HAMILTON, Ohio − Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones first got the idea during his monthly helicopter ride across the county.
After West Chester officials announced July 30 the township would not bring the Voices of America Country Music Festival back after 2026, citing missed payments and contract breaches from festival organizers.
Jones heard rumblings that the festival, which for the past four years has featured stars like Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, was looking to relocate.
A country music fan, Jones was adamant that the festival should not leave Butler County.
So, the weekend of this year's festival, he asked his pilot to fly him over West Chester's Voice of America MetroPark, which hosted the event from Aug. 6-9. His flyover was early
in the day, so there weren't any people at the festival yet, Jones said. But as he looked at the park he realized there was another location that could fit the event: the Butler County Fairgrounds.
"(Voice of America MetroPark) really wasn't that much bigger," Jones said.
Then, Jones kickstarted the sprint to move the festival to the fairgrounds, which moved so fast that a top Fairfield Township official told The Enquirer she found out about the move just 20 minutes before it was announced to the public.
Getting contract was 'like a blind date'
After his helicopter ride, Jones took swift action, connecting with Doug Turner, president of the fairgrounds' Butler County Agricultural Society, to present the idea. Jones has attended the music festival for at least one day every year.
When he attended this year's event to see Blake Shelton perform, he brought up the idea to Tyler Wogenstahl, president of Further Festivals LLC, the group that has organized the festival for the past four years.
Eight or nine days later, Jones said, the Butler County Fairgrounds and Further Festivals had signed a deal.
"I hooked those two up, almost like a blind date," Jones told The Enquirer.
Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser told The Enquirer that at first, some county officials thought the fairgrounds could be too small to host the festival. But Jones' helicopter ride over the fairgrounds convinced him there was space.
"He was really able to change a lot of minds," Gmoser said.
Gmoser said his office, which represents the fairgrounds, reviewed the contract. He said the contract will keep the event at the fairgrounds for five years, with an option to renew for another five years after that.
The Enquirer has requested the contract between the Butler County Fairgrounds and Further Festivals LLC. under public records law but has not received it.
Sheriff and prosecutor weigh in on risk of missed payment
Jones, alongside county officials, announced the move to the Butler County Fairgrounds on Aug. 28, after weeks of controversy surrounding the festival.
West Chester township shared in a statement Aug. 21 that Further Festivals LLC failed to pay its bills on time, missed public safety planning deadlines and breached its contract agreement with the township. Records obtained by The Enquirer show that Further Festivals, West Chester and county officials clashed for months over the dispute, leading the township to threaten to cancel the event this year.
West Chester officials threatened to take legal action against Further Festivals due to almost $20,000 in missed payments. Kevin Gerrity, Butler County's chief assistant prosecutor, also threatened legal action in September 2025 after Further Festivals was late to pay MetroParks of Butler County over $56,000 over two years.
During the Aug. 28 press conference, Jones downplayed concerns over missed payments, saying that hosting a large event like the festival is "organized chaos."
Jones said he isn't worried that Wogenstahl and Further Festivals will miss payments or breach their contracts this time, saying that his office and the prosecutor "have a very watchful eye on him."
Gmoser agreed, saying that "there is going to be oversight in this situation that has never existed before," with the prosecutor's office and sheriff's office keeping a close eye on the organizer's finances.
"The biggest safety is you've got a prosecuting attorney and sheriff saying 'this is a good thing for Butler County,'" Gmoser said.
Organizer has history of lawsuits
Wogenstahl has been named in at least three civil lawsuits.
Jones thinks Wogenstahl is "just an infant in lawsuits."
Lori's Roadhouse, a live music venue in West Chester, sued Wogenstahl and his company in the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas in August 2025. Many court documents for the lawsuit have been sealed, but the Cincinnati Business Courier reported at the time of the filing that Lori's Roadhouse accused Wogenstahl of not depositing money from corporate sponsorships and cash bars. The lawsuit also claimed Wogenstahl put Further Festivals employees on Lori's Roadhouse's health insurance plan. Wogenstahl and Lori's Roadhouse agreed to voluntarily dismiss the case July 21.
Wright-Patt Credit Union sued Wogenstahl and his company in June to recover $262,074.10 on an unpaid loan from 2024. The case is pending as of Sept. 3.
Wogenstahl did not respond to an interview request for this story. But during the Aug. 28 press conference, Wogenstahl said he and his company are "applying what we learn and strengthening our planning, communication, accountability and public safety efforts."
Township officials get last-minute notice
The 54-acre Butler County Fairgrounds straddles both the city of Hamilton and Fairfield Township.
Jones said that leading up to the press conference Aug. 28, he reached out to Hamilton City Manager Craig Bucheit and Fairfield Township trustee Shannon Hartkemeyer.
Hartkemeyer said Jones told her the morning before the press conference that the festival would relocate, which she viewed as "a great opportunity for the region." She said the township hasn't signed an agreement to provide services yet.
"We're going to be working diligently with the promoters and community partners to ensure this goes as smoothly as possible," she said.
Fairfield Township Administrator Kimberly Lapensee said she and other township officials found out about the move to the fairgrounds about 20 minutes before county officials announced it to the public.
Lapensee said that because part of the fairgrounds lies in the township, it would be responsible for providing fire, emergency services and police for that part of grounds.
"We would want to get paid for all the services we provide," she said, noting she's heard about issues with payments to West Chester Township.
She's also concerned about parking, since many festivalgoers may end up parking offsite in the township.
In a statement, Bucheit, Hamilton's city manager, said the city has not entered any agreements with Further Festivals for the event. He said Hamilton has a "longstanding relationship" with the Butler County Agricultural Society and that the city's involvement will mainly be providing traffic control.
"We also know a lot of those visitors are going to be first-time visitors, or visiting for the first time in a long time, so it’s an opportunity for us to showcase to a lot of new faces all the great things happening in Hamilton," Bucheit said.
The 2027 festival will run from Aug. 5-7, according to the festival's Facebook post.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Helicopter ride and 'a blind date' sealed VOA music festival's move
