About Us
Our Mission:
"To showcase the best in regional art and music talent against the breathtaking backdrop
surrounding the mountain towns of Cooke City and Silver Gate Montana.
And to foster our sense of community, fun, and adventure in support of economic flood recovery for this lively and
aesthetic region.”
Severe flooding in the upper Yellowstone drainage in June of 2022 caused extensive
damage to roads and infrastructure across the region. Yellowstone National Park was
particularly hard hit with several roads damaged and in many areas, completely washed away.
As a result, the north and northeast entrances to the park were closed from early June until the end of October.
As the singular, dominant economic driver for the region, the closure of Park access had
devastating impacts on the communities of Gardiner, Cooke City, Silver Gate, and Colter Pass.
These “gateway” communities experienced a reduction in revenues of as
much as 90% in lost tourism dollars. Regional economic impact was in the millions of dollars.
Forget Me Knot Fest was born of these circumstances as a means to 1) bring additional
economic stimulus to the region 2) diversify the economic base by establishing the
community as a destination rather than simply a “gateway” and 3) provide much needed
relief from the flood and other divisive topics to area residents in the form of a family- friendly
opportunity to work together on a fun and positive local entertainment project.
This is a nonprofit project in support of the communities of Colter Pass/Cooke City/Silver Gate Montana.