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Arts & Culture
Arts & Culture
Helena as She Was: The Kohrs Block at Fuller and Lawrence, December 1960
1 source · helena as she was (facebook) · 06:47
A photograph taken at the corner of Fuller Avenue and Lawrence Street in December 1960 shows the Kohrs Block freshly clad in the era's signature commercial makeover — metal screening and stone veneer applied over the building's original facade in what passed for modernization at the time. The image, shared courtesy of Becky Schupp, captures Helena mid-transformation, caught between its Victorian bones and the postwar impulse to look new.
Arts & Culture
42nd Annual Big Sky Autumn Art & Craft Show Returns to Helena Civic Center Oct. 24
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:47
The 42nd Annual Big Sky Autumn Art & Craft Show comes to the Helena Civic Center on Saturday, October 24, offering a free, full-day showcase of handmade work from artists, crafters, and small businesses from around the region. Admission is free.
Arts & Culture
Helena as She Was: A 1949 Photo Shows Canyon Ferry Before the Reservoir Swallowed It
1 source · helena as she was (facebook) · 06:46
A 1949 color photograph of the Canyon Ferry bridge over the Missouri River offers a rare look at the landscape before the current dam changed it permanently. The image, shared as part of the Helena as She Was historical photo series, shows the bridge intact and the hillside above the river already marked by a fresh road cut — the future Canyon Ferry Road on the east bank.
Arts & Culture
Helena History Buffs Challenged to Name Three 1890s Houses Still Standing Today
1 source · helena as she was (facebook) · 06:46
A photo quiz making the rounds in local history circles this week shows three houses photographed in the 1890s and asks a deceptively simple question: where are they, and what was the street originally called?
Arts & Culture
"Hidden Helena" Tour Promises a Look Behind the Doors of the Capital City's Historic Landmarks
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:46
A ticketed history tour scheduled for October 17 will take participants inside some of Helena's most storied buildings, offering access and stories that aren't part of the typical visitor experience.
Arts & Culture
On Broadway Is Becoming Helena's Most Reliable Cultural Address
edition · 09:01
Three separate arts and culture stories this week pointed to the same address: On Broadway. The Unpredictables brought folk, blues, and Celtic to the venue mid-week, and the Cottonwood Club — Helena's Django Reinhardt-influenced string jazz ensemble — is lined up for their own appearance. That's two distinct musical acts at one room in the same seven-day stretch, which isn't unusual for a healthy music venue, but it's worth pausing on what it signals. On Broadway is quietly anchoring Helena's live music identity in a way that a town this size is lucky to have. Beyond the venue, this week's cultural calendar was legitimately packed: the Archie Bray Foundation is showcasing three second-year resident artists, the Montana Book Company on Last Chance Gulch is hosting former Mayor Wilmot Collins and his biographer for a book release, pianist Calvin Jones is bringing a cinematic concert to The Myrna Loy in late September, and the Ming Opera House has a public philosophy event on the books for October. Last Chance Gulch appeared 81 times in this week's coverage. Helena's main street is doing a lot of cultural heavy lifting, and for residents feeling like there's nothing to do on a Tuesday night, the evidence this week suggests that's a choice, not a circumstance.
Arts & Culture
The Unpredictables Bring Folk, Blues, and Celtic to On Broadway This Week
1 source · helenaevents.com · 06:46
Helena husband-and-wife duo The Unpredictables are taking the stage at On Broadway this week, offering the kind of evening where you genuinely don't know if the next song will be a Celtic reel or a reggae groove — and that's exactly the point.
Arts & Culture
Duplicate Bridge Returns Tuesday at First Presbyterian; Trivia Nights Weekly at Mt. Ascension Brewing
2 sources · daily montanan · 06:46
Two recurring community events are giving Helena residents reason to get out of the house this week — one requiring a card hand, the other requiring just a working brain and a willingness to be wrong in public.
Arts & Culture
Cottonwood Club Brings Hot Club Jazz to On Broadway This Week
1 source · helenaevents.com · 06:47
The Cottonwood Club, a Helena string jazz ensemble playing in the tradition of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli, is scheduled to perform at On Broadway, located at 106 East Broadway. The group plays what's known as hot club jazz — an acoustic, string-driven style rooted in 1930s Paris that has maintained a devoted following among jazz listeners drawn to its energy and improvisation.
