Chamber Moving Forward With Spring and Summer Events

“Having our events outdoors helps,” Lisa Koski, executive director of the Glasgow Area Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture, told the Courier about her organization’s plans to proceed this spring and summer as Montana moves toward reopening through stages.

After more than a month of the Chamber’s calendar showing “Cancelled” in front of most every event, organizers are looking forward to hosting their annual Milk River Catfish Days Friday, June 5, and Saturday, June 6, in conjunction with the 21st annual Milk River Catfish Classic, with the fishing tournament on June 6.

The Catfish Classic is slated to move forward with all 80 slots filled and competitors ready to take to the water to net the most and the largest cat on the river. Founder and organizer Brenner Flaten says once team numbers are assigned, they will be released to the public and at the current time, no participating teams are affected by restrictions.

Flaten and team face a similar situation as every other event organizer -- wait and see. “With it being a month away, it’s too early to know if we have to have any special precautions in place,” he told the Courier. “It’s likely the governor’s phased re-opening will dictate if there are any changes to the event, if at all. Phase 2 would likely mean a few very manageable precautions. If we hit Phase 3 by June we will change nothing from years’ past.”

Local residents should be rest assured that all event organizers are taking the current health conditions seriously and doing all they can to ensure a safe and fun environment for participants and observers. “We plan to work with Anne Millard, our local health department and the Glasgow Chamber to make it a successful event for the whole family,” Flaten stressed.

Koski also stated that the Chamber has been working hand in hand with local health officials and following Governor Steve Bullock’s directives to ensure the safety of participants and the public. “We will have more porta potties and hand washing stations available for people this year,” she said.

This will be the second year of the Catfish Days has been sponsored by the Chamber. The inaugural Days event coincided with the 20th anniversary of the Classic. Last year the Chamber sponsored two nights of live music, a pancake breakfast, a corn hole tournament, the Catfish Crawk race, and more at various locations around town. The Classic hosted the traditional Calcutta, social and street dance, and the “Famous Midnight Weigh-ins.” Both events have drawn in out-of-towners and locals, boosting business in Valley County.

In the event the state delays reopening, the Chamber has designated June 26 and 27 as alternative dates for the Catfish Days to be held, though Koski is tentatively hopeful that Montana will be in phase three by the end of this month. The Chamber has also planned alternative dates for the Montana Governor’s Cup Walleye Tournament but is as of now planning for it to take place as scheduled, July 9-11.

The Longest Dam Race is also scheduled to proceed as scheduled, Saturday, June 20, with no alternate dates at this time planned.

At this time, optimism seems to be winning as the Governor included more businesses among those allowed to reopen with restrictions in phase one. Valley County has so far not seen any confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Looking out further, the Northeastern Montana Fair is scheduled for July 28 through Aug. 1. The fair board met earlier this week to discuss how they will be proceeding this year, but chairman Paul McColly told the Courier prior to the meeting that he, at this time, is confident they will be holding a fair. “It might be limited, but we’ll have something,” he said.

Among the topics to be discussed will be how the fair will proceed if the current restrictions regarding crowd numbers remain in place or are reinstated if a second outbreak occurs. “We can’t offer the big acts,” McColly said about crowd favorites, the rodeo and demolition derby. “We need people in the seats.”

If crowd restrictions look to threaten the events in the grandstands, the chairman said the board will look at a trimmed down event, featuring 4-H and other exhibits. “It’s really wait and see right now,” he explained, "but I expect by June 1st it will be decided.” McColly said the board will be in contact and work with Chamber for the Diamond Rio concert scheduled as the fair finale.

Koski strongly recommends that anyone or any group planning for events of 50 or more people contact the Valley Country Health Department for guidance. “I don’t want anyone to miss those details,” she said of the requirements. “Please get in touch with the Health Department for planning.”

The Valley County Health Department is located at 500 4th Ave South, Courthouse Annex, in Glasgow, though appointments are required. The main office number is 406-228-6261.