article by Hannah Olson | photos courtesy of Beyond the Chronicles

A SPARK IN BILLINGS

Have you ever wished you could step into the pages of a favorite book, feel the music of a royal ball, or toast with characters you’ve only met between chapters? That wish is the heartbeat of Beyond the Chronicles, the immersive “bookish” experience created in Billings by cousins and co-founders Sarah and Sam Schroefel. What began as a small passion project has become a sold-out, multi-day destination event that gathers readers to celebrate story, friendship, and shared wonder.

It started simply. Sarah wanted to attend a book-themed ball and wondered why nothing like it existed here. She and Sam booked DanWalt Gardens, planned a Spring Court Garden Gala inspired by a beloved romantasy series, and set a goal of 100 tickets. They sold 101. Attendees arrived in handmade gowns and armor, ready to dance under twinkle lights and pose at immersive backdrops. The community was already out there; it just needed a place to gather.

From the beginning, the focus was hospitality and imagination. “People can really expect to step into the pages of their favorite book and feel like they’re in a safe place to be whoever they want to be,” Sarah says. Guests meet friends they’ve known only online, swap recommendations in a cozy reading room, learn a few ballroom steps, and feel the lift of being seen for what they love.

SCALING THE MAGIC

Year two scaled up without losing heart. Beyond the Chronicles: Court of Nightmares took over the Billings Depot with a self-guided First Friday, a VIP meet-up, a vendor market, book discussions, book-themed tattoos, a traveling speakeasy trailer, and a formal evening with dinner, music, and photo vignettes made for keepsakes, and more. Tickets sold out in two weeks. Roughly 300 guests attended, most from out of town, bringing a welcome boost to hotels and restaurants. Visit Billings supported the event with a tourism grant, recognizing the draw of “bookish travel.”

Sam, lives in Helena and jokes that her role is “a little bit of everything,” blending spreadsheets with stardust. She builds budgets and itineraries, designs props and merch, and helps shape the theme so every corner whispers, “take a picture here.” For her, the best moments are conversations with guests. “Books have always been an escape, an inspiration, a connection. We want people to feel that joy of reading again.”

That joy travels. Many attendees stay for the weekend, brunch at the Northern, and compare notes after ballroom lessons with local instructor Arica Lipp. The organizers put every dollar they can back into the experience. The budget grows to match the vision, and the vision grows to match a community that keeps saying, more of this, please.

Beyond the Chronicles partners with the Downtown Billings Association, the Northern, the Depot, and Visit Billings. It curates local vendors and photographers; and films playful “where would this character hang out?” shorts around town. The city becomes a character, too. The result welcomes newcomers, delights super-fans, and helps longtime locals see their hometown with fresh eyes.

And it welcomes readers of many kinds. Yes, romantasy fans arrive in force, but so do readers who come for world-building, themes of courage and found family, and the simple pleasure of being around people who love what they love. Three generations often attend together. Friend groups build matching costumes. Solo travelers are adopted by tablemates. People leave with new book lists and new friends.

NEXT CHAPTER

Success hasn’t slowed the team’s imagination. Sarah and Sam are sketching an academy concept in which guests enroll, are sorted into houses, and take playful classes with local “professors.” They’re also testing a full-day mega game woven through the ballroom, turning every attendee into a character with goals and trades. The guiding question stays the same: how can Billings surprise visitors, and how can visitors experience Billings in return?

Want in sooner? Follow Beyond the Chronicles on Facebook to join the book club, catch pop-up gatherings, and track next year’s plans. If you have skills to share, from teaching to prop making, the team welcomes collaborators who care about community and creativity.

Mark your calendar: the next Beyond the Chronicles arrives Halloween weekend at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center. The larger venue means more guests, more rooms to explore, and space for new ideas. The theme drops later, and if history is any guide, tickets will move quickly.

“Our events strive to bring to life our favorite books,” she says. “We want people to feel like they stepped out of the pages and into that world for a night or two.”

-SAM SCHROEFEL

START YOUR OWN CHAPTER

You don’t need a costume closet or a passport to be part of a story like this. Communities are built from what we love, one small gathering at a time. Maybe for you it’s a book club of four that becomes a reading party of forty. Perhaps it’s a maker market that starts with a card table and grows into a holiday fair. Maybe it’s a porch concert that turns into a neighborhood music night. Beyond the Chronicles began with two cousins who loved books and believed Billings would love gathering around them. They were right.

If you’ve been waiting for a sign, consider this your nudge. Pick the passion that makes you feel most like yourself. Find one more person who feels it too. Meet in a living room, a back room, a park, or a borrowed corner of a cafe. Put a date on the calendar. See who shows up. Sometimes a community is already out there, scattered across states and screens, just waiting for someone to open the door and say, welcome in.

Originally printed in the February 2026 issue of Simply Local Magazine

Check this article out in the digital issue of Simply Local here!

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