Concert in the Cornfield welcomes some of Country music’s biggest names

By Gary Scott on August 26, 2016 at 1:08pm

Some of Country music’s biggest stars are will take the stage in South Jacksonville this weekend.

The 7th annual Concert in the Cornfield takes place this Saturday. Event CO-Chair Kevin Eckhoff was on WLDS’ “What’s ON Your Mind” program on Monday, where he talked about what concert-goers can expect.

“It’s basically in a cornfield. The back of the stage is a cornfield and the area behind the Holiday Inn this year they decided to plant corn, so there’s corn on two sides of the stage, and the stage actually sits on Magnolia Drive. It’s a good adventure for the city of South Jacksonville and it brings a lot of notoriety and brings a lot of people into town. I know some of our online sales have come from out of state from Missouri and Iowa,” says Eckhoff.

This year’s event will feature a few minor changes from years past.

“We’re going to do a few things differently this year. First of all we’re going to open the gates at 4:30 p.m., and we’re going to have a beer tent with two bands, Exit 52, they kick off right at 4:30 when the gates open, they’re going to play til about 6:45. Then following the concert, the Devin Clemons Band will be in the beer tent til about 12:30. Jacksonville’s a strong country music town, and both of those bands are country bands, and we thought what a better way to give them exposure and draw some more people to the concert,” says Eckhoff.

Headlining the concert is country star Craig Morgan, who returns to Jacksonville after performing at the Morgan County Fair in 2010. William Michael Morgan, who will provide the opening act, talked about his excitement for performing in a place like South Jacksonville.

“It’s some of my favorite places to play because the fans are always so real and they love the music and they’re always out there raising their hands, singing and having a good time, so it’s always some of my favorite places to go is these small towns. I know it’s going to be a good time. This is my first time actually playing  in a cornfield, I’ve played aside cornfields before but never actually right in the heart of it so I’m really looking forward to this,” says William Michael Morgan.

Ticket prices are the same as last year at $25 apiece, and can be purchased at South Jacksonville Village Hall or Jacksonville’s County Market. The Concert in the Cornfield will take place at 200 Comfort Drive, with gates opening at 4:30 pm.