Crystal Lake Rib House, On Target Range team up for inauguration party

CRYSTAL LAKE – A local barbecue restaurant and a neighboring gun range are teaming up to throw a party celebrating Friday's inauguration.

Billed as a combination celebration of the inauguration and the Second Amendment, the event, sponsored by On Target Range and Tactical Training Center, kicks off at 6 p.m. at Crystal Lake Rib House, 540 E. Terra Cotta Ave.

Range operations director Tom Dorsch said the celebration is not focusing on any particular candidate, but the inaugural process and the peaceful transition of power. Republican President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office Friday to become the 45th president of the United States.

“It’s just a uniting effort. Let’s just get Americans together and have a party,” Dorsch said.

But the event makes no bones about support for the right to keep and bear arms, which Trump championed during his campaign. The range at 560 Beechcraft Lane, down the street from the restaurant, will be giving away free range time and several yearlong memberships to a handful of attendees.

The event will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Trump will take the oath of office Friday morning while most people are at work, but clips from the inauguration will be shown at the event.

The $25 admission fee covers an all-you-can-eat buffet and an open beer and wine bar. Guests also will receive a $20 coupon for their next visit to the restaurant.