Country stars Collin Raye, Josh Gracin, Joe Nichols will headline UVU celebration

OREM — Country stars Collin Raye, Josh Gracin and Joe Nichols will headline Utah Valley State College's university-status celebration at 7 p.m. June 30 at the Brent Brown Ballpark.

The school's two-day "UVU-phoria" event, June 30 and July 1, will include tours of the new library, a dance, concert, fireworks and other festivities as the college officially becomes a university.

The concert, which will be the culminating event of the evening of June 30, will also feature Johnny B as emcee and will open with the "UVU's Got Talent" finalists. At approximately 10 p.m., a fireworks show will close the concert.

Festivities kick off June 30 with an Orem Owlz day game at 11:30 a.m. at the Brent Brown Ballpark. From 1 to 6:30 p.m., the public will have its first opportunity to tour the new 190,000-square-foot library.

A UVU Family Fun Fest will start at 5 p.m. at Pace Park, just south of the McKay Events Center, with local vendors, food, entertainment, booths, face painting and balloon art.

A dance in the Grande Ballroom will feature a countdown to UVU when the clock strikes midnight.

Tickets for the concert, which is sponsored by K-Bull 93, will go on sale to the public Friday, March 2 and are $9.33 for adults, $5 for children. Package deals for both the concert and Owlz baseball game will be available for $15. A presale will begin March 21 for all Utah Valley University students, alumni and employees for $5 per ticket (Owlz game/concert package for $10). Tickets can be purchased at the McKay Events Center, 801-863-SHOW (7469) or 1-888-844-7469, www.mckayeventscenter.com and at all Smith-Tix outlets. Officials estimate the capacity of Brent Brown Ballpark to be 15,000, so seating will be limited.

Dubbed one of the "hitmakers" of the early 1990s, five of Collin Raye's albums have gone platinum. He's also had 25 Top Ten hits, 15 No. 1 smashes and 12 chart-topping videos. Josh Gracin first caught the nation's attention during American Idol's second season. Gracin is one of only two new country artists in recent times to release a debut album with three Top-five country hits (including the No. 1 hit "Nothin' to Lose"). Joe Nichols, a 30-year-old native of Rogers, Ark., is well-known for his 2005 hit, "I'll Wait for You." His new album, "Real Things," features the hit single, "It Ain't No Crime."