NPARL: Sidney, MT - Annual Events

The following is a monthly list of the major events that take place annually in Sidney. For information on the annual events that take place around Sidney visit the Area Sight Seeing page.

January

October

Kicking off the year during the second weekend in January is the annual MonDak Ag Days and Trade Show. It's a two-day event for farmers, ranchers and even the whole family. Entertainment includes livestock judging, various farming and ranching seminars along with tours, displays, and "Ag in the Classroom" for kids. Then at the end of the second day (Saturday), a popular band or other entertainment from the area is featured at a closing banquet.

In the middle of winter, hundreds of people, mainly ranchers and their families come from all around Eastern Montana and Western North Dakota to check out the Best of the West Beef Showcase. Located on Main street in the heart of downtown Sidney, ranchers are able to shop for breeding stock amongst over 100 pens set side by side and extending all the way down the street as far as any eye can see. Stores and restaurants throughout town put on sales and specials to keep everyone busy, as well as a trade show and arts and craft show so that everyone finds something of interest. This is a new annual event in Sidney, but is sure to keep going for years to come.

Image showing the poster for the 2004 annual dinner theatre event title Water Bingo.

"Hold onto your hats" during the middle of March for a one night only annual dinner theatre event put on by a non-profit organization known widely across the state as The Vigilante Theatre Company from Bozeman, Montana. Each year the event is held at the Triangle Night Club located one mile outside of Sidney and each year the theatre company puts on a different production. Various ones in the past have ranged from a classic murder mystery to a humorous musical with the 2004 production being a musical mystery combination titled "Water Bingo" as seen on the advertising poster at right. It's a night full of live entertainment along with a hearty Montana-style meal!

Bulls-R-Us is action packed with one bull ride after another and you get to enjoy it all indoors at the Richland Ranger Hockey Dome. The cowboys do their best to hang on for those eight excruciating seconds, while the clowns/bull fighters wait for their turn at center stage to entertain spectators with their quick thinking techniques and fancy foot work. Bulls-R-Us is a fantastic event that gives you everything you would see at a national bull riding competition plus more like the kids' stick horse competition!

Link to ADCOM of Montana, Arch Ellwein's website whom supplied this photograph of an acoustic musician, Bill Rossiter, who was the highlight of the 2003 Story Festival at the Sidney Public Library.

Round up your children this month and head to the Sidney Public Library to enjoy the "River of Times" Story Telling Festival, where author(s) come to read and autograph their books for area kids. Various years other famous people in the area have also participated such as acoustic musician, Bill Rossiter, shown in the photo at right. It is a once-a-year event that is important for children of all ages should attend in order to help them discover or continue to discover the joy of reading and learning. It's also a good opportunity to introduce the kids to the Public Library and for them to meet the librarians.

In the middle of June, Sidney puts on the annual Heritage Day featuring a long-time family from the area. Starting off the day is the Great Pet Drive with kids parading their pets in downtown Sidney. Immediately following is the big Heritage Day Parade where everyone is either involved or comes to watch. Even NPARL participates annually by banding together their Sweep Net Drill Team. After working up an appetite everyone heads to Veterans Memorial Park located on East Main street to dig into a free lunch. A gathering that no one wants to miss! The Heritage Family of the Year is then introduced to the crowd during a program that takes place on the stage of the pavilion, which is also located in the park. Then "LET THE GAMES BEGIN!" Everyone is welcome to participate in activities such as volleyball, croquet, baseball/softball, horseshoes, a gunny sack race and watermelon eating contest. The entertainment continues until it's time to walk just across the street to the Middle School Auditorium for the Miss Northeastern Montana Scholarship Pageant.

Another special event this month that has been popular for almost 10 years now is the Footlights and Greece Paint Youth Theatre Retreat. About 20 kids from around the area come together in Sidney for a week to learn all about the art of theatre. Then on the final day of the theatre camp, all of the kids put on the production that they spent all week working hard to produce. It's a fantastic opportunity for youngsters to learn not only about acting, but skills in working with their peers and building confidence along with speaking in front of and presenting themselves to small and large groups.

Lastly, CALLING ALL RUNNERS!!! By this time, Spring has definitely sprung in the MonDak area and it's time to think about your health this month. Sidney Health Center puts on an annual Fun Run event with a 5K and 10 K race and provides t-shirts along with packets of information for all participants.

