We did a test run of our new story-stand today and (drumroll please)…. It works! Piping hot, super- silly stories made to order. With a sweet illustration from artist Sharon Glick to finish off your meal. Hungry for a good story? Come see us at the story-stand May 2nd from 3:30-6pm at the Great Rocky Mountain Toy Company. #popupart #storytelling #streetartist

Rehearsal BTS - for Roxy Presents: Hansel & Gretel. DO NOT miss this extraordinary cast do improvised opera- Magic Monster style!!! Tickets are FREE but reservations are suggested via the link in bio. Saturday April 26th only!

Proposals for our ‘Into the Forest’ Crankie Fest (November 2025) are due tomorrow! This is a paid opportunity for Gallatin Valley artists, with original music scoring available as well as technical and performance support. Please find all the details at the link in bio (and don’t hesitate to reach out with questions!) #montanaartist #crankieart Photos: Loneman Photography (Riley Logan performing at our 2023 Mythical Creature Crankie Fest)

Awww Shucks! Today Random Acts of Silliness was honored to receive a Citation of Merit from the Montana Trails, Recreation and Park Association! We are incredibly grateful to the larger community who has embraced our work and made it possible over the last 5 years: our staff, volunteers, donors, and the makers of the magic- the incredible artists we’ve worked with! It is a privilege to share art on the beautiful canvas of the Gallatin Valley’s parks and trails- and we are forever indebted to the partnerships that make it possible. From the nomination ‘Founded during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, Random Acts of Silliness emerged as a beacon of light, offering imaginative ways to uplift and unite the Bozeman community. Their inaugural project, The Menagerie of the Imaginary, transformed Story Mill Community Park into a wonderland of playful, interactive art. The overwhelming love and enthusiasm from the community fueled their commitment to bringing ongoing creativity and delight to public spaces across the Gallatin Valley and beyond.’

Are you passionate about making special events work like magic? Seeking a charismatic, flexible, detail-oriented person to oversee the day to day operations of Bumblewood Thicket Fairy Village. This is a temporary position. Visit the link in bio (we’re hiring) for all the details and application information!

Be a part of the magic! We are currently accepting architect submissions for the 2025 Bumblewood Thicket Fairy Village. This opportunity is open to all adult makers and artists in the Gallatin Valley - stipend provided. Your work will bring joy to thousands of visitors! See details at the link in bio. Deadline April 7 #bozemanartist #publicart #montanaartist #fairyvillage

Join renowned author and book-coach Janet Fox to explore story structure, character, emotion, and how to keep language and art in sync. This presentation is great for any artist curious about in telling a story with their art, and highly recommended for artists considering participation in our 3rd Annual Crankie Festival. Signup for this FREE presentation at the link in bio. Saturday March 29 2:30-4pm. Bozeman Public Library, Cottonwood Room.

Open call for performers: Your talents can enhance the magic of Bumblewood Thicket at ‘Enchanted Evenings in Bumblewood’ On Saturday evenings during Bumblewood Thicket Fairy Village (September) we are going to line the trails with magical music and performance inspired by the fairies. 📋 application form & details at link in bio 📅 submit ideas by April 1 💵 artist stipend provided Photos: Fairy Grove Performance 2024 by Loneman Photography

Musicians, dancers, actors and performers all- submit your ideas now to be part of ‘Enchanted Evenings in Bumblewood’ On Saturday evenings during Bumblewood Thicket Fairy Village we are going to line the trails with magical music and performance inspired by the fairies. 📋 application form & details at link in bio 📅 submit ideas by April 1 💵 artist stipend provided

Calling all artists and makers in the Gallatin Valley: we are seeking 20 whimsical fairy architects for the 2025 Bumblewood Thicket! 📋 form & guidlines at link in bio 📅 due April 7 💵 artist stipend provided ❓zoom on 3/12 if you have questions ✨magic & joy rating = 😍🧚💥 #bozemanevents #bozemanartist

Are you an artist interested in participating in the 2025 Bumblewood Thicket Fairy Village? Join Random Acts of Silliness’ Executive Enchantment Director for an informal zoom about the process of applying and participating in the village. No question is too small 😉! Wednesday March 12 6-7pm Advanced signup required via the link in our bio!

Huge thanks to our incredible lantern parade sponsors! Williams Plumbing, Design 5 Landscape Architecture, and Sarah Day Bozeman Real Estate, you light up our community—literally!

