Loon & Fish Festival
Loon & Fish Festival
We can guarantee this: Alpine Artisans offers the world's only Loon and Fish Festival! We describe this festival as a “celebration of art and nature in the Seeley-Swan and Blackfoot Valleys,” but the main feature is a community art show and sale including the work of over 25 local artists. Held in Seeley Lake Community Foundation building, the show features woodwork, jewelry, watercolor, oils, embroidery, bead work, origami, ceramics, mixed media, sculpture, photography and more.
Our valleys cherish our small loon population and we partner with the Montana Loon Society for loon talks. In 2022, the Seeley Swan High School Art Class (6 young men) hand made 70 ceramic bowls which supplemented the 30 bowls we had already. These were sold and filled with 2 scoops of Huckleberry Ice Cream donated from local restaurants to raise money for the Student Scholarship Fund! It has finally come full circle with the kids earning the scholarships! We’re very proud of them.
The 2023 Loon and Fish Festival took place July 21 - 22.
Friday was a Gala Reception & Art Sale – featuring the work of 30 Local Artists. Live Music was provided by Fern Glass Boyd, Cello and Janet Whitsell, Harp.
Saturday featured live music from 11-5, kids activities, a fly tying and fly casting demonstration plus demonstrations of stained glass and wool spinning.
The raffle raised funds for the Youth Grant and Scholarship Program. The 2023 raffle included: an inflatable paddleboard, a handmade rock lamp and a half-day pontoon boat rental on Seeley Lake.
Check out the complete festival schedule below by Clicking Here.
Download a “printable” pdf version of the Festival Schedule - here
Images from the 2023 Loon & Fish Festival
Photos by Betty Vanderwielen
(if viewing on a phone, you may want to rotate your phone to see “landscape” images completely)
2023 Festival Schedule
Friday, July 21 & Saturday, July 22.
Seeley Lake Community Foundation Building
Friday, July 21st |
|
|---|---|
|
5 pm – 8 pm |
Live Music -Janet Whitesell, Harp and Fern Glass Boyd, Cello |
|
|
Scholarship Raffle Ticket sales |
|
|
2VS Season Ticket sales – discounted 20% |
Log design by Cheyenne Gifford
additional details below
Saturday, July 22nd |
|
|---|---|
|
10 am – 5 pm |
Live Music throughout the day |
|
|
Scholarship Raffle tickets and 2 Valleys Stage ticket sales |
|
Hourly Interests |
|
|
10 – 11 am |
Loon Talk by the Loon Ranger |
10 – 11 am |
Art Demonstration: Stained Glass — Karla Toole |
|
10:30 am |
Scholarship Huckleberry Ice Cream Fundraiser |
|
11 am - noon |
Live Music: Mixed Bag — Rachel and Pete Feigley |
|
11:30 am |
Fly Casting demonstration: Big Blackfoot Riverkeeper — Jerry O’Connell |
|
11:30 am – noon |
Film Screening: Far Afield — A Conservation Love Story |
|
12 – 12:30 pm |
Live Music: Tall Boys — Mark Williams and Trace Stone |
|
12:15 – 2:15 pm |
Art Demonstration: Fly Tying — Kit Mullen |
|
12:45 – 1:00 pm |
Cowboy Poet: Steve Fraker |
|
1 – 2 pm |
Children's Activities: "Loonie Origami" — Katy Bell (outdoors) |
|
1 – 2 pm |
Live Music: Raised by Wolves — Bill Lombardi and Dick Manning
|
|
2:15 – 3:15 pm |
Live Music: NAILS ON CHALKBOARD — Steve Johnson |
|
2:30 – 3:30 pm |
Kids Activities: Yoga for Youth — Ginger Williams (on the grass) |
|
|
Kids Activities: Kids Fish Painting (outdoors) |
|
2:30 – 3:30 pm |
Art Demonstration: Spinning Wool — Tammy Jordan |
|
3:30 - 4:30 pm |
Live Music: Vic Picks – Victor Gross and Jim Calafata |
|
3:30 pm |
Scholarship Raffle Drawing — need not be present to win |
|
5:00 pm |
Festival Closes - Thank you everyone! |
About this year’s Logo
The 2023 logo design was created by Cheyenne Gifford, a student at Seeley Swan High School.
Last year’s logo was also designed by Cheyenne.
Interested in being involved in the festival?
Contact either Kris Gullikson, 406-241-1209 or Jenny Rohrer, jenny@alpineartisans.org or by calling her at 406-754-0034.