Scouts food drive
The Lewis and Clark District, Montana Council, part of Scouting America, is recognizing the support of local businesses and volunteers who helped make the annual food drive held on April 11 a success.
Through the generosity of the Great Falls community and the partnership of local retailers, Scouts collected 6,640 pounds of food for the Great Falls Community Food Bank.
Eight grocery store locations participated as collection partners this year, including Smith’s, 2 J’s Fresh Market, both Albertsons locations, both Walmart locations, IGA and Super 1. Their willingness to host collection sites and support the effort was instrumental in the success of the drive.
Special recognition is also extended to FedEx for providing critical logistical support by volunteering transportation assistance to collect donation cartons from all locations and deliver them to the food bank.
“The Lewis and Clark District extends its sincere appreciation to all participating businesses, volunteers, Scouts, and community members whose efforts made this year’s food drive another meaningful success in serving local families in need,” according to the group.
Fire Within Awards
The Great Falls Development Alliance is honoring 52 women at the 15th annual Fire Within Awards on April 16.
The event is 5-8 p.m. at the Newberry. Register here.
Climb-A-Thon
NeighborWorks Great Falls is inviting the community to take part in a fun and active competition with a purpose: the “Can You Climb Harder Than a 5th Grader?” Climb-A-Thon, taking place April 13 through May 8 at the Hi-Line Climbing Center.
This unique, team-based challenge encourages participants of all ages to form teams of up to four and compete against Hi-Line’s youth climbers by earning points on climbing routes of varying difficulty. The goal is simple: score as many points as possible within one hour.
Participants can climb anytime during the Hi-Line’s regular hours, with the first team climbing session offered free of charge. Teams are welcome to return and improve their score for just $5 per person per session.
The first-place team will help make a lasting community impact by choosing which program at NWGF will receive all proceeds raised through event sponsorships and donations.
Winners will be recognized across multiple categories, with medals awarded to the top three overall teams. The event will conclude with a celebration during the Hi-Line Climbing Center’s anniversary party on May 9.
Community members are also invited to support the event through sponsorships or donations, with all proceeds benefiting NWGF and its mission to provide and support quality, affordable housing in the community.
Register a team, learn more, or become a sponsor here.
Cross-Campus Storytelling Symposium
Great Falls College MSU is hosting a cross-campus storytelling symposium from 6-8 p.m. April 17 in Heritage Hall.
The event is free and open to the public.
Six student speakers representing both Great Falls College and Helena College will deliver five-minute narrative speeches on the theme, “Currents of Connection.”
A panel of three community judges will award cash prizes to the top speakers.
Great Falls College speakers include a military veteran and nontraditional student, a dual-enrollment student from Choteau who is a state speech champion, and a student who was homeschooled and is experiencing public education for the first time.
The symposium’s goal is to highlight our talented students while displaying the power of storytelling and the role meaningful discourse plays in building stronger communities.
Great Falls Public Library hosts Mariah Gladstone
“What are indigenous foods, where do we get them, and how do we prepare them? Many native North American foods, both cultivated and harvested, were removed from our diets through intentional colonial efforts.”
Mariah Gladstone is leading the way in a food movement that is revitalizing and incorporating these important foods into the contemporary diet.
During her cooking demonstration, she will prepare one of her original recipes and showcase other indigenous foods that can easily be used in your own kitchen.
Join Gladstone in the Cordingley Room, in the basement of the Great Falls Public Library, on April 28 at 6 p.m.
Gladstone, Piikuni (Blackfeet) and Tsalagi (Cherokee), grew up in northwest Montana on and near the Blackfeet Reservation.
She graduated from Columbia University with a degree in environmental engineering and returned home, where she began her work on food advocacy.
She developed Indigikitchen, an online cooking platform, to revitalize and re-imagine Native foods, then earned a master’s degree at SUNY-ESF in the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment.
Gladstone has been recognized as a Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellow by the First Nations Development Institute and a 2025 Castanea Fellow by the Earth Island Institute.
