The Ironton Council for the Arts concert season opens with Appalatin, a Louisville band that blends Appalachian folk with high-energy Latin music. The sound comes from an unlikely meeting: Kentucky-raised musicians alongside players from Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. Their all-acoustic instruments include guitar, mandolin, upright bass, charango, Andean flutes, hand percussion, and harmonica, all wrapped in vocal harmonies.

The band has come a long way from its start in 2006, when a weekly coffee shop gig paid in free coffee. Since then they’ve shared stages with Sam Bush, Claire Lynch, and Ben Sollee, played festivals across the region, and performed for a crowd of more than 10,000 at the Dalai Lama’s public talk in Louisville. They’ve been featured on West Virginia Public Radio’s “Inside Appalachia” and are the subject of an Emmy-nominated PBS documentary. In 2026, Appalatin celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Admission is $15, free for students of all ages. This is the first of six concerts in the Ironton Council for the Arts’ 46th season. A full season subscription is just $50. We hope you’ll join us for a year of great music.