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Featuring headliner Lauren Alaina and performer Chase Wright, Helena residents kicked back for an electric evening of country music at the latest installment of Old Town Live on Saturday, June 15. (For the Reporter/Jeremy Raines)

By MACKENZEE SIMMS | Staff Writer

HELENA – Featuring headliner Lauren Alaina and performer Chase Wright, Helena residents kicked back for an electric evening of country music at the latest installment of Old Town Live on Saturday, June 15.

With cold drinks courtesy of Oversoul Brewing and local food trucks such as Gumbo to Geaux, Hey Bebe and Uncle G’s Pizza, guests could enjoy a variety of flavors while they relaxed in their folding chairs or joined the crowd around the stage.

According to Brian Hayes, an event organizer with the Helena Old Town Board, the June installment of Old Town Live drew the largest crowd of the summer with an estimated 5,500 people.

“The crowd was fantastic,” Hayes said. “Everyone was great. The artists put on one heck of a show.”

In addition to her performance, Hayes shared that he loved watching Lauren Alaina interact with the crowd. Although her set ended around 9:30 p.m., Alaina stayed until almost midnight, signing autographs and meeting fans.

“We’ve had some artists sign autographs and do meet and greets and walk through the crowd before, but kudos to her,” Hayes said. “The time she took after the show to personally thank people that stood in line waiting to meet her and get her signature and talk to her was phenomenal.”

Just a stone’s throw away from Buck Creek, the venue of Helena Amphitheater lends itself to a more relaxed atmosphere and intimate setting. According to Hayes, this combination is perfect for bringing the community together.

“Old Town Live has a really good community feel,” Hayes said. “It brings a lot of people together. Music tends to do that. (Despite) ideological differences, political differences and everything else, everybody comes down and I believe everybody has had a really good time.”

The HOTBoard was created in 2021 to serve the community, inspire human connection and bring attention to local businesses. Hayes believes that the Old Town Live concert series accomplishes these tasks.

“(Old Town Live) is kind of its own little niche, but it builds a strong sense of community,” Hayes said. “Almost all the food vendors are based in Helena or in Shelby County that come out to serve food and they have a good time as well. It just really injects money and camaraderie into the community, I believe.

But for Hayes, the best part of volunteering for the HOTBoard is providing a place for his community to create summer memories.

“Just seeing that people come down and have fun makes it worthwhile for me personally and for a lot of us (on the board),” Hayes said. “That’s when we have fun, when we see other people have fun.”

The next installment of Old Town Live will be a special Independence Day celebration on Wednesday, July 3 from 4-10 p.m. The headline act, “Drivin’ N Cryin’,” will perform alongside Bloodkin and Telluride as local vendors sell a variety of unique finds.

Those interested in learning more about Old Town Live can visit Explorehelenaoldtown.com.

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