The Jay County Fair Board is thrilled to announce the grandstand entertainment for “The Great Jay County Fair,” taking place in Portland, Indiana, from June 28 to July 5, 2025! Attendees can look forward to a variety of exciting events, including racing, demolition derbies, autocross, concerts, rodeo events, a circus, a carnival, and much more!
Headlining the grandstand on Friday, July 4th, is Nate Smith! He has made a significant impact in just a few short years, accumulating over 1.6 billion career streams and achieving two No. 1 hits with “Whiskey on You” and “World on Fire.” Smith has also recorded three Top 5 singles, earned multiple gold and platinum records, and sold out shows across the United States. He has received numerous nominations for Best New Artist from the ACM Awards, CMT Awards, iHeartRadio Awards, and more. Most recently, he was honored with the ACM New Male Artist of the Year award, Billboard’s Rookie of the Year, and Amazon’s Breakthrough Artist for 2024.
Opening for Smith is Josh Ross, one of Nashville’s most promising singer-songwriters and performers. Following an unconventional path of his own design, Ross blends a dark, mellow sound of modern country rock with a warm vocal rasp, heartfelt songwriting, and catchy hooks that transcend genres. Drawing influences from artists like Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, and country-rock outlaw Steve Earle, the former collegiate football player has transformed his talent for emotional songwriting into a series of Platinum-certified Top 5 hits on Canadian country radio. His power ballad “Trouble” reached #1 in Canada, earning him the CCMA Breakthrough Artist of the Year award.
In addition to the concert, “The Great Jay County Fair” will feature grandstand events every night during the fair! The complete schedule of events is listed below.
- SAT, JUNE 28: Demolition Derby (starts at 6PM)
- SUN, JUNE 29: Auto Cross (Starts at 6PM)
- MON, JUNE 30: 3 Bar J Rodeo (Starts at 7PM)
- TUES, JULY 1: Figure 8 – Barrel Racing (Starts at 7PM)
- WED, JULY 2: Truck and Tractor Pull (Starts at 7PM)
- THURS, JULY 3: *NEW* Queen City Stunt Circus (Starts at 7PM)
- FRI, JULY 4: Nate Smith with Josh Ross (starts at 7:30PM)
- SAT, JULY 5: Demolition Derby (starts at 6PM)
The fair is excited to introduce the new grandstand event, the Queen City Stunt Circus, as well as a larger and improved carnival! Kissel Entertainment, a highly-rated family-friendly traveling amusement park, will be bringing 20 to 25 thrilling new rides to the fair. These attractions are sure to delight fairgoers of all ages! You can pre-purchase ride armbands on the Jay County Fair website from now until the fair.
Tickets for all grandstand events will be available to the public starting Monday, February 24, at 8 AM EST. Tickets can be purchased online at www.jaycountyfair.com
Fair stockholders have the opportunity to pre-purchase their tickets at the fair office before they go on sale to the general public. The office will be open for stockholder sales on Saturday, February 22, from 8 AM to noon.
About Jay County Fair Association: The Jay County Fair Association is a non-profit organization that operates and maintains its facilities without government assistance. Our 100-acre facilities host yearly world-class events such as the Tri-State Gas Engine & Tractor Show, Vintage Motor Bike Show, Military Vehicle Show & Swap Meet, and several demolition derbies. We pride ourselves on being one of the nicest county fairgrounds in the Midwest.
Find out more about the fair and the concert by visiting www.JayCountyfair.com or by following them on Facebook and Instagram @jaycountyfair.
