It’s the 6th annual international Local Yarn Store Day! Celebrate with Yarn Bar and receive a free gift with purchase for all, prize opportunities, a pop-up show full of beautiful hand dyed Emma’s Yarn, an exclusive LYS Day yarn color from local Billings dye studio Mountain Aurora, and lots more.
You have the entire month of December 2020 to explore 17 Season Member locations of ArtWalk Downtown Billings.
Barjon’s Books
223 N 29th St
Tuesday-Saturday 11 am – 5 pm
Barjon’s Books celebrates the artwork of emerging artist Clémence Morin. She has a BFA in Fine Arts from USC and grew up in Paris, South Africa, and Singapore. She focuses on feminine imagery and the female experience, both in figurative and abstract ways.
This House of Books
310 N 27th St
Monday – Saturday 10 am – 7 pm and Thursdays until 8 pm
This House of Books hosts the colorful and fluid work of Lynn Shield, during the Holiday ArtWalk All Month Long.
Global Village
2720 3rd Ave N
Live painting demos on Friday, December 4th
Global Village hosts Joey Kiernan’s exhibit “Artist Choice.” Originally from Billings, Joey was an art teacher in Georgia before returning home to become a full-time working artist. On Friday afternoon, December 4, she presents two live painting demonstrations using multiple mediums and different painting methods.
View the Encaustic Demonstration or Watercolor Demonstration event.
Billings First Congregational Church
310 N 27th St
Features an Artist Talk on Friday, December 4th at 7:15 pm
Billings First Church UCC welcomes William Demaniow, who, after twenty-some years in a highly successful music career in New York City, relocated to Billings. He presents an artist talk and live music with “Approaching the Veil: A Retrospective” on Friday, Dec. 4 at 7:15 p.m. Demaniow’s art is created with epoxy and acrylics mixed with earth, air, fire, water, metal, and spirit.
Kennedy’s Stained Glass
2923 2nd Ave N
Weekdays from 11 am – 6 pm
Kennedy Stained Glass returns with special Christmas ornaments for your collection. Is it time to start a collection for your new grandchild? Susan promises you will be wowed this year! Check them out during this season’s ArtWalk.
Sandstone Gallery
2913 2nd Ave N
Tuesday – Friday 10 am – 5 pm and Saturdays 10 am – 2 pm
Sandstone Gallery is chock full of original, eclectic art pieces, jewelry, and gifts created by talented local artists. You’ll delight in the many gift options offered during Downtown Holly Days on December 4th and 5th until 7 p.m.
Stephen Haraden Gallery
2911 2nd Ave N #235
Stephen Haraden Studio and Gallery is your holiday headquarters if you’re one who thinks it’s just not Christmas without a nude painting under the tree. Stephen’s colorful collage paintings of female figures are delightful stocking stuffers as well.
Downtown Billings Alliance
116 N 29th St
Monday – Friday 9 a.m.- 5 p.m
Downtown Billings Alliance presents working artist Maria Isabel Bonilla. Her artwork is strongly influenced by an intense nostalgia for her homeland of Colombia. Some call her style “Tropical Surrealism with a hint of Salsa music.” Isa’s joy creating art exudes from each painting, and many viewers find it mesmerizing.
Stapleton Gallery
104 N Broadway
By appointment
Stapleton Gallery is open by appointment during December. Call Jeremiah Young (690-7602) or Abigail Hornik (917-903-0873) to schedule an appointment. Kindly leave a message with the desired times.
Aspinwall
103 North Broadway
Aspinwall welcomes returning artists Trevan Hiersche, Sean McCotter, and Jessica Brophy to its Downtown Holly Days celebration on Friday, December 4 and Saturday, December 5. Come check out their work during December’s ArtWalk.
