Heartland Stampede Music Festival

Last updated
Heartland Stampede Music Festival
Genre Country music
Classic rock
DatesJuly 14-16, 2022
Location(s) Topeka, KS (2019–present)
Manhattan, KS (1996–2018)
Sparta, KY (2003–2004)
Years active1996–present
FoundersWayne Rouse [1]
Website countrystampede.com

The Country Stampede Music Festival is an outdoor country music and camping festival held at Heartland Motorsports Park, south of Topeka, Kansas. The festival has been held annually since 1996, historically on the last weekend in June (except in 2020 when it was cancelled due to the COVID pandemic). [2]

Contents

The festival was held at Tuttle Creek State Park outside Manhattan, Kansas, from its founding in 1996 to 2018. [1] The 2019 festival was moved to Topeka, initially due to potential flood conditions at Tuttle Creek Lake. [3] [4] Organizers announced the move would be permanent on June 20, 2019. [5] [6] Organizers also announced the name of the festival was changed to Heartland Stampede in advance of the 2020 festival. Like many large scale events, the festival was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the festival would once again be named Country Stampede and had a successful 3-day event despite poor weather. [7] Organizers announced on October 19, 2021, that the 2022 festival would be moved to the month of July to attempt to avoid the history of severe weather during the event.

Country Stampede in Manhattan (1996–2018)

Festival logo 2012-2019 Kicker Country Stampede logo.png
Festival logo 2012–2019
Festival logo until 2012 Original Country Stampede logo.png
Festival logo until 2012

The Country Stampede festival was the largest annual music festival in Kansas while in Manhattan. Total combined attendance for all days exceeded 170,000 – in 2012 it was approximately 175,000. The record for largest single-day attendance was set on June 23, 2012, when an estimated 55,000 fans watched Toby Keith perform.

The festival began as a three-day weekend event, and then for several years was expanded to a four-day format, lasting from Thursday through Sunday. Camping was common for attendees, and 2,400 camp sites were available on the grounds. Vendors, and many activities were also present at the festival.

Starting in 2016, the festival reverted to a three-day format. The Thursday night kickoff party was expanded into a full-day format, while Sunday was dropped from the weekend. Festival President Wayne Rouse said the decision would allow attendees a day off to recover and travel. The new format was well-received, and Rouse indicated the change would be permanent.

During this time, a sister festival was held at the Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky, in 2003 and 2004.

Past performers

Notable musical artists performing at the festival in Manhattan include: [8]

Country Stampede in Topeka (2019–present)

Move to Topeka and 2019 festival

In May 2019, after severe rains caused increased water levels at Tuttle Creek Lake Dam, the organizers of Country Stampede announced on their Facebook page that the festival would move to Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka for the June 2019 event as a measure to "ensure all of [the] concert goers will be out of harm's way". [3] [4]

Despite reassurances from the festival organizers on their FAQ page that the event would not permanently move from Manhattan, [9] on June 20, hours before the festival began, Country Stampede officials and leaders from the City of Topeka announced that the festival would permanently move to Heartland Motorsports Park for three additional years, renaming the festival to "Heartland Stampede", and terminating their contract with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism to host the event at Tuttle Creek Lake State Park. [5] [6]

2019 headline performer Jason Aldean was forced to cancel his show due to severe weather. [10]

Planned 2020 festival and cancellation

In September of 2019, officials from the festival announced that Toby Keith, Luke Combs, and Cody Johnson would be the headlining performers for the 2020 festival, which was scheduled to take place from June 25 through the 27th. [11]

In March 2020, Heartland Stampede announced through their Facebook page that a local credit union, Azura, had become the new title sponsor for the 2020 festival. [12]

In April, organizers stated that the event would still go on, [13] but later backpedaled and cancelled the event entirely due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Kansas, even after attempting to reschedule the event. [14] An FAQ from the event stated that tickets purchased for the 2020 event would be automatically transferred to the 2021 event, unless purchasers accessed a form and requested a refund between the cancellation date of April 30th and May 31st. [15]

2021 festival

In September 2020, the event, now renamed to "Country Stampede at the Heartland", announced that it would be partnering with a local company, VAERUS Aviation, to bring an airshow called "Thunder Over the Heartland" to the event on the final day of the 2021 festival, June 26th, as well as an additional day on Sunday the 27th, [16] [17] with attendees to Country Stampede receiving free shuttle transport between Heartland Motorsports Park and Topeka Regional Airport for the airshow, the 190th Air Refueling Wing based at Topeka Regional would be participating, as well as that individual tickets would go on sale immediately for people wishing to see the airshow, but are not attending the festival. [18] The announcement also included an announcement that headlining artists at the 2021 event would be Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, and Riley Green. [16]

Past performers

Notable musical artists performing at the festival in Topeka include:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Jerrick</span> American television host

