From snowmobiling to snow sculpting or downhill skiing and ski-joring, Montana celebrates winter with fun events and activities. Visitors enjoy winter events in Missoula, Seeley Lake, Butte and Whitefish.
Dog Sled Events
One exciting winter event to watch in Montana is dog sled racing events. According to the Montana Department of Commerce, the race is one of the top five sled dog races on Earth. The Race to the Sky begins near Helena at Camp Rimini on a 350-mile route. Checkpoints include stops in Seeley Lake. This exhilarating race is one of the qualifying events for the Alaskan Iditarod. The Race to the Sky runs from Friday through Wednesday, February 13-18, 2009. Other activities at the race include an auction for sled rides, childrens activities, educational programs and more.
Winter Carnival in Whitefish
Whitefish’s Winter Carnival celebrates its 50th year with a variety of fun events and music. Activities include an ice skating competition, ski joring competition, chainsaw carving ice sculptures, a torchlight parade and fireworks. The Winter Carnival runs from February 6-8, 2009.
Winterfest in Seeley Lake
Visitors join Seeley Lake residents for the annual celebration of winter during the last two weekends in January. With clinics on snowshoeing and Nordic skiing, visitors can learn how to perform winter activities. Festival events include a snow sculpture contest, snocross race, the Seeley-Monture 100 sled dog race and more. Considered one of the premier winter recreation events, Winterfest makes winter in Montana a joyous occasion with fireworks over the lake. Seeley Lake is also a snowmobiler’s paradise, with over 350 miles of groomed trails and guided snowmobile tours.
Missoula's Frost Fever
One of the main events in Missoula during the Frost Fever Winter Festival celebration is the annual fun run/walk, where participants warm up the winter air with physical activity. Participants receive a warm, long-sleeve Frost Fever shirt. Other outdoor activities include snow volleyball, football, dog sledding and other snow activities.
Winternational Sports Festival in Butte
Comprising of 19 events over 8 weeks, the Winternational Sports Festival in Butte, Montana celebrates winter through a variety of activities. Events include cross-country skiing, ski racing, snowmobiling, ice skating, downhill skiing and other winter sports. The festival also includes indoor activities like tennis, and weight lifting.
National Ski Joring Finals
Perhaps one of the most unusual winter sports in the United States, ski joring intrigues visitors to Montana. The National Finals for Ski Joring are held at Red Lodge each year. Spectators watch competitors race for the best time over the two day event with awards going to the fastest combined time. There is also a longest jump competition event. The events run March 13-15 in 2009.
Ski joring has Scandinavian roots, originating as a mode of winter transportation. Ski joring entails a skier pulled by a horse across a slalom course and over several jumps. Event speeds up to 25mph ensure an exciting show. The long jump competition is also an exciting event to watch.
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