Who’s taking the stage at the 150th Grange Fair? Here are the 8 grandstand performers
Tenters and campers have begun the move-in process at the Centre County Grange Encampment and Fair and soon enough animals will be shown, Sunset ice cream will be eaten and grandstand performers will take the stage at the fair.
The 150th annual Grange Fair runs Aug. 16-24, with grandstand entertainment acts planned for nearly every night starting at 8 p.m. Concerts are free but admission to the fair is required.
Kicking things off is two-time Grammy nominee and country music star Jo Dee Messina on Friday, Aug. 16. Messina topped the Billboard country music charts on multiple occasions and is the singer of popular songs such as “Heads Carolina, Tails California,” “Bye Bye,” “Lesson in Leavin’.” This will be her second appearance at the fair; she performed there for the first time in 2017.
The Aug. 17 grandstand performer is Anne Wilson, one of Nashville’s “most inspiring trailblazers,” according to the fair’s marketing materials. She blends contemporary Christian music with country and in April released her album “REBEL.” Her 2021 debut single, “My Jesus” topped Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart and she was nominated for a Grammy for it.
Aaron Tippin, a “blue collar favorite” singer/songwriter will take the stage on Aug. 19. His career has spanned more than two decades, with a number of hits in the 1990s and early 2000s. His first single, “You’ve Got to Stand for Something” took off and saw other songs, like “There Ain’t Nothin’ Wrong with the Radio,” “That’s as Close as I’ll Get to Loving You,” “Kiss This” and “Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly.”
On Aug. 20 Drew Green, a Nashville singer who blends country, pop and R&B style will perform at the grandstand. He got his start as a songwriter before his 2020 songs “Little More Be Alright” and “Right Where I Be” came out. In 2023 he released the single “Lotta Bit of You” after it went viral on TikTok, according to his website.
Bringing some tropical flair to the stage on Aug. 21 is a Beach Boys tribute band, Surf’s Up. Surf’s Up has four members — two brothers, Donny and Danny Goldberg; cousin Denny Hardwick and Don Goldberg Sr., who is the father of Donny and Danny and the founder of the group. While the Beach Boys may be the band’s specialty, they also perform songs from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, as well as other classic and pop rock songs.
The Van Dells will bring the blend of comedy, choreography and tight harmonies they’ve been doing for 50 years to the fair on Aug. 22. The Van Dells are a tribute band dedicated to keeping ‘50s and ‘60s rock and roll alive and have been playing shows since their formation in 1974, according to the band’s website. The show starts in the ‘50s and the group — Stacy Todd, Mark Barnett and Steve Ricks — kicks it off with songs like “At The Hop” and “Morse Code of Love,” according to the fair’s marketing materials.
Fairgoers can see season 19 (2021) American Idol contestant Alex Miller return to the fair on Aug. 23. He released a post-Idol record in 2022, “Miller Time,” and he’s since performed at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry and opened for acts such as Hank Williams Jr. His album featured hits such as “I’m Over You, So Get Over Me,” “Don’t Let the Barn Door Hit You” and “Through With You.”
Closing things out for the 150th Grange Fair is Jet Jurgensmeyer on Aug. 24. Fans might recognize him from the TV show, “Last Man Standing;” he played Mike Baxter’s grandson Boyd. The award-nominated actor debuted his first single, “Everything Will Be Alright” from his album in 2018. He blends country and pop in his music.
Grandstand shows begin at 8 p.m. and are free; admission to the fair is required. Past grandstand performers include Eddie Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry, Gabby Barrett, Tracy Lawrence and Morgan Wallen. Even country music legend Garth Brooks played the grandstand in the ‘90s — he recently gave the fair a shoutout for its 150th anniversary celebration.
The Grange Fair acts as a home-away-from-home for a lot of the 1,000 families who stay in tents and 1,500 RVs at the fairgrounds. It is the only remaining tenting fair in the nation, according to its website.
