Historic Helena Hosts Wild Hog Musicfest and Motorcycle Rally April 23-26

Each April, downtown Helena hosts motorcycles, music and massive merriment during the Wild Hog Musicfest and Motorcycle Rally. The three-day event takes place April 23-26 and offers a packed schedule of events, activities and live performances.

If you’ve never attended Wild Hog, you might think it’s a festival dedicated to motorcyclists exclusively. Well, it’s definitely not. The three-day event is jam-packed with fun, food, music and activities, many that don’t require a motorcycle at all. Vendors will line historic Cherry Street in downtown Helena, offering festivalgoers a wide variety of goods and products to eat, drink, enjoy, wear and display. In fact, the festival has an unofficial motto: No bike, no problem…walk-ins welcome!

This year’s Wild Hog Musicfest and Motorcycle Rally officially kicks off on Thursday, April 23, at the Wild Hog Saloon, located one block south of the Cherry Street Pavilion (the main stage). Early on-site bike registration begins at 5 p.m., followed by the early bird party and live music at the Wild Hog Saloon, featuring the Memphis Yahoos.

Friday’s events begin at 2 p.m., as bike registration continues at the Wild Hog Saloon. Live music from the Cherry Street Pavilion starts at 4 p.m. with a performance by the Memphis Yahoos, followed by Mustang Sally, Deep South and an encore performance by Mustang Sally. An escorted bike parade through Helena-West Helena, beginning and ending in the historic downtown, commences at 6:30 p.m. The music at Wild Hog Saloon begins at 9 p.m. and features Magnetik South.

Bike registration opens at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 25. The festival’s poker run begins at 10 a.m. (last bike in at 2 p.m.). Live music kicks off at the Cherry Street Pavilion at noon with a performance by Live Wire. The rest of the afternoon includes a dyno shootout, bike games, and the festival bike show. Kit Thorn takes the stage at 4 p.m. At 5:30, festivalgoers meet the contestants for the ever-popular Ms. Wild Hog contest and winners are announced for the bike show, dyno shootout and bike games. Immediately following, it’s Landslide (a tribute to the music of Fleetwood Mac), followed by the Marshall Tucker Band at 8. Finalists of the Ms. Wild Hog are announced at 9:30. Magnetic South takes the stage at 10:30. Saturday’s musical entertainment at the Wild Hog Saloon features Kit Thorn from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m.

The conclusion of the festival takes places on Sunday, April 26, with morning worship services and blessings of the bikes, beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Whether you arrive on two wheels or four, this year’s Wild Hog offers something for everyone. General admission is $20 for the entire event. Basic registration begins at $30 for one rider and one bike. Passenger registration is $10.

To learn more about the 2015 Wild Hog Musicfest and Motorcycle Rally, including information on lodging options, log on to the festival’s website at www.WildHogMusic.org.