Country musician Chris Janson, a Grand Ole Opry member with hits songs such as “Buy Me a Boat,” Good Vibes” and “Fix a Drink,” will headline this year’s Summer Salute.
Slated for Friday, Sept. 11, and Saturday, Sept. 12, in downtown Hopkinsville, the music and community festival features free, outdoor concerts, dozens of food trucks, community booths and carnival-style activities for children.
“This event continues to be one of our community’s premier traditions, and we look forward to welcoming residents and visitors for a weekend filled with live music, food, family activities, and community celebration,” Parks and Recreation Superintendent Toby Hudson said in a press release.
Janson is a multi-instrumentalist, writes his own songs and has written hits for several other musicians, including Tim McGraw and Hank Williams Jr.
Harper Grace, a rising country-pop musician, will open for Janson. Known for overcoming a flawed rendition of the national anthem at a soccer game when she was 11 years old, Grace has earned fans for songs such as “Oh Say Can You See,” “Yard Sale” and Sparkle.”
Summer Salute’s opening night of entertainment will feature the group Hollywood Swinging playing a tribute to funk and soul band Kool & and the Gang. They will perform hits such as “Ladies Night,” “Get Down on It” and “Jungle Boogie.”
The 77 Experience, covering a range of rock, pop, country and disco hits, will open for Hollywood Swinging.
Established in 2016 with a big focus on live, outdoor music shows, Summer Salute replaced Hopkinsville’s Little River Days festival as the city prepared to welcome a huge crowd of visitors for the 2017 solar eclipse. Summer Salute was originally held in mid-August, but a run of brutally hot festival days prompted organizers to shift to a September schedule in 2025.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
