Big Sky doesn’t do anything small. This summer, thousands of outdoor lovers packed the Big Sky Events Arena over three nights for the sixth annual Wildlands music festival. As this year’s lead conservation beneficiary, PERC was proud to stand at the center of it.
By the time Carrie Underwood took the stage Saturday night, Wildlands had raised $625,000 for PERC’s conservation programs with ranchers, landowners, and partners to keep the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem wild and working.
Thursday: The conversation that set the tone
Before a single note played, Wildlands opened with substance. Outlaw Beat podcast host Joe Borden moderated a conversation between Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Cam Sholly and PERC CEO Brian Yablonski—grounded in eight years of partnership between the two friends.
They traced the throughline connecting Yellowstone’s infrastructure to the broader region: wastewater systems, bison migrating across property lines, and the daily relationships between the Park and the ranchers who border it.
The night closed with an intimate acoustic set from LeAnn Rimes. Unforgettable.
Friday: Riley Green under Lone Mountain
Fader Magavin & The Risky Livers opened, LeAnn Rimes returned for a full set, and Riley Green closed the night to a crowd full of handmade signs and fake mustaches in tribute.
Between sets, Brian and PERC Board Chair Loren Bough took the stage to rally the crowd behind PERC’s model: it takes people to keep this place great.
Saturday: Carrie Underwood and 5,000 cowboy hats
Saturday night, Jamie McLean and Kaitlin Butts had the crowd ready for Carrie Underwood’s electric headlining set.
Just before Underwood took the stage, Outlaw Partners CEO Eric Ladd presented PERC with a check for $625,000, proceeds from the event that will support conservation across the region. Addressing the crowd, Brian put it plainly: ranchers and farmers, he said, are “the last best defense for the Last Best Place.”
A poster worth framing
Art and artistry played a key role in the weekend. This year’s official Wildlands poster—a bison standing watch beneath the mountains—was designed by Dan Levar, owner and founder of Sleepy Dan’s Supply Co., Purveyor of Peculiar Parcels. Signed copies sold throughout the weekend, with proceeds contributing to our conservation impact. Thank you, Dan, for lending your incredible work to this year’s Wildlands and PERC’s mission.
Big thanks for a big impact
Yes, this event raised dollars that will benefit PERC’s work with ranchers, park rangers, and landowners. But the bigger win was the platform: thousands of music fans gathering to celebrate the real stewards of conservation, in one of the most beautiful places on earth. It’s remarkable to see what happens when passionate people come together to do great things.
Thank you to Eric Ladd and the entire Outlaw Partners team for welcoming PERC into the Wildlands family, to Cam Sholly for years of partnership, and to everyone who opened their hearts and wallets under Lone Mountain. Keep it wild, ya’ll.
