Merced County Fair features a weekend full of music

A wide range of music is planned throughout the weekend with blues, country and Latin performers set to headline the Merced County Fair’s performance stages.

All of the fair’s acts are free with the cost of admission, which is $7 per ticket. The headline acts start at 8:30 p.m. each day on the fairgrounds, 900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way.

John Lee Hooker Jr., the son of the late blues legend John Lee Hooker, is set to play Friday. Hooker is a two-time Grammy-nominated blues and gospel musician.

Country music will be the main event on Saturday, as Aaron Tippin is set to perform. He’s known for “There Ain’t Nothin’ Wrong with the Radio,” “That’s as Close as I’ll Get to Loving You” and “Kiss This,” which all topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart.

Sunday’s lineup of music includes three Latin acts, each with their own twist.

East Los Angeles-based Tierra will headline Sunday with its Latin R&B sound. Tierra has had crossover success on national music charts with songs “Together,” “Gonna Find Her,” “Memories” and “Zoot Suit Boogie.”

Tierra, which has been together for more than 25 years, has performed at venues from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in L.A. to Carnegie Hall in New York.

Two other Latin acts will be featured on other fair stages.

Merced’s own Los Amigos will play at 7 p.m. Sunday on the Coors Light Stage. The band offers traditional and old-school dance tunes.

Also playing Sunday will be Mission Varrio Project, a Bay Area band that features Merced native Michelle Gonzalez. The band’s sound is a combination of Latin, R&B, Cuban, funk, rap and reggae. It is set to perform at 8 p.m. at the Bear Creek Plaza.

For information, call the fair office at (209) 722-1507, send an email to info@MercedCountyFair.com or go to www.MercedCountyFair.com.

This story was originally published June 11, 2015 at 3:47 PM with the headline "Merced County Fair features a weekend full of music."