Scotty McCreery returning to State Fair

Garner native and "American Idol" winner Scotty McCreery will make his second straight State Fair appearance, with concerts on Oct. 21-22.

Alternative rock band Sister Hazel will kick off the State Fair on Oct. 17. The band is known for hits such as “All for You” and “Change Your Mind.”

Dove Award winners Francesca Battistelli and Building 429 will perform on Oct. 18. Battistelli is a former Grammy Award nominee and is known for singles “This is the Stuff” and “Free to Be Me.” Building 429, which includes Fayetteville natives, will perform songs including “We Won’t Be Shaken” and “Where I Belong.”

Country music artist Joe Nichols will take the stage Oct. 19. The Grammy-nominated musician is known for his hits “Gimme That Girl” and “Brokenheartsville.”

The concert for Oct. 20 hasn't been announced.

Bluegrass Band of the Year for 2013, Dailey and Vincent, will perform on Oct. 23.

Who's Bad, which bills itself as "the Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Band," will perform on Oct. 24. The group was founded in 2005 and received the opportunity to play in 2010 at the London O2 arena, which was the venue for what would have been Jackson’s final concert series.

Christian rock group MercyMe will perform Oct. 25. The band has won several Dove and American Music Awards and is best known for the songs “I Can Only Imagine,” “Spoken For” and “All of Creation."

Country music artist Randy Houser will perform Oct. 26. He has co-written several songs for other artists, including Trace Adkin’s “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk,” and is well known for his own hit singles “Anything Goes” and “How Country Feels.”

The Eli Young Band will close out the State Fair concert series on Oct. 27. The band won the 2012 Academy of Country Music award for Song of the Year for its hit “Crazy Girl.”

All concerts begin at 7:30 p.m., and doors to Dorton Arena open at 6:30 p.m.