Thousands of fans will gather at Livingston Parish Fairgrounds this weekend to sing along to rock hits such as "All Summer Long" by Kid Rock or "Rockstar" by Nickelback.
The "Rock the Country" two-day concert is a huge milestone for Livingston Parish, as officials have said it is the biggest event the parish has ever hosted.
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The national tour is scheduled for 10 small towns, with Livingston Parish as the first stop. The shows April 4 and 5 will feature musicians including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Gavin Adcock and Treaty Oak Revival, as well as Kid Rock and Nickelback, starting at 2:30 p.m. both days at the fairgrounds in the town of Livingston off Florida Boulevard.
The concert is estimated to bring in about $10 million in new-visitor spending to the area, said Michael McBrayer, a director with the concert. This is based on studies of when "Rock the Country" was held in different parishes in the past.Â
McBrayer said attendance of 16,000 to 20,000 is expected per night.Â
The location was selected because it is between two large cities and is an underserved area with a majority of blue-collar workers "that needs musical entertainment," he said.
Eric Edwards, executive director of the parish's Convention & Visitor's Bureau, said an event like this impacts a variety of parish divisions including lodging, local dining, shopping and labor.Â
Edwards said the parish has not hosted an event of this size.Â
"It's the first time for the parish," he said.
If the event goes over well, Livingston Parish could potentially host more events of the same size, Edwards said.Â
"I think (the event) is the proving ground," he said. "We do have a lot of land available."
