GONZALES, LA (WAFB) – Ever since LSU announced Tiger Stadium would not host Bayou Country Superfest, the search has been on to find a new venue.
The Lamar Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales is on the list of possibilities.
The big names in country music that have entertained crowds from the stage at Tiger Stadium for seven years at Bayou Country Superfest could soon take one of two stages at Lamar Dixon.
“It would be, hands down, the biggest thing that’s happened in Ascension Parish,” Rogers said.
Kyle Rogers, the general manager of the Expo Center, said the festival grounds were designed to host an event like Bayou Country. However, the idea has raised some concerns among some Ascension Parish residents.
Charlie Coghlan is worried about traffic.
“I think they should give it a shot, but they better think it out real well. Somebody better have a committee with some good common sense,” Coghlan said.
Country music fan Tyler Lacombe fears the atmosphere just won’t be the same at Lamar Dixon.
“I think I’m going to miss it at Tiger Stadium, but I feel like there’s someplace it could be, like somewhere bigger,” Lacombe said.
Rogers said those are legitimate concerns. It is why, he said, parish leaders addressed those first. The plan is to pave a new road to move traffic.
“We have approval for a connector between St. Landry and Edenbourne. This will allow us to not only contra-flow but also give us five lanes in instead of one,” Rogers said.
It would also provide another exit off of I-10 via Highway 44.
As for space, Rogers said Lamar Dixon is roughly three acres larger than the festival grounds that host the New Orleans Jazz Festival. He estimates it can hold 50,000 fans a day. Bayou Country Superfest entertained a reported 30,000 last year.
As for hotels, Rogers said there are 17 of them nearby and he expects some people will stay in Baton Rouge.
If it rains, the grounds has eight pavilions where fans could take cover.
“We are completely fenced in. We have the open space. We have the power, the capability of doing this,” Rogers said.
As long as the potential problems with crowds and traffic are addressed ahead of time, a lot of people said they will change their tune.
“Well yeah, bring it,” Lacombe said.
“Aw, yeah. We got it,” said Racquel Donsereaux.
Festival producer Quint Davis has not returned calls for comment.
Rogers expects he will know whether Lamar Dixon will host the Memorial Day weekend event before the lineup is announced this fall.
