Festival of the Fourth

Additional Information

The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a fundraising BBQ at the Haynes Pavilion, an all-ages event. The Bozeman Symphony will perform a program of patriotic favorites at 9 p.m., leading right into the traditional fireworks display at 10:30 p.m. The concert and fireworks are FREE and open to the public. Tickets purchased in advance to the BBQ are $25/adult, $15 for children under age 16. They will be $30/adult & $20/child at the door. An anonymous donor will match 50% of the qualifying portion of the ticket. Proceeds from the BBQ support the free concert and the festival.

For 18 years the Gallatin Empire Lions Club has presented the Festival of the Fourth, providing both entertainment and fireworks, free of charge, to the greater Bozeman community. This is the 5th year the Symphony and Lions Club have collaborated presenting this community event, attracting over 5,000 attendees from Southwest Montana.

Here’s what people in the community are saying about the event:

"People were just blown away by the quality of the barbecue, the wonderful concert, and the fireworks. We heard a guy say "I'm getting here earlier next year so that I can be in the front row." People just floated out of the fairgrounds after the event last evening saying that they had never seen anything like it. We felt exactly the same way; we went out for a drink afterwards and just marveled at the evening we had just experienced. Congratulations!"
-Denis Prager, Clyde Park MT

"Congratulations on the excellent execution of a superior evening of music. I just can't compliment you enough. Everything was great----the selections played, the setup, lighting, special effects, sound, food----and of course the tent! I was so thrilled to discover that it is now owned by the Symphony, and that is where it belongs! Matthew always appreciated the acoustics it affords, and he rightfully deserves to make it his own. In fact, you all deserve the best. I've never heard a better sound coming from under that structure than the one I heard on July 4, 2012! (And that includes the Utah Symphony.) Simply spectacular! The collaboration with the Lions' Club was brilliant---a magical combination. All the work and planning came to a perfect conclusion. Thank you so much for all of your efforts, and congratulations! May you proceed to even greater heights in the future! Thanks for enriching my life with the music."
-Marilyn Hill, Big Sky MT

“The concert put on by the Bozeman Symphony this year was outstanding and contributed greatly to the celebration of our Nation’s birthday here in Bozeman. Both, during the show and since the show, we have received overwhelming amounts of support and gratitude from many members of the community thanking us for being involved and helping with the event. The message from the Bozeman Community has been loud and clear; they loved the show and hope that it continues into the future.”
-Tim Ford, Bozeman, MT

“I want to pass on a comment I heard today at the Gallatin Newcomers Club luncheon. A young woman from Arizona, arriving with her husband and family for a new job here in Bozeman a few months ago, brought the family to the July 4th celebration. She was amazed to find her kids totally mesmerized by the symphony! His job is in Billings and the spouse is telecommuting. They chose Bozeman over Billings for their hometown in part due to the very pleasant July 4th experience for their kids. The conversation came about because I was bragging about our Symphony only to find her already well informed.”
-Fran Shellenberger, Bozeman MT

Support for the Festival of the Fourth comes from American Bank, the Gianforte Family Foundation, Pepper Tree Catering and the Yellowstone Club Community Foundation. Please join the Symphony and Lions Club in thanking these businesses and individuals.

For information on purchasing barbeque tickets please contact the Bozeman Symphony at (406)585-9774 or info@bozemansymphony.org.