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With another six weeks to go, promoter Grant Sheeder already has over 12,000 tickets sold for the fourth annual edition of Guthrie's River Ruckus, Saturday, July 28, at the Guthrie County fairgrounds.
This year's Ruckus headlines country music star Eric Church and a leadoff performance by Guthrie Center native Chad Elliott.
With 12,000 tickets sold, the 2012 Ruckus is already three times bigger than last year's, when it was estimated 4,000 music fans came to town.
With upwards of 20,000 concert-goers expected, parking, feeding, and entertaining the crowd presents a monumental challenge.
This year, for the first time, a $5 parking fee will be charged at the fairgrounds starting Saturday, 8:00 a.m.
"I know some people will complain about the parking fee, but it's important to know it's money that is coming back to Guthrie Center to help not only the future of the Ruckus, but the community as a whole," commented Sheeder.
At least one organization is already using Sheeder's parking fee as a springboard for generating funds.
The Guthrie County Arts Council received approval from the city council months ago to coordinate parking at and near Mitchell City Park.
GCAC plans: hire bands to play and organizations to sell food and beverages in the park Saturday until the concert begins at 7:00 p.m.
"We want to provide food and entertainment in the shade near the pool during the afternoon and evening," commented GCAC president Larry Kness. "This is a good alternative to just sitting on tailgates in the hot sun in the fairgrounds parking lot."
Although still in the planning stages, organizations or individuals interested in participating with GCAC are asked to contact Kness at 747-3030.
Other organizations planning events during the weekend include a Firemen's Breakfast Saturday from 7-11:00 a.m., a Guthrie County Fair Board breakfast Sunday morning, and Saturday food at the Lions Club booth at the fairgrounds.
Sheeder also met last week with local law enforcement to discuss safety concerns and traffic flow patterns.
"We not only have the local police and sheriff's deputies," commented Sheeder, "but 18 state troopers, all the reserve officers from Guthrie and Dallas counties, and more officers from Carroll County, Perry, Waukee, and probably a few more I have forgotten."
Some of those officers will be walking the crowd and campgrounds in plain clothes.
Traffic flow will be a major problem all day Saturday. There will only be two gates for the event, one south of town on the Highway 25 entrance and the other on the west edge of town at the Highway 44 entrance. A third entrance, on the gravel road entrance on Maple Avenue, may only be accessed by campers with an official camper tag.
An after-concert traffic flow pattern is still in work and will be published by the Times in July prior to the concert.
"I can't do this all myself," concluded Sheeder. "I'm hoping the rest of Guthrie Center will help me out and show all the concert-goers a good time so they'll come back next year."
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©Guthrie Center Times 2013
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Sarah Mathisen |
Jul, 27 2012 |
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I am so excited to see Eric Church this year! So wonderful job on getting him in Guthrie Center for the night However, I know plenty of people and myself that are worried about where these 20,000 people are going to park. Although the fairgrounds is decent in size, it is not enough to hold that many vehicles. Will there be shuttling and other options for parking? Also, another concern of ours is that with 20,000 people there, the possibility of even seeing the stage may be minimal. How do you plan on overcoming these obstacles? Again, very excited and great job!
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