Friday open mic nights are open to all

FreeFest Connect aLive continues to bring the community together, which is the point of the free activities like an open mic night for local musicians and poets, as well as upcoming events like bowling and skating.

Ironton aLive Executive Director Sam Heighton said he is proud and excited to work with the local businesses, the recovery community and residents, in partnership with the Impact Prevention group.

“We have completed our third open mic night at The Iron Town Coffee Lab and they are growing each week — this is community connectivity in motion,” he said. “We expect to touch the lives and perhaps open some new doors for hundreds of people living in recovery, and impact others in the community through prevention.”

The open mic night is 5:30-7:30 p.m. every Friday until the end of April.

Susan Heald, with Impact Prevention and the Community Collective project, said FreeFest is a tangible outcome of Lawrence County’s Community Collective Impact Model 4 Change project.

“We are promoting community connectedness by encouraging everyone to get out, enjoy each other and have fun through truly free events,” she said. “The events will happen all through the months of March and April.”

Besides the weekly open mic night, there will be bowling and skating activities at Spare Time Recreation on March 25 and the final event will be a community fun day at the Ro-Na Theater on April 27. You can get free tickets to the Spare Time Recreation event during the open mic night by winning a door prize or by showing your talent at the open mic.

The Ro-Na Day event will be open to everyone.

FreeFest is also having a youth essay writing and art contest. The topic is “My Town 2029” and the pieces should have a positive vision for the future of the area. It is open to Lawrence County students in grades 6-12.

Local writers, educators and community members will narrow down the selections. Television writer and producer Mickey Fisher, an Ironton native, will make the final selections. Winners will share the $600 in prize money.

Art entries can be submitted in person only to Consigned Books, 221 S. 3rd St. Ironton, Ohio, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 12:30-5 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Saturday. Essay submissions can be made at Essay/Writing entries uploaded online only to Ironton aLive Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/irontonalive/app/79458893817/

Submissions accepted until March 22. Winners will be announced in April during Ro-Na Day.

 

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