Country fans fill up Azura, Country Stampede’s first KC area edition

Country fans fill up Azura, Country Stampede’s first KC area edition

BONNER SPRINGS, Kan. – Concert goers are ready for a jam-packed weekend of country music that includes music from Randy Hauser to Jon Pardi. The Country Stampede Music Festival is in the Kansas City area for the first time.

“The music, I’m looking forward to the new venue,” Concert Goer Alecs Johnson said.

The three-day festival makes its way to Bonner Springs, Kan. Thursday’s headliner is Chris Janson. Marketing manager Shelby Ebert said they expect to see more than 10,000 people.

“We’re excited to be at Azura, where there’s so much infrastructure, the stage is permanent, the restrooms are permanent, the concessions are permanent,” Ebert said.

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“So it’s a lot less set up and I guess logistics and maintenance than it was previously to we’re really happy we have all this we have all this permanent infrastructure for people to utilize.”

More than a dozen artists are on deck to perform, including Jon Pardi, Billy Currington, Randy Hauser and Riley Green. That’s who reeled in Alecs Johnson and her crew from Platte City, Mo.  This will be their sixth time at the festival, setting up camp with corn hole to cold beverages.

“It’s your home away from home,” Johnson said, “and you know you get to hang out and just have a good time.”

Across the road, other campers set up tents. Jasmine Vigil drove from Salina for her 11th Country Stampede. Ebert said they have about 140 total campers on site this weekend, which isn’t as many previously, but they’re excited to see crowds grow as the festival plants roots in the Kansas City area.

This isn’t Andrew Skarzenski’s first rodeo. He and his crew drove in from Junction City. They bought tickets the day they became available.

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“We have cover in case we want to play peer pong but it’s raining,” Skarzenski said.

“This is what life is about, you work so hard five days a week, every day, you’ve got come out and party, have yourself a good time. spend that hard-earned money,” Skarzenski said.

His friend added, “Music and friends.”

Some people leave after the performance like a regular concert, while others will stay for the weekend. At the end of the night, Johnson said they have a flag to guide them home.

“The flags got light, it’s got lights, so we can find our way home at night,” Johnson said.

If you plan to go to a concert, there’s a clear bag policy.

Also, organizers said you can bring a water bottle, but it must be sealed.

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