that the money piece will eventually fall into place,” says Billie. “We like to call what we do ‘edutainment.’ We combine education with entertainment to bring the community together.”
Missoula County Fairgrounds Summer Schedule
Friday, July 4 & 5 - Zootown Music Festival
Two full days of music and adventure featuring Hozier on July 4 and Kacey Musgraves on July 5 with several other performers on both days.
July 14 through August 4 - Pre-Fair Events
Enjoy a spread of 4-H shows including archery, air rifle, dog, horse, and shotgun competition.
Tuesday, August 5 through August
10 - Western Montana Fair Market and livestock shows, rodeo, and rides!
A full schedule with details and timing is available at MissoulaFairgrounds.com
Isaac Rowland
A Turning Point
Homeowners and landlord insurance markets begin to stabilize
Dear Missoula,
After a few turbulent years in the property insurance market, we’re finally seeing some welcomed signs of stabilization, especially for homeowners and landlords here in Missoula and across Montana.
For the past several years, rising costs (largely due to inflation, increased claims from severe weather events, and supply chain challenges in construction) have driven premiums upward and limited the availability of some coverage options. At my place, Sharkey Insurance, we’ve navigated these changes side by side with our clients, helping many through an unpredictable landscape.
Now, the tide is beginning to turn.
We're seeing insurers return to more consistent underwriting practices and, in some cases, even modest premium adjustments in favor of the policyholder. New technologies in risk assessment and more competition re-entering the market have helped level the playing field. For landlords, this means fewer surprises at renewal time and better access to policies that suit different property types and tenant profiles.
For homeowners, this is a chance to revisit your coverage and make sure your policy reflects today’s values and rebuild costs, without breaking the bank. Many people still have policies based on outdated home valuations, which could leave them underinsured in a worst-case scenario.
At Sharkey Insurance, we’ve been proud to serve Missoula for over 50 years. Our commitment remains the same: personalized service, honest advice, and making sure your home or investment property is properly protected. If you haven’t reviewed your coverage in a while, now is the perfect time.
Let’s move forward with confidence knowing that a more stable insurance market is finally within reach. Feel free to stop by our office or give us a call. We’re always happy to help.
From, Ryan Sharkey, VP of Sharkey Insurance 406.728.0030
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AN ODE TO INDOOR PLANTS
VINE PLANTS + DESIGN OFFERS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A LIVELY PRESENCE
Vine Plants + Design opened last August on Higgins, and for months, every time I drive by I want to go there. Finally, after a critical mass of houseplants die off over the course of winter, I tally up the free space we have in our various containers and set out to run the errand.
Except, “errand” isn’t exactly the right word, because, walking into Vine, the vibe is less store and more spa or luxury hotel. There are luscious green plants
ARTICLE BY EMMA TROTTER PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICK SZCZECHOWSKI
everywhere, naturally, including on the walls. The airy lighting shows pots and accessories to great advantage. I feel myself breathing more deeply as soon as I step inside.
Ryan Tripepi founded Vine in part to serve just that function.
“I want it to be a green, verdant space, creating a tropical environment you wouldn’t expect to find in Missoula, Montana,” he said. “One of my favorite things, I can usually tell when a customer walks in for the first time—they look somewhat in awe of the living walls.”
In addition to looking great in the store, living walls are another component of Ryan’s business.
“I saw a need for more plants in this town, and the ability to do more with plants,” he said. “Missoula is a city that is very connected to nature, so it makes sense to start making that connection in our indoor spaces as well. We know having access to greenery into our indoor spaces improves mental and physical health.”
In keeping with that vision, the store provides a supply of plants—mostly tropicals, but really all indoor plants—that Ryan
“MISSOULA IS A CITY THAT IS VERY CONNECTED TO NATURE, SO IT MAKES SENSE TO START
MAKING THAT CONNECTION IN OUR INDOOR SPACES AS WELL."
not only sells to retail customers but also uses for living walls and other architectural plantings for local businesses. His services include designing, installing, and maintaining interior landscaping.
Ryan recently installed—and will maintain—a living wall for Julie Lapham, branch manager at Churchill Mortgage, whose new office space is in the same complex as Vine.
“When I walked in I was like, oh, I have to have this,” Julie said of her first serendipitous visit to Vine. “To be surrounded by something so alive and green puts me in a great headspace. I wanted it because I really truly feel it’s art. It’s a beautiful
color, it’s green, it’s lush, it’s alive, and that’s what I love.”
Ryan is full of advice for beginning plant parents.
“Start small—there are lots of easy plants out there that can help you build the confidence you need to take the next step,” he said. “Starting with something simple and proving to yourself you can do it is a good way to take that first step.”
All plants at the store can thrive in Missoula’s climate, but Ryan acknowledges some are easier than others, and that he’s discontinued some varieties based on losing too many.
“For example, bringing in a plant variety and realizing that may not be the best selection for our particular environment, and not buying that plant again,” he said. “Like certain types of calathea…I don’t like setting people up for failure so I try to make sure they’re at least maintainable.”
Ryan can be a bit more adventurous in his personal plant menagerie.
“I’m always on the lookout for the oddballs of the plant world,” he said, noting his admiration of the architectural form cacti and succulents can take.
