A Weekend in Billings for Fall Sports 🍂🏈
School is back in session. Summer is slowly coming to an end. And we’re about to enter a whole new season of fun here in Billings!
Maybe I’m biased, but I believe that the best time to visit Billings is ANY time because there truly is something so magical about each time of year.
You have outdoor adventure in the summer, cozy mountain vibes in the winter and tons of activities all year round.
As we say bye to summer and start welcoming fall, Billings is gearing up for a season of sports and even with your schedules and routines back in full force, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little weekend fun!
Our Weekend Guide to Billings series on the blog features itineraries for all different occasions – from weekend getaways with your spouse, a trip with the girls, a personal wellness retreat or even a fun staycation with your kiddos – this series has you covered.
In this Weekend Guide specifically, we’re covering all things for fall sports in Billings, so you can take the overwhelm out of planning and know exactly where to start.
Book Your Stay
First things first, no weekend getaway is complete without an amazing place to stay!
If you’re in town for one of the big games, a few of my top picks to stay include:
The Northern Hotel - right in the heart of Downtown Billings, the Northern is a great place to stay if you’re looking for that luxurious hotel experience that’s also walkable to many restaurants and activities. The hotel itself has two restaurants inside and beautiful amenities!
Charming Airbnb in Downtown – if you’re traveling with a group and want a true home away from home, you can’t go wrong with this ADORABLE Montana mountain AirBnb. This charming Airbnb is centrally located in downtown Billings and sleeps 6!
The Garden Hideaway Airbnb – another great stay if you have a group! This centrally located home is spacious, features a hot tub and is in walking distance to a coffee shop.
Your Itinerary to Billings, MT for Fall Sports
Day 1 (Friday Evening):
Upon your arrival at your home away from home for the weekend, unpack and settle in before heading out to explore all of the fun that Billings has to offer.
Since travel day can be a little tiring and you have a fun Saturday ahead, you can keep things casual on night one with a few downtown favorites.
For starters, cheers to the weekend with tasty drinks along the Billings Brew Trail. 🍻
This activity is ideal for beer lovers, but even if the brewery scene isn’t typically your thing, I’d still encourage this as a fun way to kick off your getaway.
It’s a self guided tour made up of six breweries, two distilleries and one cider house that are all within walking distance of each other. You’ll also see tons of fun historic sites along the 1.5 mile walkable route - here’s how it works!
PRO TIP: Thirsty Street Garage always has live music, so you can pair your welcome drinks with a few fun tunes while you sip. 🎶
After enjoying a drink or two, you can take your pick of restaurants depending on what you’re in the mood for - a few of my favorites include:
Last Chance Pub and Cider Mill - this pub and cider mill is located in an expansive warehouse and sports an industrial aesthetic to provide a fun atmosphere for a casual meal and drinks with friends
Jake's Downtown - a locally owned and operated steakhouse that was established in 1979 and has been serving up classic steakhouse fare ever since. They also have an amazing wine list and the environment just really tops it off!
406 Kitchen and Taproom - an industrial-inspired space with a rooftop patio serving an eclectic pub menu featuring tacos, burgers, flatbreads and more along with a variety of craft beer.
After dinner, you can head back to enjoy your hotel or Airbnb and rest up for a Saturday full of fun!
Day 2 (Saturday):
After a good night’s sleep, it’s time to gear up for game day in Billings!
And no big day like this can successfully start without some yummy coffee, a hearty brunch and maybeee some mimosas – in my humble opinion, of course. 🍳🥞🍊🥂
Lucky for you, we have some of the BEST brunch in Billings for you to choose from. Sophie’s is my top pick for all of your classic brunch favorites, but Bernie’s is a reallyyyy close second.
Either way, you can’t go wrong and both are sure to satisfy until it’s time for all of your game day foods.
When it comes to game day, you have a few options depending on your style. In early fall, you’ll find lots of football, soccer and volleyball games. As we head into late October and early November, basketball season will start to rev up!
In Billings, there are two rival teams that make up the community – Rocky Mountain College and Montana State University - Billings.
(I played soccer at MSUB so here’s my obligatory “go yellowjackets!” 🐝)
If you’re looking for a traditional fall football game, here’s a look at the Rocky schedule to choose your game!
But if you’re a soccer, volleyball or basketball lover, you have various options. Click here for the MSUB sports schedules and click here for the Rocky sports schedules.
Before The Game:
Since most of the games fall in the afternoon or evening, you have a few ways to fill your day beforehand.
Tailgating – if you’re attending a Rocky football game and want to tailgate beforehand, you can grab a tailgate ticket here, stock up on your favorite football foods at the local grocery and enjoy a full day of all things football!
Sports Bar – if tailgating isn’t your thing, but you still want to embrace the sporty mood, there’s a few sports bars you can hang out at to grab a snack and a drink before game time, including The Den Sports Bar and Ale House, Hooligan’s or The Vig Alehouse and Casino
Go Axe Throwing – if you’re looking for a fun activity to fill your time, you can opt for axe throwing at Ox!
Visit the Shooting Range – similar to axe throwing, Black Butte Shooting Range offers a fun activity that puts a unique twist on your average outing!
After The Game:
After you’ve had your fun and enjoyed your game of choice, there’s a few ways to keep the party going – but if you’re more an in bed by 9 person like me, heading back to your stay is totally understandable 🤣
A few places that are open late in Billings for a night cap:
Bar MT – a locally owned bar dedicated to deepening your knowledge of and love for craft beer from all over!
Diamond X Beer Co – a casual and welcoming family friendly brewpub offering a true taste of Montana with local beer and wine paired with classic bites that are sure to satisfy.
Doc Harper’s Tavern – a more upscale option known for their martinis, modern cocktails and small plates
Day 3 (Sunday morning):
Sunday is usually a travel day, but I encourage you to leave a little slower this time of year and soak in the last few hours of your time in Billings with a drive to the Rimrocks for a morning hike at Zimmerman Park or a stroll through Norm Schoenthal Island at Riverfront Park to admire the views one last time!
After that, grab coffee and donuts for the road at Proof. ☕️🍩
These are the highlights that I would recommend to anyone visiting Billings for a weekend of fall sports and my hope is that this guide helps you navigate the area and make memories with ease! 🏈⚽️
P.S. Looking for a different weekend guide? CLICK HERE to find what you need!