PHOTOS: 2011 CMA Music Festival- Day 1

PHOTOS: 2011 CMA Music Festival- Day 1

The 2011 CMA Music Festival officially kicked off Thursday (6/9). As always, the day was jam-packed with events and appearances by many of country music’s finest. Here are some photos to re-cap the day…

Gary Allan opened the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage, making his first appearance at CMA Fest since 2006

Jake Owen at the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage

Craig Morgan at the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage

Casey James performs on the Lay’s Stage at Bridgestone Arena

Fans had the opportunity to get up close and personal with their favorite stars inside the Fan Fair Hall…

Kellie Pickler poses with Merritt Titman of Clarksville, Tenn.

Lady Antebellum with Jean Butler of Madison, Ala.

Martina McBride meets Lanuya Salim of Orlando, Fla

Night one of LP Field performances was fantastic! Zac Brown Band kicked off the show with a set packed with hits and special guests including country superstars Randy Travis and Alan Jackson. Easton Corbin and Sara Evans also delivered stellar performances. The highlight of the night for us was Jason Aldean’s ROCKIN’ set! He’s a true entertainer and in our opinion, he’s ready to headline stadiums. Brad Paisley closed out the night and as always, his live show was a treat. Fans were delighted to see the CMA Entertainer of the Year as well as his special guest, Alabama.

[rmore type=”more”]Click the ‘MORE’ button below to see pictures of Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Sara Evans and others from their performances last night at LP Field. [/rmore]

Zac Brown Band

Zac Brown Band with Randy Travis

Zac Brown Band with Alan Jackson

Easton Corbin

Sara Evans

Jason Aldean

Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson

Brad Paisley

Brad Paisley with Alabama

***All images courtesy of, and used with permission from, the Country Music Association