Kids enjoy Rock and Roll Playground at Old Town Live

Published 6:14 pm Wednesday, July 21, 2021

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By NATHAN HOWELL | Staff Writer

HELENA – Children from Helena and surrounding areas were treated to a fun day of music, games, activities and more during a special concert event on Saturday, July 17.

At the third version of the city’s Old Town Live event, the Helena Old Town entertainment board (HOTboard) brought Rock and Roll Playhouse to the Helena Amphitheater to entertain the young guests.

The musical group is a family-friendly band that picks a particular era of rock music and adapts it through interactive games, movement and stories to offer a fun experience for parents and their children.

The band opted to use the music of The Beatles for this experience. The band kicked off the event with a hello song partnered with a rock and roll jump, a parachute, call and response, streamers and a freeze dance.

The activities seemed to be a success as kids could be seen moving along and dancing and jumping around with each other while enjoying the music.

The event was a hit with Helena residents, as many of them expressed how excited they were for a family event like this.

“My husband and I brought our four children to Old Town Live and it was outstanding,” Becca Allen said. “It was great for our kids to sing Beatles music with their friends and they loved the mechanical bull set up from Helena Hollow.”

The fun did not end after the band finished playing. The HOTboard had a number of activities like bounce houses, Helena Hollow’s special train ride, slides, games and more music provided by a DJ.

The HOTboard has been continuing to sponsor events in an effort to promote the city’s entertainment district, and to bring awareness to the restaurants, vendors and facilities offered by the area.

“It was rewarding to help host this event for my community,” HOTboard member Jana May said. “To see so many families come to the amphitheater and share in community, play on inflatables, and dance while singing with the Rock and Roll Playhouse band to Beatles music was the highlight of my weekend.”

Another member of the HOTboard, Brian Hayes, added how successful the event was for the organization, and thanked his fellow board members for their hard work.

“The vision of our board was to create another family friendly event that specifically focused on children and helped the community to explore what’s possible. Our team knocked it out of the park. So many families came and enjoyed themselves,” Hayes said. “The HOTBoard is looking forward to August’s Old Town Live event on Aug 21st. We hope people will continue to return as we explore what’s possible.”

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