Musical grandstand acts for the 2026 Allamakee County Fair include Multi-Platinum country star Tracy Byrd, Iowa-based High Bank Boys

The Allamakee County Fair Board has announced this year’s grandstand musical entertainment for the 2026 Allamakee County Fair scheduled for July 15-19. Multi-Platinum country music recording artist Tracy Byrd will headline this year’s musical event scheduled for Friday, July 17, with Iowa-based Tyler Richton and the High Bank Boys performing as the opening act to kick off that night of entertainment.

Tracy Byrd became a household name on the country music scene in 1993 when his third single, called “Holdin’ Heaven”, off of his self-titled debut album, hit #1 on the Billboard Country Charts. That debut album went on to be certified Gold, an award signifying sales in excess of 500,000 copies.

Fueled by such chart-topping hits as “Watermelon Crawl” and “The Keeper of the Stars”, Byrd’s second album soared to Double Platinum status, which certifies sales of over two million copies. “The Keeper of the Stars” won the Academy of Country Music’s “Song of the Year” award in 1995.

The remainder of the first decade of his legendary career saw Byrd release four more albums that hit Gold status in their sales. Those works were fueled by such party-favorite songs as “I’m From the Country,” “The Drinkin’ Bone” and “10 Rounds with Jose Cuervo”. After more than 15 years as one of the most successful male country performers of the late 1990s and early 2000s, Byrd took a break from music to concentrate on his family, finally returning to performing in 2014 and noting that “These days my life has great balance, with my music being a part of it, not all of it. I can honestly say I have never enjoyed it more!”

Tyler Richton and The High Bank Boys are a country band based in central Iowa. Formed in 2015, the group got its start in small-town bars and parties, honing their skills to make more than 50 years of experience combined. Now playing across the Midwest everywhere from rockin’ honky-tonks to opening shows for the likes of Tracy Byrd, John Michael Montgomery, Craig Morgan and more, Tyler Richton and The High Bank Boys bring a neo-traditional sound with high energy and real music. Drawing influence from artists like Merle Haggard, Charlie Daniels and Hank Williams Jr., audiences of all kinds find a show they can enjoy and music they can feel.

The band opened for the Gatlin Brothers at the 2025 Clayton County Fair in late July this past summer. The group also performed in early June of this past year at the Decorah Fire Department Appreciation Dance.

Online ticket sales for only the Friday, July 17 musical performance will be through Etix, linked on the Allamakee County Fair website at www.allamakeecountyfair.org. Concert tickets will also be included in the grandstand ticket books that will be available for purchase again this year, and which will include all five grandstand events of this year’s Allamakee County Fair. Those grandstand ticket books will be available beginning July 1.

Additional information about this year’s headlining act, Tracy Bird, can be found at https://www.tracybyrdmusic.com/ and more information about opening act Tyler Richton and the High Bank Boys can be found at https://tylerrichtonhbb.com/. Further details about this year’s Allamakee County Fair will also be printed in future editions of The Standard and can also be found online at https://www.allamakeecountyfair.org/.

To read the full article, pick up the Wednesday, December 17, 2025 print edition of The Standard or subscribe to our e-edition or print edition by clicking here.