bannack3777.com

Brothers,

Just a reminder for Bannack Days. It is a wonderful time to visit Bannack and celebrate pioneer life and Bannack's glory days. Held always the third weekend in July, We encourage those of you that have not had the opportunity to attend Bannack Days or may have not attended in the past few years to please come join us for this fun-filled weekend.

For a nominal fee, breakfast is served in Hotel Meade by the Masons Bannack Historic Lodge No. 3-7-77 under the direction of W Bro Charlie Nau as a fund-raiser for the new Bannack Outdoor Shelter Improvements, beginning at 7:00am both days.

Lunch will be available as well as other delicious treats like ice cream, kettle corn, fry bread, corn on the cob, and fresh lemonade.

From 9:00am to 5:00pm Saturday and 9:00am to 4:30pm Sunday, folks will be demonstrating many of the pioneer skills. Come watch the spinners spin wool into yarn, and the quilters craft a quilt. You can learn how wagon wheels and baskets are made. Up Hangman's Gulch you can shoot a black-powder rifle, learn about the Cavalry, and experience an 1860's gold camp. You may want to try your luck at gold panning and you won't want to miss hand-dipping your own souvenir candle or watching the blacksmith forge an incredible work of art from a flat piece of steel. Take a ride in a horse drawn wagon or motor around town in the Model AA along Bannack's main street.

Be sure to watch your step - Bannack has been known to have a few ruffians about. It is not uncommon for a gunfight to break out on Main Street or for people to be shouting from the hotel porch about one cause or another. Imagine, women wanting to vote!

Throughout both days there will be music in the air - bluegrass, gospel and old-time fiddlers, to mention a few. There will even be a stagecoach coming to Bannack, who knows what may happen since the road agents have been eyeing it for some time now. Don't miss it. Throughout the weekend the visitor center will be open and guided tours of the Masonic Lodge and the Mill will be available.

Admission to Bannack for the weekend is $5.00 per vehicle per day.

For information call (406) 834-3413. or go to www.bannack.org to see the complete schedule of the weekend.

Dillon Lodge No. 16 will be hosting the weekend with tours of the Lodge Building for all to see your wonderful Lodge in fine form.

We hope to see you there!

If you can't make it this year put it on your calendar for next, as it is always held on the 3rd weekend of July each year. It is a great time to visit the park and your Lodge and witness the old west come alive.

NOTE OF CHANGES FOR CAMPGROUND USERS FOR THIS YEAR IN BANNACK: The Montana State Park System will be going with a campground reservation system this year. Sites will be reservable in the Vigilante Campground (the one the Lodge normals stays in) from Memorial Day to Labor Day. This may make it inconvenient for some, however it will make it convenient for those who come long distances and want to make sure a site is going to be available for them. The total number of sites that will be reservable will be 12. If the sites do not get reserved on a particular night the sites will be first come first serve. This reservation system will not affect the Road Agent Campground since it will be all first come first serve. If you are interested in reserving a site, you can contact Reserve America, at reserveamerica.com or call them at 1-888-922-6743. They will start taking reservations starting March 16th. The camping fees have gone up for non Montana residents. Camping fees are now $23 per night. However, if you purchase a state park passport, the camping fee is reduced to $18 per night. If you would like to check out the park's Bi-Annual fee rule, please get on our Park’s website at http://fwp.mt.gov/parks/rules/rules.html.