Donate today! It takes a lot of magic (and work!) to set the Gallatin Valley aglow with joy and creativity. Consider a gift (link in bio or find us on Venmo) to Random Acts of Silliness today to keep our new lantern parade tradition alive. We are a 501c3 non profit who provides all our programming to the Gallatin Valley for free- and we need your support to do that! Thanks to Loneman Photography for always capturing the joy and beauty ♥️ @loneman_photography

Gallatin Valley - thank you for welcoming the Menagerie of the Imaginary with open hearts. To the hundreds of people who organized, created, volunteered, donated, sang and so much more - thank you for the gift of light and joy in our community ♥️. Until next year. Special shoutout to @thingumatheatre for teaching us to build the beautiful giants Echo and Amelia. #communityart #lanternparade

Just got a sneak peek of the MSU art student lanterns and 🤯! Don’t miss these amazing creations at the Menagerie of the Imaginary Lantern Parade Feb 22, Gallatin Regional Park- 6:15 #lanternparade #publicart

On this snowy morning, we’d like to share that planning for Bumblewood 2025 is underway (fairy call for art coming your way soon!).

Come Glow With Us! Mark your calender for February 22nd, 6:15 at the Gallatin Regional Park. Visit our website to download the full ‘Know Before You Glow’ document. Most importantly- parking is limited to please carpool and leave yourself ample time find a spot and walk! #lanternparade #bozemanevents

Come Glow With Us! Make sure your calender is marked for February 22nd, 6:15 at the Gallatin Regional Park. Visit our website (link in bio) for all the details to ‘Know Before You Glow’ #lanternparade #bozemanevents

Smiles on the loose Gallatin Valley: the snow pile faces are out! Should we tell you where they are or let you enjoy the discovery? If this is your first encounter with these silly friends, the plug-and play (play play play play) pieces were created by artist Marla Goodman using upcycled pool noodles, sleds, trash cans and the like. We couldn’t resist bringing them out in this super snowy winter! #joyfulart #snowart #spreadjoy

Your creativity is blooming beautiful Bozeman! Flower workshop complete ✔️ Participants worked from a design and 3D printed components from artist Steve Allison-Bunnell and took it in so many unique directions! Huge thanks to our workshop sponsor @peacedesign and our home away from home @studio.wheelhouse

Meet Amelia the Curly-Tailed Bird- Horse! Amelia comes from the imagination of local 7 year old Isla. Amazing Amelia spends her days flitting and fluttering about among the cotton candy clouds high above her cliff top home. She adores tasty snack snakes caught with mighty thwaps of her powerful tail, and crafts delectable concoctions juiced from cloud berries. If you listen very carefully as you nod off to sleep, you might hear the distant snort-caws of Amelia saying goodnight to her friends. You might also hear the tinkle of her footfalls as she heads to bed in her cozy cave to dream of exotic earthlings and prancing ponies. You can fly with Amelia at the Menagerie of the Imaginary Lantern Parade at Gallatin Regional Park on February 22nd. Isla provided field-notes on Amelia’s habits and disposition as seeds for her backstory written by RAS wordsmith Anna Visscher. Amelia was created at a workshop led by Andrew Kim of Thingumajig Theatre. Images: inspiration drawing from Isla, Loneman Photography images from Amelia’s first outing! #lanternparade

Another fantastic workshop complete! Led by the Resourceress herself- Kenda Minter @kendalouwho - we made stars, moons, and owls (upcycling pizza and beverage boxes) to fly through the Sky Realm of the lantern parade. We are always blown away by the creativity and skill of the makers at these workshops! Huge thanks to our workshop sponsor @james_bond_dental_arts and @studio.wheelhouse for hosting! #recycledart #lanternparade

Meet Echo the Tassel- Finned Dragoon! Echo comes from the imaginations of Middle Creek Montessori’s 1-3 grade Aspen Class. Effervescent Echo is adept at camouflage and concealment, which helps them evade fierce predators like the beak-nosed hornswoggle. Disguised as flotsam and jetsam, Echo snoozes the day away in the warm, shallow waters off the coast of Honah Lee Island. As night falls, their phosphorescent scales glow and their long antennae sway as they begin to hunt for jelly eels and smardines. Tassel Finned Dragoons have often been mistaken for dolphins as they leap and dive, echo-locating with a high, burbling bup-bup-bup. If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse Echo in your daydreams. You can swim with Echo at the Menagerie of the Imaginary Lantern Parade at Gallatin Regional Park on February 22nd. Echo’s story started with the MCM class and was fully realized by RAS wordsmith Anna Visscher. Echo was created at a workshop led by Andrew Kim of Thingumajig Theatre. @thingumatheatre Images: inspiration drawing from the aspen class, Loneman Photography images from Echos first outing! @loneman_photography #lanternparade

Fish workshop complete! 30 finished fantastical fish- concept created by the amazing Tory Moeckel- all ready to swim in the Water Realm of the Menagerie of the Imaginary on February 22nd! Thanks for hosting us Studio Wheelhouse! Thanks to @hatchpediatrics for sponsoring this community workshop! #communityart #lanternparade

Volunteer to make the lantern parade GLOW! We simply can’t do this event without your help! We’ve got spots for volunteers to help: ✨greet & direct parade spectators ✨parade setup ✨parade cleanup …. And more! Visit the parade link in bio and click on ‘volunteer opportunities’ to learn more. The parade is February 22nd at 6:15 at the Gallatin Regional Park.

