Country music will be returning to the main stage at the Warren County Fair this summer as the fair board announced they have booked Montgomery Gentry, Ty Herndon and Byrdie Wilson to perform on Saturday, July 5. 

This will be the first time in over 20 years the fair will bring a large musical act to Warren County, and board member Paul Owenby said it could not have been done without the help of the city of Warrenton Tourism Board. 

“It’s a huge undertaking for us, but it couldn’t be done without the city’s money. They’re trying to get us financially to where we get back on top,” said Owenby. 

A significant portion of the funding for the acts is coming from the city’s tourism funds including $60,000 to help cover the cost of the act, and an additional $15,000 for light and sound equipment, according to City Administrator Brandie Walters. 

She said the tourism board had considered it previously and thought it was a worthwhile investment to bring more visitors to the county fair. 

“When you bring people in from outside of the city, the goal is for them to come in and visit your town,” said Walters. “Visit your hotels and motels, visit your gas stations.”

She also clarified that the money being used to cover the cost of the performance is not coming from sales tax funds. The city assesses a 5% tax on gross daily sales from hotels and motels within the city and those funds were tapped into for the concert. 

“It is tourism that is actually paying for that, not city tax dollars,” said Walters. 

Owenby said they wanted to choose acts that would have widespread appeal and would represent the city well. He felt they achieved that with established country acts like Montgomery Gentry and Herndon along with an up-and-comer like Wilson to attract a younger audience. 

Montgomery Gentry are known for songs like “Where I come from” and “Something to be Proud of” and have been nominated for over 20 awards across the Country Music Association, the American Music Awards and the Academy of Country Music. 

They also won a CMA for Best Vocal Duo of the Year in 2000. 

Herndon is known for songs like “What Mattered Most” and “It Must Be Love.” He got his start as a member of the Tennessee River Boys before breaking out on his own as an artist. 

He also received a nomination for best southern, country or bluegrass gospel album at the 53rd annual Grammys in 2011. 

Wilson is a newer voice in the country music scene with a growing audience. She earned her place in Nashville playing songs like “Where My Roots Run,” and a newer single “Out the Bottle.”

“It’s kind of bringing the new and the old back in, and hopefully everybody enjoys it,” said Owenby. 

He acknowledged that in the past when the fair had hosted larger acts they had struggled with turnout but he felt they were taking measures to get the word out and attract attendees from both within, and outside Warren County. 

He said although the fair board is entirely a volunteer effort, they had reached out to advertise in other markets along with Warren County, reaching as far as Mexico and St. Louis. 

“If this year goes over really well, I’m saying, next year we’re gonna have to step up the game even harder because of it,” said Owenby. 

He did acknowledge there would likely be an increase in pricing for the fair this year in part to keep up with rising costs, both from the concert and regular operations. 

He said they planned to raise the price of season passes from $50 to $70 and the price for adult tickets on Saturday, the evening of the concert, would be $30. 

“That’s kind of going off how Troy and Montgomery and comparable fairs, and even St. Charles, to ours to try to keep up with the times,” said Owenby. 

He also emphasized that the fair is the organization’s main fundraiser and often contributes up to 90% of their annual revenue. 

At the end of the day, he was appreciative of the city funds and hoped the concert would be a success. He also thought it could have a reciprocal effect as the concert could bring in additional revenue for the city. 

“Let’s say we do bring 10,000 more people into the city of Warrenton on Saturday night, I guarantee a majority of them are going to stop at the gas station or the McDonalds or something,” said Owenby. “They’re going to spend money on the way out.”