Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce

63 Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce www.greatfallschamber.org E N T E RTA I N M E N T July The 4th of July Hootenanny You will want to clear your schedule on the 4th of July and make your way to downtown Great Falls, Montana for a birthday celebration for America like no other. This FREE downtown street hoedown kicks off shortly after the annual 4th of July parade. There will be up to 4 blocks of party zone where alcohol and food will be available as a giant stage is set up at the corner of 5th and Central. This event kicked off in 2019 with over 6,000 people in attendance as Granger Smith put on an event like no other in the state of Montana. 4thjulyhootenanny.com Montana State Fair The State Fair features carnival rides, exhibitions, food, fun, and entertainment for all ages! This promises a genuine fair experience. Live music, horse racing, rodeo, and comedy performances will round out the 9-day affair, promising to deliver memories, laughs, and Big Sky fun. Enjoy 6 Night Show Performances. Enjoy 4-nights of competitive rodeo action, and several activities for each themed-night. The fair also features 2 days of horseracing, 4-H livestock competitions, competitive exhibits, nearly 100 commercial vendors, all your favorite fair food vendors, the Mighty Thomas Carnival, and more! You don't want to miss out on the event of the summer! Downtown Sidewalk Sale Downtown Great Falls is the place to be for the best summer sales around. Central Avenue is turned into a walking mall and the stores bring their merchandise outside! Vendors, shopping and fun from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. on the last Saturday of July. August ArtsFest MONTANA Each year, the streets of downtown Great Falls come alive with color and creativity in a week-long mural festival known as ArtsFest MONTANA. Great Falls hosts world-class artists in order to transform walls with their talents. Waltz your way downtown to see the amazing art additions with a self-led downtown art walk. For more information or to see some of the artwork, check out the website at artsfestmontana September A Night at the Ozark Music lovers pack the house listening to the sweet sounds of jazz as it wafts through the open-beam ceilings of The History Museum for an event that brings top-tier talent to the Electric City attracting sold-out crowds, history buffs and jazz aficionados from outside Montana. MOtoberfest Mighty Mo Brewing Co and the Downtown Association host a fun filled day in celebration of Oktoberfest. The event is a street festival with live music, food, games and a fun run that includes local MT breweries in town. October The Women's Expo Cherry Creek Media/Central Montana Radio Network brings families and friends together for a weekend of entertainment, self- improvement and education. Vendors fill the Pacific Steel and Recycling Arena. Historic Ghost Tours The Downtown Chicks, a committee of the Downtown Great Falls Association, invites you on a tour of the haunted side of Downtown Great Falls. Characters from Great Falls' past will tell you their stories, show you the locations that are the most haunted, and take you on tour of some of the creepiest, darkest places in downtown. Guests ride along on the Historic Trolley as the stories from the past are told, you may even see a ghost yourself. Tours are hosted at the end of October. November Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour Great Falls has the honor of being the kick-off stop of the festival's world tour that visits 390 communities in 35 countries across the globe. Held at the Mansfield Convention Center, the festival showcases top-quality films with outdoor action, spills, and thrills sandwiched between stories of mountain living from around the world. The Great Falls Ski Patrol uses proceeds to update outdoor emergency rescue gear. Military Appreciation Days The Downtown Chicks, a committee of the Downtown Great Falls Association, in recognition of Armed Forces Day and Veteran's Day, host Military Appreciation Days in downtown Great Falls in May and November. Active duty, retired military, veterans, guard members and their family members, are encouraged to look for the flyer posted in windows throughout stores and restaurants downtown indicating that business is offering a discount. The event typically runs Thursday - Saturday the week of the designated holiday. Ladies' Night Out Grab your best girlfriends and head downtown for an evening of sales, sips, shopping, and a whole lot of fun on the Thursday before Thanksgiving! Ladies' Night Out in downtown Great Falls is the best shopping event of the season, get some holiday shopping done, find a gift for yourself and have a relaxing evening with your gals. Grab a brochure from participating locations and map out your night, hit the best sales and find exactly what you have been looking for at one of the unique shops in downtown! Parade of Lights To kick off the holiday season, Santa lights the Christmas Tree in front of the Civic Center at the Parade of Lights, always held the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Enjoy musical floats, marching units, and lots of candy canes during the Parade of Lights. Shop Small Saturday/Small Business Saturday Always hosted the Saturday following Thanksgiving, this event promotes all local business in Great Falls, bringing awareness of "shopping small" during the holidays, and all year long. December Christmas Stroll Food vendors, shopping, strolling and plenty of family friendly activities all along Central Avenue. Purchase a Christmas Stroll Button for a chance to win amazing prizes from our local restaurants and retailers. Great Falls Polar Plunge, organized by the Montana Law Enforcement Torch Run, usually happens at the Christmas Stroll. Plungers collect at least $100 in pledges for the privilege of jumping into chest-high cold water in an outdoor pool. For additional listing of events, please check out: Great Falls Montana Tourism's "The Eventory" at liveingreatfalls.com/play/the- eventory/ GreatFallsEvents.net greatfallsevents.net The Electron at KGPR kgpr.org/electron/ The Newberry thenewberrymt.com Photo: Great Falls Montana Tourism

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