Oct 1, 2026 You’ll hear from: Thursday, Oct. 1st Oct 2, 2026 Following a highly successful Missoula debut, world-renowned musicians, writers, and climate advocates unite at the Willson Auditorium to protect Montana’s oldest ancient forests. The Montana Project in partnership with The Montana Project is proud to announce the return of Climate Aid | Black Ram Guitar Festival, taking place October 2, 2026, 7 p.m., at Bozeman’s historic Willson Auditorium. Building on the incredible momentum of the inaugural festival in Portland, Maine, with Maggie Rogers and Terry Tempest Williams, this high-profile evening bridges the world of the country’s finest singer-songwriters-musicians with urgent environmental action. Proceeds from the evening will support ongoing regional conservation initiatives and efforts to designate the “Black Ram” region of northwest Montana’s Yaak Valley as the nation’s first Climate Refuge. The centerpiece of the evening is the Breedlove Black Ram Guitar—a singular guitar meticulously hand-crafted from a fallen 315-year-old Engelmann spruce salvaged from the Yaak Valley. The guitar carries the literal voice of one of Montana’s oldest forests and will be played live throughout the night by a roster of celebrated artists. The 2026 line-up brings a world-class gathering of talent to the Bozeman stage, featuring: Featured Performers: Speakers: Tickets can be purchased here: https://montanaproject.ludus.com/show_page.php?show_id=200533183 Oct 3, 2026 The 11th Annual Helena Sun Run will take place Saturday, October 3, 2026 at Smith Elementary School (2320 5th Ave). Click here for the RunSignUp registration page. The goal of the event is to support clean energy and climate solutions in Montana’s capital city. This year’s event will help complete the fundraising for a 50-kW solar photovoltaic array at Smith School. Donations can be made at the following link: https://runsignup.com/Race/Donate/MT/Helena/HelenaRunfortheSun The 1-mile starts at 10:00 (this event is untimed); The timed 5k starts at 10:30. Commemorative swag item to the first 200 to register. Registration is FREE for kids 12-and-under! For more information, contact Race Co-Directors Joel Harris (406-670-3319) or Patrick Judge (406-459-5838), info@vigilanterunning.org Helena | October 3, 10 am | Smith Elementary School, 2320 5th Ave Oct 7, 2026 As electricity demand surges, driven in large part by AI data centers, the need for affordable, reliable, and truly clean energy solutions is more urgent than ever. Nuclear energy has increasingly been presented as part of the answer, but important questions remain about its costs, public health and safety risks, waste disposal, and impacts on local communities across the supply chain. MEIC is hosting a panel discussion on nuclear energy at Montana State University on October 7. We will take a closer look at the growing push for nuclear power, including new experimental technologies and recent federal deregulation, as well as the social, environmental, and public health impacts that can get left out of the conversation. Panelists will also discuss clean energy solutions that are available today and how Montana can meet growing electricity demand while protecting communities and ratepayers. Panelists include: Oct 15, 2026 An energy transition is underway, but how is it going, and where are we? Join the NW Energy Coalition in Seattle on October 15 to dig into these questions and explore how regional energy experts, advocates, utility leaders, business representatives, and policymakers from across WA, OR, ID, and MT continue to center community voices in a reliable, affordable and equitable clean energy future. Register here: https://events.humanitix.com/nwec-fall2026-conferenceOct 2026
Legislative Preview & Lunch with MEIC - Missoula Climate Solutions Week
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Gear up for the upcoming legislative session with the experts at the Montana Environmental Information Center. This event, hosted at Missoula Public Library, will highlight bills MEIC is watching and where public input will be critical. Bring a sack lunch and / or enjoy light snacks and refreshments provided. Learn more here.
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Missoula Public Library (455 E Main St, Missoula, MT 59802)Climate Aid: The Black Ram Guitar Festival
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Helena Sun Run
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
On-site packet pick-up opens at 9:00.Nuclear Energy - Bozeman Panel Discussion
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
October 7 at 7 PM, MSU Strand Union Building, Ballroom B (751 W. Grant St., Bozeman)
NW Energy Coalition 2026 Fall Conference
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Have an event that you think may align with MEIC’s mission? Contact us at meic@meic.org, and we will consider posting it to our events calendar.
Also check out the Conservation Calendar for more Montana events.
