ASHLAND — The grand lady of entertainment in Ashland celebrated her 80th anniversary with class Saturday, greeted by friends old and new who consider her a priceless part of their lives.

There was birthday cake in abundance for the Paramount Arts Center’s special day, with a touch of drama, music and memories for everyone who dropped by. Dave, Angie, Skyler, Brian and Savanna Atkinson, accompanied by Devon Yates and Jordan Ison enjoyed their cake and brightly colored beverages “as just a family thing,” Dave Atkinson said. The arts center has been particularly valuable to their family as a place for children’s entertainment like Dora the Explorer and Backyardigans productions, as well as “the guy who smashed the watermelons ... Gallagher!”

“It’s mostly the kids’ things for me,” Atkinson said. His wife Angie said she enjoyed the Thoroughly Modern Millie show, then smiled brightly as she noted, “I love the Festival of Trees and Trains.”

 “Anything that comes here — you’re right there. There are no bad seats in the place,” he concluded.

With vintage views of the Paramount Theater as a non-stop slide show on the recently-installed movie screen on the Paramount’s main stage, local musicians took turns entertaining the day’s guests in a corner of the Marquee Room. Steve Free, accompanied by floutist and vocalist Susan Free and bassist John Starkey offered a taste of folksy, relaxing, acoustic and harmony laden tunes, encouraging a young boy who was moved by the music and decided to dance during their afternoon performance.

“It’s an arts center, not a library,” Free said, obviously enjoying the boy’s contribution to the show.

Ritchie Collins, the Paramount’s technical director, followed Free with original and inventive arrangements of familiar songs, shortly after joking he’s up for “any excuse to eat cake.” Collins’ father, an Ashland Oil employee who was a major fan and supporter of the Paramount, was responsible for collecting the historic newspaper clippings and photos that were being displayed on the big screen.

Looking around the theater, local musician Gary Kesling remembered long ago looking up at the unusual architecture of the ceiling in the one-time cinema and thinking it would make an outstanding design for a swimming pool - if inverted. A moment later he smiled like a schoolboy with a secret and recounted the time he got kicked out after he got busted for repeatedly smooching with a girl in the balcony.

“I think it’s probably the nicest Paramount that exists,” said Danny Craig, who performed with Angy Hall during Friday evening’s portion of the Paramount’s birthday bash. “The staff know the value of what they have, It’s in really good hands and I think they do a great job utilizing this facility to its maximum.

“And, it’s not only a beautiful structure for downtown with that great marquee. It has significant impact on our economy because people come here and stay overnight and shop here,” Craig said, soon grinning as he recounted a few of his most memorable moments in the audience during a show at the Paramount.

“I remember bringing my kids down here to see the Sesame Street guy — Gordon ... It was one of the most entertaining things I’ve ever seen,” he said before listing other favorites at the Paramount including the 1964 Beatles Tribute, a Marty Stuart concert, a Mountain Stage performance including Chinese music played by banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck, and his own moments sharing the big stage behind vocalist Julie Reeves.

Christy Reaves, one of many Paramount Arts Center workers who stayed in near constant motion throughout the weekend, said the best part of he whole birthday celebration was sharing the arts center with people who worked there when the building was brand new, “and all the people who’ve shared their memories — the smiles on their faces and the joy in their eyes and knowing how much they appreciate all the work there is in keeping this place alive.”

TIM PRESTON can be reached at tpreston@dailyindependent.

com or (606) 326-2651.