JC Post

MANHATTAN – Thousands of country music fans are expected to fill Tuttle Creek State Park later this afternoon for the 20th Annual Kicker Country Stampede.

This years opening line up for night one of the four day country music festival includes Sarah McVeigh taking the stage at 4 p.m. followed by Country Road 5 at 5 p.m., Old Dominion at 6:30 p.m. Dallas Smith at 8 p.m. and tonight’s headliner Thomas Rhett at 9:30 p.m..

Following Rhett’s performance the Country Stampede will celebrate it’s 20th Anniversary according to Wayne Rouse, President of the country music festival.

“We have fireworks for our 20th anniversary, we have a 20th anniversary theme going on out here,” said Rouse.

Rouse is hoping for between 35,000 and 40,000 festival goes each night.

Gates will open at 1 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Other headliners include Florida Georgia Line Friday, Blake Shelton Saturday and Travis Tritt Sunday.

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MANHATTAN -Crews were hard at work Wednesday afternoon to finish setting up for the 20th Annual Kicker Country Stampede that opens Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. at Tuttle Creek State Park.

Setup has been underway all week and thanks in part to good weather everything is on schedule according to Wayne Rouse, Country Stampede President.

“Actually we’re ahead of schedule, everything is going really well. We’ll be ready to open tomorrow afternoon at 4 o’clock,” said Rouse.

In honor of the 20th Anniversary of the Country Stampede they will be setting off Fireworks Thursday night following the headliner Thomas Rhett’s final song.

Rouse is expecting record crowds this year,”I’d be real happy if we did 35,000 to 40,000 a day.”

He added that ticket sales were up this year indicating that they could see record crowds.

“It should be a really good year, everything is pointing to that our ticket sales are good and we’ve got Florida Georgia Line, Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett, Travis Tritt, Sara Evans, Craig Morgan, we’ve got a lot of great talent this year.”

Rain earlier this month has made things a little interesting for the camping grounds with the river pond out of its banks.

Kurt Moldrup, Festival Security Manager explained they will have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to anyone playing in the water.

“We can’t allow anybody in that water for safety reasons, it’s probably not the cleanest right now. Do NOT go into ANY water, even if it’s just the very edge of that pond creeping up,” said Moldrup.

Other than the high water problems Moldrup said that security will handle things in the same fashion as years past, noting the zero tolerance policy on underage drinking as well.

“We will be out in force, both law enforcement as well as our own private security, looking for underaged drinkers. As a festival we will do what we can to locate them ourselves, get them to stop if they’re underage drinkers were going to eject them.”

The Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Department with assistance from other Law Enforcement Agencies including Alcohol Beverage Control will also be patrolling and looking for underage drinking.

Gates open Thursday at 4 p.m. and 1 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Rouse had one final message for those who will be attending this years festival,”Have a great time you’ll make memories that will last a lifetime, I guarantee it.”