In 2015 we turned to our readers for the first time and asked you to tell us where your favorite places to eat in Bozeman are, who your favorite bands in the area are, your favorite spots, and favorite hiking trails, rivers for recreating, and local celebrities in our Bozeman’s Choice Reader Poll. In 2016 we did it again, and doubled our participation (voters - you guys).

Our Reader Poll is massive: This issue is our biggest of the year. For the 2nd January in a row we’ve pushed aside the bulk of our regular editorial content, covering local hot topics, recreation & health, dining and Bozeman history, so we can get the poll results to you in print (they will be online all year at bozemanmagazine.com).

This issue celebrates all of what makes Bozeman so great (and some of what doesn’t), and it’s all you, the reader, and voter who added the answers to our questions and filled the poll with what you like and don’t like. Not only did we ask you to vote for new restaurants popping up, new businesses, new buildings, new people with new ideas, we had you reflect on what you miss and what you would like to see in the future.

This year’s poll saw many two time winners (nearly half of our questions were repeat winners), and we had some exciting newcomers shake things up (MAP Brewing, XL Country). Just like last year, we had no idea how the poll was going shake out. Because our poll is completely driven by Bozemanites (100% reader added answers!) passionate enough to weigh in on every tiny facet of this community they love, this is a very special issue.

To the thousand +  voters, thank you for voting, and for your patience while we compiled the Top 3 results from our 206 questions and wrote a little blurb about each winner. Our Bozeman’s Choice issue was requested throughout last year by readers wishing to look back on the results, share them with visitors and keep them around for guests, we anticipate even more demand throughout 2017 for the Bozeman’s Choice issue so we printed 10,000 copies to mostly distribute to our 200 locations this month, and a few bundles to keep around for those requests.

It is truly remarkable how many readers took the time to chime in on All Things Bozeman, and because you did we can give you more interesting content on things you care about the most. Look for topics you voted for featured editorially throughout 2017 in Bozeman Magazine. From affordable housing and planned urban growth, to river recreation and local leaders, your votes helped us know more about how we can engage you in the new year.

Our plan has always been to keep all things Bozeman in one place for our readers, to encourage community, and to make Bozeman a better place, one issue at a time. It’s not the best appetizer in town that makes Bozeman great, it’s the people and the community they build that makes the place special. We encourage you to continue to engage with your community as much as possible in 2017!

As you dive into these results, and peruse them again later, please keep in mind ways to take advantage of them. When you see a great thing you haven’t tried, go try it! When you are disappointed with an outcome, share it. When we share our loves and disappointments with others we create space for growth and harmony, we open doors and ask others to walk through them with us. This is how we grow, and we all know Bozeman is growing, let’s make it for the best.

This is all a really big deal to us, and you proved with your votes it’s a big deal to you too. So without further ado, here are the results of the Bozeman’s Choice 2017 Reader Poll!