Downtown Market fundraising event to feature merchants, music and Indian heritage

PHILIPSBURG – The multi-faceted fundraising event known as the Downtown Market is headed to Philipsburg, Montana October 16.

The event, which will be held at the historic Philipsburg Elementary School, will feature a variety of merchants and entertainment in an effort to raise funds for both the Philipsburg Theater and the building of track and field facilities for use by Philipsburg Schools.

Tickets for the event are $20 per person with a portion going to the theater. Children 12 and under are free.

A raffle has been created to help fund the Philipsburg Schools track project. Tickets are available at a variety of businesses in Philipsburg, Deer Lodge, Anaconda and Butte. More than 40 items have been donated from local businesses in support of the project.

Music venues and vendors will be spread throughout the floors of the Philipsburg Elementary Schoolhouse, which was built in 1891, allowing visitors to see the historic venue while sharing a variety of music and shopping experiences.

Musical artists will include: About Time (an Americana band from Butte), Death and the Dream Time (an indie rock band from Provo, Utah), Bozeman guitarist Donny Elliott, Country singer Willy, and Missoula folk singer Jocie Collins. See one of Death and the Dream Time's music videos below.

Additionally, the Friends of the Little Shell Tribe will be on hand to perform various Native American dances, singing and drumming.

According to their website, Downtown Market was founded by community-minded Montanans seeking creative ways to support local towns, building both community and economic prosperity. “Now more than ever businesses, artists, musicians, and communities need to work together, lifting each other up while celebrating and sustaining the communities we love!”