Country, rock show coming to Winf. in 2013

A group of local owners – who have experience doing stage and security work for the discontinued Winfield Country Roundup music festival – plan to launch a two-day rock and country festival in 2013.

U.S. 77 Productions, Inc. was approved this week to host a festival at the Winfield Fairgrounds on May 31 and June 1 of next year.

Rock ‘n Country Fest will feature country bands for the Friday portion of the show and classic-rock oriented bands on Saturday. Dates also have been reserved in 2014 and 2015.

Rod Eastman, president for U.S. 77 Productions, said the group planned to book multiple, regional bar-band caliber acts and one nationally known act per day.

“It will definitely be quality entertainment,” he said.

Winfield’s Willoughby Music is among the co-owners of the show.

Music will run from from about 5 p.m. until some time around 1 a.m. or later.

Unlike other festivals, this group is so far limiting its use of the fairground to a central area along the midway and the west campground. Use of the Pecan Grove campground is not included in the agreement.

Gary Mangus, who oversees the fairgrounds for the city, said the group already has its own stage and planned to set up just north of the powerplant where the Walnut Valley Festival regularly sets up its Stage 2.

The group also plans to offer beer or cereal malt beverages at the show.

Eastman said the group was excited to bring another entertainment option to the fairgrounds. Some acts should be booked soon so that promotion of the event can begin, he said.

“We’ll offer some early-bird specials and do some things to get some interest built up for the show,” he said. “We want to start doing that soon.”