Missoula plays host to a wide variety of events and festivals throughout the year. Many of these gatherings have a strong community feel to them which brings the residents together in celebration of anything related to the roots and culture of Missoula and Montana.
The city plays host to a range of established annual events as well as a few more low-key and spontaneous affairs that pop up throughout the year’s community schedule. Summer is typically the time most-associated with events and festivals in Montana but as you’ll see Missoula has no shortage of them in any month, particularly in April.
Some of the best-known events on the community calendar include the Western Montana Fair and the traditional Parade of Lights, both of which feature hordes of Missoulians eager to participate.
In this article, we will take a closer look at some of the main events in Missoula occurring throughout the year that you want to make sure you check out.
Top Events in Missoula
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival – February
The BFSI is the non-profit artist development institute behind the film festival. This is undoubtedly the annual culmination of the institute’s effort across many levels, not least of all the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival.
The event promotes non-fiction works which are often without the means or exposure to voice the ideas expressed in the form of a documentary.
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival showcases documentaries from across the globe, and the event typically sees 10,000 or more attendees. Over 100 films are screened throughout the week-long event, and all films are shown on what is Montana’s largest movie screen—at the downtown Missoula’s Wilma Theatre.
The event is attended by filmmakers from around the world and typically takes place in early February. Tickets and passes are sold at the Wilma Box Office.
Home and Garden Show – April
Typically offering all things related to home and garden, you can expect to find the ideas, exhibits, and wares of the various contributors to the show. This is a 2-day event that usually occurs over the first couple of days of the month.
The show features a few hundred exhibitions displaying home improvement ideas, interior decorating tips, health & wellness themes, as well as kids and pets.
There’s plenty for all to see and do at this annual event, held at the Adams Event Center between 10 am and 5 pm each day.
International Wildlife Film Festival – April
The International Wildlife Media Center is the annual venue for the second of Montana’s world-renowned film festivals, again held in Missoula.
The International Wildlife Film Festival champions culturally and environmentally-leaning films from anywhere across the globe, and was the first wildlife film festival in the entire world.
The event is thus the longest-running film festival in the region and attracts crowds of 10,000 annually. The Festival kicks off with a Wild Walk Parade in the Caras Park region of Downtown Missoula.
YMCA Riverbank Run – April
