Gainesville Goes Gold was hosted on the square in downtown Gainesville Thursday night in recognition of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month which is September.
Among the many attractions was a full-fledged petting zoo with ponies, lambs, donkeys, cows, pigs, goats, chickens, ducks, bunnies, you name it. There was a train that circled the square for the children to ride, free face painting from the Brenau University cheerleading squad and balloon animals from three clowns and a magician.
Gainesville Mayor Danny Dunagan came out to declare his intentions to make this an annual event.
In the midst of the live music, bubble machines and cotton candy, the message of awareness for childhood cancer was apparent as everyone from the barbeque truck vendors to the cheerleaders selling t-shirts were all there to raise money for cancer research.