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By DONALD MOTTERN | Staff Writer

HELENA – Helena teens gathered at Helena High School to enjoy another iteration of the Teen Council’s movie night event on the evening of Friday, Dec. 15.

Beginning at 6 p.m., students were welcomed onto the high school’s football field to enjoy a showing of “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” It is a movie that has been quite visible in the local community this month, with the film and its characters serving as the theme for Helena’s annual Christmas parade, which was held on Dec. 2.

While the film carries a rating of PG-13, mostly for comedic violence, strong language and suggestive themes, it is commonly considered a family classic. Nevertheless, in part due to the film’s rating and the goal of the event in general, attendance to the event was restricted to students aged 13 to 19.

“One of our main goals as members of the Teen Council is to create more opportunities for the teens in our community to come together,” said Teen Council President Riley Hollabaugh.

With temperatures dropping quickly after nightfall, to a nightly low of 34 degrees Fahrenheit, the evening’s event was far colder than the Teen Council’s first movie night outing, which was held in July. While the elements might have led to a smaller attendance than a summer event, the showing was still deemed a success by members of the Teen Council, who commonly cited the event as a great way to get into the holiday spirit and continue Christmas celebrations.

“It was a good turnout considering the weather we had,” said Anna Beth Goodman, a member of the Teen Council. “It was a cold night, but it was a fun time overall. The people that did come brought blankets and dressed in their festive outfits and pajamas.”

The Teen Council had concessions available and offered candy and drinks all at a rate of $1 each. To fit into the festive mood of the event, hot chocolate was also available for purchase and proved popular among the event’s attendees.

“It was fun to see everyone in a lighter mood now that exams are over,” Goodman said. “I love that Teen Council does these movie nights at our stadium, it really brings the students out and brings them together.”

While future plans for more teen movie nights have not been announced, the ongoing success of both iterations of the event, and a strong support among the Teen Council, serves as an indication that future showings may be forthcoming.