KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -The Shawnee Sports Complex, which already brings in millions of dollars to the local economy, is now being used as a music venue for Woody Fest.
Kanawha County Commission President Ben Salango spoke about the significance of that.
“When we started doing sporting events back in 2018, we knew that we could do other things,” Salango said.
DJ Woody Woods said, “We want people to come and hang out and say, ‘man, West Virginia is dope.’”
One of the fields will feature a stage with up to 5,500 fans enjoying performances from Waka Flocka Flame, The Ying Yang Twins and DaBaby.
“It’s almost like a stepping of generations,” Woods said. “You know, like Ying Yang Twins is kind of for the 40-55-year-olds, Waka Flocka is for the 35 to 40-year-olds and DaBaby, he’s just one of the biggest artists right now that’s out. We’re lucky to have him.”
Three years in the making, the festival is named after local DJ Woody Woods. Now, it’s a reality thanks to his connections in the industry.
The Ying Yang Twins have performed in the Charleston area before, and Woods said he has a long history with the duo.
“They’re brothers of mine, I can text them, I can call them, they are a great partner, great musicians and they’re fun,” Woods said.
Salango said safety is the top priority with the sheriff’s department working the event along with private security.
“We’ve got to make sure there’s plenty of restrooms,” Salango said. “You know, we’ve got people that are scanning the crowd looking for anybody that might be dehydrated or have fainted, anything like that, typical to what you’d see on large concert events.”
“We’ve got water stations,” Woods said. “We’ve got a lot of stuff. Hopefully, it’s not 100 degrees but we’re talking about Aug.1.”
Woods said gates open at three in the afternoon at the complex and suggests getting there before nine. Tickets go on sale in May,
Other artists performing include DJ Lauryn Trill, Neenee Incognita, Stephen Thomas, White Mic, Duck City, Pantry Band, Big TC, DJ Charlie Blac and Big Kess.
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