Susie McEntire

WARSAW — Susie McEntire is returning to Warsaw this December for a free, country Christmas-themed concert.

McEntire, sister to the famed Reba McEntire, will be at Lakeview Middle School Saturday, Dec. 12. This will be McEntire’s third performance in Warsaw, including last year’s Christmas concert and the Kosciusko County Fair.

Like last year, organizers coupled the concert with a benefit for Warsaw’s Toys for Tots drive, with price of admission being a new, unwrapped toy to donate.

This year’s event, titled, “A Country Christmas With Susie McEntire,” will be very much the same, in that there will be no dollar amount charged for tickets. All are invited and those who wish can bring a toy to donate. However, this will not be required.

“Everyone is welcome,” organizer Mike Loher said.

Last year’s concert was deemed a success, with a large turnout and more than a dozen large Toys for Tots boxes filled to the brim. Because of this, organizers decided to do it again this year. Doors will most likely open at 6 p.m. that evening. Seating will be first come, first served, so Loher encourages people to arrive early.

While there are some similarities between McEntire and her sister, Reba, her music centers more around the inspirational. The concert will consist of traditional Christmas music and the children’s choir from Warsaw Christian School will join McEntire on stage. After the concert, McEntire will stick around to sign autographs and pose for photos with fans. CDs will also be for sale.

Just because admission is free, however, does not mean organizing it is free. Because of this, corporate and individual sponsorships are still needed to help cover expenses. There is no donation to big or small and any funds raised that exceed the cost of the concert will be donated to Toys for Tots.

For Loher, being able to bring an artist like McEntire to Warsaw was exciting. Being able to do it as a free event, however, was the proverbial icing on the cake.

“You hear about big-name artists in surrounding areas every now and then, and I thought we should do this,” he said. “I wanted it to be free, so I went out and got sponsors and that’s how it happened. A big thanks to Leesburg United Methodist Church for being the fiscal sponsor.”

Those interested in helping to sponsor the concert can contact Loher at (574) 376-0193.

McEntire has been performing since her teen years, alongside her siblings, including Reba. As an adult, she often joined Reba on stage and TV. She later branched out on her own to perform country gospel. For more information about McEntire, visit her website.