Michael Eugene Joseph Jerrick is a news anchor and a former co-host with Juliet Huddy of the morning program The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, which began in January 2007. The last live episode of the show aired in June 2009. He has formerly co-hosted with Huddy DaySide and has both been the co-host and current fill-in host on Fox & Friends on the Fox News Channel. Jerrick now co-hosts Good Day Philadelphia on WTXF.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Bunten</span> American politician (1930–2020)

William Wallace Bunten was an American politician from Kansas. He served as mayor of Topeka, Kansas, having been elected to a four-year term in 2005 and re-elected in 2009. Before being elected mayor, he served in the Kansas House of Representatives from 1963 to 1991 and in the Kansas Senate from 2003 to 2004. He previously ran for mayor in 2001 and in a special election in 2003. To date, Bunten is the last member of the Republican Party to serve as Topeka mayor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KSNT</span> NBC affiliate in Topeka, Kansas

KSNT is a television station in Topeka, Kansas, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside low-power, Class A Fox affiliate KTMJ-CD ; Nexstar also provides certain services to dual ABC/CW+ affiliate KTKA-TV under joint sales and shared services agreements (JSA/SSA) with Vaughan Media, LLC. The stations share studios on Northwest 25th Street, near the unincorporated community of Kiro, where KSNT's transmitter is also located.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KTKA-TV</span> TV station in Topeka, Kansas

KTKA-TV is a television station in Topeka, Kansas, United States, affiliated with ABC and The CW Plus. It is owned by Vaughan Media, LLC, which maintains joint sales and shared services agreements (JSA/SSA) with Nexstar Media Group, owner of NBC affiliate KSNT and Fox affiliate KTMJ-CD, for the provision of certain services. The stations share studios on Northwest 25th Street, near the unincorporated community of Kiro ; KTKA-TV's transmitter is located along West Union Road west of Topeka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WIBW-TV</span> CBS/MyNetworkTV affiliate in Topeka, Kansas

WIBW-TV is a television station in Topeka, Kansas, United States, affiliated with CBS and MyNetworkTV. Owned by Gray Television, the station maintains studios on Commerce Place in west-southwestern Topeka, and its transmitter is located on Windy Hill Road in Maple Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuttle Creek Lake</span> Kansas reservoir on the Big Blue River

Tuttle Creek Lake is a reservoir on the Big Blue River 5 miles (8 km) north of Manhattan, in the Flint Hills region of northeast Kansas. It was built and is operated by the Army Corps of Engineers for the primary purpose of flood control. Secondary functions of the project include release of water stores to maintain barge traffic on the Mississippi River during seasons of drought, maintenance of a multi-use conservation pool for fish and wildlife enhancement and recreation, and release of sufficient water in droughts to maintain water quality for downstream communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KTMJ-CD</span> Fox affiliate in Topeka, Kansas

KTMJ-CD is a low-power, Class A television station in Topeka, Kansas, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside NBC affiliate KSNT ; Nexstar also provides certain services to dual ABC/CW+ affiliate KTKA-TV under joint sales and shared services agreements (JSA/SSA) with Vaughan Media, LLC. The stations share studios on Northwest 25th Street, near the unincorporated community of Kiro ; KTMJ-CD's transmitter is located along Southwest West Union Road west of Topeka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WIBW-FM</span> Radio station in Topeka, Kansas

WIBW-FM is a commercial FM radio station in Topeka, Kansas. It is owned by Alpha Media and airs a country radio format. The studios and offices are on SW Executive Drive in Topeka. The transmitter is off Windy Hill Road in Maple Hill. WIBW-FM broadcasts at 100,000 watts.

James A. Barnett is an American Republican politician from Kansas. Barnett ran for governor in 2018, ultimately coming in third place in the primary.

WIBW is a commercial AM radio station in Topeka, Kansas. It is owned by Alpha Media and airs a talk and sports radio format. The studios and offices are on SW Executive Drive in Topeka. The transmitter is off NW Landon Road in Silver Lake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amarillo Wranglers (NAHL)</span> Ice hockey team in Amarillo, Texas

The Amarillo Wranglers are a Tier II junior ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League's South Division. The team's home arena is the Amarillo Civic Center in Amarillo, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prairie Band Casino & Resort</span> Casino resort in Mayetta, Kansas

Prairie Band Casino & Resort is a Native American casino in Mayetta, Kansas, owned by the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. It was originally operated by Harrah's Entertainment under a management agreement with the tribe until July 1, 2007, when the tribe took over operations. The casino is open 24 hours daily and has a 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m2) casino, with 1,090 slot machines, a bingo hall and 31 table games. The casino also has three restaurants and 297 guestrooms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electric Zoo</span> Electronic music festival in Randalls Island, New York City

Electric Zoo was an annual electronic music festival held over Labor Day weekend in New York City on Randall's Island. The festival represents all genres of electronic music, bringing top international DJs and live acts from multiple countries to four stages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle De La Isla</span> American politician

Michelle De La Isla is an American politician who served as the mayor of Topeka, Kansas from 2018 to 2022. She previously served on the Topeka City Council from 2013 to 2018. De La Isla was the city's first Latina and single mother to serve as mayor. She was the Democratic nominee for Kansas's 2nd congressional district in the 2020 election, but lost.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Watkins</span> American politician (born 1976)