Welcome to the world Echo and Amelia! Imagined by Montana kids, these creatures were brought to life by an incredible team of artists - guided by Andrew Kim of Thigumajig Theatre @thingumatheatre and assisted by artist Andrew Young. Echo is a Tassel-Finned Dragoon, imagined by a 1-3 grade class at Middle Creek Montessori. Amelia is a Curly-Tailed Bird- Horse imagined by 7 year old Isla. We can’t wait for you to meet them at The Menagerie of the Imaginary Lantern Parade at the Gallatin Regional Park on February 22. #lanternpuppets #communityart Photos: Loneman Photography @loneman_photography

Day 10 (final day!) of our giant lantern puppet workshop with Andrew Kim of Thingumajig Theatre @thingumatheatre assisted by artist Andrew Young. These artists have been working around the clock at Montana State University Art Department’s Graduate Studios to create something spectacular for our community: Matt Cameron, Sarah Smith, Lu Willis, Kelsi Tjernagel, Emma Johnson, Rachel Ingle, Jade Lowder, Nora Tjernagel, Thomas Dunning, Tory Moeckel, and Steve Allison-Bunnell. We can’t wait to introduce the new creations!

Lecture by Andrew Kim! January 15th, 6pm MSUs Cheever Hall Room #215 Andrew has created and performed puppet and mask plays, parades and events for over 30 years… don’t miss this exciting presentation on his notable career in street theater and giant puppetry! This presentation is free, no reservations required. Presented by Random Acts of Silliness and MSU’s School of Art Foundations Program. @thingumatheatre

Andrew Kim (@thingumatheatre ) imaginary creature giant lanterns day one! In Montana, in a former pig barn, in a snow storm = pure joy!

Two Andrews is better than one! Delighted to have Andrew Kim here from the UK/ @thingumatheatre and Andrew Young from Minneapolis to lead an awesome group of local artists in creating two giant imaginary creature lanterns. The fun begins tomorrow.

Thank you Bozeman, Bozeman Magazine, and all the incredible artists we get to work with- you earned this! Photos: Loneman Photography. Fairy House by Kenda Minter, MSU art students with their creations at the lantern parade.

Set your calendar to GLOW on February 22nd! The lantern parade is back with a new theme and some incredible giant lanterns from international artist Andrew Kim, MSU art students, local artists and community members! Live choral music from our friends at the Bozeman Symphonic Choir, Threshold Choir, Montana Woman’s Chorus, Whittier Elementary Choir (and more!). Thanks to our incredible sponsors @sarahdaybznre @design5la and @willplumb for helping us bring back this special event. Visit the link in bio to learn more. Signup for our public workshops will begin in mid January. #bozemanart #communityart #bozemanevents

Your support helps build a more magical community! There are a few days left to support our year end fundraising campaign! We are grateful for support at any level. Visit the link in bio or find us on Venmo ✨💕 Photo: Loneman Photography from the Cabinets of Curiosity. Cabinet by artist Amy M. Ho.

Year end thanks to our Magic Maker Circle! These fabulous businesses provide general support to keep our pixie dust flowing all year-round. We are so grateful that they recognize the importance of this type of support for non-profits! DM for info on joining this special group in 2025 ✨

The story of 2024: Making Magic Together 51 volunteers gave 572 (!!!) hours sprinkling pixie dust, caring for curious cabinets, tidying trails, fostering magic monster mania and so much more. We absolutely could not do what we do without these amazing humans… THANK YOU! Photos 3 & 5 credit Loneman Photography

The story of 2024: Making Magic Together We were awarded the key to the city in a delightful (and silly) ceremony led by Mayor Cunningham. We will cherish this memory forever and are so grateful for our relationship with the city that makes our work possible! This key will unlock more joy and creativity for all! #bozeman

Consider a year end gift to Random Acts of Silliness in support of magic in our community! In divided times, when there is so much driving us toward cynicism and isolation, we’ve built a force for joy and connection! Your financial support of any level makes Random Acts of Silliness’ work possible. Thanks for all the ways YOU help make our community a more magical, connected place. Visit the ‘Making Magic Together’ link in bio to donate today (or find us on Venmo).

The story of 2024: Making Magic Together The silly monster marching band kicked off the Sweet Pea Parade! Led by a sillified truck and an amazing pink monster (made by Kelsi and Nora Tjernagel, and worn with style by Jade Lowder)- more than 70 silly monster musicians boogied their way down main street with homemade upcycled instruments!

