First Friday Missoula takes place from 5-8 pm on the First Friday of every month. Participants vary each month, but usually include art openings in galleries, museums, retail stores, and coffee shops. The main objective of these art openings is to show and sell art, and give the public a chance to meet the artist. Most of the activity occurs downtown Missoula, but nearby galleries, like Draught Works Brewery, The Clay Studio of Missoula, and Montana Art and Framing usually hold openings on First Fridays as well. The evening is also an extremely social event, often including wine and food, musical performances, poetry readings, dance, gallery lectures, and more. In the summer, street performers and street vendors commonly appear as well. For visitors, it's a great way to experience local culture. For locals, it's a fun night to run into friends. Many people continue the evening after 8pm with any combination of: dinner, a film, theater, kayaking on Brennan's Wave, or enjoying local bands. First Friday Missoula is not centrally coordinated by a single group. Each gallery or venue is in charge of their own event. To help centralize information, ARTS Missoula keeps its ear to the ground and provides gallery and artist listings in our Missoula Gallery Guide. Check in here for the most up to date information on arts related Missoula Events.