Authors of the Flathead and Bias Brewing are putting on a community writing contest. Come all writers, rise up out of your contemplative corners and show your talents by submitting 1000 words of fiction, nonfiction, or up to three poems. Submissions are open April 1st through May 10th, with an award ceremony announcing the winners at Bias Brewing on May 28th. Prizes will be awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place of each category. There will also be a live Haiku and t-shirt slogan contest. Let's celebrate our voices through writing and community!
Calling all artists and makers! Register for a booth at the Summer Shindig, an annual fundraiser to support the work of the Humane Society of NW MT. Submit a raffle basket, silent auction item or register for a booth! Sponsorship opportunities are also available at varying levels.
Here's the info:
The Humane Society of Northwest Montana’s Annual Summer Shindig & Fundraiser is more than just a celebration—it’s a critical event that fuels our mission to save the lives of dogs and cats throughout the Flathead Valley.
Why It’s Crucial
As a nonprofit, we rely on the generosity of our community’s gifts and donations to provide food, shelter, medical care, and second chances to homeless pets. This annual event is our largest fundraiser of the year, and the proceeds directly support our life-saving programs, adoptions, low-cost vaccine clinics, and our community pet pantry.
How It Helps
Every donation, sponsorship, raffle basket, silent auction item made and secured during the event helps us:
Rescue and rehome abused, neglected and surrendered dogs and cats
Provide essential food, shelter, veterinary care and vaccinations
Support pet retention programs that keep animals with their families such as our Community Pet Pantry and Low-Cost Vaccine Clinic
Educating the public on responsible pet ownership and working with adaptors on best practices
Providing initial free training and resources after you have adopted your forever pet
A Celebration with Purpose
With themed sponsorships like the 50/50 Raffle, Kid’s Area, Food Court, tiered sponsorship levels such as the Platinum Paw, Gold Paw, Silver Paw, Bronze Paw, and T-Shirt Sponsor, businesses and individuals alike can show their support in a visible and impactful way.
By participating and attending our signature fundraiser, you’re not just attending an event—you’re helping save animals’ lives and build a more compassionate community for pets and people alike.
Storytelling is an art AND a craft -- especially when stories are told live in the Flathead!
Since 2023, Flathead Story Concerts have inspired and entertained listeners at local venues: for The Making Place in 2025 at White Raven Winery; for/at FVCC on National Tell-A-Story Day in 2023 & in 2026; for/at all 3 Flathead Libraries as a 3-day "story marathon" during Nat'l Library Week 2025; at Sacred Waters Brewing in 2023-2024. Hundreds of story fans have been inspired and entertained with dozens of true personal stories told by the Flathead residents who lived them!
More live Story Concerts are being planned with curated (pre-selected) stories -- fyi, FSCs are not open-mic events... So NEW STORIES are needed from local Tellers like you!
Are you a potential or experienced storyteller with a true story or two to share? Stories that work best for Flathead Story Concerts are memorable personal experiences that can be told live in 6-to-8 minutes -- similar to stories told at live Moth events in other regions or on episodes of The Moth Radio Hour and PBS TV's "Stories From the Stage" series. No previous writing or public speaking experience needed to submit your story for FSC consideration. (If you need help to craft a tellable story, see workshop info below.)
Check out FSC's Submission Guidelines and suggested Story Themes at: https://FlatheadStoryConcerts.wootick.com.
FSCs are curated and hosted by story coaches Barbara and Glenn Schiffman -- both are FVCC Continuing Education instructors and published authors, based in Whitefish.
If you have a 6-to-8 minute story (800-1000 words) to submit for review, EMAIL a written copy as a PDF to story23fvcc@gmail.com. If it fits for a future Story Concert, you'll be invited to schedule a live or Zoom audition of the complete story for Barb and Glenn. Be sure to include your full name and phone # in your email so they can reach you to discuss.
FSC live events &/or storycrafting workshops have been sponsored by The Making Place, FVCC, Authors of the Flathead, The Bookshelf in Kalispell, Sacred Waters Brewing, the Flathead Library Foundation, the Whitefish Community Center and the Whitefish Community Library. FSC live events are generally free to the public or hosted as fundraisers for local non-profits or community groups. Email or call if interested in sponsoring or co-hosting a storycrafting workshop or live story event for your group or at your location.
Barb and Glenn also occasionally teach multi-session workshops on "Crafting a Tellable Story" or "Public Speaking for Storytellers" in Flathead Valley -- for FVCC Continuing Education in 2023 & 2026, at The Making Place in 2025 and 2026, at The Whitefish Community Center in 2024. See TMP's Community Events calendar or the FSC website for info on upcoming workshops -- or contact Barb about private story crafting and presentation coaching (call her at 747-238-0038 or email story23fvcc@gmail.com with your full name and question).
We want to hear your true stories!!
