Happy Friday, Beacon readers! Lauren Frick here, and I’m sure y’all saw this week that Vogue announced the replacement theme for the 2027 Met Gala following backlash from its initial choice to highlight controversial British designer, John Galliano. What? You didn’t hear about this? But it was SUCH a slow news week. I mean, barely anything happened. 

Well, for those of you who don’t have an IV drip of pop culture mainlining through your veins at all times and aren’t as “chronically online” as I (as the kids would say), then let me catch you up. 

Vogue this week revealed the new theme for the upcoming Met Gala — the high-fashion fundraising event held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City the first Monday of each May — “extraORDINARY: Fashion and the Poetics of the Everyday” (think more T-shirts and jeans than casual Friday at the office pre-COVID). While some critics have deemed the new theme “lazy” and even Curator in Charge Andrew Bolton admitted he “didn’t have a plan B,” I (a connoisseur of comfy, casual everyday wear) find the theme quite inspired. 

It seems to me, however, Met Gala organizers were merely following the lead of Girls on the Run Western Montana, which for months has already been setting the pace by organizing a fashion spectacle of its own to highlight the true “everyday” wear — athleisure. 

This weekend, Girls on the Run Western Montana will host the inaugural “Girls on the Runway,” an athleisure fashion show fundraiser, with every dollar raised supporting the girls in the program. 

Who will be strutting their stuff on the runway, you may be wondering? Well that will be the program’s own participants and coaches, of course. 

The event will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7 in the Jane Karas Reception Hall at the Wachholz College Center. 

Girls on the Run Western Montana helps girls in third through eighth grade build confidence, learn important life skills and healthy habits through a research-based curriculum that creatively integrates running. Each season ends with a celebratory 5K. The organization’s mission is to make Western Montana a place where every girl knows her limitless potential.

“These girls spend a whole season learning they’re stronger than they think,” Amanda Holliday, board chair of Girls on the Run Western Montana, said. “Girls on the Runway is a chance for them to show the power of our program to the whole valley.” 

Local athlete and business owner Maria Phelps of Black Diamond Mortgage will emcee the fashion-filled evening. Guests can cheer on participant runway showcases, bid in a silent auction stocked with local treasures and experiences, and enjoy a grazing table prepared by Waters Edge Winery. The Wachholz College Center bar will be open as well.

To learn more about the event and to purchase tickets, click here. All proceeds from the evening, including the silent auction, go straight back to girls in the program. 

 “Come for the runway, stay for the auction, and leave knowing you helped a girl believe in herself,” Holliday said.

I’d be remiss if I sent you into the weekend without one last event to mark on your calendar — one that I, as 1) a Whitefish resident myself and 2) a reporter who has sat through countless hours of planning commission and city council meetings about the growth policy and housing, am especially looking forward to checking out. 

Next week, Housing Whitefish, the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce and Explore Whitefish will host the “Whitefish Housing Symposium: Understanding Today’s Housing Challenges and the Resources Available,” on Nov. 10 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish.

The event is for employers supporting staff through housing challenges, residents who are interested in understanding our housing affordability challenges, and anyone who wants a clearer picture of one of the most pressing issues facing the community. 

“Housing affects nearly everyone in Whitefish: the people trying to find a place to live, the businesses trying to keep their workforce, and the community trying to hold on to the people who make it run,” said Daniel Sidder, executive director of Housing Whitefish.

A range of community presenters will cover current housing market conditions, local policy and planning updates, employer perspectives, and the assistance programs available to Whitefish residents and workers right now.

“Housing affordability is not just a housing issue; it’s an economic issue that directly impacts our businesses, workforce, and the long-term vitality of Whitefish,” Katherine Archibald, the Executive Director of the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce, said. “Our local businesses depend on a strong workforce, and those employees need attainable places to call home. Our goal is to connect businesses and community members with valuable resources and help them navigate this complex challenge.”

The event is $15 and open to the public. To register, visit the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce Community Event’s page and click on the Whitefish Housing Symposium link.

That’s all I’ve got for ya to close out a busy election week. We’ll see you Monday, and don’t forget to check out the rest of today’s Daily Roundup.