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Happy Tuesday, Missoula. You know the drill – grab your coffee (or whatever you sip in the morning), kick back, and let Missoula Brief serve up everything you need to know for the week ahead.
In today’s edition: Holiday market, Prairie Sister’s Market, local networks bridging distances, and more.
Let’s get to it.
— Cait Baker
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📰 In the news
Local networks bridging distances: Montana’s rural telecoms are accelerating fiber builds, tapping grants while navigating terrain, costs, and workforce gaps, aiming to close broadband gaps and bolster schools, health care, and public safety — learn more here.
Shaping Missoula’s outdoor future: The City of Missoula named Marina Yoshioka as new Parks and Recreation director, pending City Council confirmation. Former FWP chief of operations will begin work Jan. 5 — read the full story.
Emergency zoning sought by residents: Community resistance is mounting to a proposed gravel pit near the Blackfoot River east of Bonner, with a grassroots group and a petition surpassing 1,400 signatures as of Oct. 30 — get all the details.
Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. Paying more than that? Same, so I did some shopping around and ended up cutting my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too — here’s the comparison tool I used.
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Easygoing beers and community in Missoula
If you like your beer with a side of community, Draught Works hits the spot. It’s a relaxed neighborhood hub where live music, rotating art, and a breezy wrap-around patio turn “just one pint” into a gentle lie.
Brewing in Missoula since 2011, the crew focuses on clean, dialed-in lagers and ales, plus American sours and playful experiments.
Non-beer friends have options too: wine, cider, seltzer, and kombucha. There’s even a dedicated kids’ area, so parents can actually finish a conversation.
It’s the place you return to for the vibe as much as the pour: casual, friendly, reliably tasty. See what’s pouring at Draught Works Brewery today.
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Ready to see your business featured in an ad spot like this? 👆
Advertising with us is as easy as it gets. Fill out this quick form and we’ll get you in an upcoming edition!
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🫶 We got your back
Celebrate neighborhood connections: The Missoula Police Department is hosting National Night Out on Nov. 4 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Chick-fil-A parking lot on Reserve Street. It’s a family-friendly meet-and-greet with officers and special team members. Swing by for conversation, smiles, and squad cars without the tickets. Find the time and place.
A win-win for Missoula: Food for Fines is back: pay down Missoula parking citations by donating non-perishable food for the Missoula Food Bank through Nov. 28. Drop items at the Parking Commission office (128 W. Main) on weekdays. Each item knocks $2 off, up to 10 this month. The office is closed Thanksgiving. Get all the details.
Indoor jungle upgrade: Need a low-effort green boost at home this week? Leaf + Quiet is a cozy indoor plant boutique with easy-care houseplants, stylish pots, books, and gifts, plus personalized care tips and local watering services. Keep your plant babies thriving and your living room calm.
An emergency vet visit could cost you $7,000+ (ask me how I know 🙃). From the initial fee just to be seen to x-rays, surgery, medicine, and aftercare, it adds up quicker than a chew toy turns into a crime scene. The good news? You could get up to 90% cash back on your vet bill with this pet insurance plan.
Need new windows? It’s not the most glamorous upgrade, we’ll admit. But newer windows = lower energy bills and a subtle (but definitely noticeable) glow-up. If you’ve been putting it off or waiting for the right moment, Renewal by Andersen is offering a discount that just might seal the deal. Check it out here.
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🤝 Introducing local deals (just for you)
We’re launching a brand new segment to bring you exclusive local offers from trusted businesses right here in Missoula. Think of it as your inside pass to the best local finds, discounts, and experiences.
The kind only available to Missoula Brief readers.
Know a local business you love? Send ’em this newsletter and encourage them to get involved.
Own, manage, or market a local business? We’d love to feature you here for free. The only catch? Your deal has to be genuinely valuable and exclusive to our readers.
Email us 👉 [email protected] to get started.
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📆 Around town this week
All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.
Have an event to share? Submit it here for free →
This week
😴 SNOOZE Fest @ Zootown Arts Community Center / ZACC | Wednesday (11/5) at 7:00pm – Skip doomscrolling and catch Missoula’s mini-apocalypse on the big screen at SNOOZE Fest. It’s year three of absurd, horrifying, and hilariously low-budget shorts from your neighbors, plus Fireweed International premieres Ghost Fish. Fifteen bucks, plenty of bragging rights.
