Tens of thousands of people flocking to Napa for BottleRock

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ByAmy Hollyfield KGO logo
Friday, May 26, 2017
Tens of thousands flocking to Napa for BottleRock this weekend
Tens of thousands of people will be out enjoying the weather at BottleRock this weekend.

NAPA, Calif. (KGO) -- Tens of thousands of people will be out enjoying the weather at BottleRock this weekend. The three-day music, food and wine festival kicked off at noon.

It's an enthusiastic crowd but a laid back crowd, as some who got here very early discovered.

Veronica Sullivan really likes Adam Levine of Maroon 5, so she arrived at the gates of BottleRock at 6 a.m. Friday, about six hour before they open, and 14 hours before he will take the stage.

RELATED: Vendors, locals prepare for 120,000 at BottleRock Napa festival

"Cause I thought it would be like Coachella and there would be people showing up early, to be honest, and I wanted to be like just in case," she said.

But she has now figured out this festival is not like Coachella.

The owner of Boneyard BBQ is here for the first time and he is already aware this concert is a bit different. "It is pretty intimidating, especially a crowd like this. They have some very highbrow folks coming," owner Rich Mainzer said.

Food plays as central of a role here as the music. Many of the vendors were hand selected. "I got a call from the venue saying they noticed us and we fit the bill, so to speak, so we feel very lucky to be here," Mainzer said.

RELATED: Security concerns grow for Napa's BottleRock festival

Security will also be the center of attention after this week's attack at a concert in Manchester. Officials say they have a tight security plan in place. The main focus now needs to be awareness. "I am trying not to think about it but also thinking about it because it is important to think about," one festivalgoer said.

Police say that because this is a more mature crowd, everyone tends to be more aware and in tune with their surroundings.

There will be 80 acts over the next three days with an estimated 45,000 people each day. The concert is sold out.

Click here for more information about the BottleRock Napa festival.

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