Every Christmas Stroll Happening in and around Billings
Brought to you by Liz Francis, Owner/Broker of North Acre Real Estate
Get into the Holiday Spirit this season with any (or all!) of these parades and strolls in our area!
-Downtown Billings:
-Friday, November 26th from 6:30-8:00pm: 36th Annual Holiday Parade The Holiday Parade is a long-time tradition for the Billings community to usher in the holiday season on the Friday after Thanksgiving. With families gathered for the weekend to eat and shop, the Holiday Parade is a great way to celebrate the season by joining the community to see over 60 holiday floats decorated for the holiday theme with Santa riding as the parade finale. The parade theme this year is “Cartoon Celebrations.” There is an abundance of holiday cartoon classics and this theme offers you a chance to share your favorites with the community; whether it’s Charlie Brown & Snoopy, Frosty, Rudolf, Elf, etc. All entries are required to decorate for the holiday theme. Avoid any plain vehicles or trailers from being part of your parade entry. DO NOT include a Santa in your entry as the one and only Santa in the parade sits on the float that closes the parade each year.
-Friday, December 3rd from 4:00-8:00pm: 30th Annual Downtown Billings Holiday Stroll. December’s First Friday downtown also features this year’s Holiday Stroll, with events beginning at 4:00pm and going throughout the evening. The stroll includes various downtown businesses, retail shops, and other activated downtown spaces with extended hours, holiday-centric events, specials, holiday beverages and snacks, and loads of holiday cheer. Featured on this night is also the Holiday Art Walk which celebrates the fine art with local and regional artists, at nearly 40 art galleries and downtown locations. In addition to the ArtWalk, activities include live music in the lobby of the Northern Hotel, Toys for Tots toy drive, Santa photos with donation with Billings Firefighters featuring a vintage fire truck on N. Broadway, “Under the Lights on Broadway” beginning at 5:00pm with holiday beverages by Montana Brewing Co. and wood-burning fire pits, and the Stroll Trolley: free trolley rides with stops at Skypoint and the Billings Depot from 5:00-8:00pm.
-Laurel:
-Sunday, December 5th: Christmas to Remember from 10:00am-4:00pm. This daylong celebration includes a community bazaar and craft show with musical entertainment and children activities held in the Laurel Middle School at 725 Washington. The Laurel Christmas Stroll will take place from 2:00-8:00pm including: Shopping Poker Run from 1:00-4:00pm; cards must be turned in at the table set up by 4:00pm with the winner announced at 4:15pm, s’mores roasting stations, pictures with the Grinch, a business decorating contest, a lighted Christmas Parade starting at 5:15 (parade goes from Altana Bank to Colorado Ave; float line up starts at the corner of 1st Ave and 3rd St) with the arrival of Santa during the parade followed by fireworks and Santa pictures at Santa’s Workshop. Elk River Outfitters will be providing wagon rides after the parade.
-Red Lodge: Downtown Red Lodge’s annual Christmas Stroll is full of magic. For two evenings, December 3rd and 4th, our downtown shops open their doors late with goodies and treats, while the entire town turns out for the kind of holiday cheer and goodwill that keeps the hearth fires burning ‘til spring. The Stroll starts at 5pm with the increasingly popular Blade Parade - (who knew there were so many ways to decorate a snowplow?) and stores stay open until around 9pm. There will also be horse-drawn wagon rides and sleigh rides. So bundle up the kids and bring your holiday shopping list. It’s a perfect recipe for enjoying the holiday season: Ski, Stroll, & Stay the night.
-Friday, December 3rd:
- 5:00 pm: Blue Light Ceremony at the Beartooth Elks (114 N. Broadway) to honor fallen MT police officers.
- 5:30 pm: Community Lantern Walk down Broadway.
- 6:00 pm: The Blade Parade starts rolling, plowing and shoveling its way from the library towards the south. Prizes are awarded to decorated vehicles/persons equipped with snow removing blades.
- 6:00 - 8:00 pm: Alte Kameraden Band playing at the Carbon County Steakhouse.
- 6:00 - 7:30 pm: Red Lodge dancers perform in windows of Red Lodge Drug.
- 6:30 - 8:30 pm: Horse Drawn Wagon Rides
- 6:30 - 8:30 pm: Santa will be at the Beartooth Elks (114 N. Broadway) to welcome children and hear their wish lists.
- 7:00 pm: Absaroka Mountain Thunder - Cloggers performing near Flash's.
-Saturday, December 4th:
- 5:00 pm:The evening begins with Santa welcoming everyone as he makes his way downtown in the horse drawn wagon
- 6:00 pm: The Blade Parade starts rolling, plowing and shoveling its way from the library towards the south. Prizes are awarded to decorated vehicles/persons equipped with snow removing blades.
- 6:00 pm:The evening begins with Santa welcoming everyone as he makes his way downtown in the horse drawn wagon
- 6:30 - 8:30 pm: Horse Drawn Wagon Rides
- 6:30 - 8:30 pm: Santa will be at the Beartooth Elks (114 N. Broadway) to welcome children and hear their wish lists.
- 7:00 pm: Red Lodge Dancers at Red Lodge School of Dance.
-Huntley:
-Saturday, December 4th: At Barkemeyer Park from 10:00am-4:00pm. There will be horse-drawn rides, gingerbread house decorating, giveaways, free treats plus more to eat/drink. Santa will be at the fire station and there will be a farmers’ market at Barkemeyer Park. Vendor show at the Rhoadside Event Center and the annual Christmas Tree Festival at Huntley Project Museum!
