Washington
'A big party': Concert series, Griz opener create profitable, whirlwind 10 days at Washington-Grizzly Stadium
MISSOULA — Typically, Washington-Grizzly Stadium is described as the Mecca of FCS football. But for this upcoming week it is Concert City, USA.
Over a 10-day stretch, there will be four major events at UM’s stadium, starting with three concerts and, of course, capped off by the Grizzly football home opener.
“This series of concerts is like a football game, super-sized you could say,” UM Athletics’ director of communications Eric Taber said.
That couldn’t ring more true. Starting Thursday, Washington-Grizzly Stadium will bring in recurring guest in rock and roll hall of famers Pearl Jam to kick off an insane 10-day run at the venue.
Country star Tyler Childers will follow soon after on Saturday, and that will lead up to the grand performance that is expected from Pink next Wednesday, with the opening Griz football game slated for Saturday, Aug. 31 to complete this run.
“This is really following along with (UM) President (Seth) Bodnar’s charge to make sure that we’re utilizing these facilities that we have and this entertainment hub that we have with Grizzly Athletics and the stadium and the Adams Center, and we’re maximizing what those are,” Montana athletic director Kent Haslam said.
And there’s strategy behind it too.
While it’s going to be a tall task and a heavy load, setting up the base-layer stage for three shows versus just one limits the costs on the university, allowing UM to generate more revenue in holding these three extra events.
“The stadium has proven to be a place where great acts can come and perform and generate the revenue that they want to generate, and also spend some time in western Montana,” Haslam said. “Having three, that’s a lot, that’ll do a lot to people who are working behind the scenes, but only having to set up the stage one time and then having three concerts is really financially much more viable for a stadium of this size.”
“It really is a 24/7 process,” Taber added. “And as soon as the Pearl Jam concert is over, they’re going to start the load out process. And then Tyler Childers arrives from their show at The Gorge (in Washington) the next day, basically, and they start moving things in. And then, luckily, there’s a few more days until the Pink concert, because that’s going to be a major move in.”
Logistically, to say it’s complicated is drastically understating it.
Floor installation began on August 15 and teams have been working around the clock since to set up. Pearl Jam will bring 25 tour trucks with them for Thursday’s show. Childers will follow with a slightly lighter load of 15 trucks and 10 busses for Saturday’s event.
Then, the all-hands on deck operation must go above and beyond even more for Pink, who is bringing 35 trucks, 19 buses and is using 20-plus spaces in the Adams Center for prep in what is expected to be a theatrical and monumental event at the stadium.
After that, it’s a quick two-day turnaround for the first Griz game of the season when UM welcomes Missouri State to town for a 7 p.m. kickoff. One of the reasons that game is a night kickoff is to give ample time to set up for the football game.
There will be 200-300 people selling beer at these events, and about 150-200 security staff will be used for this on top of hundreds who are helping put the facility together, and while there’s no official costs out yet, the school is hoping to generate hundreds of thousands of dollars from staging them.
Haslam noted that the money made from Pearl Jam’s show in 2018 helped pay for and put in a new soccer field for the Grizzlies.
That money will come from all kinds of negotiated areas, from renting the facilities out, to beer sales, concessions, parking, tickets and more.
Then, the ability to get everything the artists need in has been the other hurdle.
“It’s just a massive amount of people,” Taber said. “You know, for a football game, we have three buses, one truck, and so to have 35 trucks on campus, the hard part for Grizzly Athletics is just finding out where they’re going to park, what time they’re going to come in, how they’re going to come in, what route they’re taking, and how long it takes them to unload and reload, that kind of thing.”
Not to mention the ancillary benefits UM will draw, from people drawn to the campus and seeing what they offer and the fervor it will all add to campus life now that students are moving back in for the 2024-25 academic year.
“This is a great thing to do. It’s fun for our students, fun for the community, brings folks into town,” said Dave Kuntz, the University of Montana’s director of strategic communications. “But two, it really helps the university out, from a financial perspective, to be able to build a stage once have the three big shows then go on to normal operations after that.”
