(wind whooshing) - [John] Coming up on "Backroads of Montana."

(horse neighing) Saddle up for the love between riders, their horses, and speed.

- [Deziah] I like to go fast.

That's just who I am.

- [John] Discover the origins of an old Butte neighborhood and a spaghetti sauce recipe.

- [Chris] Food is that great peace binder.

- [John] Explore a special canyon in North Central Montana.

- Set for life!

- [John] And go on stage, where several small towns come together for a special community event.

- [Paula] They just wanna help and be a part of it.

(audience applauding) (horse neighing) - [John] Hold your horses.

This episode is on the way.

- [Announcer] "Backroads of Montana" is made possible with production support from the Greater Montana Foundation, encouraging communication on issues, trends, and values of importance to Montanans, the Big Sky Film Grant, and the University of Montana.

♪ Home is where Montana is ♪ ♪ Montana is my home ♪ ♪ From mountain peaks to prairie lands ♪ ♪ The places I have known ♪ ♪ And I'm bound to ramble ♪ ♪ Yes, I'm bound to roam ♪ ♪ And when I'm in off the road now, boys ♪ ♪ Montana is my home ♪ (calm country music) - Welcome to "Backroads of Montana," featuring the incredible people and places across our state.

I'm John Twiggs, and on this episode, we're in Northeastern Montana, getting a taste of one of Montana's many cultures.

(bright music) It's called Schmeckfest, or the German Festival of Tasting, and each year, the remote town of Lustre, where all that's left is the school, plays host to the one-day event.

During our show, we'll sample some of the amazing German cuisine, check out the arts and crafts up for bid at the fundraiser auction, and learn about the immigrants of German descent who homesteaded in the area, providing the foundation for this Northeastern Montana tradition.

A different Montana tradition has 80 years under its belt, and if you have western wear and a horse, you're invited to join the dozens of Montana families who load up their horse trailers and head 30 miles from Helena to saddle up in a little Montana Valley.

- [Deziah] It's something that is super fast and exciting.

Kick, kick, kick, kick!

- [Michael] It's like running a track meet.

(crowd shouting) - [John] The quickest way to a mental escape- - [Deziah] You have to be in the moment.

- [John] Is a fast horse.

- [Taryn] If I pull up now, it's gonna be too soon, or pull up then, it's gonna be too late.

- Go!

- Go with it.

- [John] Technique and form- - [Michael] It is exhilarating.

- [John] Are secondary to speed.

- [Deziah] Ooh, I need to sit my butt down, though, okay.

- [John] Which makes this patterned horse racing competition known as O-Mok-See- - [Deziah] Gotta turn.

- [John] A perfect match for Deziah Gilliam.

- I much preferably would like to run fast (laughs) and not be prim and proper and pretty.

(laughs) That's just not who I am.

(gentle music) - [John] In fact, she's always favored speed over style.

Deziah and her sister grew up on horses, aspiring barrel racers.

- We had no clue what we were doing, no clue what we were doing, but we were barrel racers.

We just knew we were gonna make it big time someday.

Kick, kick, kick!

- [John] Once they harnessed that spirit into competition, they both were naturals, except when it came to running for royalty.

- [Deziah] That's so horrible.

- [John] Deziah's older sister, Moriah, always had the edge when it came to points for poise.

- We will say I have never won princess nor queen, but she has.

- [John] But Deziah swiftly made a name for herself in the arena.

- Seven times state champion, three times Nashville.

- [John] Both girls racked up the ribbons, and like the stories behind them, they're still within reach at their childhood home.

- It's just something I always have in my memories, you know.

- [Deziah] Oh, that was Dad.

- [John] Their folks have been right there for it all, their dad, quite literally, like in this O-Mok-See event known as the pair sack, where two riders clutch the same cloth in a race in tandem.

- Probably one of my favorites is, Deziah and I, we set the state record in the pair sack.

And it still holds today, 10 years ago.

(gentle music) - [John] From winning that first belt buckle to eventually that first saddle, the cowgirls developed their own distinct riding styles.

- My sister showed she has the prim and proper seat.

She sits pretty.

Her hands are perfect.

I don't care if I sit pretty, and I don't care if my hands are perfect.

I like to go fast.

That's just who I am.

Woo-hoo!

- [John] That momentum and her love for the sport- - [Deziah] I'll take that turn all day long.

- [John] Propelled Deziah's dream of hosting an O-Mok-See in her hometown of Canyon Creek, and she decided there was no better place to build an arena than her backyard.

