Farm Aid lineup announced
BURGETTSTOWN, Pa. -- The annual Farm Aid benefit concert -- headlined by Willie Nelson -- is coming back to Pennsylvania for just the third time since it began in 1985.
Farm Aid 2017 will be held Sept. 16 at KeyBank Pavilion in Burgettstown, about 25 miles west of Pittsburgh.
The festival was held in Pennsylvania for the first time at the same venue in 2002, though it operated under a different name at that time. It was held in Hershey in 2012.
Performers this year include Farm Aid board members Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews with Tim Reynolds.
Other acts include Jack Johnson, The Avett Brothers, Sheryl Crow, Jamey Johnson, Blackberry Smoke, Valerie June, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real and Insects vs Robots. More artists will be announced closer to the event date.
Tickets ranging from $49.50 to $199.50 go on sale June 23 at LiveNation.com, Ticketmaster and by phone. Some presale tickets go on sale online Wednesday.
The Farm Aid concerts have raised more than $50 million for programs that assist farmers and widen the influence of the Good Food Movement and support family farms over corporate agriculture.
Organizers decided to bring the festival back to western Pennsylvania where local farms have helped the economy weather the ups and downs of the coal and natural gas industries. There are more than 17,000 farms in western Pennsylvania comprising 2.3 million acres.
"Family farm agriculture is the heart of Pennsylvania," Farm Aid President and Founder Willie Nelson said in a statement. "What's happening in western Pennsylvania and the region shows us that we can count on family farmers to strengthen our communities and connect people. Whether we live in rural or urban places, food - and music - brings us all together."
