LIVERMORE — They planned for a crowd upwards of 10,000 people and worst-case scenarios. What they got was about 3,000 of the most mellow of Mainers.
“We planned for the worst and hoped for the best,” said Don Beckwith, one of the organizers for this past weekend’s Heroes of Woodstock event at the Barnyard All Terrain Park in Livermore. “And so far, it’s been the best. People have been very courteous and kind — typical Maine people.”
The crowd that gathered on the grassy lawn to hear their favorite psychedelic legends may have come from all over, but they were definitely in a laid-back, Vacationland state of mind. Beckwith said Sunday night that there had been few to no problems over the course of the weekend.
Beckwith said there were 65 security personnel on hand for Sunday’s event and another 20 security personnel on call if needed. He said that organizers thought the biggest problems would come at the event’s beer tent, but even that roped-off area saw no problems.
While concert goers inside the Barnyard enjoyed the classic tunes of Canned Heat, Country Joe McDonald and Jefferson Starship, Maine State Police officers patrolled the roads leading into and out of the venue on Route 108. But as of Sunday evening, the three state troopers assigned to patrol the area had encountered few problems, according to Sgt. Joe Mills.
“We have not had any problems with the event at all this weekend — traffic or otherwise,” Mills said Sunday. “We’ve not had any arrests related to the event.”
Mills said that authorities were initially prepared to handle a much greater number of people for the weekend event, but that the crowd was not only smaller than expected, but exceptionally low key. He said greatest concerns would come late in the evening as people left the event.
“We just hope that people planned accordingly so that we don’t have any issues with alcohol-related problems,” Mills said.
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