UM dancer debuts a crane inspired ballet, pajama brunch, 19th annual peace festival, and more. 
Happy Friday, 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 weekend ahead.
📰 In the news
Local happenings: UM dancer debuts a crane inspired ballet, Forest Service outposts shifting out of Missoula, and fox families raising pups near Milwaukee Trail — catch up here.
State-level stories: Montanans trimming renovation plans to curb costs, federal tax rollbacks slowing solar growth, and Aussie woman with her dog hitting Canada after 13,000 miles — see what else is brewing.
National headlines: Study finds adults inhale thousands of plastic fragments daily, many hearts age faster than their owners, and Ford recalls F-150 hybrids without seatbelt chime — peruse the best of the rest.
Highlights this week
- Tour MCAT studios, editing bays, podcast rooms
- Join Tuesday playgroup for infants and toddlers
- Gather fresh produce and cook salads
- Get free backpacks filled with supplies
- Sip mocktails while coloring for climate action
- Unlock dozens of travel deals with AARP
🫶 We got your back
Thrift: Digging through racks for that one-of-a-kind find is a thrill… Check out these local thrift spots that turn every weekend into a low-key treasure hunt.
Business: We don’t have any Fortune 500 headquarters here but we’ve got tech outfits worth over $100 billion and mining titans moving mountains… Explore these Billings powerhouses.
Reads: The smell of paper, the thrill of cracking open a new story, and the chance to accidentally spend two hours debating which cover looks cooler, Shakespeare & Co. is basically a playground for bookworms (minus the monkey bars, plus way more coffee).
Health: Forget outdated weight loss fads and gimmicks. Modern science has changed the game. GLP-1 medications (like the ones behind today’s most talked-about treatments) are helping people manage weight in a safer, more sustainable way. Check out your options today.
👀 Why just read it when you could be in it?
Own or manage a local business? Thousands of your future fans read our emails — advertising your products, services, listings, and events with us is easy.
You can advertise with us or submit an event for free.
📆 Around town this weekend
All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirey outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.
Today
🦸♂️ Superhero Night with Post-Game Fireworks Show@ Ogren Park Allegiance Field | Friday (8/1) at 7:00pm – Saturday night at the ballpark means suiting up in your best cape, rooting for the home team, then sticking around for the season’s final fireworks blast lighting up the Missoula sky. Think baseball, cosplay, and a nostalgic sugar rush, no spandex clearance required.
🎬 Outdoor Cinema 2025: A League of Their Own @ Headstart | Friday (8/1) at 9:15pm – Summer nights in Missoula were made for backyard blockbusters and people-watching, so swing by Worden for A League of Their Own under the stars. It’s year 22 of lugging projectors into every ’hood to build community power. Blankets and low chairs earn major cool points.
This weekend
🥞 Pajama Brunch@ The Old Post | Saturday (8/2) at 8:00am – Start your weekend by rolling out of bed and swinging by our favorite café in your comfiest jammies for a brunch that doubles as your excuse to stay in pajamas all day, complete with free mimosas, fluffy pancakes, and zero judgment on coffee spills.
🧱 Earthen Oven Workshop@ Missoula Urban Demonstration Project | Saturday (8/2) at 9:00am – Grab your work gloves and head to MUD for a three-day earthen oven build with local artist Sose, where you’ll mix, mold, and mud yourself into a traditional clay dome from scratch. Expect sore hands, fresh-baked bragging rights, and a few new friends.
👠 The Cinderella Escape | Saturday (8/2) at 10:00am – This Cinderella-themed outdoor escape room turns your usual downtown amble into a fairytale scavenger hunt, minus glass slippers that chip. You’ll chase clues across town, pretending you’re there for the puzzles, not the people-watching. Expect clever challenges, fresh air, and zero fairy godmothers.
🕊️ 19th Annual Peace Festival @ Garden of One Thousand Buddhas | Sunday (8/3) at 11:00am – Come soak up good vibes in Arlee’s Garden of One Thousand Buddhas as tolerance takes center stage under the theme “The wisdom of tolerance lights the path to Peace.” This family-friendly fête features live yaks, toe-tapping tunes, inspiring speakers, and mouthwatering bites from local vendors.
🍻 The Perfect Pour @ Zootown Arts Community Center / ZACC | Sunday (8/3) at 2:00pm – Grab your favorite tiny humans and swing by for a kid-friendly spectacle where tea pouring meets puppets, juggling, and improbable balancing acts. Tickets are $15 for grown-ups, $10 for little critics, free if your three-year-old tolerates laps.
Next week
⚡ Power Hour@ Big Sky Arcadia | Monday (8/4) at 5:00pm – Escape your daily routine with Power Hour at Big Sky Arcadia, where local craft cocktails meet surprisingly clever conversation. It’s the perfect excuse to regroup with your crew, laugh at your own jokes, and pretend you didn’t just Google “easy weekend plans.”
🎡 Western Montana Fair @ Missoula Fairgrounds | Tuesday (8/5) at 11:00am – Free admission every day means you can waltz past the turnstiles and dive headfirst into livestock barns, carnival rides, and bluegrass on the plaza. Pack sensible shoes, an appetite you didn’t know you had, and a healthy dose of tractor envy.
🎨 Big Sky Arts & Crafts @ Big Sky Branch Library | Tuesday (8/5) at 12:00pm – Swing by the Big Sky Branch for drop-in DIY arts and crafts every Tuesday afternoon this summer, where your little ones get messy and you grab a smidge of peace. Glue flies, laughter bubbles, and you might rediscover your inner Picasso.
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
🎶 Live music & entertainment
- 8/1 As You Like It @ University of Montana – 6 pm
- 8/1 Notfavve and more @ ZACC – 8 pm
- 8/1 Levi Blom and more @ Monk’s Bar – 8 pm
- 8/2 Parker McCollum @ Big Sky Brewing Amphitheater – 7:30 pm
- 8/3 Dispatch and more @ KettleHouse Amphitheater – 6 pm
- 8/3 The Wildwoods and more @ ZACC – 7:30 pm
- 8/4 Gorgatron and more @ ZACC – 7:30 pm
- 8/5 Tedeschi Trucks Band @ KettleHouse Amphitheater – 8 pm
- 8/5 Michael Franti & Spearhead @ The Wilma – 8 pm
🏠️ Price is right – Missoula edition
How it works: We’re going to give you some facts about a home for sale, including a picture of the outside, the kitchen, and one additional room. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).
*This 👇 could be your listing. Hit us up if you’ve got a home (or 12) to sell.
Listed by: Betsy J. Milyard (Montana Preferred Properties)
Soaring ceilings and a sunken lounge with a stone fireplace set the tone for this 4-bedroom, 4-bath Maloney Ranch standout. The kitchen pulls out all the stops with granite everything, custom cabinetry, and a center island that doubles as a breakfast bar. Formal living and dining spaces are ready for everything from holiday chaos to a low-key Tuesday night in. The primary suite is tucked away for maximum privacy and features a walk-in closet that could moonlight as a boutique.
Downstairs, 1,500 square feet of finished basement flexes as a rec room, home gym, or hobby haven. Built-in speakers pump tunes throughout the main spaces and even spill out to the patio, where a hot tub takes in unobstructed Lolo Peak views across Oxbow Cattle Ranch. All on 1.49 acres with room to roam and no nosy neighbors in sight.
Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →
We may receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter. Content marked with an * is paid advertising. These companies may also generate commission from affiliate links in the newsletter. You received this email because you signed up for our list.
Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here
© 2025 BaseLocal
220 W. Congress Street
Detroit, MI 48226, United States of America
