In 2007 Swift was just an up-and-coming country singer when she played at the annual Lehigh Spring Festival in Lehigh Acres. And tickets for that March 17 show were absolutely free.
A lot’s changed since 2007, of course. The Lehigh Spring Festival is no more. And Swift went on to win 11 Grammy Awards, pack arenas worldwide, and sell more than 200 million albums.
But 15 years ago, Swift was just at the start of her climb to mega-stardom. And the tiny Lehigh Spring Festival managed to snag her for a concert on that cold Saturday night in March 2007.
How Taylor Swift played Lehigh Acres
Back in 2006, the Lehigh Spring Fest was looking for live bands for its 2007 festival — especially country singers for its planned “Gone Country” theme.
Luckily, Swift was still available for festival bookings through her talent agency.
Months later, the 17-year-old Swift and her band rolled up for sound check at Veterans Park in two huge tour buses. “I was like, ‘Oh dear, where are we going to park those things!’” Andy Reisinger recalls. “It took a little finagling on the driver’s part, but we made it happen.”
Reisinger met Swift for the first time on her tour bus and later at a meet-and-greet with fans. She even posed for a photo with him.
“She was absolutely warmhearted, caring, very personable,” he says. “You can tell she was really sincere.”
Finally, 8 p.m. arrived and it was time for Swift hit the stage. An estimated 3,500 to 4,000 people packed the audience for the outdoor show.
Swift performed for about 90 minutes and sang every song from her debut album, Jackson says, including “Tim McGraw,” “Teardrops on My Guitar,” “Should’ve Said No” and “Our Song.” She even hopped off the stage and danced with a kid in the audience.
They’ll always have Lehigh Acres
Now, 15 years later, many of the people who saw that show cherish the memory. Especially considering how huge of a star Swift became afterward.
“How much do you think it would cost to book her now?” Debbie Jackson says. “I paid $8,500 (laughs). And that was a stretch for the Lehigh Spring Festival, you know?