Alabama Returns to State Fair of West Virginia
LEWISBURG, WV (01/18/2016)(readMedia)– State Fair officials have announced that country music super-group Alabama is returning to the 92nd Annual State Fair of West Virginia on Saturday, August 13, 2016, at 8 pm.
Tickets for this show will go on sale Friday, January 22, 2016, at 10 am.
“Alabama put on an amazing show for a record crowd at the 2015 State Fair of West Virginia,” State Fair CEO Kelly Collins stated. “Tickets sold out quickly for last year’s show, so I recommend getting your tickets early this year. You don’t want to miss this show twice!”
Ticket prices and details on how to order can be found at www.statefairofwv.com. Tickets will only be available via Etix at www.statefairofwv.com or by calling 1-800-514-ETIX (3849) Monday through Friday 9 am – 6 pm or Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets will not be sold at the State Fair Box Office until later in the spring.
It’s been 40 years since a trio of young cousins left Fort Payne, Alabama, to spend the summer playing in a Myrtle Beach, South Carolina bar called The Bowery. It took Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry and Jeff Cook six long years of tip jars and word of mouth to earn the major label deal they’d been dreaming of, but then seemingly no time at all to change the face of country music.
ALABAMA is the band that changed everything. They have had 43 #1 singles including 21 #1 singles in a row, a record that will probably never be equaled in any genre. They brought youthful energy, sex appeal and a rocking edge that broadened country’s audience and opened the door to self-contained bands from then on, and they undertook a journey that led, 73 million albums later, to the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Of the early days and their humble beginnings, Jeff says, “I don’t think we thought too far ahead. We were more concerned with paying our bills at the end of the week playing music.”
The Bowery was a chance to get established outside their home turf, where they’d played a nearby theme park, opening for national acts like Bobby Bare.
“We believed we had something pretty special from a vocal standpoint,” says Teddy, “and we were looking for the opportunity to prove it. There were a lot of times when we wondered whether we might be better off going back home and getting jobs, but we just kept rehearsing and writing songs, trying to get better and believing we could do it.”
“I went to see them at The Bowery,” legendary producer, Harold Shedd says, “and the sound that these three guys could create together was just really something. I saw the crowd reacting to music they’d never heard before as though they had. They were doing some covers, but a lot of the ALABAMA show at the time was original material, including stuff that wound up on the first three albums we did together.”
The band was revolutionary in more than one sense.
“We were renegades in sneakers and T-shirts,” says Teddy. “We had long hair and played loud and some of the country folks resisted us for a while. But then of course they did accept us and then after that, our success made it lots easier for other bands to try it in country music.”
The fact that some of the heirs of that legacy–Eli Young Band, Rascal Flatts and Florida Georgia Line–were among the stars paying tribute on Alabama Friends, their most recent release, is part of their legacy as surely as the awards and plaudits they’ve earned through the years. And those, of course, have been legion. They include more than 150 major industry nods, including two Grammys, the Minnie Pearl Humanitarian award, Entertainer of the Year awards three times from the CMA and five times from the ACM, as well as the latter’s Artist of the Decade award. They earned 21 Gold ®, Platinum ® and Multi-Platinum ® albums and were named the RIAA’s Country Group of the Century.
But awards are only a part of a legacy that finds its most important home in the hearts of listeners everywhere. Some of those are superstars in other genres, as Randy found out not long ago.
“I was part of a benefit concert at the Ryman,” he says, “and I look over there’s Jon Bon Jovi. He walked over and said hello and it turns out he likes our music.”
Many more, of course, are everyday country fans.
“A lot of fans will start a conversation with, ‘I don’t want to bother you,'” says Jeff, “but what they don’t understand is that everything that’s happened to us, every one of those awards, happened because we’ve been accepted and supported by our fans.”
Not long ago, Teddy was witness to a scene that shows that their legacy of song remains as fresh as it was when that streak in the ’80s kicked it all off.
“I was in Nashville,” he says, “walking by this club full of young people–I’m talking 18 or 20. The band started playing ‘Dixieland Delight’ and everybody in the place started singing and sang all the way through. I had to smile at the longevity of the songs. Maybe some of those kids didn’t even know who ALABAMA was, but they knew the music, and so I think that’s a tribute to the fact that we spent a career putting out good songs that stand the test of time.”
But the boys from Fort Payne are not content to rest on past glories. As 2014 neared an end, they were concluding a strong tour and celebrating the release of their gospel album, “Angels Among Us: Hymns Gospel Favorites.” The band is looking forward to continuing touring in 2016 after the release of their first studio album of new material in 14 years, “Southern Drawl.” ALABAMA continues to “Roll On.”
