Cadott (WQOW) - We're less than a day away from the kickoff of Country Fest . Officials are busy making sure everything is in place before thousands head up to Cadott.
"We're expecting a huge turnout this year. Ticket sales have just been amazing," says Jill Brenner, with Chippewa Valley Music Festivals.
Preparations for Cadott's biggest country music festival are underway.
"We're getting everything ready so that when the concert grounds open everyone can step in and have a great time," Brenner says.
"All volunteer, we have lots of groups that are helping out this year, right behind me we've got Altoona football that's helping get some of the stocking done, we've got Hallie girls softball helping out, we've got the snow festers, snowmobile club helping," says Michael Pynch, a Chippewa Youth Hockey Board member.
Emergency crews are also gearing up for the thousands that will enter the grounds.
"They like to have a good time, obviously we want them to have a good time here, but we're here to try and help them, protect them if they run into a problem," says Rick Merryfield, with Chippewa Fire District.
Officials have a plan in place to reroute traffic if backups get too long.
"Hopefully we'll not see the delays and the traffic backups on State Highway 27 coming out of Cadott like we have in the past," says Captain Gene Gutsch with the Chippewa County Sheriff's Department.
But officials say plan ahead, and don't forget to pack your patience.
"On Thursday, we expect that to be the peak travel times, through our years of experience," says Captain Gutsch.
And officials are going to keep an eye on the sky, in case of any severe weather.
"The main things that we're really concerned about, obviously, and every year is weather," says Gutsch.
But some campers say rain isn't going to dampen their spirits.
"This is our 10th year here, says Kathy Andres. "I'm looking forward to seeing Brad Paisley." 03
The sheriff's department is telling everyone heading out to Fest to tune into am 1610 for updates on traffic and what you need once you get to the gates. Country Fest also has an app you can download for iPhone and Android devices. It will send out alerts in case of any severe weather or other incidents.
