The annual Montana Folk Festival in Butte appears to be bringing in more visitors from out of state.
Organizers of the festival say about 65% of the attendees were from somewhere outside Montana. This is good news because out-of-state visitors tend to spend more money.
“They have to rent rooms, they have to buy gas, they have to buy dinner. You know, it's just a bigger result from the tourism dollar if people are coming from out of state,” said festival organizer George Everett.
Previous festivals report about 25% of visitors came from out of state. Organizers say the reason for the rise in the number of out-of-state guests is a broader marketing campaign.
The festival will return again next summer and runs from July 10 until July 12.
