GLACIER PARK — Entry to Glacier National Park is free on this day, Wednesday, Aug. 4, in celebration of the first anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act.

POLSON — The Summer Reading Program at North Lake County Public Library is for everyone and all ages. You can still register. Special programs will be held on Thursday mornings starting at 10 a.m. We plan to meet in Sacajawea Park across the street from the library. If there is bad weather, the program will be held in the library. Please come wearing a mask. If attendance allows for social distancing, masks can be removed.

Get the READ SQUARED app free for both Android (Google Play) and iOS mobile (Apple) devices. The app allows you to register and easily track your activity. Program registration is also available on our website at: www.NorthLakeCountyLibrary.org. An Animal Shelter representative and Karen Duty from Hell Roaring Kennels will be the guest speakers.

POLSON — Author James L. Thane will be in the Library for his presentation: “From Glacier to Blue Deer, to Poisonville and Lakeside: A Look at Some of the Most Entertaining Mystery Novels Set in Montana” at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 5.  He is the author of: “Crossroads: A Flathead Valley Mystery.” Attendance will be limited.  

MISSION VALLEY — A bible school camp for children ages 4-11 planned for Aug. 9-12 has been canceled. Organizers from the Mission Valley United Methodist Church decided to cancel due to too much COVID spread in the valley.

POLSON — The final meeting of the North Lake County Public Library Reading Program will be held with an ice cream social and prize drawing at Sacajawea Park on Thursday, Aug. 12, at 10 a.m.

Family Table will be serving tacos this Friday, Aug. 13; a free meal, served from 5-7 p.m. at the Wander Inn in Polson. Organizers plan to continue providing a meal every Friday from 5-7 p.m. The Wander Inn is located on the corner of Seventh Ave. W and First Street W just north of Cherry Valley School.

We would like to thank those whom have provided time and resources to keep this effort moving forward, including Fishes & Loaves for providing desserts, Evan Bryman with local beef, Susan Evans with local vegetables and Danette Nistler with her time and multiple resources.

Please consider participating in this important community resource by volunteering your services and/or financial contributions. We also welcome farm, garden, orchard and ranch products. Our goal is to serve healthy meals with an emphasis on locally grown. 

For more information you may contact organizers at 406-239-9987 or 406-871-1109.

BIGFORK —  Open AIR Montana, the Bigfork Art & Cultural Center, and the University of Montana’s Flathead Lake Biological Station have come together to present a new and unique exhibition. From the macro to the micro, pen to brushstroke, this show is your opportunity to discover new insights into our world through the eyes of artists and scientists inspired by the research happening at the Biological Station. 

The exhibition will feature previous and current FLBS Open AIR Artists-in-Residence, local professional and novice artists, plus historical illustrations created by the FLBS students and scientists. The “Scene + Unseen” exhibit opens Aug. 13 at 11 a.m., with an opening reception from 5:30-7 p.m. The exhibit takes place at the Bigfork Art and Cultural Center, 525, Electric Ave. Center hours are Tuesday- Saturday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. through Sept. 25.  For more information visit: baccbigfork.org or call 406-837-6927. 

POLSON — Mission Valley Speedway Superoval, at 1113 N. Reservoir Rd., will host Mod 4s, Hornets and Pro Late Models for a $3,000 win. (This race will adopt tri-state pro late rules.) Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for children 8-14 with children 7 and under free. Seniors 55 and older pay an $8 admission fee. Time trials begin at 6 p.m. and racing begins at 7 p.m. For more information call 406-212-8159.

POLSON — Polson Rotary Club is accepting applications for its annual chili cookoff to be held Aug. 14. The Polson Rotary Festival for Youth is an annual fundraiser benefiting Mission Valley youth. Since 2007, the Polson club has distributed over $300k to various programs that benefit the youth of the Mission Valley. Team applications for the chili cook off can be found on the Polson Rotary website at: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/1867/downloads. Contact Brooke Duty at 406-883-3636 for more information.

POLSON — “Cruisin’ By the Bay” car show takes place all day from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in downtown Polson. Registration is $25 per car and $10 for each additional car. See registration details on Facebook’s Mission Valley Cruisers’ page or call 760-964-9405.

SWAN LAKE — For forty years, the second Saturday of August has meant art, food and fun on the shores of Swan Lake. The Flathead Valley’s original Huckleberry Festival will take place on Saturday, Aug. 14, at the Swan Lake Day Park near mile marker 72 on Montana Highway 83. Admission is free. 

The event will open with a pancake breakfast served from 8-11 am. The rest of the day’s activities will begin at 9 a.m. and continue until 3 p.m. The Arts and Crafts Fair featuring more than 50 artists and craftsmen will feature Montana-made and handmade works while food trucks and vendors will offer a wide variety of food and drink. And the traditional huckleberry pies and pastries along with huckleberry candy and ice cream will be available to enjoy. The band Silverado will play throughout the day.  

Other scheduled events include a baking contest with adult and children’s entries, auctions, raffles, kids’ games and an afternoon beer and wine garden. 

On Aug. 14, at 10 am. to 5 p.m. on the Lake County Courthouse Lawn, 106 Fourth Ave. E in Polson. The event was founded in 1971. The 50th annual Sandpiper Art Festival is a popular one-day, juried, outdoor festival that features fine art and artisan crafts, sponsored by the Sandpiper Art Gallery, a non-profit organization. It takes place simultaneously with the annual Car Show (one-block away). The festival offers live entertainment throughout the day and several onsite food or beverage vendors nearby. For 50 years, the Sandpiper Art Festival on the Courthouse lawn in Polson has made people smile. Join our celebration of art and crafts with music, dance and food all day. The Flathead Courier of old called the event “an astonishing array of talent” that simply gets bigger and better every year. Browse the paintings, jewelry, clothing, fiber crafts, stained glass, bronzes, woodwork, photography and more while music plays and bagpipers hum, all while enjoying huckleberry ice cream and homemade lemonade.

Grab a beer and pour some paint, no lines to follow, just your own creativity at the Ronan Cooperative Brewery. Join us from 6-8 PM for a unique night of abstract art featuring a style known as fluid paint pouring. This technique is something anyone can do where paint is poured onto a surface in a variety of ways. The class will be lead by Raven Venturelli. Tickets are $15 with a limited tickets available, buy yours today!