The huckleberries are ripe and so is the excitement for the 35th annual Whitefish Huckleberry Days.

The traditional summer festival celebrating the beloved huckleberry takes place Aug. 9-11 in Depot Park and includes fine arts and crafts for sale, along with food. Admission is free. 

The festival is open Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and activities include a living statue, a special art project courtesy of Stumptown Art Studio on Saturday, and face painting, balloon and caricature artists. 

“The weekend is all about community. We’ll have fresh baked goodies from local families and organizations, right next to world-renowned professional artists, all with a huge variety of food, arts and crafts, and activities for people of all ages,” said Shannon Fremont-Smith, events manager for the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce.

Glacier Bank is hosting a free huckleberry ice cream social at both Whitefish locations on Friday. The event starts at 11 a.m. and lasts as long as the ice cream does. 

Pancakes bursting with fresh huckleberries picked by Whitefish Boy Scouts Troop #1936 will be a Saturday highlight as the Whitefish Moose Lodge #642 hosts its annual Huckleberry Pancake Breakfast. The buffet is $12 and runs from 8 a.m. to noon.  

Also on Saturday morning, swimmers will traverse Whitefish Lake for the annual Swim the Fish event. Participants will complete either a half-mile, 1-mile or 5K swim loop course starting and finishing at City Beach. The race is hosted by The WAVE Aquatic and Fitness Center. More information and registration are available at whitefishwave.com.

For further information on the festival, call the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce at (406) 862-3501 or email [email protected].