The story of 2024: Making Magic Together This year, we worked with 61 local artists and performers! As the true makers of the magic- their work is priceless! Clips: (open/close) Marla Goodman’s Cabinet of Curiosity, Matt Cameron’s Bee Lantern, Studio Wheelhouse’ Turtle Lantern, Amy Ho’s Cabinet of Curiority, Steve Allison Bunnel siting a fairy house, Fairy Grove performers Genevieve Trygstad-Burke,Sarah Washko’s cabinet, Amy Leach, Steve Marty, Angela Yonke building a lantern, Kyler Ernest shoots Marla Goodman’s Cabinet, Cody Henderson making music for crankies, Eric Dymit performs his crankie. #publicart #joy #communityart #bozeman

Give the gift of magic while supporting joyful arts for all! These special ‘You Are Magic’ tunnel books are available when you donate to Random Acts of Silliness in someone’s honor (or as a special something for yourself). It’s a sweet little limited-edition gift made here in Bozeman: design and artwork by Marla Goodman, cut at the Bozeman Public Library, and assembled with love by the staff of RAS ♥️ Donate by Tuesday Dec 10th to get it in time for holiday gifting!

The Story of 2024: Making Magic Together! Cabinets of Curiosity at Story Mansion In the spring, curious community members were invited to immerse themselves in the collections of the mysterious “Raven’s Eye Society”. The beautiful and interactive cabinets were created by REAL Montana artists and brought copious delight! Fun Fact: 520 Middle & Elementary students visited the installation and designed their own cabinets! Participant Quote: ‘This is almost as fun as Harry Potter World!’ Read the full story of 2024 at the link in our bio and remember the motto of the Raven’s Eye Society: Magic is Everywhere! Photos: Loneman Photography

The Story of 2024: Making Magic Together! Winter Bloom Lantern Parade RAS kicked off 2024 with the Winter Bloom Lantern Parade at the Gallatin Regional Park! With over 1,500 spectators, 400 lanterns made by community members and infinite amounts of wonder - it was a glowing success! Fun Fact: MSU art students made 50 lanterns for the parade. Participant Quote: ‘What a joy the lantern parade was… Thank you for all the love and heart you put into our community.’ Read the full story of 2024 at the link in our bio and join us on February 22, 2025 for the next lantern parade! Photos: Loneman Photography

Holiday hijinx ahead! The Magic Monster Show is back at Gallatin High on Saturday Nov 23 at 10:00 (almost full) and 11:30 for a ‘Merry Monster Holiday’. Join Roxy and her improviser buddies as they try to create the perfect holiday celebration…. With your help of course. It’s bound to be a silly, messy, sugary, sparkletastic time! Best suited for kids 3-10 and their playful adults. Shows are FREE but tickets suggested via link in bio! Photos: @lohunterphoto Sponsored by @rockymountaintoycompany

Meet Amelia, the curly-tailed bird horse (CTBH). CTBHs spend most of their time airborne but sleep in caves near waterfalls or on cliff tops. They can walk short distances if necessary. Their favorite food is snakes. CTBHs have very powerful tails that they use to thwap their prey. Their footfalls sound like triangles. They communicate with each other through snort-caws. Amelia came directly from the imagination of Isla, age 7! Your kids can submit their own ideas for whimsical, silly, or beautiful imaginary creatures to help inspire our artists lanterns for the 2025 lantern parade (link in bio)!

That’s a wrap on Crankies 2024! Huge thanks to our 520 audience members, partners at Bozeman Parks and Rec & Belgrade Library, and sponsors at FEED Cafe, Grizzly Creek Films, and Owenhouse Ace Hardware. One more round of applause for the true makers of the magic, our amazing artists and performers: Courtney Blazon, Kelsi & Nora Tjernagel, Angela Yonke, Kate Weiss, Emlyn Harris, Kate Huston, Eric Dymit, Marla Goodman, Kyrie Dawson, and Cody Henderson! #crankietheater #crankies #montanaartist Video: @writegoodbranding

Give the gift of magic while supporting joyful arts for all! These special ‘You Are Magic’ tunnel books are available when you donate to Random Acts of Silliness in someone’s honor (or as a special something for yourself). It’s a sweet little limited-edition gift made here in Bozeman: design and artwork by Marla Goodman, cut at the Bozeman Public Library, and assembled with love by the staff of RAS ♥️ Visit the ‘support us’ link in our bio to learn more!

We are beyond thrilled to share that giant puppet lantern artist Andrew Kim of Thingumajig Theatre @thingumatheatre in the UK is coming to Bozeman! Andrew will be working with a small group of Gallatin Valley artists in January to create two giant imaginary creature lanterns for our February parade. Remember, if your family wants to submit imaginary creature ideas- they might be chosen to inspire our parade lanterns! Visit the link in bio to upload a drawing and some words about the creature! Can’t wait to share our sparkling winter landscape with you Andrew! Photos: credit Thingumajig Theatre… some of the puppets Andrew has worked on over the years! photo 1: @ajjoji, photo 5: @ianhodgson123

Join magic Monster Roxy and her friends as they create the perfect monster holiday celebration! Saturday November 23rd at Gallatin High School. Showtimes are 10am and 11:30am Tickets are required (FREE, donations appreciated). This show is best suited for kids age 3-10 and their fun-loving adults. Thanks to our friends at Rocky Mountain Toy Company for sponsoring this show!

