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May 2, 2008 3:56 am US/Pacific
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Indio Prepares For Stagecoach Music Festival
INDIO, Calif.
Only one week after the Coachella Festival brought thousands of alternative music lovers to the desert, the Stagecoach Country Music Festival is expected to bring even more music lovers -- this time country -- to the Empire Polo Field in Indio on Friday.
Music fans are expected to fill hotels and RV camps sites for the three-day country music festival, whose lineup includes The Eagles, Carrie Underwood, Gretchen Wilson, Taylor Swift, John Fogerty and Rancho Mirage resident Shelby Lynne.
The Judd's, mother and daughter Naomi and Wynonna, will headline the festival Saturday night for a special reunion performance.
Not every hotels around the valley is sold out.
"We still have about 20 rooms," Jay Mainthia, general manager of the Super 8 Motel on Highway 111 in Indio, said on the eve of the festival. "What's happening this year with Stagecoach is a lot of people plan to camp out in their RV's."
According to the Stagecoach Festival Web site, two of its three on-site camping venues have been sold out.
Mainthia said about seventy-five percent of his guests checking in on Friday were planning on attending the festival.
"It's a different group... a little older and less partying for sure," he said.
About 30,000 people attended Stagecoach each day last year, but Indio police spokesman Ben Guitron said because of this year's lineup of big name artists, many more were expected.
"People seem to be real excited," he said. "I have family coming from Northern California."
He said he did not expect many problems from Stagecoach concert-goers.
"It's a whole different crowd than Coachella Fest, more family-oriented and fewer drugs," he said. "Overall, Stagecoach went extremely well last year and I expect it to be a peaceful event again this year."
According to Guitron, the police department's main concern is traffic congestion. He said motorists should give themselves extra time and avoid roads like Jefferson Street, the main artery to the polo field, and Monroe Street, which is the exit from the field.
Guitron said delays are expected on the following roadways:
-- Jefferson Street, southbound, from Indio Boulevard to Avenue 52;
-- Monroe Street, southbound, from Interstate 10 to Avenue 52; and
-- Highway 111 at Jefferson Street and Monroe Street.
Guitron is also advising residents to avoid eastbound I-10 at Jefferson and I-10 at Monroe exits.
For travel north and south in Indio, Guitron suggests Madison, Jackson and Calhoun streets along with Golf Center Parkway. For eastbound travel in Indio, he suggested Fred Waring Drive and Miles Avenue east of the wash, and Avenue 48.
Residents who reside south of Avenue 52 at Monroe should head south to Airport Boulevard before going eastbound or westbound, he said.
Road closures will include:
-- Avenue 50 westbound from Madison to Jefferson streets;
-- Avenue 52 eastbound from Madison to Monroe streets; and
-- Monroe Street will be converted to southbound traffic only from Avenue 52 to 48.
Festival attendees are advised to wear light clothing because of the expected heat.
Friday's highs are expected to be in the high 80s -- with highs on Saturday and Sunday possibly reaching 90 degrees, according to Noel Isola of the National Weather Service.
The Riverside County Fire Department will have extra paramedics and first aid booths around the polo field grounds, just as they did last week at Coachella Fest, said Capt. Fernando Herrera.
"It's important to stay hydrated and try not to drink too much alcohol," Herrera said. "It's the alcohol that makes people act stupid and it doesn't mix well with heat."
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)