The State Fair of West Virginia cannot guarantee the validity of tickets that are purchased through anyone other than the SFWV or our ticketing partner ETIX.

AUGUST 07, 2025

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Changes Announced for Cody Johnson Show at State Fair of WV Special VIP Parking and Pre-Show Party Added

With the addition of up-and-coming singer Tyler Booth to the lineup, the Friday, May 26, 2023, concert featuring Cody Johnson and Special Guest Randy Houser will now begin at 7 PM, with gates opening at 6 PM.

In addition, State Fair Officials have announced a special on-ground VIP parking is now available for $20. Only a limited number of spots will be available for purchase. Free parking will be available in the parking lot across 219 South. All patrons who have not purchased VIP Parking are asked to enter through the tunnel on 219S.  Parking and concert tickets may be purchased by visiting www.statefairofwv.com or by calling 1-800-514-ETIX (3849).

To kick off the evening, a special Pre-Show Party will be open to the public starting at 3 PM, located in front of the Underwood Building on the Fairgrounds. This event is open to all ticket holders. Drinks and food will be available for purchase.

“With a little over a month left to go, we are extremely excited to open the gates for this special show,” State Fair CEO Kelly Collins stated. “Less than 1,000 tickets currently remain, so don’t wait to get them.”

Other information:

  • The Lot for VIP on grounds parking opens at 12 NOON. Please enter through Gate 6, the Carnival Gate.
  • Pre-Show event starts at 3 PM. Must have a concert ticket to enter.
  • Food and drinks will be available for purchase.
  • Free parking will be in the fair’s main parking lot on 219 South.
  • Metal detectors will be in use for this show. Weapons/firearms/knives are not permitted and will be confiscated. Alcoholic beverages not provided by the State Fair of WV are not permitted.
  • Bag checks are conducted at all Grandstand events. Bags must be 5″x9.” No large/oversized bags, coolers, backpacks, etc. Diaper Bags are permitted but are subject to search.
  • Professional video/photo equipment not permitted.

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The 10-day State Fair of West Virginia is celebrating 98 years on August 10-19, 2023. 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, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. Join the conversation by using #sfwv!

Final Acts Announced for State Fair of West Virginia 

Yung Gravy State Fair of West Virginia

Lewisburg, W.Va. – State Fair Officials are excited to announce the addition of Yung Gravy with special guest DJ Tiiiiiiiiiip, Wilson Fairchild, and the Buckin’ B Bull Ride to the 2023 State Fair of West Virginia Concert Lineup.

Yung Gravy will take the stage Thursday, August 10, 2023, at 8 PM, while Wilson Fairchild will perform a free show on Tuesday, August 15, 2023, at 7:30 PM. The Buckin’ B Bull Ride will take place on Saturday, August 12, 2023, at 7:00 PM. Tickets for Young Gravy and the Buckin’B Bull Ride will go on sale Friday, March 31, 2023, at 10 AM.

“We are thrilled with the additions of Yung Gravy, Wilson Fairchild, and the Buckin’ B Bull Ride to complete the 2023 Lineup,” State Fair CEO Kelly Collins stated. “Routing for the artist truly worked in our favor this year, and we cannot wait for the 98th Annual State Fair of WV!”

Tickets will only be available via ETIX at https://statefairofwv.com/entertainment/ or by calling 1-800-514-ETIX (3849) Monday through Friday 9 AM – 6 PM, or Saturday 9 AM to 5 PM. Tickets will not be sold at the State Fair Box Office until later this spring.

The 98th Annual State Fair of West Virginia is slated for August 10-19, 2023.

 

Yung Gravy

Go ahead and call him “The People’s Champ…”

The people quite literally demanded his rise by galvanizing his jump from underground stalwart into a mainstream force.

23-year-old MC, Minnesotan disruptor, and MILF connoisseur Yung Gravy quietly emerged as a gold-certified phenomenon by way of hilarious ad-libs and airtight rhymes. Within a year, his 2018 Snow Cougar EP yielded a pair of gold-selling bangers — “Mr. Clean” and “1 Thot 2 Thot Red Thot Blue Thot” — jumping from early SoundCloud success to the hottest playlists on Spotify such as New Music Friday and Pop Rising, to name a few. In its wake, he sold out three tours in North America, two tours in Europe, and his run of Australia and New Zealand. This hot streak continued as his world tour, Experience The Sensation, Part 2,” also sold out.

