Organizers release statement after festival concerns shared on social media

SNOOK, Texas (KBTX) – Concertgoers took to social media following the Live At The Station Festival in Snook Saturday night, many with some complaints.

Comments on Live At The Station social media posts and KBTX’s Rusty Surette show some attendees were stuck in traffic for hours. Some reports said it took up to four hours to drive back to College Station from the festival grounds.

The event brought around 37,000 people to Burleson County, which only has about 18,000 residents total. Burleson County Judge Keith Schroeder said event organizers miscalculated some of the traffic control but overall the event was safe. After the event, organizers announced they plan to return in 2024 with a two-day event. Schroeder said he hopes the team reviews traffic control and the size of the event for the venue.

When asked about some of the concerns shared on social media, event organizers say despite reports the venue did not run out of water. But, they went on to acknowledge they “missed the mark in certain areas.”

Below is a complete statement from Live At The Station Event Organizers.

Last weekend we welcomed over 30,000 music lovers to College Station for the inaugural, Live At the Station Festival. In preparation for this event, we worked months in advance with local and state agencies as well as a widely respected traffic engineer to develop an approved and engineered traffic plan which included preparing for safe pedestrian and vehicle traffic.

In addition, parking lots opened two hours earlier than originally scheduled, in anticipation of heavy traffic and we allowed attendees to tailgate to avoid delays.

We understand attendees’ frustration concerning traffic flow in and out of the venue and acknowledge we have some work to do and have already started on new ways to alleviate traffic congestion. We take pride in delivering a great consumer experience and acknowledge we missed the mark in certain areas.

As event organizers, we take the safety of our guests seriously. We understand the need to stay hydrated and allowed attendees to bring in water. Contrary to what has been reported, we did not run out of water at the festival and are working to determine where the issue was.

We appreciate the feedback received from attendees and are making improvements to create an enhanced experience for Live at The Station Festival 2024.

-Event Organizers, Live At the Station Festival

For the first-ever Live At the Station Festival, a comprehensive study examining how traffic would flow both entering and exiting the venue was completed. This planned process included the best way to properly manage the large crowds expected. We also received a permit to create a new driveway for one of the event parking areas. Cameras and drones were used to monitor traffic as well as shifting entry and exit points several times to take advantage of the admittedly limited roadway system.

When Live At the Station 2024 takes place, FM 60 will be a four-lane divided roadway, allowing more cars to safely use the entries and exits. Although we took extensive time to determine the best routes for festival attendees, those are being adjusted for the future. We appreciate the feedback as with all large first-time festivals of this nature there are issues that arise. We will be addressing all concerns.

-Tim Lomax, Traffic Engineer, Live At the Station Festival