In 2008-2010, the National Folk Festival was hosted in Butte, Montana, marking the first time in 44 years it had been presented west of the Mississippi River. With the success of recent revitalization efforts, Mainstreet Uptown Butte saw the National Folk Festival as a perfect opportunity to reinvent Butte as a festival city and destination for heritage tourism. Despite its small size, the NCTA recognized Butte’s landscape, unique history as Montana’s industrial and cultural heart, spirited local pride, and strong support from state and local governments as ideal for mounting both a successful National and a sustainable legacy festival to follow. With attendance soaring to 165,000 by year three and statewide economic impact estimated at $25 million, the success of the National stunned Butte and the state of Montana. In 2009, Butte was recognized by the Montana Department of Commerce as the Montana Tourism Community of the Year, and the National Folk Festival as the Tourism Event of the Year.

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Building off this momentum, Mainstreet Uptown Butte launched the Montana Folk Festival in 2011 in partnership with the NCTA, which continues to curate the artistic program. The festival has since attracted up to 175,000 visitors and generated as much as $31 million statewide, exceeding the National both in attendance and impact dollars. Featuring over 200 musicians, dancers, and craftspeople, the event includes six stages, the First Peoples’ Market, the Montana Folklife Area, the Montana Traditions Arts Market, and a food court with global and regional cuisines. Now over 10 years strong in a town historically called “the Richest Hill on Earth,” the Montana Folk Festival contributes invaluably to Butte’s cultural, social, and economic well-being, and is a beloved tradition of which the NCTA, the community of Butte, and the state of Montana are incredibly proud.