Skypoint Sculpture
2nd Ave N and N Broadway
There are three public art sculptures installed under Skypoint in downtown Billings at the intersection of 2nd Avenue North and North Broadway. Each artist lives in Billings. The sculptures were funded by the Downtown Billings Alliance and “Space to Place” grants from the Big Sky Economic Development Authority. They include:
“Grasslands” by Jennifer Tolton
“Thicket” by Sherri Cornett
“Shadow Whisper (brought to you by Incognito]” by Brian Keith
Montana Gallery
2710 2nd Ave N
Montana Gallery features the work of Tyler Murphy, Coila Evans, and other young artists from across the west. Together, they are the “young guns” of the contemporary western art scene. Check out the new, larger gallery space.
Kirks Grocery
2920 Minnesota Ave
Wednesday – Friday from 3 – 9 pm
Kirks Grocery features two exhibits, including “Renee Audette Retrospective” and the “Winter Group Show, with works by gallery artists Sandy Dvarshkis, Gary Halsten, Terry Karson, Marla Goodman, and Keith Martinez.
Western Heritage Center
2822 Montana Ave
Tuesday – Saturday 10 am – 5 pm
The Western Heritage Center features works by early Montana photographer Evelyn Cameron. The art of “Saint and Sinners” highlights ten Montana women from the last 100 years who defied tradition and social expectations. “Up in Smoke” features Lucien Smith and the history of Billings firefighters.
Mountain West Gallery
2804 Minnesota Ave
By appointment
Mountain West Gallery, ArtWalk’s newest Season Member, features work by Billings artists Jill Hodges and Clark Hodges through December 2020. Their respective work ranges from whimsical to abstract. Contact Clark Hodges at 406-690-8278 or via email: clarkhodges145@gmail.com to schedule an appointment.
Harry Koyama Fine Art
2509 Montana Ave
Most weekdays 10 am – 4 pm
Harry’s vibrant impressionist paintings of moose, grizzly bears, cougars have brought him international acclaim. Call Harry (406-259-5561) to make sure the gallery is open at the time of your intended visit.
Toucan Gallery
2505 Montana Ave
Tuesday – Saturday 10 am – 4 pm
Toucan Gallery features its biennial Postcard Show that includes over 200 pieces of postcard-sized art. Each piece was mailed to Toucan to acknowledge the essential role of the United States Postal Service. The Postcard Show is a nearly three-decades-long tradition at Toucan.
McCormick Cafe
2419 Montana Avenue
Monday – Friday 7 am – 2 pm and Saturday – Sunday 8 am – 2 pm
McCormick Cafe is pleased to continue showing works by Billings artists Jean Posusta and Justin Dowler. Known best as the “place where locals eat.”
When Marguerite Jodry was 10 years old, she made Microsoft Excel spreadsheets mapping out her monthly budget based on her allowance.
It sparked her entrepreneurial spirit, and from then on she had a passion for small business and dreams of having her own someday.
(My mom) saw that and she said to me, ‘Wow, you could be really good at business’,” Jodry said.
She started an organic vegetable farm called Wholesome Foods in Bridger, and helped her partner start his custom carpentry business. Completing her career as a farmer in 2015, she moved to Billings and realized she missed the excitement of entrepreneurship. Equipped with a love for cooking, she waited for the right opportunity to start her kitchen and cookware business, and this time with her parents, Robert and Cheryl Jodry and her sister, Dominque Jodry.
We were looking around at a lot of different business opportunities and I knew that whatever business I wanted to do, I’d want to do it in downtown Billings,” Jodry said.
The kitchen and cookware store, Zest, had a soft opening on Friday, located at 110 N. 29th St., where Wise Wonders Children’s Museum was previously located. Jodry decided to open during the Crazy Days weekend in downtown Billings, which promotes businesses through sales and other activities.
The store offers more than 4,000 cookware and kitchen items, and Jodry plans to renovate the space to include a kitchen area for cooking classes. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, she hopes to have classes by next year, but noted that restrictions and guidelines will be practiced nonetheless.
COVID-19 was an added stressor when it came to opening, Jodry said.
I have had more than a few panic attacks about whether or not opening right now is the right decision,” Jodry said.
Jodry’s business partner, Jennifer Flight, closed her kitchenware store, At Home On The Range in Livingston, and offered Jodry her inventory through a personalized financing plan. She couldn’t pass it up, Jodry said.
