Complete 2023 Fair Grandstand line-up announced
March 2, 2023
Spencer, Iowa — The Clay County Fair announces eight nights of Grandstand events – including five shows that are part of the SRG Concert Series – for the 2023 Clay County Fair powered by SMU, September 9-17.
“With the exception of one show that we do not have permission to announce yet, we thought we would again announce the entire line-up at once,” said Fair Manager Jeremy Parsons. “This gives our enthusiastic fairgoers more time to plan their entire Fair visit, plus it gives us all something to look forward while we still ‘enjoy’ winter.”
Jimmie Allen with special guest Parmalee
Saturday, September 9, 7:30pm
Jimmie Allen launched his career with two consecutive #1 hits off his 2018 debut album Mercury Lane – the first being his two-time Platinum debut single “Best Shot” and second being Platinum-certified “Make Me Want To.” He won the both the ACM New Male Artist of the Year award and CMA New Artist of the Year award in April and November 2021, respectively. Allen’s third album, Tulip Drive released June 2022. Its lead single “Down Home” reached the top of the Country Aircheck/Mediabase chart in January 2023, marking Allen’s fourth career #1 song.
ACM “New Vocal Duo/Group of the Year” nominee Parmalee is one of country music’s most successful acts – the Platinum-selling band of brothers is one of only four groups since 2001 to earn three consecutive Top 10 singles from a debut country album. The North Carolina natives had a legendary return to the top of the charts with their Platinum-certified #1 single with Blanco Brown, “Just the Way,” and their follow up single, “Take My Name” from their new album For You, which became a multi-week #1 hit.
Tickets on sale Monday, March 6 at www.claycountyfair.com – $55 (stage front standing), $45 (reserved Grandstand seating), and $40 (general admission bleachers)
Katy Nichole with special guest Community Worship Collective
Sunday, September 10, 7:30pm
Singer/songwriter Katy Nichole was singing in her church choir long before more than 150 million people around the world heard her 2022 Dove Award-nominated, K-LOVE Fan Award-winning song “In Jesus Name (God of Possible),” which is the first song this decade to reach 20 weeks at #1 on the Hot Christian Songs chart. Since then has been nominated for an American Music Award, made her Grand Ole Opry debut, released her self-titled EP last summer, and realized her second-straight #1 song with “God is in This Story.”
Opening for Nichole will be the Community Worship Collective, a praise and worship band featuring talented local musicians from Spencer-area churches.
Tickets on sale Monday, March 13 at www.claycountyfair.com – $13 (general admission)
To Be Announced
Monday, September 11, 7:30pm
Lucas Oil ASCS and SLMR Late Models
Tuesday, September 12, 7:00pm (Hot Laps)
The Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series returns for the third consecutive year and will be joined by the debut of the Super Late Model Racing (SLMR) Series at the Clay County Fair Speedway.
Tickets on sale Monday, March 20 at www.claycountyfair.com – $25 (adult general admission) and $10 (child general admission)
IMCA Blue Ribbon Showdown
Wednesday, September 13, 7:00pm (Hot Laps)
The 2023 racing season at the Clay County Fair Speedway winds down with an IMCA showdown that includes Hobby Stocks, Sports Mods, Modifieds, Stock Cars and Sports Compacts.
Tickets on sale Monday, March 20 at www.claycountyfair.com – $15 (adult general admission) and $10 (child general admission)
Jo Dee Messina and Diamond Rio
Thursday, September 14, 7:30pm
Jo Dee Messina kicked off her notable career with “Heads Carolina, Tails California,” a single that immediately made her a household name. Following the success of her debut, she posted nine #1 hits, recorded 16 Top 40 songs, and won multiple ACM, CMA, and GRAMMY Awards. She also proved to be a history maker, becoming the first female in country music history to celebrate three consecutive multi-week, chart-topping songs. Her impressive listenership recently earned her acknowledgement for having on the Top 20 country albums of the 1990s on Spotify.
Diamond Rio became the first country music group in history to reach #1 with a debut single, “Meet in the Middle,” in 1991. Since then, the band has sold more than 10 million albums, won a GRAMMY Award, six Vocal Group of the Year wins (CMA and ACM), released two Greatest Hit albums, a live and Christmas project, earned five multi-week #1 singles, 22 Top 10 singles, three certified Platinum and five gold albums. Diamond Rio recently released I Made It, their tenth studio album.
Tickets on sale Monday, March 27 at www.claycountyfair.com – $43 (stage front standing), $38 (reserved Grandstand seating), and $33 (general admission bleachers)
Hairball
Friday, September 15, 7:30pm
A bombastic celebration of arena rock, Hairball is celebrating its 23rd year of rocking hundreds of thousands of people across the country. Vocalists Joe Dandy, Kris Vox, and Dave Moody lead the band through a two-plus hour, mind-blowing, and drop-dead accurate homage to some of the biggest arena acts in the world. Van Halen, KISS, Motley Crue, Queen, Journey, and Aerosmith are but a few of the acts that fans will see brought to life.
Tickets on sale Monday, April 3 at www.claycountyfair.com – $30 (stage front standing), $20 (reserved Grandstand seating), and $20 (general admission bleachers).
Dylan Scott with special guest Ingrid Andress
Saturday, September 16, 7:30pm
Dylan Scott has notched two #1 singles at radio (“My Girl” and “Nobody”), as well as the Top 5 hit “Hooked.” Following his first career nomination for “Best New Country Artist” at the all-genre iHeartRadio Music Awards, his Platinum-certified ode to his wife, “Nobody,” earned him a 2021 CMT Music Award for Breakthrough Video of the Year. Livin’ My Best Life, the highly-anticipated follow-up to his Nothing To Do Town EP, features a fiery lead single “New Truck” and viral TikTok ballad “Can’t Have Mine (Find You A Girl).”
Four-time GRAMMY nominated singer-songwriter Ingrid Andress has burned up the charts with her latest Platinum-certified #1 radio single, “Wishful Drinking (with Sam Hunt).” Her 2022 debut album Lady Like set the record as the highest streaming country female debut album of all time upon release. In addition to the Gold-certified title track, Lady Like also features her multi-Platinum #1 radio single, “More Hearts than Mine.”
Tickets on sale Monday, April 10 at www.claycountyfair.com – $38 (stage front standing), $33 (reserved Grandstand seating), and $28 (general admission bleachers)
Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pull
Sunday, September 17, 1:00pm and 5:30pm
For the fourth time, the Fair will conclude with the season championships of the Outlaw Truck & Tractor Pullers Association featuring two thunderous sessions of pulling action.
Tickets (one ticket is good for both sessions) on sale Monday, March 20 at www.claycountyfair.com –
$25 (adult general admission) and $10 (child general admission)
About The Clay County Fair & Events Center Rooted in Tradition, the Clay County Fair and Events Center is a year-round facility that annually hosts more than 300 events, including its signature event, the Clay County Fair powered by SMU. Known as “The World’s Greatest County Fair” since 1917, the Clay County Fair attracts more than 325,000 guests each September for nine-days of world-class entertainment, competition, food, fun, and the largest farm machinery show at any fair in the United States. Additional information can be found at claycountyfair.com.
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