[Press Release] : FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival coming to Stephens Lake Park this weekend

[Press Releases]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Public Communications 573-874-7240

Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival coming to Stephens Lake Park this weekend

COLUMBIA, MO (September 23, 2015) - As the community welcomes residents and visitors for the Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival Sept. 25-27, city officials want residents and visitors to be aware of changes and information for the festival.

The Columbia Police Department will restrict traffic flow and parking in the area of Broadway, Old Highway 63 and East Walnut. East Walnut Street from Old Highway 63 to the dead end will be closed to through traffic, and public parking in the East Walnut Neighborhood will be restricted to those with neighborhood passes only. Those without passes will be ticketed and subject to a $50 fine and towing. Parking restrictions will begin at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25 and continue until the event’s completion Sunday, Sept. 27.  

Old Highway 63 will be northbound only from Broadway to Walnut at the south junction and will be westbound only from Old Highway 63 to William Street. The traffic changes will begin at 3:00 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25. Traffic restrictions on Saturday and Sunday will begin shortly before the gates open each day and continue until the event's completion Sunday, Sept. 27.

There is no event parking or pickup/drop-off areas on Walnut Street or Old Highway 63. There will be ADA-accessible parking at the Riechmann Pavilion, 2300 East Walnut Street. Those who are not attending the festival are asked to avoid the area to cut down on congestion.

The city's public transit system, COMO Connect, worked closely with festival organizers again this year to offer free public transportation to and from the event. COMO Connect will provide free rides on all of the bus system's fixed routes for the entire city this weekend, including extended evening hours on Friday and Saturday night as well as Sunday service.  Stephens Lake Park will have two bus stops attendees can use during the daytime service hours. One is located at the park’s south edge along Broadway for the #2A-Gold Route or #6-Pink Route, and there will be a temporary bus stop just for this weekend at the park’s west entrance along Old Highway 63 that is an adjusted version of the #10-Red/Downtown Route running in reverse.

Parking garages downtown are free after 6:00 p.m. on Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday.  All COMO Connect buses are ADA accessible. Roots N Blues will be providing shuttles from the garages and there are ADA shuttles available.  Shuttles from downtown to the festival will be yellow school buses.

After the last show each night, look for the COMO Connect buses and the yellow school buses lined up at the Riechmann Pavilion to take attendees back home or to their hotel on each of COMO Connect’s 11 city bus routes. No transfers or connections necessary. Free rides apply to all customers on the fixed bus routes this weekend, and no special pass or ticket is required to board for free.

Customers all over the city can take advantage of the free weekend bus service and extended service hours, not just festival-goers. For maps, live bus tracking and more information on bus routes, visit www.COMOconnect.org.

COMO Connect bus service hours:

Friday, Sept. 25: 6:25 a.m.-10 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 26: 10 a.m.-10 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 27: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Plus a late night departure from festival each night

Stephens Lake Park, west of the dam, will remain open for public use. This includes the swimming beach and the spraygrounds.

For general information about the festival, click here.



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