Country Life Music Festival will fill three summer nights with 19 acts for first time in Peoria
Ravina on the Lakes will be transformed into the grounds of a major music event next weekend when the Country Life Music Festival opens its gates July 18 to 20.
The schedule includes performances from 19 acts, including Brad Paisley, Hank Williams Jr., Trace Adkins, Montgomery Gentry, Jennifer Nettles and Randy Houser.
“It’s not only the biggest country event in this area, it’s actually the biggest country festival in Illinois,” said Brad Maloney of Blu Entertainment Group in Bloomington, which is promoting the event.
Organizers expect anywhere from 7,000 to 10,000 people to attend each day.
The festival gates open at 1 p.m. Friday and at noon Saturday and Sunday. The grounds close each night at 11 p.m. While there is no tent camping on site, space for recreational vehicles is available on an adjoining property; Maloney said they expect about 100 RVs to park for the weekend.
Tent campers will be bused from Jubilee College State Park each day, and shuttles will also run from hotels at The Shoppes at Grand Prairie. Onsite parking is available for $9 per day or $25 for three days.
A 130-foot stage with two 15-foot video screens on either side is being constructed to accommodate Paisley’s video and light presentation, Maloney said.
“The people that come to the festival, they’re going to be wowed. They’ll say, ‘I can’t believe this is Ravina, I can’t believe this is Peoria, I can’t believe what I’m seeing,’” Maloney said.
The festival morphed into a benefit for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital after Paisley signed on, Maloney said. Festival organizers agreed to give $1 from each ticket sold to St. Jude, a cause that Paisley supports.
“The switch off is, we’ve got over 100 volunteers a day from St. Jude that will be working the festival,” Maloney said.
Blu Entertainment Group announced Paisley’s participation late last fall. Additional names were later added, including country icon Hank
Williams Jr. and Kellie Pickler, whose album “The Woman I Am” was released on June 27.
“Fortunately, I have some good relationships in the industry and we were able to get (the artists) to take a chance on a first-year festival,” Maloney said. “We’re grateful that Brad Paisley signed on and once he did, that made it a little easier to get some of the other people.”
Aside from the musical names, there will be a “Meet and Eat” cookout with Troy and Jacob Landry from the History channel television show “Swamp People.” Keith and Mary Hudson, parents of pop princess Katy Perry, will host a charity luncheon on Friday.
“There are a lot of neat things; it’s not your regular festival,” Maloney said.
There will be food and beverage vendors on site selling everything from barbecue ribs to burgers and pizza, for cash only. No outside food or beverages will be allowed in.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit countrylifemusicfestival.com.
______
Country Life Music Festival
When: July 18-20.
Where: Ravina on the Lakes, 5326 W. Charter Oak Road, Peoria.
Cost: Three-day passes in advance range from $135 for general admission to $399 for VIP. Price at the gate ranges from $159 for general admission to $449 for VIP. Single-day passes range from $60 general admission to $169 for VIP. Price at the gate ranges from $69 to $189.
Friday acts: Hank Williams Jr., Montgomery Gentry, Kellie Pickler, Josh Thompson, Chris Weaver Band.
Saturday acts: Brad Paisley, Randy Houser, Leah Turner, Charlie Worsham, Outlaws, BlackHawk.
Sunday acts: Trace Adkins, Jennifer Nettles, Big and Rich, Casey Donahew Band, Maggie Rose, Brandy Clark, Adam Craig Band.
______
Danielle Hatch can be reached at 686-3262 or dhatch@pjstar.com. Follow her on Twitter @danielle_hatch.