The Santa Barbara County Fair offers a plethora of fun, family-oriented activities, including carnival rides, various food vendors, agricultural competitions, a mini rodeo, a destruction derby, and stage shows. But a huge part of the county fair has always been the music, and this year is no different. Four big-name acts highlight the July 13 through 16 main stage evening concerts. Various local groups play during the day, too.
“The main stage area fits about 3,000 people,” said Yvonne Biely, who handles events promotion and public relations for the Santa Maria Fairpark, the longtime venue of the Santa Barbara County Fair. “We have a grass area where people can stand and bleachers for sitting.”
Kicking off the county fair Wednesday night is country music star Tracy Lawrence and his band. Hitting the scene in 1991, Lawrence quickly made a name for himself, scoring huge on the country music Billboard charts. His country street credentials include performing live since age 15, tearing up honky-tonks by age 17, and making his way to Nashville in a car that barely made the trip.
“The country western shows always pack out,” Biely said. “We have a huge agricultural community that turns out through our junior livestock program.”
Thursday night fairgoers will be soothed by the soulful harmonies of popular R&B group Boyz II Men. Made up of singers Nathan Morris, Shawn Stockman, and Wanya Morris, the trio celebrated 20 years of musical collaboration in 2010. They continue to perform across the globe, winning audiences with their tight vocal harmonies and soulful approach.
“We had them a couple years ago. It was a packed house,” Biely said. “I had never seen them before. I was very impressed; they really interact with their audience.”
Renaissance man Rick Springfield will be rocking the fair, performing his huge bank of top 40 hits on Friday night. Famous not just for his music, but also his acting career on shows like General Hospital and the original Battlestar Galactica, Springfield is most venerated for his 1981 No. 1 hit “Jessie’s Girl.”
Saturday night belongs to mammoth country music star Clint Black and his band. Black has two dozen No. 1 hit singles under his belt, and even more top 10 hits. His debut 1981 album Killin’ Time has gone down as a benchmark in country music history, and his career has blossomed ever since with the founding of his own record label, an acting career, and huge efforts in the humanitarian field.
Sunday afternoon, starting at 3 p.m., La Buena 105.1 FM presents a “Hispanic Concert” in celebration of “Fiesta Day” at the fair.
“We always try to have a variety of music so people can choose a concert with someone they would want to listen to,” Biely said.
The Comcast Center Stage highlights some local and national talent as well. Central Coast ’60s rock group Unfinished Business will be performing Wednesday through Saturday at the fair from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. each night. The high-energy country Cajun fusion band the Doo-Wah Riders perform Wednesday through Saturday as well, but from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Nashville recording artist Amy Estrada can be found performing July 13 at 11 a.m. The talented and youthful group The RKDians is made up of kids ages 11 through 15 from Grover Beach and will perform hits from The Beatles, Green Day, and Journey on July 15 at 11 a.m. Ruby Summer is another Nashville Recording group that’s actually a sister duo performing July 16 at 11 a.m. Live Your Dreams Entertainment is led by Caesar “C-Bone” Hernandez and is made up of several young artists from different backgrounds, all given the chance to live out their musical dreams July 17 at 3 and 6:30 p.m.
“Where else do you go and get a free concert with general admission where you can get food, fun, and entertainment?” Biely asked. “Fairs are definitely an affordable venue for a family.”
Music at the Maverick
The Maverick Saloon in Santa Ynez will be host to country band Von Cotton on July 8 at 8:30 p.m., followed by DJPJ at 11:30 p.m. “Concert on the Deck” with Brant is July 9 at 3 p.m. Von Cotton performs July 9 at 8:30 p.m. followed by DJPJ at 11:30 p.m. Tickets are available at talesfromthetavern.com or 688-0383. m
Contact Calendar Editor Joe Payne at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jul 7-14, 2011.