Around Town: November 29 - December 5, 2021
MANY BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS ARE DOING THEIR BEST TO PROVIDE SAFE ACTIVITIES AN EVENTS TO OUR COMMUNITY. BECAUSE REMAINING SAFE DURING THE PANDEMIC IS OUR UTMOST PRIORITY, WE’RE PROVIDING YOU WITH A VARIETY OF IN-PERSON AND AT HOME EVENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
Events noted with a mask emoji (😷) indicate online/at home/ or in-person optional events. all other events are considered in-person only. november-28-december-5
Monday, November 29:
12:00p Festival of Trees (Friday, Nov. 26 through Sunday, Dec. 5) Downtown Missoula
Creating festive holiday experiences for all in the heart of Downtown Missoula. The festival has been a popular community event for over 20 years and offers a variety of activities for all ages including public display of locally designed trees and holiday items. With a focus on community health and inclusivity, the 2021 Festival of Trees will continue the new format of a multi-space, multi-day Tour of Trees with opportunities to win one of 10 designer-decorated tree this holiday season and we will continue with this format for 2021. Many of the trees will be viewable from outside of the businesses, and all of the hosts will have COVID-safe protocols in place. Public viewing of the trees is available during business hours from Friday, Nov. 26 through Sunday, Dec. 5, and everyone is encouraged to stay in small groups. Learn more HERE.
3:30pm Lego Club at the Missoula Public Library
Lego Club is back! Build to your heart’s content every Monday afternoon. Drop by anytime from 3:30-5 PM and create fantastic Lego structures! This club meets in the Imaginarium on Level Two. https://www.missoulapubliclibrary.org/
Tuesday, November 30:
9:30am Base Camp Programs with Missoula Parks and Rec
FALL FUN FOR YOUTH AND ADULTS Tiny Sprouts Drop-In Playtime. Get your toddler moving and making new friends while we sing songs, learn to kick and throw, and play with all kinds of soft and safe equipment. Parent participation is required. No class 11/25.
Dates Tuesdays and Thursdays October 5 - December 16
Time 9:30 - 10 am Ages Walking toddlers to age 3
Fee $5 per child per session, drop-in or pre-register at www.missoulaparks.org9:30 Stroller Strides at Toole Park
Stroller Strides® is a functional, total-body conditioning workout designed for moms with kids in tow. Each 60-minute workout is comprised of strength training, cardio and core restoration, all while entertaining little ones with songs, activities and fun! Each Stroller Strides instructor is skilled to meet you where you are mentally and physically. You’ll leave class feeling connected, successful and energized! No more mama guilt! This class is all about self care in a supportive and encouraging environment. Learn more here…
Wednesday, December 1:
9:00am Free Preschool Screening Clinic at Desmet School
A free Developmental and Preschool Screening Clinic for children ages 0 to 5 will be held on Wednesday, December 1, 2021 beginning at 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. at the DeSmet Elementary School (549-4994). Please call to schedule an appointment for your child’s screening or to receive more information. This free screening will include gross motor, fine motor, language concepts, communication concepts, communication skills, hearing and vision screening.
😷1:00 Online Bug Encounters: Web Design Part I
For the next two weeks Bug Wrangler Brenna will be chatting about web design, by spiders! First up, learn about the form and function of tarantula webs. Join us every Wednesday at 1:00pm for our Facebook livestream! Missing our Bug Ambassadors? They miss you! Every week we’ll bring you a new Online Bug Encounter. Tune in to our Facebook page at 1:00pm to watch LIVE!
2:00 Hands On Science: Plants and Animals
Join spectrUM for guided science activities at our Discovery Bench from 2 to 6 Tuesday through Saturday. This week's theme is plants and animals. No registration required. The spectrUM Discovery Area is open for visitors of all ages to explore science through engaging exhibits and activities. spectrUM has moved into the new Missoula Public Library and is free for visitors of all ages, please join us at 455 East Main Street . Learn more here…
Thursday, December 2:
10:00AM MiniNaturalists with the Montana Natural History Center: Dates: Every Thursday, September – May
Time: 10:00-11:00 am Cost: Free with cost of admission (and free for members!)
Location: Montana Natural History Center, 120 Hickory Street
We are currently holding this program outdoors only in our Nature Adventure Garden on the east side of the building. The miniNaturalist program encourages curiosity for the natural world through exploration and play. We sing songs, read books, play games, and develop skills with art and science tools. Each program begins with songs, movement, and stories. We then provide materials for learner directed discovery in our garden. We look for bugs and birds, color on rocks, build with branches, experiment with science tools and play with a variety of art materials. Best for ages 2-4 though any age is welcome!10:30 Tiny Tales at the Missoula Public Library
Tiny Tales uses sounds, rhythms, and movement to help your child learn to read! Participants will sing songs, learn finger-plays and nursery rhymes, and hear stories. Tiny Tales will be recorded and posted online at a later date on the library’s official website and YouTube channel. Tiny Tales is presented by various Youth Services staff every Thursday and Friday at 10:30 AM in the Level Two Imaginarium.
