Festival Ironwood offers fun and music

By P.J. GLISSON

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Ironwood - This year's Festival Ironwood opened with a bang on Wednesday evening, drawing a huge and happy crowd to the Historic Ironwood Depot Park.

People gathered at long tables under the big top tent to enjoy hot sandwiches and beverages provided by the Ironwood/Hurley Rotary Club. Lake Effect band provided live music there.

Additional smaller tents were set up outside of the big top, with some people dancing next to outdoor tables.

Kids let off steam within a bounce house, and many folks just enjoyed the opportunity to visit with friends and family.

"I love it here," said John Asunto of Hurley. "This is the best thing that Ironwood has ever established."

Asunto said he will make a point to have his meals at the festival throughout its duration this week. He added that he really likes the opportunity to run into anyone he knows.

As someone walked by, greeting him, he laughed and said, "See what I mean?"

Riders of two local bike clubs - the Fat Tire Club and the Superior Riders - took off from the park in separate groups.

Sam and Anne Davey of the Superior Riders were waiting for fellow riders as they talked to the Globe.

Sam said that club members meet regularly in the summer time. "Some days we do it in the morning, and some days in the evening," he said.

Anne said the rides are merely "casual," not competitive.

"We wait for everybody at the intersections," said Sam in relation to how members look out for each other's safety.

As some of the other riders prepared to leave, they said they looked forward to returning back to the festival for "music and brats."

Meanwhile, Don Peterson was busy selling tickets for the daily 50/50 raffle. "I'll be here every day and/or night," he said, smiling.

Barbara Corcoran, who was coordinating the ticket sales, said that about 6,600 tickets - "give or take" - were sold during the 2021 festival.

She said the largest pot last year was on Saturday night, which resulted with a $2,800 prize. Corcoran said that festival organizers like to have a daily 50/50 "so that more people have the opportunity to get something."

"Things are going well," said Keith Johnson as he surveyed the crowd and added that "great weather" helped to launch the event successfully.

Johnson heads up each year's festival with Will Corcoran, to whom he playfully gave most of the credit for this year's good start.

A long list of activities were expected to continue on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the park.