Northwest Montana Fair starts Tuesday

The 2025 Northwest Montana Fair & Rodeo is scheduled for Aug. 12-17 at the Flathead County Fairgrounds in Kalispell. In addition to a family-friendly carnival on the midway and thousands of exhibits on display throughout the grounds, the fair will feature performances by legendary rock band Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, country star Scotty McCreery, three nights of PRCA Rodeo action and a mud bog race. Tickets for all events can be purchased online at www.nwmtfair.com or at the fair office.

JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS CONCERT – AUG. 12

Famous for her raucous, three-chord guitar-playing and rebellious image, Joan Jett was a member of the all-female, teenage punk-rock band the Runaways in the 1970s before becoming a successful solo artist in the 1980s. Known for breaking into a genre once off limits to women, her successful career has spanned decades. 

Eight albums by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts have been certified platinum or gold and the band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2015 with nine Top 40 singles, including the classics “I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll,” “Bad Reputation,” “I Hate Myself for Loving You” and “Crimson and Clover.”  

Gates open at 7 p.m. and the concert begins at 8:15 p.m. 

Reserved seating tickets are $75, and party pit tickets are $85. General admission tickets are $65. All tickets purchased prior to arriving at the fair include admission to the grounds.

SCOTTY MCCREERY CONCERT – AUG. 13

Scotty McCreery has sold more than four million albums and achieved five consecutive No.1 hits including “Damn Strait” and “You Time.”  After winning the 10th season of “American Idol” in 2011 at age 17, McCreery was named the ACM New Artist of the Year and won the CMT Music Award for Breakthrough Video of the Year in 2012. 

The Copper Mountain Band will open for McCreery. A local favorite, this high-energy country and classic rock group formed in 2007 and has been touring off and on ever since. 

The Copper Mountain Band takes the stage at 7:15 p.m. and McCreery at 8:15 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. 

Reserved seating tickets are $55, and party pit tickets are $65. General admission tickets are $45. All tickets purchased prior to arriving at the fair include admission to the grounds. 

PRCA RODEO – AUG. 14-16

The PRCA Rodeo runs Aug. 14-16 and will feature world-class athletes from Canada and throughout the United States. Events include bareback, saddle bronc, steer wrestling, tie-down roping, team roping, barrel racing and bull riding. 

Reserved seating tickets for the rodeo are $35, and general admission tickets for everyone over the age of 12 are $30. General admission tickets for children aged 6 to 12 are $15, and children aged 5 and under will be admitted to the general admission area free of charge. 

MUD BOG RACE – AUG. 17

The fair closes Sunday, Aug. 17 with a mud bog race with the Eureka Dune Runners. The show begins at 3 p.m. and tickets are $15. Admission is free for children age 12 and under.

CARNIVAL – AUG. 12-17

A limited number of discounted “Pay-One-Price” tickets for the carnival at the 2025 Northwest Montana Fair & Rodeo are on sale now at all Whitefish Credit Union branches and the fairgrounds office.

Purchased in advance, the tickets cost $30 each and can be exchanged at carnival ticket booths for a wristband that allows one person unlimited rides on most attractions for one day. The tickets can be used any one day of the carnival from Aug. 12 and are the lowest priced way to experience the rides. Fairgoers can purchase the tickets until 5 p.m. on Aug. 11 or while supplies last. Wristbands will also be available at all carnival ticket booths during the fair, but the price will be higher than the discounted tickets.

FAIRGROUNDS ADMISSION

Admission onto the fairgrounds is a separate fee at the gate and costs $8 for adults and teens, $5 for seniors age 65 and over, and $5 for children age six to 12. Children age five and under are admitted free of charge.

Fairgoers can save money by purchasing admission tickets until Aug. 15 or while supplies last at any Whitefish Credit Union branch in Kalispell, Columbia Falls or Whitefish during normal banking hours. Advance admission tickets are $5 per person, regardless of age.

Thursday, Aug. 14 is Senior/Kids Day at the fair. Seniors age 65 and over and children age 12 and under are admitted onto the fairgrounds free of charge that day.

For more information about the Northwest Montana Fair & Rodeo or to purchase event tickets, visit www.nwmtfair.com or call (406) 758-5810.