Bigfork community briefs

Church Bazaar

The Bigfork Community United Methodist Church Bazaar and Country Store will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9.

Shop for beautifully wrapped, homemade jams and homemade berry pies ready for the holiday dinner table. An array of handmade items will also be available.

The church is located at 750 Electric Ave. in Bigfork.

Child Find Screening

Bigfork Child Find Screening will be held Thursday, Oct. 7 from 8:3- a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Bigfork Elementary School. Child Find screens children ages 3 to 5 years old in the areas of hearing, vision, motor skills, speech, language and thinking skills.

By appointment only, call Carol Venegas at 837-7412. This Child Find is for children who live in the Bigfork School District.

Film festival begins

Bigfork Independent Film Festival will offer filmgoers the choice of watching the films in person at the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts or on demand in the comfort of their homes.

Tickets are now on sale online at mtbiff.com. They can also be purchased at the venue during festival hours, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The festival runs for three days, Oct. 8 to 10. Face masks will not be required, though precautions will be in place. Some films are not suitable for children and are noted on the schedule.

The festival starts Thursday with a kick-off party at 7 p.m. at the Lake Baked/River View Bar in downtown Bigfork. There will be live music and the award-winning musical comedy “Your Musical is Cancelled: The Musical,” which was made in Whitefish during the pandemic, will be shown on an outdoor screen, free of charge. The public is invited.

For the complete festival schedule and to buy tickets, visit https://mtbiff.com

Early Literacy Classes

Join ImagineIF for Early Literacy Classes in the wild. Participants will read books, sing songs, and develop pre-reading skills together. Outdoor Early Literacy Classes continue as long as the temperature outside is above 32°F.

Outdoor Early Literacy Class Schedule:

Kalispell – Tuesdays at 11 a.m., Lawrence Park Pavilion

Bigfork – Wednesdays at 11 a.m., Lake Baked Bakery & Coffee Bar Pavillion

Columbia Falls – Thursdays at 10:30 a.m., Marantette Park Pavilion

Shed hunting reminder

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is reminding the public that collecting antlers, horns, skulls, and other natural objects is prohibited in Montana State Parks, such as Wild Horse Island on Flathead Lake.

Shed hunters are reminded to check site-specific regulations and opening dates before venturing afield. For bighorn sheep horns or skulls, on property that allows collection, the law allows a person to recover and possess the horn or horns and attached skull of a mountain sheep that died of natural causes. They are required to present the skull/horns to FWP where they are plugged. A person may not possess mountain sheep parts if the sheep was unlawfully killed, captured, or taken, including being struck by a vehicle.

Regardless, it’s never legal to collect horns, skulls, and other natural objects in state parks.