Fort Benton’s annual Summer Celebration was this weekend and a great time it was!
A free pig roast sponsored by First Security Bank kicked off the event. Several bands played during the afternoon and around 3pm people seemed to be drifting towards Front Street, the street that borders the levee in Fort Benton. When we got there is was blocked off to motorized traffic and a saloon had been erected. Gradually, several saloon girls appeared on the scene followed by the sheriff and a few other locals in period costume. We were treated to an old fashioned shoot-out, then came the hanging, then a bunch of whooping and hollering and firing of pistols! I would be willing to bet that it isn’t difficult to recruit characters for this annual skit.
The remainder of the weekend was filled with a parade, street dance, Art on the Levee (with a great variety of artists) and tours of the reconstrcucted old fort. Fort Benton’s other museums and the BLM’s Upper Missouri River Breaks Interpretive Center were also open. There were class reunions, musicians in the park, food and more food.
If you missed Fort Benton’s Summer Celebration, it happens every year, fourth weekend in June, so mark your calendars for next year.