DANVILLE - The streets of Danville will be alive with the sound of music as the 2011 Iron Heritage Festival runs today through Sunday.
The theme of this year's festival is "Music through the Ages," celebrating Danville's rich musical history.
The celebration cranks up tonight with the annual Iron Heritage Festival parade, beginning at 7 p.m. The parade starts at the former TRW parking lot on East Market Street and marches down East Market to Mill Street, ending at the Cole's Hardware parking lot.
The grand marshals will be the Danville Community Band, under the direction of Eddy Seger, a noted portrayer of John Philip Sousa throughout the Northeast.
Seger will be give several talks throughout the festival about Sousa, the "American March King" and writer of such famous patriotic songs as the "Washington Post March," the U.S. Marine Corps March "Semper Fidelis" and the National March of the United States, "Stars and Stripes Forever."
Following tonight's parade, several bands will perform concerts throughout Danville. The world-renowned band John Stanky and the Coal Miners will bring a polka party to the Cole's Hardware parking lot from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m.
The Allentown Hobo Almost Marching Band will perform at the north end of Mill Street from 8:30 to 10 p.m., featuring comic antics and fun music.
Also performing following the parade will be the Penn Dixie Band, showcasing selections of Dixieland, patriotic, jazz, swing and gospel music.
The festival goes into full swing Friday with a variety of activities, including an outhouse dig at 101 Bloom St. Presented by Robert Lee, the dig gives a glimpse of how ancestors lived from items recovered from the ground.
Friday will also feature performances by a number of artists at the Canal Park Stage, several historical talks and programs, and the concert, "As Time Goes By: Music through the Age of Iron 1800-1950," at the Community Ballroom. Admission is $10.
The show is under the direction of John Brady and features performers Vic Boris, Beverly Conrad, Alfie Bashore, Suzanne Walzer, New Found Sound and others. The show will be presented at the same time Saturday.
Also Saturday, the town comes alive with strolling entertainers, music stages, food, demonstrations, Victorian Highwheelers and more on Mill Street and at the Danville Middle School complex.
The complex will also be the site of various sporting events, such as the Dr. Foss tennis tournament, the Iron Heritage Festival Quoits Tournament sponsored by the U.S. Quoits Association and a 5K run at 9 a.m.
Train rides will return this year, leaving from the middle school for a 90-minute ride to either Bloomsburg or Northumberland.
Cost of the trip is $10 for a rider, except for babes-in-arms and are available at the festival company store at 316 Mill St. until 7 p.m. Friday. Any tickets remaining on July 23 will be sold at the food stand and concession tent near the tennis courts.
A full schedule and description of events is available at the festival's website, www.ironheritagefestival.net.