LOUISVILLE, KY. (WDRB) -- Rain or shine, the show will go on -- that's the word from organizers of Louisville's 10th annual Forecastle Festival. But another issue could cause a big problem for music lovers attending the event.
Hoist the lights and lock down the gates -- a hundred hands were putting the pieces of Forecastle's main stage in place on Thursday. Stage worker Justin Quade explains, "It takes kind of like a drop of water where all the energy comes out together...Supposedly we'll take a listen to it and it will be the best sound in PA you've ever heard."
Forecastle Festival organizer Holly Weyler explains, "But we want people to leave with a little something more than a great music experience. So we have two art installations that go in this week, and then we also have a whole area dedicated to sustainability."
Bands will spread out on five different stages. Fifteen will take the Main Stage, including Louisville-based group My Morning Jacket, but everyone is hoping the event doesn't hit a sour note.
On top of a rainy weekend, traffic could grind to a halt. Half the expected 30,000 attendees drive in from out of town. Interstate 65 northbound will be closed from the Watterson to Hospital Curve.
Construction on the Kennedy Bridge means a mess downtown, and LMPD has no traffic plan in place.
Lt. Michael Sullivan of LMPD explains, "We deal with crowds of 20-25 thousand for basketball games. They come in at a specific time and leave together. We expect this crowd to come in at a longer interval, spread over a much greater area, so we'll deal with traffic as it comes up."
Fifty LMPD officers will patrol the grounds and be on the water, and organizers also hired private security.
Violent crime and break-ins spiked on the waterfront this summer. Lt. Sullivan says, "This will be the most policed area in the entire city this weekend, so this is not the place to come if you want to do nonsense."
It's a three day event and the first act hits the stage Friday at 5 p.m. As the final pieces come together, Louisville's getting ready to rock.
Prices on the three-day music festival range from about $58 for a one-day pass to $350 for a VIP three-day ticket.
For more on Forecastle tickets, click here.
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