Ironton aLive is a group that is certainly trying — and succeeding — to live up to its name.

Last week, the community-minded organization hosted a Business After Hours at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites in which they had their annual meeting to highlight all their accomplishments of the past year.

Just a few years ago, the weekend scene in downtown Ironton was fairly nonexistent, save for a few special activities here and there.

Since the formation of Ironton aLive and the revitalization of the farmers market area, nearly every weekend sees an influx of people coming into downtown for shopping, entertainment and special festivals.

This past weekend, the organization hosted its inaugural Heritage Artisan Festival along with a car show and wine tasting, which not only brought shoppers to downtown, but also gave a boost to local artisans whose creativity was on display.

While Ironton aLive recently recognized its busy and successful year at the Business After Hours, 2015 still has a ways to go and we’re confident the group will find new ways to celebrate Small Business Saturday in November and the Christmas season in December, all with the goal of bringing people to downtown Ironton.