ARCADIA, Wis. – Main stage at the Ashley for the Arts festival this weekend, sponsored by the Arcadia-based furniture manufacturer, leans as always to country performers. Four acts a day are planned for both Friday and Saturday. On other stags are regional and local acts. There also are dozens of booths and activities. The three-day festival has been attracting 50,000 people in recent years with profits earmarked for charities and schools in the region. Over the past 15 years, $3.5 million has been donated to area organizations. Three-day passes are $55 to $65, less for kids. Main stage performers:
Friday
3 p.m., Neal McCoy. Country singer whose break-out was “Where Forever Begins” in 1992. Has 10 studio albums,34 singles o. Back-to-back Number One singles with “No Doubt About It” and “Wink.”
5 p.m., Vertical Horizon. Alternative rock band formed in 1991 at George Washington University. Best known for “Everything You Want,” “You’re a God,” “Grey Sky Morning,” “I’m Still Here.”
7 p.m., The Script. Irish rock band formed in 2001 in Dublin. Debut album “We Cry” included “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved,” “Breakeven,” “Before the Worst.” Other albums: “Silence and Faith” in 20101, #3” in 2012, “No Sound Without Silence n 2014, “Sunsets and Full Moons: in 2019.
9 p.m., Journey. Rock band formed in San Fancisco in 1973 by former members of Santana, the Steve Miller Band, and Frumnious Bandersnatch. Works include “Don’t Stop Believing” in 1981, the album “Escape,” and the album Frontiers.” Have had 25 gold and platinum albums.
Saturday
3 p.m., Tigirlily Gold. Country music sisters Kendra and Krista Slaubaugh of Hazen, North Data, now Nashville. known for early cover songs. First album Blonde” included their “Shoot Tequila” in 2023. Released the single “I Tried a Ring On” in 2024, and also their debut studio album “Blonde.”
5 p.m., LoCash. Country duo with thee studio albums. Single include “I Know Somebody.” Co-wrote Keith Urban’s “You Gonna Fly” and Tim McGraw’s “Truck Yeah.” Originally known as LoCash Cowboys.
7 p.m, Bret Michaels. Albums include the 1998 soundt ack for “A Letter from Death Row.” The 2003 rock album “Songs of Life.” Other work includes the albu \s “Rock My Word” and “Custom Built” and he single “Every Rose Has Its Thorn.” Frontman for rock band Poison, which has sold over 65 million albums.
9 p.m., Old Dominion. A Nashville band with five full-length albums and three EPs. Its debut studio albumi n 2015 was “Meet the Candy,” which included “Break Up with Him,” “Snapback” and “Song for Another Time.” The album “Happy Endings” included “No Such Thing as a Broken Heart. “Written in the Sand” and “Hotel Key.” Layer albums included “Make It Sweet” and “Some People Do.”
Earlier: Industrialist group honors Ashley’s Ron Wanek
Earlier: Ashley arts fest earns $700,000