I venture over to the “succulent bar” area of the store—anchored by a large table and a wall of succulents in tiny pots— to select a few to fill vacancies in various terraria. The table is a mainstay in Vine’s community events like holiday parties and pilates classes. The store also hosts workshops such as mounting staghorn ferns on wood plaques and paint-and-sip nights. By this point I’ve collected around 10 mostly small plants in plastic pots. I check with Ryan and am happy to hear he does take back the empty pots and is often able to reuse them.
Overall Ryan is happy with the way business is going.
“One customer asked if they could bring in a sketchbook, another asked if they could come in and study,” he said. “It feels good people seem to enjoy just being in this space.”
37 Years of International Song
ARTICLE BY CHELSEA LYN AGRO | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MONTANA INTERNATIONAL CHORAL FESTIVAL
MONTANA
Let’s go out on a limb (or wing) and say that penguins—while not traditionally songbirds—should assemble here in Montana for the annual Montana International Choral Festival. After all, Antarctica is the only continent left in the world that hasn’t had a presence at this recurring notable event. Sillies aside, this really is a huge feat. Our convergence of five valleys is special enough to attract prolific talent, closing the gap for cultures and climates, backgrounds of all experiences and opportunity.
It all started with Donald Carey in 1987. He was a choral conductor and music professor, music and song running in his veins. Inspiration struck at a similar festival held in Nancy, France and four years later, the first festival in Missoula was a wild success. Replication, with our own perspective and experience.
Today, the festival is still known for its artistic excellence and hospitality. Strangers become neighbors. One voice becomes hundreds. With this year being the 37th International Festival, the mission to promote global understanding, friendship, and goodwill through choral music is still permanent and first.
The festival begins on Thursday, July 17 at 4 p.m. with a “Choir Crawl” which includes locations like the Florence Building, Missoula Art Museum, Missoula Library, and the Zootown Arts Community Center. Afterward, the festival continues at Downtown ToNight in Caras Park from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Prepare for several must-attend concerts throughout the weekend with Sunday, July 20, featuring all festival choirs and Anton Armstrong conducting the massed choir at UM Adams Center, which begins at 3 p.m. Admission to all weekend concerts is granted with the $30 purchase of a festival button.
If you’re looking for a unique volunteer experience, visit their website ChoralFestival.org to sign up and receive behind-thescenes access to concerts and events and face-to-face cultural exchange with visiting choirs. You can also host a singer and develop an unexpected friendship, or donate to help keep the International Choral Festival going for years to come.
MONTANA INTERNATIONAL CHORAL FESTIVAL
July 17 to July 20
FOLF, FROLF, Disc Golf!
GARDEN CITY FLYERS IS MISSOULA'S DISC GOLF CLUB
ARTICLE BY EMMA TROTTER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICK SZCZECHOWSKI
Club leadership is keen to emphasize Garden City Flyers’ partnership with Lolo National Forest, where the Blue Mountain and Pattee Canyon courses are located, and commitment to low environmental impact recreation. Jon confirms, “There was a time when people used to leave a lot of garbage out there. It has gotten a lot better. I think it’s the influence of the club and people taking the game more seriously. They made a big difference that way.”
But having a low impact is getting harder, due to the huge boom disc golf experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was an activity to go outside that’s fairly cheap,” Matt said. To keep track of stats, disc golfers use an app called UDisc, which shows almost triple the traffic at Blue Mountain last year compared to 2019. In a recent month, the Blue Mountain course saw visitors from 11 states and four countries.
Her husband, treasurer Martin Bell, echoes her. “It kind of clears your head of everything. It’s a good anxiety and depression medicine that’s not medicine.”
And then there’s the gear. Many players carry around a specialty backpack to store discs. Jon— Montana’s only world champion disc golfer following a win in the over 70 mens division in 2018—owns over a thousand discs.
“It is a cheap sport, until you buy as many discs as I have, then it’s not so cheap,” he said.
“Missoula has a rich history in disc sports, between ultimate and folf...Disc sports are woven into the social fabric.”
As a result of that growth, Garden City Flyers has been advocating for a new permanent course in Missoula Valley, which would be Missoula’s first since Blue Mountain was installed in 1992.
It isn’t hard to understand what attracts people to disc golf. “It’s the ability to play a sport and be outside and be active,” says secretary Natasha Bell. “I love hiking. I love getting outside and throwing a frisbie. Gets me out of my head.”
“That’s part of the drawback to playing 30 years.”
Players get very attached to their discs, too.
“Our clubs are kind of our discs, so if we lose a disc we lose something integral to our game,” Matt said. “The worst part about the sport is losing discs. We get sentimental about them, and they season in like a cast iron.”
That’s why Martin carries a 16-foot grabber for discs that get stuck in trees. “If you have it, you won’t need it,” he quipped.
At the beginning, though, you definitely don’t need a thousand discs. Three will suffice.
“Get a putter, get a mid-range disc, get a driver, and throw them,” Natasha said. “You just have to do it, get out and play.”
“Play with more experienced players,” said Jon, encouraging newcomers to join Garden City Flyers. Find out more at gardencityflyers.com
Mesquite Grilled Chicken Salad
Sustainability in Action
