🤠 Plan ahead: Things to do in Bozeman this October

🎬 The inaugural Bozeman Film Festival takes over downtown Bozeman from October 8th-11th, with 72 independent films screening at The Ellen Theatre, the Rialto, and the Tune Up Bar, plus panels, filmmaker conversations, awards, live music, and parties. Details.

🌭 Bozeman Spirits hosts a weekly community BBQ with free hot dogs every Thursday downtown from 5:00pm-7:00pm, followed by trivia from 7:00pm-9:00pm. Details.

🛍️ handMADE Montana’s Bozeman Fall MADE fair brings more than 190 artists and makers to the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse on Friday and Saturday, October 9th-10th. Shop Friday from 5:00pm-8:00pm with a VIP pass, Saturday from 9:00am-10:00am with an Early Bird pass, or from 10:00am-4:00pm Saturday with free admission. Details.

🧑‍🌾 The Bozeman Winter Farmers’ Market happens at the Fairgrounds in Exhibit Building 4 on October 10th (and every Saturday in October) from 9:00am-12:00pm. Details.

🎨 The Fall Craft Supply Swap takes over the Park County Fairgrounds in Livingston on Saturday, October 10th, with donated art and craft supplies available completely free. Drop off supplies from 11:00am-12:00pm, with shopping open to swappers from 12:30pm-1:30pm and everyone from 1:30pm-3:30pm. Details.

🐾 Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter hosts its annual Open House at its main facility on Saturday, October 10th from 12:00pm-3:00pm. Tour the shelter, meet local vendors, grab food, enter your pet in a costume contest, and stop by the photo booth. Details.

🎻 Bozeman Symphony presents Bohemian Fire at the Willson Auditorium on Saturday, October 10th at 7:30pm and Sunday, October 11th at 2:30pm. Details.

🎨 Tinworks celebrates the opening of its newly restored Mill Building on Sunday, October 11th from 3:00pm-6:00pm, with the unveiling of Act II of their Chisel & Razor exhibit, live performances, and more. Details.

🧘 Free Flow Bozeman hosts its monthly free yoga class for the community on Monday, October 12th at Portal from 6:00pm-7:15pm. Space is limited and advance registration is required. Details.

🎱 Love INC hosts a BINGO Night at Trinity Ministry Center on Thursday, October 15th from 5:30pm-8:30pm, with bingo starting at 6:00pm. Details.

🍎 Learn to make traditional fire cider at Amish Daily Farm in Whitehall on Thursday, October 15th from 6:00pm-8:00pm. The hands-on workshop includes your own pint of fire cider to take home, a bowl of farm-raised beef chili, warm drinks, and a fireside gathering. Details.

🏒 The Bozeman Icedogs take on the Butte Irish on Friday, October 16th at 7:30pm at Haynes Pavilion. Details.

📸 The Bozeman Photo Expo brings two days of photography workshops, presentations, and camera gear to the Hilton Garden Inn on Saturday and Sunday, October 17-18 from 9:00am-6:00pm. Free to attend. Details.

🏃 Run For Your Life returns on Saturday, October 17th, starting at Bobcat Stadium at 9:30am, for the Help Center’s annual Halloween 5K and Kids’ Run/Walk, with a new community gathering at Portal Thermaculture that evening at 5:00pm. Details.

⛷️ Bridger Bowl kicks off winter with its annual Bridger Bowl Bash on Saturday, October 17th from 12:00pm-6:00pm at the Jim Bridger and Saddle Peak Lodges, with a ski clothing swap, gear repair, season pass raffle, food and drinks, and live music from Jazz Cabbage from 3:00pm-6:00pm. Details.

🛍️ 406 Flea brings its vintage pop-up to the Fairgrounds on Saturday, October 17th from 4:00pm-7:00pm for local vintage clothing finds. Details.

🪩 Mountain Air Dance brings Boogie Fever - a disco-themed dance night - to the Emerson on Saturday, October 17th from 7:00pm-10:00pm, including a dance lesson, aerial performances, zombie cheerleaders, a costume contest, and lots of dancing. Details.

🎤 Bozeman Nights returns to Kiln on Tuesday, October 20th from 5:00pm-7:00pm for another evening hangout, featuring a great local speaker from the Bozeman community (speaker to be announced soon). Details.

👻 The Anderson School’s Haunted House runs on Friday and Saturday, October 23rd-24th from 5:30pm-10:00pm, with a less-intense “lights-on” version during the first hour from 5:30pm-6:30pm. Details.

🎪 406Cirque’s Spooktacular brings its original Halloween circus show to Petra Academy on Friday, October 23rd at 7:00pm and Saturday, October 24th at 2:00pm and 7:00pm, with aerialists, acrobats, unicyclists, jugglers, giant puppets, skeletons, and more for a spooky, whimsical night of circus and theater. Details.

🏈 The Bobcats take on Weber State at Bobcat Stadium on Saturday, October 24th at 1:00pm. The Bobcats return home for a Big Sky Conference matchup during MSU’s Parent & Family Weekend. Details.

🎃 SHINE Beer Sanctuary hosts its Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest on Saturday, October 24th from 2:00pm-5:00pm. Pumpkins and carving kits are provided, with prizes for the SHINE Original, Spookiest, and Most Creative designs. Details.

🏒 The Bozeman Icedogs face the Helena Bighorns on Saturday, October 24 at 7:30pm at Haynes Pavilion. Details.

🎃 Phoenix Garden Center hosts a free Harvest Fest on Sunday, October 25th from 10:00am-2:30pm, where you can spend the day making fall crafts, decorating and carving pumpkins, and enjoying snacks at the garden center. Details.

🎃 Downtown Bozeman Trick-or-Treating returns on Friday, October 30th from 4:00pm-6:00pm, with more than 100 downtown businesses handing out treats. Details.

🎭 Museum of the Rockies hosts Pour and Gore: A Haunted Masquerade on Friday, October 30th from 6:00pm-9:00pm. The 21+ Halloween night includes mask-making, tarot and palm readings, spooky gallery tours, eerie talks, a themed planetarium show, parlor games, treats, and a cash bar. Registration is required. Details.

🩰 Montana Ballet Company brings three spooky ballets to The Ellen Theatre on Friday and Saturday, October 30th-31st at 7:00pm. The Halloween weekend program combines The Raven, Dracula, and the second act of Giselle for an evening of dark, haunting ballet. Details.

🏈 The Bobcats host Cal Poly at Bobcat Stadium on Saturday, October 31st at 1:00pm for a Halloween football matchup. Details.

🎃 The Monster Mash Bash brings a Halloween rock show to the Armory Music Hall on Saturday, October 31st at 6:30pm, with local bands Venus En Vogue, Stonefruit, and Lost Canyons performing, plus costume contests and prizes throughout the night. 21+. Details.

💃 Ballroom Dance Bozeman hosts a Halloween Ballroom Dance Party at the Bozeman Senior Center on Saturday, October 31st from 7:00pm-10:00pm, with costumes encouraged and no partner or previous ballroom experience required. Details.

🎧 SoDown performs a Halloween show at The ELM on Saturday, October 31st at 8:00pm, joined by Chozen and SUBBOOM, with costume contests and prizes throughout the night. Details.

Have a wonderful October, and I’ll see you out there!

(Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @howdybozeman for regular updates on what’s going on in town.)

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