KATIE BRANDENBURG
The Independent
ASHLAND —
Organizers say Ashland’s LaborFest ’10 will be a celebration of working people in the city.
“It’s just kind of a good old hometown America activity,” said Sue Dowdy, executive director of the Ashland Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, which helped to organize the event. It is sponsored by the city.
The festival will take place from 2 p.m. until about 5 p.m. on Sunday at the Central Park Bandstand. It will feature musical acts and an ice cream social, she said.
Dowdy encourages families to pack a picnic and enjoy all the festivities in the park on Sunday.
Sean Murray, director of parks and recreation, said Ashland has hosted the festival for about 15 years.
Murray said the event usually draws several hundred people, depending on the weather.
He enjoys having an opportunity to gather with community members and enjoy Central Park, Murray said. He called it a great way to “celebrate our appreciation for the community’s workforce.”
Dowdy said the event, along with a celebration on Memorial Day, was added about 15 years ago because most other major holidays already had a city celebration. The Fourth of July falls during Summer Motion and Winter Wonderland of Lights is part of Christmas festivities.
The Memorial Day celebration this year was rained out, so organizers chose to bring in the same musical acts that were scheduled to perform then for the Labor Day celebration, she said.
The acts represent several different styles of music — bluegrass, country and rock and roll, Dowdy said.
Acts this year are Bronson Bush, Katie Owens, Stephen Salyers and The Joe Freeman Band. The Joe Freeman Band will offer up bluegrass tunes, Owens will sing country songs and Bush and Salyers will perform both country and rock songs, she said.
Other activities include inflatables, door prizes, corn hole and balloon art with Peanuts the Clown, Dowdy said.
KATIE BRANDENBURG can be reached at kbrandenburg@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.
