By Heather Ruenz
Staff Writer
It’s been more than two years since the Walworth County Fairgrounds, under the direction of general manager, Larry Gaffey, created a concert series named, fittingly, Rock the Barns.
Gaffey said at the time he is always looking for new ways to raise money for upkeep of the 90-acre property for the non-profit organization. And his prior experience in concert promotion and management seemed the perfect fit for a series of concerts during the less active time of year for the fairgrounds.
He said he decided to focus on hiring the best rock tribute bands he could and at the same time, he reached out to Chris Buttleman, from the Lake Geneva House of Music to get local talent involved by having music groups from this area open each show.
Now in its third season, Gaffey said he considers Rock the Barns to be a success and the revenue generated by the shows is helping to offset the cost of operating and maintaining the independently owned and operated Fairgrounds.
Fans from throughout a wide area appear to enjoy the concerts, which are held in the Activity Center of the Fairgrounds, with many of them leaving positive comments on Facebook and considering that many of the shows have sold out.
Read more about Rock the Barns as well as Wise Fest – an event held at the fairgrounds in the fall that features regional musicians performing their original music – in Southern Lakes Newspapers’ publications.
