This year’s entertainment lineup is sure to keep you dancing all night long, three nights in a row. With headliners Big Wreck, Jackson Dean and Chris Janson, there’ll be something for rock and country fans alike.
Friday : Sussex and Big Wreck
Friday’s show will open with Sussex, a five-piece cover band from Ottawa that rocks out from everything from the ‘70s to today. According to Ottawa Life Magazine, they love to entertain and get the crowd dancing, so come with your dancing shoes on!
Then, Canadian rock band Big Wreck will take the stage for the night’s headline slot. The band got its start in the early 1990s, when original members Ian Thornley and Brian Doherty were students at Boston’s Berklee College of Music.
Their 1997 album In Loving Memory
Of … won fans over with the band’s blend of distorted guitar riffs and prog-rock vocals. Early fans might remember tunes such as “That Song” or “The Oaf”, or more recent fans might recognize 2025’s “Believer.” Whichever songs are on the setlist, the group is bound to bring a big show.
And if you’re not done with the rock n’ roll just yet, Sussex will close out the night on the beer tent stage.
7:30 p.m. – Sussex – Main Stage
9:00 p.m. – Big Wreck – Main Stage
10:30 p.m. – Sussex – Beer Tent
Saturday: The Timber Line and Jackson Dean
The night’s main-stage entertainment will kick off with The Timber Line, a country-rock group based in the Ottawa Valley that has played gigs ranging from Ottawa Senators games to The Crazy Horse in Kanata. If you can’t catch their opening set, they will also play in the beer tent after the main stage shuts down.
Saturday’s headliner is Jackson Dean, a 26-year-old Nashville country singer with roots in small-town Maryland. Dean, who is known for his high-energy performances and gravelly voice, got his start as a teen playing bars, small rooms and country fairs, releasing his first album Greenbroke in 2022.
His song “Don’t Come Lookin’” from that album was featured on the Paramount show Yellowstone, and reached number three on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. Since then he has become a favourite, touring with country favourites the likes of Blake Shelton and Toby Keith. Audiences have fallen for his gritty, energetic and authentic performances, and the crowd at this year’s Fair is sure to do the same.
7:30 p.m. – The Timber Line – Main Stage
9:00 p.m. – Jackson Dean – Main Stage
10:30 p.m. – The Timber Line – Beer Tent
Sunday: Phil Denault Band and Chris Janson
A Sunday night favourite is back to open the night’s entertainment, as Fort-Coulonge legend Phil Denault will take the stage alongside Chichester fiddler Louis Schryer. They are sure to bring a mix of local favourites to the stage, so come out and support Pontiac’s own!
Then, Denault and Schryer will clear the stage for Nashville country singer Chris Janson. A high energy, blue-collar country entertainer known for his rowdy live shows, Janson has released six studio albums on which he plays several instruments such as guitar, piano, banjo, drums and the harmonica.
After 2015’s “Buy Me A Boat”, which thrust him into popularity, Janson’s song “Fix A Drink” (2017) reached number two on the Billboard Country Airplay charts, while “Drunk Girl” (2017) won the Video of the Year award from the Academy of Country Music. Known for his relatable, down-to-earth subject matter, Jason has also written songs for artists like Tim McGraw.
The Phil Denault Band will close out the night in the beer tent.
7:30 p.m. – Phil Denault Band – Main Stage
9:00 p.m. – Chris Janson – Main Stage
10:30 p.m. – Phil Denault Band – Beer Tent
