Sean’s Tips for Countryfest

Countryfest is like anything else, it is not good or evil, it is all what you do with it that matters. Like fire, if you use it correctly, it is a wonderful tool , if you use it incorrectly , you get burned. I hate for those who get burned to not want to risk the fire again so I give you some tips to enjoy your day at Countryfest.

1. Have a plan for arrival.
There is more than one way to get to Countryfest and various parking lots. Take some time to plan not only when you want to leave your house, but also what route you will take. You can get some great tips and directions from a blog posted on WGNA.com yesterday.

2. Sunscreen and Water.

I know you are a big strong man, you don't need to drink water all day, there's plenty of beer. I also know you ladies want to enjoy the day in the sun and keep that tan looking good. Countryfest is not the place for that kind of thinking, it is a very long day with no real breaks from the sun. Sunscreen doesn't only stop you from burning, it literally keeps you cool. Use it, you can always lay out on your lawn on Sunday. As for you beer loving guys, and I'm one of them, it will not kill you to down a bottle of water between one or two beers. Heck, if you want to be cool about it, challenge your buddies to see who can chug the water faster.

3. Security is there for you.

Remember that we have lots of security personnel on the grounds. Most of them are members of local law enforcement and are not there to babysit. However, if you are having an issue with another concert goer, do NOT try to handle it yourself go to the nearest security officer and let them handle it for you. We have a no tolerance policy on fighting, lewdness, or any other illegal behavior does some get through the cracks, yes, there are 30,000 people there. You do not want to be the one who doesn't get away with it though, I promise you will not only be getting kicked out, you will be going to jail. ( especially if you are dumb enough to resist when an off duty cop is trying to subdue you in a professional capacity)

4. Know who you are.

Some people are like to party and get a little crazy at concerts. They love the music and their friends and they want to celebrate those things. That's ok. Others like to relax enjoy the day and the music with family and close friends and that's ok too. The key here is understanding the differences and learning to accept the other's idea of fun. If you know you like to party, do it responsibly, and keep an eye on your friends. Again, Johnny getting hammered is hysterical until he derides to take a punch at someone and you wind up missing the show to go bail him out of jail. If you don't know how to "party" responsibly, you have no business doing it.  If you are one of the more laid back people, stay towards the back of the crowd. Would it be great if everyone could get close to the stage and enjoy a conflict respectable experience? yes. Will it happen , never. I don't care what venue you are. Fact of the matter is, if you stay back a little you can still see the show just fine ( your not a mosh pit kind of person anyway), you can spread out more and actually in most cases hear the music  much much better. As the day goes on the crown moves forward, it is just how concerts work, stay behind it, and you will stay happy.

5. Have an exit strategy.

As I see it there are three ways to go here. You can try to beat the crowd by leaving a few songs early. I never really like to do that if the band is really having fun up there. You can leave right when its over. This is fine too but expect to be in a large crowd, expect to get stuck in traffic and expect to need to be patient. Third, relax for 20 minutes and leave after the mass exit of the others. You would be amazed at how quick we get people out of there and you just may not see much traffic at all.

I hope these tips help you , and maybe just maybe you find thing a little easier to handle. All I want is for all of you to feel comfortable coming to see this great show every year and for all of us to have a good time. For some they have to keep their attitude in check, and for others they have to keep their expectations in check. Again remember, it's over 25,000 people probably closer to 30,000, there is just no way to have that many people in one place with no incidents or annoyances. I do however feel, no I know we do it better than anyone else. Have fun and God Bless.