Steven Charles Watkins Jr. is an American politician and former military officer. He served as the U.S. representative for Kansas's 2nd congressional district from 2019 to 2021. He is a member of the Republican Party, and was succeeded by Jake LaTurner. He earned degrees from the United States Military Academy at West Point, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.), and Harvard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodstock 50</span> 2019 cancelled American music festival

Woodstock 50 was a cancelled music festival originally scheduled to be held on August 16–18, 2019 at the Watkins Glen International racetrack in New York and later the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Maryland. The event was intended as a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock Music & Art Fair, a landmark festival that was held August 15–18, 1969, in Bethel, New York. Just prior to its cancellation, it was announced the event had been reduced from three days to one day. The event faced numerous challenges, including permit and production issues, venue relocations, and artist cancellations. The festival was eventually canceled on July 31, 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Toland</span> American politician

David C. Toland is an American politician and businessman concurrently serving as the 52nd lieutenant governor of Kansas and Kansas secretary of commerce.

The 2021 Frito-Lay strike was a labor strike by employees at the Topeka, Kansas Frito-Lay plant against the company's mandatory overtime policy. The strike began on July 5, 2021 and ended on July 23, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Topeka Tropics</span> American indoor football team

The Topeka Tropics were a professional indoor football based in Topeka, Kansas, and played their home games at the Stormont Vail Events Center. The team originally folded after its inaugural 2022 season, but was renewed under new ownership before the 2023 season. The Tropics a were the third indoor football team to be based in Topeka following the Topeka Knights/Kings (1999–2000) and the Kansas Koyotes (2003–2014).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of Topeka</span>

The flag of Topeka is the vexillology symbol representing the American city of Topeka, in Kansas. It was designed by the Topeka young professionals organization, Forge in 2018 and adopted in 2019 replacing a 1977 design created by a local boy scout group.

References

  1. 1 2 "No Place Like Home For Music Festival". CBS News . Associated Press. 2006-06-22. Archived from the original on 2020-10-02. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
  2. ↑ "14th Annual County Stampede Lineup Announced". The Manhattan Mercury. November 19, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
  3. 1 2 "Country Stampede - Facebook". Facebook . May 31, 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-06-20. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  4. 1 2 "Country Stampede festival moves to Topeka over flooding concerns". KSHB-TV . May 31, 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-06-20. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  5. 1 2 Garrett, Dan (June 20, 2019). "Officials announce Country Stampede to move to Topeka for next three years". KSNT . Archived from the original on 2019-06-20. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  6. 1 2 Viviani, Nick (June 20, 2019). "Country Stampede officially moving - and changing its name". WIBW-TV . Archived from the original on 2019-06-20. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  7. ↑ Fertig, Todd. "'I know it's going to be a little hot': Thousands chill during Country Stampede at Heartland Park". The Topeka Capital-Journal. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
  8. ↑ "Country Stampede - Past Performers". Archived from the original (English) on 2012-07-23. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
  9. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". Country Stampede. June 20, 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-06-20. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
  10. ↑ Viviani, Nick. "Storms darken Country Stampede's last day; Aldean's show canceled after long delay". WIBW-TV . Archived from the original on 2020-09-30. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  11. ↑ Viviani, Nick (2019-09-30). "Toby Keith, Luke Combs, Cody Johnson headlining 2020 Heartland Stampede". WIBW-TV . Archived from the original on 2020-09-30. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  12. ↑ Welcome, Azura Credit Union to the Heartland Stampede family!, 2020-03-13, archived from the original on 2020-09-30, retrieved 2020-09-30
  13. ↑ Saberi, Kelly (2020-04-07). "Heartland Stampede organizers say festival will go on despite coronavirus". KSNT News . Archived from the original on 2020-06-06. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  14. ↑ Feuerborn, Mark (2020-04-30). "Heartland Stampede 2020 canceled by coronavirus pandemic". KSNT News . Archived from the original on 2020-09-30. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  15. ↑ "Heartland Stampede | Cancellation FAQ". Country Stampede. 2020-04-30. Archived from the original on 2020-09-30. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  16. 1 2 Motter, Sarah (2020-09-29). "Country Stampede returns for 25th Anniversary". WIBW-TV . Archived from the original on 2020-09-30. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  17. ↑ Yarborough, India (2020-09-29). "CapFed Best News: Country Stampede to celebrate 25th anniversary with 'Thunder Over the Heartland' air show". The Topeka Capital-Journal. Archived from the original on 2020-09-30. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  18. ↑ Motter, Sarah; Donahue, Kimberly (2020-09-29). "Great Topeka Air Show returns to Capital City as Thunder Over the Heartland". WIBW-TV . Archived from the original on 2020-09-30. Retrieved 2020-09-30.

39°15′26″N96°35′01″W / 39.25722°N 96.58361°W / 39.25722; -96.58361

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.