I agree with you on part of your post.
CB this year had some good music, but yes it was a bit much with the suggestive dancing for a young crowd. I think we all thought it was going to be more like High School Musical, and I think it should have been more kid friendly as well. (perhaps we need to look in to those kinds of things before we book a act?)
What my original intent was that I wanted to say for instance (and I know not all this is just a example)rap music with gangbanging themes and such were not the kind of music that should be at a youth fair. As well as heavy metal, where yes it is popular (although I don't personally care for it) there just is not enough of a interest and it dosn't appeal to the "general" fair goers taste. I wouldn't mid seeing some clasic rock again, I liked Foriener, or even say Airsupply etc..., but what does draw the people to our fair is country music for the most part.

We have both kinds of music at our fair, country and western.

My daughters and I definitley enjoyed the Lady Antebellum show. I can't wait to see who will be coming next year.

twerp13, if all of "the fairs musical acts need to be family friendly", then why did I see people (including myself and family)leaving Corbin Blue's show? It was more of a bump and grind strip show. The only thing that didn't happen was someone taking off clothing, maybe it did after we left.

If you want to complain about $8, find some free music festivals. There are many around. Try Rock on The Rock this weekend in Beloit. I find myself enjoying myself more when I can here great music for free.

long time gone.. besides, I didn't say cheaper than $8 for admission. Once you pay for admission and for each lame ride, you may as well go to the Dells....and the music is even more lame.

you can go to Noah's Ark for around $30 for an entire day of continuous rides and to MT Olympus for $36 for 2 full days of go-karts, water rides, and riding the ducks! I'm saying you get way more for the $$. I'd hardly call it foolish drivel...thank you!

Well I for one enjoyed the shows this year at the fair. I was lucky enough to even win back stage passes to see Ronnie Milsap. Corbin Bleu was not my favorite (Randy Travis was though LOL), but my daughter really enjoyed CB's show.

I like the fact that the fair hosts many of the great country stars and even the up and coming ones. I could never afford to go to concerts otherwise. As for those who want hard rock, rap etc... remeber this is a family- youth oriented venue. All of the fairs musical acts need to be family friendly, and I don't think there are many rap or heavy metal songs out there that fit that description (at least none I have heard)

If you really want to hear that kind of music that's great, but not at a YOUTH fair. Do attend other music events for that.

Besides who said if you attend the fair you have to stay around for the entertainment? Why not just go and support the kids who are exhibiting all of their projects and animals. I know from first hand experience that these kids work hard all year just to be able to exhibit...and being able to show off their achievements to the community is very important to them.

So please visit and support the fair, & the 4H youth next year even if you don't care for the music acts.

thetruth speaks the truth - the Dane County fair is the worst in the state.
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Surprising, given the facilities they enjoy...that Wayne Flury could have had back there in Rock County for the kids of 4-H.

dongo – Your responses are just completely wrong. First, I never said “we will all remember the day when "Lady Whatever" played in Janesville.” Reread my post. I said “years from now people could very well be reminiscing, ‘remember when Lady Antebellum came to the Rock County 4-H fair!’" You wrongly took it to the extreme. Second, there were mainstream acts at the fair this year. Corbin Bleu is on a very popular program on Disney and if you would actually take the time to read the Gazette article on this very page, Lady Antebellum is the most recent winner of the Academy of Country Music’s top new vocal group of the year award (sounds to me like a pretty big deal). Third, why are you even trying to compare the Dane County fair with the Rock County fair? Dane County’s population is approximately three times that of Rock County’s (463,826 v. 159,153) so they have a much larger audience to draw from. Also, one look at the entertainers from this year’s Dane County fair reveals the following “mainstream” in your own words, acts: The Winn Family Thrill Show, ShenaniGuns Comedy Wild West Show, and Sea Lion Splash. How about instead of constantly complaining, you find something useful to do.

First off, don't complain about attendance being down and then disagree with the answer to your solution. I could care less if the fair brought other acts. I understand that it is a "fair" and that the local market is C&W. And to "thetruth", saying that we will all remember the day when "Lady Whatever" played in Janesville is a REACH. I have already forgotton it.
I am perfectly aware of all the other music festivals and I attend most of them regularly. Years ago, there were mainstream acts at the fair. And guess what? They had people fighting to get in. They were big deals at the time. And they didn't have an issue of low attendance. Funny how the Dane County fair had mainstream acts huh.......

