The BobFest celebrates wild places, active wilderness stewardship

The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation invites the Flathead Valley to attend its annual year-end celebration and fundraiser on Friday, Oct. 25, at the Flathead County Fairgrounds. The event will feature live music, dinner, drinks, activities, plus silent and live auctions to raise funds for the foundation’s stewardship work and education programs across the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. 

The BobFest will also feature some special four-legged guests. A few of the mules who carry in gear and supplies for the foundation’s volunteer crews will be out front for guests to meet. There will be manty wrapping demonstrations and competitions, as well as a crosscut saw competition for the chance to win prizes. There will be a kid’s corner filled with activities and games for the younger generation of wilderness lovers. 

BobFest is excited to feature the musical stylings of The Pack Strings who find inspiration in the mountains and wild places of the Northern Rockies.  

Door tickets include dinner and dessert. Chef Chris DiMaio of Montana Craft Kitchen will be serving a baked potato and chili bar with all the fixings, with dessert by Cere’s Bakery. Sacred Waters Brewing Company is providing the beers for the no-host bar.  

The silent and live auctions will feature an array of items: art, outdoor gear, wilderness adventures and getaways, and local handcrafted goods. All proceeds raised from the evening will support the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation’s work to open trails, restore habitat, and provide wilderness education next summer in the 1.6-million-acre Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. 

Tickets are $40 for adults; children aged 10 and under are free. Learn more and get your tickets at bmwf.org/bobfest. 

    The BobFest at the Flathead County Fairgrounds features manty wrapping demonstrations and competitions. (Photo provided)
  

    The BobFest features a crosscut saw competition. (Photo provided)