News & Events

Lewis & Clark Festival

Discover the World of Lewis and Clark, 1805 - 32nd Annual Lewis and Clark Festival, June 17-19, 2022.
Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, along with Sacagawea and the Corps of Discovery, spent nearly a month in the Great Falls area in June of 1805, having encountered one of their biggest obstacles – the series of waterfalls known as the Great Falls of the Missouri. The Lewis and Clark Festival re-lives  the adventure and hardship of life in the 1805 frontier encountered by the Corps of Discovery.

Professional Native American dancers and drummers, a tipi encampment, and a live snake demonstration are just a few of the activities and sights in store for visitors at the 2022 Lewis and Clark Festival in Great Falls, Montana.  Events typically begin Friday evening and conclude on Sunday with a special excursion or float trip on the Missouri River.  The Lewis and Clark Festival is organized by the Lewis & Clark Foundation, with support from the Lewis and Clark Honor Guard and the Portage Route Chapter.

Thanks to our many sponsors, Festival events are free to the public, with a jam-packed day filled with fun family activities.  The nationally renowned Lewis and Clark Honor Guard will throughout the day fire many of the weapons used by the explorers. A rare Saturday evening program will feature fully functioning reproduction firearms, along with detailed explanations of where they were acquired, and their use during the expedition.  All of the firearms will be loaded and fired with a blank charge. As a staple of military units and a necessity of survival, firearms were essential for the Corps of Discovery.

The Lewis and Clark Honor Guard will also give presentations in period dress every hour, in the Council Lodge Presentation Area.  Two tipis conjoined together form the “stage” for each program, as was the historical tradition among some of the Native tribes in the area. Programs may include The Edge of Survival, featuring the Corps’ diet and cooking techniques, and Bleed, Purge and Pray: Medicine Lewis and Clark Style.  A beaver skinning demonstration has been a popular program in the past.  Another popular venue is the Native lodge encampment, featuring several Native tipis.  A colorful program featuring  Native dancers and drummers is always a highlight as well.

Children and their families will enjoy the Lewis and Clark Adventure Challenge, which takes place at several stations on the grounds of the Center, and along the Missouri River. Food concessions will also be available.

The 32nd annual Lewis and Clark Festival promises a weekend full of fun and adventure as visitors re-live the Expedition, the Native cultures they encountered, and how the Corps lived and survived.

For more information on all of the Lewis and Clark Festival activities, stay tuned to this website, or feel free to call the Lewis and Clark Foundation at (406) 452-5661.