Sean C. Morgan
The Oregon Jamboree last week announced Dierks Bentley as its second headliner Sunday for the 2020 festival.
The Jamboree also announced, on Thanksgiving day, the return of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
Festival Director Robert Shamek said the announcements were timed for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. They join headliner Old Dominian and Jessie Leigh in the lineup.
Shamek expects to announce additional artists soon, he said. At this point, the festival has named just four out of 30 shows.
“Dierks has been here before and is always highly requested,” Shamek said. It’s been about six years. “He always puts on a great show.”
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band hasn’t been in Sweet Home for six or seven years, he said. “They’re old school, but they put on a heck of a show.”
The Jamboree will announce some other old school, “true country” acts, he said. Soon, possibly within the week, the Jamboree will announce a date for its annual Mystery Concert.
“(Sales) are great,” Shamek said. “They’re over what they were last year, and last year was great. We’re definitely right on track for another fabulous year.”
The Jamboree will be busy with Christmas in Sweet Home this week, Shamek said. “We’ll have a big float in the parade, which should be fun.”
Jessie Leigh will perform at the Birthday Party for Jesus and gingerbread contest events (see page 6), which will be held in the high school activity gym, 1641 Long St., from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Leigh will also perform at the Sweet Home Alumni Association’s Decorated Tree Auction Saturday in the high school cafeteria (see page 6). The Jamboree decorated a tree for the event, which auctions Christmas trees lavishly decorated by local residents to raise money for scholarships.
“It’s just kind of fun because we put our spin on it,” Shamek said. The tree comes with 12 three-day 2020 Jamboree passes and a private acoustic concert with Jessie Leigh during the summer.
Dierks Bentley has released nine albums since 2003, spawning 17 No. 1 hits, including tunes like “What Was I Thinking,” “Every Mile a Memory” and “Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go).”
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band has released some 25 studio albums throughout its 53-year career, which spawned numerous hits, including “Mr. Bojangles” and three No. 1 hits, “Long Hard Road,” “Modern Day Romance” and “Fishin’ in the Dark.”
The Oregon Jamboree, a three-day camping and country music festival scheduled for July 21 to Aug. 2, is owned and was created by the Sweet Home Economic Development Group as a fund-raising tool for economic development projects.
For more information about the Jamboree or SHEDG, call (541) 367-8800.