Explore Montana’s Open Roads and Local Events This Fall
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“As Montanans know, fall’s cooler days and golden colors provide the perfect opportunity to explore our small towns in parts of the state they may not have been to in a while,” said Paul Green, Director of the Montana Department of Commerce. “With so many events going on this fall, there’s a weekend road trip for every Montanan looking to get some windshield time in before we turn to our favorite winter activities.”
Top events this fall to plan a trip around include:
- International Chainsaw Carving Competition (Sept. 5-8) in Libby
- Chokecherry Festival (Sept. 7) in Lewistown
- Flathead Celtic Festival (Sept. 13-14) in Kalispell
- Makoshika Music and Arts Festival (Sept. 14) in Glendive
- Music and Arts Festival (Sept. 14) in Boulder
- Hi-Line Harvest Festival (Sept. 20-21) in Chester
- Havre Festival Days (Sept. 20-22) in Havre
- Circle Town & Country Appreciation Day (Sept. 21) in Circle
- Miner’s Day (Sept. 21) in Virginia City
- Belgrade Fall Festival (Sept. 28) in Belgrade
- National Public Lands Day (Sept. 28) in Glacier and Yellowstone national parks
- Inaugural Livingston Songwriter Festival (Oct. 4-5) in Livingston
- Townsend Fall Fest (Oct. 4-6) in Townsend
- Scarecrow Festival (Oct. 4-5 and through Oct. 12h for viewing) in Stevensville
- McIntosh Apple Day (Oct. 5) in Hamilton
- Oktoberfest Anaconda (Oct. 5) in Anaconda
- Bridger Raptor Festival (Oct. 5-6) in Bridger
- Golden Gravel Grinder & Virginia City Bike Fest (Oct. 5) in Virginia City
- Tamarack Time! (Oct. 12) in Bigfork
- Big Rock Fright Nights (Oct. 18-26) in Boulder
- Pumpkin Sunday (Oct. 20) in Deer Lodge
- Dillon Halloween Fall Fest (Oct. 26) in Dillon
Additionally, for travelers looking to extend their visit into a fall road trip, Montana travel itineraries make it easy to plan for a long weekend or use the locations featured in the guides as a starting point for a day trip.
- Three Days in Central Montana: Guided horseback riding in the Bob Marshall Wilderness or visiting Choteau’s Old Trail Museum (part of the Montana Dinosaur Trail)
- Four Days in Northwest Montana: Stopping at the Lincoln Ranger District Visitor Center to lay eyes on the taxidermy display of one of Montana's largest grizzly bears or exploring the Kootenai National Forest at the base of the Cabinet Mountains
- Four Days West to East: Discovering history at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument or dining at The Jawbone before soaking at the Hot Springs Motel in White Sulphur Springs
- Five Days in Eastern Montana: Exploring Lookout Cave and seeing the largest grouping of preserved pictographs in the state or embarking on a guided boat tour on Fort Peck Lake
Other itinerary highlights include: enjoying locally sourced burgers from local stops on the Southeast Montana Burger Trail, viewing the fall colors on a scenic drive through the Seeley Swan Corridor, viewing some of the darkest skies and brightest stars in the lower 48 along Montana’s Trail to the Stars and going back in time by embarking on a dinosaur dig or stopping into a museum on the Montana Dinosaur Trail.
For more information and updates to all of Montana’s latest trip itineraries, events and travel inspiration, visit visitmt.com.
Tags: Business and Press Release