The 2016 State Fair themed “Capture Your Memories”, is a 10-day Fair scheduled August 12-21, 2016. The State Fair of West Virginia, with a $13.8 million dollar economic impact on the state of West Virginia, is a 501 © 3 non-profit corporation committed to the traditions of agriculture, family entertainment, and education. For more information, please visit www.statefairofwv.com, or follow fair events on Facebook and Twitter.
State Fair Scholarship Applications Available Online Now
LEWISBURG, WV (12/01/2015)(readMedia)– Applications for the 2016 State Fair of West Virginia Scholarship program are now available online. In association with corporate, civic and individual contributors, and with support from the State Fair Endowment, five $1,000 (four year) scholarships will be awarded to individuals who have participated in one or more of the following areas at the State Fair:
1. State Fair Junior Show – market animals, purebred animals and dairy.
2. Equine Programs – State Fair’s Open Horse Show or Junior Horse and Pony Show.
3. 4-H and FFA Youth Exhibit Program – 4-H and FFA Underwood Youth Center.
Applicants must be pursuing a vocational trade, associate or bachelor degree, and must have participated in the junior livestock show, equine show or 4-H and FFA Youth Exhibit Program within the previous five (5) years.
“The State Fair is honored to be able to recognize the youth of our state for their hard work and for their contributions to agriculture and the Fair through our scholarship program,” State Fair CEO Kelly Collins stated. “For the second year, the application can be found online to simplify the application process. We can wait to meet the 2016 class of recipients.”
All State Fair Scholarship applications and supporting documents must be filled out on the online application. Letters of recommendation can be unloaded with the application, mailed to the State Fair Office or be emailed to entries@statefairofwv.com by January 15, 2016.
Applications are available online under the general information tab at www.statefairofwv.com.
The State Fair of West Virginia, with a $13.8 million dollar economic impact on West Virginia, is a 501 © 3 non-profit corporation committed to the traditions of agriculture, family entertainment, and education. The 2016 Fair themed “Capture Your Memories” is set for August 12-21.
Winter Markets to Begin at State Fairgrounds
LEWISBURG, WV (11/19/2015)(readMedia)– The Winter Indoor Flea Market and Farmer’s Market are set to open at the State Fair of West Virginia in Lewisburg this Saturday, November 21, 2015!
The fairground’s weekly flea market moves inside the heated West Virginia building for the winter season and is open every Tuesday and Saturday from 7:30 am to 1 pm. The indoor flea market provides shoppers an opportunity to “treasure hunt” and local vendors an affordable indoor retail location through the cold winter months! Look for a variety of antiques, collectibles, gently worn clothing, electronics and more. Vendors interested in participating may phone 304-645-1090 or visit statefairofwv.com to download a vendor application and rules. Applications may also be obtained in the State Fair office, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. – 4 pm.
Fans of locally grown produce and locally produced farm products will have the opportunity to shop every Saturday from 8:30 am – 12 Noon at the second annual Wild Wonderful Indoor Winter Farmer’s Market in the 4,000 square foot, heated, Douglass Annex building. The market is open to any small independent producer in the southeast region of West Virginia, and offers shoppers a wide range of delicious home-grown products.
For more information on either market, visit www.statefairofwv.com or call 304-645-1090.
The State Fair of West Virginia, with an $13.8 million dollar statewide economic impact, is a 501 © 3 non-profit corporation committed to the traditions of agriculture, family entertainment, and education. The 92nd annual State Fair of West Virginia is a 10-day event scheduled for August 12-21, 2016. For more information, please visit www.statefairofwv.com.
State Fair Announces 5th Annual Christmas Barn Decorating Contest
LEWISBURG, WV (11/03/2015)(readMedia)– Local civic groups and businesses are invited to participate in the 5th Annual Christmas Barn Decorating Contest at the State Fairgrounds in Fairlea. Participants will have the opportunity to decorate one of ten harness racing barns located adjacent to Route 219 North.
Kelly Collins, State Fair of WV CEO stated, “This is always an exciting competition for us and it is becoming a great tradition for the community. We are thrilled to see what creativity and holiday spirit entrants come up with this season!”
The winning entry will receive $300, with second and third place receiving $200 and $100 respectively. Only the east end of the barns will be decorated and work must be completed by Tuesday, December 1, 2015.
Phone 304-645-1090 or visit the State Fair office Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 4:00 pm to get an entry form and details. Entry forms can also be printed from the link above and emailed to cboothe@statefairofwv.com.
