Country star Deana Carter, alternative band Better Than Ezra among acts performing at PrairieFest in Oswego

Country music star Deana Carter and popular alternative rock band Better Than Ezra are two of the acts that will headline Oswego’s PrairieFest.

PrairieFest will take place from June 13-16 through Father’s Day weekend at PrairieFest Park, 91 Plank Drive. Put on by the Oswegoland Park District, PrairieFest is Kendall County’s largest festival, attracting upwards of 75,000 people every year.

Admission to PrairieFest is free. Oswegoland Park District has been organizing PrairieFest since 1989.

In choosing Carter to headline this year’s festival, Oswegoland Park District Superintendent of Recreation Kristie Vest noted that 12,000 people came to see country music singer and songwriter Sara Evans at last year’s festival.

“So, we know that we wanted to bring a country artist one of the evenings,” said Vest, who also is festival director for PrairieFest, after announcing the lineup.

Carter will perform at 9 p.m. June 14. Her 1996 debut album, “Did I Shave My Legs for This?,” sold more than five million copies.

Yorkville musician Ethan Bell and The Cowboy Co. Country Music Show will open for Carter. But country will not be the only musical genre represented at the festival.

“We also like to make sure that we’ve got some rock ’n’ roll,” Vest said. “Better Than Ezra has an alternative sound that was really popular in the ’90s. So, we wanted to bring them out.”

Billboard named Better Than Ezra one of the 100 greatest alternative artists of all time. Better Than Ezra will be the headlining band at 9 p.m. June 15. Other bands playing that day include Oswego-based Jeff and Kurt’s Acoustic Refreshment and the Chicago area pop-punk cover band There Goes The Neighborhood.

Returning to PrairieFest this year is acclaimed Beatles tribute band American English, which will help close out the festival June 16.

“American English is such a great tribute band,” Vest said. “They are really popular with fans of The Beatles, which are boomers. But frankly, The Beatles transcend age. So, that’s what we are going for, a full spectrum of entertainment for the crowd that comes to PrairieFest. And we want to make sure that even though it’s a free concert, that everyone feels like they’re listening to someone that they’ve always wanted to see live.”

The festival will kick off June 13 with a concert by the PrairieWinds Community Band, which includes current and former music students at Oswego schools. Following that concert, The Ron Burgundys will bring yacht rock to the stage.

“They do a lot of crowd interaction, and they are a really fun band,” Vest said.

And she would love to see those in the audience dress up like Ron Burgundy from the movie “Anchorman.”

“I would love to see leisure suits at PrairieFest,” Vest said. “I think that sounds like a great time.”

More information is available by going to prairiefest.com.