Fifty bales cover the sides of the road from the drive just north from Crow Creek through Ronan to Pablo.  

For the last 15 years the Ronan Chamber of Commerce has hosted the Trail of Bales, which is coordinated by a large volunteer committee. Over the past few years, they have gone with a decade theme, but this year they decided to change it up with a more Halloween spirit. They’re calling it "Bring out the Villains” with the slogan “Bad to the Bale.”   

The bales are a combination of the classic Disney villains, some Universal Pictures hooligans and other well-known movie or video-game rogue antagonists. Lacy Cates, who termed out of the chamber in January, is still helping this year by training the new chair, Justine Welker. Cates explained they have 41 businesses participating this year, which is four more than last year, and they will have a map of all the bales around town on their Facebook page. 

Cates explained a local farmer provides bales, and then the chamber rents them out to businesses. The chamber uses this money to pay the farmer and pay for advertising for the Trail of Bales.      The trickster Cheshire Cat is decorated on a bale outside of Sweet Cakes by Melissa in Ronan. (Emily Messer / Leader)

“The chamber is not putting this on for money,” Cates said. “It's just a fun community event, and truly, we’re just trying to get people to come into Ronan and getting all the community members together and everything.”  

Ronan is often a passed-through town as people drive north or south on Highway 93, making it less of a destination, Cates said. But from the time the bales are dropped on the ground, until the Chamber of Commerce Harvest Festival on Sept. 20, Cates said businesses typically see an increase in business.   

“The goal of it was just, let's find something fun to bring people into Ronan, because we have so many great businesses, and I feel like sometimes people are just passing through,” Cates said. “And it's just built and gotten bigger every year.”  

Any business can participate in the Trail of Bales, and Cates said they have even had people in Polson and Arlee ask to be a part, but they have decided to limit it to the Ronan and Pablo area due to logistics.     The sharp teeth, destructive and durable Evil Minion from Despicable Me 2 stands outside the Boys & Girls Club of the Flathead Reservation with its crazy hair. (Emily Messer / Leader)

The 15th annual Harvest Festival will be on Sept. 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Cates expects to have another record year of vendors. As of Sept. 11, Cates said they have 30 registered, but she expects more to join. The festival will include kids' activities, and tons of fall-themed events for the family.  

“It's one of my favorite events that the Chamber puts on. Everybody from the community wants to be there,” Cates said. “We always have kids from the high school that come, and the FFA group, and a 4-H group does the petting zoo, and then the firemen and the police are there with their fire trucks.” 

The CSKT Wildlife Program will also be on hand with their cider press to make apple cider, which Cates describes as. “fall all the way.”  

Trying to decide which bale is the best this year? Don’t worry, Cates said online voting opens Sept. 17 on Facebook and closes Sept. 24. But people can also cast their vote in person at the Harvest Festival. Announcements of the Trail of Bales winners will occur Sept. 25.    The criminal mastermind Joker from DC Comics who first appeared in the comic book Batman on April 25, 1940, stands two bales high outside Western Building Center in Ronan. (Emily Messer / Leader)