What You Need to Know About Country Fest 2013 at Gillette Stadium

One of the highest grossing and most popular country music shows around returns to Foxborough as Kenny Chesney brings the No Shoes Nation Tour to Gillette Stadium as part of the New England Country Festival.

Chesney will be joined by Eric Church, the Eli Young Band, and Kacey Musgraves for the two-day concert. Each act will perform at both shows to avoid fans missing an act if they only attend one day.

The gates for the show will open up at 4 p.m. with the show starting at 5 p.m.

Whether you are going to the show or want to figure out when to avoid Route 1, we have everything you need to know about this weekend’s Country Fest.

Parking Lot Information

On both days the parking lots will open exactly at 2 p.m. No cars will be allowed access to the lots in Foxboro before 2 p.m. and no exceptions will be made. Due to this, those driving to the show are asked to not arrive until the lots open.

Other important information for those attending Friday or Saturday’s event:

• All passengers in vehicles must have a ticket for entry into the Gillette Stadium parking lots.
• Transportation of alcohol between parking lots will not be allowed.
• Parking at the stadium is $40 for cars and motorcycles and $120 for limos, RVs, and busses.

The following will not be allowed in Gillette Stadium Parking Lots:

• Any vehicle towing a trailer (this includes fifth-wheel RV units).
• Professional catering trucks and or services without prior written approval from Stadium Management.
• Excessive tailgate setups that impede on customers parked around your vehicles, emergency access or deemed to be unsafe or inappropriate by Stadium Management.
• Any type of swimming pool, portable pool, hot tubs, water filled pickup trucks, or the like.
• Branded vehicles that Stadium Management determines to be advertising to the general public

Watch Out For Traffic

With over 100,000 people are expected to attend the two shows over the weekend and event traffic overlapping with the Friday evening commute, Gillette Stadium is asking commuters to be aware of heavy traffic on Route 1 between 95 and 495 on Friday afternoon/early evening.

In the past, backroads near the stadium have been known to backup due to traffic heading to the concert. Please be aware that some streets in Foxboro may experience more traffic than usual due to the event.

The Dos and Don’ts at Gillette Stadium

No one wants to be "that fan" that doesn't know the stadium's security protocol. Be prepared for this weekend by reviewing the dos and don’ts at Gillette Stadium as well as other useful information about the facility:

• Ticket Policies
• Patron Screening
• Prohibited Items
• Acceptable Items
• Banner Policy
• Smoking Policy
• Medical Supplies or Dietary Considerations
• Fan Code of Conduct
• Security Assistance During an Event
• Lost & Found
• Letters of Disinvite

Did You Know …

• While Chesney has made the New England Country Music Festival the largest concert series in New England, he did not headline the first Country Fest in 2004. That honor goes to singer and Patriot Place bar owner Toby Keith.
• This year will mark Chesney’s eighth Country Fest, which included consecutive appearances from 2005-2009.
• Once again, County Fest will be the final stop for Chesney’s summer tour. Gillette Stadium is often Chesney’s last stop on his summer tours because it is one of his favorite venues.

A Break For Chesney

Recently, Chesney announced that he will not tour in 2014, leaving next year's Country Fest without it’s traditional headlining act. The break will be only the second time since 2001 the country star has taken the summer off. The last time Chesney was not at Country Fest was 2010 when Brad Paisley took over headlining duties.

After this weekend, Chesney will have performed at Gillette Stadium 11 times at eight Country Fests since 2005.

Have something to add or have a question not addressed here? Tell us in the comments section!