The Prairie Grove Police Department usually has five officers serving its 2,000 residents. But come Friday, Sept. 19, that number will jump to around 50 — all hands on deck to help manage the estimated 20,000 people expected to flood the rural McHenry County town for Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour stop.
“We were optimistic we could handle it,” said Prairie Grove Police Chief Michael Goins. With his and Village Administrator Michael Freese’s extensive backgrounds in public safety, they felt ready for the challenge.
Just last week, the concert venue — a field on Barreville Road — was still full of soybeans, with some farm equipment tucked into a nearby wooded area. But by the time Bryan’s team and their fleet of semis roll in, Goins said, “the village will be ready.”
Rumors started circulating back in January that Prairie Grove might land a spot on Bryan’s Farm Tour, which features concerts on rural farmland. Once the call came in from the Berning Family Farm confirming the show, local officials kicked preparations into high gear.
“First thing I did was reach out to Brooklyn, Wisconsin,” Goins said — that town hosted the tour previously and is doing so again the night before Prairie Grove. “They gave me copies of their operations plan and answered questions,” which gave Goins a starting point. From there, he looped in the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, as well as Crystal Lake and McHenry police departments for support.
All of those agencies will be helping out at the concert — with their costs covered by the Farm Tour promoters, who have also shared their event expertise.
And while 20,000 attendees is a big number, Goins is also preparing for 7,000 vehicles to park on-site.
“They’ll be coming from all directions,” he said, “but from the data I’ve seen, most will be from the north and south — with slightly more from the south.”
Traffic from the north will head up Barreville Road to the north lot, while those coming from the south will likely take Route 31 to the south lot. Electronic message boards on Route 176 and Route 31 will help direct drivers to the right place. All other roads in Prairie Grove will be closed to anyone who isn’t a local resident.
“We’ll keep most of the traffic out of the central part of town,” Goins said.
It’s not just about traffic, either. The village is bringing in 30 private paramedics and ambulances, along with a field hospital staffed by two doctors and two nurses.
“We’re also coordinating with the Nunda Rural Fire Protection District for anything beyond that, or any critical event,” Goins added.
McHenry Police Chief John Birk said his department — fresh off hosting its own music festival — is pitching in by helping run the command center. He also plans to put up electronic signs a day ahead of the event, warning drivers on Route 31 and nearby roads to consider alternate routes.
McHenry will also close off some neighborhood streets, allowing only residents through. That includes the Oaks of Irish Prairie subdivision and Veterans Parkway, which are adjacent to the concert field.
When the show wraps up, cars leaving the north lot will be routed north on Barreville Road to Charles J. Miller Road, then east toward River Road.
“We don’t want to back up traffic on Route 31,” Birk said.
Goins said technology will play a big role in keeping things smooth — with mapping apps and cell phones guiding concertgoers in and out. The village even coordinated with Verizon and AT&T to boost cell tower capacity near the event site to ensure strong signal coverage.
To keep both residents and visitors informed, the village has posted the full traffic and safety plan on its Facebook page.
“We plan not just for when it goes smooth, but for when things go bad,” Goins said. “And I think we have a good plan.”
As the big day approaches, excitement is building around town.
“There’s a real buzz that this superstar is coming to Prairie Grove,” Goins said. “But behind the scenes, we’ve put a lot of work into it. The cooperation with other law enforcement and government partners has been incredible.”