Clayton Anderson to return to Putnam County Fair on Saturday

Thursday, July 17, 2014
Country singer Clayton Anderson entertains the crowd at the 2013 Putnam County Fair. The Bedford native will be back at the Putnam County Fairgrounds for a 9 p.m. Saturday concert. (Banner Graphic/JARED JERNAGAN)

Clayton Anderson's latest album "Right Where I Belong" may be making waves on the country charts, but he remains a small town Southern Indiana kid.

For that reason, the Bedford native, who has played all over the country and is currently touring the Midwest, loves returning to a place like the Putnam County Fair.

"I was a 4-H'er. I showed pigs. I never won anything, but I had a lot of fun doing it," Anderson told the Banner Graphic. "It's really fun for me to get to go be a part of their (Putnam County's) fair. It's just a great atmosphere. I had a great time there last year -- just an absolute blast."

Anderson looks for more of the same when he returns to the Putnam County Fairgrounds at 9 p.m. on Saturday, July 19. Gates will open at 6 p.m. and tickets are $8 in advance at the Greencastle Extension Office or $10 on the day of the show.

Last year's Anderson show was well received, but organizers would love to see even more people out enjoying a concert the likes of which doesn't come to Greencastle too often.

As such, the show has been moved from Friday following the fair parade to Saturday evening, to facilitate the 4-H families who are up too early on Saturday to be out late on Friday.

"We decided to move our main attraction for entertainment to Saturday night," concert organizer Rick Johnston said. "That way, not only the community, but all our 4-H'ers can come out and enjoy the show."

And enjoy the show they will, Johnston assures.

"This guy puts on as good of a show as anybody that comes out of Nashville that you'd have to pay $75 a ticket to go see," he said.

For those still wishing to make their way out to the fairgrounds on Friday night, there still will be entertainment. Local truck pulling legend Jake Zaring has organized an ITPA-sponsored truck pull event at 7 p.m., the only truck or tractor pull of fair week.

"We still want that excitement of after the parade, so we're offering you some entertainment," Johnston said. "What better way to kick off the Putnam County Fair than with a Putnam County truck pull?"

With Anderson's new album having reached No. 3 on the iTunes chart and getting into the top 50 of the Billboard country chart, local fans will be able to hear firsthand songs like "Your Love Is Like Country Music" and "Doin' What You're Doin'" that have made Anderson even more popular than he was a year ago.

They will also get a first-rate show.

"We've changed it up a little bit. We have all these new songs, obviously, that we're going to be performing," Anderson said. "We're just enjoying it. We've been playing every show like it's going to be our last. We're just looking forward to the next ride and keep the ride going."

Entertainment value aside, Johnston also keeps in mind the reason events like this happen at the fair. It's about making the fair a positive experience for the 4-H kids.

"We remind ourselves that one of the reasons we decide to do things like this is to raise money for the 4-H kids," he said. "One of the things we were fortunate about last year was that we were able to put money back in the fair, and that's our goal again this year."

For more information on the concert, contact the Extension Office at 653-8411, or simply go to the fairgrounds outdoor arena on Saturday evening. Gates open at 6 p.m.

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