The tents went up and the carnival arrived, followed by a parade of celebrities and former professional athletes.
And then the Fourth of July festivities commenced at the Candy Bar Ranch.
In the last 15 years, the annual celebration has become as famous as its star-studded crowd of over 500 people, who spend four days at the rural property that is tucked in a serene section of the valley along the Whitefish River.
Carnival rides, including a full-sized Ferris wheel. Horseback riding. Whitewater rafting and zip lining trips. Fishing. Live music by renowned acts such as Maroon 5, Lionel Richie and this year’s performers, the Commodores, an acclaimed funk/soul band. Attractions based on themes, such as this year’s “Arabian Nights,” which will include camels, fire breathers, silk dancers and more.
Attendees who arrive from all over the country for the holiday affair indulge in the best that Montana — and the Candy Bar Ranch — has to offer.
Of course, the crowd is gratified with a climactic finale — a large-scale fireworks display that rivals the best in Montana, if not the entire Pacific Northwest.
The host at the heart of the luxurious event is Eddie DeBartolo, Jr.
Around the valley, he is known by many as “Mr. D.,” a longtime resident who spends over half the year at his Flathead Valley ranch and throws the best party in town, which supplies over 700 local jobs over multiple days.
Around the nation, he is known for being one of the most successful owners in NFL history. From 1977-98, DeBartolo owned the San Francisco 49ers and built one of the league’s all-time great dynasties, guiding the team to five Super Bowl titles, more than any other individual owner in history.
It was during that historic run over 30 years ago that DeBartolo asked a real estate broker to find him and his young family a quiet escape from the bustling city life.
“I asked him to keep his eyes open for something in Colorado that wasn’t too far from civilization,” he said.
One day, as DeBartolo was preparing to board a plane for San Francisco to attend a game, the broker called him.
“He said, ‘I have a place. It’s in Kalispell, Montana.’ And I said, ‘Where?’” DeBartolo recalled, laughing.
At the time, Kalispell was a quiet town with barely 10,000 residents, a scenic slice of Montana that would later attract droves of celebrities in the 1990s.
“Back then, there was hardly anything,” he said.
Intrigued by the possibility, he flew into Kalispell to see what it was all about. He arrived in the middle of a rainstorm. Gray clouds shrouded the scenic valley.
“It was probably the worst day I’ve ever seen,” he said. “It was raining so hard, it was coming down sideways.”
But then he was taken to an idyllic piece of land between Kalispell and Whitefish, an old stock farm with horses and a meandering section of river.
“I was up on the top of the hill by the house, and I went out back and I saw the Whitefish River careening through the property about 300 feet below me,” he recalled. “I just said, ‘This is it.’”
Over 30 years later, the DeBartolo family — Eddie, his wife, Candy, and their three children and numerous grandchildren — now consider this a beloved haven, a peaceful escape from the bright lights and big cities.
“I just love it. You can be by yourself. And you can be with people. I wish I would’ve been here for 60 years,” he said.
“We’ve just fallen in love with it and the people. It’s just part of our life. It’s become part of our existence.”
DeBartolo, 68, holds a stake in the Simon Property Group, one of the largest commercial real estate companies in the world. He said he conducts much of his business from his office at the Candy Bar Ranch, along with assistants who travel from Tampa Bay, where the DeBartolos spend the other months.
He’s also a very active philanthropist through the DeBartolo Family Foundation, which he started as a way to provide scholarships to high school students, funds to schools for teaching supplies and help families in need. Last year the organization gifted $568,420, according to tax records.
“That’s the way my father and my mother raised us,” he said. “It’s just self satisfaction. It’s just nice to do it.”
DeBartolo has supported several charities and fundraisers in the Flathead Valley, and he said the foundation is planning to devote more funds for local scholarships in the coming year.
The possibility of buying an NFL franchise floats around DeBartolo constantly, and he said he hasn’t ruled it out.
“Heck, I might go back,” he said from his office last week, but later added, “Been there, done that.”
The current state of professional football is at a crossroads, in his opinion. The rising awareness of concussions and the long-term harm they can afflict on players has rocked the league and in some ways threatens the sport’s future.
“I won’t let my 10-year-old grandson play contact football. I told his mother and father, I said, ‘I will not let him play,’” DeBartolo said.
He said several of his former players are “just not right” following their professional careers.
“They’re not ready for wheelchairs and they’re not ready to be put in an institution,” he said. “But your brain gets scrambled when you get hit so many times.”
DeBartolo has a long-standing reputation for caring for his players. It’s evident in the constant presence of Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and other famed 49ers who frequently visit the team’s former owner in Montana.
It’s also evident in his barn at the Candy Bar Ranch, where the walls are filled with pictures and memorabilia from the past. Whether it’s a signed jersey or group picture, each item expresses thanks and gratitude to “Mr. D.”
Walking through the barn last week, DeBartolo reflected on his time in the NFL.
“There’s just a lot of memories in here,” he said.
Surrounded by the memories, he seemed on the verge of emotions. But then excitement won him over as he considered the coming holiday, when friends and family from his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio and beyond would be converging on his home in Montana for another memorable gathering.
“It’s just a nice get-together with a lot of great friends and relatives,” he said.