SEELEY LAKE - Seeley Lake hosts the Bob Marshall Music Festival July 14-16. The music festival, a first for the community, features 22 bands with genres including southern rock, pop, jazz and country.
The idea for the music festival started with a mountain bike race and now includes four stages for bands along with many races and other activities available during the three-day festival. If it is successful, organizer Chris Stout hopes to make the festival an annual event the first weekend in July.
Stout connected with Ben Horan of Mountain Bike Missoula because both were interested in organizing a mountain bike race in Seeley Lake. They planned a tentative route and got the necessary permits from the US Forest Service.
Stout, having always wanted to hold a 50K foot race as well, received additional approval for a similar route.
"We knew we had a run and mountain bike race," said Stout. "We were sitting around chatting and said why don't we get a band afterwards. That would be kind of fun."
While Stout was thinking of getting a local band, Horan wanted to get a bigger name. This idea spurred Stout to approach the Seeley Lake Community Foundation for funds to bring in three to four bands on the race day to make it more of an event. He said that SLE Outside would provide the organization for the event.
"I've lived in so many different little areas that do these sorts of things. I'm so sick of hearing 'Telluride can do it because they are Telluride' or 'Jackson Hole can do it because they are Jackson Hole,'" said Stout. "They don't have anything we don't have. In fact I think we are in a better situation."
Stout sent out a donation email and received $5,000 in support for his idea. The SLCF also awarded a $12,500 leadership grant towards the event.
"All of the sudden I had $18,000 to work with compared to the 50 cents I had to work with two hours before. I thought, OK we can actually maybe do something with this," said Stout.
Stout started booking bands. Initially the bands were not very excited to come since it was a first year festival. But now, Stout said, he is turning away bands regularly.
They named it The Bob Marshall Music Festival with little more inspiration that it sounded good and like fun.
The main festival grounds and the two main stages will be located in the fields by Seeley Lake Elementary (SLE). There will be activities on the festival grounds including games, tournaments, educational presentations and free vendors space available for anyone interested in participating. Big Sky Brewing will be on site serving beer and wine and food vendors will also be on site.
"The reason I'd like to keep it at the school is we want it to be a community thing," said Stout. "We want it to be something that someone going to get coffee can enjoy the music or those at the festival can walk down to [local businesses] and spread it out through town."
On-site camping for $10/person, 12 and younger free, is also available on a first-come, first-served basis in the SLE baseball fields. Attendees will be asked to pack out their trash and keep all food in their vehicles to prevent bear attractants. No open flames will be allowed. Volunteers will provide 24-hour security and, depending on the size of the festival, there may be an additional Sheriff's Deputy assigned to Seeley Lake.
The ticket price for the festival is $25 at the door for the three-day event. This covers admission to festival grounds for the afternoon and evening shows. The festival grounds will be open without a ticket from 7 a.m. – 12 p.m. for anyone wanting to check out the vendors or activities.
There were also be two smaller stages on Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., one in front of SLE Outside and one in downtown at Blue River Station. There is no cost to listen to the music on these two stages.
In addition to the music and activities at the festival grounds, on Friday and Saturday mornings there will be the Seeley 50K foot race, 55/35/22 mile mountain bike races, 10K/5K/2K Change Your Pace Fun Runs, Seeley Lake's first paddleboard race, group hikes, mountain bike rides, and yoga by the lake.
"If we get 2,000 people I would be the happiest man in the world," said Stout. "It's going to be fun, family friendly and I think relatively affordable. It's positive recognition for Seeley Lake."
If the festival is a success, Stout wants to hold future festivals the first weekend in July because there are no other large music festivals being held that weekend. This year there are competing events in Missoula for attendees and it also makes it more difficult to get bands that are already committed to other festivals.
For more information, to register or to volunteer visit thebobmusic.com.
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