Fair on fire

New dates.

A new ride company.

New grandstand entertainment.

And now, a New Male Artist of the Year.

The Jay County Fair added to its list of “new” this week when it announced that Academy of Country Music award winner Nate Smith will be its headlining entertainment fo this year’s fair.

“After last year — we really switched it up, went with a completely different genre — this year we had an open mind and just said, 'Hey, here's our budget, let's look at the best possible options — country, pop, whatever it might be,’” said fair board president Aaron Loy, referencing 2024 headliner Flo Rida. “Nate Smith was the best option with him being an up-and-comer, country. He just checked a lot of the boxes that we felt was the right fit for this year's fair.”

Smith will be the fair’s grandstand entertainment on Independence Day — Friday, July 4 — as the fair shifts one week earlier on the calendar in order to bring in new carnival company Kissel Entertainment. Josh Ross will open for Smith for the concert that starts at 7:30 p.m.

The year’s grandstand schedule will also feature a new event in Queen City Stunt Circus.

Smith, a native of Paradise, California, followed a relatively new path to stardom, gaining notoriety when his song “World on Fire” caught, well, fire, on TikTok in 2020. The 39-year-old once thought his artistic career was over, having left Nashville after chasing his dreams there in his early 20s. He found his way back to music, using it as a comfort after his family lost everything in the Camp Fire of 2018.

He signed a new record deal and put out a self-titled album in 2023 and then “California Gold” last year. “World on Fire” and “Whiskey on You” both reached Billboard’s No. 1 for U.S. Country Airplay and Canadian Country. He won Billboard’s Rookie of the Year last year.

"He has a lot of major hits right now,” said Loy. “He's one of the top artists right now. Hopefully (it will bed) the same atmosphere we've been trying to build — exciting, vibrant, really gets into the crowd. Hopefully we can just keep building off of that."

Smith, who is headed on a European swing next month that includes stops in Norway, Sweden, Germany and the United Kingdom next month, suggested Ross to open the show. The Canadian artist who counts influences ranging from Metallica to Steve Earle released his first single in early 2022. He’s had three songs, “Trouble,” “Ain’t Doin’ Jack” and “Single Again” top the Canadian country charts, and won the Canadian Country Music Association Breakthrough Artist of the Year award in 2023.

After completing his first solo tour recently, he will join Jelly Roll on the Canadian leg of his Beautifully Broken tour next month.

The big country concert will highlight a week of entertainment that will also include bookend demolition derbies on Saturdays, June 28 and July 5; autocross on Sunday, June 29; 3 Bar J Rodeo on Monday, June 30; Figure 8 and barrel racing on Tuesday, July 1; truck and tractor pulls on Wednesday, July 2; and Queen City Stunt Circus on Thursday, July 3. (Saturday and Sunday events will begin at 6 p.m. with weekday events, except for the Smith concert, at 7 p.m.)

The stunt circus includes traditional circus acts (minus the animals), such as aerial acrobatics, fire performers, daredevil stunts and a variety of other attractions. With the change to the holiday week, the fair board wanted to make the evening leading into the long holiday weekend one that could appeal to a wide audience range.

“We thought this was a perfect opportunity to make this like a family night,” said Loy. “Hopefully the whole family can come out the night before the Fourth of July and just have a great show.”

Tickets for grandstand events will be available to stockholders from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 22, in the fair office. They will go on sale to the general public at 8 a.m. Monday, Feb. 24, at jaycountyfair.com.

The Kissel Entertainment carnival will be open Monday, June 30, through Saturday, July 5, including from noon to close on the Fourth of July. Armbands range from $25 to $35, based on the day, and are available on the fair’s website as well.

In addition to all of the “new” this year, the fair board is also striving to offer “more.” That will include an expanded Farmer’s Building schedule, particularly with shows running later than usual on July 3 and 4, additional ground entertainment and more games for children. Other possibilities include soccer and cornhole tournaments and a variety of other free events.

“That’s something we’d been talking about even before the date changes. We feel like we need to do more stuff out there,” said Loy. “Just more events. …

“It’s just trying to get as many people out there as we can. While you might not like something in the Farmer’s Building, there’s something else on the grounds that you might enjoy.”

Along with the fair, the Jay County 4th of July Committee will still hold its traditional activities including a 5K in the morning, parade, inflatables and fireworks. 

"The fair has always been a big event and now we're adding the Fourth of July,” said Loy. “I'd say this will probably be the biggest celebration in Jay County history. I think it's going to be amazing. I hope to see everyone there."