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Bigfork's 125th

Anniversary Celebration

2026 marks Bigfork’s 125th anniversary—and we’re planning a celebration on Sunday, May 17th, 2026 to honor the rich history and people who have shaped our town.

 

Here is the Tentative Days schedule of events:  CHECK BACK AGAIN TO SEE THE FINAL SCHEDULE!

Bigfork 125 Celebration 

Theme: “”Bigfork 125: Rooted in History, Thriving in Community””

Date: Sunday, May 17, 2026
Location: Downtown Bigfork, MT
Theme: Celebrating 125 Years Since the Platting of Bigfork by the Sliter Family (1901–2026)

GOALS

  • Celebrate the Sliter family’s role in officially platting/ founding Bigfork.
  • Acknowledge Indigenous and settler history with respect and collaboration.
  • Engage the entire community through art, storytelling, activity.
  • Highlight local businesses and historic buildings.
  • Launch a long-term interactive Bigfork history exhibit or digital archive.

EVENT SCHEDULE (DRAFT)

Morning: “Bigfork Back Then and Now"

    10:30 AM - Historical Walking Tour (Hosted by BACC + Students)
    • Stops include: Bigfork Inn (former Sliter Hotel), Bridge Street, original dock site, old post office, and early homesteads
    • Printed guide with reference to www.baccbigfor.org for oral history recordings
  • 11:00 AM - Fun Run @ Bigfork Inn Courtyard- Chamber -run
    • Welcome by Bigfork Historical Committee

Midday: “Community Heritage Picnic” 

  • 11-2 - Community Picnic (purchase food at the the Lake Baked)... & games at Riverview Place / Lake baked area
    • Vintage games
    • Food

Afternoon:  BACC Grand re-opening Noon- 4pm

  • Exhibit opening: Heritage arts of Bigfork

  • 1:00 pm Ceramics Demo with Tim Carlburg
  • The last 125 years slide show 2pm

“Art, Memory & Marketplace”

  • 1:00–4:00 PM - Electric Avenue Businesses & Open house at BACC
    • Youth "Time Travelers" Art Show @ BACC Makerspace: Imagining Bigfork Then & Now
    • Oral history booth: locals record 5-minute “My Bigfork Story” segments
  • 7:00pm Rick Trembeth at the Methodist Church "Bigfork Area Wildland And Structure Fire History"

Key Partners

  • Bigfork Inn / Michael & Kelly  Brooks – Host location & historic preservation partner
  • Bigfork Art & Cultural Center – Lead historical content, oral history recordings, art show
  • CSKT Tribal Historic Preservation Office – Land acknowledgment and cultural inclusion
  • Sliters Hardware and Lumberyard
  • Bigfork Methodist Church
Bigfork's 125th

Bigfork Art / Cultural Center

We are an creative and educational hub in Bigfork that inspires people of all ages through a wide variety of workshops, lectures, and learning opportunities. BACC shares cultures through art and story stewardship. This is BACC’s way of bridging the connection between our past and the future we wish for our children, ourselves, and our world. As determined by the Internal Revenue Service Code, Bigfork Art and Cultural Center is a 501(c)3 organization, exempt from federal income tax. Bigfork Art and Cultural Center's tax identification number is 366212000. 

525 Electric Avenue
Bigfork, Montana

406.837.6927

MNA Candid MAGDA MEMBER
Bigfork Art \ Cultural Center