Annual Festivals and Events in The Bitterroot Valley

fresh vegetables at a farmers market in montana

Farmers Markets
Saturday mornings – May through mid-October

  • Hamilton – Bedford, 2nd and 4th Streets
  • Stevensville – South end of Main Street
  • Florence – US93 and Eastside Highway
  • Darby – **Tuesday’s in Main Street Park
woman holding beer glass at hamilton, montana microbrew festival

Annual MicroBrew Festival
4th weekend of July

Lots of micro brews to choose from as well as music, food and fun. The event is from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m in on the beautiful Daly Mansion grounds.  This is one you will not want to miss! This event continues to grow every year and is a place to relax, have a chance to taste a great variety of micro-brews, listen to live music and visit with your friends. Check Calendar of Events for current dates.

hamilton daly days car show and visitors

Hamilton Daly Days
4th Weekend in July

Daly Days offers music, food, and fun! It is a celebration of the town founder, Marcus Daly. Come and enjoy sales, games for the children, walking tour of historical Downtown Hamilton, vendors from around Montana and stage entertainment. Not to mention the ever popular Wiener Dog Races! Top off the weekend with our Friday Night Street Dance, free admission! The Bitterrodders Car Show features cars from past decades and lines both sides of the street.  A family event and fun for ALL, don’t miss Daly Days! Check Calendar of Events for current date. www.hamiltondowntownassociation.org

musicians playing at a bluegrass festival in bitterroot valley, montana

Annual Hardtimes Bluegrass Festival
4th Weekend in July

This festival has an “old-timey mountain” feel that features traditional bluegrass music. THe festival is an affordable family friendly gathering geared towards having good clean fun while celebrating the joys and sounds of traditional bluegrass music. An event you do not want to miss! Check Calendar of Events for current dates.
www.hardtimesbluegrass.com

clydesdale on parade in stevensville montana creamery picnic

Stevensville Creamery Picnic
1st week of August

Enjoy live music, a brew fest, kiddie parade, and family fun dance. Saturday is the busiest day during the festival with a 5 and 10k run, Annual Montana State BBQ Championship, brew fest, live music, and dancing. Sunday wraps up the weekend with a community picnic in the park.

The historic Creamery Picnic reportedly is the oldest ongoing community festival in Montana – following in the tradition of the town’s many firsts. It all began with the fire and evolved into a party that people have marked on their calendars for decades. Family and class reunions are planned around Creamery Picnic.

Find more info here: www.creamerypicnic.com.

girls dancing at bitterroot celtic games and gathering

Bitterroot Celtic Games & Gathering
3rd week of August

Held at the historic Daly Mansion grounds. Scottish & Irish Dancing, adult Highland athletic competitions, pipe & drum bands, the Gathering of the Clans (tent village & parades), Scotch & Irish whiskey tastings, dog herding demos, Celtic crafts, food & drink vendors and live music. Free parking shuttle from Hamilton HS. Tickets available online. Check calendar of events for current date.

ride spinning at ravalli county fair, montana

Ravalli County Fair
Labor Day Weekend

The annual Ravalli County Fair is over 100 years old and is the largest event in Ravalli County. The four day event is well known and loved for its family atmosphere and its cultural and historical ties to rural Montana life. Featuring a wide variety of entertainment, 4-H and open class exhibits, community food vendors, children’s activities, business and artist booths, carnival, rodeo, music & more – there truly is something for everyone.

The Fair Parade starts it all off on the Wednesday before Labor Day at 10:00am in downtown Hamilton. Don’t miss the livestock shows, pie auction and great music and rodeo every night – FREE with your gate admission. Plenty of FREE parking also. We invite you to celebrate the best of the Bitterroot and enjoy some down home western hospitality at the annual Ravalli County Fair – everyone loves the fair, hope to see you there!

apple day festival poster showing orchards and apples

Annual McIntosh Apple Day
October

Hailed as the Biggest Bake Sale Under the Big Sky, the Ravalli County Museum, 205 Bedford, is putting on their 35th  Annual McIntosh Apple Day Festival on the first Saturday in October from 9am-3pm, and you will not want to miss it! Enjoy arts, crafts, food & produce from our local Hamilton Farmers Market as well as new vendors from outside the area. The highlight of the day is our signature Bake Sale, with locally-grown, hand-picked apples lovingly crafted into made-from-scratch Apple Pies, Caramel Apples, our famous Apple Butter and BBQ Pork with Apple Chutney. Purchase raffle tickets to get the chance to win from over 100 raffle items, donated by vendors and other local businesses. Sign up for the silent auction and enjoy live entertainment.  Check calendar of events for current date.