She has shared the importance of reconnecting to traditional foods at events throughout North America and abroad, as well as through appearances on the Today Show, CBC, and numerous podcasts.
Ansel Adams exhibit
A new exhibition is coming to the C.M. Russell Museum.
Beginning April 16, experience the breathtaking landscapes of Ansel Adams in Masterworks, featuring iconic photographs that helped shape how we see the American West.
The exhibit closes Aug. 9.
IceBreaker road closures, volunteers needed
The 46th annual IceBreaker is April 26.
Runners can enter the 5-mile, 3-mile, or 1-mile race, or run all three races.
Registration fees are $35 per adult and $25 per youth.
Each runner will receive a long-sleeve race t-shirt, finisher’s medal, post-race refreshments provided by Pepsi, and a chance to win door prizes.
Top finishers in each age category will win cash prizes or gift cards donated by Scheels of Great Falls.
Packet pickup, which includes the race shirt and runner’s bib, will be at the Great Falls Civic Center on April 25 from 10 a.m.to 3 p.m. and on April 26 starting at 9 a.m.
Early bird registration is available April 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Scheels.
Runners can sign up online, in person at the Great Falls Park and Recreation office at 1700 River Drive N., in person Scheels Aim High Big Sky Aquatic and Recreation Center at 900 29th St. S., or in person on race day.
On April 26, some intersections and roads will be closed. Refer to the list of street closures for race day.
Volunteers are needed to assist with packet pickup, street closures, post-race awards and more. Volunteers receive a t-shirt and goody bag.
Volunteers can sign up online, call 406-771-1265, or email parkrequests@greatfallsmt.net.
More information on Park and Rec events is available on their website, by calling 406-771-1265, or by emailing parkrequests@greatfallsmt.net.
Dave’s Hot Chicken
We’ve been getting questions, so we checked.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is slated to open at 1225 10th Ave. S. sometime in this quarter, which runs from April to June, according to a company spokeswoman.
Boot Barn
The Boot Barn we told you was planned for a portion of the former Joann space at Holiday Village Mall has submitted a tenant improvement application, according to the city planning office.
Great Falls Rec Center events
The Great Falls Rec Center is hosting several upcoming events.
The Mother-Son Beach Bash Dance is April 24 from 6-8:30 p.m.
Boys, bring your mom, grandmother, aunt or any special family member for a night of music, dancing and tropical vibes. Participants are encouraged to wear a tropical outfit.
Entry is $5 per person and concessions will be available for purchase.
Teen Night: Nerf Wars is April 25 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Rec Center.
The event is open to students in grades 4-12 and the fee is $10 per student. Concessions will be available for purchase.
Participants may bring their own Nerf blaster, which must be clearly labeled, and the center will have a limited number available to borrow.
Protective eyewear is required.
Students may be dropped off once they’re registered for the event.
Blood Drive
The Montana Red Cross is hosting its 11th annual Give a Pint drive on May 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Civic Center.
Everyone who donates blood will receive coupons for a Big Dipper ice cream cone and a refreshing beverage from the Celtic Cowboy as a thank-you for helping patients in need.
Last year, the Montana Red Cross collected more than 51,400 units of blood, supplying lifesaving products to more than 30 hospitals and medical centers statewide. Every day, those donations help cancer patients, accident victims, expectant mothers and others facing medical emergencies.
Donating blood takes less than an hour from start to finish, and a single donation can help save more than one life.
To schedule a donation at the Give a Pint blood drive, visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter the sponsor code GIVE A PINT, or call 800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767).
Montana Red Cross is also encouraging Great Falls businesses, churches, civic groups and community organizations to step up as blood drive hosts to help maintain a stable blood supply for patients statewide.
Hosting a blood drive requires only a large open space and help spreading the word — everything else is handled by the Red Cross.
Learn more at RedCrossBlood.org/hostadrive or call 4062234526.
