The 2018 edition of the South Florida Fair, which will be held Jan. 12-28 at the South Florida Fairgrounds, will host a variety of diverse entertainment from Southern and classic rock and old country to Christian, Latin and Brazilian music.
All concerts are free with a fair admission ticket. Advance discount fair tickets are on sale at all Palm Beach County Publix locations and will continue through Jan. 11.
Matthew West will kick off the national entertainment schedule at 8 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 14. West, a two-time Grammy nominee, will perform songs he has written based on more than 20,000 stories he has collected, mostly from fans, as well as songs from his most recent album, Into the Light.
Next up, at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 17, the first of two Bike Nights during the fair, Atlanta Rhythm Section will perform. Formed from the cream of Atlanta’s studio musicians, the group came together in 1970 after working on a Roy Orbison recording session. After an extended break, the band got back together in the mid 1990s with three returning members and re-recorded some of their best-known songs.
Starting at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan 18, country artist Chris Lane takes the stage. Known for his signature falsetto, Lane has been making a name for himself as one of the genre’s most groundbreaking new stars. His new song, “Fix,” recently topped the country radio charts.
On Sunday, Jan. 21, from 2 to 9 p.m., Latin Fest will take place featuring a lively mixture of Latin and Brazilian music. Headliners will be Anthony La Makina and Frankie Negron.
Since starting his band in 1996 and working on his solo singing career since 2000, La Makina, a Puerto Rican native, has released two albums which have been widely broadcast on social networks. Frankie Negron, who was born in Newark, N.J., specializes in salsa music and is known for weaving a blend of pop, rock, gospel and reggaeton elements into the songs. He has earned several Grammy Award nominations and has two Gold Album awards.
Next, on Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 8 p.m., Grand Funk Railroad will take the stage for the second Bike Night of the fair. Grand Funk Railroad, originally a three-member rock band, was formed in the 1970s when they toured extensively and played to packed arenas worldwide. The band’s name is a play on words of the Grand Trunk Western Railroad, a line that ran through the band’s hometown of Flint, Mich. The band continues to tour extensively, celebrating with seasoned Grand Funk lovers and new fans.
The main stage lineup will conclude on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 8:30 p.m. with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. The band has existed in various forms since its founding in California in 1966. The group’s membership has had at least a dozen changes over the years. The band, often cited as instrumental to the progression of contemporary country and roots music, performed a gala anniversary concert in 2015 in Nashville, which was later released as Circlin’ Back: Celebrating 50 Years.
General seating is free with a fair admission ticket, which is required. Reserved seating also is available for purchase online starting Dec. 4 at www.southfloridafair.com for $10, which is in addition to the fair admission ticket. A child’s admission, under 12, is $5 in advance, $8 at the gate (5 years and younger are free). Those who are 60 years of age and older pay $7 in advance and $9 at the gate.
The South Florida Fair is produced by the South Florida Fair & Palm Beach County Expositions, a nonprofit organization. For more information, call (561) 793-0333 or visit www.southfloridafair.com.
