Welcome to the Old Salt Festival

The Old Salt Festival celebrates the heart of Montana's agricultural heritage – the farmers, ranchers, and artisans who feed our communities while stewarding the land for future generations. This annual gathering brings together ranchers, conservationists, food lovers, and community members to experience the best of what Montana has to offer.

Our Mission

The Old Salt Festival exists to strengthen the connection between producers and consumers, highlighting the importance of local food systems, agriculture, and the skilled hands that make it all possible.

What Makes Us Different

Unlike typical festivals, Old Salt goes beyond just a good time– we create meaningful experiences that tell the complete story of our food system. Conversation as a part of the Land Talk Lounge is something that everyone leaves with, feeling more connected not only to the Old Salt community, beyond the music, bites of food served each day, and artisanal vendor. From demonstrations and educational workshops, every element of the festival is designed to deepen understanding and appreciation for the land our food comes from.

Festival Values

Sustainability First: Every aspect of the festival reflects our commitment to environmental stewardship, from zero-waste initiatives to supporting regenerative practices through pasture rehabilitation after the festival.
Community Connection: We believe that food brings people together, and the festival serves as a gathering place for neighbors, families, conservationists, and food enthusiasts to connect and learn.
Educational Excellence: Through hands-on experiences and expert-led sessions, we make learning about sustainable practices, conservation and food systems accessible and engaging for all ages.
Local Focus: We prioritize Montana producers, artisans, and businesses, showcasing the incredible talent and quality available in our own backyard.

The Experience

Imagine stepping onto a working ranch where the only sounds are cattle lowing, wind through the grass, and genuine laughter – no cell phone rings, no notification pints, just the peaceful rhythm of those around you and the soft background of Americana music in the background. At the Old Salt festival, you can walk through vendor booths, where you meet the rancher who raised your beef, families learning together in a robust kids area about water flow, friends discovering new flavors at the small bites table.

Without the distractions of digital life, conversations deepened, connections strengthen, and simple pleasure of good food and good company take center stage. People arrive seeking to disconnect from their busy lives, but they leave feeling more connected to their food, the Old Salt Community and to the land that sustains us all.

History & Growth

The Festival started in 2023, originating from the Old Salt team, and founder, Cole Mannix. As a fifth generation of the Mannix family, his love for people, ranching and land stewardship is deeply rooted in Montana. Though his schooling and professional life have taken him many places beyond the ranch, his heart remains devoted to the cause of bringing people together around a love for life. One of his mentors descriptive land stewardship as an effort to create “more heartbeats per acre” and Cole thinks that’s a pretty good idea. As Old Salt Co-op continues to build a resilient, regional food system that directs more value and dollars back to the land and the people that care of it, the festival was created to be a door into that world.

The festivals growth and fervor has been remarkable. In 2025, just under 2700 people attended the Old Salt Festival, creating an intimate atmosphere that allowed for meaningful connections between producers and consumers. However, with the increasing publicity and growing interest of this agricultural space, we are experiencing unprecedented demand.

We are excited to announce that we are expanding capacity to accommodate up to 5,000 attendees this upcoming year. This growth reflects not only the festival’s success but also Montana’s growing appetite for authentic experiences and education. This expansion represents more than just numbers. It is 5,000 people who will disconnect from distractions, reconnect with the land and return to their communities as ambassadors for sustainable agriculture and local food systems.

Old Salt Festival FAQ

Is food included?

General admission tickets (including day pass and weekend pass) include access to all of the festival events and small plates from our featured chefs. These small plates are enough for a meal, but we will also have food and drink vendors on site for purchasing what you need through the day or weekend.

Bringing kids

Yes. Kids age 12 and under are free. We will still require a ticket to be selected for each child during checkout online to help us prepare for infrastructure and accommodations. Limit of 3 free kid passes per adult ticket holder. All kids 13 and over will require a regular ticket.