Jodry plans to purchase the same brands, which puts her one step ahead without having to select items by hand. Because of COVID-19 concerns, she plans to sell them online in the future for delivery or pickup. The fact that more people are staying home and cooking keeps her optimistic.
Frankly, even if the Billings economy takes a downturn and people aren’t spending as much on some of these higher end items that we sell, I really do think we’re going to be able to maintain the cash flow needed to keep our store running,” Jodry said.
Yellowstone County’s unemployment rate in June was around 6.7%, and about 6,500 unemployment claims were filed in the county, according to Steve Arveschoug, executive director of Big Sky Economic Development. About $14.5 million dollars has also been granted to businesses in the county from the Montana Coronavirus Relief Fund program.
Businesses are still reaching out for help, Arveschoug said, but there’s been a shift where entrepreneurs have contacted Big Sky Economic Development about how to improve their business and how to start their business during the pandemic. The entrepreneurial spirit still thrives, even during a pandemic, Arveschoug said.
That’s the power behind our economy is that initiative,” Arveschoug said.
There are a few hurdles related to COVID-19 that small businesses could face right now, he said. One is the access to inventory that lags behind in the supply chain. Raw or finished products are taking longer to arrive to businesses and are more expensive. Getting access to capital is also tricky, and business owners should get help if they plan to ask for money from a lender.
If it wasn’t for her business partner’s inventory offer, Jodry said she was concerned that her bank wouldn’t grant her a loan to purchase inventory in the middle of the pandemic.
Luckily, things have really fallen into place for us,” Jodry said.
Big Sky Economic Development just applied for a grant through the U.S. Department of Commerce for a $2 million revolving loan fund program. The money will help small business start-ups outside of the traditional bank-borrowing structure. Arveschoug is hoping that program will be available by this fall.
Big Sky Economic Development has other lending programs available and more business information can be found on the Yellowstone County Economic Recovery website. Initiatives pushing for customers to shop local are also in the works.
The goal is to help our start-up community find the capital to get going and get in business,” Arveschoug said.
Small businesses like Zest are facing problems before operations even start. But getting help and guidance can keep the doors open.
Know that you’re not alone,” Arveschoug said. “There’s a community that really wants to rally and support businesses.”
It is so important for us as a community to step up and support local businesses during this time. The lockdowns are having a huge impact on the local economy and all over the country. It is going to be very difficult for small businesses to get back on their feet without our help.
So, let’s do something good for our city. Let’s order takeout from local restaurants, buy Billings products, buy local meats and veggies, shop from local retailers with e-commerce, buy gift cards, reschedule appointments instead of canceling, leave 5-star reviews, tell your friends and family to shop local, and just say thank you to the local businesses that hold up our community. They need us now more than ever. So let’s rally for them.
Check out these comprehensive lists from the Billings Chamber of Commerce, The Billings Gazette, Billings365.com, and City Lifestyle.
Billings Chamber: Retail Attractions
Billings Chamber: Retail Salons
Billings Gazette: Food and Drink
Billings 365: Restaurant and Coffee Shop Options
The city has now designated free parking spaces for curbside pickup and takeout orders from downtown businesses.
You can still get a free DBA card when you spend $35+ downtown and show us your receipt. Drop it in our mailbox outside our office with shipping details, email a picture of it to us, message it to us on social, whatever you have to do! Just shop local!
When you are traveling the world, there are certain things that are pretty standard wherever you go – coffee is certainly one of these. After traveling to 35 countries across the globe and all 50 US states, it’s fair to say that we have been fortunate to sample some of the best local coffee shops in a myriad of locations. Over the last few years, we have decided to venture away from the mainstream “chain” coffeeshops such as Starbucks, Costa and Lavazza, and instead, experience the very best local spots in each destination. During our recent visit to the North-West state of Montana, we just had to find the best coffee in Billings, the largest city in the state.
