Rock County 4-H fair announces additional entertainers
JANESVILLE — The Rock County 4-H Fair announced Monday that it has scheduled more entertainers for next summer's fair.
The Grammy-nominated country act Thompson Square is scheduled to perform at 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 25.
The fair also announced Monday it will have something new: a horse pull, set for 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Sunday, July 29.
Christian comedian
/singer/songwriter Mark Lowry also will be back, performing at 4 p.m. July 29. Lowry's show last summer was cut short by a storm.
The fair said it would announce one more act in January, to perform Friday, July 27.
The fair has agreed with representatives of the act not to identify the act right now, said Stephanie Gassen of the fair board.
Gassen said the July 27 act will not be a country act. She described it as pop/rock but not Top 40.
The fair tried Top 40 last year with Jayson Grace and Allstar Weekend, but officials were disappointed at the turnout, Gassen said.
The bottom line is to get enough people in the seats to keep the fair financially viable, she said.
The fair announced last week that Mickey Gilley would perform Thursday, July 26, and Josh Turner would perform Saturday, July 28.
Thompson Square has a hit, "Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not," which was nominated for a Grammy in the category of best country song.
Thompson Square's website describes itself as "husband-and-wife duo of Keifer and Shawna Thompson, an exciting and unpredictable area where country meets rock, rough meets smooth and one vagabond heart finds a harmonious common ground with another."
"They're definitely more of that crossover, newer, upbeat, more modern country," Gassen said.
Tickets to the fair go on sale next spring on a date not yet announced.
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- Rock County 4-H Fair ... (16)
By GAZETTE STAFF 01/17/13
Dec 21, 2011 at 5:12 p.m.
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Can't they get the Insane Clown Posse or something cool for once?
Dec 21, 2011 at 4:58 p.m.
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Uncle Jesse, do you really need to be packing heat when you eat a funnel cake?
Dec 21, 2011 at 4:02 p.m.
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Mickey Gilley???? Are you kidding me? Im not being mean, Im just saying, he must be in his...80's?? Just guessing, I know hes before my time...
what has happened to the fair entertainment?
Who is selecting these misfit acts? Thats kind of how it seems...almost like they just take whoever will say yes...
Josh Turner is ok...but...the rest of it?? I wouldnt pay anything. I guess its just like the rest of things that the economy has ruined.
Dec 21, 2011 at 2:57 p.m.
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I believe the act that was named a disappointing turnout was Greyson Chance not Jayson Grace. I went to see him. He was a very good act. All the young girls loved him. I would rather watch a young kid with talent over the twangy country toothache inducing stuff anyday. :)
Dec 21, 2011 at 12:17 p.m.
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I like Josh Turner he is an outstanding performer , but i probably wont go seeing that the fair organizers wont allow Concealed Carry.
Dec 21, 2011 at 11:04 a.m.
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Josh Turner and Thompson Square are both great acts and, hopefully, will draw people. I know a lot of the younger country fans like Thompson Square.
Dec 21, 2011 at 10:31 a.m.
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more reasons not to attend the fair, again...
Dec 21, 2011 at 12:43 a.m.
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Well I can tell you that as a food vender for one of the clubs at the fair last year was a disappointment for my organization that I have been involved with sense 1977 when I first started working the fair. We do a lot of work for the kids in the community over the years and we depend on fair week for a good portion of our funds to keep our programs going like youth soccer for example these programs cost thousands of dollars to run every year and fair week counts for a good portion of that. I know for sure a lot of fair attendance is depended upon the acts that are booked for the fair and if you don’t have a top act your attendance is going to be down as was the case last year. A lot of the food venders last year like my organization as well lost money as a result and we had to cut programs as a result. You need names that people recognize that they will want to see to get the people to come in and visit the fair. The other thing is the fair needs to be willing to spend money to get that entertainment while keeping cost down for those who come to the fair or people will not attend the fair because it cost too much. This is an area that my organization prides it’s self on is keep our cost down to our customers who buy food at our stand. There has been good entertainment over the years at the fair but the last three have been a disappointment for us we do other venues like the Thresheree and Fourth of July in Janesville but fair week is our biggest week so I hope the entertainment this year will help get the people to the fair in better attendance than last year. The other thing I want to see happen is the price of admission come down to draw in more people that is the other thing that hurts this fair is the high price of admission. Like I said fair week is the biggest week of the year for us as far as the money we raise for programs my organization sponsers.
Dec 20, 2011 at 8:05 p.m.
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Guess no reason to go next year either, it's been 17 years, why break the streak?
Dec 20, 2011 at 7:12 p.m.
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i would go see mickey gilley. as for the "top 40" attempts, an act that hits number 29 is not gonna draw much. I'd take a 60 year old top 10 over that anytime.
Dec 20, 2011 at 7:01 p.m.
Dec 20, 2011 at 6:56 p.m.
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Hank...what does that story have to do with the entertainment at the fair?
Dec 20, 2011 at 6:53 p.m.
Dec 20, 2011 at 5:22 p.m.
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Special winter concert! You want them to try something new? How about entertainment besides during fair week? :)
Dec 20, 2011 at 4:24 p.m.
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"Christian comedian/singer/songwriter Mark Lowry also will be back, performing at 4 p.m. Jan. 29. Lowry's show last summer was cut short by a storm."
I believe that you mean JULY 29.
Dec 20, 2011 at 4:18 p.m.
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Mickey Gilley- is he still alive lol.
They always talk about the has beens.
Not sure I have heard him do new stuff.
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