Maryland has many county fairs, but the Great Frederick Fair proudly calls itself the “G.O.A.T.”
That’s the double-meaning slogan for this year’s event, running Sept. 13 through Sept. 21.
“This year is the G.O.A.T.: The Greatest Fair of All Time,” General Manager Karen Crum told WTOP.
“Ironically, we have more goats than we’ve ever had. We had to build another barn for them. We had ‘great’ in our name ‘The Great Frederick Fair,’ so it seems fitting. We have the greatest sponsors, the greatest vendors, participants, members, exhibitors, so we just loved the play on words with that. We truly do feel like we have the best people involved in our fair and our community tradition.”
This year’s grandstand lineup kicks off with hip-hop megastar Flo Rida this Friday, Sept. 13, featuring hits like “Low,” “Right Round,” “Club Can’t Handle Me,” “Wild Ones,” “Whistle,” “Good Feeling,” “I Cry” and “My House.”
“Bring your apple-bottom jeans for Flo Rida — and boots with the fur, you can’t forget those,” Crum said.
“I just had a really good feeling that he was going to be really good. We’re really excited to have that genre. Even when we were picking the entertainment, I named a bunch of Flo Rida songs, then you keep listening and he has like 100 hits. … Half the track is seated and half the track is standing room only for those who want to be up and dancing.”
Classic rock fans will enjoy Bachman Turner Overdrive on Saturday, Sept. 14, delivering timeless hits like “Takin’ Care of Business,” “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet” and “Let it Ride.” The show will also feature British rocker John Waite, who is best known for his chart-topping hit “Missing You.”
“We’re excited,” Crum said. “They’ll be taking care of business that night — every day. … You ain’t seen nothing yet.”
Country music fans will sing every word with Tracy Lawrence on Sunday, Sept. 15 for hits like “Time Marches On,” “Alibis,” “Texas Tornado,” “Paint Me a Birmingham” and “Find Out Who Your Friends Are.” Opening up is Sara Evans with “Born to Fly,” “Suds in the Bucket,” “I Keep Looking,” “No Place That Far” and “A Real Fine Place to Start.”
“Paint me a Frederick Fair!” Crum said. “We’re just excited when you get those combos. Some people prefer to listen to the male artists, others the female artists, so why not two in one night?”
Next week closes out summer with The Beach Boys on Thursday, Sept. 19, followed by country star Riley Green with John Morgan on Friday, Sept. 20 and the Christian rock group Casting Crowns on Saturday, Sept. 21.
“Hey DMV, we really hope that you come to the Great Frederick Fair from Sept. 13 through Sept. 21,” Crum said. “Whether you’re coming to a concert or if you just come to enjoy all of the delicious food, fun, games, rides, carnival and animals, there’s over 4,000 animals on sight, so there’s something for everyone.”
Find concert ticket information here.
Listen to our full conversation here.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
