GALLATIN RIVER TASK FORCE
The seventh annual Gallatin River Fly Fishing Festival will make a splash in Big Sky June 28-30. After a watershed year in 2017, the Fly Fishing Festival is back in Big Sky with three action-packed days that celebrate river recreation and conservation.
Last year, the festival invested $33,000 to support a healthy Gallatin River for future generations.
“The Fly Fishing Festival is really coming into its own,” said long-time committee chair, Ennion Williams. “In 2018, we’re excited to welcome headlining band The Last Revel, and a Montana distillery tasting garden. … Don’t miss the Gallatin River’s biggest weekend.”
The festival begins with a chance to spin fishing yarns and test new products at the Pesca Fiesta on Thursday, June 28, at Gallatin River Guides. The Gallatin River Guides will kick off the festival with free beer, drinks and food at their annual storewide sale.
The Hooked on the Gallatin Banquet will land on the banks of the Gallatin River on Friday, June 29, at the Gallatin Riverhouse Grill. The banquet features barbecue, wine by Natalie’s Estate Winery, live acoustic music, and auctions to benefit GRTF.
Electrifying Minnesota-based string trio, The Last Revel, will return to Big Sky Town Center Park on Saturday, June 30, to headline the final day of the festival, which includes an outdoor fair complete with pony rides, a giant casting pond, fly tying, and conservation activities.
During the outdoor fair, the casting doctor, Dok Arvanites, will host clinics to diagnose common casting ailments, while Bozeman-based artist Ben Miller demonstrates the art of fly cast painting.
“The Gallatin River Fly Fishing Festival is a signature Big Sky event that provides our community with the opportunity to give back to the Gallatin River,” said GRTF executive director Kristin Gardner.
Visit gallatinriverflyfishingfestival.com for more information, to purchase banquet tickets, or to support the festival as a vendor or sponsor.