Seeking kids ideas for imaginary creatures! Meet ‘Fang’, submitted by Campbell (5), Barrett (7), and Lochlan (7). Fang: Is a deep sea creature It has octopus things and two tails It is as big as 2000 houses and weighs about 250 lbs. It eats electricity If it eats a bite of submarine it will take all the electricity out with biting the metal, but then it spits the metal out. That’s how it works. It has super big fangs. About as big as one whole car It doesn’t make any sound It lives in the ocean in Hawaii Your kids can submit their own ideas for whimsical, silly, or beautiful imaginary creatures to help inspire our artists lanterns for the 2025 lantern parade. Keep the ideas coming (link in bio)! Deadline November 22.

Full hearts after a cozy and dazzling crankie fest weekend in Bozeman! Thanks to our delightful audiences, incredible artists and performers, Bozeman Parks and Recreation, and our very special show sponsors at Feed Cafe @feedcafebozeman , Owenhouse Ace Hardware @owenhouseace and Grizzly Creek Films @grizzlycreekfilms We can’t wait to take this show to Belgrade next weekend! Thanks to Kyler Ernst of Write Good Branding for the photos. @writegoodbranding #crankies #crankietheater #montanaartist

The remaining Bozeman crankie performances are FULL. Please signup to join us in Belgrade next weekend if you still want to catch the show! PS- if you have a ticket this weekend that you can’t use, please let us know ASAP so we can open seats for the waitlist! Photo of Marla Goodman’s ‘The Lost Grandmother’ taken by Kyler Ernest of Write Good Branding.

Show added! Due to demand we’ve added a crankie show for 6:45 on Sunday! It’s a perfect weekend for crankies, creativity, and connection! Just a few spots left to enjoy this unique performce combining original art, live music, sound effects, puppetry and storytelling (reserve now via the link in bio). Here’s a sneak peak from our rehearsal: Kelsi Tjernagel performs ‘Strawberries in Winter’ (illustrated by Courtney Blazon) Cody Henderson making sound effects! A scene from Angela Yonke’s Witch of the Enchanted Wood. Photos by Kyler Ernst of Write Good Branding @writegoodbranding

Crankie Fest starts Friday - just a few seats left so reserve your spot now. Meet crankie artist Eric Dymit! Drawing from the lore of Excalibur- Eric’s crankie tells the story of the famous sword from the perspective of the many hands that it touched. Tickets are going fast (early shows full, a few tickets remain for later show!) for the 2024 Crankie Fest featuring live performances of original storytelling works of art created by Montana artists. Grab your spot via the link in bio (November 8-16). Tickets are available for FREE (donations appreciated). Photos: Eric with his crankie from the 2023 festival (photo Loneman Photography), Eric’s new crankie ‘A Sword in Hand’ in progress.

Meet kayaker and artist Emlyn Harris! Emlyn’s crankie combines old-school puppetry and cranking with animation to take us on a ‘Trip Down the Gallatin’. The piece also features original live scoring on the guitar from Cody Henderson. Tickets are going fast for the 2024 Crankie Fest featuring live performances of original storytelling works of art created by Montana artists. Grab your spot via the link in bio (November 8-16). Tickets are available for FREE (donations appreciated). #bozemanart #bozemanartist

What imaginary creature would YOU like to see in the next lantern parade? We are looking for whimsical, silly and beautiful original ideas to inspire our artists. Creative minds of all ages are encouraged to share ideas! Your ideas may be brought to (giant life) by artists from Random Acts of Silliness or Montana State University! Creative minds of all ages are encouraged to submit ideas via the link through November 22! #bozemanart #lamternparade Photo: Loneman Photography capture of Angela Yonke’s sun in the 2024 parade.

Meet crankie artist Angela Yonke. Angela’s crankie ‘The Witch of the Enchanted Wood’ tells the story of a kind-hearted with and an unexpected magical gift. Tickets are now available for our 2024 Crankie Fest featuring live performances of original storytelling works of art created by Montana artists. Grab your spot via the link in bio (November 8-16). Tickets are available for FREE (donations appreciated). #bozemanart

Meet crankie team ‘Strawberries in Winter’! Inspired by a Slavic folktale, this crankie tells the story of a young girl sent into the winter forest on impossible errands. The crankie scroll was illustrated by Missoula artist Courtney Blazon (first pic) and the script was written and will be performed by Kelsi and Nora Tjernagel (second pic). Tickets are now available for our 2024 Crankie Fest featuring live performances of original storytelling works of art created by Montana artists. Grab your spot via the link in bio (November 8-16). #crankies #montanaartist #crankietheater

Meet crankie artist Marla Goodman! Marla’s crankie ‘The Lost Grandmother’ uses collage techniques to combine her drawings with antique illustrations and motifs she’s collected. Tickets are now available for our 2024 Crankie Fest featuring live performances of original storytelling works of art created by Montana artists. Grab your spot via the link in bio (November 8-16). Photos: Marla with her crankie ‘The Lost Grandmother’ and the crankie box revealing the opening art. #crankies #montanaartist #collage #crankietheater

