Celebrate Ashland’s Heritage at Poage Landing Days
The Ashland Beacon
Kathy Clayton
Anyone looking for fun, free activities need look no further than the annual Poage Landing Days Festival in Ashland being held on September 15-17.
“We want to emphasize that this is a free, family-friendly event,” said Christy Meade, President of the Poage Landing Days Board of Directors. “All of our entertainment events are free, and we encourage everyone to come down and enjoy the atmosphere of a fun festival.
Many fan-favorite events are returning this year. Meade shared, “The Cincinnati Circus is back this year; it’s been a crowd-pleaser. The Southern Fried Cone Fest will be in a different venue this year, on the riverfront, which gives it a little different look. And of course, we have the live music.” The always popular arts and crafts tent, and street and food vendors will also be part of the celebration. The circus and skateboard event will take place on Saturday and Sunday.
“One thing we’re trying out this year on Friday night is we’re live-streaming the Ashland/Russell football game on a big screen at Broadway Square. The library staff is helping set that up,” Meade said.
The event opens at noon on Friday, stretching through four blocks on Winchester Avenue, featuring crafts, street vendors, food vendors, and the children’s amusement area with free inflatables. Live music starts at noon on Saturday, on two different stages.
“There’s a block-long food court between 15th and 16th streets with 20 food vendors. We have 44 setting up in the arts and crafts tent, and another 50 specialty vendors setting up in the streets,” Meade stated.
She also pointed out that the annual beauty pageant for ages birth through 15 will be held Saturday afternoon at Broadway Square. “Anyone wishing to participate can register on the website or starting at 2 p.m. the day of the event.” The website is www.poagelandingdays.com.
“We are calling Sunday an all-day fellowship service,” Meade explained. “There will be a worship service at 11 then music the rest of the day. It’s the first time we’ve done an all-day Sunday event, so we hope everyone will come out for it.”
Meade praised the board and the multitude of volunteers who helped make the festival one of the most popular events in the area. “It takes a great community partnership to make this happen with the support of our local businesses who sponsor the event. We have a great committee of volunteers and a volunteer board of directors who work hard all year. We couldn’t do this without them.”
Poage Landing Days is recognized as one of the top festivals in Kentucky by the Kentucky Main Street Program.