THE BALLOON MAN

'Duck Dynasty' coming to the Bloomsburg Fair

from-dailyitem.com

By Ashley Wislock

May 12, 2014

BLOOMSBURG — Bloomsburg Fair officials have booked classic rock stars and the reality TV family from “Duck Dynasty” for the 159th event.

They announced via Facebook Monday that Willie and Korie Robertson, of A&E’s smash hit “Duck Dynasty” will host a question-and-answer session at the grandstand Sept. 21 while Southern rockers ZZ Top — whose song “Sharp Dressed Man,” coincidentally, is the “Duck Dynasty” theme song — will perform Sept. 25.

The Robertsons will discuss their show, their daily lives and will also take questions from fans, said Carey Howell, superintendent of the grandstand. The talk format is something “more and more fairs are looking into, rather than just having bands,” he said.

Tickets will most likely go on sale in late July or early August, Howell said. Pricing has yet to be determined. ZZ Top tickets will also go on sale around the same time.

The Robertson have been doing shows at various fairs and are scheduled to make a similar appearance at the Iowa State Fair in August, with fellow “Duck Dynasty” star Uncle Si. Tickets for that show, “A Conversation with the Robertsons,” are $32, according to the Iowa fair’s website.

“Willie, Korie and Si Robertson, stars of A&E’s ‘Duck Dynasty’ will entertain fans of the reality show and outdoor enthusiasts alike as they share insights into their family life and the filming of the show,” the show description reads.

Members of the Robertson clan are also headlining the entertainment line-up at the Alaska State Fair, according to the Associated Press.

Opinion on the “Duck Dynasty” grandstand show were mixed on the Bloomsburg Fair’s Facebook page.

“ZZ Top and now this,” Matthew Susnoskie said, “(it’s) going to be a great fair this year.”

Meanwhile, others were not as enthusiastic about the controversial stars, who have publicly come out against homosexuality, citing their evangelical Christian views.

“Listening to them talk for a few hours is not entertainment,” Kim Kitchen Derr said. “I realize the fair board is giving the people what they want, but I think, with this being the only venue for bigger scale entertainment, thought should be given to providing quality, not some controversial reality stars whose only claim to fame is that they are famous.”

The fair works with a promoter to bring acts to the grandstand, Howell said, though the event also tries to listen to Facebook feedback. However, scheduling often dictates what acts come to the fair.

“Jay Leno, for instance, wasn’t available,” Howell said. “We tried several times to get the Zac Brown Band, but at first they didn’t want to do fairs. Now that they are, they weren’t available.”

Darius Rucker was another requested act, but at the time of the fair, he will be touring California, Howell said.

“It’s difficult,” he said.

The fair, whose acts often cater to country music fans and older audiences, has tried to bring in rock acts to attract younger audiences, but found that those shows were unprofitable, Howell said.

“We have to break even,” he said.

Other performers will be announced in the coming weeks on the Bloomsburg Fair Facebook page, Howell said.