By Megan Anderson HOMETOWN NEWS megan@hometown-news.com Despite some rain, more than 1,200 people turned out for Blacksburg’s third annual Iron City Festival. Members of the Blacksburg Business Association deemed the two-day event quite successful. “As Festival Chairman and an owner of a business in Blacksburg, I was proud to see such a turnout for this event that celebrates the founding and history of Iron City,” said Linda Falls. Though the barbeque cook-off had to be cancelled, all of the festival’s other events were well attended. On Friday night, festival attendees seemed to enjoy the musical entertainment, whether they were in the mood for romance or fun. Several couples of all ages danced to the feel-good tunes played by the Iron City Band, before a large crowd boogied down Shelby Street to music provided by DJ “Buck” Mullinax. Two ten-year-old students from Blacksburg Elementary School, Bailey McDaniels and Cheyanne Pendleton, appreciated the evening as a chance to share their first dance together as boyfriend and girlfriend. “This is a fun event because I finally get to dance with my beautiful girlfriend,” said McDaniels. The weather on Saturday was a little indecisive, but the thousands that turned out had plenty of activities to choose from. Several bands provided music throughout the day, including the Possum Trotters, Carolina Thunder, the Hudson Family, WhoDoo, and Jack Roper and the Weatherman Band. In between playing sets with his band, Roper also found the time to perform a magic show. While many enjoyed his musical performance on drums, his magic show was one of the most popular events of the festival. Seven-year-old Jesse Bridges had been looking forward to the show all day. “If they pull a rabbit out of a hat, that’s what I want to see,” he said. “I got a magic hat for my birthday.” In addition to the chance to march in a Celebrate America kid’s parade, children also enjoyed playing on large inflatables and riding on a trackless train. Besides attending a health fair, and taking in the arts and crafts, adults participated in the cake contest and the car show in record numbers. Jenny Stroup’s strawberry cake won her first place and $50, while James McMillan’s 1968 Camaro Z28 brought him top honors. Even the vendors at the festival had a good time. After coming to last year’s event, Laneta Munsie jumped at the chance to sell her Foothills Handcrafted Candles again. “We came back because we had such a good time last year,” she said. “It’s wonderful to see the families with the children, and the people are very nice and friendly.” More pictures from the Iron City Festival will be made available in the future.