Organizers have made preparations for the 10th rendition of Number Fest in record time, but they still expect everything to go well.
The fest, held on private property off West Union Street, is outside the limits of the city of Athens, so the Athens County Sheriff’s Office and the Athens County Emergency Medical Service will be on scene in case anything goes wrong.
Within their respective jurisdictions, the Athens and Ohio University police departments will be patrolling during the weekend.
The fest’s move from the spring to the fall will not significantly decrease attendance, Number Fest founder Dominic Petrozzi said, adding that the absence of the other fests that would have led up to the Number Fest in the spring, building attendees’ anticipation, has required 10Fest to be promoted in other markets.
“Overall, with the calendar switch, we are on-par with ticket sales,” Petrozzi said. “Different groups and variables are maintaining attendance.”
Athens County Sheriff Pat Kelly said he expects the same number of officers to patrol the area around the event, but added that fewer police horses will be there.
“The organizer is going to pay a substantial amount for the services of the deputy officers,” Kelly said. “But the location of the event helps, so we anticipate the event to go as well as last year.”
Though Kelly said the cost of having sheriff’s deputies at 10Fest hasn’t been finalized yet, his office charged Number Fest organizers more than $15,000 for 9Fest last year, according to a previous Post article.
Athens County EMS will provide a full first-aid station, three standing ambulances, and 12 staff members as the festival rages on into the afternoon.
The services usually cost around $4,000 for an event such as 10Fest, said Athens County EMS Director Rick Callebs.
“We expect a successful event, but the weather is a concern,” Callebs said.
“The mud is a contamination issue, and with cold weather and intoxication brings the threat of hypothermia.”
There is an insurance policy that will cover up to $5,000,000 for any incidences that occur at the event, Petrozzi said.
Weather predictions call for partly cloudy skies Saturday with temperatures ranging between 72 and 45 degrees. The chance of rain is about 10 percent.
ag881210@ohiou.edu
