Granger Smith to headline Midwest Country Fest at Lakeside Ashland in August

Established and rising stars from across country music will convene at Lakeside Ashland this August, when the venue hosts its first-ever Midwest Country Fest.

Texan Granger Smith — and his alter ego, Earl Dibbles Jr. — will headline the two-day affair, which takes place Aug. 19-20 at the outdoor entertainment hub on Log Providence Road, just across Highway 63 from Columbia Regional Airport. Smith will play Saturday night while Canadian singer-songwriter Tenille Arts anchors the Sunday slate.

Kicking off his career at age 19, Smith's true breakthrough came with the 2013 record "Dirt Road Driveway." A string of hits like "Backroad Song," "If the Boot Fits" and "Happens Like That" arrived on subsequent albums. Smith's versatility, adopting a countrified comic persona with Dibbles, has endeared him to fans.

This spring, Smith announced he would leave the music industry to focus on Christian ministry. What is currently considered his farewell tour bows with a pair of shows Aug. 25-26 at the legendary Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth, making Midwest Country Fest among his very last dates.

Bringing a growing catalog to Saturday's lineup is Georgian Travis Denning, who had a hit in 2019 with "After a Few" and has penned cuts for the likes of Jason Aldean and Chase Rice.

Also performing Saturday is Avery Anna, an Arizona-raised artist with more than 1.6 million followers on TikTok; West Virginia singer David Morris; and Texan Braxton Keith.

Arts, a native of Saskatchewan, has three records to her name, most recently 2021's "Girl to Girl." She has earned armfuls of awards in Canada, with her biggest hit on this side of the northern border, "Somebody Like That," landing in 2019. Twice, Arts has performed on TV's "The Bachelor."

Sunday will also welcome Kidd G, another young country star availing himself of modern musical means, racking up millions of streams and views on Spotify and YouTube, respectively. In 2021, the New York Times billed the then-17-year-old, born Jonathan Gabriel Horne, "country music's next emo-rap star."

Rounding out Sunday's lineup is Louisiana native Bryan Martin; Sean Stemaly, an Indiana-forged artist with experience touring alongside Riley Green and Chris Lane; and Missouri's own Matt Jordan, hailing from Eureka.

Lakeside Ashland, which opened in late 2022, has hosted a number of film screenings and broadcast sporting events on its giant screen. Earlier this year, the space played home to the Missouri Beer Festival and Mid-MO Canna Cup 4/20 Festival.

The venue's establishment was accompanied by controversy, with some neighbors concerned about traffic and capacity for emergency access, as Log Providence Road is the only entry and exit point to surrounding homes.

Learn more about Midwest Country Fest online at https://www.lakesideashland.com/.

Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Lakeside Ashland hosts Granger Smith, more at August country festival