Week one of The Big Fresno Fair’s concert series includes country, rap, reggae

The Big Fresno Fair kicks off week one of its annual concert series at the Paul Paul Theater with an as eclectic lineup as ever. There’s hip-hop and country artists, a classic oldies icon and some reggae rock.

The sibling pop-country trio The Band Perry gets things going. The Grammy Award-winning group, which opened for Blake Shelton on his “Ten Times Crazier Tour” that stopped at the Save Mart Center in 2014, plays Thursday, Oct. 8.

Georgia rapper Nelly (of “Hot in Herre” fame) officially kicks off the weekend and should be a hot ticket with 2000s-era hip-hop fans. The multi-Grammy winner plays Friday, Oct. 9.

Jack Johnson and Jack Gilinsky, better known as the teen-duo Jack and Jack, perform the early show 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, with Disney star/pop singer Laura Marano opening. This show skews toward the younger fans – those familiar with (and active on) the social media app Vine, where Jack and Jack first gained popularity. The duo replaces Austin Mahone.

The ever popular comedian Gabriel Igelesias, “Fluffy” to his fans, performs the evening show Oct. 10. Sadly, tickets are already sold out online for that show. This is the third year in a row Fluffy has sold out.

Mexican singer (and coach on Spanish-language show “La Voz Kids”) Roberto Tapia plays Sunday, Oct. 11.

Paul Anka kicks off the fair’s weekday concerts on Monday, Oct. 12. They show is sure to be a hit with those who remember when the played oldies on the radio.

Anka is followed by Christian crossover rapper Lecrae, who plays Tuesday, Oct. 13; country singer Randy Houser Wednesday, Oct. 14, and ’90s reggae rockers 311 Thursday, Oct. 15. Expect a large crowd for 311, as the band represents the only “rock” show during the fair’s run.

It should be noted that 200 free seats are available on a first-come-first-served basis just prior to each show at the ticket booth behind the Paul Paul Theater.

Along with entertainment on the Paul Paul, there is live music throughout the fair at the Save Mart Wine Garden, Blue Moon Yosemite Station and the Pavilion Stage. Artists include Llama Boy, The Alley Cats a cappella group and Rock Bottom Boys.

This story was originally published October 7, 2015 at 12:07 PM with the headline "Week one of The Big Fresno Fair’s concert series includes country, rap, reggae."