Livingston in November: Shrek at the Shane, Cold Snap, and the Night Depot Park Lights Up

The Livingston Depot Center on West Park Street has been both a museum and a community center for more than four decades, according to the Livingston Depot Foundation. On a summer afternoon it's the old railroad station on the edge of downtown. In November it's where the town keeps gathering. Three of the month's big nights land there this month: a wine and beer tasting on Nov. 13, a community dinner on Nov. 20 and the tree lighting on Nov. 28. Two of those nights raise money, and one of them pays to keep the Depot standing.

A few things around town come first, and one of them closes this weekend.

Before the Depot gets busy

The Danforth's current show closes Saturday. Sara Mast's "Standing in the River" is up at the Danforth Museum of Art through Saturday, Nov. 7. If you missed the opening reception in October, this weekend is your last chance to see it.

Shrek is playing on East Lewis Street. The Shane Lalani Center for the Arts runs "Shrek The Musical" at 415 East Lewis Street on weekends through Nov. 15. As the Livingston Enterprise reported, Friday and Saturday shows start at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m., and there's one special Thursday show on Nov. 12. If weekends are already full with work and hunting season, that Thursday show is the easy one to get to.

The Turkey Trot is at Sacajawea Park. The Yellowstone Running Club lists the Yellowstone Turkey Trot for Nov. 14 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Sacajawea Park. That's the morning after the Depot's first big night of the month, so plan Friday evening with that in mind.

Nov. 13: The night the Depot raises money for the Depot

The Livingston Depot Foundation's Wine & Beer Tasting turns 21 this year. It runs Friday, Nov. 13, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The foundation describes it as a fundraiser "in support of the preservation of the iconic Depot building as the anchor of our vibrant downtown." All of the month's events that use the Depot depend on that building, and this is the one evening when the building raises money for itself.

Here's how the night works, from the foundation's event page:

• Two arrival times. The "sneak peek" runs 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and the main event 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sneak peek guests get passed hors d'oeuvres from local chefs, the first samples of regional craft beer and specialty wine, and the first look at the silent auction.
• Tickets. They're listed at $50 to $75. The foundation recommends buying ahead because only a limited number will be sold at the door. Paper tickets are available on request. Otherwise, your name will be on the list at the door.
• What's poured. Tastings come from local brewers, sommeliers, chefs, artists and businesses. This year the main event adds more nonalcoholic choices, led by the Depot Signature Fauxtail.
• The rest of the evening. There's a silent auction with overnight getaways, fine art and dining, plus a wine pull, with music from the Jazz Nectar Trio. Every sneak peek guest goes home with a signature Depot wine glass.

Caviste Wine Bar is a tenant there, next door to the Gourmet Cellar on West Park Street. Its owner, John Potenberg, is a Livingston native who got his start in wine at the Gourmet Cellar. When the Livingston Enterprise profiled the bar, Potenberg explained the name:

"Caviste is a French term for someone who takes care of a wine cellar, whether in a restaurant or a shop, often knows their customers and their tastes on a personal level, and makes recommendations based on the occasion or the desires of their customers on that day."

The Enterprise also reported that Caviste's list runs from California and Pacific Northwest wines to French, Italian and German bottles. Many are in the affordable range, and prices can go as high as $500. Check the bar's hours before you plan a pre-show or post-tasting stop.

The Thursday and Friday before Thanksgiving

The week before Thanksgiving packs the most into the fewest hours. Thanksgiving is Nov. 26 this year, so the Thursday before is Nov. 19, and the Depot gets busy again the next night.

Thursday, Nov. 19

Cold Snap Film Festival at the Empire Twin Theatres. Dan Bailey's Outdoor Company calls 2026 the festival's 18th year. The films "celebrate the natural world, human-powered adventure, environmental justice, and inclusivity in the outdoors," according to the festival page. The festival began as a backcountry film night and grew into a two-night event. Outside Bozeman's listing shows the Nov. 19 screening as free. The film lineup and start time haven't been posted yet, so check the festival page that week.

Holiday Open House at Catherine Lane & Friends. On the same day, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Catherine Lane & Friends at 120 South 2nd Street holds its annual Holiday Open House, listed by Explore Livingston. It's open until 8 p.m., so you can stop in on your way to the theater.

Friday, Nov. 20

Pray for Snow at the Depot. The night after the screening, Cold Snap moves to the Livingston Depot Center for Pray for Snow. The evening includes a community dinner, live music, raffles and silent auctions, and it benefits Loaves and Fishes, Livingston's soup kitchen. Last year's party raised $42,378 for Loaves and Fishes, according to Dan Bailey's. The Depot tasting a week earlier raises money for the building itself. Pray for Snow uses the same rooms to raise money for the soup kitchen.

Nov. 28: 38 trees and a model railroad in the basement

Light Up Livingston is free and runs Saturday, Nov. 28, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Depot Center and Depot Park. Explore Livingston says the only costs are for food and drinks. If you've only caught the tree lighting itself, here's the rest of the evening:

1. 4 p.m. The candy cane hunt starts, with hundreds of candy canes hidden around Depot Park.
2. Inside the Depot. Links for Learning runs free kids' activities and crafts in the Depot, and holiday characters are on hand.
3. Downstairs. The Model Railroad Club runs its trains in the basement between the Gourmet Cellar and the Depot. Only 20 people can be in the exhibit at a time, so expect to wait your turn.
4. Outside. Hayrides run in Depot Park behind a John Deere tractor, with in-kind support from Frontier Ag Solutions and straw bales from the Spur Line.
5. 5:30 p.m. Santa turns on the lights at the tree lighting ceremony, then heads inside the Depot to meet kids. Parents can take photos and get a chair massage while they wait.

The lights are what you'll see for the rest of the season. More than 100,000 of them go up on 38 trees in Depot Park, and 90 large snowflake lights hang from light poles downtown. They're paid for by the Holiday Lights Committee and its donors, the Downtown Livingston Business Improvement District and the Tourism Business Improvement District. After Nov. 28, the trees stay lit through the holiday season.

The date isn't a coincidence. Light Up Livingston falls on National Small Business Saturday on purpose, to encourage people to shop and eat at locally owned downtown businesses before and after the lighting. Adults can shop with the Small Business Saturday Passport. The Downtown Livingston Love Local page explains how the passport has worked before, so check it for this year's details as the date gets closer.

The first week of December

Downtown stays busy after the lights go on. Explore Livingston lists the Livingston Christmas Stroll for Friday, Dec. 4, from 4 to 8 p.m. downtown. The Community Christmas Craft Fair at the Park County Fairgrounds and Livingston's Holiday Market at the Civic Center both fall on the first Saturday in December, which is Dec. 5 this year.

From the tasting on Nov. 13 to the tree lighting on Nov. 28, the Depot Center hosts three of the month's biggest nights in just over two weeks. Whether you're picking up tasting tickets or planning a Light Up Livingston evening with family visiting for Thanksgiving, I'd love to hear which Livingston traditions you look forward to each year. Debbie McEachron is always happy to share what's going on around the Gallatin Valley and Park County. Let's Connect.