SEMO fair grandstand to have Merle Haggard and John D. Hale

Though it's several months away, the SEMO District Fair can be blamed for quite a bit of excitement. The organization recently released plans for the 2010 event, including Merle Haggard, Bryan White and local act the John D. Hale Band in the grandstand.

"We consider them to be a regional band," fair board president Pete Poe said. "They have a big following."

The fair, scheduled from Sept. 11 to 18, will again have two tractor pulls on opening day, a horse show on Sunday, truck and tractor pull on Monday, dual demolition derby Tuesday and Heartland Idol on Wednesday. The musical acts start Thursday.

"We have a basic format that works for us, and we're not going to mess with that format," Poe said.

The grandstand steps it up Sept. 16 with country legend Merle Haggard, whose new album "I Am What I Am" comes out Tuesday.

"He's been on our list for probably five years," Poe said.

Bryan White will perform Sept. 17, taking the country theme down a few generations. White's sound echoes that of early country crooners. Since hitting the country music scene in the mid-1990s, he has won a Grammy and Top Male Vocalist award from the Country Music Association.

In a change of pace, the SEMO District Fair booked a local band to close the eight-day event. The John D. Hale Band will play the grandstand Sept. 18. The foursome has been devoted to their bluegrass, country rock for several years and has enjoyed success touring and playing with David Allen Coe and Miranda Lambert.

They return home periodically to play concerts in Southeast Missouri. The group opened for Josh Turner at the Show Me Center on Dec. 5. They also host and play concerts at John Hale's family ranch, the 5-H Ranch.

Fair officials expect attendance to match figures for previous years, which have hovered around 100,000. This year, they hope to grow their social networking presence to increase virtual visitors. The fair has had a Facebook page since October and also has a Twitter account.

"Social media is out there, and we need to take advantage of it," Poe said.

Fair organizers will post updates announcing carnival rides, pageant information and entertainment news, like awards or accolades a performer may get between now and September.

"We're just really getting our feet wet in the social media," Poe said.

charris@semissourian.com

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