Arts & Culture
Ming Opera House to Host Public Philosophy Event Blending Art, Music, and Community Conversation
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:47
The Ming Opera House will host Art as Transformation: Art & The Good Life on Sunday, October 11, an event that organizers describe as an immersive public philosophy program built around the question of what role art plays in everyday life. Admission is by suggested donation, keeping the event accessible to anyone who wants to come.
Arts & Culture
Montana Book Company to Host Wilmot Collins and Biographer for Book Release Event October 6
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:46
Montana Book Company on Last Chance Gulch will host former Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins and his biographer, author Daniel Blake Smith, on Tuesday, October 6, for an evening conversation tied to the release of Smith's new book, "RUN: The Wilmot Collins Story — From Liberian Refugee to First Black Mayor in Montana," published by the University of Nebraska Press. Admission is free and open to the public.
Arts & Culture
Free Monday Night Trivia Returns to Mt. Ascension Brewing
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:48
If your Monday nights need a little more competition and a lot more local beer, Mt. Ascension Brewing Co. has you covered. The brewery is hosting free trivia every Monday, with comedian Kaiser Leib running the show as host.
Arts & Culture
Archie Bray Foundation Showcases Three Resident Artists Entering Second Year
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:48
The Archie Bray Foundation is hosting a Second Year Showcase on Thursday, September 10, celebrating resident artists Jake Brodsky, Marian Draper, and Samuel Sarmiento as they move into their second year at the Bray. Admission is free.
Arts & Culture
Pianist Calvin Jones Brings Cinematic Piano Concert to The Myrna Loy on September 29
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:48
Pianist and composer Calvin Jones will perform at The Myrna Loy on Tuesday, September 29, bringing a live concert experience that pairs his original piano compositions with synchronized cinematic visuals projected behind him on screen.
Arts & Culture
Helena Quilters' Guild Brings 150-Plus Quilts to Civic Center Next Weekend
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:49
The Helena Quilters' Guild will take over the Civic Center at 340 Neill Avenue on Friday and Saturday, September 18 and 19, for the Stars Shine Bright Quilt Show 2026 — one of the larger textile exhibitions Helena hosts in a given year.
Arts & Culture
"Grazing with the Elephants" Brings Candidate Meet-and-Greet to Fairgrounds Thursday
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:48
Helena voters will have a chance to meet candidates over a plate of food Thursday evening at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds. "Grazing with the Elephants" — a free, informal candidate forum — runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Fairgrounds Rustic Shelter, giving residents a low-key opportunity to ask questions and hear directly from people on the ballot.
Arts & Culture
York Fest Returns September 19 with Music, Vendors, and a Day in the Gulch Country
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:48
York Fest is back Saturday, September 19, bringing a free, family-friendly celebration to the small community of York, tucked into the mountains northeast of Helena along the Hauser Lake Road corridor. The event runs through the day and features live music, local vendors, food, and community organizations — the kind of gathering that York pulls off well for a town with no stoplight.
Arts & Culture
Helena as She Was: The Treasure State Rodeo, 1946
1 source · helena as she was (facebook) · 06:47
A colorized photograph from June 29, 1946, shows a horse and an unidentified rider at what was then the Helena fairgrounds — a snapshot from the Treasure State Rodeo, an event that ran for just four years, from 1944 to 1947, before fading from the local calendar.
Arts & Culture
Bray Center Hosts Free Summer Resident Panel Thursday Night
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:47
The Holter Museum's Frances Senska Center for Education and Engagement hosted its second summer resident panel of the season Thursday evening, bringing together a new cohort of artists for what the Bray billed as a lightning-round discussion format moderated by center staff. The event, free and open to the public, was also available to stream online for those who couldn't make it in person.
Arts & Culture
Headwaters Craft House Launches Monday Game Night Starting September 14
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:47
Headwaters Craft House is kicking off a new weekly event starting Monday, September 14: Headwaters Monday Game Night, open to all comers and free to attend. The idea is straightforward — bring your own games, borrow from the house collection, or join a round of Jackbox on the screen. Giveaways are part of the mix.
Arts & Culture
Helena as She Was: The Lamb Ranch on North Montana Avenue, 1956
1 source · helena as she was (facebook) · 06:47
A 1956 winter photograph recently shared by local history enthusiasts captures the Lamb Ranch in the Helena Valley, looking east from North Montana Avenue near what is now Middlemas Road. The image offers a rare ground-level view of the valley before the residential and commercial development that would transform it in subsequent decades.