2:30pm Teen Art Project at the Missoula Art Museum
Open to middle- and high school students. This FREE seven-week program begins October 7 and runs through December 2! TAP culminates in an exhibition of student work in the Lela Autio Education Gallery. Pizza provided by Bridge Pizza. The project will focus on sequential art and humor led by a professional teaching artist. The fall session is based on the artwork featured in the exhibition Neal Ambrose-Smith: c?? c??en? u k?es x?úyi (Where Are You Going?). Taught by Taylor Clough. Find out more here.
4:00pm Evening Owl Walk with Owl Research Institute Registration Required
Go owling with experts from the Owl Research Institute along the Maclay Flat Nature Trail. During this 2 hour stroll you will look and listen for great horned, Northern saw-whet, and maybe even great grey owls. Find out why this area is so rich in owls, how and when they feed, when they mate, and what they are communicating with their ethereal calls. Lauren Smith and Beth Mendelsohn will also share information collected from Owl Research Institute’s studies in the area. Owls as seldom-seen residents of the night, inspire wonder, awe, and our imagination when we catch a glimpse or hear a mating duet in the woods. This guided owl walk will provide information about their biology, habitats, and behaviors as well as tips on where and when to go owling on your own.
DATE: Thursday, December 2
TIME: 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Meet at Maclay Flat
Friday, December 3:
9:00am Free Preschool Screening Clinic - Seeley & Swan Valley
A free Developmental and Preschool Screening Clinic for children ages 0 to 5 for Seeley Lake and Swan Valley School Districts will be held on Friday, December 3, 2021 beginning at 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. at the Seeley Lake Elementary School (677-2265). Please call to schedule an appointment for your child’s
screening or to receive more information. This free screening will include gross motor, fine motor, language concepts, communication concepts,
communication skills, hearing and vision screening.12:00on - 7:00pm Photos With Santa at Southgate Mall
Share your Christmas wish list with Santa and go home with a memorable family photo at Santa's North Pole located in front of Cinnabon. Make your Santa photo reservation today by visiting: https://fal.cn/SouthgateSantaPhotos.
5:00pm Friends & Family Holiday Show at Zootown Arts Center
All past and present staff, board members, volunteers, studio holders, instructors, students, ZACC Main, Blackfoot Communications, and Youth Gallery artists, and ZACC collaborators were invited to submit to our 2021 Friends & Family Show – so the show features an array of affordable artwork made with love by artists who love the ZACC! Every year this show includes dozens of local and regional artists with works spanning all price points, so there really is something for everyone. We are so proud to have such an amazing group of artists in the ZACC Family, and we can’t wait to share their work with you!
Saturday, December 4:
1:00pm Saturday Kids' Activity: Animal Olympics
Drop in any time between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. for a hands-on kids’ activity. December 4 & 18: Animal Olympics Join us to learn about some amazing animal feats. We will have several active stations to see how you measure up against some of the top contenders for Animal Olympics! Cost: Free with membership / cost of admission Check it out here.
1:00 Stop Animation for Kids at MCAT
Kids learn computers, animation and cooperation at this free two hour art activity offered every Saturday at MCAT's studios, located in the new Missoula Public Library. Register here…
4:00-8:00pm Reverse Parade of Lights
It’s time to light up Higgins Ave for the Reverse Parade of Lights and Holiday Stroll! This year we’re mixing things up while still bringing holiday cheer Downtown. The amazing holiday floats will be parked up and down Higgins Ave from Main Street to the XXXX’s from 4-8pm. Stroll up and down Downtown sidewalks with a hot cocoa in hand and enjoy our floats, festival of trees, and window decorating contest on foot. Or hop in your car and enjoy the floats from four-wheels. Streets will remain open and traffic will flow as usual. However you choose to participate, it’s sure to start your holiday season on a joyful note! Check out more information here.
Sunday, December 5:
9:00 Sensitive Santa at Southgate Mall Registration required.
Santa is for everyone. But for children and families with special needs, seeing Santa can bring on stress, anxiety and even panic. For those on the autism spectrum and those with related sensory sensitivities, a Santa visit can mean crowded spaces, long lines and a swirl of competing noise that can create an overstimulating and upsetting environment. That’s why we’ve created a sensory-friendly experience that welcomes guests with all types of special needs to enjoy a magical morning with Santa before regular center activities have begun. Registration here….
2:00pm Missoula Symphony Orchestra
This annual holiday favorite will not disappoint! Seasonal favorites will be performed along with an appearance by the Missoula Symphony Chorale, let by Dean Peterson. Dennison Theatre, University of Montana.
4:45 Chanukah on Ice
Come skate your hearts out at the outdoor Glacier Ice Rink while we light our giant Ice sculpted Menorah carved by Corey Gransbery of AbsoluteZeroIceDesign.com! Mayor John Engen will join us for the lighting ceremony. Enjoy free ice skating, festive music, jelly donuts, latkes, chocolate gelt, and great Chanukah spirit!
