Fall is in the air, and Jefferson County continues to be a whirl of activity.
Montana Shakespeare in the Parks performed “Hamlet” at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds on Sept. 4. The traveling theater’s annual visit is a must-see for fans of Shakespeare — or for fans of just sitting outdoors on a lovely late-summer evening — and company did its usual amazing job. This is a great treat for the Boulder community, so make your plans for the 2025 edition.
Last Saturday, Sept. 14, Veterans Park in Boulder was teeming with music, vendors and, thankfully, sunshine. The Boulder Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Music and Arts Festival, and an amazing lineup of all-local Jefferson County talent entertained music fans for seven full hours.
The lineup included John Montoya, Rich Matoon and Mary Papoulis, the Ranger Creek Wranglers, Lance Handyside, Brigid Reedy and Johnny Guitar, closed out by Clint Rieder and Whiskey Ditch. Jefferson County is blessed with awesome musical artists, and it was a fantastic listen all day long.
The Boulder Kiwanis did its usual great job, serving up burgers, brats and dogs, and the Sweet Spot mobile truck provided tasty coffee and drinks. Local vendors sold crafts and other products. All in all, a great entertainment day in Boulder! Mark your calendars: The festival is tentatively scheduled for the first Saturday after Labor Day next year.
On Friday and Saturday, Boulder Friends of the Library hosted the inaugural Chalk Art Festival. The sidewalks of Boulder came alive with creative chalk masterworks, and the library parking lot had food trucks and live music performed by Outlaw Soul. What a great weekend in Boulder for residents of all ages.
This coming Saturday, Sept. 21, the Whitehall Fall Festival and Carnival will take life at the Whitehall Community Center. This is a chance to get a jump start on your holiday shopping: Vendors will be there from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. And there’s fun for the entire family at the carnival on the Main Street Green between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. Join the fun this Saturday in Whitehall.
Color your fall with kindness. There is always a need for blood, and the American Red Cross Boulder Community Blood Drive is Thursday, Sept. 26 at the St. Catherine Catholic Center, 214 South Elder Street. The blood drive is from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. To make an appointment go to www.redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-Red Cross (1-800-733-2767).
October is a big month for events in Jefferson County, thanks to the time of year everyone loves — Halloween. Next month, I’ll write about the county’s two spooky events: Screams Come True in Whitehall (www.screamscometruemt.com) and Big Rock Frights Nights in Boulder www.bigrockfrightnights.com. Ghostly fun for Halloween fans of all ages.
The events office tries to keep tabs on what is happening in the county, but it helps if you keep us informed. If you have an event, please send me an email (bbinkowski@jeffersoncounty-mt.gov) with all of the information and we will do our best to get the word out.
Bruce Binkowski is Jefferson County’s events coordinator.