Arts & Culture
Helena Education Foundation Brings Back Carnival Classic at Memorial Park on September 13
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:47
The Helena Education Foundation is hosting its annual Carnival Classic on Sunday, September 13, at Memorial Park. Admission is free, and the event serves as both a community celebration of public education and the unofficial kick-off to the new school year for Helena students and families.
Arts & Culture
Preserve Montana Offering Window Restoration Workshop at Baxendale Schoolhouse in September
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:46
Preserve Montana is hosting a hands-on window restoration workshop at the Baxendale Schoolhouse Preservation Center on Saturday, September 12, for anyone interested in learning how to repair and maintain historic wood windows. Tickets run $65 to $75.
Arts & Culture
Septemberfest Returns to Last Chance Gulch September 11–13 with 'Gulch Goes Galactic' Theme
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:46
The 6th Annual Septemberfest is scheduled for the weekend of September 11, 12, and 13 on Last Chance Gulch and the Walking Mall, with this year's theme announced as "Gulch Goes Galactic." The event is free and open to families, continuing the festival's run as one of Helena's end-of-summer traditions.
Arts & Culture
Helena Author Presents Program on Copper King Marcus Daly at History Center Wednesday
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:47
Helena author Brenda Wahler presents "Marcus Daly's Montana Empires" at the Lewis and Clark County Historical Society History Center on Wednesday, August 12. Admission is free.
Arts & Culture
Free Summer Music Series Continues Saturdays at Lincoln's Blackfoot Pathways
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:47
The Sculpture in the Wild Summer Series is running every Saturday through Labor Day at Blackfoot Pathways: Sculpture in the Wild in Lincoln, about an hour west of Helena on Highway 200. The events are free and family-friendly, held inside the site's iconic TeePee Burner structure. September 5 is among the remaining dates.
Arts & Culture
Fox Den DJs Bring Montana Pride Dance Party to Jester's Bar Saturday
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:47
The Fox Den DJ collective is throwing a Montana Pride dance party at Jester's Bar on Saturday, August 8th — a free event built around wigs, house music, and whatever the Jester's dance floor can hold.
Arts & Culture
'Shrek The Musical' Coming to Grandstreet Theatre
1 source · helenaevents.com · 06:46
Grandstreet Theatre is bringing "Shrek The Musical" to its Helena stage, offering a family-friendly production based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks film. The show follows the familiar story of a reclusive ogre who sets out to reclaim his swamp and ends up on an unlikely adventure with a fast-talking Donkey and an assortment of fairy tale misfits.
Arts & Culture
Montana Pride Parade Returns to Last Chance Gulch on August 8
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:46
The 2026 Montana Pride Parade steps off Saturday, August 8, beginning at Anchor Park and marching down Last Chance Gulch to the MainStage at 400 N. Last Chance Gulch. Admission is free, and organizers are encouraging participants to dress in their most colorful attire for what is consistently one of the most attended community events on Helena's summer calendar.
Arts & Culture
Grandstreet Keeps Showing Up in Your Feed for a Reason
edition · 09:01
Grandstreet Theatre was mentioned in no fewer than five separate stories this week — all of them variations on the same announcement that Shrek The Musical is coming to the Last Chance Gulch stage this summer. The repetition is worth naming: in a local news environment, a single production generating that volume of coverage reflects both genuine community interest and the reality that arts organizations rely heavily on press to drive ticket sales. For Helena arts patrons, the practical point is simple: if you've been seeing Shrek references all week and wondering whether you missed something, you haven't. The show is coming, it's aimed at families and general audiences, and Grandstreet is clearly bullish on it. Beyond the green ogre, the week had a genuinely rich arts calendar — the Archie Bray Foundation's Brickyard Bash, the Montana Clay Tour across six Helena studios, the Red Ink Players' Murder Mystery Dinner at Grizzly Gardens, free live entertainment at Blackfoot Pathways Sculpture Park in Lincoln, and two separate events tied to Humanities Montana and a Crow scholar at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds on August 30. Last Chance Gulch appeared as the sixth-most-mentioned entity this week with 64 references, suggesting Helena's downtown arts corridor remains the gravitational center of the city's cultural life.
Arts & Culture
Free Monday Night Trivia Returns to Mt. Ascension Brewing
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:48
Mt. Ascension Brewing Co. is hosting free trivia every Monday evening, with comedian Kaiser Leib running the show. The event is open to the public at no charge.
