River City Roots Festival is the anchor to a massive weekend of music all over, with perfect weather facilitating everything to see & do all over Missoula and Western Montana this August summer from Thursday thru Sunday. It’s all here with The MUG’s Weekend PICKS!

It’s time to float! Take advantage of UM’s FREE UDash River Shuttle Service to get to the Clark Fork River Access points in Missoula at Sha-Ron and Milltown through August.

Downtown ToNight featuring the Missoula Makers Collective Market, food trucks and live music at Caras Park in Downtown Missoula 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm Thursday Nights thru August (live music starts at 5:30 pm). Tonight’s featured live music is Jackson Holte and The Highway Patrol.

Justin Harris & The Pocket Aces close out the summer Thursday Fest series in style 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the NW Montana History Museum in Kalispell.

Tune in with Tom Catmull & Radio Static playing live at Bitter Root Brewing in Hamilton 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Thursday.

Big Sky Bikes will be hosting a memorial mountain bike ride remembering recently-passed shop owner and Missoula bicycle pioneer Emily Sayler starting at the shop at 6:00 pm Thursday.

The Status Crowes make their first-ever appearance at Missoula’s Draught Works to take your requests and play the songs you know by heart from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Thursday.

Logjam Presents welcomes Riley Green for a live concert performance on his “Damn Country Music Tour” with Drake White, Mike Ryan and Preston Cooper at KettleHouse Amphitheater in Bonner at 7:00 pm Thursday.

Bring your instrument, request a tune, and Jazz Jam with the S&H Elephant Gerald house band, The JIVE from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm Thursday at Stave & Hoop in Downtown Missoula.

The River City Roots Festival returns to Downtown Missoula for two days of live music, food trucks, festivities and fun from 12:30 pm to 10:00 pm Friday and Saturday.

Jim Averitt performs live from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm Friday, August 22 at The Springs outdoor stage in Philipsburg – and there’ll be a Pop-Up Market with local artisans from 4:00 pm.

Richie Reinholdt and Aaron Jennings perform together live as The Pesky Varmints at Missoula’s Ten Spoon Vineyard + Winery 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Friday.

See and hear the state’s best youth and adult fiddle musicians at the 61st Annual Montana State Fiddle Contest at Lolo Community Center at 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm Friday and 9:00 am to 9:00 pm Saturday.

Jackson Holte & The Highway Patrol will perform live (and preside over Friday Pizza Night) starting at 6:00 pm at Home Ranch Bottoms in Polebridge.

Way Down North ventures to Downtown Missoula to play at The Old Post from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Friday.

Logjam Presents welcomes Wilco for a live concert performance at KettleHouse Amphitheater in Bonner at 8:00 pm Friday.

Get all hot & sweaty with the Josh Farmer Band at The Union Club in Downtown Missoula starting at 9:00 pm Friday.

The summer farmers’ market season is reaching the late summer stretch, including Orchard Homes in Missoula, Anaconda, Columbia Falls and Ronan on Thursday, Polson and Saint Ignatius on Friday, and all the ones in Downtown Missoula, Hamilton, Kalispell, Stevensville, Arlee, and Hot Springs on Saturday morning. On Sunday, there are farmers markets in Seeley Lake, Columbia Falls and Ronan to check out.

The MUG’s Western Montana Summer Farmers Markets guide is ready to help – save the link and get around to all of ’em over the remaining weeks of the season.

Join the 19th Annual 4-Mile Roots Run at 8:30 am Saturday to get your day started with the River City Roots Festival in Downtown Missoula and Caras Park.

Bring the kids to have fun during River City Roots Fest with all kinds of family-friendly activities at the Family Roots Fest at Caras Park in Downtown Missoula 10:00 am to 2:00 pm Saturday.

Anchors away! at Westslope Distillery’s Yacht Rock Party in Hamilton on Saturday, August 23 from 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm. Dress in your favorite yacht attire and enjoy Trivia starting at 4:00 pm hosted by Zen.

Outriders Present welcomes Big Velvet – Paul Cauthen back to Montana with a live acoustic show alongside Keyland and Radio Ranch 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm Saturday, Aug 23 at Scout + Gather in Columbia Falls.

Mark Chase comes to Missoula’s Ten Spoon Vineyard + Winery to set the sunset mood with a live acoustic show from 6:00 pm to 8:00 Saturday.

Jackson Holte brings his Midnight Shadow band to the outdoor stage at Philipsburg Brewing / The Springs Taproom from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm Sunday.

Logjam Presents welcomes the premiere film screening of The Real Yellowstone at The Wilma in Downtown Missoula at 7:00 pm Sunday.

You didn’t think we’d let you get through the weekend without at least one ragin’ metal show, did ya?
Roads of Ruin with Bloodless: Final Stop ft. Plague of Aces and Dank Crypt will be unleashed at Zootown Arts Community Center in Downtown Missoula 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm Sunday.

We have around 75 live music events listed for the weekend – take your pick! It’s the peak of summer patio season now. You can’t go wrong with seeking out all the excellent rooftop bars and outdoor patios to soak in this fantastic summer Montana weather.

No matter what direction you wanna get outta town, you can’t go wrong. Lots of summer weekend activities and events are happening not only around Missoula, but all the way up the Flathead and the Bitterroot valleys, east to Phillipsburg and Anaconda, and out west past Alberton. If you’re headed up to Whitefish and Glacier, there are some outstanding pit stops to make along the way.

Get out & enjoy our locally-owned bars & restaurants with Montana grown / made food and beverages – they need your business! Try a new local brew! Support our local artists and vendors at the area markets. Take the family for a brisk outdoor hike – all the trails are waiting. Conditions are perfect just about everywhere for mountain biking. Summer fishing and floating is at its peak. Catch a classic movie screening or a stand-up comedy night. Stretch that big brain at one of the local trivia nights. Sing your favorite karaoke song, or catch a live music show. Enjoy safely and responsibly.

Please confirm event details at the source before you go. Last minute changes are common, especially due to weather and holidays. With each event listing, we try to include a web page or event link with more information you can check for changes.

“I am not bound for any public place, but for ground of my own where I have planted vines and orchard trees, and in the heat of the day climbed up into the healing shadow of the woods.”
– Wendell Berry

Do you have a Western Montana event coming up that you would like to have included on The MUG? Click HERE to submit your event!

THURSDAY, August 21

FRIDAY, August 22

- Advertise w/The MUG -

SATURDAY, August 23

SUNDAY, August 24

- Advertise w/The MUG -

Please confirm event details at the source before you go. Last minute changes are common, especially due to holidays and weather. With each event listing, we try to include a web page or event link with more information you can check for changes.

Do you have a Western Montana event you would like to have included on The MUG? Click HERE to submit your event!

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