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By NATHAN HOWELL | Staff Writer

HELENA — The Helena Old Town Board, HOTboard, is set to host a free event called “Old Town Live,” which will feature live music, food from Old Town restaurants, local vendors and more on April 3.

Since the area was designated an entertainment district back in 2020, the city has been planning events that would accentuate the area’s allure and provide an opportunity for residents come to out and enjoy the warm spring weather.

According to Helena City Councilperson and HOTboard liaison Laura Joseph, the event will take place at the Helena Amphitheater, and will serve as a way to connect the community with the great amenities that Old Town Helena provides.

“Old Town Live is meant to be a kickoff for the entertainment district,” Joseph said. “The board wants to make this a regular event and we are looking at making this monthly if possible. This is an opportunity for the community to come together and enjoy this wonderful space.”

One of the main attractions of the event will be the incredible music acts that will take the stage at the Helena Amphitheatre. There will be several local bands will be out to entertain guests including The Pine Hill Haints, Drayton Farley and Deadwood.

Guests will also be able to explore different food offerings from Helena restaurants like Bywater Oyster Bar & Grill, Refined To-Go and Beef O’Brady’s.

Boutiques in the district will be open for guests to come and explore throughout the event including Skull Girl Soaps, the Oh My Soul clothing boutique, Buck Creek Stained Glass, The Petal Cart florist and gifts, and more.

One of the benefits of the designation as an entertainment district is that guests at the event will be able to enjoy alcoholic beverages purchased from establishments within the district while moving through the event and enjoying the concert, with a district approved cup.

The bounds of the district extend from Alabama 261 at Beef O’Brady’s to where Stephanie Fishel Photography is located. However, the HOTboard wanted to emphasize that guests cannot bring beverages from one establishment into another.

Joseph said that the board was excited about this event, and plans to host many more in the future.

“We started planning for this event back in January, when it was first thrown out to the board for consideration and everyone has been very enthusiastic in their support for this event,” Joseph said. “We have missed being able to come together as a community just to enjoy the wonderful amenities and spaces we have here and the nice folks who own them.”

She also expressed that this location was ideal for people who are still worried about getting out in public as the area is perfect for social distancing. There will be plenty of room for people to spread out and check out all of the food and shopping that Old Town Helena has to offer.

Old Town Live will be centered around the Helena Amphitheater located at 4151 Helena Road.

More information can be found by visiting the Helena Old Town Facebook page.