BILLINGS — Banana Ball is coming to the Magic City.
The baseball craze that has swept up fans across the nation will feature a three-game series Aug. 20-22, 2026, between the Party Animals and Firefighters at Dehler Park, the league announced Thursday.
A ticket lottery is open at bananaball.com.
Banana Ball is a fast-paced, entertainment-focused brand of baseball created and made popular by the Savannah Bananas, who previously played in the Coastal Plain League. The Savannah Bananas, based in Georgia, founded the Banana Ball league in 2023. In addition to the Bananas, the Party Animals, Firefighters and Texas Tailgaters played in the original league.
In 2026, two more teams — the Indianapolis Clowns, an homage to the original Negro League team, and the Loco Beach Coconuts — are joining the league as it further expands across the country.
Often referred to the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball, Banana Ball games are geared toward entertaining fans with rules that speed up the pace of play and create exciting opportunities. The games have two-hour time limits; batters aren't allowed to step out of the box or bunt, but they are permitted to steal first base; there are no walks or mound visits; and if a fan catches a foul ball, it's an out.
Most notably, each inning is worth one point — no matter how many runs are scored. The team that scores the most runs in an inning gets a point for that inning. The only exception is the last inning, when every run counts.
Players are known for their entertaining antics on the field to include choreographed dances and celebrations.
