University Communications and Marketing

July date set for Billings TrailNet Trailblazing Event

University Communications and Marketing, 657-2266

MSU BILLINGS NEWS—Billings TrailNet’s unveiling of the newest portion of its Skyline Trail is set to take place on July 13, 2019. For what they are calling the Trailblazing Event, the nonprofit organization will celebrate the completion of a newly constructed trail along the rims of Billings and will feature live music, food trucks, activities, an appearance by Mayor Bill Cole and Chaquille Cozart and Alex Weiman as the event’s MCs. The Trailblazing Event will take place at Zimmerman Park at 11 a.m.

Originally set for June 29, 2019, the Trailblazing Event was rescheduled for the paving and surfacing of the trail to be completed. The trail will feature a restroom in Zimmerman Park donated by Phillips 66, park benches, interpretive signage that will provide information on its geographical features and wildlife and pedestrian signs along the underpass of Zimmerman Trail.

In addition to commemorating the construction of the trail, Executive Director of Billings TrailNet Kristi Drake stated that the event is also celebrating the donations and efforts put forth by the community of Billings along with the partners and members of Billings TrailNet.

“The way this community has pulled together is truly an amazement to me,” Drake said. “The media has been so generous and our community is really pulling together on this.”

The event will also serve to inform the public of the plan for an entire system of trails along the Skyline Trail. The trail set to be unveiled will connect Zimmerman Park to Zimmerman Place. The eventual goal is to connect the trail previously constructed in Swords Park to the one in Zimmerman Park and future trails along the rims of Billings.

Complete Nutrition’s Alex Weiman and Chaquille Cozart are set to be the masters of ceremony for the event with the band Arterial Drive scheduled to perform, various food trucks including Big Guy Barbecue providing food and drink to attendees and additional appearances that have yet to be announced.

For additional information contact Kristi Drake, executive director of TrailNet at kristi@billingstrailnet.org or 406-281-1244. To learn more about MSUB student involvement, contact Eric Young at 406-647-7930 or yeric5747@gmail.com

About Billings TrailNet:

Billings TrailNet is a non-profit 501c3 organization aiming to spread awareness of the urban trails within the local community along with the economic and personal health benefits associated with them. They accomplish this with the help of their members, collaborating departments and various local businesses in Billings. The organization also works towards the development and connection of both new and old trails in and around the city.

This press release was submitted by MSU Billings student Eric Young, on behalf of his class, as part of the applied events planning project for Billings TrailNet in Dr. Sarah Keller’s Principles of Public Relations Class, COMX 351.