The Hoppers to bring southern gospel to Sugarcreek May 16

Southern gospel fans in Holmes County will have a May 16 option in Sugarcreek: The Hoppers are set for a 7 p.m. show at Ohio Star Theater at Dutch Valley, with tickets starting at $42. Seats will be available through the theater box office, by phone and online, giving local families and out-of-town visitors a clear path to plan an evening around the performance.

The booking brings one of the genre’s better-known family groups to a venue that has become a regular stop for live music in Ohio’s Amish Country. The Hoppers say the group began in 1957 in Madison, North Carolina, when Claude Hopper started singing with his brothers. Connie Hopper joined the next year as the pianist, and the family act later became known as The Hoppers. The group says it has been sharing music for more than 69 years, with performances that have ranged from Carnegie Hall to presidential religious inaugural ceremonies.

That history gives the Sugarcreek date a built-in draw for churchgoers, gospel listeners and longtime fans who follow the family’s current lineup of Dean Hopper, Kim Hopper and Karlye Hopper. The Hoppers also say they have toured across the United States and internationally in Israel, Europe and Africa, a breadth of experience that makes the May 16 stop part of a long-running touring schedule rather than a one-off appearance.

Ohio Star Theater has become one of the county’s key live-entertainment anchors since it was relaunched in 2017 in a state-of-the-art building with about 500 to 514 seats and updated sound technology. The theater sits on the Dutch Valley campus in Sugarcreek, steps from Dutch Valley Restaurant, Dutch Valley Gifts, Dutch Valley Market and Carlisle Inn Sugarcreek. Tourism and chamber listings describe it as a family-friendly home for live musicals, concerts and comedy acts, a setup that helps turn a concert into a full night out.

For Holmes County, that mix matters. A nationally known gospel family, a spring date on the calendar and a well-equipped theater in the middle of Dutch Valley give residents and visitors a straightforward outing to choose from, with a fixed time, a known price and a venue built for audiences who value both comfort and live performance.