UM will use a new security system, exactly like the one used at the FCS national championship in Frisco, Texas, to get people in and out faster, and the school will also implement that during football season.
Parking will be limited, with UM encouraging folks to walk to the venue or use public transportation. Campus Drive was shut down to through traffic on Aug. 20.
And also, thanks to the new indoor practice facility being installed and the south campus fields, the athletic teams, especially football, will be able to continue to prep for their upcoming seasons with everything under way.
“Our primary business, for lack of a better word, is an athletic department, and athletic events, volleyball, soccer, and then football certainly is our largest revenue generator,” Haslam said. “So we can’t put those things in jeopardy.”
It’s going to be a wild week-and-a-half in Missoula as Washington-Grizzly Stadium serves as an entertainment epicenter to cap off the summer with a bang.
“One of the things that really makes UM special is our vibrancy,” Kuntz said. “We’re a campus here that’s tucked away with the mountain and the river and all the outdoor spaces, but we’re also the cultural capital of Montana, and to be able to bring in three shows and three diverse shows, it really provides all of our students, whatever their genre of music, an opportunity to participate in the shows.”
“This town’s in for a big party, and so we’re just super happy to be a part of it,” Taber said. “Honestly, we want the university to be part of the community and to be hosting these great events and providing the entertainment options for the community is just such an awesome experience for everybody, especially in Grizzly Athletics, because that’s what we do. We host a community.”
Incidents like the one in 2023 along the Baltimore Beltway — a crash that killed six highway workers — are the reason why officials gathered to stress the need for better work zone safety during National Work Zone Awareness Week.
This week, officials, workers and residents are calling for safer roads as they say there is still more work to be done when it comes to safety.
“It’s about understanding that each of us has a role to play in the safety and protection of one another,” William Pines from the Maryland State Highway Administration said.
With an active construction site as the backdrop — at the interchange between Pennsylvania Avenue and Suitland Parkway — roadway workers spoke up.
“We are not just workers, we are people — real people. We are parents, siblings, friends and neighbors. So when you see us out there, please pay attention to that.” Dawn Hopkins with Flagger Force Traffic Control Services said.
Hopkins says she’s had to sound an alarm to get her crew out of dangerous situations.
“Please slow down, stay alert…and watch out for us in the workzones,” Hopkins added.
While the number of crashes in Maryland work zones in 2025 remains concerning, it is lower than in 2024. In 2025, there were:
- 1,148 work zone crashes
- 9 work zone deaths
- 449 injuries
In 2024, there were:
- 1,302 work zone crashes,
- 12 work zone deaths, and
- 492 injuries
“While citations are down, we still had 19 citations that were issues where the automated system recorded drivers traveling in excess of 130 miles an hour in work zones,” Pines said.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has proclaimed April 22 as “Go Orange Day” in Maryland, urging everyone to wear orange in support of highway worker safety.
A moment of silence for road workers who have been killed will be observed at noon this Friday.
This regularly scheduled column is written by Eli Tucker, Arlington-based Realtor and Arlington resident. If you would like to work with Eli and his team in Northern Virginia and the greater D.C. Metro area, you can reach him directly at [email protected].
Question: How has the local real estate market performed so far this year?
Answer: After a year where market conditions softened in favor of buyers, the Northern VA real estate market became more favorable for sellers in the first quarter of 2026, while the Washington DC condo market continued to reel.
What is in this article:
- Northern VA, Arlington, and Washington DC Absorption Trends (demand)
- Northern VA, Arlington, and Washington DC Inventory Trends (supply)
- Washington DC List Price Trends (market values)
Northern VA & Arlington Inventory is Being Absorbed Faster
After four straight quarters of double-digit decreases in year-over-year absorption, the Northern VA and Arlington markets saw a ~8% increase in absorption rate.
What this means: Demand increased in Q1
Northern VA & Arlington New Listing Volume is Declining
After a promising trend of six straight quarters of year-over-year increases in the number of homes listed for sale in Northern VA, new listing activity fell by ~1% each of the previous two quarters.
