Banana Ball in Billings: Party Animals vs. Firefighters Know-Before-You-Go Guide

If you're going to see the Party Animals and Firefighters in Billings this week, I could give you the normal Know Before You Go.

Parking. Bags. Gates. Tickets. All important stuff, and I'll get to it.

But I've been to Dehler Park and to many Banana Ball games, and there is something else I'd want to know if I were heading there Thursday, Friday or Saturday:

This is a really good place to watch something as fun as Banana Ball.

Dehler Park is small compared with many of the stadiums Banana Ball is playing these days. And in this case, I think that's a feature, not a bug.

I've watched Banana Ball in some very big stadiums. They're incredible spectacles. But there's something different about seeing it in a smaller ballpark.

You're closer.

Closer to the players. Closer to the cast. Closer to the music. Closer to all the strange little things happening around the stadium that you'd never notice from the upper deck of an NFL stadium.

Banana Ball is increasingly becoming a huge-stadium sport.

Billings gives you something different.

Look out for the Firefighters

This is the Firefighters' home series, with the Party Animals coming to town, and I'd pay attention to the Firefighters beyond what happens between the lines.

They put on a heck of a show.

If you're bringing a nine-year-old, they're going to find something they love. If you're bringing a 90-year-old, I wouldn't be surprised if they do too.

That's one of the weird things about Banana Ball that's difficult to explain to somebody who hasn't attended a game.

You aren't just watching baseball.

Things are happening everywhere.

And at Dehler Park, you're close enough to actually feel like you're in the middle of it.

Walk around. Get there early. Take in the plaza. Watch what's happening around you.

Get there earlier than you think

This one I'd take seriously.

The Pre-Game Plaza opens at 3:30 p.m. each day, with player appearances beginning then as well.

This may even be more fun than the games themselves.

Fire Drill Live! starts at 4:30 p.m.

Gates open at 5:30 p.m.

The show begins at 6:30 p.m. The official Banana Ball schedule lists the game at 7 p.m. Mountain Time.

If you arrive at 6:25 thinking you're right on time, you've technically made the game—but you've missed a substantial part of the experience.

I'd get there early.

Fire Drill Live! includes broadcasters, cast members, players, mascots and surprise guests, and the plaza also has team merchandise available.

You need a game ticket to enter the plaza, but there isn't an additional charge.

Why Billings could be special

There is an interesting tradeoff happening as Banana Ball grows.

Playing enormous MLB and NFL stadiums lets tens of thousands more people experience Banana Ball.

That's obviously a good thing.

But intimacy has value too.

Dehler Park gives you that.

The players don't feel like little figures hundreds of feet away. The cast is right there. The entertainment surrounds you.

And because Banana Ball encourages interaction between fans, players and performers in a way traditional professional sports generally doesn't, proximity matters.

I've been to this venue, and I actually think its size makes it nearly ideal for these two teams.

And don't forget: these aren't two teams going through the motions in an exhibition.

The Party Animals and Firefighters are competitive.

There's going to be a show surrounding the game, but there's also a Banana Ball game somebody very much wants to win.

That combination—in a ballpark this intimate—is why Billings should be fun.

Both teams are within striking distance of the top of the standings.

The practical stuff

All three games—Thursday, August 20; Friday, August 21; and Saturday, August 22—follow the same schedule: plaza at 3:30, Fire Drill Live! at 4:30, gates at 5:30 and show at 6:30.

The official Banana Ball schedule lists first pitch at 7 p.m. Mountain Time each night.

Dehler Park is at 2611 9th Ave. N. in Billings.

Parking is available in surrounding commercial and residential areas, with private paid lots and garages south of the stadium. With other events taking place around Billings, carpooling or rideshare is recommended.

There's also a particularly good option this weekend: Visit Billings and Downtown Billings are partnering with MET Transit to provide free rides between downtown and Dehler Park, with expanded Route 1 service from 2:30 to 10:30 p.m. August 20-22.

Bags and backpacks are subject to search.

If you're having ticket trouble on game day, look for the Ticket Help stations outside the stadium at the ticket-scanning locations.

And remember that lawn tickets are general admission and don't include a reserved seat, so those fans have another reason to arrive early.

One last insider suggestion

Don't treat this like a normal baseball game.

Don't arrive five minutes before the first pitch, sit down, watch nine innings and leave.

Get there early.

Find the Firefighters. Wander around. Talk to people. Pay attention to what's happening away from the field.

There will be lots.

And when you think the show is over, keep watching.

Banana Ball has a habit of putting something interesting exactly where you weren't looking.

And at Dehler Park, you shouldn't have to look very far.

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