Country singing star Gary Allan kicks off fair in Walla Walla

Billboard magazine calls country singer and songwriter Gary Allan's voice "smoky and emotive" and his albums as "comfortable as the day is long."

With all that going for him, it doesn't hurt that Allan's a handsome hunk and he's coming to Walla Walla on Sept. 1.

His fans won't want to miss his concert at Walla Walla Fair & Frontier Days, where the artist will be singing hits off his latest album, Get Off on the Pain, as well as his other seven. Three of those went platinum and two gold.

Allan is the main performer in a concert that also features the country singing female duo Bomshel -- Kristy Osmonson and Kelly Shepard -- who have one album out, Fight Like a Girl, plus several singles.

Three of their singles made the United States Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, and in January they were nominated by the Academy of Country Music for Top New Duo.

Tickets to the Gary Allan and Bomshel concert are $40 for reserved seating and $25 for seats in the grandstand. The concert is 7 p.m. Sept. 1.

Tickets are available at wallawallafairgrounds.com, at the gate or by calling 509-527-3247.

Walla Walla Fair & Frontier Days runs Sept. 1-5 at the Walla Walla Fairgrounds, off Ninth Avenue near Tietan Street. The fair is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sept. 1-5.

Admission is free until 3 p.m. Sept. 1. Otherwise, admission is $7 for those 14 and older, $4 for seniors, $3 for children 6 to 13 and $25 for a five-day season pass. Children 5 and younger are free.

The carnival and kids farm center activities open at 11 a.m. each day.

The Demolition Derby is at 6 p.m. Sept. 2 in the arena. Admission to the derby is $12 in addition to fair admission.

Music on the Pavilion and Pepsi stages starts at 1 p.m. daily.

The rodeo starts at 7 p.m. Sept. 3-5 in the arena. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children in addition to fair admission.

The Frontier Day Parade begins at 10 a.m. Sept. 4 in downtown Walla Walla.

There will be parimutuel horse racing beginning at 1 p.m. Sept. 3-5. Admission is free with fair admission.

Horse racing gave the Walla Walla Fair & Frontier Days its start in 1863, making it the oldest in the state of Washington. That was the year of the first horse race at the newly constructed track north of town.

The fair has had several names over the years. In 1870, the event was the first Fair of Washington Territory Agricultural, Manufacturing and Art Fostering Society. In 1874, it became the first Walla Walla County Agricultural Society event. Then in 1886 the name was changed to the Walla Walla Consolidated Agricultural Society, and 1903 brought yet a new name, Walla Walla County Fair Association.

It became today's Walla Walla Fair & Frontier Days in 1996. No matter what the name, it has always been an annual agricultural fair, plus horse racing.

For more information, go to wallawallafairgrounds.com, or call 509-527-3247.

This story was originally published August 27, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Country singing star Gary Allan kicks off fair in Walla Walla ."