Free entertainment offered Thursday nights in Iola
Area residents will be treated to a wide variety of free entertainment this summer in downtown Iola.
From big-band, pop and rock, children's and barbershop music to gospel, jazz, vocal harmony and blues, the entertainment lineup is sure to please everyone in the family. Sponsored by the Iola-Scandinavia Area Chamber of Commerce and Iola Hometown Program, the Thursday Night on Main events will be held the second and fourth Thursdays in June, July and August.
The concerts, to be held on Main Street in the parking lot in front of Sweet Medicines Pharmacy, weather permitting, are funded in part by local sponsorships and through a 50-50 raffle to be held each evening.
The July 22 event will be a Talent Show Contest, open to anyone in the area. Contestants can sing, dance, play an instrument, do stand-up comedy - pretty much whatever they want. There will be a limit to the number of contestants allowed, based on a first-come, first-served basis. Contestants can sign up now at Kafè Beans at 179 N. Main Street in downtown Iola. This will be the only Thursday Night on Main event that will not be canceled due to weather. In case of bad weather, the talent contest will move to the Iola-Scandinavia (I-S) High School.
In addition, each evening there will be horse-drawn wagon rides - compliments of Matt Honken, vintage car displays, food from downtown restaurants, and celebrity master of ceremonies, among other things.
Iola's new farmers market on nearby State Street will hold a special Thriving Thursdays marketplace each night as well. Vendors at the farmers market must be selling homemade or homegrown products to participate, and should contact the village clerk at the Iola Village Hall to purchase a $10 vendor's permit, good for the entire year.
"We did a test run on Thursday Night on Main last September and were impressed with the turnout," said Brenda Mazemke, Iola Hometown Program manager. "With minimal advance notice, advertising and promotion, we had nearly 300 people show up. We're looking for the audience size to grow beyond that number as the summer progresses and the word gets out."
For more information and updates on Iola's Thursday Night on Main, go to the chamber's website at www.ischamber.org.
Thursday Night on Main dates and entertainment are as follows:
•June 10 - School's Out Night, featuring the I-S High School Pep Band, The Gospel Truth and Frank Sinatra Tribute by Ron Reynolds.
•June 24 - Swinging Into Summer Night, featuring the Charlie Justmann Band with swing and ballroom dancers.
•July 8 - Car Show Blues Night, featuring Otis McLennon, Bill Engle and Howard "Guitar" Luedtke.
•July 22 - Talent Show Contest - inclement weather, held at high school - featuring Hoop It Up performers, master of ceremonies Justin Moen and disc jockey Rick Ertl.
•Aug. 12 - Dog Days of Summer Night, featuring the Regal Blend barbershop quartet and Hatley.
•Aug. 26 - Back-to-School Night, featuring Tom Pease, Ryan Tomski Trio and Caution! Wet Paint.
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