Festival re-entry

You are welcome to come and go from the festival grounds as needed but please keep your wristband on at all times. We are very limited in being able to get you a replacement wristband.

Return policy

All events, prices, personalities, performances, venues, dates and times are subject to change without notice.

All sales are final. We are a rain-or-shine event. If for any reason you must cancel, the ticketing platform does have an open market to re-sell your ticket, but there is no guarantee you will be able to do so.

Ticket information

Please email us at [email protected] for support.

Cell or internet service

There is no general wifi or cell service at the festival. Unplug and enjoy yourself! The nearest wifi will be at the Copper Queen Bar in Helmville about 2 miles down the road. In case of emergencies, staff can assist with communications. For vendors at the festival, connections are available to process credit cards.

Volunteer

Whether you're passionate about music, food, or just love being part of the experience, we've got a role for you. Plus, volunteering comes with perks!

Pet policy

We love animals, but we kindly ask that you leave your animals at home. The weather in June is unpredictable, please do not leave your animals in your vehicle. Thanks for your cooperation!

Weather

It’s Montana. We are a snow, rain, or shine event so please prepare for cold, wet, and hot conditions. Typically daytime temps are in the high 50s to low 60s and evenings are in the mid-40s to low 50s. Again please bring a variety of layers. There will be fires available to warm up if needed!

Bear safety

BE BEAR AWARE - We have taken appropriate precautions to make sure that we are safe in grizzly country.

Help us to be our eyes and ears. If you see a bear, come find a Festival Official to alert our Bear Mitigation Team. Do NOT leave any food left unsupervised. Store all of your food in a locked car during the day and overnight. DO NOT STORE FOOD IN YOUR SLEEPING AREA. Feeding wildlife is illegal.

Bear spray - Be mindful that bear spray may cause irreversible eye damage if sprayed in the eye at close range. Contact through touching or rubbing eyes may result in substantial but temporary eye injury. Strongly irritating to nose and skin.

Festival sponsorship

Are you interested in learning more about how to get involved? Helps us model a new agriculture, a food system that actually nourishes land and community. Please reach out to [email protected] or check out our sponsorship page for more information.

Camping and Lodging

We offer car/tent camping, RV/trailer sites, and even beautiful glamping options for those who want the extra layer of comfort. These passes are limited and sold on a first come, first served basis. Other off-site accommodations are also available.

Car and tent camping

Each person planning to spend the night at the festival must purchase a camping pass. Each pass is good for the entire weekend. Car/tent campsites are 20ft x 20ft. No water or supplies will be available in the camping area, so please come prepared. Bathrooms are accessible during your stay. Festival campgrounds open Friday at 9am, and you are welcome to stay until Monday at 10am. If you need a place to camp Thursday night, we recommend Geary's HipCamp.

RV and trailer camping

If you'd like to park your RV or trailer on the festival grounds, each trailer must purchase a RV/trailer pass. Each pass is good for the entire weekend. These sites are 20ft x 40ft. No hookups, water, or supplies will be available in the camping area, so please come prepared. Bathrooms are accessible during your stay. Festival campgrounds open Friday at 9am, and you are welcome to stay until Monday at 10am. If you need a place to camp Thursday night, we recommend Geary's HipCamp.

Glamping

Glamping accommodations are available on a first come, first served basis and facilitated by Wild Productions. Passes can be purchased alongside festival tickets. Either 1 large bed or 2 smaller beds will be in each glamping tent. We will communicate with you at a later time to confirm which you prefer.

Nearby off-site lodging

Below is a list of places all within 30-45 minutes from the festival grounds. The towns of Helena, Missoula and Great Falls are all within 60-90 minutes drive or so and are reasonable for day tripping.

Ovando, MT

The Ovando Inn

406 Pine Street

Ovando, MT 59854

406-793-5555

https://ovandoinnmt.com/

Lincoln, MT

Lincoln Log Hotel

101 Sleepy Hollow Ln

Lincoln, MT 59639

406-362-4822

Three Bears Motel of Lincoln