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Brady Ross and The Route 23 Band, of Greenup, Kentucky, performed Saturday at the Summer Solstice Music and Arts Festival. This was their second time performing at the festival. (The Ironton Tribune | Mark Shaffer)

Crowds gathered on Saturday at the Ironton Riverfront to listen to music and check out the wares of local vendors. The event was put on by Third and Center group. (The Ironton Tribune | Mark Shaffer)

A girl makes a tie dyed napkin at the Ohio State University Extension booth at the Summer Solstice Music and Arts Festival on Saturday. (The Tribune|Mark Shaffer)

Children use fabric dye to make tie dyed cloth on Saturday at the Ironton Riverfront during the Summer Solstice Music and Arts Festival. (The Ironton Tribune | Mark Shaffer)

The Shelby Lore Band played at the second annual Summer Solstice Music and Arts Festival at the Ironton riverfront on Saturday afternoon. (The Tribune|Mark Shaffer)

A child catches bubbles during the second annual Summer Solstice Music and Arts Festival on Saturday. (The Ironton Tribune | Mark Shaffer)

A child fishes from a log on the Ohio River during the Summer Solstice Music and Arts Festival on the Ironton Riverfront on Saturday. (The Ironton Tribune | Mark Shaffer)

Dale Elkins and the Bloodhounds performed at the Summer Solstice Music and Arts Festival on the Ironton Riverfront on Saturday. (The Ironton Tribune | Mark Shaffer)

Summer Solstice festival brings music, art to riverfront

Summer Solstice Music and Arts Festival brought people in droves to downtown Ironton’s riverfront on Saturday.

“It has gone better than we could have ever dreamed,” said Amanda Cleary, co-founder and executive director of the nonprofit group Third and Center that puts on the event. “The weather is perfect, we have a lot of great vendors. The music sounds amazing. Everyone is having a great time, a whole day of fun.”

The event started early in the morning with youth fishing.

“It was so great to see all the kiddos lined up on the riverfront and casting,” she said. “A lot of them got to take poles home with them. Hopefully, we will get to do another youth fishing event soon.”

Then there was a community yoga session by Vivianne Khounlavong, “which was phenomenal,” Cleary said.

“It was a great peaceful way to start the day. And then kicked it off to some live music,” she said.

The acts that graced the stage included Trigger Trey of DarkMoon Hollow, Brady Ross and The Route 23 Band, Dale Blankenship and the Elkhounds, the Shelby Lore Band and Hot Brown Smackdown.

There was also a community talent show between the music acts.

“We had 14 registered this year, with a good mix of youth and adult categories,” Cleary said, adding the were really happy to see all the young people come out to play.

“It has just been a beautiful day of community and celebrating all things local,” she said.

The next event for Third and Center is the 5K Ironton River Run on Sept. 23.

“It will be the same course as last year,” Cleary said. “We are going to start and end on the beautiful Ironton riverfront.”

She said registration for the 5K will be coming soon and updates will be on their website at www.thirdandcenter.com and on their Facebook page.

“We are just so grateful to everyone who pitched and made Summer Solstice happen. We thank all our sponsors, our volunteers, our Third and Center team and our community for being so welcoming of all the things we do,” Cleary said.

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