Jimmy Edwards is excited about the upcoming Scarecrow Brewfest. This event, which is held on the first Saturday of October, during the Stevensville Scarecrow Festival, is a fun time outdoors with live music, regional microbrews and local food trucks. Edwards said he’s putting on the brewfest because he thinks the Scarecrow Festival is an “an awesome event but it wasn’t being developed to its full potential. It has so much more potential with this.”
But it all gets even better, because the proceeds from the brewfest will go towards a new project Edwards is calling “Light Up Stevi.”
Edwards, owner of Burnt Fork Market at 601 Main in downtown Stevensville, has been bothered by the fact that the north and south ends of Stevensville’s Main Street are not well lit. He said that the areas near the Forest Service property on the north end and the area between Middle Burnt Fork and Napa on the south end don’t have good lighting. He would like to see some attractive, decorative lighting installed at both ends, to welcome people to Stevensville.
The light fixtures would also allow for banners to be hung, said Edwards, with banners being changed out seasonally, or based on various themes or events, such as Creamery Picnic or Stevensville Yellowjackets, for example. There might even be an opportunity to rent banner space, he said. Or perhaps plaques on the lights listing major sponsors. He’s been working with NorthWestern Energy and the Town of Stevensville to figure out how to bring a project like this to fruition. He thinks it can be done.
“It would just give our town an inviting and safe feeling,” said Edwards. “It would enhance the town of Stevensville and it would help our local businesses.”
The Scarecrow Brewfest was added to the Scarecrow Festival in 2019, and was the last event the Stevensville Main Street Association sponsored before it shut down at the end of that year. But Edwards kept the Brewfest going on his own, and it was very successful in 2020. Last year, Edwards was able to hand over $5,000 as a donation to the Stevensville Civic Club. This year he thinks he might be able to double that for the lighting project. Edwards says that “Ronnie Riptide & the Riptones” will be the featured music at this year’s Fest, direct from Las Vegas! The fun happens on Saturday, October 2 from 3 to 8 p.m. in the Rocky Mountain Bank parking lot adjacent to E. 3rd Street where the food trucks will be located. Summit Beverage will be managing the brews. Tickets are $30 and are available at Burnt Fork Market. For the ticket price, you get a commemorative glass and unlimited beer (there will be wine, too).
Edwards is already getting some good support from local business sponsors: First Security Bank, M&M Auto-Trailer Sales, High Country, Tin Can, and McNulty Chiropractic. Fort Owen Ranch owner Myla Yahraus is also supporting the event.
“It might take a couple of years to raise the money [for the lights],” said Edwards. “But we’ll have fun doing it.”