Brain’s Favorite Great Jones County Fair Memory

I've been going to The Great Jones County Fair for as long as I can remember. I grew up on a farm just south of Monticello. I showed animals for 4-H at the fair. I ran around the midway with friends as a teenager at the fair. And now working for KHAK for over 20 years I've been to some great concerts at the fair. It would be easier to name what big artists HAVEN'T been to the GJCF. To see the list of performers from previous years is like looking at a who's who of country music. But one July night will forever stand out in my mind as the best concert I've ever seen.

Keith Urban played the GJCF back in 2013. My wife Holly and I have seen Keith many times. That show was special though for another reason. First of all, Keith was playing the GJCF! One of my favorite artists literally in my backyard! But most importantly it was my daughter Carly's first ever concert. Carly loves music. She sings and dances to everything from country to pop. Being the Keith Urban fan that I am, I had introduced her to his music too. She was hooked. She knew the words and she danced to the music! So when we found out Keith was coming to Jones County, we knew we had to take her.

I'll never forget Keith hitting the stage and launching into the song 'Long Hot Summer'. Carly's eyes lit up and she looked up at me and screamed, "I know this song!" She danced the night away on the track and even got lifted up on the corner of the stage by a wonderful security guard. The night was even more special for her when she got to meet Keith!

Carly even gave Keith a couple of homemade bracelets for his two young daughters. He probably didn't keep them, but I thought it was a kind gesture. So did Keith.

That night was just perfect. The weather was great. My favorite artist was on stage. Holly and I got to watch the experience through our daughter's eyes. It was simply amazing. Even the people on the track around us that night were nice. They could see our young daughter was having an amazing time. A woman from California was standing next to us and was also a huge Keith Urban fan. She took a picture of the three of us and promised to send it to us. A month later I got an email from her with the photo. It's one of my favorites to this day. It captured a perfect moment in time. My favorite memory of The Great Jones County Fair.