Spring Concert Series, craft beer fest on deck

A busy year is already underway for the Friends of Ironton, and several events are coming up at the Ro-Na Theater.

On Saturday, bluegrass gospel band Open Rail, of Gallipolis, will perform on stage from 7-9 p.m. as part of the Spring Concert Series. Open Rail consists of Don “Bandpa” Titus on banjo, Roger “Pup” Harrison on vocals and guitar, Brian “Bubba” Ison on vocals and bass and John Cardwell on vocals and mandolin. Tickets for the concert are $10.

On the following Saturday, April 16, the Tri-State Transylvanians will present “A Rocky Horror Beach Party” at the theater. Doors open at 7 p.m. with the show beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets are $5 at the door.

The Great River Craft Brew Fest returns to the Ro-Na for a second year from 1-6 p.m. Saturday, April 30. Ticket prices range from $10-$50 and VIP tickets, which include a one hour early admission at noon and a special gift, are also available.

The Friends of Ironton will again host the Gus Macker 3-on-3-basketball tournament May 20-22. The cost is $144 and registration is Friday, May 20 starting at 4:30 p.m. at the theater. The online registration deadline is Monday, May 2 and the mail-in deadline is Friday, April 29. To pre-register for the Gus Macker tournament, visit www.macker.com/local/ironton-oh.

New to the Gus Macker this year is “Breakfast with Gus” from 8:30-11 a.m. Saturday, May 21 at the Ro-Na. The cost for the breakfast is $5 per person.

Dwight Icenhower will perform an Elvis tribute concert from 7-9 p.m. Friday, May 27. Icenhower was raised in Pomeroy and is one of only a handful of full-time Elvis Tribute artists. He has performed all over the U.S. as well as England, Brazil, Mexico and Japan and has won numerous awards. Tickets for the concert range from $18-$28.

For more information on these events, visit the Ro-Na Facebook page as well as the Ro-Na website, www.ro-na.net. Tickets for the concerts and beer fest can be purchased from the website.

Two Battle of the Bands events are also set for this year with seven openings in each. However, the dates will be announced shortly.

Any band that would like to play at Battle of the Bands is asked to call the Friends of Ironton at 740-533-9797 or go to the Ro-Na Facebook page and leave a name and number where you can be reached.