And just like that – it was all over

It was like nothing ever happen. It was like a dream, a blur. Did that just really happen in Guthrie, USA?

“After several long months of planning, the City of Guthrie is proud to consider the Gentlemen of the Road – Guthrie Stopover a huge success,” City Manager Sereniah Breland said.

“In partnership with the Chamber of Commerce, and 9 months of planning, the businesses and community organizations benefited from the increases in sales and visibility.”

An estimated 40,000 (last count was 38,500) people packed the Cottonwood Flats on Saturday night to take in Grammy winning Mumford and Sons and several more thousand visited the downtown festival that started on Thursday. Photo Galleries

Fast forward to Monday morning as you drive to work or to school you would have never known Guthrie was making headlines around the globe. The tents were folded up, the barricades were taken down and the chain link fence that had us guessing what was inside was almost completely gone.

Gone, just like that. Gone.

Mumford and Sons, along with all their musical friends and fans, made Guthrie their home for a few days and the locals loved it. In return, visitors from 48 states and six countries enjoyed their stay in Guthrie. If only the weather was a touch cooler.

People around the globe will always carry Guthrie in their heart and for some their car windshield and hood. Did you see the cars heading out-of-town on Sunday morning after parking in a dirt field for a few days?

“I came from Dallas and this is not a town I would never bother to visit, but the locals I encountered were very nice and welcoming. They seemed excited to meet people from all over the country,” a comment posted on a Guthrie News Page article.

“The festival has increased an awareness not only to the state of Oklahoma, but other states as well, that Guthrie is a welcoming community to concert attendees and large-scale tourism,” Breland said.

We heard the announcement in early Feb. about some band from England coming to town. We laughed at the thought of 30,000 or 40,000 people wanting to come to Guthrie.

Several posted questions and concerns ranging from crime, school and the viaduct when the town’s population was set to quadruple.

The Guthrie Police Department reported five arrests inside the venue. Of those five arrests, ranging from public intoxication, possession, assault and obstruction, two were from Guthrie.

“Concerns with the potential crime was mitigated by significant efforts of prevention and readiness coupled with a crowd that was dedicated towards the mission behind Gentlemen of the Road – celebrating the communities in which they’re being held,” Breland said.

The Guthrie Fire Department responded to 140 calls ranging from heat exhaustion, cuts and scrapes, breathing difficulty and sprained ankles over the three days. All were deemed non-emergency.

“It was difficult to not walk any distance without hearing rave reviews of the businesses, people, and scenery in our town. We are fortunate to have had the opportunity to host such an event, and thankful for all the volunteers, staff, businesses, agencies, and organizations that made it such a great success.”

With the event now in the rear view mirror, can Guthrie continue the momentum and possibly be a festival city and continue to make Guthrie a must see place?

“We are in the planning stages to keep the momentum alive for future events,” Breland said.