With ticket sales already shooting out of sight, the next six artists rocking Sunfest 2014 have been announced.
Jake Owen will headline Friday night of the festival while seventime CCMA winner Dean Brody takes over on Saturday night.
Joining the acts — and of course mega star Tim McGraw — are George Canyon, Aaron Pritchett, Blackjack Billy and Cassadee Pope, the Season 3 winner of The Voice.
Pritchett is set to open for Tim McGraw on Sunday, Aug. 3. Even at Sunfest 2013, fans were voicing the hope that they'd soon see Aaron Pritchett back for a Cowichan visit.
Sunfest is happy to oblige, according to executive assistant Charlotte Fisher.
"We had a great response to him and we're really happy to have him back. When he was here a few years ago there was a little glitch in his show so we thought we ought to give him another shot. People loved him; he puts on a great show, very high energy," she said.
Dean Brody is another big, big name.
"For the last two years he's won Canadian Country Music male singer of the year and for the previous two years, he won album of the year, so he's really taken over the Canadian country scene. And he's a another B.C. boy," she said.
According to Wideglide Entertainment, the promoter facilitating the concert, Jake Owen, who has had great success in the past decade with hits that include Barefoot Blue Jean Night, Eight Second Ride, and The One That Got Away, is considered one of country music's leading vocalists. His newest album Days of Gold is set to be released Dec. 3. And who doesn't like George Canyon? The multiple Juno and awardwinning country star is sure to get folks up and moving on Friday, Aug. 1. "With hits like What I Do, and Just Like You, under his belt, Canyon will be sure to dazzle the audience with his warm and unique entertaining style," Wideglide says.
But if fans are still waiting for more, the wait will be short.
"We do have a couple more big names that we will be announcing, one of them before Dec. 1. The other one we're waiting on. We don't have quite the timeline but we're hoping it will be within the next two or three weeks," Fisher said.
So people will know what they're getting when they open those Christmas gift packages? "Exactly. It's easy gift shopping and it's such a great deal," she said.
Those folks who are hoping to buy single day tickets still have to wait till around April.
Sunfest takes over the Cowichan Exhibition grounds from July 31 through to Aug. 3 and promises to be the real deal for country music lovers.
Tickets in the reserved area at Sunfest are nearly sold out already but something else has astounded Fisher.
"The one I keep finding crazy, at least I do when I look outside and it's cold and wet, is our camping is selling like crazy. I think Sunfest is becoming more of a vacation destination than just a concert.
"We had people who two years ago got engaged at Sunfest and then last year their family and them had their wedding the week before Sunfest and they honeymooned at Sunfest with all their friends and family.
"We have people that are planning their family reunions for there. Last year we had people who were coming out from Norway for a family reunion who bought tickets to Sunfest to go with their family. It's definitely becoming more than just a country concert," she said.
Check out sunfestconcerts.com for full information on camping and ticket packages.