What this means: Sellers have less competition, buyers have fewer choices
Washington DC Condo Absorption is Plummeting
The absorption rate for DC condos has declined year-over-year for 16 quarters straight and 23 out of the past 26 quarters.
What this means: It is difficult to find buyers for DC condos
Washington DC Condo Inventory Declined Slightly
Total inventory declined by 3.4% year-over-year, the first quarterly drop since Q4 2023. Still, there were great than 2x more condos for sale in DC in Q1 2026 than Q1 2020
What this means: Motivated sellers must compete aggressively with each other for buyers
Washington DC Condos Keep Getting Cheaper
The average price of a DC condo listed for sale is 9.4% less than it was in Q1 2025 and ~9% less than it was ten years ago.
What this means: Even lowering the price won’t guarantee a buyer
If you’d like to discuss buying, selling, investing, or renting, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected].
We have access to the most pre and off-market listings across the DMV of any brokerage and are happy to share what’s available with anybody who asks.
Below are some of our team’s pre/off-market listings, details and additional listings available by request:
- Westover – 4BR/2BA/2,000sqft – Detached Single Family (2000) – 23rd St N Arlington VA 22205
- Green Valley – 5BR/4.5BA/3,000sqft – Detached Single Family (2020) – 24th St S Arlington VA 22206
- Ballston – 4BR/3.5BA/2,400sqft – Townhouse (2008) – N George Mason Dr Arlington VA 22203
- Ballston – 4BR/3.5BA+office/4,000 sqft – Four Townhouses (2026/2027) – 11th St N Arlington VA 22201
- Rosslyn – 2BR/2BA/1,800sqft – Condo (2021) – 1781 N Pierce St Arlington VA 22209
- Rosslyn – 3BR/2.5BA/2,400sqft – Condo (1986) – 1530 Key Blvd Arlington VA 22209
- Williamsburg – 6BR/5.5BA/5,500 sqft – Detached Single Family (2026) – 27th St N Arlington VA 22207
- Yorktown – 6BR/6.5BA/6,000+ sqft – Detached Single Family (2026) – N Greencastle St Arlington VA 22207
Eli and his team believe that your real estate needs should be managed by advisors, not salespeople. Their mission is to guide, educate, and advocate for their clients through real advice, hands-on support, and personalized service.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), “on behalf of the Department of Education (ED),” on Monday released a Notice Inviting Grant Applications for the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program. Applications are due by May 29.
Last November, ED announced that it had entered into an interagency agreement with HHS to administer the CCAMPIS program. This is the first CCAMPIS competition conducted under this arrangement.
Approximately $73.5 million will go to institutions of higher education that awarded at least $250,000 in Pell grants to enrolled students in FY 2025. HHS will award about 148 grants, ranging from $150,000 to $1 million.
The terms of the grant competition are not significantly different than prior competitions. As before, there are two absolute grant priorities that every application must address – leveraging non-federal resources and utilizing a sliding-fee scale for low-income parents.
This year’s competition includes only one invitational priority that reflects the Trump administration’s general educational policy. The new priority, entitled “Expanding Education Choice in Early Learning Settings,” encourages applications that “expand access to education choice … including by empowering parents in choosing the early learning setting that best meets their family’s needs.” Flexible childcare programs that include drop-in care and care during nontraditional hours are also encouraged.
One other notable difference from prior competitions is an expanded “Terms and Conditions” section that not only requires compliance with applicable civil rights laws, but also refers to Trump administration Executive Orders and guidance on racial discrimination that clarify “the application of federal antidiscrimination laws to programs or initiatives that may involve discriminatory practices, including those labeled as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (“DEI”) programs.” This includes any “discriminatory equity ideology [as defined in Executive Order 14190] in violation of a federal antidiscrimination law.”
The exact scope of these terms is unclear because courts have not found many of the practices described in these Executive Orders and guidance documents to be violations of federal law.
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