- What do you need?

If it wasn't for family and my crazy ideas and my husband dealing with my crazy ideas, we probably wouldn't be doing what we're doing, but my crazy ideas pay off sometimes.

- [John] It took a decade for Deziah and her husband, Jeremy, to save up for sand and equipment to expand the arena to what it is today.

- [Jeremy] You get up earlier and get it done.

- [Deziah] It's a labor of love.

- [John] And every event starts at sunup.

(calm western music) And once the competition begins, Deziah's duties really hit high gear.

- [Deziah] There is no downtime between things.

- [John] As soon as she hops off her horse- - [Deziah] Next heat will be- - [John] She's back on the microphone to call the next heat.

- Sedona one, Shaylee two, Kimberly three.

Push, straight, kick hard!

- [John] Or cheering on three generations of riders from her son, Taryn- - [Deziah] Outside foot!

- [Deziah] To her husband, Jeremy- - Push out!

- [John] And even her dad.

But even though Deziah does it all, she can't be everywhere at once.

- [Deziah] It is 110% family.

- [John] Her mom keeps times and tracks points.

Her dad helps set the property for the next event.

- [David] You can't hire anybody to do this stuff, so it's gotta be done.

Many hands makes the job easier.

(four-wheeler engine rumbling) - [John] Deziah's sister takes her precise posture to the four-wheeler to smooth out the sand.

- [David] Everybody's gotta help out.

- [John] Efficiency is key when you're running an event with riders in every age group and skill level.

- [Deziah] Anybody can ride, trot, gallop through it.

As long as you're having fun with your horses, that's all we honestly care.

- [John] The Gilliams work hard to make the competitive environment a welcoming one.

- It's just so wonderful that everybody helps everybody out, and it gives the kids a sense of like independence and confidence.

And that's what I love about it.

(calm western music) - [John] O-Mok-See was born out of the idea that the bond between humans and horses is universal.

In the 1940s, the Helena Trail Riders decided to develop a uniquely western horse competition.

They took inspiration from a group of people known for centuries of agility on horseback, the Blackfeet Tribe, adopting the name O-Mok-See from their ceremonies exercised before hunts or battle.

Translated, it means riding big dance, and this version debuted in Helena in 1948.

By 1966, a national O-Mok-See brought together riders from across the United States.

While today's competitions are a far cry from O-Mok-See's original purpose, at their heart is still the horse.

It's definitely, you know, has grown and expanded from its original concept, but it's all about horsemanship, and it's all about having a good time.

- [John] Generations later, the sport has kept its stride, and so have its senior riders.

- [David] Well, I'm trying to beat that person every time.

- You know, you might slow down, but you still like to get out there and win.

- [John] But at the end of the day, this competition is about celebrating each other.

And ultimately, that's why Deziah and her family get so much joy out of hosting.

- We know that families have fun.

We know that we made some little kid's day because they won their first belt buckle, or we made somebody's kid day because they are this close to winning their first saddle.

And I can remember what it feels like winning your first saddle.

It is awesome.

(laughs) - [John] As new generations of horse lovers embrace O-Mok-See, its founding spirit of sportsmanship still rings true, that getting a good time should always be secondary to having one.

- [Deziah] Whoa, that was fun.

(gentle music) - [John] With nearly 50 active saddle clubs across the state, Montana horse lovers can find O-Mok-See somewhere within each of the state's nine districts, typically within a two-hour drive.

(lively music) The Schmeckfest celebration in northeastern Montana is synonymous with great food.

Community members have been cooking and preparing all week, eventually meeting in the high school kitchen for the final steps.

- [Lyle] This food is something that has a little touch of the old times that a lot of people can go back to their grandparents or great-grandparents and remember them cooking that food.

- [John] It's all part of a mouthwatering menu.

- The rindfleisch, and that is roast beef.

Verenika, that's the cheese pockets, the baked kraut or sauerkraut, perishke, fruit pockets that are baked, paepa naet or peppernuts.

Grune bohnen souppe, that's green bean soup.

The kirche moos is cherry soup.

I like to eat the the sausages.

That's the wurst.

And you can actually say after you've eaten that, you've had the wurst food in Lustre.

(laughs) (lively music) - Food is an important part of our next story.

One of Butte's most storied neighborhoods literally vanished without a trace, but it left behind a savory flavor and aroma.

Now with a little help in the kitchen, we're about to recreate that classic recipe.

