August Events in the Flathead Valley
August is a busy month for events in the Flathead Valley! Here are a few local favorite events throughout the month:
NW Montana Fair & Rodeo
The Northwest Montana Rodeo is one of the oldest events in the Flathead. Steeped in 120 years of tradition, this is a can’t miss event of the summer season. The August 13th-18th rodeo not only features PRCA professional rodeo events but also boasts a huge concert, tons of vendors, carnival rides, and your favorite fair food. Learn more about the event and book your tickets here.
Self Guided Tours of Wild Horse Island
This sunny weather won’t be around much longer! Take advantage of the sunshine with a self-guided kayak or paddleboard tour of Wild Horse Island. These tours depart from the Dayton Marina every day in August at 10:30am and 2:30pm. Tours include your choice of a kayak or paddleboard, a map of Wild Horse Island, and the necessary safety equipment to get you there. Book your tour on the Go Sail Flathead Lake website.
Bigfork Festival of the Arts
On August 3rd and 4th, Bigfork will be hosting their 46th annual Festival of the Arts. The festival includes art, crafts, and food vendors plus live music! Festivities begin at 9am on Saturday and continue until 4:30pm on Sunday. It’s one of the larger August events in the Flathead Valley. Last year the festival had over 6,000 attendees and more than 145 booths!
Montana Cup Regatta
August 2nd-4th are a few of the biggest sailing days for the Flathead Valley! The first weekend in August brings both the Montana Sailing Championships and the Montana Cup Regatta. These sailing events are hosted by the North Flathead Yacht Club and are fun for sailors and non-sailors alike. If you are interested in learning to sailboat race but have never tried, you can take sailboat racing lessons on Flathead Lake in August too!
Queen’s Bay Extravaganza
A new, up and coming August event in the Flathead Valley is the Queen’s Bay Extravaganza. This open water swim race is only in its second year but is sure to be a great time. On August 16th, the event kicks off with an open water clinic for swimmers looking to brush up on their skills. On the 17th, they’ll have both a 1500m and 5k swim event. Then, to round out the weekend, the extravaganza ends with a 10k swim for the most hardcore swimmers in the valley! You can register for the event or simply show up to watch.
Huckleberry Days Arts Festival
Love huckleberries? Then you won’t want to miss Huckleberry Days in Whitefish this month! From August 9th through August 11th, the Huckleberry Days Art Festival will be coming to Depot Park. The event includes free huckleberry ice cream at Glacier Bank and plenty of art and food vendors. Learn more about this free event in the Flathead Valley here.
Last Chance Sailing Lessons on Flathead Lake
It may feel like summer only just started but the sailing season will soon come to an end! Before the summer’s up, make sure you take advantage of the sailing lessons available on Flathead Lake. Go Sail Flathead Lake offers sailing lessons accredited by the American Sailing Association as well as sailing charters and tours. Learn more about all the options for sailing on Flathead Lake here.