Thanks to our friends at Adventures in Cardboard for an epic All Hallows Eve Game Day! #kidsontrails #cardboardart

Meet Jessica Allred, the new Wizard Behind the Curtain at Random Acts of Silliness! Jessica, aka The Wiz, does a little bit of everything and wears a lot of hats. She is a brilliant bean counter, a fantastic filer, a conscientious calendarer, and a supreme systematizer. In other words, Jessica helps keep the silliness a little less random and a lot more organized by bookkeeping, scheduling, managing databases, staffing installations, and doing all the other operational things that help keep our small but busy organization ticking along.   In her own words “I am so grateful to have started with RAS just as the 5th Bumblewood Thicket was kicking off. I loved seeing all the effort behind the scenes that goes into the art, and how much joy it brings visitors. Literally everyone has a smile on their face as they leave! In a time when there are many loud voices saying how divided the world is, RAS is proof that good people still exist who are dedicated to bringing communities together. Being in an organization that specializes in bringing joy and whimsy and wonder to the entire community feels like a little bit of heaven on earth.”   We are thrilled to have Jessica on our team ♥️🧚🫘

Meet crankie artist Kate Weiss! Kate’s crankie is illustrated using batik- and tells an original, whimsical tale of a fuzzy (?!) needle with a magical purpose and a very special friendship. Tickets are now available for our 2024 Crankie Fest featuring live performances of original storytelling works of art created by Montana artists. Grab your spot via the link in bio (November 8-16). Photos: Kate with her crankie from 2023 (photo Loneman Photography) and a sneak peek of this year’s crankie ‘Lost & Found’. #wip #batik #crankies #montanaartist

We have so many talented artists and performers in this year’s Crankie Festival! Reserve your tickets now via the link in bio 🎟️ The festival is presented by Random Acts of Silliness in partnership with Bozeman Parks and Recreation and the Belgrade Community Library.

Crankie- Fest tickets are now available (link in bio)! This festival features 7 original crankies (aka moving- panoramas) about treasured things, illustrated and performed by Montana artists. Due to length and subject matter, this show is recommended for ages 6-99. Bozeman performances will be at the Beall Rec Center and are presented in partnership with Bozeman Parks and Rec. The Belgrade shows will be at the Belgrade Library. Photos- 2023 Crankie-Fest featuring @katherine_fahey . Photos by @loneman_photography

Moving panorama fest coming Nov 8-16 to the Gallatin Valley! Our 2nd Annual Crankie Festival will feature 7 original works of art by southwest Montana artists: Angela Yonke, Courtney Blazon (script and performance by Kelsi and Nora Tjernagel), Eric Dymit, Elmlyn Harris, Marla Goodman (performed by Kyrie Dawson), Kate Weiss, and Kate Huston. This celebration of an age-old storytelling art, the moving panorama (aka “crankie”), will also feature original music and sound effects by Cody Henderson. Bozeman performances will be November 8,9, and 10 at the Beall Rec Center. Belgrade performances will be November 16th at the Belgrade library. Ticket info coming soon! #bozemanevents

Saturday October 19, 10am-3pm Glen Lake Rotary Park in Bozeman, MT Join the wonderful humans at Adventures Cardboard for a seasonally themed 5 hour Game Day of sword building, armory making, cardboard crafting, capture the flag playing, and sword-tag games! As the spooky season comes upon us, participants can don their best costumes and bear witness to the conflicts of Vampires from the Nightmare Realms, Werewolves from the Howling Forest, and the legions of Monster Hunters and Mad Scientists. Ages 8-16. Sponsored by Random Acts of Silliness and free for all! Registration for all of these events is limited, so sign up quick before spots fill! Visit the link in bio to signup!

The Bumblewood fairies were gobsmacked to receive more than 6,200 letters from visitors to the village! They were gracious enough to share a small sampling with their friends at Random Acts of Silliness. Enjoy 🧚💌 #bumblewoodthicket

25% off all the fairy fan gear this weekend! It's the final weekend to grab your gear in store at Intrigue Ink (sale is also available online- see link in bio). Remember all the proceeds are donated by @intrigueink to help us make more accessible, whimsical art in the Gallatin Valley!

