By GRAHAM BROOKS / Staff Writer

HELENA–The one-of-a-kind Beadapalooza event has been an annual staple in the city of Helena for nine years and has grown so much in popularity that it is now becoming a semi-annual event.

Traditionally, The Bead Biz hosted the Beadapalooza event annually in August but that is now changing due to increased popularity.

The event has gotten so big that in the past, vendors and people were almost blocking the road. After talking with the city of Helena, The Bead Biz owner Lora Lunsford and the city decided it was best to move the event to the community center and to hold the event twice a year.

“We have expanded from 1,500 square feet of space in the first year to now pushing 20 plus vendors and 7,500 square feet of space,” said Lunsford.

Beadapalooza will be held March 14-15 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will be filled with bead and gemstone vendors from all over the United States where people can walk around to shop different types of jewelry.

A change for this year is that anyone can sign up for classes that will be taught by some of the best instructors around the country. Some of the classes being taught will include embroidery, wire wrapping, pewter casting and more.

Anyone wishing to join a class can sign up directly on the website at Thebeadbiz.com.

Those who sign up for a class will be able to attend a preview party sale on Friday, March 13 from 7-9 p.m.

Lunsford talked about the success the event has gathered over the years.

“It has become more like a bead circus than a bead show,” said Lunsford. “People come from all over the Southeast to attend and it has grown immensely. I didn’t want it to be like typical bead shows so I had to come up with ideas. I want it to be fun and entertaining.”

Some of the other offerings will include tribal belly dancers, acoustic music, massages and possibly line dancing.