Festival Fever: A Battle Royale of the Outdoor Country Music Fests

It’s all about giving the fans what they want…

There was quite a loud and persistent uproar from country music fans when WGNA-FM re-located its CountryFest celebration to the Times Union Center in Albany earlier this month, marking the first time that the annual outdoor festival has moved indoors.

And that appears to have set up a Battle Royale of the Outdoor Country Music Fests later this summer here in Nippertown.

Apparently sensing an opportunity, radio station 104.9 The Cat has stepped up to offer its own country music fest for Nippertown fans. The all-day Kickin’ It Country 2012 fest will be held at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds in Ballston Spa on Saturday, September 29. Headlining the bash will be Montgomery Gentry (who also happened to headline CountryFest in 2009). Rounding out the festival’s bill will be Craig Morgan and Steel Magnolia, as well as Local 518 country faves Chelsea Cavanaugh and Skeeter Creek.

Parking lots will open at 7am; gates will open at 9am; and the music is slated to start at 11am.

Tix for Kickin’ It Country 2012 are $25 in advance; $35 at the gate; children 10 and under free. All tix are general admission and will go on sale at 10am on Saturday (July 21).

Meanwhile, WGNA-FM – the perennial top-rated radio station in Nippertown – isn’t letting The Cat’s challenge go unanswered. They, too, have heard the outcry from fans who want their summertime country music outdoors. So they’ve lined up an outdoor bash of their own for next month.

The WGNA Summer Picnic, as it’s being called, will also be held at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds. The date is Saturday, August 25, and Chris Cagle headlines the bash, which will also feature Jason Michael Carroll and Greg Bates.

For the Summer Picnic, gates open at 3pm; music starts at 4pm. Advance tix are currently available for $20; tix will be $30 at the gate.

ADDITIONAL UPCOMING FESTIVALS FOR 2012:

Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival @ Walsh Farm, Oak Hill, 7/19-22/12
Shockwave Festival @ Upstate Concert Hall, Clifton Park, 7/20/12 UPDATE: Cancelled.
Saratoga Acoustic Blues Society’s Blues Celebration @ Stockade Imports, Saratoga Springs, 7/20-21/12, FREE
Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, 7/31/12
McDonald’s African American Family Day @ Empire State Plaza, Albany, 8/4/12, FREE
Empire State Plaza Food Festival @ Empire State Plaza, Albany, 8/15/12, FREE
SAWFest Music Festival @ Salem Art Works, Salem, 8/18/12
Restoration Festival @ St. Joseph’s Church, Albany, 9/7-9/12
Local Legends Live @ Empire State Plaza, Albany, 9/8/12, FREE
FreshGrass Bluegrass Festival @ MASS MoCA, North Adams, 9/21-23/12
Hannaford Hispanic Heritage Celebration @ Empire State Plaza, Albany, 9/22/12, FREE