The Academy presented by Beyond the Chronicles

Welcome to The Academy – A Weekend Immersive Fantasy Experience

October 30 – November 1, 2026
📍 Billings Hotel & Convention Center | Billings, Montana

Step into the halls of a gothic fantasy academy where knowledge is power, factions rise, and every student becomes part of the story. Across three unforgettable days, you’ll be sorted into a faction, attend immersive classes, engage in challenges, feast, and end your journey with a formal ball unlike any other.

Choose your path or experience it all.

🖤 FRIDAY EXPERIENCE – Initiation Day

📅 Friday, October 30 | 12:30 PM – 11:00 PM
🎟️ $185

A full day of immersive storytelling, faction bonding, and academic initiation.
Includes:

• Check-in & faction sorting*
• Faction specific activities
• Two immersive Academy classes
• First access to the Academy Market
• Themed plated dinner + welcome drink
• Opening Ceremony
• Trivia Trials
• Late-night social hour

This is your first step into The Academy, we can't wait to welcome you.

🕯️ SATURDAY + SUNDAY EXPERIENCE – Ascension

📅 Saturday, October 31 – Sunday, November 1
🕗 Begins 8:30 AM Saturday – Ends 10:00 AM Sunday
🎟️ $249

An immersive fantasy academy weekend complete with a full-day of classes and the grand Academy Ball.

Includes:

• Morning check-in & faction confirmation* (for new arrivals)
• Full hot breakfast + welcome ceremony
• Four immersive class sessions throughout the day with Academy professors
• Dedicated break for lunch
• Time to explore the Academy Market (30+ vendors)
• Access to faction check points and interactive spaces
• Immersive challenges and story progression woven into your day
• Free time to prepare for the evening gala

At the Academy Ball:

• Two signature elixirs (21+ or NA options available)
• Heavy hors d’oeuvres and sweets
• DJ, dancing, and music
• Immersive photo backdrops
• Late-night vendor hall
• Ambient surprises throughout the night

Sunday:

• Sunday farewell gathering with cold breakfast
• Closing ceremony and faction winner announcement

This is where rivalries peak, alliances deepen, and legends are written.

🖤🕯️ Friday-Sunday: Full Academy Experience

📅 Friday, October 30 – Sunday, November 1
🕗 Begins 12:30 PM Friday – Ends 10:00 AM Sunday
🎟️ $434

This ticket grants you full access to everything included in the FRIDAY EXPERIENCE – Initiation Day and the SATURDAY + SUNDAY EXPERIENCE – Ascension ticket.

🎁 EXCLUSIVE BONUS

With purchase of the Full Academy Experience you will receive a beautifully curated Academy Goody Bag ($45 value) at check-in, filled with themed items and exclusive gifts only available to full-weekend students.

🧭 IMPORTANT: Faction Sorting Details

Prior to your arrival, you will receive a custom faction sorting quiz designed to align you with the faction that fits your character, strengths, and magical disposition. Upon arrival at The Academy, your sorting will be confirmed, and you’ll receive a physical faction token that must be worn throughout the event. Your faction shapes your class group, activities, and Trials so wear your colors with pride.

Info: Students arrive and check in at the Academy front desk. You’ll receive your event credentials and find your faction. After receiving your faction’s unique token, spend time meeting fellow faction members and preparing for the evening’s journey.

Info: Good luck and listen closely to your professors. What they say (and what they don’t) may matter more than you know. Take notes. Watch each other. And remember: professors will be awarding—and removing—faction points. Best behavior is advised.

Info: Your second session deepens the experience with more advanced study or hands-on trials. Whether you're decoding ancient texts, practicing silent movement, or exploring The Academy’s secrets, your mind—and allegiance—will be tested.

Info: Take a break to refresh or dive deeper. Guests already dressed may explore the vendor hall, revisit their faction checkpoint, or prepare themselves for the evening’s formal gathering. This is a time to connect, shop, and settle in.

Info: The Gathering Chamber opens. Find your faction’s table and prepare for a feast. This seated event is your first official gathering as a full cohort. Look sharp and make sure to represent your faction with pride.

Info: The Opening Ceremony begins. Academy officials welcome you, rituals are performed, and dinner is served. The story begins to unfold as alliances form and faction pride awakens.

Info: Your mind is your might. Compete in an immersive trivia contest as a faction or group. Questions will challenge your wits, memory, and perhaps your nerve. Glory (and maybe extra house points) awaits.

Info: The halls stay open for one final hour. Wander between factions, strike up conversation, share theories, and connect with students from every corner of the Academy. This is your time to unwind, reflect, and enjoy the company of fellow scholars before Saturday’s mysteries unfold.

Info: If you did not attend Friday, arrive early to receive your materials and be sorted into a faction. Your faction will shape your classes, alliances, and the trials ahead.

Info: A communal gathering to start the day. Enjoy a hearty breakfast as Academy leaders welcome all students and prepare you for a day of learning and magic.

Info: The first session of the day introduces new magical disciplines. Each class is led by an Academy professor and designed to challenge your understanding of the world around you.

Info: Explore deeper mysteries and unlock new abilities. These mid-day sessions may involve collaborative work, performance, or quiet introspection. Listen closely—the answers may come in unexpected forms.

Info: Meet in the Gathering Chamber for lunch and conversation. This is a time to relax, journal your discoveries, connect with other factions, or visit the vendor hall if open.

Info: Return to study with renewed purpose. Today’s late class will stretch your imagination and test your ability to influence or interpret the unseen. Participation may shift your faction’s fortunes…

Info: Your final session of the day. These courses may involve puzzles, performance, hands-on application, or confrontation of factional philosophies. Be bold, be sharp, and be aware because observation is part of the lesson.

Info: Time to retreat to your quarters, prepare your formal attire, and explore the Academy Market. Shop handcrafted wares, accessories, and enchanted curiosities before the grand celebration begins.

Info: The crown jewel of the weekend begins as the ballroom doors open, ushering in an evening of enchantment and elegance. Guests will enjoy two signature elixirs crafted exclusively for the occasion (must be 21+ or NA options will be available), alongside a decadent spread of heavy hors d’oeuvres and sweets. Music fills the air as a DJ leads the night into dancing and celebration, while curated photo backdrops and immersive installations invite you to explore and capture memories in every corner. The vendor hall reopens for late-night browsing, and faction spaces remain alive with whispered conversations and meaningful connections. Wander, dance, snack, and play—your professors will be watching. Secrets may be revealed. Destiny may yet turn.

Info: Gather one last time to share a quiet morning meal. During this closing ceremony, faction points are tallied, the winning faction is crowned, and the Academy bids you farewell—until next term.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Billings Hotel and Convention Center, 1223 Mullowney Lane, Billings, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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