HUNTSVILLE — With the South Star Festival just days away, officials throughout Huntsville’s municipal structure are working together down the home stretch to make the weekend a memorable and safe one.
“Thank you to all the city departments for their hard work and dedication in helping bring the South Star Festival to life,” Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said. “This event represents a tremendous opportunity for our community, and I’m proud to see such a great display of teamwork.”
Law enforcement will be on hand for security and officials are telling fans to arrive early and practice patience. They expect an average of 20,000 to 22,000 people per day for the event.
“We will have an adequate number of off-duty and on-duty personnel inside the site as well as the surrounding area,” HPD Chief Kirk Giles said. “We want to make sure everyone acts responsibly inside the site.”
Approximately 850 spaces for parking are available on the south side of Airport Road in the John Hunt volleyball, cross country and tennis parking area, with a daily rate of $40, payable by card only. Access is on Russell Brown Drive off Airport Road.
Additionally, 100 spaces are available at 3242 Leeman Ferry Road, south of the Huntsville Ice Sports Center, in the Operation Green Team parking lot. The cost here is $45 per day, also card payment only.
Overnight parking is not allowed at either location. Attendees are also encouraged to consider private lots owned by local businesses that offer paid parking for festival goers.
Free parking will ae available on a first-come, first-served basis a short walk at Milton Frank Stadium and the Huntsville Aquatics Center.
“If you’re going to be attending the festival, be sure to get there in plenty of time to find some parking and get to the gate to see the first acts,” said HPD Capt. Stephen Anderson. “Expect congestion in the area and be patient with everybody.”
Festival gates open both days at 1 p.m. and the music will end at 11 p.m.
For fans who don’t want to fight the parking, three Orbit bus routes will service the event, with the closest stop at Hardees/Academy Sports on the Brahan Spring Route. It is about 1 mile from the festival and operates every 30 minutes.
After the festival each night, the service will run for an additional hour. A one-way fare on the Orbit bus is $1.
The city’s Department of Landscape Management is also helping to prepare for the festival.
“We’re excited for a fantastic event at John Hunt Park and remind everyone to help out by cleaning up after themselves,” said Brian Walker, director of Landscape Management. “Just putting trash in the bins makes a big difference for our environment and keeps our community looking its best.”
After the event, Huntsville’s Green Team will collect the trash outside the venue.
For information, see the Welcome Guide from festival producer C3 Presents here.
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