Audience members dance while Sammy Kershaw, left, sings one of his last songs on stage Saturday night at the Grant County Fair.

Country legend Sammy Kershaw played to a packed arena Saturday night at the Grant County Fair. He took the stage early and played a set full of tributes, covers and crowd favorites.

Kershaw’s amicable stage presence, as well as the beer garden, kept concert-goers entertained and dancing. For the last portion of the show, Kershaw invited everyone from the grandstands down into the VIP area to dance and sing along.

The show sold over 1,200 tickets, according to fair assistant Mindy Winegar.

“I believe the whole fair and the concert was a great success this year,” Winegar said.

In tribute to Fair Manager Mary Weaver, who has been diagnosed with stage four cancer, Kershaw played a Merle Haggard song. Kershaw said he had lost a brother and father to cancer, making it something deeply personal to him.

Kershaw was chosen by the fair because his tour dates lined up with the fair and was in a price range the fair could afford.

Brianna Renea of Canby opened for Kershaw, playing a series of covers as well as music off her own EP, “Red Lips, White Lies.” Renea mingled with the crowd after her set, taking selfies and chatting with attendees.

“The tour’s been amazing and a whirlwind of a blast,” Renea said. “Getting to open for a national act is always amazing.”

Renea is no stranger to the area, as a child she has been to OMSI’s Hancock Field Station in Fossil. She also played at the county fair in Baker City and is planning to return for a concert series.