GREAT FALLS, Mont. — Traditional crafts rooted in Montana's frontier history are coming to Great Falls this Saturday — and organizers hope a new generation of artisans is paying attention.
The Cottonwood Festival takes place Saturday, July 18, at 10 a.m. at the Great Falls History Museum. Admission is free.
"It's going to be an exciting event. It's free admission and it's all about showcasing traditional making and traditional craftsmanship," said Ashleigh McCann, Collections Curator for Media and Marketing.
(WATCH: Cottonwood Festival brings traditional crafts to Great Falls — and hopes a new generation is watching)
The festival features roughly 15 artisans and demonstrators showcasing traditional crafts including blacksmithing, flint knapping, weaving, wood carving, and native games. Austin Haney, Education Director at the C.M. Russell Museum, will demonstrate beaver hat making — a craft rooted in Montana's frontier history. Local wood carver Leroy Wesche of Great Falls is also expected to participate. A food truck will be on site, and the museum will be open for visitors throughout the day.
The event is also a revival of sorts. The Cottonwood Festival was previously held at the fairgrounds and grew so large it became difficult for the organization to manage as a small nonprofit. This year's festival brings it back in a more accessible format.
For McCann, the urgency behind the event is real. Many of the clubs and organizations that practice these traditional crafts are aging — and not attracting enough new members to sustain them.
"A lot of these clubs are just getting older, and maybe they're not getting enough eyes. And so maybe we can help with that to get some kids engaged and making things," she said.
In an era where artificial intelligence and mass production are increasingly replacing handmade work, organizers say the stakes are higher than ever. The crafts on display Saturday took years — sometimes lifetimes — to master. Without younger generations learning them, they risk disappearing entirely.
The festival also carries special significance this year.
"It's all in celebration as well of our 50th anniversary and the semi-quincentennial for America 250," McCann said.
The Cottonwood Festival is free and open to the public Saturday, July 18, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Great Falls History Museum.
