Concerts return to county fair: That Arena Rock Show booked for Wednesday
DOVER ‒ Live entertainment is coming back to the Tuscarawas County Fair, which opens Monday at the fairgrounds in Dover.
This year, the fair board has booked That Arena Rock Show to perform at 8 p.m. Wednesday. The show is a tribute to classic rock n' roll of the 1970s and 1980s, including such artists as Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Bon Jovi and Guns N Roses. Tickets are $12.
"We're going to get back into the entertainment business," said fair board member Doug Wills, who is in charge of entertainment. He spoke Tuesday at a preview event at the fairgrounds for local news media.
"It's been quite some time since we've had a concert. We're working with David Mitchell at the Performing Arts Center. We've decided we're going to bring rock 'n' roll back to the fairgrounds and see if we can't make it rock."
That Arena Rock Show was at the Performing Arts Center at Kent State University at Tuscarawas about a year ago.
"They're outstanding, and so we're very proud to present them. I think the people are going to enjoy them tremendously. Not only are they outstanding performers, they are very entertaining," Wills said.
There will be not track seating, but the stage will be close to the grandstand.
Electronic tickets
As in past years, the Performing Arts Center will handle ticket sales, said Jonna Cronebaugh, who handles marketing for the fair board. This year, visitors to the fair can also get their tickets electronically.
"They can actually print them out at home, which we would recommend, because there is the issue of the cell service dropping really low whenever this place is really full with people," she said.
The fair will be using the Performing Arts Center ticket scanning system, Wills said. People will be scanned in and scanned out of the grandstand for the show. There will be one route into the grandstand and one route out to keep people moving.
"We want to make it as convenient as possible," he said.
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Touch a Truck event
Another new event this year is the free Touch a Truck event at 6 p.m. Thursday, which is Family Day at the fair. It will be held on the racetrack.
"This is not one of those where they hired somebody to bring all these things in," Cronebaugh said. "They're just getting local people to bring some cool vehicles that a lot of kids don't have the opportunity to get up close and personal to."
Vehicles will include a crime scene van from the Tuscarawas County Sheriff's Office, a fire department vehicle, an ambulance, Mike Jarvis semi with lowboy and an old fire truck and pulling truck and tractors. Companies providing vehicles include Red Hill Crane, Keim, Rosenberry Towing, Battle Motors, J. Miller Excavating, Omni Fiber and TMK Valley Propane.
An old favorite, the Cheese House, will be coming back this year. The Cheese House has been closed for many years. Wills said it is important to have someplace at the fair to showcase one of the most important agricultural products of Tuscarawas County. If all goes as planned, it should open on Sept. 22 and remain open for the last couple days of the fair.
Another new feature this year is a homework tent for 4-H kids, sponsored by the Farm Bureau.
Installation of LED lighting
Improvements to the infrastructure at the fairgrounds are ongoing.
Fair board President Ed Corpman said that all but one building at the fairgrounds has been converted to LED lighting to brighten things up and save on energy costs. This project started about four years ago. The merchant building is the only one that hasn't been upgraded yet.
New concrete has been laid at the Tuscarawas Avenue entrance to remove tripping hazards. The roads around the livestock barns have been chip and sealed. Corpman said the roads have been dug up to replace electric, water and drain lines, and they were proving a hazard to pedestrians and livestock.
The Poultry Barn has also been expanded. Due to the growing number of poultry projects, the current building was expanded to allow for additional pen space and a show area.
Reach Jon at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com.
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: That Arena Rock Show scheduled for Tuscarawas County Fair
