helena

The famous Montana restaurant is getting a lot of national attention.

Hold onto your hats, Southwest Montana. A 3-day Country Music Festival just outside of Helena is taking place this Thursday through Saturday featuring some homegrown local talent along with acts from across the Northwest and a headliner from Texas.

We've heard all of the nicknames of Montana towns before. Butte has been known as "The Mining City" since well before the first shovel of dirt was taken out of the Berkeley Pit. Missoula, in all of its lush greenery is known as "The Garden City". Helena, naturally, is the Capital City, while Billings is known as "The Magic City" and Bozeman is "The California City". Okay, I'm just joking on that last one. Sort of. Where did these nicknames come from. And are they still accurate? We took a look at a few of Montana's most colorfully nicknamed towns.

Ducks Unlimited, an organization that has valued nature for decades and continues to do so, will host their annual banquet at the Helena Civic Center (340 Neill Avenue) this Friday, March 3rd; doors open at 5:30 p.m. The goal of Ducks Unlimited is to promote the welfare of waterfowl and their young as they nest and migrate through the winter months. Thanks to fundraisers such as the upcoming Helena Ducks Unlimited Banquet, the conservation of wetlands and the protection of waterfowl and other species is made possible. For more information, contact Randy at (406) 442-8375.

If you disagree with changes threatening public land access in Montana, here's your chance to be heard. Coming up this Thursday, February 23rd beginning at noon, concerned residents will join at the State Capital in Helena to voice their dissatisfaction with decisions made by some state lawmakers. The topics of concern on their agenda include the stifling of funding for conservation programs, the constitutional right to clean water and air, and healthy public lands.

So, here are the details; the excitement of the Cabin Fever Market begins at the Helena Civic Center with an Early Bird VIP Sip & Shop this Friday, February 3rd, from 5 pm to 8 pm. On Saturday, February 4th, the market runs from 9 am to 4 pm. Enjoy admission to festivities both days for only $10 (12 and under free). If you plan on coming ONLY on Saturday, admission is $5 for those 13 years and older. Expect a great shopping experience, with plenty of food, adult beverages, and Valentine's crafts and goodies for the kids. You won't get bored at this event as over 70 vendors will be on-site displaying fine hand-crafted items and a selection of vintage curated goods. The Cabin Fever Market will also feature LIVE Americana music by Kendrick & Mondie.

Week 1 of the MHSA playoffs are in the books and there were a handful of upsets

It is time for high school playoff football here in Montana. Let’s look at all the AA matchups and what the Great Falls High - Butte High matchup has to offer.

The Montana AA football playoff bracket was finally filled on Friday night. The myriad of possibilities all boiled down to the twelve remaining teams.

Let's start the shenanigans with a look at the current standings. Western AA standing Capital                6-0         8-0 Helena                6-0         7-1 Sentinel              4-2         6-2 Glacier                3-3         5-3 Butte                   3-3         4-4 Big Sky                1-5         2-6 Hellgate              1-5         2-6 Flathead             0-6         1-7   As w