Business professionals in the community have a variety of networking and social opportunities coming up, thanks to events organized by chambers of commerce and organizations.

One such event is the BASH social hour and networking session hosted by the Lakeside/Somers Chamber of Commerce on November 29th at West Shore Food Bank at 4 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring a canned or boxed food item or toiletry item for donation.

Meanwhile, Montana West Economic Development (MWED) will be hosting its annual membership meeting on December 7th at 4 p.m. at Basecamp Coworking in Whitefish. Tickets for the event are available to both MWED members and non-members and include drinks and appetizers.

The Evergreen Chamber of Commerce is also hosting its Holiday Gathering on December 7th at 5 p.m. at the Flathead County Fairgrounds Expo Building. The event will feature a social hour, dinner, silent auction, and the chamber’s awards presentation.

In addition to these events, nominations for the Montana Tourism Awards are now open. These awards recognize individuals, businesses, organizations, and communities that contribute to Montana’s tourism and recreation industries.

Lastly, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks administers the Recreational Trails Program, a federally funded grants program that supports Montana’s trails with funds from the Federal Highway Trust Fund and a portion of the motor fuel excise tax collected from non-highway recreational fuel use