CHP increases enforcement for Jimmy Buffet tailgating party at Acrisure Arena
Jimmy Buffet and the Coral Reef Band’s concert is officially in the books at Acrisure Arena.
Before then, the festivities started with a tailgating party in the east side of the parking lot.
In the Margaritaville Tailgate zone, it's always 5 o'clock.
“We’ve been here since 9am, yeah we were the first ones in and we’re ready," said Kay Kramer.
Parrot heads, cheeseburgers in paradise and Jimmy Buffet fans- you name it! They were all there for the same reason.
“We love Buffet, we’re all parrotheads. And we’ve been to a few concerts before this and we just know how much fun it is and it’s just relax and have a good time," said Neil Ramsbottom.
“I’m having the most fun, have you seen all these wonderful people? This is a beautiful, beautiful gathering," said 90-year-old attendee Mama Joe.
Grills were fired up and cornhole competitions were underway, as people sang along to their favorite songs.
“We love Jimmy Buffet music and we just play it all day long," Kramer added.
Some were getting ready to see Jimmy Buffet for the first time in concert, while others have been enjoying his island hits for decades.
“First one was in Sydney, Australia in 1986," said attendee Kip Showning. “We’ve seen him all over the world, Toronto, Detroit, we go to all the opening shows.”
But with drinks and partying, comes more responsibility. California Highway Patrol told News Channel 3 they had extra safety precautions in place.
“CHP is actually deploying eight officers that are assigned to that unit at one sergeant. So we're doubling up on what we had before, which we're just anticipating anything that could happen," said Officer David Torres.
Authorities worked to ensure the night ran smoothly.
“We're going to be enforcing all the violations that we see. We're going to be making sure everyone's safe, and we're just going to be out there showing the presence that if something does happen, we'll be there to respond," Torres said.
Authorities say they want people to have fun, just in a safe and responsible way.
