First Friday goes virtual

By TOM LAVENTURE

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Ironwood — It’s still too soon for large group events due to the coronavirus pandemic and so First Friday for June will be a virtual concert and gift card giveaway, along with a call to support downtown businesses and restaurants.

“As you know we can’t have any events with more than 10 people but we still want to move forward with First Friday,” said First Friday organizer Tim Erickson, a community development specialist with the city of Ironwood. “So, we decided to move forward in a virtual way.”

This virtual First Friday will feature Andy Makey in a live stream performance from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, June 6 on the Facebook and Instagram accounts for Travel Ironwood (travelironwood.com). 

According to his Facebook page, Makey is a musician and singer-songwriter who hails from Iowa and now resides in the U.P. He plays acoustic and electric guitars while performing original songs and cover tunes.

The concert will be streamed from the mezzanine gallery of the Historic Ironwood Theatre.

Amy Nosal, chair of the Downtown Ironwood Development Authority, will serve as event emcee along with Amber Hollenbeck. 

“I think this is going to be pretty exciting,” Nosal said during the DIDA meeting Thursday.

People are encouraged to support local restaurants on Friday and listen in and watch the live stream from wherever they are, Erickson said.

“Enjoy some live, local music,” Erickson said. “It should be a pretty good event.”