Page 74 - Flathead Beacon // 8.20.14

74 | AUGUST 20, 2014 FLATHEADBEACON.COM WEEKEND OUTLOOK
Riley Polumbus
WEEKLY ON-MOUNTAIN NEWS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014
LOW69oF HIGH50oF
Good times for a good cause (times two!)
Whitefish, Montana maintains a widely-known and well-deserved reputa- tion for its friendly locals who know how to have a good time. If you’ve hung out here a while you know that finding a fun in White-
fish is like coming across a huckleberry bush on the Big Mountain (just walk around a bit and there it is). Every once in a while its in- habitants outdo themselves and create an event in which everyone is invited and attach a good cause to it.
This weekend the stars will align for two events: the Whitefish Trail Hootenanny on Friday from 5-9 p.m. and the S.N.O.W. Bus Summer Brewfest on Saturday 3-7 p.m. both for their own good cause, and both events taking place in Depot Park, right in the heart of downtown Whitefish.
First let’s talk about the Hootenanny. Go ahead, say it with me, “HOOTENANNY!” It’s a fun word to say and even more fun to use it in a sentence:
“Hey, are you all headed to the hootenan- ny this Friday?”
“Heck yeah. We love a good hootenanny!”
If you’ve never been to a hootenanny, it’s a lot like a hoedown. Friends, family and neighbors gather together for a good ol’ time as a whole community. It’s fitting to do so since the event will help raise funds for the Whitefish Trail, which is an amazing com- munity benefit: over 25 miles of family and pet-friendly trail for hiking, biking and run- ning ambling through the woods on the edge of our town.
The Hootenanny will be fun for the whole family and feature outdoor games for the kids including painting with Stumptown Art Studio, a bicycle obstacle course provided by
Help support the S.N.O.W. Bus and the Whitefish Trail this weekend by attending the Hootenanny on Friday, 5-9 p.m. and the Brewfest on Saturday, 3-7 p.m. (you can sleep Sunday.)
Flathead Fat Tires and Beyond the Boundar- ies, a climbing wall and more! Plus there will be a raffle with great prizes, food, drink and of course dancing!
I’ll put money on the fact that at least one of the three Montana bands playing at the Hootenanny will make you bust out your best moves. The Lil’ Smokies from Missoula will get your feet tapping and have you doe-see- doe-ing with your partner with their six-man stringband bluegrass. You will fall (willingly) back in time as Whitefish’s own New Wave Time Trippers play your favorite tunes from the 80s. To round it out Moonshine Moun- tain plays a little bit of everything, every bit of which will get you grooving.
The Hootenanny is free for kids 10 and under, adults will pay $10 in advance or $12 at the gate, all of which will support the Whitefish Trail. Tickets are available at Great Northern Brewery and Glacier Cyclery.
As if a family-friendly hootenanny was not enough for one weekend... Saturday’s annual Brewfest will support another good cause: Whitefish’s free S.N.O.W. (Shuttle Network of Whitefish) Bus. Our community is incred- ibly fortunate to benefit from free transpor- tation from town to the mountain all winter long with the S.N.O.W. Bus. It’s free because of support from Whitefish Mountain Resort, local businesses and a few hundred thirsty beer-loving people.
Yes, you too can help. All you have to do is show up and drink beer. Good beer no less, coming from fourteen different breweries, including several of the new local brewer- ies that opened in 2014 pouring really tasty handcrafted brews. In case you hadn’t heard, we are located smack in the middle of brew- ery dart board: over in Libby there’s Montana Cabinet Mountain Brewing Company while up in Eureka there’s Homestead Ales, down
the road is Kalispell Brewing Company and finally the Bonsai Brewing Project right here in Whitefish.
These four new breweries will be joined by other favorites: Bayern, Big Sky, Bitter Root, Blackfoot, Draught Works, Flathead Lake, Great Northern, New Belgium, Tamarack and Wildwood. While you enjoy tasting and toasting the Can’t Hardly Playboys of Port- land, Oregon will provide the music.
Pre-sale tickets are $20 or pay $25 at the gate. Advanced tickets can be purchased at our Guest Info & Services desk (in the Base Lodge), Great Northern Brewing and Sports- man Ski Haus in Kalispell.
So if you are looking for a good time (it’s why you are here), grab a blanket, your friends and family and come on down to De- pot Park this weekend!
Photo by Steven Gnam
SUPPORT THE S.N.O.W. BUS
SUMMER BREWFEST! HELP RAISE MONEY FOR THE S.N.O.W. BUS AUG. 23RD AT DEPOT PARK IN DOWNTOWN WHITEFISH FROM 3pm-7pm. DELICIOUS BEERS, LIVE MUSIC & MORE! DETAILS ONLINE.
HIKE FOR HUCKLEBERRIES
RIDE THE SCENIC LIFT UP TO THE SUMMIT THEN HIKE DOWN IN THE COOL SHADE GRABBING HUCKLEBERRIES LEFT & RIGHT. DON'T FORGET A CONTAINER FOR BERRIES & WATER FOR YOU! CHECK THE TRAIL REPORT FOR ELEVATION UPDATES.
877-SKI-FISH / SKIWHITEFISH.COM