BLOOMSBURG - Fans were disappointed when the 2010 Bloomsburg Fair's top draw, a show by ventriloquist Jeff Dunham, was cancelled at the last minute.
The fair pulled the plug in the interest of safety after three inches of rain caused flooding that submerged electrical cables near the stage.
This September, Dunham will return - and he and his outspoken puppets are expected to be safe and dry under the expanded roof of a new stage being built this summer.
The stage itself is drawing perhaps as much attention as the 2011 acts themselves, which include Kenny Rogers, Cheap Trick and Rodney Atkins. Tickets for all shows will go on sale Sunday, Aug. 7.
36-foot overhang
The new stage will have a 36-foot overhang, keeping both the stage and the first few rows of track seating dry.
A temporary, rented stage had been used since 2007 after a pavilion that had hosted some of the biggest names in entertainment was damaged by flood waters.
Officials are hopeful the new stage will attract a bigger and better variety of acts.
Fair officials told the stage's designers that, above all else, the new structure must be weather-tight.
Betting on 'The Gambler'
One of country music's legends, Rogers will perform Monday Sept. 26.
The only artist to chart a record in each of the last six decades, he has been thrilling fans of three generations with "The Gambler" "Coward of the County," "Buy Me a Rose" and many other hits.
At the height of his success in the late 1970s and early '80s, Rogers sold more than one million records a month for 26 straight months. In 2000, at the age of 61, he became the oldest artist in history to have a No. 1 song with "Buy Me A Rose," and he is the eighth best selling male artist of all-time, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. His current album of inspirational gospel music is entitled "The Love of God."
Tuesday, Sept. 27, will feature a performance by Billy Currington with special guest Kip Moore. Currington has scored 10 top-10 singles in his career, including the number-one hits, "Pretty Good At Drinkin' Beer," "Don't" and "People Are Crazy," the song which earned him two Grammy nominations in 2010.
Moore, according to his biography, "combines a raw and rustic voice with compelling lyrics of honesty to create a unique sound that's simultaneously hypnotic and edgy." His latest single, "Mary was the Marrying Kind," was recently released on iTunes. On July 11, Moore performed for the first time at the Grand Ole Opry.
One of rock 'n' roll's most iconic bands, Cheap Trick, will take the stage Wednesday, Sept. 28. The band has been in existence for more than 35 years with hits such as "Surrender," "The Flame," "Dream Police" and its biggest hit, "I Want You To Want Me" from the "Live at Budokan" album. More recently, the band performed themes for "That 70's Show" and "The Colbert Report."
Thursday, Sept. 29, will mark the return of Dunham and his popular sidekicks, including Peanut, Walter, Bubba J., YouTube sensation Achmed the Dead Terrorist, and Jose Jalapeno, along with a couple of new friends.
Hard-rock fans will get a double dose of excitement on Friday, Sept. 30, with the group STAIND and special guest Finger Eleven.
Aaron Lewis, Mike Mushok and Johnny April of STAIND recently released their sixth studio album, "The Illusion of Progress." The band is best known for its big hit, "Outside."
Finger Eleven began its career in Canada in 2003 and found success with its hit, "One Thing." In 2008, the band scored its biggest hit with "Paralyzer," which finished No. 25 in Billboard's Hot 100 songs of that year.
The music wraps up at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, with Atkins. He is best known for having the most-played song in country music two years in a row with 2006's "If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)" and 2007's "Watching You."
Opening for Atkins will be Pennsylvania country star Aaron Kelly. Growing up in Sonestown, Sullivan County, Kelly has opened for Charlie Daniels and Loretta Lynn, among others, before making it big in the 2010 season of American Idol, where he finished fifth.
Demo derby, truck pull
JM Productions will present Figure 8 racing, a rollover contest and demolition derby at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, and the World's Largest Demolition Derby at noon Saturday, Oct. 1.
Full Pull Productions will present tractor and truck pulling at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, and the Tonny Petersen Thrill Drivers will perform at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25.
Other grandstand events include harness racing Monday through Thursday mornings and horse pulling contests on Friday, Sept. 30.
All grandstand shows start at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise indicated.
On the Net: www.bloomsburgfair.com.