World-class country musician to headline 2023 GTBR
The Great Texas Balloon Race returns in June to the Longview Convention Complex, this year bringing more hot air balloon flights to watch and a country singer/songwriter who has had 14 No. 1 singles headlining the entertainment lineup.
Oklahoma native Jon Wolfe conveys stories through world-class country music from the American heartland in songs that tip their hat to the pioneers who influenced him, like George Strait, Garth Brooks, Clint Black and Merle Haggard. He had 12 consecutive Top Ten singles with songs like “It All Happened in a Honky Tonk” and “That Girl in Texas,” which has had more than 6.2 million views on YouTube.
His newest album, “Dos Corazones,” was put together during 11 days spent in an adobe casita beneath the mountains in the Chihuahuan Desert in far West Texas, and it’s his proudest collection of songs to date. His catalog demonstrates Wolfe’s energy, vision and traditional sound and will grab audiences and hold their attention as the Saturday headlining act of this year’s Great Texas Balloon Race.
Lone Star State native Jake Worthington, with a deep-drawling baritone and a soul that feeds on fiddle and steel, will get things started on Saturday night. Raised in La Porte just down the road from Houston, Worthington charmed the nation with a second-place finish on Season 6 of NBC’s “The Voice” and now has an album set for release in April.
On Friday night, East Texas band Joint Custody will treat the audience with their blend of honest songwriting and Southern rock ‘n Roll. With influences like Blackberry Smoke and Whiskey Myers, Joint Custody has toured all over the country with the likes of Parker McCollum and Granger Smith.
Another East Texas product, Post Profit will open on Friday night with their intense live rock show.
This year’s Great Texas Balloon Race will be Friday, June 16 through the morning on Sunday, June 18, 2023. All ticketed events this year will again be at the Longview Convention Complex, 1123 Jaycee Dr. Gates open at 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday night at the Longview Convention Complex for the festival, special shape balloon inflations, live music and balloon glows, weather permitting. The U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championships kick off the action in the air with world-class pilots engaged in competition flights over Longview starting Monday, June 12.
Opening acts take the stage at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights with headliners scheduled to play at 9:30 p.m. Gates close at midnight. Tickets are on sale now at Outhouse Tickets. Tickets for Friday only are $15; Saturday only are $20; and a weekend pass is $30. No outside alcohol is allowed.
