In a little over a month from now, downtown streets in Ironton will be converted from a place for vehicles to basketball courts on several blocks of Second Street and the area around The Depot for the annual Gus Macker 3-on-3 basketball tournament.

While this tournament features basketball games, the event is so much more than that for downtown Ironton and the businesses in the area.

The weekend of the Gus Macker provides a great weekend of entertainment for families and provides a fun atmosphere for people of all ages.

However, events like this are important for businesses downtown throughout the weekend with the influx of people from around the Tri-State and region. This can be a vital time for a boost in sales because people will likely visit one of the restaurants for a bite to eat or shop at one of the stores.

We applaud those involved in keeping what has become the annual tradition of the Gus Macker basketball tournament coming to downtown Ironton for several years. It takes a vast group of volunteers and sponsors to ensure this event continues each year.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to take in the action in previous years, we encourage you to make plans to attend this year on May 21-22.

Lawrence County has many great events that we look forward to each year, and like all the others, we hope that the Gus Macker is one that continues for many years to come.