Wachholz Center Announces Fall Lineup of Free and Discounted Community Events

The Wachholz College Center (WCC) has announced a lineup of fall performances and speaker series aimed at providing the Flathead Valley community with a range of discounted and free community events.

The lineup kicks off in McClaren Hall at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1, with Billboard charting classical-crossover quartet, Sons of Serendip — the first performers in the WCC’s “Artists You Should Know” series. 

Three “Artists You Should Know” acts will come through the valley this fall, spanning folk and Americana, classical crossover, and roots gospel and blues. Additionally, Voctave, a dynamic 11-member a cappella group hailing from Central Florida, will return to WCC with a special Christmas concert on Dec. 8.

The Artists You Should Know series features talented, award-winning artists who many Flathead Valley community members may not initially be familiar with, but after a few hours in McClaren Hall, soon won’t forget, the college said. The series touts a variety of affordable shows as proof that “unforgettable talent doesn’t require big-city ticket prices.” 

“It’s important for us to bring in a variety of truly exceptional artists who are touring on a national level and introduce them to our Flathead Valley audiences,” WCC Director Matt Laughlin said. “As the name suggests, we understand if these groups aren’t immediately familiar to some patrons, but what we know for sure is that the performances they deliver will be truly unforgettable.”

“Almost all of our Artists You Should Know performances will have ticket prices that fall in the $20 to $40 range, and many of them will have student, teacher and senior discounts available,” he added. “It’s our hope that many of our community members will be able to try something new or attend a show by an artist they might not have heard before, and maybe they’ll walk away feeling like ‘that was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen.’”

The series kicks off on Thursday with Sons of Serendip, a billboard charting classical-crossover quartet known for emotionally stirring interpretations of popular music. The group gained national attention as finalists on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, captivating audiences with a distinctive combination of vocals, harp, piano and cello. With four albums to their credit, Sons of Serendip have performed nationally and internationally, including collaborations with the Boston Pops, Atlanta Pops, Maryland Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Grammy Award-winning artist Cynthia Erivo. 

Less than a week later, Charleston, S.C.-based duo Shovels & Rope will bring their energetic blend of folk, country, rock and blues to McClaren Hall on Oct. 7. Made up of married musicians Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst, the duo is celebrated for its raw, stripped-down sound and dynamic live performances. Known for creating music that feels equally at home in an intimate listening room and on a festival stage, Shovels & Rope continue to push the boundaries of Americana while maintaining the chemistry and spontaneity that have made them longtime favorites among roots-music audiences.

Closing out the fall edition of the series is the award-winning duo, The War and Treaty, who will come to the WCC on Friday, Oct. 23. Husband-and-wife Michael and Tanya Trotter draw inspiration from country, soul, gospel, blues and Americana. The duo has built a reputation for emotionally charged performances and extraordinary vocal chemistry. The War and Treaty have earned recognition from the Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association, GRAMMY Awards, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Grand Ole Opry and Americana Music Association, where they were named Duo/Group of the Year for two consecutive years. Their latest project, The Story of Michael and Tanya, reflects the duo’s continued evolution, with guest appearances from artists such as Whoopi Goldberg, Babyface, Wynonna Judd and Valerie June.

Tickets for all Artists You Should Know performances are on sale now at wccmt.org or by calling the ticket office at 406-756-1400.

The fall lineup also includes the start of WCC’s Changemaker Speaker Series, which strives to bring a variety of “inspiring, informative and educational speaking events” to McClaren Hall each season. 

The 2026-2027 season opens up on Nov. 19 with photographer and National Geographic explorer, Kiliii Yüyan. 

Over the course of an evening at McClaren Hall, Yüyan will set out to answer a vital question: what keeps the planet’s most extraordinary ecosystems thriving? From coral reefs and rainforests to the Arctic tundra, he will show how Indigenous stewardship has sustained these environments for generations.

“Through encounters with polar bears alongside Iñupiat hunters, dives into mangrove shark nurseries, and time spent with elders whose knowledge spans centuries, Kiliii reveals a powerful truth: this wisdom is not a relic of the past,” the college said in a press release. “Drawing from Guardians of Life, he makes the case that Indigenous ecological knowledge is a living, evolving guide — offering practical solutions and a blueprint for protecting the planet’s future.”

In 2025, the WCC launched a free field trip program for local K-12 students, where the young students would receive a matinee speaking engagement at McClaren Hall from each Changemaker. About 450 students passed through the WCC’s doors in the program’s inaugural year.

For the 2026-2027 season, WCC plans to have 631 eighth graders attend the Nov 19 event with Yüyan, and about 830 ninth and tenth graders for the Feb. 2 Changemaker speaker, WCC Marketing and Communications Manager Liz Leary said.

WCC is still in search of more students to fill its April 13 matinee for its Changemaker speaker, Brian Skerry, who is an award-winning photojournalist and film producer and has explored Earth’s oceans for four decades.

This matinee is specifically targeted for fourth and fifth grade students, Leary said, and all field trips as part of the program are always completely free for schools to participate. 

For educators interested in the April 13 event, click here for more information. Click here to sign your class up for the matinee field trip. 

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