Montana’s Weirdest Metal Festival Is Becoming a Tourist Attraction

I am convinced we have accidentally created an unofficial tourist attraction.

For the 7th time, Tot Fest has taken over the Dark Horse and Sunrise Saloon with Metal Music, Tater Tots, and thousands of dollars raised for a worthy cause. What began as a 1 AM craving for tater tot casserole has grown into a Charity Festival. This Year featured 16 Bands playing at Two Stages. All proceeds go toward helping the Missoula Street Dog Coalition. While the final amount of money raised is still pending, based upon attendance, it appears to be another great year.

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It seems like some folks are making travel plans centered on Tot Fest. One of the things I found most interesting after the event was not one of the musical performances. I came across a TikTok video by a Tourism Vlogger showcasing Tot Fest as part of their adventures through Montana. Her words are that she likes finding unique Montana events and experiencing them for herself. Apparently, Tot Fest has been on her radar for months. That alone makes me laugh. We can now say that there are tourists planning trips to Missoula not just for the scenery, but also for the Heavy Metal and tater tots.

TikTok creator, peakbehavior, purchased a "Vote for Pedro" Shirt from the movie Napoleon Dynamite specifically for the occasion, due to the movie's famous tater tot reference.

The best part of her evening? A large, intimidating metal head in the crowd stopped her to tell her how great her shirt looked. That pretty much captures everything about Tot Fest.

@peakbehavior Metal music + tatertot casserole? What?? #totfest #missoula #montana ♬ original sound - peakbehavior

Many other acts brought excitement as well. I was able to catch Demon Doll Live for the first time, Blessiddoom (our friends) were incredible, and Wyatt Olney & The Wreckage drove all the way from Seattle simply to participate in a charity performance.

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This is what I enjoy so much about this crazy idea. It started with a ridiculous concept regarding tater tot casseroles. And now, seven years later, bands are driving cross-state to perform, there are crowds of people attending both stages, and tourism bloggers are travelling from wherever they call home to attend this odd little creature.