‘Big family reunion’; Large turnout expected for 42nd annual Country Concert this week

FORT LORAMIE — We’re just hours away from one of the Miami Valley’s biggest events of the year.

The 42nd Annual Country Concert is about to get underway.

News Center 7′s Brandon Lewis went to Shelby County tonight to preview this year’s festivities.

The area is already full of campers of people gearing up for the big weekend — including Mandy Schafer and her husband.

“It makes you excited for the next few days,” Schafer said.

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Schafer has been to Country Concert the past few years but said now it’s a family tradition.

“We both take a vacation and come down here, look forward to it, put it on our calendar every year back in October is when we start planning,” she said.

Wednesday’s camper party gives people a chance to get the party started a bit early.

The official concert begins Thursday. This year’s lineup includes plenty of big acts including Tim McGraw and Luke Bryan.

Last year’s concert set attendance records with more than 26,000 people coming out on Thursday, 28,000 on Friday and almost 30,000 on Saturday.

“This year’s crowds going to be impressive. Last year was a record but this is going to probably be our second largest crowd,” Paul Barhorst, County Concert president said.

And with those crowds safety is always top of mind. Shelby County deputies will be on site along with 40 high-definition cameras covering the property.

All this so people can have a good time at what some call “just a big family reunion.”

“We actually a few years ago made some friends from Oklahoma. And we’ve stayed very good friends with them since,” Schafer said.

News Center 7 will continue covering the concert on air and online.

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