TRUCKEE, Calif. — The third annual Latitude 39 Music Fest returns to the Truckee Rodeo Grounds on Saturday, June 14 at 5 p.m., with its biggest headliner yet: the chart-topping country band Lonestar.

Known for hits like “Amazed” and “I’m Already There,” Lonestar brings decades of success and a new “Iconic” tour to Truckee. The lineup also features The Voice finalist Kristen Brown, Nashville songwriter CJ Solar, and returning artist Mark Mackay.

“It’s so nice when people ask who your headliner is and you say Lonestar — and they go, ‘Oh my God, that’s great,'” Moretti said.

Other performers on this year’s bill include Kristen Brown, a Top 20 finalist on The Voice Season 24, Nashville-based artist CJ Solar, and local favorite Mark Mackay — who’s played the fest since its inception. 

This year’s concert is organized by Latitude 39 Inc., a new nonprofit founded by husband and wife team, Kelly Moretti and Lou LaManna, to support youth, music, military families, and animal welfare. Both longtime Truckee residents, they took over the event after the Truckee Host Lions Club had to step back.

The idea for the first show came during a vacation brainstorming session fueled by margaritas. “My wife looks Mark Mackay up on his website and sends him an email,” Moretti said. “He literally called us in a half hour and said, ‘I’ve been dying to do something like this in Truckee for 10 years.'”

While the first event with Joe Nichols was a success, last year fell short. “We swung and we missed,” Moretti said. “We did it on July 6, thinking there’d be 100,000 people up here. But the tourists didn’t know about it, the locals were all hiding for the Fourth, and it was like 97 degrees that day.”

This year, the team is leaning on local help instead of a professional agency. “There’s some friends where we’re like, we can’t thank you enough,” he said. “They know they have us for that phone call in the middle of the night — like, ‘I got a body to hide and you’re coming with me,’ you know?”

The concert benefits Truckee Wrestling, Truckee High’s TEMPO music program, and the Civil Air Patrol. Student volunteers earn community service hours, and general admission is $10 less than last year.

“Last year the Truckee Rodeo celebrated their 50th anniversary,” Moretti said. “That location has a ton of tradition — not just with the rodeo, but with the town. The first year felt like a reunion.”

Though designed with locals in mind, interest in the event is spreading. “We’ve had sales from the Bay Area, the Central Valley, Reno, Yerington, Gardnerville — even someone from Corning bought a box seat,” Moretti said. “That’s the beauty of social media.”

As for what he hopes attendees take away from the night: “Just stoked that they saw a great concert in a great setting, and that it helped the local community.”

Kids 12 and under are free. Tickets and VIP box seats available at latitude39truckee.org