Helen centennial celebration wraps up

HELEN - The celebration of Helen's 100th birthday wrapped up with a series of events on Saturday.

Performances by the All American Lumberjack Show in the field across from Circle K on South Main Street in Helen drew hundreds at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.

The roughly 30-minute high-energy shows for all ages featured numerous competition events, some of which include audience participation. The age range of the 350 people who attended the 2 p.m. show ranged from 4 months to 85 years.

Helen Centennial Committee spokeswoman Jody Shahan said she was pleased with the turnout, and with all the events.

From 7-11 p.m. Saturday, a street dance was held on the downtown Market Platz featuring Georgia Country Female Vocalist of the Year finalist Gina Gailey. Hundreds packed the downtown area for that performance.

Now that the official centennial events are over, the city is gearing up for Oktoberfest, which features a parade at noon Saturday, Sept. 14.