Local law enforcement had mentally braced itself for a long evening last Wednesday, when thousands converged upon a farm near Artesia to see a country music star.
But the fifth stop on the Luke Bryan Farm Tour went on with little incident, according to Lowndes County Sheriff Office deputy Billy Wood.
Wood was among approximately 60 deputies — some reserve or part-time — who helped provide security and manage traffic surrounding the concert. He said other than a few fights, the show was a success. Ten people were arrested by LCSO, primarily for disorderly conduct or public intoxication, Wood said. He said no tickets for driving under the influence were issued by LCSO on the scene.
Wood also said that the Mississippi Alcoholic Beverage Commission arrested 3-4 people for underage drinking. A spokesperson with ABC would not disclose details of those arrests to The Dispatch.
LCSO Sheriff Mike Arledge had previously told The Dispatch his department was concerned about traffic stemming from the concert. The venue, Holtcamp Farm near Artesia, was only accessible by one two-lane road off Highway 45.
Leaving the concert was a time consuming process, according to Woods. He said the show ended by 10:30 p.m., but the last car did not pull away until 2:00 a.m.
The Lowndes County event ended up being the second of eight Farm Tour events, which raise scholarship funds for rural students. Hurricane Joaquin postponed three shows in Tennessee and South Carolina.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.