The rumor going ‘round is that the 2023 Boots and Brews country music festival attracted an audience of 8,000 with headliner Lee Brice captivating the audience at Central Park on Saturday.
At the price of a pun, the rumor is true and confirmed by Derek Gibbins, marketing specialist for CBF Productions, which is in charge of putting together the spectacle that is Boots and Brews.
The 8,000 tickets sold is 1,000 more than the tickets from last year’s festival with headliner Brad Paisely.
Boots and Brews has secured its spot as an annual country music festival that takes place in Morgan Hill, Ventura and Santa Clarita.
“Boots and Brews was born in Santa Clarita and we consider it the hometown country music festival in the SCV,” said Gibbins.
The festival goes beyond just its name in its offerings.
Throughout the entire day, attendees strolled around Central Park in their boots enjoying food, drinks and shopping from a variety of vendors.
Some of the most popular spots were the cornhole and the Honky Tonk dance floor.
All the amenities that the festival offer exemplified to some attendees the winner in the ever-growing “concerts vs. festivals” debate.
“Festivals, there’s more to offer,” said Hunter Petretti. “Food, the boutiques and all the fun stuff that there is to offer.”
However, there couldn’t be concerts or festivals without the music.
The 2023 lineup featured Daniel Bonte, Matt Stell, Tyler Farr and headliner Lee Brice.
Brice is a Grammy nominee, a CMA and ACM award winner with nine No. 1 singles.
“We bring big names and upcoming stars to an area that might not have had the opportunity otherwise,” said Gibbins.
Having headliners with many accolades such as Brice keeps the festival tickets a hot commodity, the organizers say.
“I’d say he’s probably the reason we came,” said Linda Petretti.
As the sun went down, cowboy hats went up as Tyler Farr cheered “Raise your hats!”
With just a few moments in between, Brice took the stage performing his famous songs such as “Rumor,” “Memory I Don’t Mess With,” “I Drive Your Truck,” and “One of Them Girls.”
The crowd was captivated — from those close enough to touch the stage, all the way to those who decided to enjoy the show with a chair in the back.
“You come here and everyone’s happy and having a good time, and it makes me very happy to see them in my hometown,” said Linda.