We have one last fairy house to share! Even though Bumblewood has faded into the mists for another year, we wanted to share the home and studio of Bettina Wong- Fairy architect! Yes, those are tiny models of other fairy houses in her studio. Bettina Wong's home and studio was created by artist Amy Ho. If you noticed the time- travel themed tiny bookcase in this fairy house, you'll be delighted to know that Amy was also the artist who created the amazing book case at this year's Cabinets of Curiosity installation! #bumblewoodthicket #fairyvillage. Photos: @loneman_photography

Until next year 🧚💚 Bumblewood Thicket 2024 was presented by Random Acts of Silliness in partnership with Bozeman Parks and Recreation, with support from Heyday and On Site Management. The 20 extraordinary works featured were created by Gallatin Valley artists. #bumblewoodthicket #fairyvillage #publicart video by @writegoodbranding

It's the final day to visit Bumblewood Thicket! Hope to see you there before fairy bedtime at 9pm. Photos- @loneman_photography #bumblewoodthicket #bozemanevents

As you may have guessed from their name, the Mason family are all skilled fairy stoneworkers. Shale and Ruby, with the help of young Flint and Mica, crafted the river pebble chimney and walls of their cozy home. This piece was created by Bozeman creative Pamela Dorn ♥️ Photos- @loneman_photography #bumblewoodthicket #fairyhouse

It's the final weekend to experience the magic of Bumblewood before the veil of enchantment is restored for another year! Video- @writegoodbranding #fairyvillage #artontrails #publicart #bumblewoodthicket

Welcome to the Little Fae Library, where anyone can take a book or leave one! You may recognize this nomadic library from Flutterby Thicket, a nearby fairy village first discovered by humans just a few years ago. The library moves where it is needed, and it has happily roosted here in the village all summer. Pardon the mess! The library is in a bit of a shambles due to a recent bookworm infestation. Thankfully the bookworms have been gently relocated to a paper birch tree across town, where they can munch away to their hearts’ content. The little Fae Libray was created by artist, word-wizard and greatest human of all-time Anna Visscher (with a bit of title assistance from her word loving family). Fun fact, Anna is also the person who writes all the stories for the village (in close collaboration with each fairy architect of course!) #fairyhouse #fairyvillage #bumblewoodthicket Photos: @loneman_photography

The River Bend Cottage is the home of Willow Brook, a bright and sunny fairy who is always on the go, and far too busy to spend time cleaning and tidying. This fairy home was created out of living willow and dogwood by artist Michelle Varrin. #fairyhouse #fairyvillage #bumblewoodthicket Photos: @loneman_photography

Now, you can take home a piece of Bumblewood! The fairies have graciously agreed to auction 16 of their fairy homes or businesses. The online auction is live now through September 27th. (See link in bio). The proceeds from this auction will benefit the artists and Random Acts of Silliness in support of next year’s village. The homes and businesses are truly works of art. They take our artists up to 100 hours to plan, build, and source materials. Bidding begins at $250 for most structures. Prices include repairs to the work after its time in Bumblewood as well as delivery in the Gallatin Valley.

This beautiful home belongs to Augusts P. Bumble. Augustus comes from a long line of astronomers who studied the night sky for centuries. From the time he was knee high to a grasshopper, Augustus was taught how the alignment of planets and stars seasonally impacts the magical forces on earth This fairy home was brought to life by artist and first time Fairy Architect Tory Moeckel. #fairyhouse #fairyvillage #bumblewoodthicket Photos: @loneman_photography

Saturday is the final chance to soak up the vibe that is 'Fairy Grove'. Pack a picnic, pull up a blanket and enjoy fairy themed poems, songs and dance. Tickets just released for shows at 5:30 & 7pm (visit the link in bio to reserve your free spot!). Photos: @loneman_photography

Vanishing Point Makers’ Space is a welcoming sanctuary for creatives and iconoclasts of all ilks. This space is the place to hang out, learn, and dabble in a variety of art forms, preferably while drinking mug after mug of dark dandelion root coffee. Its steward is Twig Woodenbridge, an endlessly inventive maker who builds, repairs, and reuses found objects. This piece was created by artist Kenda Minter who often incorporates discarded or found objects into her work. Many visitors don't even realize that the maker space is built using old car parts! #bozemanartist #bumblewoodthicket #fairyvillage #fairyhouse Photos: @loneman_photography

Bushtail Barn is Bumblewood’s premier squirrel training, riding, and boarding facility. It is owned and operated by Ms. Flickabelle, a mica medal-winning champion squirlestrian. Bushtail Barn was created by artists Courtnay Duchin and Teddy Kleindl Photos: @loneman_photography #bumblewoodthicket #fairyvillage #bozemanartist #fairyart

Lizzy Corbett recently opened her very own print studio in the village, built from the drawers of a human-sized printing press. She draws great inspiration from the natural world, and this is reflected in both her work and her studio The Print Studio was created by artist Kelly Hartman of Wild Joy Creative. Photos @loneman_photography #bumblewoodthicket #fairyvillage #bozemanartist #fairyart

Botanist and seed saver Blossom Drupe is passionate about collecting, cataloguing, and preserving all the heirloom and wild seeds found in the area. This work is of great importance, as her collection–carefully stored in a temperature-controlled seed cellar–enables the continued cultivation of treasured heirloom flowers, fruits, grains, and vegetables in Bumblewood Thicket. Blossom's Seed Cellar was created by artist Kathleen McPherson. Photos @loneman_photography #bumblewoodthicket #fairyvillage #artontrails #hierloomseeds

