A holly, jolly, Montana-style Christmas

As students wrapped up their Thanksgiving break and winter storms blitzed through the valley, Bozeman looks like a snow globe. A frenzy of fresh snowfall, pine, finals stress and a touch of Christmas spirit filled the air, leaving students with one question: Where is all of the Christmas spirit in Bozeman?

Thankfully, the community delivered. Christmas decorations are already being sprinkled throughout campus, with tinsel lining the first floor of the library and a couple of decked-out Christmas trees in the SUB. To get students more into the holiday spirit, the annual lighting of Montana Hall will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7. All members of the community are welcome to attend this free event on campus.

If theater and the arts are more your speed, consider checking out one of these events. First, three choirs, alongside the Symphony Orchestra of the School of Music at MSU, will be running their annual “Noël!” Concert on Friday, Dec. 2, at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. at Holy Rosary Catholic Church. Tickets for “Noël!” can be purchased at ticketswest.com or by calling 994-CATS. Admission is $20 and tickets must be purchased before the concert.

However, if getting off campus seems more appealing to you, there will be two plays running downtown this month. “A Christmas Carol” at the Ellen theater will run from Friday, Dec. 9, through Thursday, Dec. 2. As well as “The Nutcracker” by The Montana Ballet Company, which will run for two days, Saturday, Dec. 3, and Sunday, Dec. 4, at the Willson Auditorium. Tickets to “A Chrismas Carol” are available at theellentheatre.secure.force.com for $20 to $38.50. Tickets for “The Nutcracker” are sold out as of publication.

On Saturday, Dec. 3, downtown Bozeman will be packed full of people trying to catch a glimpse of Santa himself. That is, for the 42nd-annual Christmas Stroll on Main Street. There will be a slew of activities, from an interactive Winter Circus Village, Gingerbread House Contest, Christmas caroling and photo ops with Santa Claus. The free event will be held from 4:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.

Throughout the day on Saturday, Dec. 3, before the stroll, shops along Main Street are prepared for an influx of people. Expect lots of holiday themed foods and activity booths set up by non-profit vendors. Also, the Emerson Center for the Arts and Culture will be hosting its “Holidays with the Emerson” event. Hosted at the Crawford theater from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, the theater will be buzzing with vendors selling local art, live performances and even “Holiday Noir,” a comedic, holiday themed variety show just for adults. The show will run from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets are available at, theemerson.org/event-calendar/ for $20 each.

The following week in downtown Bozeman will follow suit with holiday celebrations. On Friday, Dec. 9, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m., Main Street will be lined with local art vendors for the special, annual “Winter Art Walk.” Many galleries will feature their artists and serve refreshments and hors d’oeuvres. The “Winter Art Walk” is an amazing opportunity to stroll around the freshly decked out Main Street while checking things off of shopping lists for presents.

Any day now, Bozeman will be shaken up into a snow globe. It’s like our downtown was made for a Hallmark Christmas movie. Whether you are excited to finish final projects and exams and just get back home for the holidays, or if you are sticking around Bozeman, there will be plenty of Christmas joy to share.