A 90-year-old rancher defies type 1 diabetes, August tea party, Missoula outdoor cinema, and more. 
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 the news
Local happenings: University of Montana debuts research hub, Montana Knife Company plans a plant with 200 jobs, and Missoula Airport halts flights for runway upgrades — catch up here.
State-level stories: Montana’s football team kicks off a season with revamped offense, a 90-year-old rancher defies type 1 diabetes, and homeowners face lower taxable values — see what else is brewing.
National headlines: New SSA tech offers more reliable service, national recalls, and a housing market update — peruse the best of the rest.
Highlights this week
- Join Memory Café for monthly support
- Support MUD with brews and burgers
- Join monthly virtual naturalist book discussions
- Get free legal, housing and healthcare assistance
- Break communication barriers with AAC experts
- Get $400 off Windows with Renewal By Andersen
🫶 We got your back
Style: Why settle for basic when Missoula boutiques and showrooms offer statement pieces at wallet-friendly prices? These decor stops will make your place feel like a page out of a magazine.
Wildlife: Ready for more than a roadside bear cameo? Scoring front-row seats to wolves on the prowl is all about timing. This Montana wildlife guide tells you when, where and how to stay safe while you capture epic shots.
Chores: Tackling a whole-house clean can feel like climbing Everest in flip-flops. Who even has the energy? This cleaning checklist breaks it into bite-sized tasks so you can crush it room by room.
Furniture: Need décor with a backstory deeper than your latest streaming binge? Montana Antique Mall is the gallery that’ll turn your living room into a time capsule… just bring a sharp eye and an appreciation for pieces that only improve with every chapter of history.
Finance: Ready to break up with debt for good? National can help you cut ties, pay up to 30% less than you owe, and finally get some peace. This isn’t your average debt relief advice… it’s a financial fresh start, complete with a happy cry or two when your balance hits zero.
👀 Why just read it when you could be in it?
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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.
This week
💭 Eric Puchner: Dream State @ Shakespeare & Co | Tuesday (8/12) at 7:00pm – Need an excuse to ditch the bar stool? Pop into Shakespeare & Co. on Tuesday for Eric Puchner’s reading of his Oprah-approved Dream State, then stick around for Mark Sundeen’s dry observations on flus, weddings gone sideways, and inherited regrets, free to the public.
🎤 Ryan O’Flanagan @ Zootown Arts Community Center / ZACC | Tuesday (8/12) at 7:30pm – Ditch your midweek reruns and swing by for Ryan O’Flanagan, who’s popped up on New Girl, American Dad, and resurrected his viral Overly Excited Tourist series. No amateur hour here. Expect dry wit, sketch chops, and tightly tuned timing for a night of clever digs.
🎨 Summer TAP Celebration & Mural Reveal @ Missoula Art Park | Thursday (8/14) at 5:00pm – Downtown’s getting a 14-by-10 celebration of bison, beavers, and prairie dogs, hand-painted by teens who spent their summer geeking out on keystone species. It’s a free, feel-good night of local pride, pizza slices optional, but the community spirit is mandatory.
🌼 Daisy Chain Fest @ Zootown Arts Community Center / ZACC | Friday (8/15) at 3:00pm – Daisy Chain Fest is blooming at Zootown Arts with local makers hawking flower-themed crafts, live folk tunes, and a fluffiest crown competition. It’s like a laid-back art bazaar mingling with backyard BBQ, minus your aunt’s questionable potato salad.
🍿 Missoula Outdoor Cinema 2025: Ratatouille @ Franklin School | Friday (8/15) at 9:00pm – Cinema under the stars is back for its 22nd year, and this time they’re rolling into Franklin’s Fort and Midtown neighborhoods with everyone’s favorite culinary caper. Arrive at dusk with a low-profile camp chair or blanket to nab the best spot, and don’t worry about snacks—refreshments are on hand! It’s free, fun, and a perfect way to connect with neighbors while watching Remy’s adventures on the big screen.
This weekend
🌊 Rise Up for the River@ Sha-Ron Fishing Access Site | Saturday (8/16) at 10:00am – Ready to swap your couch for a tube on the Clark Fork? We’ll drift along the river, toast four decades of clean-water victories, and plot how to tackle the next mess. Bring your favorite float and an RSVP pronto.
✍️ Sidewalk Signing with Leslie Budewitz @ Fact and Fiction | Saturday (8/16) at 11:00am – Pike Place Market just got a little more aromatic, with Leslie Budewitz holding a sidewalk signing for her new Spice Shop mystery. Swing by, chat food, flowers, and murder, then walk away with a signed copy, recipes, and a false sense of gardening confidence.
🫖 August Tea Party @ Missoula Public Library | Saturday (8/16) at 12:00pm – Nothing says “beat the heat” like retreating to the Cooper Room up on the library’s fourth floor. Bring your favorite snack, drink, and a game, just don’t blame me when everyone else picks Uno again. It’s the ultimate indoor excuse to procrastinate summer chores.
🎻 Billy Strings @ Adams Center | Saturday (8/16) at 7:30pm – Nothing cures a midweek slump like a Grammy winner ripping through bluegrass at the Adams Center this August. Billy Strings brings enough fretboard wizardry to make your uncle’s yearly jam session look like a warm-up. Tickets drop Friday at 10 AM, set your alarms.
🚶 Unseen Missoula: Lower Rattlesnake & Greenough Park @ Greenough Park | Sunday (8/17) at 10:00am – Grab your walking shoes and a thirst for local lore on this 1.2-mile wander through Greenough Park and the Lower Rattlesnake hood. From the Greenough family’s grand mansion to secret bear cages, vintage streetcars, and a ghostly cemetery, we’ll spill the tea on Missoula’s north side.
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
🎶 Live music & entertainment
- 8/12 Ryan O’Flanagan @ ZACC – 7:30 pm
- 8/13 Out to Lunch @ Caras Park – 11 am
- 8/13 Slow Jam @ Longstaff House – 6 pm
- 8/13 Trivia Night @ Cranky Sam – 7 pm
- 8/13 Joselyn Thomsen @ Bonner Park – 7:30 pm
- 8/13 Cross-State Connection and more @ ZACC – 8 pm
- 8/13 Rainbow Kitten Surprise @ KettleHouse – 8 pm
- 8/14 Fuzzy B @ Draught Works – 7 pm
🏠️ This house is wild
Listed by: Danni Moore (Engel & Völkers Western Frontier – Missoula)
Quartzite counters, a 48-inch JennAir range, and a butler’s pantry with a secret beverage station make the kitchen a culinary playground. The living area brings the drama with a gas fireplace and accordion doors that vanish, revealing a covered patio and panoramic Missoula views. Entertaining flows as easily as the open floor plan.
The primary suite claims its own wing, complete with a third fireplace, spa bath, and a closet so big it might need its own zip code. Across the house, three more bedrooms keep the peace. Even the garage gets the luxe treatment with heated floors and a tiled dog wash.
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