🌱 Patch AM: How Bozeman’s famous Christmas spiders keep returning every holiday season

Hi there, Bozeman! We've got your morning read ready! Read on to stay connected. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• How Bozeman’s famous Christmas spiders keep returning every holiday season
• How one Gallatin Valley Santa shaped Christmas for generations of kids
• Which Bozeman standouts made the prestigious East-West Shrine Game roster?

Today's riddle: What did the clock say when it ran out of batteries? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Friday: Breezy in the afternoon, with a high of 49 and low of 28 degrees.
• Saturday: Rather cloudy and colder, temps: high: 31, low: 4. ⛄️ Brr!
• Sunday: Times of clouds and sun, with a high of 28 and low of 13 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Bozeman's most beloved holiday decoration (nbcmontana.com) — Downtown Bozeman’s iconic Christmas spider decorations are back over Main Street, installed each year by the Bozeman Fire Department and partners on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Residents flock out with kids, coffee, and donuts to watch the nearly 60-year-old spiders go up, hoping this quirky tradition continues lighting up local holidays for years to come.
   

2. 'His love': The Legacy of Stan Veltkamp, Santa in Gallatin Valley for 40 years (kbzk.com) — Gallatin Valley is remembering longtime Santa Stan Veltkamp, whose four decades of visits—from Manhattan strolls to special needs classrooms at Hyalite School near Bozeman—made Christmas feel personal for thousands of local kids. As Bozeman shoppers scramble for last‑minute gifts, his widow Marty says his real legacy is simple: the love he shared with every child he met.
   

3. Rosters announced for 79th Montana East-West Shrine Game (krtv.com) — Bozeman football fans will see several hometown standouts in the 2025 Montana East-West Shrine Game, including Bozeman and Gallatin players plus Gallatin’s head coach leading the East squad. The long-running charity all-star matchup, set for June in Butte, raises significant funds for Shriners Children’s Hospital while showcasing top seniors from across the state.
   

4. More Montanans cutting Christmas trees in national forests (bozemandailychronicle.com) — Bozeman-area families heading toward Custer Gallatin National Forest are part of a growing statewide trend of cutting their own Christmas trees, with that forest issuing over 11,500 permits in 2024. Across Montana’s seven major national forests, recreational tree permits have climbed 34% since 2016, and officials say carefully managed cutting can actually improve forest health and wildfire resilience.
   

5. From fryer oil to fuel pumps: One former Montana State biochemist's push for clean transportation in Montana (bozemandailychronicle.com) — A former Montana State biochemist based in Bozeman is turning fryer oil and renewable diesel into cleaner fuel for local garbage trucks, buses, and even ski-area snowcats. His work with Bozeman’s Solid Waste division, solar-powered EV chargers, and regional gas stations is helping Montanans cut emissions, boost energy independence, and experiment with practical clean transportation options.
   

📸 Around Bozeman

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Bozeman

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

Monday December 29

• Open Gym Girls Basketball
  Anderson 7-8 Bozeman, MT 59718
  4:30 pm

📣 Bozeman Shout Outs!

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🗓 Events Nearby

Friday December 26

• Jennie's Arthritis Foundation Exercise Class
  Neighborhood Center Card Room
  10:30 am
• The Shuffle Bums
  Murray Bar , 201 W Park St , Livingston
  9:00 pm

Saturday December 27

• Deadrock Writer's Group
  Livingston-Park County Public Library , 228 West Callender Street , Livingston
  10:30 am
• Brendan Nolan and Harpdog John
  Fainting Goat Pub , 122 N Main St , Livingston
  8:30 pm

Sunday December 28

• The Road Agents @ Bozeman Hot Springs
  Bozeman Hot Springs , 81123 Gallatin Rd , Bozeman
  7:00 pm

Monday December 29

• Open Gym Girls Basketball
  Anderson 7-8 Bozeman, MT 59718
  4:30 pm
• Belgrade Interim Planning Commission Meeting
  Belgrade, MT Calendar , 205 E Main Street , Belgrade
  6:00 pm
• Belgrade City County Planning Board Meeting
  Belgrade, MT Calendar , 205 E Main St. , Belgrade
  7:00 pm

Tuesday December 30

• Gentle Yoga
  Belgrade, MT Calendar , 205 E Main St , Belgrade
  2:00 pm
• Rejuventating Body Balance Yoga
  The Movement Collaborative , 206 S 11th St Unit 5 , Livingston
  5:30 pm

Thursday January 1

• Coffee and Rolls
  Rocky Mountain Development Council , 200 South Cruse , Helena
  8:00 am

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Bozeman PatchAM possible:

• Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
  Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible!
• Granite Peak Mechanical Services, LLC — (406) 651-7369
  24/7 Emergency Service

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• Heartfelt Thank You to Our Community ❤️
  We want to take a moment to thank our incredible neighbors, local businesses, and everyone who showed their support through the Montana community… (Nextdoor North East Neighborhood Association)
• Hey looking for a couple things in town, either for trade in some way possibly.
  A piano teacher, a dance teacher, anyone who does blacksmithing, and maybe stable cleaning/work to be able to have a horse to ride occasionally. I… (Nextdoor Laurel Glen)

• Macy's, Inc. posted a job opening for Retail Merchandising Support Associate, Bozeman Gallatin Valley - Part Time in Bozeman. Apply here.
• Americorps posted a job opening for Youth Crew Leader in Bozeman. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Bozeman here.

Ok Bozeman! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I guess I’m out of time.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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