One may think these are little shoes to fill, but head elf Michele Mank knows decorating Bigfork for Christmas is no tiny task. She said the group will be in limbo after this season following the departure of several seasoned elves.  

Mank has been part of the Bigfork Elves for 17 years and head elf for the last decade. She helped register the group as a nonprofit, which made the group self-sufficient enough to reliably decorate downtown businesses in Bigfork every holiday season.  

But she’s had a hard time finding someone to step into the role ahead of her final season. She’s moving to Columbia Falls next year and said most of the others in leadership roles plan to leave as well.  

“We’re basically looking for a whole new board,” Mank said.  

Hundreds of volunteers flood downtown Bigfork every November to decorate businesses with 10,000 feet of garland and 5,000 feet of string lights. The group has been transforming the village into a Christmastime postcard for more than 40 years. 

Retired Air Force Commander Frank Crain, Bigfork Summer Playhouse founder Don Thomson and music teacher Edd Blackler started the effort in 1981, to “make a cute little town better.” These days, Bigfork has a reputation as “Montana’s Christmas Village.” 

The elves always decorate downtown toward the end of November and take everything down at the end of January.  

But just a few weeks ahead of their decorating effort, Mank is concerned about the future of the organization if no one steps up to fill the vacancy of old leadership. 

“This is it. This is the year that I will train whoever steps up,” Mank said. “They can shadow us. I will put them to work doing this stuff for me. I'll tell them what needs to be done, so they're prepared for next year." 

Eve Lefcourt, Mank’s second in command, took a new job a couple of years ago that required her to travel often. And the other ladies involved with the leadership of the group are older and ready to retire from their positions. 

Mank said though her role may seem like a large one, most of her work involves phone calls, logistics and prepping for the volunteers, which show up in droves to do the bulk of the work on decorating day. She also orders replacement lights and insignia pins (which are given every year to returning elves) as well as organizing the events related to decorating day.  

In addition, Mank said the group will need someone to help lead the effort to get more than 700 four-foot trees, which are donned with red bows and used in decorating the town. She said Rick Trembath, former Bigfork Fire chief and forestry expert, will no longer be taking on that task. 

“He's retired, so now we need somebody that has those same kinds of connections, who knows what to do and where to go. Who can make these introductions and get permission for our volunteers on bulb twisting day to go out and gather trees,” Mank said.  

And in early October, Mank found out their usual lift supplier could no longer provide the lifts and their delivery for free. This would put the elves in a pickle, as ladders are too risky to use to reach the upper levels of the downtown buildings during the icy winter. Mank said thankfully, Cody Herring with Glacier Supply Land and Ag volunteered to donate some lifts. 

Along with spreading some holiday cheer, decorating Bigfork for the holiday season is an economic draw.  

“The fact that Bigfork gets decorated is a big deal to Bigfork. Not only for the community, because everybody's used to it and they love how it looks during the holiday season, but it's really important to the merchants. Because the merchants have so many different events that go on, like the Art Walk and Shop Small Saturday ... All of that is focused around the fact that Bigfork is decorated for the holidays,” Mank said. 

When she took over the organization a decade ago, she had to immediately make a few important changes. At that time, they were still filing their taxes under the tax ID for the Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork. Mank said the only way forward was to create a 501(c)3 for the organization, which set them on a path toward greater self-sufficiency.  

The organization recently decided to invest in faux garland, rather than locally sourced garland. Mank said they made the switch due to it being increasingly hard to find a supplier for the real stuff.  

While the Bigfork Area Chamber of Commerce purchased the faux garland with some help from the Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork, Mank said the elves spent a lot of their “slush fund” on storage. 

The chamber purchased the faux garland for around $40,000, according to Executive Director Rebekah King. The foundation fronted the initial costs, and the chamber rents it back to the merchants downtown every year to pay back the purchase. This rent back program created a source of revenue which has not existed in the past, according to the chamber. 

King said this allowed them to purchase a new, large ornament for photo opportunities last year. This year, she said they are looking for something to decorate the new Bridge Street bridge.  

The new bridge will be a little easier to decorate this year with lifts, according to Mank. It was the only structure the elves used ladders to decorate, as lifts were not allowed due to the weight restrictions on the old bridge.  

Among the flurry of changes, Mank said she’s also looking for someone new to lead the decorating of the bridge this year.  

Mank was the 2015 recipient of the Ren Hen Award, given by the chamber each year to celebrate an individual who is dedicated to enhancing the community by volunteering.  

So many of the organizations and events that make Bigfork special are built on the backs of volunteers, and Mank said others must take up the mantle if the community wants to continue enjoying those aspects of the village.  

“Our generation just understands volunteerism and what has to be done, but the newer generation just doesn't want to get involved. And it's like, if you don't, this stuff is going to die,” she said.  

Anyone interested in getting involved with the Bigfork Elves can contact Mank at [email protected] or by calling 406-407-5748.  

Decorating prep day, or bulb twisting day, is Nov. 8 from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Garden Bar. Another prep day is scheduled at the same location the following Saturday, Nov. 15 from 8 a.m. to noon.  

Decorating Day starts at 8 a.m. in front of the Bigfork Inn on Nov. 22, which is followed by the Bigfork Art Walk and Tree Lighting Ceremony later that night.  

Taylor Inman may be reached at 758-4440 or [email protected].

    When the village Christmas tree comes unplugged at the very top, it's good to have friends with a lift. Bigfork Fire Department came to the rescue on Sunday to help plug the tree back up, according to Bigfork Elves Head Elf Michele "Michelf" Shapero. (photo provided)