Music festival strains city services, event organizers plan improvements for next year

Whitefish felt the impacts of the Under the Big Sky music festival that recently drew thousands of people to the Flathead Valley.

After-party events at bars downtown kept the Whitefish Police Department busy with crowd control, while garbage cans filled as quickly as they were emptied and emergency responders struggled with communication as a result of the strain placed on cell service. City officials discussed issues related to the event at a recent City Council meeting.

The music festival reportedly drew more than 20,000 people to the Big Mountain Ranch outside Whitefish July 16-18.

City Manager Dana Smith says she hopes festival organizers and Flathead County Commissioners will work together with the city in the future to mitigate issues that arose as a result of the event. She noted traffic congestion issues in the area as a result of the festival and the lack of cell service.

“We expect to write a letter to county commissioners letting them know the issues we faced and that if they do have a special event permit that they are issuing that they should consider the impacts on our community,” she said. “We need to work with the event organizers.”

When asked to address the concerns brought forward, Under the Big Sky organizers provided the Pilot with a statement from Steve Evans, festival director for the event.

"One of the things that make a more remote place like Whitefish so special to work in is also what makes it a challenge,” Evan said in the statement. “Though our second year was not perfect, it was evident by the demand for tickets that our guests were excited to celebrate a return to being together. Like most industries, though, we were faced with the struggle of finding enough supplies, staff and equipment. In close collaboration with our partners, city officials and guests we were able to bring a live experience back during even the most challenging of times. We are always trying to improve, and are already planning on how we can make next year even better."

During last week’s Council meeting, Councilor Andy Feury said while the festival created some challenges, it and other similar events are an economic solution that allows the Big Mountain Ranch property to remain in open space rather than be developed for housing.

“I hope we, as a community, can provide positive suggestions for how problems can be solved,” Feury said. “Because it is a great event for the community.”

“Sometimes we have to put up with some inconvenience,” he added. “We do that on every powder day.”

Police Chief Bill Dial said the crowd was largely well-behaved, but his department wasn’t prepared for the large number of people that came to downtown for after-party events at bars.

“We were dealing with traffic coming into town and by the time we got downtown probably 75 percent of the people had open containers,” he said. “At that point, we felt it was best to monitor it rather than wade into the crowd. Then on Saturday, we were more prepared.”

The police department made one arrest on Saturday of a man who was charged with assaulting a police officer.

“This does strain our resources,” Dial said of the event.

Fire Chief Joe Page said the Whitefish Fire Department had personnel on-site at the festival as Big Mountain Ranch is within the Whitefish rural fire service area, which the Whitefish Fire provides service to.

“Friday wasn’t too bad,” Page said. “Saturday and Sunday it was amazing how thick the crowd was down there.”

Page said three individuals were taken by ambulance to the hospital on Sunday.

“We’re reimbursed for the cost of having our forces on the site at a rate that is set by the state,” Page noted.