Winter Events You Won't Want to Miss in Montana's Yellowstone Country

We like to say there’s no such thing as the mid-winter blues in Montana’s Yellowstone Country — there’s simply too much going on!

Next week marks the Livingston Restaurant Week, where 20 restaurants, bars and coffee shops will feature food and drink specials, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Livingston Food Resource Center. If you haven’t yet experienced it, this quaint little town has some of the best (if not the best) dining in the state. Not to mention, their entertainment game is spot on — between live music, theater, shopping and community events, you can usually find something of interest going on!



Skijoring events in Montana’s Yellowstone Country are about to kick off as well. For those who haven’t heard of skijoring, it began centuries ago in Scandinavia, where people used reindeer to pull skiers through the snow as a form of transportation. The term derives from the Norwegian word, skikjøring, meaning ski driving.  In the 1940s, the tradition came to the U.S., emerging as a sport in Leadville, Colorado, where horses and riders pull skiers through a course full of banked turns, jumps, and rings for skiers to grab along the way. It’s a wild west sport, to be sure, widely embraced in Montana, Colorado and neighboring western states.

The Gallatin Skijor Invitational begins tomorrow at the Gallatin Valley Fairgrounds. One of the stops on the first-ever professional skijoring series, you’ll see some highly skilled competition. The professional division is invitation-only, with competitors considered the most highly skilled riders and the fastest, most skilled horses. This competition will run on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 17-18, and again Jan. 24-25.



Brewskis and Spurs, another new event takes place at Bridger Brewing Pub and Grill in Three Forks Feb. 28-March 1. There will be craft beer, great food, plus local vendors offering everything from coffee and cowboy hats to chiropractic care.

And finally, March 14-15 is the National Finals Skijoring Races in Red Lodge. Another one of my favorite haunts, Red Lodge, is the quintessential mountain town, also with great dining, unique lodging and a lively nightlife. March is generally the best time of year to ski Red Lodge Mountain, and the newly remodeled Rock Creek Resort is a lovely base camp.

Next year, the Best of the West Showdown (Big Sky’s skijoring event) will return, but in the interim, keep an eye on Big Sky Resort's schedule. Their Spring Series has quite a following, with great spring skiing, live music, après-ski and the annual Pond Skim.

We hope you’ll join us this winter!