Downtown Missoula Celebrates Completion of Caras Park Canopy Project and Beartracks Underbridge Playspace

DOWNTOWN MISSOULA CELEBRATES COMPLETION OF CARAS PARK CANOPY PROJECT AND

THE BEARTRACKS UNDERBRIDGE PLAYSPACE

Colorful Lighting, Street Skating Feature, Pavilion Repaint, and Canopy Replacement Complete the Space

The Downtown Missoula Partnership invites the community to celebrate the completion of two transformative projects in the heart of Downtown Missoula: the Beartracks Underbridge Playspace development and the Caras Park Canopy replacement and pavilion repainting. The celebration will take place on Tuesday, June 24, at 12:30pm in Caras Park during Out to Lunch, thanking donors and partners and recognizing the completion of these projects. These projects represent a major investment in vibrant, welcoming public spaces that strengthen Downtown Missoula as a place to gather, recreate, and connect.

Over the last three years, the once-overlooked parking area beneath the Beartracks Bridge has undergone an incredible transformation thanks to a collaboration between the Downtown Missoula Partnership, Missoula Parks & Recreation, as well as many donor contributions. This colorful and welcoming community space is designed to better connect East Caras Park to Caras Park while creating more opportunities for activity and interaction in the heart of the city.

From the beginning, the vision for the Beartracks Underbridge Playspace was to create more than a pass-through space or parking lot. Through years of planning, permitting, and creative placemaking, the area steadily transformed into an inviting gathering space featuring cornhole boards, bike racks, a basketball hoop, picnic tables, and table tennis. Interactive asphalt designs, brightly painted bridge pillars, and artistically painted dumpsters further helped reimagine the space into an eye-catching public destination.

Most recently, enhanced color-changing lighting was added to activate the space after sunset. Turning on nightly at 5pm, the lighting adds vibrancy and energy to the underbridge environment thanks to support from partners Cushing Terrell, LumenPulse, and Liberty Electric. The final phase of the project includes custom street skating features developed in partnership with American Ramp Company. These new elements add inclusive recreational opportunities and complete the vision of the Beartracks Underbridge Playspace as an accessible, activity-focused destination for residents and visitors alike.

At the same time, another important Downtown gathering space has been renewed through the completion of the Caras Park Canopy Project. The project included replacement of the iconic Caras Park canopy and bandshell and repainting of the pavilion structure and bandshell to help preserve and modernize one of Missoula’s most beloved community venues. Originally installed in 1997, the previous canopy had weathered almost 30 years of Montana seasons, showing significant wear and reaching the end of its lifespan. With Caras Park serving as one of Downtown Missoula’s most active event spaces, the project was needed to maintain the functionality, safety, and visual appeal of the space for the thousands of people who gather there each year. Special thanks go to local businesses Staggs Painting for expertly repainting the structures and Fabricon for fabricating and installing the new canopies, bringing renewed life to this treasured community asset.

For decades, Caras Park has served as the backdrop for community celebrations, concerts, markets, cultural events, and everyday gatherings. From Out to Lunch and Downtown ToNight to cultural festivals, live music, and family events, the park has long been a cornerstone of community life in Missoula. These improvements preserve the character and functionality of Caras Park while preparing the space for continued community use, activation, and celebration.

Together, these projects reflect the power of partnerships, community investment, and long-term vision to create welcoming public spaces that serve everyone. The Downtown Missoula Partnership is especially grateful to the local businesses, contractors, donors, and community partners whose work and support helped make these transformational improvements possible.

“These projects are exactly the kind of community investments the Missoula Downtown Foundation is proud to support,” said Hailey Kern, President of the MDF Board of Directors. “From the transformation beneath the Beartracks Bridge to the renewed Caras Park canopy, these improvements create inviting spaces where people can gather, play, celebrate, and experience the heart of Downtown Missoula.”

Over the last six years, the transformation of these Downtown spaces has been made possible through a combined investment of more than $1.8 million from the Missoula Downtown Foundation and generous donors, alongside a $317,500 contribution from Missoula Parks & Recreation. More than 150 businesses and individuals helped bring these projects to life, demonstrating a strong community commitment to creating vibrant, welcoming, and enduring public spaces in the heart of Missoula.

Community members are encouraged to join the June 24 celebration, 12:30-1:30pm, to enjoy the newly completed improvements and recognize our partners and donors during Out to Lunch.

For more information about these Downtown improvement projects, please contact the Downtown Missoula Partnership at (406) 543-4238 or email [email protected].