During 2019, his full-length debut Sensational [Republic Records], crashed the Top 5 of the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart and put up 450 million-plus streams across bangers a la “Alley Oop” [feat. Lil Baby” and “Gravy Train,” which gave a 808 facelift to Maxine Nightingale’s “Right Back Where We Belong.”

Gravy just does Gravy though…

“I really felt like there was something missing,” he explains. “I wasn’t hearing what I wanted to hear, so I stepped up to the plate and actually started doing it myself.”

Rewinding to the beginning, he hit his stride in 2016. Inspired by everyone from OutKast, Nate Dogg, Curren$y, and Action Bronson to Patrice Rushen and The Blackbyrds, Gravy took to SoundCloud to begin releasing music. The first song he uploaded, “Karen”, quickly garnished new fans and stirred a palpable buzz online. His first independent EP, Mr. Clean, went viral on the strength of “Continental Breakfast” on SoundCloud. Sandwiching a sample of The Chordettes’ “Mr. Sandman” between racy and raw rhymes, the title track “Mr. Clean” popped off and paved the way towards literal gold as well Thanksgiving’s Eve, Yung Gravity EP, and Baby Gravy EP. Soon, he reached #1 on Indify and had labels knocking at his door. Gravy kicked off 2018 with the sizzling single “1 Thot 2 Thot Red Thot Blue Thot.” Flipping the Dr. Seuss limerick upside down, the hook proves immediately infectious.

“I was at a house party in Georgia that got broken up by the cops,” he recalls. “We were accused of burglary, and I spent the night in jail. I got probation with community service. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, so all of the felonies were expunged, but I still got charged with ‘Criminal Trespassing’ and ‘Underage Drinking.’ The day I got off probation, I was super hyped and inspired. This is my freedom song.”

A free man, he shows no signs of stopping or slowing down. He teamed up with frequent collaborator bbno$ for a 2020 collaborative project introduced by the track “shinin on my ex,” which OnesToWatch predicted as “a surefire Tik Tok hit” and Lyrical Lemonade pegged as “another absolute slapper” and “a true classic.” Their chemistry really exploded on the single “iunno.” Over off-kilter horns and a subtle beat, they lock into a vibrant verbal volley before the hashtaggable hook.

It supports his main goal though — as always.

“At the end of the day, this is all meant to make people feel good,” he leaves off. “This is party music, and everyone’s invited.”

 

Wilson Fairchild

The Reid cousins, who seem more like brothers, have sung together professionally for over 15 years. They are energetic, enthusiastic, and above all, very, very talented. Along with their outstanding harmony, which is an inherent trademark from their fathers, Harold and Don Reid, members of the Statler Brothers, Wil and Langdon are prolific songwriters who have had over 30 songs published and recorded.

They can also play many different instruments, which makes an impressive portfolio and contributes to their unique style. But when Wil and Langdon plug up and strap on their electric guitars and turn on their natural entertaining abilities, you can expect to be fulfilled with a musical delight.

The duo played a lot of music for a number of years under the name Grandstaff. Grandstaff CDs include Circles and Grandstaff: Live & Well. In 2010, the country music duo changed their name to Wilson Fairchild. Wilson is Wil’s middle name and Fairchild is Langdon’s middle name. The new fresh name has more of a duo sounding ring to it and fits their fresh new music as well.

You may remember a number-one rated television show for seven years on TNN, “The Statler Brothers Show.” On their debut appearance, they got to sing the first song they had written together called “What We Love To Do” which the Statler Brothers recorded. Since then, they have been hooking up with some other big name writers and joining forces behind the almighty pen. In 2007, the Statlers were being inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Wil and Langdon were asked to be a part of the ceremony by singing a song to them. They felt it was time to write their own “Statler” song in tribute to all their successes throughout their career. The two sat down and wrote “The Statler Brothers Song.”

Their latest success in the songwriting arena is a song called “Make God First.” They wrote it with friend and Grammy-award winning songwriter Gordon Kennedy, and Ricky Skaggs recorded it for his Mosaic CD.

 

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The 10-day State Fair of West Virginia is celebrating 98 years on August 10-19, 2023. 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, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. Join the conversation by using #sfwv!

State Fair Announces Second Annual Art Contest

State Fair Art Contest

The State Fair of West Virginia is excited to announce its Second Annual State Fair Art Contest. The winning entry will be featured as the 2023 State Fair Print of the Year, and will receive a cash prize, as well as a percentage of sales.

