Lexington police issue traffic, parking advisory ahead of Chris Stapleton concert

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - We’re just hours away from the highly anticipated Chris Stapleton concert. It’s the first time Kroger Field will host a concert.

The twice postponed event falls on a busy day in Lexington. Also on Saturday, UK will host a track meet, softball and baseball games, and Keeneland will be going on across town.

“Very similar to game day,” said Commander Jackie Newman with Lexington police.

A show, years in the making, will go on.

“This is a massive undertaking. It’s something new to Kroger Field and new to the university,” UK Police Chief Joe Monroe said.

Kentucky-born Stapleton, Sheryl Crowe, Willie Nelson and more artists will entertain fans inside the home of UK football.

“We’re prepared for it, we feel like now we’re better prepared for it since we had so long to prepare,” Monroe said.

The biggest part of prep is traffic.

“We will be towing for some of the areas around the stadium. Those will be marked with a stake put in the ground and a paper sign,” Newman said.

Officers will start towing cars in marked areas Saturday morning.

“We are going to have a significant traffic impact,” Monroe said.

On game days, fans leave at different times. Local law enforcement said they’re preparing for heavy traffic tomorrow, and encourage people not to wait until the last minute.

“That is a little bit different for us. We are planning for that and have staffed extra officers,” Newman said.

Law enforcement said they feel prepared.

“This is a great opportunity for the state of Kentucky. It’s an opportunity us to give back, as well as showcase the musical talent,” Monroe said.

They hope “A Concert for Kentucky” won’t be the stadium’s last.

“We’re looking forward to it and hopefully everything works out and we’ll have much more concerts to come here at the stadium,” Newman said.

The gates for the concert open at 4:00 p.m.

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