Photo by Matt Kane
A youngster enjoys a carnival ride during the 2018 4th of July Celebration.
Celebrate the 4TH OF JULY IN DELANO
Five of the biggest names in the regional music scene will
headline the entertainment during the 4th of July Celebration
in Delano: GB Leighton, Kat Perkins, Gear Daddies, Johnny
Holm Band, and Chris Hawkey.
The 2019 celebration will take place Wednesday, July 3,
through Saturday, July 6.
Wednesday’s events will include a cribbage tournament
the Delano Ambassador Coronation, family entertainment,
and the beginning of the baseball and softball tournaments.
GB Leighton and Kat Perkins will take the main stage together
at 8 p.m.
GB Leighton is named after musician Brian Leighton. The
performs more than 200 shows a year from Minnesota to
Mexico. The band has released 12 albums, and has sold more
than 70,000 of them. Leighton made his national country
debut with “Get Up,” his 11th album. Billboard.com named
him a Top 10 Country Artist to Watch in 2014.
Kat Perkins grew up in Scranton, ND, and moved to the
Twin Cities to pursue music on a professional scale. Her band,
Scarlet Haze, opened for Bon Jovi and other well-known
acts. After a hiatus from performing due to vocal surgery,
Perkins made a comeback on season 6 of NBC’s “The Voice,”
where she was a finalist. She has gone on to tour throughout
the country and beyond, including performing for troops
overseas.
Thursday’s events will include the 5K race, Minnesota’s
oldest and largest 4th of July parade, the KRWC Roadshow,
Big Guns performing at 7:30 p.m., and Gear Daddies
performing at 9 p.m.
After nearly 30 years together, one of the most resilient
and influential Americana/Rock bands ever to come out of
the Twin Cities is reaching back to the greatest fans in the
world. With headline performances ranging from “The David
Letterman Show” to Austin, Texas’ South x Southwest Music
Festival, Gear Daddies has rocked fans from coast to coast.
Over thousands of miles and countless venues from New York
to Los Angeles to Phoenix to Denver to Kansas City to all over
the Midwest; Martin Zellar, Nick Ciola, Randy Broughten and
James “Billy” Dankert have galvanized a fan base across
America with their unique brand of music and lyrics that
exude an opportunity to re-live life experiences.
Friday will feature the kiddie parade, art chalk contest,
family stage entertainment, and a performance by the
Johnny Holm Band.
Johnny Holm, known as the human jukebox, plays a wide
variety of hit music from several genres and eras, and will
bring his highly-entertaining show back to Delano after
taking a year off in 2018.
Saturday’s events will include the fireman’s waterball
tournament, a performance by Chris Hawkey, fireworks, and
more.
Hawkey’s big break came as a member of the group
Rocket Club in 2010, and sang on three songs that spent time
on the Billboard National Country charts. The band released
four albums and played in front of thousands of fans. Hawkey
released his first solo country record in 2014, which included
the radio single “My Kinda Crazy.” He has gone on to release
two more albums and tour nationally.
Other highlights of the celebration include a medallion
hunt beginning Friday, June 28, a lumber jack show, and
more entertainment to be announced. In addition, carnival
wristbands for unlimited rides will be available from 5 to 10
p.m. Wednesday, and noon to 10 p.m. every other day.
DelanoHeraldJournal.com/guide
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