Sawyer Brown, a Poison tribute band and Jessta James will be among those performing on the main stage this summer at the Benton County Fair and Rodeo, organizers announced. The fair is scheduled to run from July 31-Aug. 3.
The concerts are free with fair admission and seating in the outdoor venue is first-come, first-serve. Attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket or chair for seating.
The Wednesday night performance on July 31 opens with Vikki the Ventriloquist at 6 p.m., followed by Jeff the Magician at 6:45 p.m., and Matt the Comedian at 7:30 p.m.
On Thursday, Aug. 1, rising country music singer Kurt Van Meter will go on at 7 p.m. Van Meter grew up in Southern Oregon where he listened to country music’s greats while working in the fields. A former Oregon State football player, Van Meter has also worked in law enforcement and competed in bull-riding. Jessta James will take the stage at 8:30 p.m. A pioneer in the combination of organic country sounds with the cadence and grit of real hip hop, James’s journey took him from touring with rap legends to performing at the CMA Fest in Nashville.
The Friday, Aug. 2 performances will begin at 7 p.m. with Remedy, a five-piece high-energy rock performance band playing top dance songs from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. Then at 8:30, Shot of Poison will perform songs from the hard-rocking band from the ’80s. The group made its debut in 2017 and reached various milestones since, including an appearance on stage with Poison’s Bret Michaels.
On Saturday, Aug. 3, the evening begins at 7 p.m. with Boomtown Saints, whose debut single “All Trucks Go To Heaven” climbed into the top 30 on the Billboard charts, followed by “Blacktop Don’t,” which became the No. 1 independent song on country radio for 12 weeks and reached No. 13 on the carts. Sawyer Brown, a classic band now in its 40th year of performances, will take the stage at 8:30. The band continues to deliver its unapologetically blue-collar, grassroots message through music.
For more information and to purchase tickets, go online to bentoncountyfair.net. Those interested in becoming a sponsor or reserving a VIP Diamond table are asked to call the fairgrounds office at 541-766-6521.