GREAT FALLS — Fort Benton kicked off its annual Summer Celebration on Friday, June 28, 2024; it will continue through Sunday, June 30. The event features live music, food vendors, face-painting, art and artists, crafts vendors, sidewalk chalk art, car show, a street dance, and much more.
“It’s basically just a gathering of people all over,” said Jeannine Mosser, one of the Summer Celebration Committee Members, “It’s typically when all the family members and everyone are coming back to town.”
Summer Celebration is the busiest weekend of the year for Fort Benton, as hundreds of people come to the small town to celebrate all that rural Montana has to offer.
“It's a good time. And there's things for everyone,” Mosser said, “We have restaurants, we have stores, They have the vendors who are, you know, sitting out in this rain as well and still out there trying to just sell the things that they've put their heart and soul into.”
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Summer Celebration has been taking place for over 70 years, and the weekend kicks off with a free lunch outside the First Bank of Montana.
“Anybody is welcome to come. We've been doing it parking lot for over 40 years. Just kind of a good way to invite the community to come kick off the big weekend,” said Orry Fruit, Fort Benton Branch Manager with the First Bank of Montana, “…We serve typically six, 700 people every year in a couple of hours. So it's a lot of work. Fast and furious, get a lot of compliments from the community. Everyone really appreciates it, so it’s nice to be part of that.”
This year’s theme is "Summer Celebration: A Montana Treasure," with a focus on what makes Montana so special.
“Everything we're doing is Montana-based,” Mosser said. “All of our musicians are from Montana. All of our vendors are mostly from Montana. I mean, we have a few that come here and have been coming here for many, many years. So and they're from another state. However, we love them and we keep them coming back as much as possible.”
FRIDAY JUNE 28
9:00 - 5:00 Used Book Sale - Chouteau County Library 1518 Main Street
10:00 - 5:00 Chalk Up Fort Benton- Sidewalk Art Contest- 1400 Block Front St. Sponsored by Prairie Rose Art Cooperative and Montana Tobacco Use Prevention Program
10:30 - 4:00 Museums Open , Fee Involved: Museum of the Upper Missouri and Historic Fort Benton at Old Fort Park, Museum of the Northern Great Plains, 1205 20th St, and IG Baker House (No fee) 1608 Front Street
10:30 - 4:30 Montana Column Reenactment Group at the Fort reenacting encampment by Company B of the 7th Infantry
11:30 - 1:30 Kickoff Luncheon - Hosted by First Bank of Montana-1502 Main St.
11:30 - 1:30 Summer Celebration T Shirts available for sale - First Bank of Montana
11:25 - 11:55 Live Music - Jamie Carrier Singer/Songwriter, First Bank of Montana
12:00 - 12:45 Live Music - City Band, First Bank of Montana
12:55 - 1:30 Live Music - Greg Kinder-First Bank of Montana
2:00 Live Music - City Band - Grand Union Square
3:00 - 7:00 9 Hole Mini Golf (fee) and free yard games for kids - Old Fort Park
3:00 - 7:00 Summer Celebration “Crafts and Things”- Old Fort Park
3:00 - 7:00 Art on the Levee - Old Fort Park
4:30-5:30 Live Music - City Band Concert -Old Fort Park
5:00 Food Vendors Open - Old Fort Park
6:30 Pie Auction-GFWC of Fort Benton Women’s Club - Community Bible Center 912 16th St
8:30 - 12:00AM Live Music - Trent Brooks - Downtown
SATURDAY JUNE 29
7:00 - 10:00 Pancake and Sausage Breakfast at Cook Shack- Old Fort Park- Pool Repair Committee and EMTs (Fee Involved)
