ABOUT

For over thirty years, Missoula’s annual book festival has paid tribute to the tradition of writing in the West by bringing together authors from across the region. In 2015, what was the Humanities Montana Festival of the Book became The Montana Book Festival as an Incubator Program of Arts Missoula. Since then, The Montana Book Festival has been a grassroots organization, relying on individual donations, grants, corporate sponsorships, a handful of dedicated locals and the enduring support of the Montana literary community to survive. We have worked to build upon the event’s legacy while also reinvigorating the festival with new ideas and fresh perspective. Every year, local sponsors have come together to bring literary personalities such as James Lee Burke, Jane Smiley, Bill Kittredge, Charles D’Ambrosio, Gretel Ehrlich, Rick Bass and more to our mountain town. Along with an exciting array of readings, panels and exhibits, we annually host Pie & Whiskey, Erotic Fan Fiction, concerts and parties in downtown Missoula. Against the beautiful mountain backdrop, in a city split by the famous Clark Fork River, summer comes to a close and The Montana Book Festival Comes to life.

The 2023 Palmerston North delegation visit was a HUGE success! The 7 person delegation were able to spend quality time at a number of local organizations and met with numerous community members, administrators, city council members, lawmakers and had time to enjoy everything that Missoula has to offer. We are excited to continue our relationship with Palmerston North, NZ.

Read the Missoulian article about our sister city here.

Thank you Flanagan Motors for providing transportation, Missoula Downtown Association, Missoula Downtown Foundation and BID of Missoula for co-hosting the delegates at a variety of functions. And thank you to the Holiday Inn Parkside for being the official lodging for our delegates.

A big thank you to Tim and Dawn Payne for their support in this delegation visit!

ABOUT

Missoula, Montana and Palmerston North, New Zealand have been Sister Cities for over 40 years. In that time the two cities have helped unite cultures and learn from each other through various cultural and educational exchanges. We annually celebrate this unique relationship with New Zealand Day(s), an event highlighting our longstanding connection with Palmerston North, New Zealand.

Learn more about Palmerston North, and our Sister City relationship HERE!

SPONSORS

Holiday Inn Missoula Downtown

The 2023 Delegation Members from our Sister Cities stay at the Holiday Inn Missoula Downtown, the Exclusive Sister City Hotel while in Missoula.

Flanagan Motors

Transportation for the 2023 Sister City Delegation Exclusively Provided by Flanagan Motors Mazda Missoula

Downtown Missoula Partnership

Missoula Downtown Partnership – Sharing the Vibrancy of Missoula with the 2023 Palmy Delegation Through Sponsored Tours, Events and Experiences

Five on Black

Worden’s Market

Iron Horse Brew Pub

Lake Missoula Tea Company

Kreilick Family Foundation

Thank you for Attending Germanfest!

This event wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors, vendors, and raffle basket donors! We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our sponsors: Bayern Brewing, Missoula Motor Company, Worden’s Market & Deli, Pattee Creek Market, MissoulaEvents.net, Parkside Credit Union, and Roemer’s.

We also want to express our appreciation to our fantastic vendors and raffle contributors: the city of Neckargemünd, Orange Street Food Farm, the University of Montana, Xplorer Maps, Big Dipper Ice Cream, Lake Missoula Tea Company, Bayern Brewing, Pelz Pelmeni Dumplings, Mobilezone Unique Inflatables, Worden’s Market & Deli, Chur Ice Cream, The Pattie Wagon, Louie’s Lemonade, and Bamboo Bar. Thank you for helping make this event a success!

MCAT Recording: Germanfest 2024

2024 Sponsors

2024 Vendors & Raffle Basket Donations

Germanfest Features:

Authentic German Food & Beer, Live Music, Children’s Activities & Sister City Display, Germanfest Mini Market, Games and MORE!

For any questions, email info@artsmissoula.org or give us a call at 406.541.0860.

History of Germanfest

1993 – 2023  
30th Anniversary of Missoula’s Sister City Connection with Neckargemünd, Germany 

The Origin Story 

2023 marks the 30^th anniversary of Missoula’s Sister-City Partnership with Neckargemünd, Germany. In 1992 – 1993, delegations from these two cities, including choirs, mayors, city council members and interested citizens, traveled to their potential sister-city to get to know one another and to discuss whether such a partnership might be feasible. 

The sister city idea was born during the 1990-91 academic year when Professor Jerry Fetz, from the University of Montana and Professor Erich Pohl, from the University of Heidelberg received Fulbright Awards to trade places for the year. They both became acquainted with their host city mayors and agreed this relationship would be beneficial to both parties. Mayor Dan Kemmis of Missoula and Mayor Oskar Schuster of Neckargemünd, with the blessing and support of their respective City Councils and numerous citizens, agreed that this partnership should be inaugurated and bring these cities, their students, and citizens of all ages closer together. 

Over the past 30 years, we can look back to a vibrant partnership that has focused on high school and university students (close to 400 young Missoulians and young Neckargemünders have spent memorable times in each other’s cities, schools, and households) as well as numerous citizen -to-citizen and cultural exchanges. Although the high school student exchange program between Hellgate and the high school in Neckargemünd has experienced a hiatus after some 25 years, we hope to continue exchanges in the future.

Generous Missoulians have shown guests from Germany not only Missoula and our immediate surrounding area, but Montana’s spectacular landscapes and colorful people as well. And gracious Neckargemünders have greeted and welcomed Missoulians into the homes of on that side of the Atlantic.  Exploring Neckargemünd and nearby Heidelberg, the oldest and perhaps most famous German University town that is just five miles downstream on the Neckar River.  As well as other remarkable and beautiful areas and towns in this southeast region of Germany. 

About Neckargemünd 

A very old city, Neckargemünd was first cited in an official document over 1,000 years ago. It is now made up of the main part of town, as well as four additional nearby former villages.  It is located on the Neckar River where the smaller Elsenz River flows into it.  It also has a river running near it!  The town is nestled in by a walled hill of Dilsberg and another hill to Mückenloch, and up to the town of Waldhilsbach.  Each of the former villages has its own personality, but all are proud areas of Neckargemünd. In between all these parts of the town lie beautiful, forested areas that invite long walks for every season. Neckargemünd is smaller than Missoula but attracts a lot of visitors from the larger towns like Heidelberg or Mannheim, where many Neckargemünders work or study (collectively known as the Odenwald).  

Friendships and understanding have blossomed for the respective partner city, region/state, and country. Out of this partnership, arose the annual Germanfest in Missoula, a fall festival in Caras Park drawing 1000’s over 30 years.