Stevensville 2023 Creamery Picnic Has ‘Greased Pig’ Races Back

The 110th annual Stevensville Creamery Picnic is coming up the first weekend of August, the 4th and 5th. This historic Montana event has been held annually for over 100 years. The story behind the picnic is that of a community coming together to rebuild after a devastating fire. According to the story from their website:

In 1907, over 50 local dairymen formed a cooperative creamery in Stevensville, with manager John Howe establishing the creamery's "Gold Bar" butter and ice cream as one of the state's outstanding dairy products.
When a fire gutted the creamery in June 1911, Howe told the community that if they could rebuild the business in 30 days, he would host the biggest celebration they had ever seen.
They came close to the deadline (39 days), and Howe stuck to his word.
There were public speakers and a free lunch, which included "Gold Bar" ice cream and butter, and all of the buttermilk the participants could hold.
Since then, the annual Stevensville Creamery Picnic remains a part of Stevensville's heritage, and is always held the first weekend in August. Creamery Picnic is where our community connects; guests come together for an experience unlike anything else.

5th Annual Greased Pig Races will be Part of Stevensville Event This Year

This year the "Greased Pig Races"  will be part of the picnic for the 5th year in a row. Teams will have 1 minute to catch a pig and gently put it in barrel. Top teams get prizes and costumes are encouraged.

There Will be Two Parades in Stevensville for the Picnic

There will be two parades this year, the kids parade on Friday August 4th at 6p and then the Grand Parade will take place on Saturday August 5th at 11am. There will be live music from some great Montana musicians. The bands Shodown and Tightline will perform on Friday, and Joan Zen on Saturday. This is a fantastic Bitterroot Valley community event that is worth checking out.