Laura Oakes' One Cool Thing: Midwest Country Music Awards

Break out your cowboy boots! We're goin' country this week.
Q: Looks like we're gonna need to rustle up our cowboy boots for this week's One Cool Thing?
A: For sure! And throw in some big hair and sequins while you're at it--we're headed to the Midwest Country Music Association Awards. It's a star-studded, music-filled event at the Medina Entertainment Center on Sunday evening to honor the best of our homegrown country music artists.
Q: How's the local country music scene doing these days?
A: It is thriving right now. There is so much talent in this region it's ridiculous. And it goes well beyond a country band you may see at your local small town bar. As you'll hear in my full interview below with the Midwest CMA's Allie Gilbert, these artists are producing their own records here at home, and in many cases, in Nashville with some of the top producers in the country. Members do a lot of networking with each other, write songs together, clue each other in on gig, performance, and fill-in opportunities, and truly support one another like family. It's a tough business to break into and get some traction for sure.
Q: Is the awards show open to the public?