Safety Town
Registration for Safety Town, held at Skyline Early Learning Family Center, 3300 3rd St. N.E., is open for the 2026 summer sessions.
There are limited spots available and enrollment is first-come, first-served.
The registration fee is $200 per session, which is three hours a day for 10 days.
To be eligible, participants must be 5-years-old by Sept. 10 and starting kindergarten this fall.
This summer’s sessions are June 15-26 with a morning class from 9 a.m. to noon and an afternoon class from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
More information and registration is here.
Touro
The Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine Montana Student Government invites the community to a free Spring Into Summer Health Carnival on May 3 from 1-3 p.m. at the Scheels Aim High Big Sky Aquatic Center in Great Falls.
The event is open to all ages and includes a dunk tank, fitness challenges, healthy snacks, raffles, prizes, free health screenings, and a complimentary first aid kit.
RSVP here to save your spot.
Author Event at Cassiopeia Books
Cassiopeia Books is hosting the launch party of Great Falls author Gwen Gunn’s latest re-issue, To Rise From Death at 6 p.m. May 5.
Historical Society
The Montana Historical Society’s gift shop at the Montana Heritage Center has a newly redesigned online store, making its curated selection of Montana books, gifts, and locally made goods available to shoppers nationwide.
The online store features a wide collection of books celebrating Montana’s history, culture, and landscapes, as well as apparel, home goods, and handcrafted items from Montana and Indigenous makers. A modernized platform with intuitive navigation and searchable tools makes it easy for customers to browse the full inventory and purchase titles or gifts from home.
The store was formerly known as the Museum Store and was renamed The Gift Shop when the Montana Heritage Center opened its doors to the public in December 2025 in Helena.
History Museum archives
The History Museum Research Center is releasing extensive archives from Native American boarding schools in Montana.
“In a gesture of respect and priority, relatives of former boarding school students are invited to review these materials first,” according to the museum.
Access for the general public will open in August 2026.
The Ursuline Sisters’ wish is to provide meaningful access to generations of tribal people seeking to understand more about this shared history, according to the museum.
Nuns of the Ursuline Western Province first arrived in Miles City in January of 1884. They next traveled to Northern Cheyenne Country to serve at St. Labre Mission and then further west to St. Peter’s Mission to the Blackfeet near Cascade.
Ursuline Sisters served at Catholic Missions all over the western United States, and since 1913 their records were stored at their community house in Great Falls.
When the last Ursuline archivist, Sister Francis Xavier Porter, died in 2022, Ursuline leadership recognized it was time to find a professional repository to care for their collections. Both the Eastern and Central Ursuline Provinces’ archives had moved to Boston College, but the Roman Union Ursuline Sisters of the Western Province chose to move the archives to a location more accessible for those to whom the records matter most.
The archives began being moved The History Museum on June 22, 2023.
“The Roman Union Ursuline Sisters of the Western Province are releasing extensive archives from their former Native American boarding schools in Montana for tribal researchers. This initiative aims to support healing and deeper understanding of the generational trauma caused by these institutions and the lasting impact of colonialism on Indigenous communities,” according to the museum.
The currently accessible archives, which include materials from Holy Family (Blackfeet), St. Xavier and St. Charles (Crow), St. Labre (Northern Cheyenne), St. John Berchman (CSKT), St. Paul’s (Fort Belknap), and St. Peter’s (off-reservation boarding school) are now available for tribal research. Finding aids, serving as tables of contents for the archival boxes, have been completed for these collections. St. Ignatius (CSKT), and St. Mary’s (Alaska) have not been cataloged at this time but will be available in the future, according to the museum.
The Ursuline Western Province collections are on loan to the Cascade County Historical Society, known as The History Museum at 422 2nd St. S.
The partnership ensures public access is supported by professional finding aids and a largely digitized body of records done in collaboration with the Great Falls Genealogy Society.
To request research access, contact the museum directly by submitting a research request here or by calling 406-452-3462.
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