Country music concerts return to the Ashtabula County Fair

Aug. 6—JEFFERSON — To many fairgoers' delight, two nights of country music will fill the air at the Ashtabula County Fair.

Ted Riser, the celebrated Ohio-based singer, musician, and songwriter, who's taken his unique blend of Southern rock, country, and blues from Sturgis, South Dakota to Key West, will present a free concert at 7 p.m. Thursday in front of the grandstand.

The concert promises to be a winner with fans singing along to Riser's recently released whole-lotta-fun music video — "Don't Leave Your Beer in the Sun."

According to Riser's website, the inspiration came from a fan who left his beer in the sun at a Riser concert in Cleveland! The fan lamented about it to Riser, who was on stage. Right there and then, Ted started putting the words and the music together to capture a moment that every beer drinker has experienced — probably more than once.

Friday night, two country performers will take the grandstand stage, starting at 7 p.m. with opening act, Ashley Barron.

Country star, Tyler Farr, will perform his No. 1 hits at 8 p.m., including "A Guy Walks into a Bar," "Whiskey in My Water" and "Redneck Crazy."

His newest single, "Only Truck in Town," is sure to be hit, as well.

Farr is the only solo male country artist in the past decade to have his first two studio albums debut in the Billboard Top 200 chart. He's also the first artist signed to Jason Aldean's Night Train Records/BBR Music Group.

Barron said she was influenced by the country greats such as Johnny Cash and Miranda Lambert. She now incorporates her life experiences and stories into her writing, creating passionate, home-grown and relatable music.

Online tickets are available on the Ashtabula County Fair website, www.ashtabulafair.com.

Grandstand reserved seating is $20 for Farr's concert plus credit card processing fees. Ages 2 and under for the grandstand are free if held on an adult's lap. There are no strollers allowed in the grandstand.

By the stage on the race track, standing only, tickets are $25 plus credit card processing fees.

Advanced sale tickets also may be purchased with cash at the fairgrounds office underneath the grandstands.

Ashtabula County Fair Board members advise people to not wait to get their tickets, as seating is handled differently this year.

There will be assigned, numbered seating in the grandstand; not first-come, first-served as in the past.