Making a splash this weekend at Helen’s Fasching Tubing Parade

HELEN, Ga. - You already know that Georgia's own "Alpine village" is a popular place during Oktoberfest and the holiday season, but there’s a "chilling" reason to visit Helen this weekend — that is, if you can handle a little cold water!

The annual Faschingsverein Helen Sidewalk and Tubing Parade and Party is happening on Saturday, Feb. 22, bringing the celebration of Fasching to Georgia and challenging partygoers to make a "splash" by tubing in the chilly waters of the Chattahoochee River!

Fasching, by the way, refers to the celebratory season leading up to Ash Wednesday — in other words, it’s a German equivalent to Mardi Gras. The people of Helen have already marked the occasion with several special events this month, but it all culminates in this weekend’s day-long festivities.

The sidewalk parade will begin staging at the Helendorf River Inn & Conference Center at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, with registration continuing until 12:30 p.m. (before the parade "steps off" a half-hour later). After the parade around town, those who wish to "take the plunge" can pick up their tubes at the Riverbend Motel and continue the parade on the river through the Biergarten of the Helen Festhalle. Tubing is free, but there’s a limit of 100 tubes available, so early registration is recommended.

Finally, there’s an evening party beginning at 6 p.m. (with live music beginning at 7:00 p.m.) — admission is $5 at the door and guests may bring their own food and drinks to enjoy.

For more information on the Faschingsverein Helen Sidewalk and Tubing Parade and Party — click over to the Faschingsverein Helen Facebook page here. Or, if you want to hear some screams of "It’s cold! It’s cold!" — click the video player in this article to check out our morning preview of the big event!