Top acts are headed to the Grandstand

Along with food and fun rides, concerts are one of the most memorable aspects of any county fair, and that holds true at the 2017 Centre County Grange Encampment and Fair. With a lineup of impressive artists taking the Grandstand nearly every night, fairgoers with all types of musical tastes are in for a treat.

According to entertainment chair Kris McCloskey, the planning for the Grandstand performances went into action last November and December, when she and her team began looking for available acts that were sure to be crowd-pleasers. Though entertainment of all kinds is spread throughout the fairgrounds, including at Southside Stage and Jubilee Grove, McCloskey said the best are often saved for the end-of-the-day Grandstand shows.

Some of the top performers you’ll be able to catch this year include Jo Dee Messina, Aug. 21; Jordan Feliz, Aug. 22; and Chris Lane, Aug. 25.

Country music artist Messina, with nine No. 1 singles and multiple platinum and gold albums, is no small-town act. She found her start with single “Heads Carolina, Tails California” in 1996 and has compiled a strong discography since, with her last album released on her own independent label. Award-winning Feliz more recently snagged the attention of national audiences, with his Christian pop albums “Beloved” and “The River” debuting in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Lane, another country music artist, boasts experience touring with the Chris Lane Band and opening for popular acts such as The Band Perry, and Florida Georgia Line at the Bryce Jordan Center in March. After embarking on his solo career, his debut album, “Girl Problems,” came out last fall.

While McCloskey said the Grange Fair crowds tend to favor the country music genre, those planning the entertainment try to include something a little different every year. This summer, that out-of-the-box act is The Motown Sounds of Touch, a Motown tribute band with more than 15 years in the business. It will take the stage Saturday.

Beyond the great lineup and varying musical styles, Grange Fair concerts are also one other thing — affordable. At $20, the weekly admission ticket includes access to all the concerts.

“Once you’re in the gate,” McCloskey said, “all of our acts are free. The Grandstand opens up at 7 p.m. for seating, and the shows start at 8 p.m. Typically, there’s plenty of seating, but usually by 6:30 p.m. or so, people are starting to line up at the gates, because they all want to get that best spot. We don’t ticket the (individual seats) in the Grandstand — it’s kind of first come, first serve seating — but it’s all free.”

This year, the Grandstand shows will also have standing sections at the sides of the stage for those who want to get up-close to the performers.

The entire Grange Fair team has been hard at work preparing the grounds for the upcoming event, and that extends to the entertainment committee as well.

“We’ve done a lot of general housekeeping,” McCloskey said. “We’ve been painting and doing a lot of things at the Grandstand to make it more welcoming.”

The end goal for her and her team?

“Hopefully people come and have a good experience; we want them to feel welcome, enjoy themselves and have a good time.”

Other performers you can catch on the Grandstand throughout the week include country music duo Smithfield, Aug. 18; country music artist Canaan Smith, Aug. 23; a cappella group Street Corner Symphony, Aug. 24; and country music artist Tucker Beathard, Aug. 26. Don’t forget to also stop by the Grandstand on Aug. 20 to see your top local young performers compete during Grange Fair Idol.

This story was originally published August 14, 2017 at 8:53 AM with the headline "Top acts are headed to the Grandstand."