Coming in hot: Grape Festival lineup centers around the sun

Jun. 15—The music at this year's Lodi Grape Festival is sure to have everyone walking on the sun.

The festival announced its main stage entertainment lineup on Friday, and Smash Mouth will be headlining on Saturday, Sept. 14

The group had six top-20 hits in the late '90s and early '00s. including "Walkin' On The Sun" and "All-Star," with the latter featured in the film "Shrek" and recently surpassing 1 billion streams on Spotify.

Hailing from San Jose, the band has released eight albums of alternative rock, pop rock, power pop and punk ska, and have recorded their own versions of The Monkees' "I'm a Believer" and War's "Why Can't We Be Friends."

The Grape Festival begins on Thursday, Sept. 12, and Uptown Funk, a Bruno Mars tribute band, opens up the four-day free concert series.

Uptown Funk plays all of Mars' hits exactly like his live band, and performs the same complex and challenging choreography.

Friday's headline is country musician Joe Nichols, a mainstay of country music for more than two decades, bridging the gap between the genre's old-school roots and contemporary era.

His first hit was 2002's "The Impossible," and he recently scored hist first top-20 single in nearly 10 years with "Good Day For Living."

Nichols' multi-platinum success includes three Grammy nominations, a CMA award, and an ACM trophy.

Wrapping up the concert series on Sunday, Sept. 15 is Originales de San Juan with La Raza Obrera and Alerta Maxima.

Formed in Arandas, Jalisco, Mexico, the group has been making a name for itself in the regional Mexican music scene for more than 30 years.

Over the last three decades, the band has continued to evolve and innovate, blending traditional Norte?o music with modern influences to create a fresh and timeless sound.

The band's catchy, corrido songs and high-energy live performances have earned it a devoted following and helped to establish it as one of the most popular and influential bands in the genre.

All concerts are free to attend with fair admission. All shows start at 7 p.m., with the exception of Sunday's show, which begins at 5:45 pm.

Tickets are $12 for general admission, $8 for children ages 6-12. Children younger than 5 are admitted free. Festival tickets can be purchased online at www.grapefestival.com on July 1.

Parking is $10 cash only in all official festival parking lots.

Pre-sale discounted pricing is offered through Sept. 11. In addition, there are daily admission specials all four days of the fair.

Thursday is Family Value Day, where everyone 16 and younger are admitted free all day long. Friday is Free til' 5 Day, where everyone is admitted free from noon to 5 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday are Two for $2 til' 2 p.m. days. Bring two cans of food and get admission for only $2 from noon until 2 p.m.

For more information, www.grapefestival.com, www.facebook.com/grapefestival, or www.instagram.com/lodigrapefestival