Arts & Culture
Grandstreet Theatre Brings Shrek the Musical to Helena This Season
1 source · helenaevents.com · 06:48
Grandstreet Theatre is staging Shrek the Musical this season, bringing the DreamWorks film's fairy tale characters — and a fair amount of swamp humor — to Helena's longest-running community theater. The production is billed as family-friendly and open to all ages.
Arts & Culture
Grandstreet Theatre Brings Shrek the Musical to Helena Stage
1 source · helenaevents.com · 06:46
Grandstreet Theatre is staging Shrek The Musical, the Broadway adaptation of DreamWorks' Oscar-winning animated film, with performances coming up for Helena audiences. The production brings the story of the grumpy swamp-dwelling ogre Shrek and his fast-talking donkey companion to life in what the theater is billing as a family-friendly show suitable for all ages.
Arts & Culture
Free Event at Fairgrounds August 30 Brings Crow Scholar, Cavalry History to Helena
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:47
The 2nd U.S. Cavalry Association and Humanities Montana are co-hosting a free public event at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds on Saturday, August 30, billed as a celebration of Montana territorial history. The centerpiece of this year's program is a presentation by Dr. Lanny Real Bird, a Crow Nation scholar whose work focuses on Indigenous history and the intersection of Native and settler experience in the Northern Plains and Rocky Mountain West.
Arts & Culture
'Shrek The Musical' Stomps Onto the Grandstreet Stage This Summer
1 source · helenaevents.com · 06:47
Grandstreet Theatre is bringing Shrek The Musical to Helena audiences this summer, staging the Broadway-rooted show based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks animated film. The production follows Shrek, a solitary ogre, as he sets out to reclaim his swamp and winds up on an unlikely adventure alongside a relentless talking donkey and a princess who isn't exactly what the fairy tales promised.
Arts & Culture
Humanities Montana Brings Crow Scholar to Lewis and Clark Fairgrounds for Free Territorial Celebration Aug. 30
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:47
A free public event celebrating the history of the Montana Territory comes to the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds on Sunday, August 30, featuring Crow Nation scholar Dr. Lanny Real Bird as a special guest presenter. The event is co-hosted by the 2nd U.S. Cavalry Association and Humanities Montana, two organizations that don't often share a stage — and that pairing alone signals something worth showing up for.
Arts & Culture
Free Summer Series Continues at Blackfoot Pathways Sculpture Park in Lincoln
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:47
Every Saturday through Labor Day, Blackfoot Pathways: Sculpture in the Wild in Lincoln is hosting free live entertainment inside the park's iconic TeePee Burner — the repurposed wood-waste incinerator that has become one of the most distinctive cultural landmarks in the mountains west of Helena. This Saturday, August 29, is the next installment of the Summer Series, which brings music, performance, and family-friendly programming into the sculpture park's outdoor space.
Arts & Culture
Red Ink Players Return to Grizzly Gardens for Second Annual Murder Mystery Dinner
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:47
Red Ink Players are back at Grizzly Gardens for the second annual Murder Mystery Dinner, running August 28 and 29. This year's production is titled "Fix It In Post Mortem" — a title that suggests the group's sense of humor about the genre is intact. Tickets are $100 and must be purchased in advance; organizers say tickets will not be available at the door.
Arts & Culture
Shrek The Musical Coming to Grandstreet Theatre This Summer
1 source · helenaevents.com · 06:46
Grandstreet Theatre is staging Shrek The Musical this summer, bringing the DreamWorks fairy tale to the Last Chance Gulch stage for audiences of all ages. The production follows the familiar story of Shrek, a grumpy ogre who sets out to reclaim his swamp with the help of a fast-talking Donkey, and along the way encounters a cast of fairy tale misfits including Princess Fiona.
Arts & Culture
Archie Bray Foundation Hosts Annual Brickyard Bash This Saturday with Live Music, Food Trucks
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:46
The Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts is holding its annual Brickyard Bash on Saturday, July 25, with free admission to the historic brickyard campus on Country Club Avenue. The evening event brings together food trucks, beverages, and live music from Helena band Big Sky Mudflaps for what has become one of the summer's more relaxed community gatherings on the Bray's grounds.
Arts & Culture
Montana Clay Tour Returns This Weekend with 40-Plus Artists Across Six Helena Studios
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:47
The 2026 Montana Clay Tour runs Saturday and Sunday, July 25 and 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, with six host studios across the Helena area opening their doors for what has become one of the region's premier ceramic arts events. Admission is free and open to the public.
