LIBERTY, NY — Brian Rourke is a town justice in the Town of Liberty. He also has a law practice there, and now he’s also the proprietor of a newly renovated performance space in the village.

An old barn, now called the Downtown Barn, which is located on Darby Lane, was unused and overlooked for decades. At a ribbon-cutting for the ceremony on September 26, Rourke said, “What we did was brought it back to life and outfitted it with a professional sound system. We’re providing some hope in Liberty and some entertainment options.”

Inside, the place has an inviting country feel with tables and chairs, an upstairs balcony area, and a store, all housed in a classic post-and-beam constructed building.

One of the features Rourke likes to point out to visitors is the floor, which was described in a press release: “When musicians take the stage at Downtown Barn, they will be standing on hardwood tongue-and-groove planks that came right out of, and were reclaimed from, one of Max Yasgur’s farm silos. The silo, which was formerly situated on Shore Road in Bethel, NY, towered over masses of concertgoers at the legendary 1969 Woodstock Music and Art Fair. It now graces the floor at Downtown Barn and ensures good karma to this intimate new entertainment space.”

The ribbon-cutting was attended by the Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Liberty Chamber of Commerce and officials from the Village and the Town of Liberty.

According to the press release, the emphasis of the music “will be on good old-fashioned Americana acoustic music such as blue grass, folk, roots rock and the blues.”

As of Friday, September 26, there had already been five performances at the space, and on this night the headliner just happened to be Brian’s bother Rick Rourke and Lost Wages from the Saratoga area who is a long-time veteran of the music business.

Concertgoers have the option of ordering dinner from one of four neighboring restaurants, which all come with a $12 price tag. The cost of admission to hear the music last Friday was $10.

Adjoining the barn is the Liberty Mercantile Company, which is described as “a period-oriented country shop. The shop will carry custom-made furniture and lighting from local craftsmen, gift items and some antiques.”

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/DowntownBarn.