We’re ready! Are you?
The 33rd Billings Strawberry Festival will take place 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, this Saturday (July 13). Our team will arrive before the sun and transform the downtown streets below Skypoint (at N. Broadway and 2nd Avenue N.) into Billings largest street vendor festival. The one day Festival is a free community event coordinated and presented by us, the Downtown Billings Association (DBA), and our partners at Visit Billings, Montana’s Trailhead.
Like all the large community events we coordinate, the Strawberry Festival’s purpose is to bring the community downtown. The event invites attendees to explore, shop, dine, and ultimately stay a while in downtown Billings. Community events like festivals, farmers markets, parades, and concerts each help boost the downtown economy, while also offering community awareness and enhanced safety.
At 132 vendors, our 2023 Strawberry festival set a vendor record for this specific Summer event. We’ve broken the record yet again, the 2024 Strawberry Festival includes a vendor list of 152 vendors.
The vendors range from mobile food vendors, local retailers, non-profit organizations, and Arts & Crafts merchants from around the region. As an attendee, you can expect crafted creations, fine art paintings, jewelry, textiles, woodwork, sculptures, glass, ceramics, candles, henna art, and garden art to name a few. The day includes family fun with balloon twisters, kids crafts and activities, face painting, and live entertainment at Skypoint. On top of the many downtown restaurants open for breakfast and lunch, the festival includes 49 different food and beverage vendors. Wise Wonders Science and Discovery museum will once again host the Kids Zone on 2nd Ave N. near The Yarn Bar (2909 2nd Ave. N,). The Kids Zone includes a free craft activity (while supplies last) for young kids.
The City of Billings Department Showcase returns.
Not only has the vendor list grown quickly in recent years but the festival closure has expanded as well. Including the second year of the City of Billings Department Showcase on N. Broadway between 3rd & 4th Ave. N (in front of Spitz and Alberta Bair Theatre). The following city departments will be on-site for you to engage with: MET, Fire Department, Police Department, Crime Prevention Center, Library, Parks and Rec, Mobilize the MAGIC City, Public Works, and Administration/Council.
Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser
The Billings Lions Club’s pancake breakfast returns to its N. 29th Street Alley location across the street from Barjon’s Books at 223 N. 29th St. The group will start serving breakfast to the vendors and early downtowners as early as 7:00am. Funds raised by the pancake breakfast at the Strawberry Festival help the Lion’s Club to continue to provide vision screenings, eyeglasses, and hearing aid assistance to those in need throughout the Billings area.
Skypoint Entertainment
Live entertainment will happen under Skypoint at N. Broadway and 2nd Ave N. throughout the day:
- 10:00 am – Montana Fiddle Club
- 11:00 am – Dancers from Greater Heights School of Dance
- 1:00 pm – Dancers from Studio 38
But…Where are the Strawberries?
This year there are 80 vendors who have strawberry products, menu items, offerings. Those vendors are noted with a 🍓next to their vendor number on the vendor list here. Printed maps will be available at the purple information booth under skypoint during the July 13th festival.
Who makes the Strawberry Festival happen?
This event is coordinated by Downtown Billings’ Business Improvement District (BID) and presented by Visit Billings. The BID is a non-profit whose work plan focuses on a clean and safe downtown and one of the four non-profit’s housed within the DBA. The 2024 Strawberry Festival is supported by signature sponsor Valley Credit Union and event sponsors TDS Fiber, MetraPark, Montana Fair, MariMint, My Classic Hits 105.9, Planet 106.7, 98.1 KBEAR, 94.1 KSKY, ESPN 910, The Zone 96.3, and Wise Wonders Science & Discovery Museum. For more information visit the event webpage at downtownbillings.com