Despite the light crowd, the concert was fantastic!!!

Where in the Dells is anything cheaper than $8.00 admission, free national known music artists, and what, $2.00 per ride??
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Don't post such foolish drivel.

Then maybe the board should check to see if another carny business is available. Those rides are SO old and just cost WAY TOO MUCH...even if the rides were 50 cents, they would make more $$ because more people would ride. One is better off hitting the Dells for a day at a water park, it's much cheaper.

Sorry Dongo, but my ole hometown has had other radio stations come into town, trying to offer other music programming than WJVL's dominate country programming, and they have all failed - classic rock, progressive rock, alternative, even the laughable hip-hop.
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The Janesville/Rock County market is 2 kinds of music, country and western. If there were a market for something else, local radio stations would be playing it.
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Beloit Riverfest, also a Rock County venue, caters more to the various Rock genres...check out Beloit if you need a rock fix.
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The fair should remain a predominately C & W venue, and with subsidies from the Rock County Board, they need to attract talent within their financial means.
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Then again, if Hannah Montana were booked, my young kids would camp-out there for days.

I would like to thank the fair board for all the hard work they do booking the entertainment. The entertainers are not cheap and the fair board is obviously doing the best they can. All one has to do is read the many articles the Gazette has had this past week to note the many rising entertainers the fair has booked. While there was not a large audience last night, it was still a very good show. This is an up-and-coming group and years from now people could very well be reminiscing, "remember when Lady Antebellum came to the Rock County 4-H fair!" People need to stop complaining about how the fair only has country music. This is the fair, not a music festival. For those complaining out there, all of the following are within a 1.5 hour drive from Janesville which have a wide variety of music generes come and perform: Rivervest in Beloit, Summerfest in Milwaukee, Kohl Center and Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Alpine Valley off I43, and numerous venues south of the border in Illinois. It should be noted all of these will cost a whole lot more then the entertainment we get each year at the fair. Once again, thanks to the fair board for booking quality entertainment again this year.

They had "average" attendance. That is pretty good. With such a variety of summer music festivals in the area, you pick which ones appeal to you. We hit Milwaukee Summerfest, Beloit Riverfest, various 4th of July ones, Rotary Cornfest, Rock Around the Block, Festival on the Rock, Laborfest. No fairs. Country music is not "country" anymore. Its cross-over/pop. Its whiney. But some people do like that type of music. And they have the fair in Janesville to hear it. If they don't like rock, they probably don't attend the other festivals. Diverse festivals, they are needed. Something for everyone to choose from. Beer, its not allowed at the fair. But its available at all the rest of the festivals. And they have large attendance. It flows and the money pours in. Not everyone drinks, or likes being around people who are drinking, so they have the passive 4-H Fair to go to.

dongo..eat dirt!! lol!! I HATE country music, and that is mainly what we have up here!! It's just like the article says, TWANG and a TAD bit depressing. Gee, where was Cheap Trick this year? haha It's time Jville got with the times. My kids didn't go at all this year.

Living easy, living free
Season ticket on a one-way ride

i agree with dongo,different music would be great,and i love country music, but not all the time. do you really think they are going to book heavy metal or rap, get real, it would bring in the so called wrong crowd, for the holier than thou of janesville. lol

Maybe they were just too poppin'.

Maybe because the Rock County 4-H fair has lacked musical diversity for at least 20 years. Having ONE country band is enough. AT THE VERY MOST TWO. But the whole thing? Give me a break. You don't draw crowds because NOT EVERYONE LIKES COUNTRY MUSIC. And if you have ever noticed, most people who don't like country music actually loath it. Why not make the fair all Heavy Metal? Or, entirely Rap? That notion is silly. Just as silly as it is to think that you are going to pack the house with 5 nights of songs about driving big trucks, or working the fields. I'd honestly rather eat dirt.
It is called "appealing to the masses".
"Dissappointed in Janesville"? Janesville has over 60,000 people in it. Did you really think they all listen to country music? Let alone all go to the fair?
Wise up Janesville and get some diversity in the music selections at the fair. Undoubtedly more ticket sales and more involvement from a currently mundain and generic format.