Livingston's Old Depot Runs the Calendar From Cold Snap to the Christmas Stroll

The Livingston Depot Center's museum closed for the season on September 4. The building stays busy through the rest of the fall. Between November 13 and November 28, three of the biggest community nights on Livingston's calendar take place inside the old Northern Pacific station or in the park in front of it. The first of them raises money to keep the building standing.

The December events move away from the Depot, up Second Street and over to Lewis Street. Those events follow from the Depot's November, too. Here is how the calendar fits together.

A 1902 station the city has owned since 1985

The Depot was built in 1902. Its National Register nomination dates construction to 1901 and 1902 and credits the St. Paul firm Reed and Stem as architects. The Depot's own history describes it as the railroad's gateway to Yellowstone. It has an Italianate design, with baggage and restaurant buildings connected to the main station.

Burlington Northern donated the depot to the City of Livingston in 1985. The Depot Center opened in 1987, overseen by the Livingston Depot Foundation, a member-based nonprofit whose mission covers preservation and cultural programming.

The museum season is short. In 2026 it ran Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., from May 26 to September 4. This year's featured exhibit was "Absarokas: Mountains Defined by Two Rivers," a show of Paul Waldum's paintings, sketches, serigraphs and memoir excerpts about the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. A landmark with only a summer museum season still needs work and money all year, and the November calendar is where much of that support shows up.

November 13: the tasting that pays for the building

The Livingston Depot Foundation's Wine & Beer Tasting returns for its 21st year on Friday, November 13. The Foundation says the event supports preserving the Depot as the anchor of downtown Livingston.

The evening comes in two parts:

• Sneak peek, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Guests arrive ahead of the crowd for passed hors d'oeuvres from local chefs, the first pours of regional craft beer and specialty wine, and first look at the silent auction.
• Main event, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The full tasting, with full glasses available to buy.

Tickets run $50 to $75, and sponsorships run $150 to $1,000. The Foundation recommends buying tickets in advance and says only a limited number will be sold at the door. Every guest takes home a signature Depot wine glass. The building hosts more events over the next two weeks, but this is the night that raises money for the building itself.

November 19 and 20: Cold Snap starts on Second Street and ends at the Depot

Six days later, the Depot hosts a party for a different cause. Dan Bailey's calls the Cold Snap Film Festival its "most beloved event," and 2026 is the festival's 18th year. According to the festival page, the films cover nature, human-powered adventure, environmental justice and inclusivity, so the program goes well beyond fly fishing.

On Thursday, November 19, the films screen at the Empire Twin Theatre, 106 North Second Street, at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the shop, and buyers should say which showing they want. Katabatic Brewing hosts a pre- and post-party from 3:30 to 9 p.m.

That Thursday is also the Thursday before Thanksgiving, the day Catherine Lane & Friends hold their Holiday Open House at 120 South 2nd Street from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The open house and the theater are a few blocks apart on Second Street, so it's easy to fit the open house in before an evening showing.

On Friday, November 20, the festival moves to the Depot for the free Pray for Snow Celebration, starting at 6 p.m. The night includes a silent auction, a raffle, live music and dancing, with food and drink from Follow Yer' Nose BBQ, Gil's Goods and Neptune's Brewery. All proceeds go to Loaves & Fishes, the local soup kitchen. Dan Bailey's says the festival "raised a record amount" last year and asks, "Let's do it again!"

November 28: 38 trees in Depot Park

The Depot's third November night is Light Up Livingston, on Saturday, November 28, from 4 to 7 p.m. It's free, and the only costs are food and drinks. During the event, more than 100,000 lights on 38 trees in Depot Park are switched on, and they stay lit through the holiday season.

Several groups make the lights happen:

The candy cane hunt starts at 4 p.m., with hundreds of candy canes hidden around Depot Park. Inside the Depot, Links for Learning runs free crafts and activities for kids. The event is held on Small Business Saturday on purpose. The organizers want people to shop and eat at locally owned downtown businesses before and after the lighting, and they offer a Small Business Saturday Passport for adults. The Explore Livingston calendar also lists a Downtown Business Scavenger Hunt with prizes that day.

After November 28, the Depot Park trees stay lit while the December events take place on downtown streets and in other venues.

December moves to Second Street, the fairgrounds and Lewis Street

The Livingston Area Chamber of Commerce has set the Historic Livingston Christmas Stroll for Friday, December 4, from 4 to 8 p.m. Some online calendars still list December 2, but the Chamber's 2026 announcement gives December 4. Visit Montana's listing for the stroll mentions downtown businesses open late, fire pits, vendors, music, free wagon rides, gifts for children, and Santa and Frosty, with Santa arriving by wagon at 5:30 p.m. at MT.ROOTS.

After the stroll come two holiday markets, a pair of shows on Lewis Street and a free movie two days before Christmas:

The craft fair and the holiday market are both held on the first Saturday of December, which this year is December 5, the day after the stroll. The Explore Livingston calendar doesn't give 2026 hours for either one, so check Park County's craft fair page before you go. The Shane Lalani Center hosts both Holiday Vaudeville shows. The Friday evening show and the Sunday matinee cover different schedules, and The Polar Express screening on December 23 is free.

The full season, in order

From now to Christmas, the dates to keep are these:

1. Fri., Nov. 13: Depot Wine & Beer Tasting, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Livingston Depot Center
2. Thu., Nov. 19: Catherine Lane & Friends Holiday Open House, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Cold Snap screenings at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m., Empire Twin Theatre
3. Fri., Nov. 20: Pray for Snow Celebration, 6 p.m., Livingston Depot Center
4. Sat., Nov. 28: Light Up Livingston, 4 to 7 p.m., Depot Center and Depot Park
5. Fri., Dec. 4: Historic Livingston Christmas Stroll, 4 to 8 p.m.
6. Sat., Dec. 5: Craft fair at the Park County Fairgrounds and holiday market at the Civic Center
7. Dec. 11, 20 and 23: Holiday Vaudeville and The Polar Express at the Shane Lalani Center

After the holidays, the next event on the Explore Livingston calendar is Livingston Restaurant Week, February 1 to 6, 2027.

Part of what Park County land is worth comes from the town nearby, and Livingston is a town where a 1902 depot still hosts its biggest November nights. If you own land in Park County and want to know how that shows up in its value, Stacie Wells offers a Confidential Valuation, handled quietly and with care.