A free concert featuring Grammy award winning singer-songwriters Emmylou Harris and John Prine will help Yellowstone National Park celebrate the National Park Service's centennial on August 25, but line up lodging before you claim a ticket.

The concert, part of An Evening at the Arch: Yellowstone Celebrates the National Park Service Centennial, is scheduled for Thursday, August 25, at 7 p.m. in Gardiner, Montana, just outside the park's northern entrance. The event will be broadcast live online.

“This very special event will kick off the second century for the National Park Service, highlight the importance of public/private partnerships, and recognize the completion of the Gardiner Gateway Project Phase One,” said Yellowstone Superintendent Dan Wenk in a release.

The event features a talented line-up of performers: Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Leyla McCalla, the children’s chorus The Singing Angels from Cleveland, Ohio, and Teddy Roosevelt reenactor, Joe Wiegand, with more performances and details to be announced in the coming months. Local, state, and national dignitaries will also speak at the event.

Advance tickets are required. Tickets are free, but limited. The first ticket release will be on Sunday, May 15, at noon MT on https://www.ticketriver.com/event/19359. Additional ticket releases will occur on June 15 and July 15. Event organizers strongly recommend that people secure lodging BEFORE getting a ticket because area lodging is limited. Residents of Gardiner and Jardine are encouraged to get tickets from the Gardiner Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber will distribute tickets held especially for local residents as a thank you for their patience and flexibility during the Gardiner Gateway Project construction.

For the safety and comfort of all attendees, no alcohol, coolers, umbrellas, or dogs will be allowed at this event. Qualified service animals are welcome; however, they must be leashed and under your control at all times. Additional information about coverage logistics for news media will be released at a later date. For more information, visit https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/evening-arch.htm.

The event sponsors include: Yellowstone Association, Yellowstone Park Foundation, Yellowstone National Park Lodges, Yellowstone Park Service Stations, Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, Cool Works, D&R Coffee, First Interstate Bank, Gardiner Chamber of Commerce, Kendeda Fund, National Parks Conservation Association, National Park Foundation, Sinclair, State of Montana, State of Wyoming, and Yellowstone Country. 

An Evening at the Arch is an example of the countless ways there are to find your park. Launched in March 2015, Find Your Park / Encuentra Tu Parque is a public awareness and education movement to inspire people to connect with, celebrate, and support America’s national parks and community-based programs. Celebrating the National Park Service Centennial and setting the stage for the Service's next 100 years, Find Your Park invites people to discover and share their own unique connections to our nation's natural landscapes, vibrant culture, and rich history.