The 21st annual Intrepid Credit Union Symphony Under the Stars (SUTS), a gift to the community presented by Carroll College and the Helena (MT) Symphony, will be held on Saturday, July 19 at 8:30 PM. This free outdoor concert is held at what is known as Guad Hill on the Carroll College Campus at 1601 N. Benton. This year’s theme is ICONS!, featuring music from the voices that changed music over the past half century, performed by the Helena Symphony Orchestra & Chorale, backup singers, and two acclaimed guest vocalists. The finale of the concert will offer one of the best fireworks show in the state, also sponsored by the Intrepid Credit Union! Typically, over 15,000 attend this wonderful tradition, so pack your blankets. This is a FREE PERFORMANCE!

Crowd management/safety is going to be a major concern this year.  This has resulted in many changes, some of which will be of interest to you.  PLAN AHEAD!

• Parking has always been an issue. We are highly urging audience members to park in the lots on the south side of campus.  The PE Center will be reserved for those who have a SUTS parking pass or handicapped plates only.
• There will also be free parking in the Great Northern Town Center parking garage, with busses making shuttle runs to Carroll, dropping passengers off near the Corette Library on campus. Busses will run from 6:00 – 8:15 PM and return trips will begin immediately after the concert.
• Some Porta-potty facilities will be relocated. The ones at the top of Guad Hill will remain.  The ones that were behind the stage area will be moved down to the asphalt behind the west end goalposts (referred to as the tailgating area during football season).
• The Food Vendors typically located at the top of Guad Hill will also be relocated to the tailgate area. Those who are typically next to Guad Hall will remain.  Check back for a list of our vendors!
• Parking in the PE Center will be restricted to Sponsors, Musicians, and those with a Handicapped vehicle designation. This isn’t new but will be more strictly enforced.  Sponsors and Musicians must have SUTS-issued passes.
• Drop-offs will be allowed at the PE Center; however, the driver must remain in the vehicle until the drop-off is complete. Then they must exit the lot (turning right onto Benton Ave) unless they have an official SUTS parking pass.

Lining up for the Blanket Rush on Friday will remain as it was last year. No more running down the hill. Actually, no more running at all. Lines will form on the north side of the stage for easy access to the lawn. Small groups at a time will be released by the Boy Scouts in intervals starting at 3:00 PM. Please, be civil! No running over people!

• Please do not attempt to park in the Guad Hall parking lot or on Hunthausen Avenue!
• Please do not try to drive around temporary or permanent barricades on campus.
• Any blankets that are placed early will be removed. 
• Do not freak out when you see some blanket spaces taped off before the 3:00 hour.  Some of our major sponsors have opted for reserved blanket space instead of their reserved seats.
• When you do find your blanket space, please do not claim more room than you actually need. There’s a limited amount of space for such a large audience! 
• Also, please don’t use spray paint to mark your area. It kills the grass. 

Amazingly, we have yet to hear of anyone getting their blankets stolen overnight, and very little occurrence of claim-jumping (but I wouldn’t leave coolers or chairs overnight). We advise you to use lots of canned goods to hold down your blankets.  After the violent pre-concert storm from a couple of years ago, the blankets that didn’t get blown away were the ones that had as many as a dozen cans or more holding them down. While that storm was extraordinary, it did show that more is better! 

Our strong recommendation is to bring canned or non-perishable goods to hold down your blankets. Helena Food Share will be on hand to collect them before/during/after the concert so that you don’t have to carry them home. We have collected over 50,000 lbs. of food over the past three years! Drop-off points will be found at numerous locations on the concert grounds.

Be neighborly—please do not park in the residential areas west of campus. North Benton Avenue is reserved for busses between the entrances to Guad Hall and the P.E. Center.

No parking in lots on the north or east sides of campus (reserved for musicians, volunteers, and sponsors) without a SUTS parking pass.

Free handicapped parking is available in the P.E. Center lot (must have a proper state-issued tag or license plates). Golf carts driven by volunteers will be available to shuttle people to the concert area.

Sponsor/donor parking is also available in the P.E. Center, as well as the stadium tailgate lots (must have SUTS parking pass). Passes will be mailed to sponsors/donors in early July.

Drop-off areas will be on Benton Ave, near the entrance to the Guad Hall lot and P.E. Center lot. The Benton Ave. drop-off will be closed at 4 PM on Saturday to allow for large bus parking.

We will have a crew from Crowd Management Services to help us this year. They are experienced with large events throughout the Pacific Northwest region. They also work closely with law enforcement and Carroll’s own safety team to make sure the event runs smoothly.

We will have officers from the Helena Police Dept. on hand to keep an eye on things. They will also work traffic control on the streets after the concert.

We will have an ambulance crew from St. Peter’s Health on-site to take care of any medical emergencies that might happen. They will be located in the parking lot behind the stage.

The Helena Fire Department will be on call with a truck and crew to prevent any potential problems with the fireworks. Additionally, employees of the Helena Solid Waste Transfer Station will be keeping an eye on their area in case of stray or errant fireworks.

A limited number of numbered/signed art prints by Connie Bergum will be available for purchase at the concert.

Our standard SUTS t-shirt will be available as supplies last for $20. Last year’s official 20th Anniversary SUTS t-shirt will also be available for $25.

There may be other stuff…we’re working on some things!

Also, as mentioned above, there will be a Bucket Brigade that will be soliciting donations through the crowd before and after the concert, as well as intermission.

We are always looking for volunteers to help out, mostly prior to the concert itself. Shifts are available from Friday early evening through clean-up on Saturday night, generally in two- or four-hour blocks. And it’s fairly easy “work”. The heavy lifting/truly sweaty work is already taken care of. If you’re interested in being a volunteer, please call the Symphony office (406-442-1860) and leave a message. Or email us at [email protected]. Someone will contact you.

Non-monetary actions include bringing your canned or non-perishable goods to hold down your blanket, then donating them to Helena Food Share. They will have drop-off points in various places on the concert grounds. We will also have drop-off points for your plastic recyclables.