Link to ADCOM of Montana, Arch Ellwein's website whom supplied this photograph of a play entitled Hi De Ho with Lewis and Clark at the 2003 Sunrise Festival of the Arts. Photo courtesy of Arch Ellwein.

In Sidney, start out celebrating your 4th of July on the 3rd at Veteran's Memorial Park. Gather around for a free will donation dinner in the park to support the Jaycee's who proudly put on a spectacular public fireworks show every year at the golf course.

Also in July is the annual Sunrise Festival of the Arts, where people not only come from all around Montana, but also North and South Dakota, and Wyoming. Here people come to display and/or sell their artwork under brightly colored canopies, sample a wide variety of cultural foods, walk among the over seventy quilts on display by the local Piece Makers Quilt Guild, and enjoy ALL of the entertainment that takes place on stage with live acts switching every half hour all day. It's an affair for the whole family and takes place in the center of town at the Veteran's Memorial Park! It's free to attend, but you must buy a button (for only a couple dollars) if you want to be entered in the over 50 prize drawings. The fun isn't over just yet though, because that night is the "Shakespeare in the Park" play put on by a group of people all the way from the western end of the state in Bozeman, MT. The Sidney stop is one of several held across the state during the Bozeman based troupe's summer tour.

Photograph of the Richland County Fair grounds filled with people enjoying the MT State High School Rodeo Finals which was hosted in Sidney for three years.

Every year at the end of July and beginning of August the Richland County Fair & Rodeo takes place at the fair grounds in Sidney. There are dozens of carnival rides for kids starting on a Wednesday night and going through the end of the fair on a Saturday night. A PRCA Rodeo takes place on both Thursday and Friday night and a popular country music star also comes to perform two shows, which is held on Saturday night. There is also other things to enjoy during the daytime such as the much talked about food in the food court, 4-H exhibits and livestock judging, along with craft projects made by elementary school kids, adult projects like quilts, scrapbooks, photography, food judging contests, dozens of commercial exhibits, and the unique seed art that is very popular and famously represents the entire MonDak area! It's literally an event for everyone and is even referred to as Eastern Montana's Showcase event!

The month of August isn't over yet though because there is also the action-packed Jaycee's Demolition Derby with sponsored cars bumping and ramming each other in metal twisting action.

Also in August is one of the many golf tournaments with this widely known as the Foundation for Community Care Benefit Golf Tournament. It's an important fundraiser for the Foundation who's main goal is to support healthcare in the Richland County communities. There is breakfast, lunch and supper provided to all players, hole giveaways and prizes for everyone along with a $10,000 hold-in-one prize and four $100 savings bonds all donated by Podiatrist Dr. Michael Lapan of Sidney. Anyone who likes golf is sure to enjoy the event and it's for a good cause.

Lastly, take note if basketball is your game because Sidney also has a couple basketball tournaments throughout the summer including the MDU 3-on-3 Shoot Out held in August. Kids from 4th & 5th grade all the way up to adults are welcomed to participate. It's a whole day of fun and games for the entire family or for you and your friends and colleagues!

The opening days of hunting season are just around the corner and what better way to get everyone on target than to attend the annual Lone Tree Gun Show. It's bigger and better every year with hunting enthusiasts coming from all around the area to see what's new in the sport of hunting.

Wine? Food? What more could you want? It's the annual Wine and Food Festival at the beginning of November in Sidney. You'll wonder if it's a holiday you've never heard of once you walk in and discover the array of conversation, laughter, and foods (provided by participating restaurants) in which they are all secretly competing for the People's Choice Award. Champagne, chardonnay or non-alcoholic drinks, along with the amazing art work up on display for people to admire is an exciting part because a silent auction is also taking place for each piece. Also up for auction is the original quick draw artwork done by three local artists on stage during the event and the funds raised go to supporting health care in the area. Those attending will receive a commemorative wine glass made up for each year. So, at the end of the evening you'll be feeling ready for the upcoming holidays!

On the Friday after Thanksgiving, Sidney starts off the holiday shopping season with the Christmas Stroll and Parade of Lights. There is a new theme every year for the parade as well as for the businesses who decorate their shops and stay open later than usual. Kids attending the Parade of Lights can see Santa in the parade, visit with him afterwards and even get their picture taken.

Also, during the first Sunday in December the MonDak Heritage Center puts on the annual Ethnic Christmas Celebration, which features a different culture each year and includes the associated food, music and customs. Elementary schools kids do artwork to be displayed at the event and you'll also see a Christmas tree contest to be on display all month along with some scheduled times of entertainment.