Four concerts over two days in downtown Lexington during Halloween weekend are expected to challenge parking and traffic. Country star Garth Brooks will play two shows at Rupp Arena on Friday, October 31st and two more on Saturday, November first.
Carl Hall is director of Arena Management. Hall says Brooks could draw 80 thousand people in and around Rupp Arena. "I've got about 45 minutes to an hour from the end of the first one to letting people in for the second one. So, in that short narrow window of time, parking became the first obvious issue that we had to face to figure out what to do with all the cars because I can't get my lots cleared fast enough for one to fulfill the need for the second," said Hall.
Hall says Lextran will provide a shuttle service for concert goers from an auxiliary parking lot at New Circle Rd and Old Frankfort Pike, to Rupp Arena. He says the lot will open at seven o' clock the night of the concerts.
Despite two shows falling on Halloween night, Rupp's 'no mask' policy will be enforced. "We figured with it being Halloween people may be out trick or treating, coming to the show then. And they don't want to go home and clean all of it back off, some of them that. So, it is standard rule no mask to hide your face. But, Halloween, we're just re-iterating it because it is Halloween," added Hall.
Concert planners say they are preparing for the possibility of 80 thousand people in and around Rupp Arena.
Lexington Police Lieutenant Chad Bacon says the congestion should be limited to areas around Rupp.
"Yeah, there won't be any road closures or anything like that so it's gonna be the setup for the weekend a normal weekend, but there is gonna be additional traffic just because of the events going on downtown," said Bacon.
The police lieutenant says extra officers will be pulled in to help out with traffic control.
