Wildlands Festival charity night raises over $50K for regional organizations

Night included performance by Lukas Nelson, panel of conservation leaders

By Jen Clancey DIGITAL PRODUCER 

Editor’s note: Outlaw Partners is the publisher of Explore Big Sky and is the producer of the Wildlands Festival.

Wildlands Festival began Thursday evening  with a charity dinner and auction, all supporting the festival’s three nonprofit beneficiaries. The evening began with a panel discussion moderated by Hoary Marmot podcast host Joe Borden with Scott Christenson, executive director of Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Emily Cleveland, conservation director of Wild Montana, Chet Work, executive director of Gallatin Valley Land Trust, and lastly Zach Green, president of BeAlive Studios.

The charity dinner under the Big Sky Events Arena tent welcomed Big Sky community members to enjoy hors d’oeuvres, live music and a live auction, and to unite under the cause of protecting Montana’s wild lands. 

During the panel discussion, Work discussed how GVLT has incentivized landowners to support conservation initiatives through purchase of land. During the talk, Work mentioned how GVLT “may be able to keep a [wildlife] crossing intact in Big Sky” and that an announcement may be coming soon. 

Emilie Ritter, director of communications and marketing for GYC, noted that being a beneficiary for Wildlands allows the organization to connect with new people. 

“It has been an honor to be among the conservation nonprofits selected to benefit from this year’s Wildlands Festival,” Ritter stated in an email to EBS. “We’ve been able to share Greater Yellowstone Coalition’s story with even more people who care deeply about protecting this place that all of us love so much.” 

In a surprise bidding war between two attendees, a Gibson guitar signed—and strummed later that evening—by Wildlands performer Lukas Nelson sold for $36,000, with proceeds benefiting the nonprofits.  Marie Rowley was the recipient of that guitar, which her brother bid on and gifted to her. 

“It’s unbelievable,” Rowley said after hearing Nelson play the guitar and sing some never-recorded songs. Nelson began his mini performance with a song called “Can You Hear Me Love You,” and included another tune about Montana.

“Their willingness to go big for a signed Gibson guitar in the name of conservation was a pretty incredible validation of just how much folks care about Greater Yellowstone,” Ritter said of the $36,000 raised on just that auction item. 

Three other items brought the total for the night to over $50,000. Kevin Noble’s wolf photo “Dressed in White” sold for $9,000, a signed Foo Fighters poster and Explore Big Sky cover poster sold for $3,000, and a 2019 Peak to Sky festival poster signed by the likes of Brandi Carlisle and the late Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins, sold for $6,000. 

For those who missed out on the four auction items, a silent auction is ongoing until Saturday, Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. and includes items like a seven-night stay in a private Mexican villa, and a year of freshly roasted coffee by the Milky Whisker Coffee Roasters. 

As the Big Sky Events Arena fills with Wildlands Festival concert-goers this weekend, the festival will continue to raise money through donations with an announcement of the grand total will come on Saturday night.