By Carli Johnson SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
For the second winter in a row, local nonprofit Big Sky OUT will bring color and celebration to the community with Winter Pride Week, returning Jan. 5 to 11. The weeklong event will feature a full slate of free and low-cost programming across Big Sky, including DJ dance parties, a drag brunch, a ski parade and educational opportunities. All events are open to anyone interested in participating, whether they identify as LGBTQ+ or as allies.
“Last year was about proving the concept. Can Winter Pride work in rural Montana?” Taylor McCaslin, a Big Sky OUT board member said in an interview with EBS. With around 150 participants attending events last year, McCaslin said the answer was a resounding yes. “This year is really about establishing ourselves as an annual tradition.”
Building on that momentum, organizers expect roughly 200 participants this year and have expanded the schedule to include new offerings alongside returning favorites. One new addition is the No Man’s Land Film Festival, showcasing award-winning films on underrepresented voices in outdoor spaces. Fan favorites like the ski parade down Mr. K will also return this year and the week earned its recognition as an official Big Sky Resort event.
Beyond the celebrations, Winter Pride Week is rooted in Big Sky OUT’s broader mission of fostering inclusion and belonging.
“We’re not just hosting parties,” McCaslin said. “We’re training local businesses on LGBTQ+ inclusion, creating safe and family-inclusive spaces and showing that rural Montana can be a welcoming and vibrant community for everybody.
For McCaslin, the goal is simple but meaningful: making outdoor recreation feel accessible to all. “We want queer people to feel welcome and included in all of these outdoor experiences,” he said. “A lot of times it’s just about creating a space where people feel welcome to show up as their authentic selves and experience what Big Sky has to offer.”
That sense of belonging is especially important in a resort town where seasonal workers come and go. Big Sky OUT aims to be a year-round resource, hosting monthly events and providing consistent opportunities for connection across seasons.
Looking ahead, organizers hope Winter Pride Week will continue to grow. Inspired by established winter pride events in mountain towns like Aspen, Telluride and Whistler, McCaslin envisions Big Sky becoming a destination for LGBTQ+ visibility in mountain culture.
The detailed schedule of events can be found online.