Whether you consider yourself to be a coffee aficionado or simply love to find the best local espresso when in a destination, this guide to the best coffee shops in Billings will give you an idea as to why this part of Montana has quickly risen to the top of our favorite destinations for enjoying a latte or two. After exploring the best coffee shops in Memphis, our “home” city, we have quickly realized that every city around the world has a unique and diverse offering of coffee shops…it’s just a case of finding them.
Although our primary focus is finding the best coffee, we also have a keen interest in identifying the best coffee shops given that we love to hang out, relax and catch up on work when we find the right location. Without a doubt, Billings far exceeded our expectations in terms of a diverse blend of coffee shops and we hope this guide will be beneficial for your next adventure in this area of Montana.
Let’s take a look at five of our favorite coffee shops in Billings.
As with the majority of our posts featuring recommendations, this is certainly not an exhaustive list of coffee houses in Billings, rather it’s an eclectic selection that we were fortunate to personally experience. We are always intrigued to hear other recommendations so please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below if you have visited any in Billings.
It’s a little ironic that the first coffee shop that we want to recommend in Billings is part of a collection of locations around Western USA. Given that this can only be found in three states (Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming), City Brew Coffee has found its way on to our list of the best local coffee shops in Billings. We visited here during our first morning in Billings and immediately fell in love with both the aesthetic appearance inside the coffee shop and of course, the delicious offerings available here.
If you love spacious, modern coffee shops, City Brew Coffee is going to be a place you won’t want to miss. Plenty of seating is available throughout the indoor space and this is definitely one of those locations where you could spend several hours reading your favorite book or writing your next inspirational blog post.
With an eclectic menu of hot and cold beverages to choose from, including the infamous Montana “huckleberry” flavor drinks, City Brew is a coffee shop that everyone will fall in love with.
Since 1998, City Brew Coffee has been roasting and brewing the best coffees available anywhere.
-City Brew Coffee
I opted for the seasonal Sea Salt Caramel Macchiato, a decadent blend of espresso, aroma and flavor all combined into one beverage. Whether you choose a more basic latte or something a little more adventurous, you can be sure the menu will have something for every coffee drinker (or not if you are like Heather and prefer the non-caffeine drinks).
Visit City Brew Coffee for a full list of available locations, hours and even options to purchase coffee online.
MoAV Coffee is a local Billings establishment focused on highlighting why the coffee shop experience is the perfect place for friends to hang out and enjoy their favorite local blend. With two locations across the city, MoAV epitomizes everything there is to love about the trendy, modern-day coffee shop experience. We visited the newer of the two locations and instantly fell in love with the decor and overall vibe in this shop.
Established in 2015, MoAV is proud to be positioned in the Billings area as a speciality coffee shop, serving everything from natural roasts to more decadent concoctions (coffee and non-coffee available).
After ordering a Caramel Latte and the barista’s recommendation for favorite non-coffee drink, the Lavender Lemonade, we enjoyed perusing the interior of this space and sampling two delicious beverages.
We can attest that MoAV has high quality baristas that are focused on providing both the best experience and beverages for customers. We were greeted with friendly service and a real desire to provide knowledgeable advice on the best drinks, especially for Heather who always tends to look at coffee shops a little differently given that she is always looking at the alternative menu options.
I really believe that the best local coffee shops are those that cater for everyone and MoAV is definitely one that passes this criteria with flying colors.
Visit MoAV Coffee to find out more information and also check out their blog that details a little more information on what they have planned for the two coffee houses in Billings.
Heather and I have been fortunate to visit a plethora of distintive coffee shops across the globe but I have to admit, we both feel like Mazevo Coffee in Billings is one of our favorites…for many reasons! The moment you walk inside this coffee house, there is a welcoming feel both by the contemporary decor and also the friendly baristas.
Mazevo…a Greek word that means “Gather” – a perfect word to describe this coffee shop as it is clearly focused on creating a community within the confines of this location.
To gather together and inspire people to love one another one cup at a time.
