Luke Bryan's farm tour brings sold-out crowd to Elk Grove's Mahon Ranch
Thousands of country music fans traded traditional concert venues for open fields Saturday night as country star Luke Bryan brought his Farm Tour to Mahon Ranch in Elk Grove.
For many concertgoers, the afternoon started with long waits before they ever heard the first song.
Traffic backed up along Highway 99 and Grant Line Road as fans made their way toward the farm. Some attendees said it took hours to get in, while others found creative ways to make it to the show.
"We got out of our Uber and walked a mile to be here," said Lily Wilson of Livermore.
Cheri Martin of Sacramento said the drive into the venue was slow-moving.
"Oh my gosh, probably a good hour or so. I mean, it was slowly itching away," Martin said.
Once inside, many said the delays quickly faded into the background.
Instead of stadium seats and concrete concourses, concertgoers spread blankets across the ground, unfolded lawn chairs and filled the fields at Mahon Ranch for a different kind of concert setting.
"It's more laid back. You get to bring your own chairs, your own blankets and everything," said Maritza Vivero of Patterson. "I feel like it's a more homey experience, feels one-on-one even though there's a huge crowd of us."
The sold-out show drew more than 20,000 people, but fans said the Farm Tour experience is about more than just the music.
Luke Bryan created the tour to highlight farming communities and support the agricultural industry that helps feed the country.
"Farming is tough. We're in California, water challenges, all kinds of stuff," Martin said. "So it's really beautiful that he is supporting all of that."
For many in the crowd, Saturday marked their first concert on a farm.
"Never been out to a concert on a farm," said Jake Cacciola of Brentwood. "I think this is crazy, I think it's amazing. I think everyone's about to have a lot of fun."
And once the music started, fans packed into the fields, singing along under the night sky for a concert experience many said felt unlike anything they'd attended before.
