Peering down from a ridge just outside of Athens, Dominic Petrozzi could tell Monday's heavy rains had already sunk into the grassy field.
Not discouraged, he descended the wet hillside, beyond the floodplain and up another mud-caked hill. Through the trees was a sprawling plot of land, visibly saturated but spared from the mud below.
"It's our new playground," Petrozzi said.
Located about a half-mile from the Southeast Beverage Company off West Union Street, the privately-owned property will play host for up to 25,000 people May 21 for 8Fest, Petrozzi's eighth-annual spring festival.
Petrozzi, an Ohio University alumnus, created 1Fest in 2004 because he wanted to host his own Spring Quarter fest with friends during his senior year in Athens. The relocation marks the number-fest's second in as many years because the party moved from its original location, the Big Red Barn off Stagecoach Road, to 7755 Williams Road for last year's 7Fest.
Founder and executive producer Petrozzi proposed the Athens County Fairgrounds for 8Fest, but city officials expressed concerns about staffing, noise and damage at the Feb. 1 Athens County Fair Board meeting.
The new location, however, presents more positives for the county officers who have patrolled the fest for the past eight years, said Captain Bryan Cooper of the Athens County Sheriff's Office.
"There's one entrance and one exit and one lane going in (to the property), so it's going to be easier for us to maintain that," Cooper said. "And as far as the perimeter, that's probably going to be a plus for us. ... Being that it's all flat, it'll be easier for our cruisers to move."
Ohio University students attending the fest will also have easier access to temporary and overnight parking at the new location, in addition to the shuttle services that run from Peden Stadium and North Court Street.
"The Big Red Barn (area) - that's how big our parking is now," Petrozzi said. "The property is built up, so it won't ever flood."
The location itself is about three times the size of the Big Red Barn, Petrozzi said, an expansion that was necessary in order to accommodate two main stages and a DJ tent, which will feature 21 confirmed musical acts headlined by Cleveland rapper Machine Gun Kelly.
Despite the potential complications, Guysville resident Brent Hayes, who owns the property, isn't concerned about the massive influx of students, alcohol, noise and, in recent years, mud.
"If there is rain, we can hopefully make it better than in years past as far as accessibility," said Hayes, who owns farm equipment to aid in the cleanup. "Where the event's going to take place, that area is well-drained and clearly out of the floodplain, so there's not going to be any flooding, whereas last year it was underwater prior to the event for several days and was super saturated."
Petrozzi liked the location so much that he's also planning an 8½Fest later this year during Labor Day weekend. Hayes, who approached Petrozzi after hearing that a new location for 8Fest would be needed, is both confident in Petrozzi's abilities and excited for the potential uses of his now-vacant land.
"(Petrozzi's) done this before. It's not his first or his second one; its his eighth one," Hayes said. "We're going to give it a try and see how it works, and there may be opportunity for more events on this property."
Discounted tickets for 8Fest will go on sale through Kegfly until March 8. After that, tickets will be sold for $25 at various venues throughout Athens.
al106606@ohiou.edu
