Helena's Made in Montana Trade Show March 13-14 Features Wholesale, Retail

Helena will host the Made in Montana Trade Show at the Lewis & Clark County Fairgrounds, bringing Montana food and gift makers together with wholesale buyers on March 13 and local shoppers on March 14. The two-day event, organized by the Montana Department of Commerce, is designed to help producers secure retail accounts while giving residents access to Montana-made products.

The fairgrounds at 98 West Custer Ave. will open Friday, March 13, for a wholesale buyer day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 14, shifts to a public retail day with hours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Exhibitors must meet established eligibility rules for food and gift producers; the show is a wholesale-oriented tradeshow with an added retail day, not a typical craft fair. Organizers provide exhibitor resources and registration information for businesses planning to attend.

For Lewis and Clark County, the trade show is more than a market-style weekend. Wholesale buyer day creates an opportunity for Montana producers to win shelf space in Helena-area stores, regional groceries and specialty retailers. Wholesale contracts and large-volume orders can translate into scaling production, hiring seasonal or permanent staff, and increasing local sourcing of ingredients and packaging. For small producers, a single wholesale account can materially change monthly revenue streams compared with one-off retail sales.

Saturday’s retail day offers direct economic benefits to residents and the downtown retail ecosystem. Local consumers can sample and purchase Montana-made foods and gifts before products appear on store shelves, keeping more of the retail dollar within the county. The event also tends to generate spillover spending at nearby restaurants, gas stations and hotels, supporting service-sector jobs that are key to Helena’s economy.

Logistics at the fairgrounds will matter for attendees. The dual structure concentrates buyer meetings on Friday, minimizing congestion for retail shoppers on Saturday, but visitors should plan for event parking and peak-hour traffic around West Custer Ave. Producers preparing to exhibit should review registration requirements and the exhibitor guidance on product eligibility and wholesale presentation to maximize buyer leads.

Looking ahead, the trade show fits broader efforts to strengthen Montana’s value-added food sector and craft economy by building wholesale channels that scale local businesses. For readers, the event is a chance to support homegrown makers, scout new products for local retail shelves, and connect with the businesses that add to Helena’s economic resilience.