-Mazevo Coffee
With a spacious outdoor area, highlighted by a centerpiece of a fireplace that is the perfect accompaniment for an evening beverage, Mazevo Coffee is definitely going above and beyond as they aspire to be the “next level” coffee house, not only in Billings but also beyond. I can 100% confirm that they are achieving this because this place is something else.
If you are planning a visit with a group of friends working on a project, head inside the designated conference room space while enjoying your favorite beverages. There are several areas inside Mazevo offering unique seating, dependent on personal preference. If you are looking to relax, hop over to the comfortable armchair seating while for those looking to catch up on work, there are several tables and benches.
Did I almost forget to mention the menu at Mazevo Coffee? That’s right, it’s one of those menus that just has far too many amazing options. From seasonal favorites such as Apple Cider in Fall to the traditional favorites such as Hot Chocolate and a Toffee Crunch Latte, Mazevo definitely has a myriad of options to satisfy every tastebud that walks through the door.
Although we are focused on promoting “local” coffee shops, I really wish Mazevo would consider opening an alternative location in our hometown, just so that we can experience this more frequently.
Visit Mazevo Coffee to purchase local favorites and find out more information on why this is such a popular spot for locals and visitors alike.
There is something quite intriguing by the sight of watching a barista carefully create the perfect latte. I have always wondered why some are more meticulous than others but ultimately it’s those that take real pride in creating the perfect beverage that are the ones you want to create your drink.
At Ebon Coffee Collective in the historic downtown area of Billings, you can be assured that each and every barista will create the perfect beverage.
In terms of local coffee shops, Ebon Coffee Collective is perhaps the most “local” and you will immediately understand why when you walk through the doors in the downtown neighborhood. Renowned as a “hub for rad people to collaborate”, Ebon offers the perfect environment for like-minded individuals to enjoy a perfectly manicured espresso while indulging in the diverse selection of home-made pastries.
I love how Ebon Coffee Collective offers a diverse blend of both local roasters and those from far and wide. For the coffee connoisseurs, there are not many better spots in this part of the US that offers a more authentic experience. I tried a White Chocolate Latte and thanks to the wonderful barista at Mazevo, Heather sampled the home-made apple cider at Ebon and again, this didn’t disappoint.
Visit Ebon Coffee Collective for details on all the drinks and food options available.
Are you an animal lover? Do you love coffee? We have the perfect coffee shop that embraces both of these. Welcome to Black Dog Coffee House! If you read our post on the best coffee in Nashville, you will know that we are fond of Fido, a converted pet shop that is now a vibrant coffee house. When we heard about Black Dog Coffee House in Billings, we knew this was a place we had to visit.
Located in the Westend neighborhood of Billings, Black Dog is another spacious and comfortable coffee shop offering a wide variety of beverages, pastries and their pièce de résistance menu item – doh-dohs (mini donuts).
Enjoy a rich and flavorful espresso while interacting with the local baristas to learn all about Dante – the Black Dog that perfectly represents this brand.
We love coffee…we love coffee education…we love spreading the joy of coffee…we love our community…we love dogs.
Black Dog Coffee House follows the above mantra with everything they do and this is clear to see when you spend time inside. A relaxing vibe can be felt throughout, while the importance of delivering high-quality beverages is clearly at the forefront of each barista’s mind.
Whether you prefer the coffee here or at any of the other alternatives in Billings is certainly down to personal preference but we can assure you that you won’t regret spending time here.
Visit Black Dog Coffee House to learn more about Dante (the black dog) while exploring the diverse menu offerings.
Billings, Montana may not be the first destination you think about visiting to sample a collection of local coffee shops but after spending several days here for a conference, we can 100% attest that this place is home to a diverse array of awesome locations. We both agreed that Mazevo was our favorite but the fact that Billings has so many high-quality spots to visit, shows that having an eclectic local coffee shop scene is something that this city can be proud.
If you are planning a trip to Montana to experience Glacier National Park or the surrounding states for other parks, please consider adding Billings to your itinerary. With such a great collection of coffee shops, you will surely have enough caffeine inside you to ensure you are energized to explore the beauty around this region.