Tom Katalin and Highway 41 entertain the crowd at a previous Thunder on the Iron Range music festival in Negaunee. Returning after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, Thunder on the Iron Range brings an eclectic mix of country, rock, ‘80s metal and bluegrass to Negaunee. The festival kicks off July 29 and continues throughout the weekend. (Photo courtesy of Thunder on the Iron Range)

NEGAUNEE — Negaunee is getting ready to welcome some well-known names in the world of country, bluegrass and rock music as the Thunder on the Iron Range music festival returns this year after COVID-19 forced the festival to be put on hold each of the last two years.

The three-day festival gets underway Friday, July 29, and continues throughout the weekend on Iron Street in downtown Negaunee.

The festival lineup features a mix of southern and ’80s rock, bluegrass and country favorites, with both local and national acts on the schedule.

Friday is headlined by Blackberry Smoke, a nationally recognized, Atlanta-based rock group with seven full-length albums to its credit. The set begins at 9 p.m. Friday. Also on Friday, outlaw country artist Cecil Allen Moore will perform at 7 p.m. and Upper Peninsula country outfit Adam Carpenter and the Upper Hand will take the stage at 5 p.m.

Saturday features heavy hitters from the 80s metal scene. Winger, the band responsible for massive ’80s hits like “Seventeen” and “Headed for a Heartbreak” headlines Saturday, with the set scheduled for a 10 p.m. start time. Hair-metal legend Lita Ford, who has had a well-regarded solo career after she gained notoriety for getting her start, alongside Joan Jett, as a member of The Runaways, takes the stage at 8 p.m. The band FireHouse, which found massive success with the ballads “When I Look into Your Eyes” and “Love of a Lifetime,” rounds out Saturday’s headliners when it performs at 6 p.m.

Country and bluegrass are the focus of Sunday’s festivities. Reno, Nevada, roots-rock group Hellbound Glory headlines the final day of the festival at 7 p.m. Texas country-rock quintet The Band of Heathens performs Sunday, with the set scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. U.P. favorite Chasin’ Steel brings its brand of foot stompin’ bluegrass to the stage at 3 p.m.

While the festival looks nationally for artists, the organizers focus on keeping things local by giving back to the area. According to the festival’s mission statement: “Thunder on the Iron Range Music Fest was organized to promote the appreciation of the Americana-Roots Music Performing Artist and the unique Cultures they’re derived from. All operations are exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, the promotion of the Musical Performing Arts, and to provide support to local school programs and civic groups in the historic Upper Peninsula iron mining town of Negaunee, Michigan. Thunder on the Iron Range turns Iron Street, Negaunee’s main drag, into an outdoor concert venue for 5,000 lucky music fans.”

Tickets for Thunder on the Iron Range are currently available online at www.thunderontheironrange.com. A full list of rules, information and ticket refund policies are available online.