Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 6 8 T here's a particular morning in March. You know the one. You step outside and the air smells different. Not warm, exactly. Not yet. But different. Like the earth is ex- haling for the first time in five months. The mud's back, the birds are making a racket, and somewhere south of town I spotted a meadowlark on a fence post the other day like he owned the place. Spring in Montana doesn't arrive so much as it announces itself, and you either pay attention or you miss it. My tea went cold again this morning. That's been happening a lot for the past four or five years now, and I've stopped fighting it. There are worse problems to have than a lukewarm cup and a window full of mountains starting to shed their snow. This spring has been especially hectic around the office. We just launched a new publication called Faces of Bozeman right on top of putting this issue together, and my head's been spin- ning like a weathervane in a chinook. But here we are, and I wouldn't trade it. This issue kicks off our Best of Montana contest, and if you've been with us for a while, you know the drill. Last year, over 92,000 of you showed up to nominate and vote. Ninety-two thousand. We keep thinking we've hit the ceiling and you keep proving us wrong. Nominations open March 15th and run through April 20th, so visit our website or scan the QR code. Every nomination enters you to win $500 cash, and you can nominate once per day per category, so don't be shy about it. There's another $500 up for grabs during the voting phase this summer, which means the most enthusiastic among you have a shot at a thousand bucks just for supporting the local businesses that make this state what it is. In a world that wants to feed your every waking minute into the wood chipper of content (fifteen-second videos, infinite scrolls, little dopamine pellets dispensed by machines that know your weaknesses better than you do) we're still here making something you can hold in your hands. Something with pages you turn at your own pace, that doesn't buzz or ding or guilt you into picking it back up. Just good stories about real places, written by people who care about getting them right. To our advertisers: you make this whole thing possible, and we don't take that for granted. Readers, when you visit their businesses, let them know you saw them in Distinctly Montana. It matters more than you think. Wherever you're reading this, maybe on a porch, maybe in a truck between errands, maybe waiting for the mud to dry enough to get anything done, thank you. We're hon- ored to be a small part of your spring. Here's to green valleys, muddy boots, and another year of doing this together. A N O T E F R O M T H E P U B L I S H E R P U B L I S H E R CHRISTOPHER MUHLENFELD, PUBLISHER chris@distinctlymontana.com ©2002-2026. Distinctly Montana is owned and published by Thunderstruck Media LLC, a Montana company. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in any form, in whole or in part, without our written permission is prohibited. Distinctly Montana welcomes freelance contributions—please contact us to inquire about submitting your work. DISTINCTLY MONTANA IS DESIGNED AND PRINTED IN THE USA. Published by Thunderstruck Media LLC • 280 West Kagy Blvd, STE D286 • Bozeman, Montana 59715 www.distinctlymontana.com • info@distinctlymontana.com • (406) 600-7660 WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS! The paper content of this publication has been certifiably reforested via PrintReleaf – the world's first platform to measure paper consumption and automate reforestation across a global network of reforestation projects. LEARN MORE AT PRINTRELEAF.COM photo: flickr.com/nicholas_t | CC BY PUBLISHERS Christopher & Pattra Muhlenfeld EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joseph Shelton ART DIRECTOR Robert Rath COPY AND PROOF EDITOR Shannon Page SALES EXECUTIVES Larry Sem and Jesi Donaldson PRODUCTION MANAGER Juliana Widman PRINT MANAGEMENT Pam Koehler, Koehler + Co. fb.com/distinctlymontana instagram.com/distinctlymontana twitter.com/distinctlymt S U B S C R I B E S U B S C R I B E T O D AY T O D AY W E D E L I V E R ! W E D E L I V E R ! SUBSCRIBE TO SUBSCRIBE TO DISTINCTLY MONTANA DISTINCTLY MONTANA MAGAZINE MAGAZINE DISTINCTLYMONTANA.COM/SUBSCRIBE SEND A CHECK FOR THE AMOUNT MATCHING THE SUBSCRIPTION PERIOD YOU'D LIKE: 1 YEAR - $39.95 2 YEARS - $69.95 3 YEARS - $99.95 MAIL CHECKS TO: DISTINCTLY MONTANA PO BOX 84, BOZEMAN MT 59771 TO SUBSCRIBE BY PHONE, CALL 406-600-7660 TM TM SCAN TO SUBSCRIBE NOMINATE WIN $1000 YOUR FAVORITE BUSINESS FOR A CHANCE TO QR CODE 2026 BESTo f M O N TA N A A S V O T E D B Y R E A D E R S O F

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