MISSOULA — If you love strolling around downtown Missoula, you have no doubt missed the hustle and bustle, the music and events that have fallen victim to the COVID-19 pandemic.
There are signs that the downtown scene is coming back as the Missoula Downtown Partnership is working on several events for the spring and beyond.
That includes a creative, socially distant event, that will be the first notable happening in Caras Park in about a year.
The first-ever “Brews and Bonfires” -- which is set for March 27 – is already hugely popular.
"We set up a day where people can rent a fire table and chairs for a small party of six,” explained Missoula Downtown Partnership executive director Linda McCarthy. “We have four flights of time periods, where people can rent for a couple of hours. And then were bring the Dram Shop and some food vendors down to the park."
Caras Park has been pretty tame over the past year, but soon their will life. In addition to the “Brews N Bonfires,”
The Clark Fork River Farmers Market will be back, although it will be shifted away from the bridge construction to near the Carousel.
Some other get-out-of-the-house events for downtown are in the works as well.
Out to lunch and Downtown Tonight will be held this year, but with restrictions starting on June 2. Unseen Missoula Tours is on tap for April while The Parade of Lights and Festival of Trees are still a go for the holiday season.
However, the WinterBrewfest will not be held because of the large crowds it brings and the fate of the River City Roots Festival -- which is held in August -- will be decided in mid to late April and the Garden City Brewfest is on hold, for now.
