Tips to prepare for Morgan Wallen concert at University of Michigan's Big House this weekend

A major weekend in Ann Arbor as fans gear up to see country music star Morgan Wallen take over the University of Michigan's Big House stadium on Friday and Saturday.

Fans on Thursday were already lining up to snag merchandise ahead of the back-to-back shows.

The Ann Arbor Police Department says it anticipates the concerts will draw quite a turnout.

"We're looking at probably 150,000 over the two days," said Sgt. Kory Petterle.

Petterle tells CBS News Detroit that talks about safety preparations started six months ago. These performances are the second major concerts to ever take place at the stadium.

"We want people to come and have fun, but we want them to be safe in the process," Petterle said.

His advice? To plan ahead.

"Know where you're going for parking. If you can, pre-purchase parking so you have a plan when you get here. But always give yourself extra time. There's always going to be traffic delays," said Petterle. "Some of our construction projects took a little bit of a pause or are making changes to allow for a better traffic flow for the concert, but our construction projects are going on."

Petterlee urges fans to familiarize themselves with the stadium's policy on prohibited items. That includes weapons, umbrellas, all bags and purses.

"We always see people walk up to the gates and then have to walk back to their car with their backpack, purse or something like that. The stadium has a strict no-bag policy. The only exceptions being for diaper bags or for medical bags and there's special checks for those," Petterle said.

If you're still on the hunt for last-minute tickets, Petterle's tip to avoid a scam is to always purchase tickets from a legitimate website.

"We always tell people to go to the official website for tickets. Unfortunately, there's a lot of people out there that will take advantage of somebody on marketplace sales or online sales. Always make sure you're going to an official ticket sales site and avoid things like sending credit card information or photos of your ID over social media or text messaging," said Petterle.

It's an event that is expected to draw big crowds to the Big House.

"When you're at the concert, enjoy yourself, have fun, but do so responsibly. There's going to be a lot of people, a lot of traffic, and everybody wants to leave at once, so be patient. We'll get you out of here safely, we'll get you back home," Petterle said.

Gates open at 4:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with opening acts beginning at 5:30 p.m.