ASHLAND — Vendors filled the street and music could be heard blocks away from the Poage Landing Days festival in Ashland Friday evening.

“This is some of the biggest crowds ever for a Friday,” said Phil Stewart, PLD president.

Several local bands were set to take the stages Friday, including The Whipps and Sister Redden Hair.

Pat Sword of Catlettsburg sat toward the back of the crowd facing the stage on 16th street as Sister Redden Hair played on stage.

“They’re all good, but I love Danny Craig,” she said as she watched the band from her folding chair.

Families filled the area between 17th and 18th streets, where there were games and free inflatables.

Laura Shearer, 34, of Wurtland, stood by as her two sons, ages 8 and 11, played on an inflatable slide. She said she and her family come to the festival every year. This year she primarily wanted to bring her children to enjoy the inflatables, but said she planned to take them to see other attractions as well.

“There’s a snake exhibit? Well I know we’ll have to see that,” Shearer said.

Near Fat Patty’s, Melissa Seagraves, 46, of Ashland, waited as her two sons took a spin inside clear inflatable balls floating in a shallow pool, which attracted a crowd of onlookers and a long line of excited children. She said her children wanted to check out the rides and she planned to take a look through the craft tent.

“It was fun!” said her son, Cameron Westfall, 6, after he climbed out of one of the plastic balls.

Several craft vendors lined the streets and had tables set up inside the craft tent.

Gary Johnson, 52, of Boyd County, sat near a table filled with his homemade wood crafts inside the tent.

“It’s a hobby. ... I make them all myself. I even saw my own lumber,” he said.

He said he attends a few craft shows each year, and Poage Landing Days is one of his favorites. He’ll bring his crafts to the festival again next year, he said.

“I always do good here,” Johson said. I like talking to people and seeing people I haven’t seen in a while.

Bruce Miller, of Charleston, W.Va., offered samples at his table stacked with jars of salsa and other spicy concoctions. He and his parents, who make the jarred goods themselves, have been coming to Poage Landing Days for about 12 years.

“This is one of my favorite shows. People are always nice here,” he said.

Miller said one of his favorite things to do at the festival is watch the skateboarding event, the Southern Fried Cone Fest, which is set for 1 p.m. today on 17th Street.

Other events today will include a 5K run at 8 a.m., a car show from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and music that will start at 10:45 a.m. on the 15 Street stage and wrap up with Aaron Tippin, who will take the 16th Street stage at 9:30 p.m.

SHANNON MILLER can be reached at smiller@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2657.