Festival Ironwood kicked off at Depot Park on Thursday, with a tribute to A. Chris Berquist, one of the festival’s founding members who died last year from COVID-19. After the presentation of the colors and the national anthem, festival chairs Keith Johnson and Will Corcoran presented his widow, Sonia Bergquist, with a plaque in honor of her husband’s service. Sonia said she and her husband started the festival 3 decades ago as the Heritage Dance, but that they preferred to keep their service to the community under the radar. A. Chris Bergquist was the first local resident to die from COVID-19.