Jason Michael Carroll To Headline Bicentennial Celebration
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
Kosciusko County will be celebrating Indiana’s bicentennial Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, and Jason Michael Carroll will be the headlining music artist at 8 p.m. Oct. 1 at the fairgrounds. The weekend’s bicentennial celebration starts at 10 a.m. Sept. 29 with the torch relay beginning at Warsaw Community High School. It will go through Central Park and end in the county at Lakeside Park in Syracuse. That evening, Decades of Music will perform at the Manahan Orthopedic Capital Center, with time to be announced at a later time. On Sept. 30, in downtown Warsaw, there will be a street party with multiple vendors and displays. Local businesses that are celebrating a milestone will be recognized. Local insurance agent Jim Reeve will portray Roy Rogers in an interactive program. Greg Steffe will be doing ghost tours in the downtown that evening. Other activities on the Buffalo Street stage will include: Mark Jacobs, Indian historian and storyteller, 5:30 p.m.; Hometown Heroes, 6:45 p.m.; and all the way from Nashville, Tenn., No Fun Intended will perform at 8 p.m. No Fun Intended, according to information provided, “is that smart-stupid, face-numbingly kind of band that you can only hope to stumble upon bar hopping on a Saturday night. The formula is simple: the band only plays the hits of the ’80s, ’90s and naughts that have stood the test of time and refuse to suck, even in 2016.” Some of the songs they cover include The Go-Go’s “We Got the Beat,” Culture Club’s “Karma Chameleon,” Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like the Wolf” and Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.” Activities on Oct. 1 start at 7 a.m. with the firemen’s pancake breakfast at the fairgrounds until 10 a.m. At 8 a.m., participants in the parade will line up at Boggs Industrial Park. The parade, which begins at 10 a.m., will travel along Center Street to Bronson Street and then to the fairgrounds. At noon at the fairgrounds, Echoes of the Past will have its antique tractor display and demonstrations, the Cruisin’ Hoosiers will have a cruise-in and vendors and merchant booths will open. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., there will be a quilt show at the fairgrounds. A beard contest will take place at 1 p.m. on the Echoes of the Past stage, with bed races at 1:30 p.m. Bingo will be held in the Women’s Building from 1 to 4 p.m., while at 2:30 p.m. the Penguin Point Big Wheel race will take place. For a free will donation, from 2 to 4 p.m., Echoes of the Past and the Leesburg United Methodist Church will offer old-fashion homemade pie and ice cream. Norman Tokarz, a representative of the Kennedy Space Center, will speak to the 4-H clubs, students and their families at 4:30 p.m. about NASA’s proposed Journey to Mars.” Music will be offered throughout the day Oct. 1. From 2 to 4 p.m. on the Echoes of the Past stage, United Band will perform. A band to be announced will perform from 1 to 2:30 p.m., while a dance group to be announced will take the stage from 2:30 to 3 and 4:30 to 5 p.m. CODA Legacy will play from 3 to 4:30 p.m. A second chance to see No Fun Intended will happen from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The grandstand gates open at 6:30 p.m. for the free concert. Janice Anne and Miss Kitty’s Revenge hits the stage at 7:30 p.m., with Jason Michael Carroll headlining at 8 p.m. According to his official website at jasonmichaelcarroll.com, Carroll rose to fame after being discovered at a local talent competition in 2004. He later signed to the Arista Nashville label in 2006, releasing his debut country album “Waitin’ in The Country.” The album produced three Top 40 hits, including “Alyssa Lies,” “Livin’ Our Love Song” and “I Can Sleep When I’m Dead.” The album soared to No. 1 on the U.S. country charts, selling half a million copies. He has opened for Brooks & Dunn, Trace Adkins and Alan Jackson. During and after the concert, there will be a hot air balloon glow along the shores of Winona Lake. Because of sponsors and volunteers, there is no admission fees for any of the bicentennial events all weekend. However, there will be vendors and clubs with goods available for purchase or donations accepted. The itinerary is subject to change.
