Thirty years and going strong. Record numbers of fans are expected this year at WE Fest. With that, preparations in Detroit Lakes are in place for the police and local business owners.
If you are walking downtown, you will already notice an increase in cars on the streets and people on the sidewalks. Even though traffic can get a little bit hectic, local business owners say they love all the new people.
Val Voigt, owner of Detroit Lakes Floral & Gifts says, "One of my favorite things is to find out where people are from and how long they've been coming to WE Fest."
Voigt says a lot of people come downtown to see what there is to eat and buy and also just to visit. That has her business pretty busy. "Love is in the air at all times, and often people stop in and wanna get a bunch of flowers for that special person," says Voigt.
But there is another side to all the extra commotion.
Detroit Lakes Police Chief Tim Eggebraaten says, "We know they're coming, kinda like preparing for a blizzard. Stock up, get ready and prepare."
It is all hands on deck at the police department as they get ready to keep the traffic flowing smoothly through the city. "Wednesday we will start no parking regulations along the beach. There will be no left turns in some spots," says Eggebraaten.
This is all to prevent problems before they happen. Eggebraaten explains, "It typically runs really smoothly once get traffic figured out."
Unless of course you have a delivery business which will take you south on Highway 59. Voigt says, "Our delivery person this morning said he wished I would have told him WE Fest was going on."
The Minnesota Highway Patrol is adding eight troopers and a helicopter to the area as well. The Becker County Sheriff's Department will patrol the WE Fest grounds.
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