Don’t forget to visit the State Fair’s Facebook page to cast your vote for the “People’s Choice” award and help the winning entry receive a selection of State Fair merchandise!
The State Fair of West Virginia, with an $13.8 million dollar statewide economic impact, is a 501 © 3 non-profit corporation committed to the traditions of agriculture, family entertainment, and education. The 92nd annual State Fair of West Virginia is a 10-day event scheduled for August 12-21, 2016. For more information, please visit www.statefairofwv.com.
State Fair of WV Welcomes International Newmar RV Rally to Lewisburg
LEWISBURG, WV (07/16/2015)(readMedia)– The State Fair Event Center is pleased to welcome the Newmar Kountry Klub International RV Rally and participants to Lewisburg, WV, on July 20 – 25, 2015, for their 30th anniversary.
Newmar is a premium RV camping club made up of Newmar Motor Home and Fifth Wheel RV owners from all across Canada and the United States. During their stay in Lewisburg, over 375 RVs and 800 people will be attending to enjoy the sites and activities of the Greenbrier Valley and surrounding areas.
“The Newmar Kountry Klub is thrilled to announce that we have selected the State Fair of WV in Lewisburg, for the site of our 30th Anniversary International Rally,” the Klub’s International Directors Bob and Bonnie Krieger stated. “You have a wonderful town that has been very responsive in supporting our efforts while putting this rally together – from the merchants in town, the Chamber of Commerce, Carnegie Hall, and the wonderful fairgrounds staff, you have networked with us to provide artisans, musicians, historical presentations, medical seminars, astronomy, storytellers, and great food – you are truly ‘the Coolest Small Town in America.’ When you see us shopping or dining in town, you can identify us by looking for our Newmar Kountry Klub badges – we will be sure to stop in and
say ‘Hi’.”
Newmar would also like to announce that there will be an Open House for the community on Wednesday, July 22, from NOON to 6:00 pm. 12 of the 2016 model motor homes will be on display with representatives to show you the units and answer your questions. Newmar will also have our vendor display area open in the Underwood Youth Center during that time with RV related products. In addition, one of our members is a Golf Pro and trick shot artist with his companion dog “Mr. Bucky” and they will be putting a show on at the Elks Club golf course at 2:00 pm on July 20th – the public is invited.
“We are thrilled to be this year’s host for the Newmar Kountry Klub Rally,” State Fair CEO Kelly Collins added. “These individuals have traveled to West Virginia from all over the United States and Canada, and have been a pleasure to work with! Let’s show them how wonderful the Greenbrier Valley truly is!”
The 2015 State Fair themed “It Feels Like Fun. It Feels Like Fair”, is a 10-day Fair scheduled August 14-23, 2015. The State Fair of West Virginia, with a $13.8 million dollar economic impact on the state of West Virginia, is a 501 © 3 non-profit corporation committed to the traditions of agriculture, family entertainment, and education. For more information, please visit www.statefairofwv.com, or follow fair events on Facebook and Twitter.
Entries Open for Second Annual State Fair of WV Car Show
2015 Car Show Registration Form
LEWISBURG, WV (07/09/2015)(readMedia)– American National, Farm Family Insurance, and the State Fair of West Virginia have teamed up to produce the second annual “State Fair Car Show.” The event is scheduled on Sunday, August 16th from 11 am to 4 pm during the 91st Annual State Fair.
The show will take place on the main fairgrounds. Pre-registration is required and the first 100 entries will receive two gate admission tickets and a special sponsor gift.
The show is open to 1969 or older Custom Hot Rods, Rat Rods, Classics, Antiques, and Drag Cars. A limited number of 1970 to 1985 hot rods and muscle cars will be accepted. Award categories will include: People’s Choice, The Long Drive Award, Kid’s Choice, Best Paint Job, Sponsor’s Choice, Participant’s Pick and The Best of West Virginia Blue Ribbon!
“The State Fair Car show was a great addition to our schedule last year,” CEO Kelly Collins stated. “We are thrilled that American National and Farm Family Insurances have joined us again this year as we continue one more new tradition!”
Details and an entry form can be found at www.statefairofwv.com. Deadline for registration will be July 31, 2015. Phone 304-645-1090 for additional fair information.
The 2015 State Fair is themed “IT FEELS LIKE FUN IT FEELS LIKE FAIR” and is scheduled August 14-23, 2015. The State Fair of West Virginia, with a $13.8 million dollar economic impact on the state of West Virginia, is a 501 © 3 non-profit corporation committed to the traditions of agriculture, family entertainment, and education. For more information, please visit www.statefairofwv.com, or follow fair events on Facebook and Twitter.