“We’ve been able to feature some amazing local artists over the last few years with the official fair portrait,” State Fair CEO Kelly Collins stated. “We are excited to continue to promote our local artists and can’t wait to see what folks come up with!”

The official State Fair print should portray a positive image of the State Fair of West Virginia or reflect activities in anticipation or preparation of the annual event. Guidelines include: 

– Image should be 11″x14″, or 11″x17″ vertical or horizontal will be acceptable.

– Medium may include oil, acrylic, watercolor, or pastels. Must be able to copy for print production purposes. 

– Both professional and amateur artists are permitted to enter.

To enter: Please submit a copy and/or picture of your work to Kellyt@statefairofwv.com by April 7, 2023.

For more information, please contact the State Fair Office at 304-645-1090, or email kellyt@statefairofwv.com.

Lainey Wilson To Perform At The State Fair Of West Virginia

Lainey Wilson SFWV

Fair Officials are excited to announce that the 2022 ACM New Female of the Year winner, Lainey Wilson, will appear at the State Fair of West Virginia on Monday, August 14, 2023. Tickets for the show will go on sale Friday, February 17, 2023 at 10 AM.

“We’re thrilled to add Lainey Wilson to our roster of performers this year,” State Fair CEO Kelly Collins said. “Our 2023 lineup is one for the books, and we are not done yet!”

Tickets will only be available via ETIX at https://statefairofwv.com/entertainment/ or by calling 1-800-514-ETIX (3849) Monday through Friday 9 AM – 6 PM, or Saturday 9 AM to 5 PM. Tickets will not be sold at the State Fair Box Office until later this spring.

Lainey Wilson

ACM New Female of the Year 2022 winner, Lainey Wilson has earned the enthusiasm of the industry, having been named to nearly every “Artist to Watch” list, winning MusicRow Magazine’s Discovery Artist of the Year award and being crowned Billboard’s “Top New Country Artist of 2021,” the Louisiana native is one of Nashville’s hottest and most buzzed-about new artists. Landing her first No. 1 with her PLATINUM Certified ACM Song of the Year “Things A Man Oughta Know,” nearly 10 years to the day after leaving her small farming community in a camper trailer to chase her dreams, she has won over legions of fans with her signature Bell Bottom Country sound and aesthetic, which blends traditional Country with a modern yet retro flare. A prolific and sought-after songwriter (having co-writer credits on songs by artists including Luke Combs, Flatland Calvary and more), Lainey is a fresh, fierce voice in Nashville, delivering one of the “Top Country Albums of 2021” (Rolling Stone, Taste of Country, and American Songwriter) with her label debut, Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’. With a rockstar stage presence, her artistry has taken her across the globe, performing for sold-out crowds throughout the US, UK, and Germany with notable names like Jason Aldean, Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Hardy, Jon Pardi, Ashley McBryde, Randy Houser and more. Her current single (Top 40 and climbing), “Heart Like a Truck” is the follow up to her recent return to the top of the Country radio charts with the two-week No. 1 hit, “Never Say Never” with Cole Swindell. She will release her hotly-anticipated album, Bell Bottom Country on October 28, just before making her acting debut on the hit series Yellowstone on November 13. For more information and upcoming tour dates, visit www.laineywilson.com or follow on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook.

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The 10-day State Fair of West Virginia is celebrating 98 years on August 10-19, 2023. 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, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. Join the conversation by using #sfwv!

Nelly Returning to the State Fair of West Virginia

Nelly State Fair of WV

Fair Officials are excited to announce Grammy Award-winning rap superstar Nelly will return to the State Fair of West Virginia on Friday, August 11, 2023. Tickets for the show will go on sale Friday, February 10, 2023 at 10 AM.

“Nelly put on an amazing, sold-out show here in 2021,” State Fair CEO Kelly Collins said. “When the opportunity presented itself, we knew we had to book him again.”

Tickets will only be available via ETIX at https://statefairofwv.com/entertainment/ or by calling 1-800-514-ETIX (3849) Monday through Friday 9 AM – 6 PM, or Saturday 9 AM to 5 PM. Tickets will not be sold at the State Fair Box Office until later this spring.

