Helena Holiday MADE fair 2026

About Helena Holiday MADE fair

The Helena Holiday MADE fair is a juried handmade market run by handMADE Montana, the Polson-based company founded by Carol Lynn Lapotka that also stages MADE fairs in Missoula and Bozeman. The Helena holiday edition has been on the company's calendar since at least 2018 and now fills the Lewis & Clark County Fairgrounds with more than 175 Montana artists, makers and nonprofits selling pottery, jewelry, prints, textiles, woodwork and food products, from small functional pieces to larger heirloom work. The 2026 fair runs Friday evening, December 4, and all day Saturday, December 5, with food and drink vendors on site.

Saturday general admission from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. is free. Two paid entries get you in before the crowds: a $10 VIP pass for Friday, December 4, from 5 to 8 p.m., and a $5 Early Bird pass for Saturday, December 5, from 9 to 10 a.m. Proceeds from the paid passes go to a local nonprofit, and organizers ask everyone to bring a non-perishable food item for Helena Food Share. The fairgrounds are at 98 W. Custer Avenue on Helena's north side, a short drive from downtown; the fair is indoors, so December weather is not a factor.

What happens

• More than 175 Montana artists, makers and nonprofits under one roof
• Friday-night VIP preview, December 4, 5 to 8 p.m., $10
• Saturday Early Bird hour, 9 to 10 a.m., $5, then free entry until 4 p.m.
• Food and drink vendors on site
• Food drive for Helena Food Share at the door

Tips

• Buy the $5 Early Bird pass if you want first pick of limited-run items; the free-entry crowd arrives at 10 a.m.
• Friday VIP passes are sold in advance online through Ticket Tailor.
• Bring a canned or boxed food item for the Helena Food Share drive.
• The fair is at the fairgrounds on Custer Avenue, not downtown; plan for a short drive from Last Chance Gulch.