On Tuesday, August 26th, the Champlain Valley Fair presents: “Honky Tonk Hoedown” with Bob Wagner & Friends.
A Benefit for NOFA-VT (Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont)
Free show with paid fair admission
Doors, 6:00pm
Show, 7:00pm
THE MUSIC
Bob Wagner & Friends perform a spirited set of Honky Tonk and outlaw country classics, featuring special guests Mike & Tessa Gordon, Kat Wright, Brett Hughes, Josh Panda, Wild Leek River, The Faux Paws and more to be announced. Honky Tonk super jam to follow the World’s Largest Square Dance!
Bob Wagner & Friends is:
Bob Wagner, guitar (Mike Gordon, Kat Wright)
Josh Weinstein, bass (Kat Wright)
Jano Rix, keyboards (The Wood Brothers)
Brett Hughes, guitar (The Honky Tonk Crowd)
Brett Lanier, pedal steel (Billy Currington)
Steve Hadeka, drums (Seth Yacovone Band, Madaila)
Caleb Elder, fiddle (Honky Tonk Crowd)
THE WORLD’S LARGEST (???) SQUARE DANCE
Did you know that the Guinness Book’s record for the world’s largest square dance is just over 1,600 people? Well, the Champlain Valley Fairgrounds dance floor can hold twice that, and we intend to fill it!!
Renowned VT square dance caller Mary Wesley (VT Folk Life) will call the dance and lead the crowd, accompanied by the string band stylings of The Faux Paws & Friends.
NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY! NO PARTNER NEEDED! A traditional square dance consists of 4 couplets, or 8 people total. All are welcome! Attend with a friend, a group, or on your own. Everyone can take part in this historic dance!
NOFA-VT FUNDRAISER
Vermonters have a long tradition of showing up for one another in hard times, especially when it comes to keeping our community fed. NOFA-VT plays a huge part in supporting Vermont’s food system, and now, they need our support. Federal funding cuts, canceled contracts, staffing losses, and broader instability have created significant challenges for the farmers who feed us all, and a strong community response is essential to keep this vital work going.
Phish’s WaterWheel Foundation will be on site, handling all donations for this event. Ben & Jerry’s will have a special commemorative bandana available for sale, with all proceeds going to NOFA-VT.
The show is free with paid admission to the fair.
ABOUT THE WATERWHEEL FOUNDATION:
In 1997, the rock band Phish founded The WaterWheel Foundation to oversee the band’s various charitable activities, harnessing the kindness and generosity of the Phish fan community to create positive change. WaterWheel fulfills this mission by collecting donations for local nonprofit organizations during each Phish tour stop via WaterWheel’s Touring Division. WaterWheel also supports a wide range of non-profits based in Phish’s home state of Vermont, including those focused on the Lake Champlain watershed, the Arts and those supporting food and housing insecurities, women and children and those in need. Addressing flood recovery efforts in Vermont and Upstate New York, in 2011, Phish performed a benefit concert at the Champlain Valley Exposition's Grandstand raising over $1.4M. And in 2023, Phish performed two benefit concerts at Saratoga Springs, NY’s Broadview Stage at SPAC, raising over $3.5M. For more information or to donate, please see www.waterwheelfoundation.org
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