FORT LORAMIE — The 40th annual Country Concert at Hickory Hill Lakes in Fort Loramie has been rescheduled to 2021.
The Barhorst family posted this notice to the Country Concert’s website and Facebook page Friday morning:
“Thank you, fans, for your continued support of Country Concert.
We are incredibly disappointed to have to reschedule our 40th Anniversary event until July 8, 9, 10, 2021.
We explored every possible option to have the 2020 event safely for our fans, charitable organizations, vendors, sponsors, employees and local businesses.
Our plan is to have the same show for 2021. We will have more announcements on that coming very soon.
Next week every ticket buyer will receive an email with information on how to keep your tickets, seats, and camping for CC 2021 or request a full refund.
Be safe and take care of each other. We hope to see you in 2021.”
Jason Aldean was set to be the headline act on Saturday night, July 11, but cancelled his entire tour until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The other headliners that were scheduled to take the stage are Alan Jackson on Thursday, and Luke Combs on Friday.
Other artists lined-up for the 40th anniversary show include Justin Moore, Neal McCoy, Lorrie Morgan, Old Dominion, Chris Lane, Riley Green, Jon Pardi, Cody Johnson, Ashley McBryde, Deana Carter, Bellamy Brothers, Hannah Dasher, Jesse Keith Whitley, McGuffey Lane, Jon Langston, Ashley Craft, Niko Moon, USA Karaoke, Gabby Barrett, Lainey Wilson, Rayne Johnson, Drew Parker and Sean Stemaly.
The Wednesday camper party performers that were scheduled are HARDY, Hunter Phelps and Clark Manson. Other musicians were to be announced.
The Country Concert welcomes around 20,000 fans each of the three days, Shelby County Sheriff John Lenhart confirmed.
“It’s sad too because this is their 40th anniversary. It’s hard to believe 40 years ago Mike and Mary Jo started that,” Lenhart said. “A lot of people really enjoy country music, and I’m one of them. But on the other side of that, there are some folks that are not interested in that, and there is a lot of extra traffic on the road. But the big picture is (the Country Concert) is always a positive.”
Lenhart noted the Country Concert weekend is a more profitable time of the year in Shelby County than the holiday season is for local businesses.
“It is quiet a financial gain for the local communities and the local business people,” he said.
Co-founders Mike and Mary Jo Barhorst began the tradition in 1981 on their campgrounds to celebrate their wedding anniversary with music acts initially on a tent-covered patio. The shows evolved from the patio to being held in a barn to now on one of the three permanent stages and six giant video screens with on-site camping on the 500 acre facility.
Well over 300 different artists have performed at the Country Concert, according to their history video made in 2017. The Country Concert is still owned and operated by the Barhorst family.
