Check it out: Mellencamp will play Canfield Fair

CANFIELD — John Mellencamp will return to the Mahoning Valley on Sept. 3 as the main grandstand concert at the Canfield Fair.

"He is playing fairs and festivals this summer and we had been trying to get him for a while," said Eric Ryan, whose JAC Management Co., has taken on the task of producing the fair's shows this year. "I think he¹s a great fit for the area."

Mellencamp last played in the Valley in 2006, when he brought his tour to a sold-out Covelli Centre.

There will be just two concerts at the fair this year, with the second one on Labor Day. "We fluctuate between two and three concerts each year, depending on where we are in our budget and what we can hook up that will be a draw for our area," said fair director George Roman.

The second concert, which hasn¹t been announced yet, will likely be either a Christian pop or country act.