Pressley Laton

Pressley Laton plays the NC State Fair (Waterfall Stage) on Friday, October 16, with two sets: 11 AM to noon and 12:30 to 1:30 PM. It's a midday slot, so it's more of a lunch-break thing than a night out.

Laton is an independent alternative-country and roots-rock artist based in Boone, and her music is rooted in Appalachian culture, small-town stories, and a lifelong love of outlaw country and rock and roll. She pairs soulful vocals with gritty music and unfiltered storytelling—Terry Hudson of rBeatz Radio once described the sound as "Lynyrd Skynyrd meets Jo Dee Messina."

She grew up singing in church with her mother in Stanly County, NC, and wrote her first song at age 10. After graduating from Appalachian State University, she stayed in Boone, initially pursuing a career in higher education before turning to music. She released an EP in 2024 and is due to release her next full-length album, Wandering Kind, in the fall of 2026, produced by Jason Scavone of Sioux Sioux Studio in Charlotte. She's played across the Southeast at MerleFest, the Boonerang Music & Arts Festival, Antlers & Acorns: The Boone Songwriters Festival, The Evening Muse, Bird's Nest Listening Room, and The Appalachian Theatre of the High Country.

Admission is free during this timeframe via the NC State Fair Weekday Lunch Pass Program, which runs on weekdays from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM. With the two sets running from 11 AM to 1:30 PM, you can catch the first one and the second, or just drop in for the overlap.