Get Your Kicks at 6!
It was a chilly day in fall 2023 when a group of Choteau-ites gathered at a local
eatery to brainstorm. The inspiration was the recent completion of a wooden bandshell
in Choteau’s City Park, courtesy of the Lions Club and other local benefactors. It
was agreed it needed to be inaugurated with a fitting musical celebration as soon
as the weather permitted: Choteau’s first concert-in-the-park series was born.
A coalition of two MSU Extension agents, a local newspaper editor, and a musician nurtured the concept through the winter of 2023-2024. A local restauranteur and a representative of the Chamber of Commerce joined the team. Economic development, including local food and beverage sales and a farmer’s market, was a primary goal at the concerts.
The team applied for an MSU Extension Innovation Grant. The application included a request for venue rental and education funds for a Market Mastery course. Grateful to be awarded the Innovation Grant, the team promptly reserved the local bandshell and pavilion for nine consecutive Thursday nights in July and August 2024. Now, musicians and the money to pay them was needed. Team members made some calls, and soon enough, the concert calendar was full. But the funding coffer was not!
The team came up with a catchy name and snappy logo and ramped up their grant application campaign (with gratitude to Red Ants Pants Foundation, Sun River Electric Cooperative, and Front Range Art Association for their support). The team reached out to the community with direct requests and received generous donations from individuals and local businesses. In fact, local donations exceeded the grant funds. It was a joy to hear the buzz of anticipation in the community as word about the concerts spread.
Logo (above) and Photo: Teton County MSU Extension
With some faith and several months of weekly meetings, Get Your Kicks at 6! was well-received and a success. In a town of just over 1,700 people, average concert attendance was 258 per event. People in Choteau came out week after week that first summer, irrespective of musical genre. The team had wide grins at seeing friends chatting, kids dancing, and everyone having a great time.
Economic gains were realized by 10 regional food and beverage vendors (including one new start-up), six farmer’s market purveyors, several artisans, and four local youth clubs (which made $150 per event as the clean-up crew.) The team purchased hotel stays for band members and custom signs and swag from two local design shops.
What did the team learn? Two truths were reinforced – Choteau is a generous and fun-loving community! And there is high value in a right-sized team with a diverse skill set. Six team members with varied expertise were just enough to do the work and not an unmanageable number when a quick pivot was needed. There is value in lifting other local organizations at each event: raising money for them, and events for their people to attend. At an outdoor event, shade is important; and people won’t scan QR codes to give feedback when they are busy having fun with friends. Most importantly, the team learned they want to do it again. There is an all-new musical line-up for July 10-August 14, 2025. Dust off your dancin’ shoes and come to Choteau to Get Your Kicks at 6!
Photos: Teton County MSU Extension
Jennifer Swanson and Shelby Jones-Dozier are MSU Extension agents in Teton County.
