The Whitefish Chamber of Commerce is in

the process of raising funds to build what is billed as “a

state-of-the-art outdoor performing arts facility” somewhere in

Whitefish.

Part of the fundraising effort for The

Montana Band-Shell will be a three-day music festival in honor of

the Montana Band over the Labor Day weekend, Sept. 3-5, which will

feature a number of “name acts” who worked with the Montana Band.

Members of the Montana Band died in a plane crash 24 years ago.

Building a band shell as a tourism

enhancement project was identified as a goal during the Chamber’s

Whitefish 2020 planning process last year, executive director Kevin

Gartland said.

“A decision on where to place the

facility will be made this summer,” he said. “While our preferred

site is Depot Park, we are also looking at several other possible

sites, including the Armory Park complex and the Great Northern

Veterans Peace Park.”

Gartland says the band shell could be

used 100 times a year if located at Depot Park, including

Huckleberry Days, Freedom Fest on Fourth of July weekend, Tuesday

Farmers Markets, Piggyback Barbeque’s Stumptown Smokeoff, Glacier

Symphony and Chorale’s Festival Amadeus, Shakespeare in the Park,

Stumptown Summer Hoedown, the Chamber’s Labor Day Music Festival,

Big Mountain Commercial Association’s Summer Brewfest, a proposed

Friday or Saturday night Concerts In The Park series, Whitefish

Winter Carnival and Special Olympics.

Top-name acts that might be drawn to

such a facility might include Charlie Daniels, Huey Lewis, The

Doobie Brothers and Stephen Stills, Gartland said. He said he is

currently talking to Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Pure Prairie League,

The David Grisman Quartet and other well known groups about

possibly appearing during one of the Chamber’s Labor Day Music

Festivals.

For more information, contact the

Chamber at 862-3501 or visit online at

http://whitefishchamber.org.