Choctaw Casino in Durant hosting Music Fest
Sep. 13—The Choctaw Casino and Resort in Durant announced this week it will host the first ever Choctaw Music Fest next month.
Four days of events are planned for the inaugural event planned for Oct. 10-13 at the casino's Grand Theater.
"A music festival is only as good as its performers," organizers for the event said in a press release before announcing the festival's star-studded lineup.
Megan Moroney, who was named the Academy of Country Music's New Female Artist of the Year in 2023, will open the festival on Oct. 10, followed on Oct. 11 by GRAMMY winning artist Lainey Wilson.
On Oct. 12, Foreigner will bring its farewell tour to Durant.
A special ACM singer-songwriter event will be held Oct. 12 from Noon to 2 p.m. at Gilley's.
The event will be hosted by Trannie Anderson and Dallas Wilson, both of whom have written hit songs for Lainey Wilson and other country stars.
Anderson co-wrote "Heart Like a Truck" and "Wildflowers and Wild Horses" for Wilson, as well as Cole Swindell's "3 Feet Tall" and Restless Road's "Last Rodeo." Wilson was also a co-writer on "Heart Like a Truck," and helped write Dylan Scott's "Nobody" and "Can't Have Mine."
The duo will perform songs they've written, discuss the writing process, share the inspiration behind hit songs and talk about what it's like to write for the stars.
Several performances will also be held at Gilley's following the performances of Moroney, Wilson, and Foreigner. The Close will perform after Megan Moroney's performance on Oct. 10 with Bailey Rae performing after Lainey Wilson's concert.
The groups AC/TC and Rock Radio will both make an appearance at Gilley's following the singer-songwriter event beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Oct. 13 will feature hourly performances beginning at Noon at Gilley's from rising area artists until 7 p.m.
Artists performing on Oct. 13 include Paul Renna, Tim Lightyear, Sawyer Guymon, Todd Mankin Band, Ryan Glenn, Tom McElvain, and The Kerosene Drifters.
Shirts and posters commemorating the inaugural event will be available for purchase for $10 each.