Welcome to the 100th issue! We are very proud of this amazing achievement and thankful to you for reading, and for our advertisers who have supported us by investing in their businesses and using the power of print to get themselves seen!
To commemorate 100 issues I’ve put together a list of just 6 things you would have learned about Bozeman if you’ve read it over the past eight years, here we go.
    
#1 Bozeman changes. Day to day, week to week, but especially year to year. Cool thing is, Bozeman Magazine is new every month, and it changes too! No two issues are the same, no articles are repeated, all of our content is fresh, local and will help you navigate our town. Did you know that in 2007 (the year we started publishing) Taco Bell was on North 7th Street in Bozeman, not in front of the Gallatin Valley Mall? Maybe you don’t like Taco Bell. In that case maybe this fact will interest you, in 2007 Bozeman made the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Places to Retire List.

#2 Bozeman is artsy. We have featured nearly 100 artists on our cover, and many more online and on our pages. Both publishers (Brian & Angie Ripple) have art degrees from Montana State University and have a real desire to push art forward and allow artists the opportunity to be seen. We have featured everything from rusty sculptures to a painting of a dog. This year the majority of our covers have been from local photographers, we are leaning more toward action photos for future covers and would love to see more locals submitting quality photos to be featured. Thanks to all of the wonderful artists that have shared their images with us, and you.

#3 A bad day of fishing is better than a good day of work. One of the simplest joys in life is watching a fish come and whack a fly that you threw onto the water and it is something that everyone should at least get a chance to try at one point in their life. Montana fishing is oftentimes nothing more than an excuse to drive a long distance on terrible roads to the middle of nowhere where you will find very few other sensible creatures besides a few birds and hopefully some fish. (adapted from Kris Kumlien 2010)

#4 There’s no waiting for friends on a powder day. There are people who commonly work 2-3 jobs to make ends meet, so they can take advantage of what they love most when they are not working. They are so motivated by the mountains, that they will search out the jobs and careers that will maintain their mountain lifestyle, we call them Bozemanites. (adapted from Becky Warren 2011)

#5 Foodie Heaven, Bozeman, Montana. Everything from “the greasy spoon” that serves a great burger or sandwich combo for lunch and draft beer and music in the evening, to the classy downtown bar and grills that have big city flare. If you feel more at ease eating your soup on a bar stool than a custom bench seat we’ve got that here. If scenery is your thing, whether eclectic signage, local artists, regional wildlife, people-watching from a Main Street window seat, we’ve got that too. We feature a locally owned restaurant in every issue and you can find your new favorite with the Bozeman Food Finder at bozemanmagazine.com or by reading our user reviews or articles. (adapted from Letter from the Editor: Eat, Drink 2014)

#6 Stuff Happens Here. We have rock stars living in our hills, and movie stars in our valleys, and there is always something, or someone, to talk about. We also have great events any and every day of the week in Bozeman and they are all included in our print and online calendars. From Riverdance to open mic, books and babies to historic tours, Steve Earle to Def Leppard, Bozeman is a happening place.

We invite you to share in the celebration of our 100th issue on Tuesday September 15, at the Eagles (316 E Main St) at 5pm. We will have a Bozeman Chamber Ribbon cutting, snacks and no-host bar.    

Angie Ripple is a third generation Montanan, born in Butte America in the 1970’s, who has lived in Bozeman for the past 20 years. She wrangles her three small children while adventuring with her husband, all the while living the Bozeman dream. (All stuff you would also know if you’ve read a lot of Bozeman Magazine).