Country Music, Sunshine and Traffic as Stagecoach Festival Kicks Off

INDIO, CA - The 11th annual Stagecoach Festival begins Friday, kicking off a full weekend of country, rock and roll and sunshine for what's expected to be a record-setting crowd.

Friday headliner Dierkes Bentley returns to the festival after previously appearing in 2008, performing on the same stage as then-relatively unknown Taylor Swift. The 13-time Grammy nominee will take the Mane Stage at 10:15 p.m., leading a lineup of more than 25 performers.

Among the acts Friday are 81-year-old rock legend Jerry Lee Lewis, as well as country stars Cole Swindell and Randy Houser.

Gates open at noon. An extra 10,000 festival goers per day are expected following the Indio City Council's approval to increase Stagecoach's attendance cap from 75,000 to 85,000 people.

Some general admission passes at $329 remain on sale at http://www.stagecoachfestival.com/passes/. Children 10 and under get in for free.

In addition to the music lineup, festival goers can enjoy a full slate of attractions, including strutting their stuff at the Honkytonk Dance Hall, enjoying games and art at the Half-Pint Hootenanny, off roading in the Toyota Thrill Ride, the world famous Budweiser Clydesdales, and more.

Those who can't attend, or simply can't be at every stage at once, can check out performances from across the festival lineup via a new audio livestream from Pandora, which recently announced an exclusive partnership with Goldenvoice.

The Stagecoach livestream will be streaming more than 50 performances through the weekend, and also feature artist interviews. The livestream will be available at pandora.com/stagecoachfestival.

Temperatures were expected to be high through the weekend, but relatively mild by desert standards.

Sunny skies were expected with a high of 89 degrees Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Windy conditions may come into play though, so festival goers should prepare for some blowing dust. A high wind warning was in effect through Saturday for western Riverside County, warning of gusts of around 60 mph, though the desert should only see gusts as high as 30 mph.

Traffic delays were expected along Interstate 10 between Beaumont and Indio. Caltrans will also be canceling scheduled roadwork on state Route 371 through Monday to alleviate festival-related congestion.

Drivers were advised to use detour routes such as state Route 62 or state Route 74 to circumvent festival-related traffic.

Locally, the usual festival road closures surrounding the venue will be at:

• Avenue 49, between Hjorth and Monroe streets;
• Avenue 50, between Madison and Jackson streets;
• Hjorth Street, between Avenue 49 and Avenue 50; and
• Madison Street, between Avenue 49 and Avenue 52.

Free day parking will be available from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Cars parked in the Day parking lots past 2 a.m. will be towed.

Visit www.stagecoachfestival.com for a schedule of performances, festival maps and other information.

- City News Service / Image via @Stagecoach Twitter