Bring on the balloons and treats - Mulberry Creek Community Center is officially 1 year old.

The Flowery Branch center celebrated its anniversary with a free party and open house on Saturday.

"It was our one-year anniversary, so I thought it would be nice to have a birthday celebration," said Rozalyn Schmitt, program coordinator. "We really are proud of our facility, and it is nice working here."

The event included puppet shows, ice cream, giveaways and class demonstrations in dancing and fencing.

Kaiser Permanente Educational Theatre Program offered the puppet shows.

"They are called ‘Give Peas a Chance' and they are about eating healthy and making good food choices," Schmitt said. "It is nice getting different organizations from the community to come out."

Safe Kids Gainesville/Hall County also was available for car seat checks, and Hall County Fire Services and the LifeSouth bloodmobile were on site.

Marci Summer, facility manager, said the center aims to provide low-cost entertainment for families.

"We try to have things as low cost as possible because we want to be the place where people look for things to do when the economy is bad," she said. "We don't want people to be stressed about the price."

The center is equipped with two full-size basketball courts, a short track and it hosts a variety of classes and activities for the community. The center also offers a membership-based exercise and fitness program.

Upcoming plans for Mulberry Creek include increasing involvement with charitable organizations such as Toys for Tots, Cell Phones for Soldiers and food drives.

Overall, Mulberry Creek's birthday was just one more opportunity to offer low-cost family fun.

"It is important for families to spend time together," Schmitt said. "This is also a way to remind the community that we are here and how much we have to offer."