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DURANT, Okla. (Sept. 11, 2024)- Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant is hosting its first ever Choctaw Music Fest October 10-13 at the three-time ACM award winning Grand Theater!

The four-day festival will include performances from Lainey Wilson, Megan Moroney and Foreigner, as well as a free ACM singer-songwriter acoustic event and a packed lineup of performances at Gilley’s.

Award-Winning Performances

A music festival is only as good as its performers, and the Choctaw Music Fest is kicking off with a star-studded lineup. Megan Moroney, who was named ACM New Female Artist of the Year in 2023, will open the festival on Thursday, followed on Friday night by one of country’s biggest artists, Lainey Wilson. Wilson is fresh off a GRAMMY win for best country album for “Bell Bottom Country.”

On Saturday, Foreigner is bringing its farewell tour to the Grand Theater. The rock band that brought the world hits like “Waiting for a Girl Like You” and “I Want to Know What Love Is” is finishing out its storied career with one final goodbye.

Special ACM Singer-Songwriter Event

Music lovers are in for a treat. Gilley’s will be hosting an ACM singer-songwriter event on Saturday, Oct. 12 from noon-2 p.m. with Trannie Anderson and Dallas Wilson, both of whom have written hit songs for Lainey Wilson and other country stars.

Anderson co-wrote “Heart Like a Truck” and “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” for Wilson, as well as Cole Swindell’s “3 Feet Tall” and Restless Road’s “Last Rodeo.” Wilson was also a co-writer on “Heart Like a Truck,” and helped write Dylan Scott’s “Nobody” and “Can’t Have Mine.”

Anderson and Wilson will perform songs they’ve written, discuss the writing process, share the inspiration behind hit songs and talk about what it’s like to write for the stars. This event is a small piece of Gilley’s Free Entertainment lineup as part of the Choctaw Music Fest!

Free Entertainment at Gilley’s

When you can’t get enough live music, stop by Gilley’s for free concerts each evening with up-and-coming music artists and regional favorites.

Thursday, October 10 – Kicking off the Choctaw Music Fest is local favorite The Close, starting at 10 p.m. following Megan Moroney’s performance in the Grand Theater.

The Close is comprised of introspective lyricists who pen genre-blending melodies wrapped in stellar harmonies. Lori Rowton, Shannon Walker and James McKinney share songwriting and lead vocals.

Friday, October 11 – Following Lainey Wilson’s performance on the big stage, Bailey Rae, a local artist who rose to fame on season 19 of NBC’s The Voice, will take the Gilley’s stage at 10:30 p.m. Rae has released six singles since finishing in the top nine of The Voice in 2020, including 2023’s “Broken Heart to Broken Heart.”

Saturday, October 12 – After Saturday’s singer-songwriter event, AC/TC and Rock Radio will both make appearances starting at 5:30 p.m.

AC/TC, a tribute band that regularly performs in the Texoma area, will take the stage at 5:30 p.m.to warm up the audience before Foreigner rocks the Grand Theater at 8 p.m.! After the show, tribute band Rock Radio will perform songs from the 60s-90s, at 9:30 p.m. on the Gilley’s Stage.

Sunday, October 13- On Sunday, there will be hourly performances from noon-7 p.m. with a roundup of exciting artists.

• 12-12:45 p.m.: Paul Renna, an artist from Dallas, will kick things off with his mix of blues, Americana and outlaw country.
• 12:45 p.m.-1:30 p.m.: Tim Lightyear is a Texas trio making music with strong melodies and detailed lyricism.
• 1:30-2:30 p.m.: Sawyer Guymon is an Oklahoma native making music reminiscent of country classics.
• 2:30-3:30 p.m.: Todd Mankin and Chris Stewart are members of the Todd Mankin Band, a red dirt country band that’s been on the scene since the late 2000s.
• 3:30-4:30 p.m.: Ryan Glenn is a North Texas native offering a blend of Texas blues, rockabilly and country.
• 4:30-5:30 p.m.: Tom McElvain’s music is a mix of rock, blues and country delivered acoustically to create intimate performances.
• 5:30-7 p.m.: The Kerosene Drifters are a rock ensemble featuring husband-and-wife duo Korey and Dana who have performed alongside Reckless Kelly and Micky & the Motorcars.

Must-Have Merch

Don’t miss a chance to commemorate the first ever Choctaw Music Fest with must-have merchandise. There will be Choctaw Music Fest t-shirts and posters available for purchase at Gilley’s and Bordeaux for $10 each.

About Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, Okla.

Located an hour north of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant is a AAA Four Diamond casino resort, entertainment and convention destination in southeastern Oklahoma. The casino has more than 7,400 slot machines, table games, a poker room, and a large non-smoking casino.  The resort offers more than 100,000 square feet of meeting and convention space and seats more than 3,000 at the Academy of Country Music (ACM) award-winning Grand Theater. The resort also includes more than 1,600 luxurious rooms and suites, 20 restaurants, 21 bars and lounges, six retail stores, two fitness centers, a spa, and two outdoor pools and a water park. The family-friendly District offers guests 20 bowling lanes, a 6-screen premier movie theater, 70 arcade games and dining options. Additionally, guests can enjoy the Choctaw RV Park located across from the casino. For more information, visit choctawcasinos.com.

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