Gordy and Meg Schroeder knew they had something when their Gordy’s Hwy 30 Music Fest drew tens of thousands of concertgoers.
They saw how the music festival, which has been around since 2009, took off at the Twin Falls County Fairgrounds in Filer, Idaho.
The Schroeders knew they had the potential to expand. They looked around for several years.
Ultimately, they chose Fort Worth, fitting because it lies along Interstate 30.
The festival will run Oct. 19-22 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. Organizers have announced a lineup that includes Dierks Bentley, Zach Bryan, Gary Clark Jr., Ray Wylie Hubbard, Cody Jinks. Ashley McBryde and more. Their music ranges from country, rock and Americana to red-dirt.
Organizers also expect to draw 30,000 to 60,000 concert-goers each day.
“As soon as we arrived in Fort Worth to scout for a second location, it immediately felt like home,” Schroeder said.
“Our attendees have been asking us for years to consider this expansion, and we know that Texas Motor Speedway will be able to provide that family-friendly, homegrown atmosphere that people come to us for while still attracting some of the biggest acts in the world.”
Steven French, TMS’ senior director of business development, said he met with Schroeder after hearing of the event from a friend of a friend.
“Out here at the speedway, we’re not just a race track,” French said. “Our ownership has expressly told us, we’re venues.”
French said he gave Schroeder a tour and the deal was soon made.
Tickets are still available.One-day passes for Friday are sold out.
The event recognizes breast cancer survivors with help from Tough Enough to Wear Pink, which promotes early cancer detection.
Hwy 30 also designates days that honor special groups, including military, veterans and first responders, as well as highlight cancer awareness and the Ronald McDonald House in Fort Worth, a children’s support organization.
Schroeder was so enthused by the concert series coming to Texas that he got a tattoo of the state next to his Idaho state tattoo on his arm.
“We’re so excited for Idaho to be coming to Texas,” Schroeder told NBC5.
