GJCF hits a high note with Pitbull announcement

     Last week, the Great Jones County Fair made the announcement that popular hip hop artist Pitbull would be coming to perform at the fair on Friday, July 21.

   Tickets went on sale on Black Friday, Nov. 25.

   Grammy winner Pitbull takes the stage at 8 p.m.; an opening act has yet to be confirmed, noted Fair Manager Lucas Gobeli. Tickets are $75 across the board, meaning the same price for the standing-room-only track, amphitheater, and hillside bleachers.

   "That's a reflection of the cost," said Gobeli of the cost to bring Pitbull to Monticello. "We try and keep the price reasonable to cover our costs and to allow people to still enjoy the fair."

   Pitbull isn't known for his county/state fair performances; however, he did headline at the Mississippi Valley Fair in Davenport in 2021.

   "This isn't his first county fair," Gobeli said. "He had done a few fairs, but it's not his normal type of venue."

   Once news of Pitbull's GJCF performance hit social media and was announced at 7:20 on Z102.9 on Tuesday morning, there was a wave of positive feedback and surprise that the fair would secure a Latin hip hop artist.

   "The last couple of years, we've been heavy with country (music)," said Gobeli. "We wanted to look into other options for people to attend."

   Working with the fair's booking agent, Gobeli explained they're given a list of available artists and price ranges. The Fair Board's Entertainment Committee reviews the list of potential names before bringing their ideas to the board as a whole.

   "The committee said, 'Let's try it,'" said Gobeli of making an offer for Pitbull. "We waited almost two months until it was confirmed."

   Gobeli said the buyer philosophy toward purchasing concert tickets and just attending events like the GJCF have changed since COVID.

   "As a venue, we need to figure out what the buyer is going to buy," he explained.

   GJCF Office Manager, Abby Jaeger, said Pitbull is known for his stage productions.

   "It's music and a show," she said. "People are excited about it."

   "With our stage capabilities," added Gobeli, "he'll be able to put on a full production. It'll be a larger production than we've had here."

   Pitbull has released 11 studio albums since his debut in 2004. His 2021 tour "I Feel Good" was sold out.

   He's collaborated with the likes of Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez, Kesha, Usher, Blake Shelton, and Christina Aguilera.

   With this announcement, the GJCF has shared three of its four nights of entertainment: July 21, Pitbull; July 22, Jon Pardi; July 23, We the Kingdom. Gobeli said they are still working on Thursday, July 20.

   On Nov. 15, the Fair Board elections were held. New members Tony Hoeger, Tier 1, and Jenny Treviranius, Tier 2, were elected. Ryan Toenjes, Tier 3, and Jimmy Pinckney, Tier 4, were both re-elected. Ben Capron, At-large, was automatically re-elected as he's president-elect.

   Jaeger also shared some fun fair news…

   "We hope to implement five new contests at the fair this year," she said.

   Two of those contests will include a mullet contest, judged by Lux Salon & Spa of Monticello, and a t-shirt design contest, using the 2023 GJCF theme "Rooted in Agriculture."