(knife thunking) (mixer whirring) - We're making an old Butte recipe out of a neighborhood that's disappeared.

It's called Meaderville spaghetti.

Considering it was a secret recipe, it was a secret that a lot of Meadervillians knew, and it's a great taste of old Butte.

(gentle music) Meaderville, it was an Italian enclave.

They spoke the same language, ate the same food, same religion, and in Butte, that was big, still is.

- Italian cuisine was developed in the kitchen of the poor.

And that's the extraordinary legacy of Italian cuisine.

It's a cuisine of the heart.

What they lacked in expensive ingredients, they replaced with love.

So Italians have always used food as an expression of love and hospitality.

- You know, these old boys from Meaderville and old gals, they put their heart and soul into cooking, including liver and hearts and gizzards, and that'd all go in, and it'd all get ground up together.

According to them, you wasted nothing.

- [Fr.

Patrick] People remember the delightful food smells walking through the streets of Meaderville, not just from the restaurants, but from the homes.

A community's vibrancy was expressed through its cuisine.

Community had to be built.

Community is not something that just happens.

Community is cultivated, it's nurtured, centered around the bar and restaurant life and the church life.

(car horn honking) - You know, Teddy Traparish, he owned a, called the Rocky Mountain Cafe, and that's what's gonna garner most of the fame, a lot of it coming outta Meaderville.

(calm music) Teddy Traparish had this 13-year-old dishwasher, and her name was Lydia Michelotti, and she's gonna stay with him to the very end, and even when it moved to the Savoy, the new restaurant.

And it'll move a third time, and that's when they're gonna call it Lydia's.

If you're really looking for a dinner date with history, I mean, a real dinner date with history, Lydia's is it.

That's old-school Butte and old Italian, and an incredible treat.

Now let's turn it into spaghetti, shall we?

I'm gonna add five special ingredients to this that we usually don't put into spaghetti, and that's what makes it Meaderville.

You know, you've asked me a couple of times for the recipe.

I've cooked this enough to where I don't need the recipe anymore.

I can't give it to you.

A couple of things here, first of all, I promised I wouldn't give it out.

And number two, Gus, well, you're not from Butte, so sorry.

- The history of Butte is truly an adventure in resilience.

People say to this day, the old-timers would say to you, to this day, Butte has never been the same since the demise of Meaderville.

It is now under the Berkeley Pit, and it's completely gone.

It's completely gone, and what remains, it's the memory, the rich tales, the beautiful, beautiful traditions that are passed on.

Food becomes a language of love, and that all comes from Meaderville.

- Let it simmer, let it simmer.

All of these flavors have to meld.

And then of course, gotta have a good pasta.

You know, there's this book down at the archives, naturalization book, immigration books, the names and people who moved to Butte originally.

And when you see those names and you look at the names that we have here in Butte, they're all the same, Butte's home.

And the history that you get in Butte is so incredibly authentic.

It's true American.

(calm music) - Every dinner at Lydia's, no matter what you order, comes with a mountain of homemade spaghetti and ravioli.

Lydia Michelotti handmade 4,000 ravioli each week, and when she got her electric ravioli maker, that number tripled.

Today, her baker's table and ravioli maker are still in use.

(whimsical music) They line up from near and far for this Schmeckfest celebration in the Northeastern Montana town of Lustre.

It started in 1965.

The celebratory event is a far cry from how immigrants of German descent were treated in the early 1900s.

Montana was notorious for book burning, language banning, and the strictest sedition laws in the country.

After the war years, the hardy homesteaders who traveled from Holland, Ukraine, Germany, and parts of Russia persevered.

And today, according to the US Census Bureau, 27% of Montanans are of German descent, the largest immigrant group in the state.

It's a lasting collection of people to share their culture.

(lively music continues) Another collection of people helped create access to our next stop.

Tribal members, volunteers, the National Park Service, and other community groups all pitched in on a trail system in North Central Montana.

One of the short hikes on the Fort Belknap Reservation isn't short on views of some magnificent natural formations.

(peaceful music) - [Warren] We have a hidden gem here, and we wanted to do something about it.

I always thought it'd be nice if we had a a real good, nice trail system.

- [Rod] This hike is the Hole in the Wall Trail.

We're in Mission Canyon near Hays.

(peaceful music continues) (footsteps crunching) - There's a lot of views that you don't see from being on the bottom of the canyon, but you can see 'em mid slope going up.

Those views change, and as you get to the top, it's really rewarding to see, to be able to look down, look around.

