THIS WEEKEND: Country Concert celebrates 40 years with Luke Combs, Jason Aldean and more

The same headliners due to appear last year before the event was canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic will be featured this year. Scheduled headliners included Alan Jackson, Luke Combs and Jason Aldean. Other performers for the three-day event include Jon Pardi, Justin Moore, Neal McCoy, Lorrie Morgan, Jo Dee Messina, Deana Carter, HARDY, Riley Green, Cody Johnson and more.

Ticket holders for the 2020 event received an email with information on how to keep tickets, seats and camping for 2021 or to get a refund. People still needing tickets should visit countryconcert.com/store/tickets.html. Some ticket options have sold-out, but there are still multiple ticket packages available for each day.

HISTORY OF COUNTRY CONCERT

Mike and Mary Jo Barhorst didn’t set out to create one of the region’s largest annual gatherings of music fans. However, that’s exactly what happened with Country Concert in Fort Loramie.

The event started in the late 1970s as a cookout for family and friends to celebrate the couple’s wedding anniversary. Local musicians performed while partygoers indulged in food and homemade wine. Word about the celebration quickly spread. Attendance had grown so much by 1981, the Barhorsts decided to make the event public.

Louise Mandrell was the headliner that first year. Since then, the concert has hosted some of the biggest names in country music, including Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynne, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Garth Brooks and Reba McEntire.

In recent years, the annual three-day event has drawn more than 20,000 concertgoers per day to see marquee headliners such as Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, Florida Georgia Line and Kid Rock. Country Concert, which is now run by Mike and Mary Jo’s four sons, isn’t just a destination for Americans. Each year, it attracts country music fans from Europe, Canada, Australia and other locales.

Country Concert is about more than music. In addition to camping and food, Country Concert also generates thousands of dollars each year to support area groups and organizations such as the Ft. Loramie Fire Department and the American Red Cross.

Mike Barhorst was 77 when he passed away on March 1, 2017. Paul Barhorst has been president of Country Concerts since 2007.

COUNTRY CONCERT PERFORMERS

Concert organizers have announced the lineup for the 2021 event:

THURSDAY, JULY 8

Main Stage:

4 p.m. — Neal McCoy

6 p.m. — Ashley McBryde

8 p.m. — Jon Pardi

10 p.m. — Luke Combs

Country Club Saloon:

3 p.m. — Drew Parker

5 p.m. — Niko Moon

7 p.m. — Jameson Rodgers

9:15 p.m. — Ashland Craft

FRIDAY, JULY 9

Main Stage:

4 p.m. — Lorrie Morgan

6 p.m. — Riley Green

8 p.m. — Justin Moore

10 p.m. — Alan Jackson

Country Club Saloon:

3 p.m. — Hannah Dasher

5 p.m. — McGuffey Lane

7 p.m. — Bellamy Brothers

9:15 p.m. — Jesse Keith Whitley

SATURDAY, JULY 10

Main Stage:

2 p.m. — Deana Carter

4 p.m. — Jo Dee Messina

6 p.m. — HARDY

8 p.m. — Chase Rice

10 p.m. — Jason Aldean

Country Club Saloon:

1 p.m. — Clark Manson

3 p.m. — Rayne Johnson

5 p.m. — Lainey Wilson

7 p.m. — Flatland Cavalry

9:15 p.m. — Desert City Ramblers

For more information, visit www.countryconcert.com.

TICKETS

Tickets for Country Concert ’21 are on sale now online.

Tickets are available for single day, with general admission starting at $110, two-day starting at $220 and three-day starting at $250. Upgrades are available.