The Bumblewood fairies come to Forget Me Not Nook for all their plant and garden needs! The Wilding family have fun the nursery for many generations and live on the premises. Forget me not nook was created by Troy, Leah, Lauren, and Sara Watling. #fairyhouse #bumblewoodthicket Photos- @loneman_photography

This cluster of gourd-shaped pods is home to the Schnarchenwald (pronounced Shnark-en-vald) family, who are afflicted with a very rare condition. Every member of the family–from the youngest child to the eldest grandparent–snores thunderously. To cope with the cacophony and ensure a good night’s sleep, their bedrooms are cozy sound-proofed chambers designed for just one fairy occupant each (including a tiny one for baby)! Marrying art and science, Steve and Wren Allison - Bunnell utilized equipment from the STEAMlab at the @montanasciencecenter to create these dwellings. #fairyhouse #bumblewoodthicket Photos- @loneman_photography

Fall is in the air, making it the perfect day to share the home of Umber Hawthorne. Umber spends his summer collecting natural pigments to paint the leaves of Bumblewood each autumn. This beautiful home was created by 4-time fairy architect Amber Wilson. #bumblewoodthicket #fairyvillage Photos: @loneman_photography

Bumblewood fairies are taking shelter from the rain! Check back here for info on when the village will re open.

Are you inspired yet? Build your own fairy dwelling or business and bring it in to display in Bumblewood Thicket on September 21 & 22. Signup at the link in bio (Build Your Own Bonanza) and get a little gift from the fairies when you bring in your piece. Fairy architects of all ages are encouraged to participate! #communityart #bumblewoodthicket

The Banks Brothers Ranch is Bumblewood's sustainable seed and feed operation, going back six-generations! The ranch was created by Fairy Architect Aysha Carter who incorporated elements gifted to her by her students from Roots Nature School. #bumblewoodthicket Photos: @loneman_photography

Limited tickets are available for this joyful production (see link in bio) featuring talented Bozeman performers including Raison D'être Dance Project, the Celtic Collective, Emma Rathe, Steve Marty, Annabella Joy and Cody, Alice, and Evelyn Henderson. With the Legend of Bumblewood Thicket crankie created by artist Kelly Hartman. #bumblewoodthicket #bozemantheater Video by @writegoodbranding

Shhhh! The newborn fairies are resting at the Sweet Pea Birth Center. Real life architect turned fairy architect Jennifer Dunn created this special business with help from her colleagues at Hennebery Eddy Architects. It includes a birthing center, nursery, and on site housing for the midwives Eliza Dewlittle and Robin Goodspell. Photos by @loneman_photography #bozemanartist #montanartist #bumblewoodthicket

This is the home of Celeste Sky Weaver, respected storyteller and elder in Bumblewood. Artist Emily Gonzales created this home using tyvek and embroidery. Photos by @loneman_photography #bozemanartist #montanartist #bumblewoodthicket

Have you seen these wings?! Fairy Grove audience members can snap a photo with these gorgeous wings, hand- crafted by Nora Tjernagel (pictured in first photo) with construction help from her family. Nora spent the summer imagining the fairies who live in the lush, vibrant mountains and valleys of Bozeman. She used dense velvets, shiny satins, upcycled denim and additional fabrics to create a collage of colors, textures and reflectivity. She spent countless hours hand-beading each shape. Please join the waitlist for performances of Fairy Grove on September 14 & 21 if you'd like to see these wings in person! Photos: @loneman_photography #bumblewoodthicket #fairyglamour #fairywings #bozemanartist

How you know you've built a great fairy structure. Fairy bakery and video by Emmi Kat Johnson

The forest is full of the smell of sugar cookies! The Sugar Pine Bakery provides baked goodies for all the fairies of Bumblewood, and supports other community makers in their shop local section. The Sugar Pine Bakery was created by artist Emmi Kat Johnson and is an homage to the sugar pines in her home state of Arizona. Photos: @loneman_photography #bumblewoodthicket #fairyhouse

This is the summer home of the Urukay family, created by Fairy Architect Pinky Keightley. Pinky was inspired by the homes of the Mangyan people from her home country of the Philippines. #bumblewoodthicket #fairyhouse

The fairies of Bumblewood fly into Flossie's Candy Emporium when they need a treat! Created by fairy architect Mary Demro- perhaps with a bit of inspiration from the candy lovers in her house! Photos: Loneman Photography #bumblewoodthicket #randomactsofsilliness #fairyvillage

Who knew the International Tooth Fairy Training Academy was in Bumblewood Thicket?!? Straight from the brilliant mind of fairy architect Maggie Clark, don't miss all the details including: student dormitory, classroom, tooth vault, and 'practice room' where the faires see how human children live! Fun fact- Maggie's granddaughter lost two teeth the week before installation and they've been artfully incorporated into the work. Can you find them?! Photos: @loneman_photography #bumblewoodthicket #randomactsofsilliness