LOOK: Every Artist Who Has Performed at the Western Idaho Fair Since 2000

What do you love most about the Western Idaho Fair? For some, it’s all about sinking their teeth into certain foods that you’ll only find at events like the fair. Others want to see just how much mileage they can get out of a ride all day wristband. And there’s no denying that the concerts are a huge draw too! 

That’s why the Western Idaho Fair has often been called the social event of the summer! But did you know that grandstand concerts weren’t always part of the fair? When the fair began, the grandstand events were things like war reenactments or plane performances. There used to be a rodeo at the fair, but it eventually became clear that the fair’s rodeo couldn’t compete with events like the Snake River Stampede or Caldwell Night Rodeo, because those events were recognized by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. 

Entertainment at the fair has changed a lot over the years! The grandstand is now known as the destination for the concerts you can attend for free with your fair admission and there’s tons of other great acts spread out throughout Expo Idaho. 

This year's grand stand line-up includes:

• August 22: Smashmouth and The Spin Doctors
• August 23: T.I.
• August 24: Bush
• August 25: Justin Moore

*There are only four days of concerts this year. We don’t have an official statement on whether it was Jimmie Allen’s decision or the fair board’s decision, but Allen’s scheduled appearance was removed from the line-up shortly after sexual abuse allegations against the country singer became public. More on that here. 

They'll join a list of performers that's included some of the biggest names in music when they were up and comers and certified rock legends. We dove deep into the internet archives to try to put together a list of every concert that's happened at the fair since 2000 (the first year archive.org could pull up concerts on the fair's website.) 

If you know who performed prior to 2000, drop who you remember in the comments! We’re pretty sure Nsync was here in 1998 and would LOVE to see some photos if you have those laying around somewhere. 

There are a few gaps (we could only find Brad Paisley in 2001 and we couldn't find anything about who performed in 2005) but for the most part, this list is pretty complete! How many of these shows have you attended?