when is ales for trails 2026

The 15th Helena Ales for Trails was Friday, May 15, 2026, at Pioneer Park, with the VIP pre-event 3:30-5pm and the main event 5-9pm. The 2027 date has not been announced.

how much are ales for trails tickets

In 2026 main event tickets were $20 at participating Helena breweries and shops, $25 online and $35 at the gate. Each includes a festival glass and three 6 oz pours, with extra tokens at $1.

where is ales for trails in helena

Pioneer Park, 120 S Last Chance Gulch, next to the Lewis & Clark Library at the south end of the Walking Mall.

is ales for trails in may or september

May, since 2025. It was held in early September through 2024 (the 13th was September 6, 2024) and moved to May starting with the 14th on May 16, 2025.

where does the ales for trails money go

To Helena-area trail projects. The 2025 festival raised $56,414, which paid for new trail in the Scratchgravel Hills and on Mount Ascension.

Food & Drink

Helena Ales for Trails

A one-evening craft beer festival in Pioneer Park whose ticket money pays for new trails around Helena.

When

Friday, May 15, 2026

Finished for 2026. Next year's dates are not announced yet; it usually falls a Friday in mid-May, VIP 3:30-5pm and main event 5-9pm (held in early September through 2024).

Where

Pioneer Park

120 S Last Chance Gulch, Helena, MT 59601

Cost

2026 main event: $20 at participating Helena breweries and shops while they last, $25 online, $35 at the gate. Each ticket includes a festival glass and three tokens for 6 oz pours; extra tokens $1. The VIP pre-event is a separate ticket ($50 in 2024).

By Helena Ales for Trails (a volunteer consortium of community leaders, local businesses and city and county government)

About Helena Ales for Trails

Helena Ales for Trails is a beer festival that raises money for the Helena trail system. It is run by a consortium of local volunteers rather than a single organization, with more than 150 volunteers working on the day. Over its first 14 years it raised more than $261,000 for trail projects, including the Centennial Trail, Prickly Pear Land Trust's Peaks to Creek project, the Ascension Downhill trail, the Park City trailhead, the 2019 Whyte addition to Mount Helena City Park and the Bureau of Land Management's Scratchgravel Hills recreation plan. The 2025 festival raised $56,414, which built more than 1.5 miles of new trail in the Scratchgravel Hills and about half a mile on Mount Ascension.

The festival is held in Pioneer Park, next to the Lewis & Clark Library at the south end of the Walking Mall. It ran in early September through 2024 and moved to May in 2025; the 2026 festival was Friday, May 15. A VIP pre-event runs 3:30 to 5pm, aimed at small-batch, barrel-aged, sour and other unusual beers, and the main event runs 5 to 9pm. In 2026, 17 breweries poured, most from Montana towns including Helena, Bozeman, Missoula, Billings, Stevensville and Anaconda, along with cider, wine and non-alcoholic beer.

What happens

Around 17 to 20 Montana breweries pouring in one downtown park
A VIP hour and a half for limited-release, barrel-aged and sour beers
Custom printed festival glass with every ticket
All proceeds go to building and maintaining Helena-area trails

Tips

The cheapest $20 tickets are sold in person at a few Helena breweries and shops and run out; the gate price is $35
Your ticket covers three 6 oz pours, after that tokens are $1 each
VIP tickets have sold out within a few weeks in past years
It moved from September to May in 2025, so older listings with a September date are out of date

Official site & tickets →

Helena Ales for Trails FAQ

when is ales for trails 2026: The 15th Helena Ales for Trails was Friday, May 15, 2026, at Pioneer Park, with the VIP pre-event 3:30-5pm and the main event 5-9pm. The 2027 date has not been announced.
how much are ales for trails tickets: In 2026 main event tickets were $20 at participating Helena breweries and shops, $25 online and $35 at the gate. Each includes a festival glass and three 6 oz pours, with extra tokens at $1.
where is ales for trails in helena: Pioneer Park, 120 S Last Chance Gulch, next to the Lewis & Clark Library at the south end of the Walking Mall.
is ales for trails in may or september: May, since 2025. It was held in early September through 2024 (the 13th was September 6, 2024) and moved to May starting with the 14th on May 16, 2025.
where does the ales for trails money go: To Helena-area trail projects. The 2025 festival raised $56,414, which paid for new trail in the Scratchgravel Hills and on Mount Ascension.

Events at Downtown Helena More food & drink in Helena