Stoney LaRue Headlining Ales & Tails Crawfish and Red Dirt Festival

The Vinita Rotary Club has announced that Stoney LaRue will be the headline performer at its fourth annual Ales & Tails Crawfish and Red Dirt Festival, Saturday, April 21, at the American Legion Rodeo Arena, in Vinita.

One of the hottest acts in the Red Dirt scene, LaRue is a singer-songwriter who is well-known for his poetic lyrics and entertaining shows. Born in Taft, Texas, but raised in Buffalo Valley, Okla., LaRue is sure to be a crowd favorite. He brings a list of No. 1 hits to the Ales & Tails stage, including “Oklahoma Breakdown,” “ Feed Don’t Touch the Ground,” “Empty Glass” and “Down in Flames”. LaRue will perform from 9 to 10:30 p.m.

This year’s Ales & Tails Crawfish and Red Dirt Festival promises to be the biggest party Craig County has seen. In addition to LaRue, the night will feature heaping plates of crawfish, cold beer and live music by three of the hottest names in Red Dirt country.

Gates will open at 5 p.m. with Grand Lake-favorite Whiskey Poet Society kicking things off. In addition to performing, Whiskey Poet Society lead singer Mark Chamberlain will emcee the event.

A rising star in Red Dirt music that sells out venues across Oklahoma and Texas, the Read Southall Band brings its unique sound to country music and to the Ales & Tails stage. That sound — a blend the band describes as “Oklahoma rock and roll, Southern rock and crunchy country” — has built a huge fan base for the band whose roots are in Stillwater. The Read Southall Band will perform from 6 to 7 p.m.

Singer-songwriter Cameran Nelson will take the stage from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Fuse Texas country grit with down-home rock and roll and you get Nelson, a true Texas troubadour.

A Texas Music Awards Male Vocalist of the Year nominee, Nelson has topped the charts with hits like “Shotgun,” “Happy to Beer,” “35 Runs Both Ways,” “Nothing’s Got Nothin’” and “The Little That We’re Livin’ On.”

For the tastiest part of the evening, the Vinita Rotary Club will be bringing in piles of live Louisiana crawfish, which will be boiled Cajun-style with potatoes and corn. Bring your appetite to tackle the two-pound servings of crawfish.

For those who aren’t mudbug aficionados, there will be fried catfish with hushpuppies and fried potatoes on the side. Other concessionary foods, like hot dogs, nachos and more, will also be available.

Soft drinks and adult beverages will be available for purchase during the event. The Vinita Rotary Club has obtained a liquor license so, in addition to beer (the Ales part of the festival), mixed drinks will be available.

There will be plenty of shopping opportunities during Ales & Tails. Craft vendors from all over the state will be bringing a wide range of fun, original items for festival-goers to browse through and purchase.

The Ales & Tails Crawfish and Red Dirt Festival is a fundraiser for the Vinita Rotary Club. All proceeds from the event benefit the club’s Scholarship Foundation.

Tickets are on sale now. They can be purchased online at www.alesandtails.net, 360GrandLake.com or on the 2018 Ales & Tails Crawfish and Red Dirt Festival Facebook page. Tickets are also available from any Rotary member and at Austin Brown State Farm Insurance.

General admission concert tickets for the Red Dirt music part of the festival are $17 in advance and $20 at the gate. Meal tickets for the crawfish or catfish plates are $10. General admission and meal ticket packages are $25.

For those interested in literally spending the night at the festival, camping packages are available. For $100, the camping package includes two meal tickets, two general admission tickets and a camping site. There are eight spots with electricity for RVs and an unlimited number of tent sites. All tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Vinita Rotary Club is also offering VIP packages at this year’s Ales & Tales Crawfish and Red Dirt Festival. A VIP ticket is $250 and includes admission to a reserved and elevated viewing area that will include private bar, dining and seating, as well as one meal ticket and one beer pass.

The Ales & Tails Crawfish and Red Dirt Festival will be held at the American Legion Rodeo Arena, located at 26585 South 4410 Road, in Vinita. Parking is available in several areas around the arena and will be clearly posted.

For more information on Ales & Tails, visit www.VinitaRotary.org or contact Travis Jaggars at (918) 639-8629 or Austin Brown at (918) 914-3819.