7:30 - 10:00 Free Breakfast and Face Painter/Ballons co-sponsored by Farm Bureau Insurance - Jared Vielleux and Chouteau County Farm Bureau Federation - 1402 Front St
8:00 Children’s Fishing Derby- Along the Steamboat Levee- Sign up at Store - Sponsored by Fort Benton Hardware
9:00 Audra Morger-Bonilla Memorial Fun Run/Walk (Registration 8am) Begins at Lewis & Clark Statue 1 mile, 5k, 10k
9:00 - 7:00 Summer Celebration “Crafts and Things” - Old Fort Park
9:00 - 7:00 Art on the Levee- Old Fort Park
10:00 - 2:00 Open House -St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 1112 14th Street
10:00 - 5:00 Chalk Up Fort Benton- Sidewalk Art Contest 1400 Block Front St Sponsored by Prairie Rose Art Cooperative and MTUPP
10:00 - 5:30 Summer Celebration T Shirts available for sale - Old Fort Park
10:00 - 7:00 9 Hole Mini Golf (fee) and free yard games for kids - Old Fort Park
10:00 - 2:00 Used Book Sale, Chouteau County Library- 1518 Main St
10:30 - 4:00 Museums Open , Fee Involved: Museum of the Upper Missouri and Historic Fort Benton at Old Fort Park, Museum of the Northern Great Plains, 1205 20th St, and IG Baker House (No fee) 1608 Front Street
10:30 - 4:30 Montana Column Reenactment Group at the Fort reenacting encampment by Company B of the 7th Infantry
11:00 Parade - A Montana Treasure - Along Front Street
11:00 - 6:00 Big Sky Health and Beauty offering IV Hydration Therapy, fee involved at Studio Salon 1716 Front St
11:00 - 6:00 Magpie and the Honeybee face painting & balloons Gazebo at Old Fort Park
11:00 Food Vendors at Old Fort Park
12:00 - 1:40 Live Music - Tales From Ghost Town - Old Fort Park
12:00 - 3:00 Summer Celebration Car Show - Front Street
12:30 - 2:00 Live Music - Greg Kinder at B Social
12:30 - 2:00 Live Music - Preston and Jamie at The Public House
1:00 Corn Hole Tournament Registration/Tourney begins at 2:00 1400 Block in front of Pour House Saloon (fee involved)
1:30 - 3:00 Live Music - Ryan Johnson and Rob Kohler at The Wake Cup Coffee House
2:00 - 3:30 Live Music - Travis Yost at Old Fort Park
2:00 - 3:00 Live Music - Tim Butterfield at The Freeze
3:30 - 4:30 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Expo with Preston Bludworth of Drago Fire Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at Old Fort Park
6:00 - 7:00 Live Music - The Lucky Valentines - Downtown Stage
7:30 - 9:00 Live Music - Park Bench - Downtown Stage
9:30 - 1:00AM Live Music - Melissa Lynn Band - Downtown Stage
AFTER DARK Fireworks
SUNDAY JUNE 30
7:00 - 10:00 Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast- Cook Shack- Pool Repair Committee and EMTs (Fee)
8:00 - 1:00 Big Sky Health and Beauty offering IV Hydration Therapy, fee involved at Studio Salon 1716 Front St
10:00 - 2:00 Summer Celebration T Shirts available for sale - Old Fort Park
10:00 - 2:00 Face Painting and balloons- Magpie and the Honeybee- Old Fort Park
10:00 - 2:00 Summer Celebration “Crafts and Things”- Old Fort Park
10:00 - 2:00 9 Hole Minigolf (fee) and free yard games for kids - Old Fort Park
10:00 - 2:00 Art on the Levee- Old Fort Park
11:00 Food Vendors Open- Old Fort Park
11:00 - 12:30 Live Music and Story Telling - Philip Page - Old Fort Park
12:00 - 4:00 Museums Open , Fee Involved: Museum of the Upper Missouri and Historic Fort Benton at Old Fort Park, Museum of the Northern Great Plains, 1205 20th St, and IG Baker House (No fee) 1608 Front Street
1:00 - Dennis McSweeney Memorial Talent Show -Old Fort Park
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