When Shirstie Gaylord walks through downtown Great Falls now, she sees it differently than she did eight years ago. Back then, she was hauling a six-foot table to the farmers market every weekend, selling Hometana's Montana t-shirts that she'd printed with her last few hundred dollars. She'd look around at the Mighty Mo Brewing crew, the Enbär group, Electric City Coffee (businesses that were saying downtown is cool) and think, I want to be one of them. Now she is. Today, Hometana occupies a...

Because Montana weather doesn't follow anyone's rules but its own. Packing for Montana isn't like packing for most destinations. Our weather has a personality—unpredictable, dramatic, and capable of throwing four seasons at you in a single day. Whether you're visiting the rolling prairies around Great Falls, exploring Glacier National Park, or experiencing the mountain towns that dot our landscape, what you pack can make the difference between a magical trip and a miserable one. Here's what...

From her roots in small-town Montana to leading one of the region’s most dynamic design firms, Jessica Hannesson—founder and creative director of Hannesson Home Interiors and Made for Home by Hannesson Home —has built a career on the belief that home should be both timeless and lived-in. This fall, her firm has been named a finalist in HGTV’s 2025 Designer of the Year Awards in the Kitchen + Dining category. It’s a milestone that underscores her growing influence while continuing to elevate...