Celebrate the Strawberry in Downtown Billings This Saturday

Strawberry Season is Here – And the Strawberry Festival is this Saturday (7/12)

My mom is an avid gardener. When I chatted with her recently, she mentioned how well her strawberry plants are doing this year. As usual, she’s harvesting pounds of sweet, juicy, homegrown berries—more than enough to freeze, make jam, top ice cream, or just snack on by the handful.

My gardening skills are fair, but when I tried to start a strawberry patch a few years back, the results were underwhelming. From about a dozen plants, I only got a handful of berries. I’m fairly certain the birds got most of them, but after researching some strawberry-growing tips (see below), I suspect I may have skipped some important steps.

Trending: Hall Pass Cash - Here's How You Can Win a $500 Visa Gift Card

🍓 Strawberry Festival is July 12, 2025

If you’d rather enjoy strawberries than toil in the garden, the Downtown Billings Strawberry Festival is right up your alley. This year marks its 34th year of celebrating all things strawberry, and more.

The Strawberry Festival is a beloved summer tradition in downtown Billings. The free, family-friendly event is centered under Skypoint and spills onto surrounding streets for several blocks. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 12.

It’s the largest street festival in Billings, and this year’s celebration will include over 100 merchants, local artists, food trucks, live music, an ice cream eating contest, and (of course) plenty of juicy strawberry-inspired foods, drinks, and treats. No dogs allowed, per city ordinance. You can find full event details at downtownbillings.org.

Get our free mobile app

🍓 Thinking About Growing Your Own?

There’s nothing quite like a perfectly ripe strawberry fresh from the garden. Compared to the flavorless, store-bought kind, homegrown berries are next-level good.

Even though my last strawberry patch didn’t thrive, they’re not hard to grow—if you know what you’re doing. Late summer or early fall is a great time to plant for next year. Some varieties produce one big harvest in early summer, while others keep fruiting throughout the season.

For local gardening advice, the MSU Extension Office has some helpful information on starting and maintaining a well-producing strawberry bed.