By Ian Currie
Reporter
Valentine’s Day evokes images of passion, fun and love. All things are colored red, even the Texas dirt.
The Bell County Exposition Center will host the Fourth Annual Red Dirt Mardi Gras on Valentine’s Day. The Center is located at 301 West Loop 121 in Belton.
“We love Red Dirt Texas music, and the timing falls in with Mardi Gras in New Orleans, so we thought we would combine the two,” Ashley Bland, convention sales and marketing representative, said.
Mardi Gras, a celebration that originated in New Orleans and that kick starts the Lenten season, will take place on March 2. Parades in New Orleans begin Sunday.
Headlining at the Central Texas event is the Casey Donahew Band, with special guests Roger Creager and Bart Crow. All three artists originate from Texas.
“We have three artists who are excited to embrace Valentine’s Day and share that moment with the crowd,” Bland said.
The Casey Donahew Band’s most recent album “Standoff” featured a single that reached No. 1 on Texas Regional Radio Report. The single “Whiskey Baby” reached No. 1 in June. To date, the band has released five albums and recently toured in New York.
Creager is playing at the Red Dirt Mardi Gras as a stop on his larger tour of Texas, which runs throughout the winter.
Bart Crow is a native of Maypearl and has had many songs on the Texas Music Chart, including No. 1 single “Saying Goodbye.”
Bland said this event will be a unique Valentine’s Day event.
“You can share Valentine’s Day not only with your significant other but also many others that love music,” Bland said.
The show is open to people of all ages.
Tickets are available at the door for $27 and parking is free. The event begins at 7:30pm.
To contact the Bell County Exposition Center for more details about the event, call 254-533-9393 or visit www.bellcountyexpo.com.