(peaceful music continues) - Running water carved this canyon, and it also dissolves and makes caverns and sometimes natural bridges, which is what the Hole in the Wall is.

It's just a limestone bridge.

(peaceful music continues) (footsteps crunching) It's a little bit difficult to get up through the arch.

The sediment that makes up the Madison limestone was deposited over 300 million years ago.

(peaceful music continues) (peaceful music continues) But once you get up on top, there's a nice trail that takes you over to a scenic point overlooking the Mission Canyon.

(peaceful music continues) - [Warren] It's a spiritual thing, you know, being up here in this canyon.

Like, sometimes you got a lotta problems in your life going on, you know, and you gotta be closer to God, you know, and get out alone and do some hiking, and that's probably the best medicine for a person, you know.

(inspiring music) We're really rich in our land.

We might not have a whole lotta money or nothing, but we're truly rich in our land and in our people.

(inspiring music continues) (inspiring music continues) - [John] The Hole in the Wall hike is in the Mission Canyon on the Fort Belknap Reservation near the town of Hays.

Visitors are welcome, and to get more specific directions, you can check online.

While the food is a big attraction at Schmeckfest in Northeastern Montana, there's also live entertainment.

♪ Finally over my land ♪ - [John] Area musicians perform.

♪ Every stronghold ♪ - [John] But before that, there's a chance for the community to give back.

(auctioneer calling) The annual live auction features items from local craftsmen and artists, from handmade furniture to handmade quilts.

There's even an online component for folks who can't make it to Lustre.

The proceeds from the auction, the bake sale, and the dinner all go to Lustre Christian School.

It's their biggest fundraiser of the year and another great reason to gather in the community.

(attendees chattering) These days, there are fewer and fewer opportunities for neighbors to get together.

In our final story, we get to meet a group of dedicated folks in extreme Northeastern Montana.

They know how to put on a good show, and their tradition shows that even the smallest communities can share the fun in more ways than one.

- Hey, you guys look beautiful.

Jonna, Jonna!

Is Jonna back there?

Yeah, you really need some stuff.

(laughs) - [John] It's 24 hours until opening night, and dress rehearsal is a little chaotic.

- Jonna has left the building, just like Elvis.

Every year it comes down to that last few days where you think, "Oh, we can't possibly do it."

- [Director] Put your head between your knees.

- [John] In this small-town production, everyone pitches in in every way possible.

Connie Grove is the director.

- You're hardly gonna see it.

I think we're just gonna put a little- - [John] The makeup helper.

- [Connie] Okay, we're gonna do all cheeks on everybody right now, okay?

- [John] The people wrangler.

- [Connie] Hey Dale, get your butt up there.

(laughs) - [John] She even wrote the script for this year's play titled "On the Radio," set to debut in her hometown of Antelope.

- It's quite hilarious to be able to say dinner theater and the town Antelope all in the same sentence.

Let's give her a hand, yeah.

- [John] Connie finally found Jonna, and rehearsal is underway.

- Are you okay, Mikey?

- [John] The play is about a struggling local radio station.

A variety of neighboring community members fill out the cast.

Paula Theusen came from nearby Dagmar.

She's been helping for over a decade.

- It's a real adrenaline boost for me.

I love it.

I love to set myself aside and take on the personality of someone else.

- Are you a professional slacker or whatever they're calling it?

- [John] Dale Friedrich might be the opposite of that.

He started as a cook for the dinner part of the dinner theater, and in the small-town spirit, when they needed an actor, he agreed, sort of.

- Out of my comfort zone and nerve-racking, nervous that it isn't gonna work.

You do it whether you're very good at it or not.

- I bet TC stands for totally cool.

Am I right?

- [John] Bailey Christofferson made the drive from the town of Froid for the weeks of rehearsals.

It's his first time in the play after he literally got a casting call.

- I was actually taking a nap one day and got a phone call, woke up, "Hey, do you wanna be in the Antelope Dinner Theater?"

And I was, "Oh, sure."

(laughing) (whimsical music) - [John] Bailey is joining a longstanding tradition.

It started in 1996 when a group of locals formed The Big Muddy Players, and the Antelope Dinner Theater was born.

Doris Romstad and Ardythe Hedges directed the early shows before handing it over to Margaret Hoven, who led the acting troupe until 2023.

And that's when Connie took over.

- I think a little eyeliner is always the best thing.

♪ Hi, I'm getting ♪ - [John] They wrap rehearsal by helping the youngest cast members they've ever had.

