BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — Martin County’s biggest weekend just scored a headliner with real Southern bite. Baton Rouge native and Nashville hitmaker CJ Solar is set to close out the 2025 Harvest Fest. He will bring his blend of swampy blues, Southern rock grit and chart-topping country polish to the stage Saturday, Sept. 13.
Solar, a two-time ASCAP award winner, has already left fingerprints all over modern country radio. He co-wrote Morgan Wallen’s breakout No. 1 “Up Down” with Florida Georgia Line, Jameson Rodgers’ smash “Some Girls,” and has cuts with Jason Aldean, Justin Moore and Jerrod Niemann.
As a solo artist, he has racked up over 10 million Spotify streams and as a songwriter, more than 600 million.
Solar’s raspy, road-worn vocals and high-voltage stage presence have taken him from beer-soaked honky-tonks to tour slots alongside Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hank Williams Jr., Chris Janson and Gary Allan. His latest singles, “Sky Falls Down” and “10,000 Lighters,” show both ends of his range, from anthemic stompers to gut-punch ballads.
That balance of grit and showmanship is what caught the attention of Melissa Phelps, Harvest Fest organizer.
“With CJ Solar in the spotlight, this year’s festival is bringing arena-size firepower to Inez,” Phelps said.
Solar takes the Court Street stage at 9 p.m.
At 8 p.m. Sept. 13, rising country artist Devin Moore will take the stage.
Born in Campbell County and raised in Louisa, Devin brings a sound that’s pure Appalachian soul.
Along with these two headliners, the Harvest Fest has a full lineup on both Friday and Saturday.
On Friday, performances start at 5 p.m. with Jack & The Postmen, Rock N Roll Princess Geneva Turner at 6, Thomas Jude Band at 7:30, and Eddie Jenkins & The 606 Sound at 9:30.
Saturday has Jordon Vanhoose onstage at 4:30 followed by Ransom at 5:30, Hope Lafferty at 6:30, Savannah Jo Young at 7, Wesley Young at 7:30, Devin Moore at 8 and CJ Solar at 9.
Vendors and carnival rides open at 11 a.m. on both days. Ride all day for $15. Purchase your wristband at the General Store on Court Street. Check out the complete schedule in the newspaper. Follow us on Facebook for more updates.