Father and daughter Rob and Halladay Quist kick off the WildFest
The Montana Wilderness Association invites the public to celebrate the state’s wild places during WildFest, Sept. 9-10 at Giant Springs State Park. This free event, hosted in partnership with Montana State Parks, features guided hikes, family activities, food, drink, and live music.
On Friday, father-and-daughter duo Rob and Halladay Quist take the stage with Valley Lopez at 5:30 p.m., performing their unique brand of country blues and bluegrass rock. At 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs blend classic country, old-time tunes, and classic and modern rock.
“We’re excited about our musical line-up at this year’s Wild Fest,” says Laura Parr, MWA’s business manager. “As a member of the Mission Mountain Wood Band, Rob Quist is, of course, a musical icon in Montana. And I can’t say enough about Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs. These musicians make perfect music for a summer evening.”
This year’s guided hikes include excursions along the Rocky Mountain Front and the Little Belts, as well as places closer to Great Falls.
Saturday’s highlights include a screening at 2 p.m. of “Our Last Refuge: The Badger-Two Medicine Story,” a documentary about the Blackfeet Tribe’s struggle to prevent oil and gas development in the sacred Badger-Two Medicine area; displays and kids’ games begin at 3 p.m.
Barbecue dinners are available both nights from 4-8 p.m. All five local microbreweries will serve special brews for WildFest, and participants can vote on their favorites. Wine, desserts, and non-alcoholic beverages are also available. Guests should bring camp chairs and blankets.
For more information or to sign up for one of the hikes, visit wildmontana.org/wildfest or contact Laura Parr at 406-443-7350, ext. 110.
Founded in 1958, the Montana Wilderness Association is a community of people who love the outdoors and champion wild places, and remains dedicated to protecting the state’s wildlands, keeping public lands in public hands, and stewarding the Montana portion of the Continental Divide Trail.