HELEN - Looking for a New Year's Eve event with an international flair?<br />
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The Helen Chamber of Commerce will host its second-annual Dropping of the Edelweiss along the Chattahoochee River beginning at 8 p.m. today.<br />
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Renee Chacon of the Helen Chamber explains.<br />
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"Edelweiss is a German flower," Chacon says. "Josef Mahler made our Edelweiss. It's about five feet in diameter, gorgeous. We'll take that out to the Biergarten and drop it at midnight."<br />
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The family-oriented event is open to all ages.<br />
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"We have a live band, so we'll do some German music from traditional Helen and then we'll do some New Year's Eve kind of music as well," Chacon said. <br />
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Cost is $15 per person or $25 per couple. Children ages 6-12 are half price, and children under 6 get in free.<br />
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"We are providing with your admission hats, noisemakers, that kind of thing, heavy hors D'oeuvres - not dinner," Chacon said. "You get a glass of champagne at midnight with your admission. If you don't want champagne, we will have sparkling cider available."<br />
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Doors open at 8 p.m. and close at 1 a.m.<br />
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"We'll have a full bar available as well - wine and beer," Chacon said. "At midnight we'll go out to the Biergarten and see the dropping of the Edelweiss and then we'll come back in and do the champagne toast and close it out."<br />