Columbia Falls outdoor opportunities showcased at Fest next week

Columbia Falls will be in the outdoor industry limelight next week as it hosts the Last Best Outdoors Fest next week.

Montana Sen. Jon Tester chose the city for the event because of the city’s growing popularity and its outdoor opportunities.

“The economy is growing and changing and it’s a really exciting place,” said Tester’s spokeswoman Marnee Banks, noting that the city is the gateway to Glacier Park.

In the past decade the city has transitioned from an industrial hub to a place where people who enjoy the outdoors want to live. With the Flathead River running through town, Glacier Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness just a few miles away, and a network of local trails and mountain biking opportunities either built or in the works, the city is being realized as another Montana outdoor mecca.

Business for Montana’s Outdoors and the Montana Brewers Association will host the Fest from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22, at The Coop.

It’s free and open to the public and will feature Randy Newberg, host of “Hunt Talk and Fresh Tracks,” networking opportunities for Montana business owners, new research on the economic impacts of Montana’s public lands, a Montana craft-beer garden, local food trucks, live music and activities for kids.

“Montana’s $7 billion outdoor economy is thriving and supporting tens of thousands of jobs all across this state,” Tester said in a press release. “This event will be a great opportunity for main street business owners to network and the public will have a great time celebrating what we all love about Big Sky Country.”

Headwaters Economic Research is planning to reveal new research analyzing Montana’s economy, what’s driving performance and which new business sectors are increasing, along with a geographic analysis of recent growth in the state. The report will include a discussion of how federal lands give Montana a competitive advantage by helping to attract people, investment and businesses to the state.

Federal public lands have come under fire in recent years, with some members of Congress saying they should be sold.

Most recently, Sec. of Interior Ryan Zinke has come under fire for reviewing national monuments across the country for contraction, though he did recently say he would not seek any changes to the popular Missouri River Breaks in Central Montana.

Tester opposes selling federal lands or reducing the size of national monuments.

The event next week also commemorates the five-year anniversary of Business for Montana’s Outdoors, which includes 140 businesses responsible for more than 3,600 Montana jobs.

According to the Outdoor Industry Association, every year Montana’s outdoor economy generates $2.2 billion in wages and salaries, $7.1 billion in consumer spending, $286 million in state and local tax revenue, and supports 71,000 jobs.

Local members of the Montana Brewers Association also will be on hand, offering a selection of made-in-Montana craft beers.

The Loose Strings Band will perform from 4 to 5 p.m. on the main stage at The Coop. Tester and others will speak starting at 5:30 p.m. Live music from The Cold Hard Cash Show starts at 6 p.m.

To RSVP for the free event, head to www.lastbestoutdoorsfest.com.