The celebration kicks off Friday night at The Newberry with Mississippi native Landon Wilks, who is making a name for himself as one of country music’s exciting new voices.

Known for his honest songwriting, heartfelt storytelling and modern country sound, Wilks brings his fresh perspective to Great Falls for an evening of music celebrating the enduring spirit and legacy of Charlie Russell.

Friday, October 9 | The Newberry | Doors 6:30 p.m. | Show 7:30 p.m.

To commemorate Charlie Russell’s Legacy: Celebrating 100 Years, the C.M. Russell Museum has invited approximately 75 artists with deep ties to the museum to participate in a once-in-a-century exhibition and auction.

Featuring members of the Russell Skull Society, past C.M. Russell Art Award winners, and former Art in Action artists, this special exhibition showcases an extraordinary collection of paintings, sculpture, and western artwork available for purchase through an online auction.

Register today, start following your favorite pieces, and set maximum bids to ensure you don’t miss the opportunity to add a remarkable work to your collection.

Great Falls, Montana will come alive on the C.M. Russell Museum campus for a once-in-a-century celebration honoring Charlie Russell’s extraordinary legacy through art, history, music, food, and community. This free, Saturday event is a true celebration for everyone – drawing art lovers, history enthusiasts, and Western culture fans from across the region and beyond.

Explore the grounds with live entertainment, food trucks, Traditional Native Games, interactive demonstrations, arts and crafts, educational programming, speakers, film, and a vibrant marketplace of vendors and artists.

Whether you’re a lifelong admirer of Russell’s work or simply looking to be part of something historic, the Legacy Celebration is a gathering of community spirit, Western heritage, and shared pride – all set on the very campus where his legend lives on.

The legacy of Charlie Russell doesn’t end with his brush – it lives on in the artists he continues to inspire. The Next Generation Art Showcase is a special exhibition dedicated entirely to the creative voices of today’s high school students, inviting young artists from across the region to stand alongside a legend and show the world what the next chapter of Western art looks like.

This is not a competition – it is a celebration. Every participating student is an exhibiting artist and an honored part of this once-in-a-century moment.

Visitors to the museum will have the opportunity to vote for their favorites, with People’s Choice Awards recognizing the top three works as chosen by the community. All artwork will remain on display for 30 days following the October 10th celebration – a lasting tribute to the next generation carrying Russell’s spirit forward.

The Great Falls Symphony joins the C.M. Russell Museum for a special concert celebrating Charlie Russell’s legacy and the opening of the Symphony’s 2026–27 season.

This concert marks the inaugural season of new Music Director Robert Kahn, offering audiences an opportunity to welcome Robert and learn more about his plans for the Symphony and the Great Falls community.

The concert will also feature projected images of Charlie Russell’s artwork, creating a visual connection between Russell’s work and the evening’s music. The program will include a pre-concert preview talk exploring the evening’s music and themes.

This special collaboration brings together music and art for an unforgettable evening celebrating Charlie Russell and the West.

Continue the celebration Sunday morning at Church of the Incarnation, 600 3rd Ave N, the church Charlie Russell attended and where his funeral service was held in 1926.

Beginning around 9:15 AM, the church will welcome guests for an open house followed by a special historic Morning Prayer service honoring Charlie and marking the 100th anniversary of his passing. We are excited to welcome The Great Falls Symphony’s Cascade Quartet, who will provide special music during the service.

After Charlie Russell and Nancy Cooper were married in Cascade in 1896, they didn’t exactly jet off to a fancy resort. Instead, they walked about 100 yards to a little one-room bunkhouse behind the Roberts home, where they began their married life together.

Charlie put about $75 into fixing up the place and adding a small kitchen, and the little cottage became their first home. They lived there for about a year before Nancy decided it was time to head to Great Falls, where she believed there was a bigger market for Charlie’s art. As it turns out, she was right.

Today, this wonderfully humble little place offers a glimpse into the very beginning of Charlie and Nancy’s life together, before the Great Falls home, the famous studio, and the career that would make Charlie one of Montana’s most beloved artists.

On Sunday, October 11, you can step inside this little piece of Russell history.

Honeymoon Cottage Open House

20 Russell Dr. S, Cascade, Montana

Tours can also be scheduled directly with Channing Hartelius by emailing chartelius@aol.com.

Come see where the honeymoon began. It’s a short walk through history, and one worth taking.