Arts & Culture
Shrek The Musical Coming to Grandstreet Theatre This Season
1 source · helenaevents.com · 06:47
Grandstreet Theatre is bringing Shrek The Musical to its stage, giving Helena families a chance to see the DreamWorks story live with a cast of fairy tale characters in full green-skinned production. The show follows the grumpy ogre Shrek as he sets out to reclaim his swamp, accompanied by a fast-talking Donkey and a roster of misfit characters from the animated films.
Arts & Culture
Helena's Arts Scene Is Having a Moment — and It's Not Just One Venue
edition · 09:01
If you felt like there was a lot going on culturally in Helena this week, you weren't imagining it. Grandstreet Theatre's production of Shrek the Musical appeared in no fewer than three separate daily stories this week — a signal that the show is generating real community buzz and that the theater is leaning hard into promotion for what it's billing as a family centerpiece of the summer season. But Grandstreet wasn't alone. The Archie Bray Foundation's annual Brickyard Bash returned Saturday with a homecoming theme, the Montana Clay Tour opened more than 40 artists across six Helena-area studios for a full weekend, the Helena Symphony announced its season opener built around the nation's 250th anniversary, and Grammy-nominated pianist Judy Carmichael is coming to town. Free trivia at Mt. Ascension Brewing, the East Helena Food Truck Festival, a classic car show at AAA Helena, and the ongoing free concert series at Sculpture in the Wild in Lincoln rounded out the calendar. The pattern is hard to miss: Helena's arts and community event infrastructure is firing on all cylinders this summer, offering residents options nearly every day of the week across a wide range of budgets — including plenty of free ones.
Arts & Culture
Montana Clay Tour Brings 40-Plus Artists to Six Helena-Area Studios This Weekend
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:47
The 2026 Montana Clay Tour runs Saturday and Sunday, July 25 and 26, with six host studios across the Helena area opening their doors to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. The tour is free and features pottery, ceramic sculpture, and installation art by more than 40 artists. No tickets are required.
Arts & Culture
Archie Bray Foundation's Brickyard Bash Returns Saturday with Homecoming Theme
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:47
The Archie Bray Foundation is hosting its annual summer party on Saturday, July 25, this year under the theme "Homecoming." Dubbed the Brickyard Bash and Auction, the event takes place on the Bray's historic brickyard campus and is one of the Helena arts community's signature summer gatherings. Tickets are $15.
Arts & Culture
Grandstreet Theatre Brings 'Shrek The Musical' to the Stage
1 source · helenaevents.com · 06:46
Grandstreet Theatre is staging Shrek The Musical, the Broadway adaptation of the Oscar-winning DreamWorks film, offering Helena families a chance to see the beloved ogre and his fast-talking donkey companion come to life on a local stage. The production promises the full fairy tale misfit treatment — Shrek, Donkey, Princess Fiona, and the rest — in what the theater is billing as a show for all ages.
Arts & Culture
Free Monday Night Trivia Returns to Mt. Ascension Brewing
1 source · helena arts & culture · 06:46
Mt. Ascension Brewing Co. is hosting free trivia every Monday night, with comedian Kaiser Leib running the show. The event is open to the public at no charge and has become a regular fixture on the Helena weekly calendar for regulars who want a low-key reason to be somewhere on a Monday.
Arts & Culture
Grandstreet Theatre Brings Shrek the Musical to Helena This Season
1 source · helenaevents.com · 06:46
Grandstreet Theatre is staging Shrek the Musical this season, bringing the DreamWorks fairy tale to its Helena stage in a production the theater is billing as suitable for all ages.
Arts & Culture
Grammy-Nominated Stride Pianist Judy Carmichael Coming to Helena
1 source · helenaevents.com · 06:46
Judy Carmichael, the Grammy-nominated pianist and vocalist whom Count Basie nicknamed "Stride" for her mastery of the technically demanding style, is scheduled to perform in Helena in an upcoming jazz concert.
Arts & Culture
Helena Symphony Opens Season with American Classics, Marks Nation's 250th
1 source · helenaevents.com · 06:46
The Helena Symphony opens its new season Saturday, September 12, with a Masterworks Concert at 5:30 p.m. built around the 250th anniversary of the United States — anchoring the program with two pillars of American classical music.