BOZEMAN — Pretty soon you’ll be seeing Christmas Stroll posters plastered on every window and wall in Bozeman for the 44th annual festivities. So, let's talk to the artist behind this year's creative design.

“Were you excited that you won?” I asked Jessie Reitan.

“Ya! it was super exciting I just got the email in class, and I was like, ‘Oh My Gosh guys, guess what!’” she says.

Christmas is just around the corner; in fact Bozeman’s annual Christmas Stroll is in less than a month. Every year, the Downtown Bozeman Association holds a contest for the official Christmas Stroll Poster. Jessie tells me she’s had a love for art her entire life.

“Growing up me and my dad would draw on a whiteboard together. And my family was always like, ‘Oh, can you draw this for me?’ So growing up I was pushed into art and I've loved it ever since,” says Jessie.

Last year, Jessie graduated from Montana State University with a degree in graphic design and is currently going for her master's. She submitted a poster for the contest last year with her design of two dogs enjoying the festive lights.

Jessie didn't end up winning the 2023 contest, as a reindeer bucking Santa Claus took first place. But this year, Jessie's design made quite the impression on the judges—with her inspiration being the community.

“The Bozeman community as a whole. Everybody coming together for the Christmas Stroll. I wanted to include things like where they have little fire pits. And the balloon that they always have every year,” says Jessie. “Everybody coming together from different demographics, different groups, and just enjoying the holidays."

Jessie says she couldn’t be more excited to see her work displayed all over town: “I'm always like, ‘Guess what guys, I made that!’”

The winner of the poster contest gets a $200 prize, which Jessie says will either be put towards tuition or Christmas presents for her friends.