• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

MarionMade

People, Places, Products, Programs

Visit Us On FacebookVisit Us On TwitterVisit Us On YoutubeCheck Our FeedVisit Us On Instagram
We Are Having Fun!We Are Presidential!We Are Generous!
  • Get Involved
  • About
  • Events
    • MarionMade! 5k Sign Up
  • People
  • Places
  • Products
  • Programs
  • Links
  • Contact

Third Thursdays

By MarionMade! on August 4, 2017

3RD THURSDAYS.
.
Summer time is always a great season for evenings spent soaking up the sun with friends. Brian Jester, owner of JCR Studio, had an idea to do just that in the heart of the city, in downtown Marion.  Jester shared his idea of a night filled with music and community with Robert Bear, a board member of Downtown Marion, Inc. Together Jester and Bear developed a plan and, with the help of the Popcorn Festival committee and Downtown Marion, Inc., we now have 3rd Thursday.
.
After a successful season, averaging over 200 guests each month in 2016, 3rd Thursday made its way back onto the Downtown Marion, Inc. calendar for 2017. This year the musical line up has included Bad Influence, New Park Drive, and Cherry Blonde.
.
Clarissa Myers, Downtown Marion Manager, states, “This event is growing each month and we are looking forward to our final band of the season, Sneaky Pete and the Players. Each month, 3rd Thursday is filled with local vendors such as State of the Sandwich, Tackett’s BBQ, and Riverside Ice Cream. IHeart Radio and Blue Fusion also attend and give away free prizes.”
.
Saturday In the Park has been another great addition to the event, providing crafts and face painting to keep the kids busy and having a fun time.
.
When Jester was asked why he felt a desire to bring this event to downtown Marion, he said, “I’m involved in this project because I want to give back to Marion.”  He went on to reference the challenges Marion and so many other communities have faced in recent years with the opiate epidemic and said, “I wanted people to see that Marion can and will be a place of fun and enjoyment.”
.
#MarionMade #WeAreEntertainment #WeAre3rdThursdays

Recent MarionMade! Stories

  • Jeff Ruth Enjoys Latest Chapter of Life in Marion

    For 41 years, Jeff Ruth’s smooth tones graced the airways at WMRN radio. Local listeners turned to Ruth for news, sports, and community events. Ruth filled the airways from 5:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. with up to three local interviews each day as well as an hour of Tradio, where locals would call in with […]Read More »
  • Marion’s Miss America Won Local and National Hearts

    With a dazzling smile and a talent for tap dancing, Marion native Marilyn Meseke won the Miss America pageant in 1938. Marion is still the only town to have both a Miss America and a U.S. president. Marilyn’s Beginnings Meseke was born Mary Ellen Spurrier on October 7, 1916 in Lima, Ohio. Charlie and Clara […]Read More »
  • Ted McKinniss

    His roots are in Marion. Born in Marion in 1950 and a graduate of Harding High School, Ted he has devoted a lifetime’s worth of time and talent to his hometown and is definitely MarionMade! As a practicing attorney, serving Marion for more than four decades, Ted’s work has had a significant impact here, including […]Read More »
  • Brian Agler

    Considered one of the best basketball players to come out of Elgin High School, Bryan Agler has made a career of making his alma mater proud.  A Prospect native with family still in the area, Agler is currently the head coach of the Dallas Wings, part of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). After graduating […]Read More »

Share Your MarionMade! Story

Click Here to share your story about MarionMade! people, places, products, and programs!
  • Get Involved
  • About
  • Events
  • People
  • Places
  • Products
  • Programs
  • Links
  • Contact

Marion Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Downtown Marion Love INC Marion Public Library Marion Area Chamber of Commerce Marion CANDO! Marion Community Foundation United Way of Marion County Marion Technical College

© 2026 · MarionMade! is a community initiative led by Marion Technical College · Website is powered by Neighborhood Image