ARTS COUNCIL OF BIG SKY
The Arts Council of Big Sky is bringing another summer of Music in the Mountains to Center Stage in Town Center Park in Big Sky, consisting of 15 events between June 20 and Sept. 5. These include 12 Thursday night concerts, the ninth annual Big Sky Classical Music Festival and a performance from Montana Shakespeare in the Parks. All of these performances are free and open to the public.
“I think this season will raise the bar for live music in Big Sky,” said Brian Hurlbut, executive director for the Arts Council. “We feel we have the best concert series in the region and this year is no exception. We have some great national acts as well some up-and-coming homegrown talent.”
For the third year in a row, the series will kick off with the annual Big Sky Soul Shine event on June 20, featuring cosmic folk band Futurebirds from Athens, Georgia, and local group, Dammit Lauren and the Well, and will conclude with a regional favorite, Pinky and the Floyd, who will bring its all-star Pink Floyd tribute show back to Music in the Mountains for the second year in a row.
Those performances will bookend a variety of performances and genres, appealing to all tastes, from blues to classical, Americana to funk and soul. The full schedule includes Halden Wofford and the Hi-Beams on June 27; the Tiny Band on July 4, complemented by the region’s best fireworks show; The Commonheart on July 11; Orgone on July 18; Hayes Carll on July 25; Marcia Ball on Aug. 1; Town Mountain with special guests Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs on Aug. 8; Mt. Joy with special guests Upstate on Aug. 15; Honey Island Swamp Band on Aug. 22; and Ron Artis and the Truth on Aug. 29.
In addition, the ninth annual Big Sky Classical Music Festival with special guests Angella Ahn, Jonathan Gunn and Dallas Brass will take place Aug. 9-11, a free performance of Montana Shakespeare in the Parks will be held in the park on Aug. 19, and the fourth annual Mountainfilm in Big Sky event will cap the summer Sep. 13-15.
The music takes place at Center Stage in Town Center Park, one of the best outdoor venues in the state, right in the heart of Big Sky. The park opens at 6 p.m. each week and there will be food and beverage vendors, and an arts activity tent for kids. Music typically starts at 7:15 p.m., but reference the Arts Council web site for additional details.
These free community concerts have been a staple in Big Sky for more than 10 years, and this summer should add to a lengthy list of established artists that continue to thrill Big Sky artists.
“We couldn’t put on a concert series like this without the generous support of the entire community,” Hurlbut said. “It’s a huge part of why Big Sky is an amazing place to be in the summer.”