Nelly

Diamond Selling, Multi-platinum, Grammy award-winning rap superstar, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and actor, Nelly, has continually raised the bar for the entertainment industry since stepping on the scene in 2000 with his distinctive vocals and larger-than-life personality. His collaboration with Florida Georgia Line received Diamond status and he is only one of seven rappers to reach this honor. He is touring around the globe and recently was the first artist to play in Saudi Arabia with a mixed gender/family crowd. He is the first hip hop artist to play with multiple symphonies nationwide and played himself in BET’s Real Husbands of Hollywood with Kevin Hart. His sports knowledge and love of all sports secured him a gig as a sportscaster with Skip Bayless. 2019 is going to be a huge year for the hip hop mogul, currently Nelly is in the studio preparing for new music to be released in addition to several business ventures to be announced in the first quarter.  

Nelly embarked on his music career with Midwest hip hop group St. Lunatics, in 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Nelly entered the spotlight with the release of Country Grammar in 2000, spending seven weeks at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and spawning the massive hits “Ride Wit Me”, “Country Grammar”, and “E.I.”. The album landed Nelly four Grammy Award nominations and sold over nine million copies worldwide.  Country Grammar is Nelly’s best-selling album to date, selling over 8.4 million copies in the United States. 

Nelly kept the momentum going with the 2002 release of Nellyville.  The album debuted at #1 on top of scoring Nelly his first two Grammy Awards for “Hot in Here” – Best Male Rap Solo Performance – and “Dilemma” [feat. Kelly Rowland] – Best Rap Song Collaboration. This album was highly successful and was certified 6x multi-platinum by the RIAA on June 27, 2003. He has since gone on to win multiple American Music Awards, a Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award, Soul Train Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, and was crowned “Top Pop, Rap, and R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of The Year” by Billboard. He has been referred to by Peter Shapiro as “one of the biggest stars of the new millennium”, and the RIAA ranks Nelly as the fourth best-selling rap artist in American music history, with over 21 million albums sold in the United States. On December 11, 2009, Billboard ranked Nelly the number three Top Artist of the Decade.

The 10-day State Fair of West Virginia is celebrating 98 years on August 10-19, 2023. 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, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. Join the conversation by using #sfwv!

State Fair of West Virginia Announces HARDY as First in 2023 Lineup

Blue and Yellow Creative Neon Live Music Announcement

 

Officials at the State Fair of West Virginia are excited to announce HARDY as the first concert added to the 2023 Grandstand Lineup on Sunday, August 13. Tickets will go on sale Friday, January 20, 2023, at 10 AM.

“We could not be more excited for the first announcement to the 98th Annual State Fair of West Virginia concert lineup,” CEO Kelly Collins stated. “HARDY is one of the biggest names out there, and if you have not had a chance to see him before, he puts on an amazing show.”

Tickets will only be available via ETIX at https://statefairofwv.com/entertainment/ or by calling 1-800-514-ETIX (3849) Monday through Friday 9 am – 6 pm or Saturday 9 am to 5 pm. Tickets will not be sold at the State Fair Box Office until later in the spring.

HARDY

Big Loud Records’ heavy hitter HARDY has never been just one thing. Uncaging his next chapter on January 20, 2023, HARDY will introduce the mockingbird & THE CROW, his dichotomous, 17-track sophomore album and the follow up to 2020 debut, A ROCK. HARDY is the reigning ACM Songwriter of the Year, the 2022 BMI Country Songwriter of the Year, and a two-time AIMP Songwriter of the Year, additionally nominated for New Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, and Musical Event of the Year at the 2022 CMA Awards.

One of CRS’ 2021 New Faces of Country Music and a two-time CMA Triple Play award recipient, the pride of Philadelphia, Miss., has earned his reputation as “a breakout in the making,” (HITS) and “a promising purveyor of keeping the spirit of classic heavy Southern rock alive” (American Songwriter). HARDY has written 12 #1 singles since 2018, including his own double platinum #1 single “ONE BEER” feat. Lauren Alaina + Devin Dawson, and chart-topping Dierks Bentley + BRELAND collaboration, “Beers On Me.” He’s previously toured with Thomas Rhett, Morgan Wallen, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, Cole Swindell, and more, and will embark on his own SOLD-OUT headlining Wall to Wall Tour this winter, before launching the mockingbird & THE CROW Tour in 2023.

The 10-day State Fair of West Virginia is celebrating 98 years on August 10-19, 2023. 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, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. Join the conversation by using #sfwv!

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