♪ Yes ♪ - [Connie] Big arms, yay!

(cast members cheering and clapping) - [John] Everyone is ready for opening night.

- [Bailey All day, I was a little anxious at work.

(laughs) Now that we've got through this dress rehearsal and had a few people see it, I'm really excited for tomorrow.

(wind whooshing) - [John] After the actors leave, there's more work to be done.

Diane Spoklie has been a part of this from the beginning.

She's just one of the unsung volunteers who help with everything, from selling tickets to decorating.

- Like, last night I was ironing tablecloths so we could put 'em out on the tables tonight, you know, and there's a lot of things that get done that people don't realize.

- [John] The race to opening night is almost over.

Most of the show's proceeds go back into the building.

They've improved the stage, added professional lighting, and on the outside, upgraded the foundation and roofing for what used to be the Sons of Norway Hall and now serves as a community center.

(gentle music) Antelope was a thriving town in the early 1900s, but when it didn't become the county seat, it slowly started to shrink.

The centerpiece was Antelope School.

Connie graduated in 1972, but by then, her senior class numbered six.

Dale was there in 1978, his junior year, when the school burned and was never rebuilt.

- [Dale] I mean, it was a good place to grow up.

We spent a lot of time there.

- [John] Today, fewer than 100 people live here, with the bar, a post office, and if somebody gets out of line, they still have the jail.

(truck whooshing) - [Connie] Because if you blink, you're pretty much through.

Well, there I, you have to go down to 55 miles an hour to go through Antelope, so it's a real town.

(wind whooshing) - [John] The day of the opening performance, and the crew is busy in nearby Plentywood.

Director Connie is checking inventory at the furniture store.

- [Connie] No, I don't think I need to carry four lamps at a time.

- [John] Cast member Dale is finishing paperwork at the county's USDA office, and volunteer Diane puts in a full shift at the county treasurer.

Soon they'll all be in one place for an opening night performance on the prairie.

(dramatic music) - [Patron] Has he got the lights up around the door?

- [Patron] I know, how fancy!

(upbeat music) - [Paula] It's not just an Antelope thing.

It's a community thing.

(lively music) - They've always put on a very good meal, and it's nice to be waited on.

(lively music) - It's always really known for having exceptional food and great entertainment.

So it's just awesome to see them pull it off every year.

(upbeat music) - [Connie] Let's get this- - [Group] Show on the road.

Whoo!

- So without further ado, I present "On the Air"!

(audience cheering and applauding) - [John] Opening night was a success.

- With fake goalie.

- [John] The right lines got a laugh.

- Better yet, just the letters (sniffs) B-O.

(audience laughs) - [John] And even when a line was missing.

(audience laughing) - [Connie] The smiles and the laughter, that's what counts, you know, is watching people enjoy the show.

- Wait for it, wait for it.

(toilet gurgling) We're gonna do everything in our power to keep it going.

(audience applauding) - [Bailey] Just goes to show that it takes a community to do stuff like this, and you know, it's several communities involved, and it's just super cool.

(audience cheering and applauding) - If you happen to be at the intersection of Montana, North Dakota, and Canada during the holidays, swing on by and catch a show.

The Antelope Dinner Theater plans to perform one play each year, which shows the weekend before Thanksgiving plus a special matinee after the holiday.

Well, that's all the time we have for this episode.

We'd like to thank the fabulous volunteers who make Schmeckfest possible.

This German Festival of Tasting is scheduled for the third weekend in March each year.

Just find the town of Lustre on the map, and join the fun.

We enjoy finding good story ideas from you.

If you'd like to share one, drop us a message on our Facebook page, or you can send us a note at Backroads of Montana, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812.

We've got more great stories to share and two lanes to travel.

I'm John Twiggs, and we hope to see you out on the backroads of Montana.

♪ And there's plenty ♪ - [Announcer] "Backroads of Montana" is made possible with production support from the Greater Montana Foundation, encouraging communication on issues, trends, and values of importance to Montanans, the Big Sky Film Grant, and the University of Montana.

♪ Montana is my home ♪ ♪ From mountain peaks to prairie lands ♪ ♪ The places I have known ♪ ♪ And I'm bound to ramble ♪ ♪ Yes, I'm bound to roam ♪ ♪ And when I'm in off the road now, boys ♪ ♪ Montana is my home ♪ ♪ Coming in off the road now, boys ♪ ♪ You know I'm heading home ♪ (truck whooshing) (bright music)