What is the hardest natural substance on Earth?

Welcome back to The Trailhead Buzz — your weekly snapshot of what’s happening around Billings as summer starts stretching its legs across the Magic City. This week we’ve got knights, reptiles, Fleetwood Mac nostalgia, world-class athletes, giant deadlifts, neighborhood frustrations, and a reminder that one small card in your wallet could make a huge difference in an emergency.

Inside this issue:
🎸 TUSK brings the music of Fleetwood Mac to the Alberta Bair
🏅 The Special Olympics State Summer Games kick off in Billings
🦎 The Big Sky Reptile Expo slithers into MetraPark
🌱 Gardening tips for surviving and thriving in Montana’s Zone 5
⚔️ The Montana Renaissance Festival prepares for its grand return
💪 Strongman Classic 2026 promises another weekend of absurd strength
📚 A local council member becomes an author
🏚️ And neighbors say they’re fed up with a growing neighborhood eyesore

Grab your coffee, crack the windows, and let’s get into it.

Kendra Langford Shaw, a devoted Billings City Council member representing Ward 1, will debut her first novel, The Pillagers' Guide to Arctic Pianos, on May 12.

Quote Of The Day

Gardening in USDA Hardiness Zone 5 demands plant selection and smart techniques due to frigid winters that plunge as low as -20°F.

Mulching with pine bark improves soil structure, retains moisture, slowly releases nutrients, and helps deter pests for a healthier environment.

Choose hardy perennials such as daylilies, hostas, and coneflowers for vibrant, low-maintenance color that persists through cold seasons.

TUSK – Fleetwood Mac Tribute

Monday, May 18 - Alberta Bair Theater - 7:30
One of the top touring Fleetwood Mac tribute acts.

TUSK is the number one Tribute to Fleetwood Mac in the world, bar none. No fancy tricks, no gimmicks, just five musicians recreating the music of Fleetwood Mac to perfection with note-for-note renditions that no other Fleetwood Mac tribute on the touring scene today can come close to duplicating.

Special Olympics Montana

From May 13-15, 2026, nearly 1,000 athletes, along with their coaches and team volunteers, will gather in Billings for the 2026 State Summer Games! This event will feature competitions in Track & Field, Cycling, Swimming, Gymnastics, Bocce, Soccer, Golf, and the Motor Activities Training Program. The Opening Ceremony will be held at MetraPark on Wednesday, May 13—the public is invited and encouraged to attend

Big Sky Reptile Expo

Join us on May 16, 2026 in Billings ant the Metra Park Pavilion and get your reptile fix. Doors open from 10 AM to 5 PM on Saturday (9 AM for our VIPs)

Immerse yourself in a fascinating showcase of slithering serpents, colorful chameleons, and other magnificent reptiles from across the globe. Join us for an unforgettable experience as we celebrate the wonders of the reptilian realm against the backdrop of Montana's Big Sky Country.

Residents in Billings Heights are expressing mounting frustration as an affordable housing project on Sioux Lane sits idle, nearly two years after modular homes arrived on site.

Planned to offer 102 units, the development—using repurposed structures from the Bakken oil fields—remains largely undeveloped and now stands as a source of local concern.

That's a Wrap

That’s it for this week’s edition of The Trailhead Buzz.

Whether you’re headed to a concert, planting tomatoes before the next cold snap, debating the neighborhood eyesore down the street, or preparing for a weekend of pirates and turkey legs at the Renaissance Festival — thanks for spending a few minutes with us.

Billings is at its best when people stay connected, show up, and keep paying attention to the little things happening around town. We’ll keep bringing you the buzz, the oddities, the events, and the stories worth talking about.

If you enjoyed this issue, forward it to a friend, neighbor, coworker, or anyone who still says “there’s never anything going on in Billings.”

SEE YA NEXT TIME

Diamond