Though its technically a day early for “bear” season in Montana, the St. Regis Community Park will turn into hunting grounds on Saturday, Sept. 14, for what hopes to become an annual event called the SeptemBear Hunt.

This artistic scavenger hunt in the city park will feature searching for rock painted "bears" hidden throughout the grounds. Participants are encouraged to keep an eye out for special “Golden Bears," which come with exciting prizes. All the bears you find, you can keep. Following the expedition, stick around for a hot dog feed and enjoy some time with friends and neighbors.

Visionary, artist at heart and office manager for the St. Regis Senior Center, Kelly Morrison, is facilitating this unbearably fun family affair. Their organization’s goal is to foster opportunities for multiple generations to spend time together.

She exclaimed, “We believe that it’s incredibly valuable for both the young and the elderly to interact and learn from one another.”

The St. Regis Senior Center hosts numerous events throughout the year like Thanksgiving dinner, a special Valentine’s evening, bake sales and craft fairs, move nights, and more.

“We were looking at the community calendar and noticed there was a gap in activities for September,” noted Morrison. “The idea of a bear hunt in the park just seemed like a lot of fun. We envisioned it as a way to engage the community—not just in the hunt itself, but also in decorating the rocks that will be hidden. This way, we have even more opportunities to spend time together, face to face. We are counting on all of us playing together and making it a roaring success.”

She explained that this event is for people of all ages. 

Morrison said, “On the day of the hunt, we’ll likely give the little ones a head start, but this is truly a community-wide event. It’s our first time doing it, so we ask for a bit of patience as we work out the details.”

And this event is a twofold activity. First on Saturday, Sept. 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the St. Regis Senior Center will have an open-house-style rock painting party. Everyone is welcome to join us in painting or decoupaging rocks. All supplies will be provided, paint, brushes, paint pens, bear images, decoupage glue, and of course, the rocks.

Morrison remarked, “We’ll gather the following Saturday, SeptemBEAR 14, from 11 a.m. 1 p.m. at the Saint Regis Park for the Bear Hunt. We’ll also be serving hotdogs and lemonade. Plus, we’ve got several special Golden Bears hidden that will win prizes donated by local businesses. We would love for this to become an event that our community looks forward to every year.”

The total number of bears hidden will depend on how many get decorated, but Morrison is guessing there will be at least a hundred or more.

On thoughtful side note, Morrison added, “There’s a small town that organically developed a Gnome Trail with gnome figurines throughout a forest trail.” 

The Gnome Trail is a 0.7-mile loop in Maple Valley, Washington with hundreds of gnome figurines sprinkled throughout the forest. 

“People come from all over to walk the trail, spot the gnomes, and even add their own,” Morrison detail. “I’ve been thinking it could be fun to develop something similar in our area — a Bear Trail that could become a draw for both locals and tourists.”

When people hear the term senior center it's often associated with an early dinner and pinochle games. But Morrison declared, “The aging community has so much to share and also much to learn from the younger generations. Interacting with people of all ages helps keep our seniors young at heart and vibrant. Our goal is to create opportunities that bring young people into contact with older folks, fostering a greater understanding and perspective for everyone involved.”

Another way they plan to engage with the community this year is to assist with the St. Regis Scarecrow Row Contest. 

Morrison said, “Every October, the Saint Regis Community Center hosts a Scarecrow Contest and Fall Festival—this year, it’s on Oct. 26.” 

Before that, on Oct. 20, at 2:30 p.m., the St. Regis Senior Center will hold a scarecrow-making party. They will provide old clothes, stuffing material, and hot cocoa for everyone to enjoy while creating scarecrows together.

But until then, make sure not to miss the SeptemBear Hunt on Saturday, Sept. 14, at 11 a.m. And while it is a free event, donations cans will be on site and contributions are gratefully accepted. Stay after the hunt is over and all the bears have been discovered for hotdogs, refreshments, and fun with friends.