By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Boot Barn celebrated its ribbon cutting on Thursday with the Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce as the western and work wear retailer gears up for its grand opening weekend.
The company had its soft opening March 5 at 6280 E. State St., suite No. 2, which was formerly JoAnn Fabrics. Boot Barn is one of the largest western wear retailers in the country with roughly 400 locations, and this is its first in the city of Rockford.
“I’m excited to see what the people of Rockford think,” said Felicity Childers, assistant manager of the Rockford location.
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The grand opening celebration this Friday, Saturday and Sunday includes live music, special pricing, prizes and other entertainment.
Big Sky Ensemble and Cary Kanno will perform on Saturday, and caricature artist Bruce Carlevato will be on hand from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Jack Evans and Jeff Manfedini perform on Saturday, and Evans and Nathan Crawford play on Sunday. See the full schedule of grand-opening events HERE.
Boot Barn describes its brand as serving the iconic American cowboy from the ranch to the rodeo arena. Its Boot Barn Work brand is designed for workers “from the oil and gas industry to agriculture,” while its Just Country brand serves the avid outdoorsman and Wonderwest caters to fashion enthusiasts.
“I’m looking forward to more people getting immersed into the store and this lifestyle because Rockford doesn’t really have a store like this,” Childers said. “This is a newer introduction to Rockford. I’m excited for people to have more of an option that live this lifestyle on a daily basis.”
JoAnn Fabrics moved late last year into a portion of the former Dick’s Sporting Goods nearby at 6360 E. State St. The other portion of Dick’s is occupied by Burlington Coat Factory, which moved a couple doors down from its former location.
Boot Barn | Rockford
Where: 6280 E. State St., Suite No. 2, Rockford
Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday
Online: bootbarn.com
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas