Fair ticket sales go well on 1st weekend

VW County Fair Board information

The Van Wert County Fair Board noted great ticket sales response from the public for the Charlie Daniels Band concert coming to this year’s fair.

At 7 a.m. this past Saturday, there was already a line forming outside the Fair Administrative Office, fair officials said, noting that tickets for the 159th annual Van Wert County Fair’s soft opening didn’t go on sale until 9 that morning.

Within the first 2½ hours, premier seating (the first four rows in front of the grandstand, which cost $45 apiece) had nearly sold out and, at last count early Sunday morning, only a handful of tickets for that level of seating remained.

Many of those in line had seen Nashville Crush at the Van Wert Area Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Ribfest last August and believed followers of that band would bring in concertgoers to see the combination of their hometown band opening for the Charlie Daniels Band all on their own.

The show is not until September 1; however, those interviewed Saturday morning were eager to secure their spot in the crowd for the return of a headliner to the fair.  Laura Lyle, longtime 4-Her and FFA member, noted that she has camped at, and attended, the fair for about 15 years and can’t wait to see Nashville Crush and Charlie Daniels perform.  Her plans include, “being up front and being loud!”

Mike Miller, another early riser, saw the Charlie Daniels Band in Lima at the Square Fair.  He, along with about 100 others, escorted Charlie’s bus into town and into the square on their motorcycles for that performance.  Daniels signed photos for them.  They were, “very impressed with CDB and can’t wait to see him perform again!”

Pam Purmort, a lifetime Van Wert County resident, fairgoer and supporter, was also very excited to hear Charlie Daniels was coming to the fair.  Purmort thought country and classic rock the best choices for Van Wert.

“It’s great to have a big name act at the fair,” she said. “T-102 is doing a great job promoting it, and I think it will bring in a lot of out-of-towners.”

Tickets will be on sale at the fair office during regular office hours or online at www.vanwertcountyfair.com up until an hour before the concert begins — if tickets don’t sell out before then.  At the rate things are going — with sections selling out in the first day to day and a half — those with hopes of building on this concert and being able to invite even bigger, more current artists to the stage in years to come, are keeping their dreams alive.