A first night out in downtown Missoula in late fall
What downtown Missoula and the Clark Fork riverfront offer on a weeknight and a weekend night in late fall, venue by venue, and where to check the times.
In November and December, the summer series by the river are over, but downtown Missoula still has shows, music sessions and game nights. This guide goes venue by venue and tells you where to check the times.
The facts here come from the venues and from MissoulaTonight, a free local calendar: "Missoula shows, dances, game nights and food trucks, updated twice daily." Shows change, so check the listing on the day.
By the river
Caras Park is the riverfront pavilion downtown, at 123 Carousel Dr. It was called Island Park until 1977, when it took the name of the Caras family of Caras Nursery. In summer it is home to two free series: Out to Lunch on Wednesdays from 11 to 2, and Downtown ToNight on Thursday evenings, June through August.
This fall it had Downtown on Tap on two Tuesday evenings, September 29 and October 27. At the end of October, the venue page showed no upcoming shows, so check it or the Downtown Missoula Partnership's Caras Park calendar before you go.
The Wilma stands on the Clark Fork at 131 S Higgins Ave. Billy Simons built the theater in 1921 and named it for his wife, the light opera singer Edna Wilma. It was renovated in 2015, and it is the big indoor room for national touring acts. In November and December, most of its shows are on Friday and Saturday nights, and most start at 8 pm.
House rules from Logjam Presents:
- Shows are all ages unless the event page says otherwise.
- Bring a physical government ID. Digital IDs are not accepted.
- No re-entry, and no bags larger than 13 by 13 inches. Coat check is $5 per item at select shows.
- Advance tickets are sold online and at the Top Hat box office. On show days, the Wilma box office opens one hour before doors.
On Front Street
Top Hat Lounge, at 134 W Front St, is a 550-capacity Logjam club. It has been a Front Street fixture for more than fifty years, and it was renovated in 2013. Touring acts and local bills share the calendar, and there is a full kitchen.
In November and December, its weeknight shows start at 8 pm, with advance and door prices. Its Friday and Saturday shows are late sets, and some cost $5 or are free. Check the Top Hat schedule for the start time and cover of each night. The house is all ages by policy, but a show that runs past 10 pm may be 18+ or 21+, and the event page says which.
Montgomery Distillery, at 129 W Front St, has a traditional Irish session every Tuesday at 6 pm.
Tamarack Brewing, at 231 W Front St, has a sports pub downstairs and a quieter floor upstairs that overlooks Caras Park.
Main Street and North Higgins
Union Club Bar & Grill, at 208 E Main St, dates to 1908. It has live music every Friday and Saturday, usually with no cover. Its November listings show Monday Karaoke at 9 pm and Tuesday Trivia at 8 pm.
Shapes Hi-Fi Bar, at 111 N Higgins Ave, is a listening bar in the Florence Building that opened in September 2026. DJ nights fill the weekends, and live jazz and bands play midweek.
Missoula Art Museum, at 335 Pattee St, is free. Its November listings show a First Friday opening on November 6 and a Third Thursday curator talk on November 19, both at 5 pm.
On Toole Avenue
Draught Works is a brewery at 915 Toole Ave. Its live music runs three evenings a week: Thursday and Saturday from 7 to 9, and Sunday from 6 to 8, with no cover. Its November listings show Music Bingo on Tuesdays at 7 pm, Trivia Night on Wednesdays at 7 pm, and jazz every Sunday at 6 pm.
At the end of October, the only November music listed there was the Sunday jazz, so check the brewery's own live music calendar for a Thursday or Saturday act. The comedy night on Thursday, November 5, starts at 8:30 pm, and a $25 ticket includes entry and a drink ticket.
A weeknight and a weekend night
On a weeknight in November:
- Tuesday: the Irish session at Montgomery Distillery at 6 pm, then Music Bingo at Draught Works at 7 pm or Tuesday Trivia at the Union Club at 8 pm.
- Wednesday: Trivia Night at Draught Works at 7 pm.
- Thursday: comedy at Draught Works on November 5, or Third Thursday at the art museum on November 19.
On a weekend night:
- Friday or Saturday: an 8 pm show at The Wilma, then a late set at the Top Hat.
- Friday or Saturday: live music at the Union Club, or a DJ night at Shapes Hi-Fi Bar.
- Sunday: jazz at Draught Works at 6 pm.
Where to check the times
- The MissoulaTonight home page lists the events for tonight. The page for this weekend in Missoula covers Friday through Sunday, with filters for music, dance, game nights and more.
- Listings refresh twice a day, around 5 am and 4 pm Mountain time. Every event page links to its sources, so you can check the venue's own post before you go out.
- For tickets, Logjam Presents has pages for The Wilma and the Top Hat Lounge.
