The Corn Palace Festival Committee is pleased to confirm the addition of several more performances for the 2008 Corn Palace Festival.

Rick Springfield will be performing at the World's Only Corn Palace on Friday, August 22, 2008. Rick has sold over 19 million records while charting a whopping 18 Top Forty hits to date. He plans to release an album later this year. Having performed for millions of fans over the last three decades and showing no signs of slowing down, Rick continues to play 100 shows a year, sharing his love of performing, unstoppable energy and his unique brand of crowd interaction with thousands of fans each night. Rick literally wades deep into the crowd at each show.

Country Star Lorrie Morgan will be taking the stage at the World's Only Corn Palace on Sunday, August 24. Lorrie Morgan's authenticity as a country artist is irrefutable. She was literally a child at the Grand Ole Opry, tagging along as her father, the late George Morgan, performed every weekend from the hallowed wooden stage. Lorrie has charted a dozen Top Ten hits since then, including "Five Minutes," "What Part of No," and "I Don't Know My Own Strength," which all landed at Number One. Recognized as a creative face in music videos, Lorrie charted eight No. 1 videos at CMT. Morgan has earned nine industry awards, including four wins as Female Vocalist of the Year (1994, 1995, 1997, 1998).

Corbin Bleu will be performing on Saturday, August 23. He was born in Brooklyn, New York City, and began appearing in television commercials at age 2. In 2006, he had a role as "Chad" in the very successful High School Musical, the Emmy award-winning Disney Channel Original Movie. Bleu also guest starred in the premiere episode of Disney's Hannah Montana. Bleu's next film, Jump In! co-starring actress and R&B vocalist Keke Palmer as well as Blue's father, David Reivers, premiered on January 12, 2007, and has since become one of the highest rated Disney Channel Original Movies of all time. His debut album, Another Side, was released May 1, 2007.

Ashton Shepherd has been slated to open for Jason Aldean on Thursday, August 21. Ashton is a country music singer-songwriter. She was signed to Universal Music Group Nashville's MCA Nashville division in April of 2007. Ashton's debut album, Sounds So Good, is in stores now and her single "Takin' Off This Pain" is Top 25 on both charts.

Tickets for Rick Springfield, Lorrie Morgan and Corbin Bleu will go on sale Saturday, April 26 at 7:00 a.m. at the Corn Palace box office. The Corn Palace box office will only be open on Saturday, April 26 and Saturday, May 3 for ticket sales until regular summer hours are set. Tickets will be available all the time through the Corn Palace Festival Online Store starting April 26.

The Corn Palace Festival invites entertainers from across the region to perform at the 2008 Corn Palace Festival, August 20 - 24. The Corn Palace Festival has featured some of the region's best up-and-coming individuals and groups on the Freedom Stage. The Corn Palace Festival Committee feels some of the very best talent is often found in your own backyard, so we want to showcase as many talented acts as we can at the 2008 Corn Palace Festival. Bands and individuals alike are encouraged to send in their materials.

For more information, contact Nicole Fuhrer at Paulson's Music Center, PO Box 1311, 203 East 2nd Avenue, Mitchell, SD 57301; phone (605) 996-1851 or 1-877-867-1851; fax (605) 996-0145; e-mail paulsonmusic@mitchelltelecom.net.

Academy of Country Music Award Winner for Top New Male Vocalist Jason Aldean has confirmed to play the 2008 Corn Palace Festival.  Aldean will perform at the Corn Palace on Thursday, August 21, 2008.  All seats will be reserved. Tickets will be $35 each for this incredible performer will go on sale Saturday, December 15, 2007 at 7:00 a.m. at the Corn Palace box office and online.

At a time when new artists in country music have struggled to be heard, Aldean broke through a crowded field, capturing the Academy of Country Music Award for Top New Male Vocalist and earning a gold album just 12 weeks after his debut's release. Aldean followed up "Hicktown" with "Why," a fist-to-the-heart ballad that rang the bell at No. 1 on radio and CMT.

Why has Aldean been able to connect with so many people so fast? His fans would probably say relatable songs, a powerful, dynamic voice, and total dedication to giving himself up for an audience.  As for Aldean's live performances, one gets the sense that Aldean gets pumped up to sing live the way college quarterbacks fire up for games. The Tennessean called his music "amped-up contemporary country, with Southern rock and honky-tonk influences." Aldean calls it "aggressive country." So it's no surprise that behind his radio success is a desire to commune with his crowd, to make a party happen wherever he and his band go.

The Corn Palace Festival Committee is also pleased to announce the return of Guy and Ralna of “The Lawrence Welk Show”.  Guy and Ralna will kickoff the annual Polka Festival with one performance on Thursday, September 18, 2008 at 6:00 p.m.  All seats will be reserved. Tickets will be $30 each and will go on sale Saturday, December 15, 2007 at 7:00 a.m. at the Corn Palace box office and online.

In 1969, Ralna became a national television star on The Lawrence Welk Show. In 1987, The Lawrence Welk Show went from syndication to public television where it currently is celebrating 50 years on national television and continues to be the #1 rated syndicated weekly series with more than 3 million weekly viewers.  In March 2003, Ralna starred in Lawrence Welk: God Bless America, which became the second most-successful Welk TV special on PBS. Guy Hovis married Ralna English in 1969.  The next year, he joined his wife on the Lawrence Welk Show as one half of "Guy & Ralna" which was one of the show's most popular acts. 

Take a look at the photos taken with the performers at the 2007 Corn Palace Festival on our new Meet-N-Greet Photo page.