Campers Arrive for Stagecoach County Music Festival

Stagecoach Country Music Festival kicks off this Friday at the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, and if you're not heading to the show, you'll still want to plan around it.

RV and trailer campers are expected to start rolling in Thursday morning, as early as 6 a.m., primarily along Jefferson Street and Monroe Street. Traffic expert Kris Gunterson advises drivers to give those large vehicles plenty of space on the road. Most campers should be parked and settled by early afternoon, but those morning hours will be noticeably busier than usual. Stagecoach draws a larger RV crowd than Coachella, so expect bigger vehicles on the road than you might be used to.

Gates open at 1 p.m. Friday, and that's when things pick up across the festival corridor. Washington, Jefferson, and Monroe streets will see heavy traffic throughout the weekend. Washington Street near the Indian Wells Tennis Garden gets especially congested on Friday, as festival-goers head there to pick up their wristbands starting around 1 p.m. That rush typically eases by 6 p.m. and tapers off as the weekend continues.

Drivers should also expect road closures on Avenues 49, 50, and 52 near the polo grounds through Sunday.

If your weekend plans take you through Indio, give yourself extra time, and consider alternate routes where possible.