The Sunfest Country Music Festival in Lake Cowichan, B.C., is bracing for record-setting attendance this year, with as many as 14,000 people expected on Sunday alone.
That’s when headliner Blake Shelton will take the main stage, following acts from The Old Island Highway, Lindsay Ell and High Valley.
Organizers have already advised performers to seek accommodations north of the Malahat — Highway 1 — rather than in Victoria, lest they be caught in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
“We obviously want to err on the side of caution,” festival director Mike Hann said Friday.
“We’re getting that from a lot of our crew that are coming up to work here throughout the weekend, that it’s taking them up to four hours to get up here due to the traffic on the Malahat.”
The festival’s launch party took place last night. Performances are scheduled throughout the weekend.
The area’s 10,000 or so campsites have already sold out, Hann said. Shuttle service is available from Youbou, Lake Cowichan, Honeymoon Bay, and Victoria to reduce the vehicle traffic.
“We are encouraging all Sunfest attendees to give themselves time to travel and get to their destination safely to allow for a smoother flow of traffic. The venue is already half-full with vehicles,” Cpl. Alex Bérubé of the RCMP’s Island District said by email.
“We have the assistance of the BC Highway Patrol to assist as necessary to ensure the safety on the roads, enforcing the Motor Vehicle Act and the Criminal Code,” he added, the latter referring particularly to impaired driving.
The festival is located at the Laketown Ranch Music and Recreation Park, most easily accessed using Highway 1. The B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has also advised motorists to plan ahead of time for any travel along the busy corridor as it expects “significant congestion.”
“Drivers should plan their journeys with extra time to reach their destinations and be prepared for hot temperatures,” it advised. “Pack plenty of water, food and supplies for passengers and pets.”
Construction speed limits will remain in effect at the Malahat Tunnel Hill project all weekend, it added.