Country stars, up-and-comers to be featured in three nights of music
HARTINGTON – The second year of the CedarStock Music Fest at the Cedar County Fairgrounds offers all kinds of big time entertainment.
The concert series returns this year for the July 13-17 event in Hartington.
The fair’s evening entertainment lineup will feature a rodeo as well as country music performers Little Texas, Walker Hayes and Dylan Scott.
“We really wanted to get bands that are on their way up and the whole family will enjoy,” said Greg Heine, who has been the Cedar County Fair Board president since 2013.
The following entertaining events – including three days of concerts – will be featured at the fairgrounds:
-July 14: 2022 Cedar County Fair PRCA Rodeo, 7:30 p.m. at the rodeo arena.
The 23rd annual event is part of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s Prairie Circuit and has been part of the PRCA since 2019.
The rodeo, which is sanctioned by the PRCA and Women’s Professional Rodeo Association, at last year’s fair saw record numbers in attendance and competitors.
The rodeo’s activities this year will include bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, WPRA breakaway roping, tie-down roping, WPRA barrel racing and bull riding.
-July 15: Little Texas, 8:30 p.m. on the grandstand main stage.
Since its first radio release in 1991, Little Texas – started and based in Nashville, Tenn. – has brought its classic rock-influenced brand of country music to the world.
Country fans have bought more than 7 million of the band’s albums. The group also has three Grammy Award nominations plus honors from both the Academy of Country Music (Vocal Group of the Year) and the Country Music Association
(Album of the Year).
Before Little Texas performs at the fair, area military veterans will be recognized between 8 and 8:30 p.m.
-July 16: Walker Hayes, 8:30 p.m. on the grandstand main stage.
The 42-year-old country music singer and songwriter from Mobile, Ala., is known for the catchy tune “Fancy Like,” a No. 1 smash hit that is an ode to fine dining at Applebee’s. The restaurant chain created an ad campaign around it.
Hayes performed his smash-hit song during the 2021 CMT Artists of the Year ceremony in October and also was named last year as one of the top five “New Faces of Country Music” by members of Country Radio Broadcasters.
Before he performs at the fair, area law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical services workers and others who risk their lives every day to serve and protect their communities will be honored between 8 and 8:30 p.m.
-July 17: Dylan Scott, 8:30 p.m. on the grandstand main stage.
The country music singer and songwriter is a 2021 CMT Music Award winner who has several top-five hits, including two that made it to No. 1: “My Girl” and “Nobody.”
The 31-year-old rural northeast Louisiana native has headlined several shows and opened for well-known performers such as Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan and Chris Young. Scott reacted on Facebook to the Cedar
Scott reacted on Facebook to the Cedar County Fair’s December announcement that he would be performing at the 2022 event with: “Let’s gooooo!” “Country music seems to appeal to the most people that like to come to county fairs,” Heine said, noting none of this year’s performers have been to the fair before. He noted the fair is unique in that its fair board books its own entertainment for the event annually.
“It was very difficult getting these bands lined up,” Heine said. “We started planning a year ago.”
He described the process of scheduling and landing nationally known performers for the fair.
“I work with a lot of other venues throughout the Midwest to try to kind of work with the routing to try to get these bands to come here as well,” Heine said.
“It helps in getting bands here,” he said. “Otherwise, it’s kind of tough to get these kinds of bands in the small town of Hartington, Nebraska.”
He expressed his enthusiasm about the country music performers who will be at the fair this year to entertain attendees.
“We are extremely excited to get this caliber of bands for the fair,” Heine said. “We have truly come a long ways.”
He encouraged fairgoers to attend the concerts.
“Nowhere else will you see these acts for this cheap and have the close, upfront experience like you can at the Cedar County Fair,” Heine said.
He added the fair board – which he described as “outstanding, fun and hardworking” – is excited to announce a new addition to the fairgrounds’ 4-H Commercial Building.
“We have added to our facilities an indoor air-conditioned play set that is about 20 by 40 feet and will be quite the addition to our fair,” Heine said. “The indoor play set is for kids ages 3 to 12.”
For more information on the fair, check out the full page ad in this issue of the Cedar County News.