On Friday, February 15, Missoula’s favorite town square will wake up from hibernation, coming alive for one exciting night – Winter BrewFest III at Caras Park. Bundle up and meet your friends and neighbors in Downtown Missoula from 5-10 pm for a selection of brews sure to warm you up. The Missoula Downtown Association’s third production of this annual gathering will expose beer-lovers to the winter elements by holding the event outdoors for the first time. And have no fear, you can gather around bonfires and giant heaters all night. It’s the warmest way to connect with your community over a few glasses of local libations.
“We are hoping Winter BrewFest has found its home in Caras Park, where Missoulians who enjoy being near the Clark Fork can celebrate what we love most about Downtown,” says Ellen Buchanan, MDA board member and director of the Missoula Redevelopment Agency.
In addition to hosting over 30 microbrews from around the region, Winter BrewFest III will showcase the musical talent, artistry and tasty eats that make Downtown Missoula a vibrant place to connect – even in the winter. Mingle amid the music of Three Eared Dog and the Kevin Van Dort Band. Marvel at the onstage 3D projections performed by Amber Bushnell. Be mesmerized by our local fire dancers, the spectacular Missoula Sea of Flames. There will even be a wine bar for those in search of a different beverage selection.
To plan this year’s event, the Missoula Downtown Association has contracted with Logan Foret, owner of Bassface Productions. Under the leadership of Foret and a BrewFest committee chaired by Buchanan, the event takes new shape at Caras Park. “I am extremely excited to be working with the MDA to host a great event that will only continue to grow and involve more of our local community,” says Foret. The MDA is happy to have a BrewFest team that understands the value in connecting people downtown and looks forward to the flair they are bringing to Winter BrewFest III.
Kegs will be tapped when the workweek ends at 5pm. Admission is $10 per person and includes one 7-ounce commemorative glass and two beer tokens. Additional tokens are $1 each. Moviegoers at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival are invited to walk over from the Wilma Theatre after the free opening night film, Nina Davenport’s First Comes Love. Bonfires and heaters will be extinguished at 10pm, but everyone is welcome to seek warmth in downtown restaurants and bars afterward.
Folks attending will be required to show identification at the entrance, located on the west side of the Caras Park Pavilion near the Carousel. Parking is free downtown evenings and weekends, and attendees are encouraged to use alternative forms of transportation. Mountain Line bus service runs until 8 pm, and the University of Montana UDASH shuttle runs 15-minute service late into the night for those staying until 10.
At Winter BrewFest III, Missoula will be reminded how lucky we are to have an active community life, even during chilly winter months that make most folks want to stay indoors. So come witness the winter revival of our favorite public park - the laughter, live music and neighborly chatter; the glow of familiar faces around crackling fires; a bite of hot food and the frothy head of a dark winter ale; hats, gloves, scarves and smiles. It’s everything you love about summer in Caras Park, and you’ll see it again on the night of Winter BrewFest III – Friday, February 15.

Rascal Flatts with the Band Perry and Kristen Kelly

The country music industry should have known right away that Rascal Flatts would be a group who would be at the top of the genre’s food chain from the moment they hit the airwaves.
The three-member group struck a chord right away with country music fans of all types, and their country-pop sound cemented the path of those in the industry that yearned to cross over into mainstream success. While Garth Brooks had made the road before them, it was acts like Rascal Flatts who paved that road, so that artists like Big & Rich, Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift could travel that road into the mainstream of America’s listening palette.
What makes Rascal Flatts – who plays the Adams Center on January 25 – work so well is the bond the trio has between them. Two of them have a bond beyond the band, as lead vocalist Gary LeVox and the versatile Jay DeMarcus are second cousins. Dan Rooney’s lead guitar adds a unique blend to the group, and helps formulate the sound which has dominated the early part of the Millennium.
Their success also helped put the Disney Music Group’s Lyric Street Records into a strong role in Nashville. Their success on the charts opened doors for other new acts to thrive – including Deric Ruttan, Josh Gracin and others. While Lyric Street has since closed, Rascal Flatts continues to put out music under the independent label, Big Machine Records.
Since their debut single, “Prayin’ for Daylight” – which was one of the three songs on their demo which won over the Lyric Street folk in the first place – Rascal Flatts has been a success on the charts. All seven of their albums released under the Lyric Street label went platinum or higher, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. All 26 single releases have been at least into the Top 20 on the Billboard Country charts, including a dozen No. 1 singles.
Midway through the decade, Rascal Flatts also started experiencing more crossover success. Their song “What Hurts The Most” not only made it to the top of the country charts, it also topped the Adult Contemporary chart and made it to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The support for a song on their second studio album, “Melt,” also produced a little controversy. The video released of the Top 10 single “I Melt” included partial nudity, and was banned from airing on the Great American Country network.

Band Perry and Kristen Kelly

The song the group may be most remembered for, however, is a song which has become a staple on an annual feature on ESPN’s flagship program, SportsCenter. The “My Wish” series, which highlights the Make-A-Wish Foundation, uses the Rascal Flatts song by the same title in its presentation.
And, of course, the group keeps putting out hits. Already off of their latest studio album, Changed, the song “Banjo” made its climb to the top of the country music charts, the group’s 12th No. 1 country single.
As of late, the band has been on the road, celebrating getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and making an appearance on NBC’s The Voice.
The Changed Tour will continue into the summer, with stops throughout the US, as well as Europe and Australia.

The Changed Tour
Friday, January 25
at the Adams Center with special guests the Band Perry and Kristen Kelly
Doors are set to open at 6:30 p.m. with the show starting at 7:30 p.m.