The Benton County Fair has announced its 2008 music lineup, which will feature veteran country rockers Sawyer Brown, contemporary pop country artist Eric Church and classic rock act Three Dog Night.

This year's theme will be "Blue Jeans and Country Things."

The fair will also feature traditional favorites such as the tractor pull, the NPRA rodeo, a performance by Johnny Limbo and the Lugnuts, and the Extreme Motocross Thrill Show.

Local act Joe Shinkle & 99 West will open for Sawyer Brown on Wednesday, July 30, the fair's opening night. The Kenzie Hruby Band will open for Church on Thursday, and Three Dog Night will headline Friday, Aug. 1.

Three Dog Night came on the scene in 1969 and enjoyed a string of hit singles, including "Joy to the World," "Mama Told Me Not to Come" and "Eli's Coming," in addition to several successful albums. The lineup playing the fair includes Cory Hutton and Danny Wells, two of the three original vocalists, as well as original keyboardist Jimmy Greenspoon.

Sawyer Brown was originally formed in 1981 and gained prominence after winning $100,000 on "Star Search." Its first hit single, "Step that Step," was off the band's self-titled 1985 album. Since then, they've recorded more than 20 albums, three of which were certified gold.

Eric Church came to prominence in 2005, when Terri Clark charted with the song "The World Needs a Drink," which Church co-wrote. Since then, he's made the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart with the tracks "How 'Bout You," "Two Pink Lines" and "Guys Like Me."

Tickets for the fair go on sale Monday, June 2. For more information, go to www.benton

countyfair.com.

The Linn County Fair also recently announced its lineup, which will include classic rock act The Guess Who and country artists Craig Morgan and Terri Clark.

The Linn County Fair runs July 17-20.