Picture yourself on a warm summer night, sipping your favorite drink and listening to live music under the starry Nebraska skies with your besties.
That’s the scene we invite you to experience in Phelps County this summer!
The line-up of live music in Phelps County features more than a dozen of the Midwest’s most popular artists. We will be dancing and singing from Swedish Days in mid-June until just before the corn harvest begins in mid-September at the new Iron Horse Arts Festival.
We invite you to Visit 37 (Phelps County) for an unforgettable summer of live music, food, fun and friends!
June 14 – Summer Sunset Concert, Downtown Holdrege
Lemon Fresh Day
Omaha band Lemon Fresh Day will be rocking downtown Holdrege on Friday, June 14, at the Summer Sunset Outdoor Concert as part of Swedish Days. Known for their vocal impersonations, unique lead vocal switching, three-part harmonies and select track sequencing, they perform favorite hits exactly how they sound on the radio or with their own twist and flavor. The Summer Sunset Concert will take place in the new Iron Horse Arts District in downtown Holdrege. Food trucks and beverage stations will be available.
Purchase advance tickets from the Holdrege Area Chamber of Commerce.
June 15 – Swedish Days Saturday Night
BJ Jamison, DJ Bridwell, Dylan Bloom, Hockett, Luke Mills and Strings Attached
Holdrege venues will be filled with live music on June 15 as the Swedish Days celebration continues. Fans will enjoy seeing rising Nashville star BJ Jamison performing outside the Eagles Club; DJ Bridwell, Dylan Bloom, Hockett and Luke Mills performing inside JB’s Sports Bar and Grill; and Strings Attached entertaining guests outside at Gutterz Fun Center.
BJ Jamison is a Nashville recording artist with top hits including “The Note,” “Lost Without You,” and “Country Music Church.” He will perform along with the Twin River Band starting at 8 p.m.
Talented country musicians DJ Bridwell, Dylan Bloom, Hockett and Holdrege’s own Luke Mills will have guests singing and dancing at JBs Sports Bar and Grill. Fans will be living the good life with Luke’s new single “La Buena Vida.” The FREE live music starts at 9 p.m.
Across town at Gutterz Fun Center, the band Strings Attached will perform after the 3rd Avenue Smoke Show BBQ contest. Contestants will be competing for the best ribs, pulled pork and brisket. Gates open at 4:30 p.m., food will be served from 5-8:30 p.m., and the live music starts at 8 p.m.
Bertrand Brews & BBQ – June 22
The Innocence & James Lee Band
Two bands will entertain guests at the Bertrand Brews & BBQ on Saturday, June 22. The James Lee Band will perform from 7-10 p.m., and The Innocence will perform from 10 p.m.-1 a.m. The James Lee Band is a country music band that hails from the Nebraska Sandhills. The Innocence has shared the stage with world-famous acts including Foreigner, Cheap Trick and Winona Judd. They sing a diverse list of songs including hits from Journey to George Strait and Bruno Mars to AC/DC.
Tickets are just $25 for adults and $10 for kids and include a meal at the BBQ. The gates open at 5 p.m. and food will be served from 5:30-8 p.m. or until the food is gone. The BBQ and concerts take place on the wide-open streets of downtown Bertrand.
Funk Food Truck Friday – July 19
Yachta Yachta
The “funky” band Yachta Yachta will sing classical rock tunes at 7 p.m. Friday, July 19, in the tiny village of Funk. This performance is part of Funk’s Food Truck Fridays every Friday in June and July. The Funk School Community Center is hosting the outdoor concert (with the gym as a back-up location in case of inclement weather).
This concert takes place the same week as the Funk Festival of Cupcakes. The cupcake festival attracts bakers from across the state who compete for the best cupcake in Nebraska’s Cupcake Capitol – Funk! The festival will be Sunday, July 14, at the Funk School Community Center.
Phelps County Fair – July 21-25
Kiley & Co. & Formerly Three
The Phelps County Fair will feature live gospel and old-time country music on Sunday, July 21, under the big white tent. With the backdrop of a beautiful cornfield, fairgoers can enjoy music from Kiley & Company. This classic country duo features Kiley Barwick on vocals and guitar and Blaine Garrelts on steel guitar.
On Monday, July 22, the popular Sips and Songs event returns to the fair featuring locally crafted beer from Lost Way Brewery and wine from Mac’s Creek Vineyard. The two-person band Formerly Three sings everything from their rendition of Louis Armstrong’s “It’s A Wonderful World” to Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “Fishing in the Dark.” The fun begins at 6 p.m. under the big white tent.
Both Phelps County Fair events are FREE!
Iron Horse Festival – Sept. 14
Logan Mize, Luke Mills, Savanna Chestnut
The new Iron Horse Festival will be an all-day event featuring art vendors and demonstrators from across the state. The daytime free portion of the event will be from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. in downtown Holdrege and will feature poetry, live music ensembles, art displays, and opportunities to create and experience art.
The festival will culminate with a live concert on the Flyover Country Stage featuring Kansas native Logan Mize. Mize is a nationally known country artist who has released multiple chart-topping songs that have landed him the honor of performing at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Former Voice contestant Savanna Chestnut and Holdrege musician Luke Mills (who was recently inducted into the Nebraska Country Music Hall of Fame) will open for Mize. The concert begins at 6 p.m. and will be outside in front of the historic Iron Horse Station train depot.
Tickets for the Iron Horse Festival concert tickets are on sale now.
Stay in Phelps County
While in Phelps County, we invite you to rest your head at one of our comfortable hotels.
