Country music hitmakers Jason Michael Carroll and Justin Moore, and Contemporary Christian performer Natalie Grant will headline the 2010 Festival of the Bells celebration July 1-3.
"Justin Moore will perform Friday night," said entertainment committee chairman Rick Williams. "Jason Michael Carroll is on Saturday night, and we have some other local singers that will be featured on Friday night. Each year the Colony Theater hosts a talent contest. Last year - and we'll probably do the same this year - we had the winners open up for the Friday night concert."
Mandy Fritz, the 2009 winner of the Colgate Country Showdown, will also perform Saturday during the festival.
"If you close your eyes when she sings (it's like you hear) Kellie Pickler or Carey Underwood. She's that good," Williams said. The music group J4, which has some local ties, will also perform during the festival.
"So as far as the entertainment, we're still working on a few other possibilities," Williams said. "There are more details coming."
Williams said he is pleased with the talent that will be taking the stage during the 2010 festival.
"Justin Moore has (the song) "Backwoods," it's a really hot song right now that is presently in the top five," Williams said. "My prediction is it will be number one pretty quick. His song "Small Town U.S.A" I think plays in the Hillsboro area quite well."
A lyric in "Small Town U.S.A." contains the lines "Around here people break there backs just to earn a buck/Don't ever get ahead but we have enough ... I'm proud to say that I love this place/Good ole small town USA."
According to www.CMT.com, it was announced March 22 that festival alumnus Brad Paisley "will launch his H20 World Tour on May 21 in Virginia Beach, Va., with guests Darius Rucker and Justin Moore." "Jason Michael Carroll has had several songs in the top five," Williams said. "We are just really happy with both of them. Thursday night, we are going to see probably one of the most talented Christian artists, and one of the best known that we have had to this date (with Grant)."
According to his Web site www.jasonmichaelcarroll.com, his debut album Waitin' in the Country is nearing a half-million in sales. In addition to the feature hit "Where I'm From," the album features three singles Carroll wrote, “Alyssa Lies,” “Livin’ Our Love Song” and “I Can Sleep When I’m Dead." His new album, Growing Up Is Getting Old, features the title track, and the hit "Hurry Home." Williams said that with the Natalie Grant concert, this will be the fifth year the Hillsboro Ministerial Association has sponsored a Thursday evening Christian concert during the festival.
"I think it has been a great addition to the festival," Williams said. "We're really happy with who we've got for entertainment, and this year isn't over. I'm already watching CMT and GAC trying to get some scoop for 2011."
Outside the main stages, the 2010 festival may feature some local faces, along with some additional new features.
"We're investigating doing a couple of new things," said festival committee president Michael Bradford. "We're looking into the possibility of adding a second stage to feature local talent, local musicians and entertainers to highlight the talent we have here in the community. I'm not sure if we'll be able to do that, depending on the spacing and the availability of the entertainment."
Bradford said the removal of the firefighter housing unit on Gov. Trimble Place could open up some new space in the vicinity of the old fire house for additional booths and vendors.
"Hopefully we will be able to expand into that area, and block off traffic just before Beech Street, which would help ease some traffic congestion in town," Bradford said.
Last year's crowds were diminished due to weather issues, Williams said.
"During Lady Antebellum there was 9,000 to 10,000," Williams said. "The rain really hurt us. There was probably 6,000 (concertgoers) Thursday and and probably 7,000 with Julianne Hough. Because of the rain we were down a little bit. But I don't think we'll ever come close to the night of Emerson Drive and Taylor Swift, when we had an estimated 20,000."
With the festival dates not falling on July 4, Bradford said "we may be able to increase our numbers, with the fourth being on a Sunday. That keeps the actual federal holiday out of the way."
Committee member Scott Miller is organizing the parade, which will be Thursday, July 1 at 6:30 p.m., and will follow the normal parade route.
"It is my understanding he has got some retired firefighters and retirees who are going to be co-grand marshals, along with Chuck Collier. He's a New Vienna boy who has been in radio work. He started his debut in radio when he was 16 at WSRW, and has worked at BS in New York, and presently works in Cleveland. He went into the (Country Music) Disc Jockey Hall of Fame last year in Nashville. In addition to being a co-grand marshal he will be given an award Saturday night, prior to the main concert, by Clear Channel and 105.5."
"(People interested in) booths and vendors need to contact representatives of the committees," Bradford said. "We already have a waiting list in some of our areas. The committee is working hard, and it is pretty much a year-round business anymore. As soon as we finish this year we start the next one."
"I think it says a lot about the community," Bradford said, of the fact that the festival continues to grow each year.
"We couldn't do it without the community, and the support of all our corporate sponsors," Williams said. "We couldn't do it without them.
"I think the Festival of the Bells in Hillsboro - with the kind of people we've had, entertainers - there are people in Nashville who have heard of the Festival of the Bells," Williams said. "Some of these bigger names have made comments, like the festival is a little bit of a good luck charm. The bottom line is, it promotes Hillsboro and Highland County. The word is out. We've had people come from as far away as Texas for the entertainment, and many other states."
Country music hitmakers Jason Michael Carroll and Justin Moore, and Contemporary Christian performer Natalie Grant will headline the 2010 Festival of the Bells celebration July 1-3.
