Savor the electrifying prowess of guest conductor Aram Demirjian, winner of The Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award, as he blends contemporary composers with Beethoven in this fusion concert. Billings Symphony’s Principal Flutist Tyler Menzales showcases his remarkable talent in Ibert’s intricate Flute Concerto.
Aram Demirjian, guest conductor
Tyler Menzales, Flute
Jennifer Higdon | blue cathedral
Jacques Ibert | Flute Concerto
Ludwig van Beethoven | Symphony No. 5
Adventures in Story Time introduces young children to books, rhymes, crafts, and other fun interactive activities. Each session is a chance to practice reading readiness skills like listening during stories, letter awareness and predicting. These skills build the foundational knowledge to prepare children to learn to read.
The Billings Symphony invites children of all ages and their parents to the Billings Public Library for a musical instrument adventure anytime between 9:30-11:30am! Pick up your passport at the door and stroll the streets of musical instruments within the library: String Street, Woodwind Way, Brass Boulevard, and Percussion Plaza. Get your passport stamped at each station, where Billings Symphony musicians will help you … bow a violin or cello … pucker up to a trumpet … clack a castanet … get a note out of a clarinet … and more! You’ll have great fun learning about the different types of orchestra instruments, how each one creates a unique sound, and how our symphony musicians play them.
The adventure continues at 11:30AM with a special musical presentation by the Billings Symphony Principal Strings! This is free and open to all.
Among the most influential figures in jazz history, Louis Armstrong’s career spanned over 50 years. Join the Rocky Mountain Jazz Collective as they celebrate Armstrong’s prolific career with their renditions of such classics as “Struttin’ With Some BBQ,” “Heebie Jeebies,” “West End Blues,” and “What A Wonderful World.”
Experience an opening night of virtuosic artistry! Zlatomir Fung’s extraordinary mastery will astound as he performs the work that made him the youngest cellist to win First Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition. Not to be outdone, the orchestra shines with Sibelius’ divine mosaic of melody, majesty … and swans in flight.
Zlatomir Fung, Cello
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky | Rococo Variations
Jean Sibelius | Symphony No. 5
Prepare for an evening of entertainment, spontaneity, and virtuosity, as the world’s most famous brass ensemble makes their Billings debut. Renowned for their seamless genre-bending versatility and joyous, audience-engaging performances, the Canadian Brass is almost single-handedly responsible for elevating the art of the brass quintet to what it is today.
Bring your blanket or lawn chair and relax to an evening of music under our big Montana sky. Come early to this family-centered event and enjoy the popular Kids’ Conducting Contest, an instrument “petting zoo,” face painting, ice cream, and various beverage vendors and food trucks!
An enjoyable event that takes you solo, as a duo, or as a team (Maximum 6 golfers per team) to over 20 putt-putt holes at business locations all around downtown.
coming soon!
WHAT TO BRING:
Check-in Location: DBA Office (102 N. 29th Street)
On-Street metered Parking spots are FREE on weekends.
Note: Not all parking is free, so please be alert and read all posted signage.
Don’t miss an ounce of fun at the Annual Downtown Billings St. Patrick’s Day Celebration on Saturday, March 18th presented by our team and Hooligan’s Sports Bar. The day’s festivities are free and open to the public from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. The celebration includes the Celtic Fair, Street Party, and the 40th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
The Celtic Fair begins at 10:00 am and includes craft vendors, face painting, balloon art, food trucks, live entertainment, and more. The parade and Street Party kick off at 11:00 am. Each parade entry is created by individual local businesses, organizations, and community groups wanting to be part of the joyful Celebration.
THE PARADE
This year’s parade line-up has over forty-five parade entries with the Eugene Sara Detachment, United States Marine Corp League setting the pace at the very front of the parade as honor guard. The team from Tiny’s Tavern are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year so our team invited them to celebrate in style as the parade’s Grand Marshal entry. “I think everyone will be quite impressed with our float.” Shared Curt Grimm, owner of Tiny’s Tavern.
Judging the parade floats from Skypoint this year will be team members from our St. Patrick’s Day Event sponsors: The Zone 96.3, Planet 106.7, & Classic Hits, My 105.9 (Desert Media Broadcasting), TDS Fiber, Valley Credit Union, and B-Town Vapes & Glass. The judging categories include: Best Entry Overall, Best Float, Best Musical Entry, Best Costume, Best Representation of the Holiday, Best Performers, and Most Original Entry. The 2022 Best Entry Overall award went to the Optimist Clubs of Lockwood & Billings heights pictured below.
PARADE SAFETY MESSAGE
As a non-profit organization who advocates for a vibrant and thriving downtown through community events like this parade, clean and safe programs, and economic development projects we would like to remind you that this is a free community event and public safety is our number one priority.
Any and all handouts (candy or otherwise) will take place from the sidewalks behind the crowd and not from the parade route itself. Parade entries will not be passing out candy from the parade route in compliance with the DBA’s parade safety policy. Please visit the event webpage and read the full Parade Safety message for details and clarification of this policy.
POST PARADE ACTIVITIES
The day’s festivities continue at Skypoint after the conclusion of the parade; Live entertainment at the Celtic Fair stage begins at noon with the Irish dancers from the Claddagh Irish Dance Academy followed by Celtic musicians from the Slainte Traditional Irish Music Session at 1:00 pm. Additionally, at noon N. Broadway will come alive with a concert at the Hooligan’s Street Party stage from local rock band Repeat Offenders. At the Street Party the Hooligan’s team pours their Hooligan’s Irish Red brew along with green beer while also serving Corn beef and Cabbage on special inside both Hooligans Sports Bar and Montana Brewing Company.
To add to the fun, there are a number of post-parade vendors and activities for all ages that will pop-up into the Celtic Fair once the 11:00 am parade concludes. Each of the post-parade activities are free for all ages to enjoy and take place from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm:
China Before Communism. See the magnificence of five thousand years of civilization back to life on stage. Shen Yun is a brilliant artistic revival and celebration of China’s rich cultural heritage.
Through breathtaking dance and music, Shen Yun tells of a time when divine beings walked upon the earth, leaving behind a culture that inspired generations. Ancient Chinese wisdom, infused with Buddhist and Taoist spirituality and values, gave birth to everything from medical innovations to opera, dance, architecture, and even martial arts. But after decades of communist rule, much of this divinely inspired culture has been destroyed or forgotten. See the lost culture revived.