Water is creeping toward buildings at the Winfield Fairground but Walnut Valley Festival officials expect the show to go on next week, spokesperson Rex Flottman said Saturday afternoon.
"There’ll definitely be some changes, we just don’t know what they are yet," he said during a brief interview at the festival headquarters on Main. "But we’re not going to cancel. We’ve always had contingency plans, rain and river plans. Bottom line is we still intend to have a festival."
The Walnut River is expected to crest somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 feet, flood level is 18 feet. Flottman said at the 30 feet level the water might make it into a building or two, but should not approach the fairground’s grandstand.
If that’s true, day parking and main-stage performances should be possible but the status of camping on site remains up in the air.
"I won’t even say anything about (camping) until we know what the river’s doing for sure," Flottman said. "I don’t want to commit to anything and be wrong."
For now, campers are scattered along city side streets, parked at the local livestock auction barn, Black Creek Park, the city lake and various other places.
Flottman hopes some breezy, sunny days ? which are in the forecast ? could dry out camping spots ? but admits the ground will be soupy even when the water recedes.
"But everyone seems to be taking it in stride," he said. "We’ve got a pretty loyal following. Campers can put with a lot."
Festival organizers are considering plans for bringing campers to the fairground next week, if campground conditions don’t improve enough for everyone to return. That type of commuting has been done before when attendance numbers reach record levels.
Around 1,100 vehicles were removed the fairground Friday.
Flottman says a soggy track area in front of the grandstand probably means there will need to be different plans for setting up the main stage. A worker orientation set for Sunday at 1:30 p.m has been postponed.
Festival officials said there was no truth to reports circulating that a decision had been made to let campers return and move into the east side of the fairground.
Though there doesn’t seem to be any sense of panic for organizers, Flottman admits that flooding so close to the festival’s start date is uncommon.
"We’ve had flooding well before the festival and some that started after the festival began," he said. "But this is new territory for us. So much water right as we’re about to get going."