🎬 12th Annual Mountain Running Film Festival @ The Wilma | Thursday (11/6) at 6:00pm – Trade your headlamp for a theater seat at The Wilma as Montana Trail Crew rolls the 12th Mountain Running Film Festival, a love letter to our trails. Expect stunning films, goofy MC banter, gobs of prizes, and guilt-free popcorn, since it benefits local trail work.
🔞 Roosting Hours @ Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium | Thursday (11/6) at 6:00pm – Nothing beats sipping a cold one while mingling with butterflies and beetles after hours. The Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium hosts a monthly adults-only roam with themed crafts, trivia, and close-ups with their tiny ambassadors, all under twilight wings, curiosity, and local chatter.
🦴 Brown Bag & Bones! @ Montana Natural History Center | Friday (11/7) at 1:00pm – Take your Friday lunch to the Montana Natural History Center and watch paleontologist Jason C. Poole coax secrets from 150-million-year-old Montana fossils, including an Allosaurus. It’s free with admission, oddly soothing, and way more satisfying than emails, meetings, or reheating leftovers alone.
🖼️ November First Friday @ Montana Museum of Art and Culture | Friday (11/7) at 4:00pm – Whether you’re in a gallery mood or a glue-stick mood, First Friday at MMAC delivers a free reception with light bites, a docent-led tour, and exhibitions by Sara Mast, Kristi Hager, and Crista Ames. Bonus points for the low-mess craft night, RSVP before it fills.
This weekend
🎄 Holiday Market @ Holy Spirit Episcopal Church | Saturday (11/8) at 9:00am – Swing by the church holiday market for handmade gifts, pies, and ornaments, all priced by people who still believe in exact change. It is neighborly and low-key, the kind where you catch up in the bake-sale line, then leave smelling like cinnamon, goodwill, and nostalgia.
🛍️ Prairie Sister’s Market @ Missoula County Fairgrounds | Saturday (11/8) at 11:00am – Nothing beats rummaging through vintage gems, handmade finds, and local bites all in one spot. Prairie Sister’s Market brings the good stuff together, including the snacks, so call it quality time and shopping cardio. Get there early, the charming clutter disappears fast.
👠 Empowered Heels Dance Class @ University of Montana | Saturday (11/8) at 7:30pm – Time to strut, sway, and serve. This free class with Grazia Novak blends jazz and heels choreography to help you tap into your most empowered, confident self. Come as you are—heels optional, confidence guaranteed.
🏈 Griz vs. Eastern Washington @ Washington-Grizzly Stadium | Saturday (11/8) at 1:00pm – Griz host Eastern Washington at Wa-Griz, and we kick off Can the Cats while we’re at it. Bring shelf-stable goods for the Missoula Food Bank, cheer responsibly, and help out-donate Bozeman in the only rivalry stat that actually feeds people.
🎷 Sunday Night Jazz @ Draught Works | Sunday (11/9) at 6:00pm – Need a reason to actually leave the couch on Sunday nights? Draught Works turns into a cozy jazz nook with rotating heavy hitters like the Missoula Jazz Collective, Naomi Moon Siegel, and more, pouring smooth sets with your pint. Low-key, high quality, zero Monday regret.
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
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🎶 Live music & entertainment
- 11/5 Old Time Jam @ Western Cider – 6 pm
- 11/5 Sally Joe + Matt Heckler @ Monk’s Bar – 7 pm
- 11/6 Roosting Hours @ Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium – 6 pm
- 11/7 Magoo @ Top Hat – 10:30 pm
- 11/8 Calcium @ The Badlander – 5 pm
- 11/10 Monday Night Game Night (Trivia) @ Gaming Den – 6:30 pm
- 11/13 Trapt @ The Wilma – 8 pm
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🏠️ This house is wild
Listed by: Rachael Orizotti Rixford (Burke Orizotti Real Estate Inc)
On +/-12.56 acres minutes from downtown Missoula, this working farm pairs open pastures, mountain views, and a timeless brick home. The barn has stables, a heated tack room, full power, and a private hay room. Add hay sheds, The Fluffy Butt Hut, a cat house, shop, machinery garage, and full perimeter fencing.
Sunlit interiors include a formal sitting room off the kitchen, a fireplace living area, and a front office. The main-level primary has a jetted tub and patio access. A daylight basement adds three oversized bedrooms, a big rec space, storage, walkout access. Three high producing wells.
Take a peek inside →
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