Michael Ray, Carly Pearce Head to Washington for Iconic Watershed Festival

Michael Ray and Carly Pearce are just two of the many artists who are heading to George, Washington for the iconic Watershed Festival. The event, held Aug. 2 to 4, features some of country music’s biggest stars, including Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, the Zac Brown Band, Kane Brown, Chris Young and more, all descending on the Pacific Northwest state for the three-day music event.

“Gorge Amphitheatre is one of the most beautiful natural performance setting I’ve ever seen,” Ray gushed exclusively to PopCulture.com. “We played earlier in the day last time, back in 2017, and the fans were already out with their blankets and lawn chairs, hundreds already in place around the stage thrust. I just remember thinking I needed to take it all in while I could. This year we’ll be back with material from a new album, a longer set and a little later in the day and we can’t wait to rock Watershed.”

Ray will be joined by his future bride, Carly Pearce, who is making her inaugural appearance this year.

“I’ve heard so many amazing things about this festival, and it has definitely been on my bucket list of places to play!” Pearce said. “It’s going to be an amazing night of music with an incredible lineup.”

The Voice alum Danielle Bradbery is also eager to go, as much to meet her fans as to take in the views.

“I’m so excited to play Watershed this year,” Bradbery said. “The Gorge is such a beautiful venue. I can’t wait to get there and see the fans!”

Ray and Pearce are putting the finishing touches on their upcoming wedding, which is expected to happen later this year, but Ray knew from their first date, at the Nashville Palace, that he wanted to marry Pearce.

“We go the Palace and sit at the bar, and I was like, ‘Okay, how do I do this, because she’s getting the hint,’” Ray recalled to PopCulture.com. “I see this is happening, so I went to put my arm around her, and it was like at the moment when I put my arm around her chair, I was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to marry her.’ I knew that moment.”

Ray might have proposed to Pearce, but Pearce is the one who made the first move with Ray.

“I don’t know what happened to me with him, but I just bulldozed down every stereotype that tells you to let the guy lead,” said Pearce. “I’m from the South, and that’s usually [a] no. I just bulldozed it down.”

More event on the Watershed Festival can be found by visiting the event’s website.

Photo Credit: Getty images / Robby Klein