Eastern

The Kentucky State Fair has announced the lineup of the Texas Roadhouse Concert Series to be Aug. 19-29 at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Performances range from rock, indie, country, Christian, and R&B. All performances are taking place adjacent to the Pavilion and Kentucky Kingdom. Concerts are included free with paid gate admission.

This year’s concert series is sure to be a perfect celebration after a year without most traditional concerts and events, said David S. Beck, President and CEO of Kentucky Venues. The Texas Roadhouse Concert Series lineup is:

Thurs., Aug. 19 - Josh Turner with Alex Miller

Fri., Aug. 20 - Ginuwine with Color Me Badd

Sat., Aug. 21 - Colt Ford with Elvie Shane

Sun., Aug. 22 -The Oak Ridge Boys & T. Graham Brown

Mon., Aug. 23 - Zach Williams with CAIN

Tue., Aug. 24 - Happy Together Tour 2021 with The Monarchs

Wed., Aug. 25 - P.O.D. with All Good Things

Thurs., Aug. 26 - Jackyl with The Kentucky Headhunters

Fri., Aug. 27 - White Reaper with The Tommys

Sat., Aug. 28 - Jameson Rodgers with Exile and J.D. Shelburne

Sun., Aug. 29 - Cory Asbury with We the Kingdom and Jordan Smith

For more information, visit www.kystatefair.org or find the Fair on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or its blog. For more on Kentucky >Click Here

WILKESBORO – MerleFest, presented by Window World, is proud to announce the full lineup for MerleFest 2021, which will take place September 16-19.

This lineup of world-class bands and artists will be joining the annual homecoming of musicians and music fans on the campus of Wilkes Community College in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The festival hosts a diverse mix of artists on its 13 stages during the course of the multi-day event. MerleFest is the primary fundraiser for the WCC Foundation, funding scholarships, capital projects, and other educational needs.

Here are the Headliners for this year:

JOHNNYSWIM - From Los Angeles, this husband-and-wife team Abner Ramirez and Amanda Sudano translate the memories, moments, and milestones on their journey into spirited, slick, and soulful anthems steeped in singer-songwriter tradition, yet amplified by alternative experimentation, rock energy, and pop ambition. JOHNNYSWIM will perform on Friday evening.

The Milk Carton Kids - Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale dig at each other in interviews and on stage, where Ryan plays his own straight man, while Pattengale tunes his guitar. The songs emerge somewhere in the silences and the struggle between their sensibilities.

The Only Ones, the group’s latest record, finds Ryan and Pattengale performing a stripped-down acoustic set without a backing band. On “The Only Ones,” the pair returns to the core of what they are about musically: the duo. The Milk Carton Kids perform on Friday evening.

About We Banjo 3 - There can’t be many rhapsodic superlatives left in the box for Irish quartet We Banjo 3, whose virtuosic Irish/ bluegrass/old-time mix has catapulted the band to the top of the Billboard Bluegrass and World Music charts.

One of the best live acts to come out of Ireland in many years, the multi-award winning We Banjo 3 combine supergroup credentials with a breath-taking command of the emotive power of fiddle, guitar, mandolin and banjo. Any single member of this group could electrify a venue with a solo performance, but together, in the joyous musical alchemy of We Banjo 3, their passionate lead vocalist like a young Springsteen adopted by the Chieftans, the result is truly unforgettable. Simply put, the gold standard of Irish and American roots music. We Banjo 3 will perform on Saturday and Sunday.

MerleFest was founded in memory of the son of the late American music legend Doc Watson, renowned guitarist Eddy Merle Watson. MerleFest is a celebration of “traditional plus” music, a unique mix of traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including old-time, classic country, bluegrass, folk and gospel, and blues, and expanded to include Americana, classic rock, and many other styles. MerleFest tickets are now on sale. More information can be found at merlefest.org.

SMITHFIELD – After being delayed and then canceled in 2019 due to weather and the 2020 event being scrubbed due to the COVID-19, the Smithfield Yacht Club will open once again for the River Rat Regatta on the Neuse on Saturday, August 14 at 4:00 p.m. The event will feature a race between 2-person teams in cardboard boats from Smithfield’s Boat Ramp on N. Front Street to the Deputy C. Paul West, Sr. Bridge.

The boats must be constructed entirely from corrugated cardboard, glue, and duct tape. Entries will compete in either the Youth (under 13) or Adult division, and prizes will be awarded for the fastest 1st and 2nd in the Youth division and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the Adult division. There will also be overall awards given for Best Decorated and the Titanic Award for most memorable sinking. Rules and registration forms are available at bit.ly/riverratregatta. “We had a great turnout for the first River Rat Regatta in 2018, with thirty-three creative and mostly well-built boats, and an enthusiastic crowd cheering the teams on toward the finish line,” stated Gary Johnson, Smithfield Parks & Recreation Director. “After not being able to have the regatta for two years, we can’t wait to see the entries that people have been working on.”

Awards will be given at 7 p.m. and will be followed by live music from Blind Joy, a local classic rock band, until 9 p.m.

The River Rat Regatta is hosted by Smithfield Parks & Recreation, the Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation, Smithfield Police Department, and Smithfield Fire Department. For more information about the event or to register, please visit bit.ly/riverratregatta.