By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
When the Wood County Fair celebrates its 150th Fair July 30-Aug. 6, a country music concert will be back in front of the grandstands.
Country music artists Craig Morgan and Easton Corbin will bring their country music to the fair on Friday, Aug. 4 at 8 p.m. Tickets, available online at woodcounty-fair.com, are $35 for general admission grandstand seating; $50 for standing-room-only track tickets; and $65 for VIP stage front standing that includes light refreshments.
After five or six years without a concert in front of the grandstands, the fair board agreed the 150th fair provided a good opportunity to try a concert again, said Dave Nietz, fair board member and one of the entertainment committee chairs. “These guys are good. We’re hoping for good weather and a good turnout,” he said, with hopes to try another concert next year if this year’s is successful.
Morgan is an American country music artist who began his musical career in 2000 with his debut album “Craig Morgan.” According to his website, his music career rests “on a firm foundation. Faithful Christian. Dedicated family man. Distinguished U.S. Army veteran.” He has had numerous hit singles and albums since he started singing including his 2020 album for Broken Bow Records, “God, Family, Country.”
Corbin has been gracing stages with his memorable baritone and unique blend of traditional and modern country music for more than a decade. The Florida native, who boasts two No. 1 singles with “A Little More Country Than That” and “Roll With It,” embarks on a new musical chapter with his recent signing to Stone Country Records. Corbin teams with industry veterans Benny Brown, Paul Brown and Jason Sellers as the label’s flagship artist.
Hot-ticket demo derbies on two nights
Demolition derbies are crowd favorites at the fair each year. This year is no exception. Two nights of smashing and bashing of various vehicles are planned. The only difference is they are on different days than in the past, Nietz explained.
With the change in fair dates, from Sunday through Sunday, rather than Monday through Monday, the derbies have been moved to earlier in the week rather than at the end of the fair. “We knew we wanted the concert on Friday night and the fair tractor pull is on Saturday this year. There is always a great turnout for the derbies, so earlier in the week made sense. The demo derbies just work for our fair,” he said.
The car and truck demolition derby is on Wednesday, Aug. 2. The multi-vehicle derby is on Tuesday, Aug. 1, featuring minivans, combines, garden tractors, and power wheels for kids 3-8 years old. Wood County is one of the few fairs that still offers the combine demo derby. The contests start both nights at 7 p.m. and admission into the grandstands is $5 and pit passes are $10.
Some of the other entertainment planned for the fair includes the Concert Series in The Grove highlighting regional bands. The concerts, which are free after paying gate admission, will feature the Eric Sowers Band on Monday, July 31 from 7-10 p.m.; HayRock, Thursday, Aug. 3 from 7-10 p.m. and Riverbend, Saturday, Aug. 5 from 8-11 p.m. The concert series is sponsored by Franks Fries.
The new schedule for the fair provides three full weekend days, and ending on a Sunday allows people to go back to work on Monday, rather than taking another day off like they often had to when the fair concluded on a Monday.
