BILLINGS After nearly a year of anticipation, thousands of fans packed Dehler Park Thursday night for the first-ever Banana Ball game in Billings.Watch the sights and sounds from Thursday's Banana Ball game: Its a party: Thousa nds of fans pack Dehler Park for first Banana Ball game in BillingsThe Party Animals and Firefighters opened a three-night stop in the Magic City, bringing with them a style of baseball built as much around entertainment and fan interaction as it is around the game itself.From dancing and player tricks to fans catching foul balls for outs, the action started well before the first pitch. Its a party, and they happen to play baseball, said Nancy Goodyear.Related: What fans can expect at Banana Ball this weekend in BillingsFor fans inside Dehler Park, that was exactly the appeal.We can cut the energy with a knife out here. I mean, it is impressive, said the Thelen family. The league's arrival in Billings had been highly anticipated since the stop was announced last October. Tickets for all three games were distributed through a lottery system and quickly sold out.For many in the crowd, Thursday was their first chance to experience Banana Ball in person after watching the games online or on television.Weve been watching them on TV for a while, the Thelen family said. When they were coming to Billings, I saw it on Facebook, and I was like, 'Were going with the boys.' The family said the smaller setting at Dehler Park made the experience even more exciting.I feel like its more intimate than most of their other games, they said. So I feel like its going to be more interactive, which were excited about.For Abbey Wolf and her daughter, Kendall, the opportunity came as a surprise. Their neighbors gave them tickets because they knew how much Kendall wanted to attend.Our neighbors gave us tickets because they knew how much she wanted to go and they wouldnt have let us pay her back! Abbey Wolf said. Players are great. They were so kind, and the players have just been so fun." Kendall said the entertainment was a big part of what made the night memorable.They do crazy tricks, and its really entertaining! she said.And in Banana Ball, fans aren't simply spectators. Players interact with the crowd throughout the game, and fans have a chance to become part of the action themselves.That includes trying to catch a foul ball. Under Banana Ball rules, a fan who catches a foul ball can record an out for the opposing team. Related: Banana Ball 101: Party Animals and Firefighters explain how the game worksFor Bob and Nancy Goodyear, the unusual rules and nonstop entertainment are exactly why they keep coming back. The couple traveled from Atlanta to Billings for the series and have been following Banana Ball since 2023, trying to attend as many games as they can.They decided to make their first trip to Montana after watching a Savannah Bananas game in Denver the week before."Their whole idea is, well, party animals. Let's have some fun. It's a party," said Bob Goodyear. The Goodyears said each game brings something different.They always bring out something new, Bob Goodyear said. Some sort of new dance or new celebration. You never know.Banana Ball is a fast-paced, entertainment-focused style of baseball created and popularized by the Savannah Bananas. The league was founded in 2023 after the Savannah Bananas transitioned away from the traditional Coastal Plain League.For Goodyear, the appeal is simple. Dont be a baseball purist, he said. This is so different from a traditional baseball game. It moves very fast. You don't have to worry, 'When is it I'm going to get out?' You know, it's a two-hour time limit."But Thursday night, fans weren't necessarily coming to Dehler Park looking for a traditional baseball experience. They came for the spectacle, the players, the tricks, the dancing, and the chance to be part of something they had mostly seen on a screen.With two more games scheduled in Billings, the Banana Ball party is just getting started.The Party Animals and Firefighters are scheduled to play at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Dehler Park. A pregame fan fest is scheduled for 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. each day in the Dehler Park plaza. ...read more read less