First Friday is a Missoula downtown tradition. Year round, the first Friday of every month is celebrated down on the hip strip from 5-8 pm. Participants vary each month, but usually include art openings in galleries, museums, retail stores, and coffee shops. The main objective of these art openings is to show and sell art, and give the public a chance to meet the artist. The evening is also an extremely social event, often including wine and food, musical performances, poetry readings, dance, gallery lectures, and more. In the summer, street performers and street vendors commonly appear as well. For visitors, its a great way to experience local culture. For locals, its a fun night to run into friends.
     This was my first First Friday since my return to Missoula. Bryce & I set out for a walk down N. Higgins to check out local art & a special gallery containing photography by my friend Steel Brooks. One of the venues (The Montana Photo Booth) had a free photo booth set up…