For many local fans of country music, Rocky Allen needs little introduction. The emerging artist has performed regularly throughout the area for years and boasts thousands of online followers on social media. He enjoys more than 1,300 monthly listeners on the popular music service Spotify, where his 2024 single “Land of the Free” has garnered upwards of 151,000 worldwide streams. Allen has even opened for major national touring acts like Darryl Worley, Josh Turner, Jerrod Niemann and Lee Brice.

Despite everything he’s accomplished already, the biggest moment of Allen’s promising country career is just on the horizon. In less than a month, Allen and his band will get the chance of a lifetime when they perform on day three of the Barefoot Country Music Fest in Wildwood, New Jersey. The four-day festival’s headlining acts include superstars Post Malone, Eric Church, Miranda Lambert and Kelsea Ballerini; and dozens of other nationally known country artists are on the bill as well. Allen’s band will hit the festival’s Discover Stage at 2 p.m. on June 20, when Post Malone is set to be the BCMF’s featured act.

“(I’m) beyond excited for this one,” Allen said. “So many great artists on this bill. To see my name on there — and to perform in front of a crowd like that — is going to be amazing! I’ve done a lot of shows all across the US, and performed in big cities like Nashville, but this one will personally be the biggest show of my career to date.”

Allen’s opportunity to perform at the Barefoot Country Music Fest came from the festival’s Hometown Star Search, which selects 10 up-and-coming artists and bands to perform throughout the event. Those who have been selected received the most nominations from their hometown fans. While most of the musicians picked are from Nashville, Philadelphia and various places throughout New Jersey, Allen will be the lone representative from Central Pennsylvania.

“My wife sent out a group text to some of our close friends and family to nominate us, but I didn’t make a public post on social media or anything like that,” Allen said. “I got a message on Instagram saying, ‘Congratulations! You were selected to represent your hometown at the Barefoot Country Music Fest.’ I thought it was a fake message but then I looked at the profile and realized it was, in fact, really them; and just couldn’t believe it!”

Performing on any day of the festival would have been exciting for Allen, but getting the chance to play in the BCMF’s Saturday lineup means that he will likely see the festival’s most attended day. In past years, the festival’s Saturday crowd has exceeded 35,000 attendees. With acts like Post Malone, Tucker Wetmore, and The Fray performing the festival’s Saturday lineup this year, that number could climb above 40,000 fans.

“Honestly, it’s pretty surreal. You grow up listening to these artists, and we still cover their songs at shows,” Allen said. “To see my name with theirs is just mind-blowing. You work so hard for moments like these and dream of opportunities like this. To see it actually happen is amazing.”

While Allen has played some big shows in the past, with attendance near a thousand people, he’s never played in front of a crowd like the one he will see at the Barefoot Country Music Fest. He said opening for big-name musicians throughout the years has helped prepare him for the festival.

“I really think watching on the sideline how the national touring acts interacted with the crowd during and after the show, and how their set list transpired from song to song, was a big help for me,” he said.

The band members that will be backing Allen up on stage include Alex Kramer (lead guitar), Nate Losell (drums, backing vocals) and Lucas Cole (bass). Allen said the group has been performing in its current configuration for about a year and has been working hard to perfect its sound.

“These guys are so talented. They bring an energy that I’ve never experienced on stage,” said Allen. “They all work hard on their craft. When we’re not practicing, we are talking about the next step, how we can improve, and watching videos from the last show. Some nights we will Facetime to practice.

“Having them back me up on stage gives me confidence unlike any other I’ve had in my 14 years doing music,” he added. “With this band and their determination, we are ready for any opportunity that is presented to us.”

As a lifelong musician with training from local instructor Jim Lundy as well as the Uptown Music Collective, Kramer said that the opportunity to perform with Allen at the Barefoot Country Music Fest “means everything” to him, since it represents the culmination of all the hard work he has put in through the years.

“It’s a chance to pursue my dream of being a full-time musician and is the exact type of performance that I had in mind when I joined the Uptown Music Collective as a teenager to really test myself on stage,” Kramer said. “This performance is also important to me since it’s a chance to connect with the audience by sharing our original music and telling stories from our lives through the songs.”

Cole and Losell shared that sentiment, as they, too, have spent years honing their craft in an effort to reach a stage like the one they will see at the Barefoot Country Music Fest.

“I’ve been incredibly fortunate to play some really cool venues, but Barefoot is without a doubt the coolest opportunity I’ve been given to date,” Losell said. “Between the massive exposure and the opportunity to network with some of the biggest names in the industry, I’m excited to see where this show can take us, both in our own music careers and as a band.”

With a 30-minute set at the festival, Allen estimates his group will be able to squeeze in eight to 10 songs. He plans to perform all the songs he released in 2024, as well as some new songs yet to be released. The band may even fit in a cover song or two, if time allows.

“We really hope that people will be wondering where our next show will be and will follow us as a band,” Allen said.

For tickets to the Barefoot Country Music Fest, visit barefootcountrymusicfest.com. More information on Allen and his band can be found at rockyallenmusic.com and various social media platforms.