Festival of Wines 2026

About Festival of Wines

The Festival of Wines is the Exchange Club of Helena's yearly fundraiser for its Coats for Kids program, which buys new winter coats and boots for children in the Helena area. It is a semi-formal evening for guests 21 and older with more than 60 wines, microbrews, appetizers, a silent auction, raffles and live music from the Trevor Murray Band. The club says the program has raised more than $250,000 and bought more than 4,700 coats and 2,100 pairs of boots. It was started by Maxine and Warren Morehouse, when she worked at Capital Sports and he was an Exchange Club member.

The 29th annual festival is Saturday, November 7, 2026, in the Helena Civic Center Ballroom on Neill Avenue. VIP ticket holders enter at 6 p.m. and general admission runs 7 to 10 p.m. The venue has moved: the 26th (November 4, 2023) and 28th (November 8, 2025) were held at the Great Northern hotel at 835 Great Northern Blvd. The date has fallen on the first or second Saturday of November, so it does not follow a fixed weekday pattern.

What happens

• More than 60 wines plus microbrews
• Silent auction and raffle
• Live music from the Trevor Murray Band
• A VIP hour from 6 p.m., before general admission opens at 7
• Proceeds buy winter coats and boots through Coats for Kids

Tips

• It is 21 and older and semi-formal, so plan for a dressier night out.
• In 2023 tickets were cheaper before early October, so buy early if the club repeats that pricing.
• The festival has changed venues between the Civic Center and the Great Northern hotel, so check the address on your ticket.